“What do you mean scruff me up?”
“I mean screw you through a wall,” Ty said, waving his hand up and down at Zane.
Zane laughed in surprise. That idea sounded pretty damn good.
“And you look like a Fed. We’re not supposed to look like government on this one, so we’ll need to find you some new clothes.”
“If you say so. All I know is I’m backup. And a lot happier to be here than I was thirty minutes ago.”
Ty’s hand snaked around Zane’s waist and pulled him closer as they walked. “Burns didn’t give me anything but the city and ‘hurry’ and that he’d call me to give me an address later. Then I sat here cooling my heels for two days because he decided I needed backup. I didn’t even get a chance to run down this dude, who apparently is pretty good at not being found.”
“Who is he?”
“I don’t know. Do you really want to talk about a case we’ll be handling in less than twelve hours, or do you want to go see my kickass hotel room and discuss your feelings instead?”
“Are you seriously asking me that question right now?” Zane said as he moved his duffel to his other shoulder so it didn’t hang between them.
“Is that a no, then?”
Zane reached to dig his fingers into Ty’s ribs, smiling when Ty twisted to get away. “You might get there without being mauled in the back of a taxi, but I’m making no promises.”
“Fair enough. So how was your week, anyway?” Ty asked, passing through the glass doors and out into Chicago’s frigid March morning. He began to search his pockets again, not looking where he was going.
Zane stopped their forward progress toward the curb after Ty almost ran down a couple of nuns dragging neon paisley rolling cases. “What are you looking for?”
“I got you something,” Ty said as he lifted one side of his trench coat and peered under it. “This damn thing has so many hidey holes I can’t remember which one I put it in.”
Zane couldn’t help but laugh again. “You got me something?”
Ty looked up, his eyes wide and sincere as he nodded. God, he was handsome. Zane had to shake the urge to kiss him again, and he let the warmth in his chest spread through him as he met Ty’s eyes. Ty, as always, remained outwardly oblivious to the effect he often had on Zane.
“I’ve been here an hour or so. Walked through the gift shop.” He flopped his hands and gave up the search. “It’ll fall out eventually,” he muttered as he smoothed his hands down the front of his coat. He’d definitely bought it for the exact reason Zane had thought.
“You didn’t need to bring anything home but yourself,” Zane said, sighing as he took Ty’s arm and got him moving again, following the ground transportation signs toward the taxi queue. It was the same Ty Grady he knew and loved. Really loved. And wasn’t that still an odd thought?
“I didn’t know when I’d get home after this,” Ty said with a wave of his hand. “I couldn’t call you. I was pretty sure you were going to be frothing at the mouth by now, so I had to have a plan B in case a sincere apology and groveling didn’t work.”
“I wasn’t frothing at the mouth.”
Ty cleared his throat and glanced at Zane with a knowing look.
Zane shoved his hands in the pockets of his long overcoat and tried to ignore him, but he could just feel Ty watching and waiting. “Okay, so I was a little put out.” He shrugged as he glanced over at his partner.
Ty nodded as they came up on the cab in the front of the line waiting for passengers. He opened the door and they both climbed into the back of the car, and Zane stashed the duffel between his feet. Ty said something to the cabbie Zane couldn’t make out over the traffic noise, and the car was moving a few moments later.
“I am sorry I left like that,” Ty said as soon as they were sitting next to each other, a careful two feet of empty seat between them.
The structures whizzing by outside cast weird shadows into the cab, but Zane knew the features of Ty’s face without having to see them, and a short glimpse in the sunlight showed him that Ty was watching him, eyes intent.
“I’m sorry you felt you had to.”
Ty gave an elegant shrug and smiled. “Shit happens,” he said as he looked away.
“Usually because you’re full of it,” Zane muttered, leaning back in the seat to take the first easy breath he’d been able to draw in days. He glanced at Ty and felt more of the pressure in his chest ease away.
Ty rested his head against the seat and turned to look at Zane. “Nice suit.”
Zane looked down at himself. It was a deep black suit with sharp lines and tiny charcoal pinstripes, bought to replace the suit ruined last week at Lydia Reeves’ funeral and picked up from the tailor’s just yesterday. The jacket had been cut a little fuller to allow for his gun holster, and the sleeves a little longer to cover his knives. “Burns caught me in the gym. This was what I had for work, since I didn’t have time to run home.”
Ty was still watching him, his head lowered, his lips twitching as he fought a smile. “No, Zane,” he said in a low voice, an entirely different tone to the words. “I meant nice suit.”
Zane’s mouth went dry as the honey-smooth tone of Ty’s seductive voice seeped into him. A slash of light caught in Ty’s eyes, and they glittered green with flecks of gold, focused on him. Zane felt his cheeks flush. “Well. I… uh.”
Ty didn’t respond. He continued to watch Zane as the city passed by the cab’s windows. Zane raised an eyebrow, and Ty smirked. Zane knew that look. He knew it very well, and the cab could not get to the hotel fast enough.
TY LED Zane through the lobby of the hotel Dick had put them up in, bypassing the front desk in favor of the elevators. Technically, they had two rooms for the day. They wouldn’t need both.
Ty had to admit that he was nervous. He’d been nervous ever since the morning Richard Burns had called him and he’d realized he wouldn’t be able to get back to Zane before Zane completely flipped out. As soon as the elevator doors closed, Ty glanced at Zane and breathed in deeply to calm himself.
Zane turned to lean against the side wall, facing Ty, watching him. His dark eyes didn’t stray, not that Ty had anywhere to hide.
“You mad?” Ty asked, lips twitching as he fought a smile.
Zane’s eyes narrowed, and the calm façade melted into something that looked a little more dangerous. A thrill ran through Ty’s body, and he could not suppress the shiver.