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  “Go ahead, Cael.”

  “Allan says he’ll get right on it, but he won’t have anything before tomorrow morning. The place is crawling with CDC bigwigs. They’re freaking out about security after what happened today. Obviously, they’re looking to put someone’s head on the chopping block.”

  “I appreciate that, but we really need him to get that info over to us as soon as he can, or at least grant us access so Intel can do it. If the bureaucrats are getting in the way, tell him to let us know, and I’ll send Ash down there to throw his weight around.”

  “Will do.”

  “In the meantime….” Sloane gave Maddock his most charming smile. “Can you send over a glowing letter of appreciation to Allan and his security team for their exceptional and invaluable help during today’s incident?”

  Maddock was onto him, and he nodded with a knowing smile. “I’ll get on that now. As soon as you find anything else out, you let me know immediately.” He started to leave, then paused, jutting a finger at him. “And get a haircut.”

  “Yes, sir.” Sloane gave him a salute. Damn. That meant he had at least another week before he had to get it cut. He hated getting his hair cut. His gaze went to Dex who was grinning at him.

  “What?”

  “You’re so cute, sending a letter so Allan and his team don’t get canned.”

  Sloane hoped his face wasn’t as red as it felt. “Allan and his team did great. They don’t deserve to lose their jobs because a bunch of pencil pushers need someone to blame. I mean you saw how many guards there were for a building that size, and with everything else going on, it’s clear they’d made cutbacks. Security’s always the first department to suffer. While poor Allan joins the ranks of the unemployed, some asshole buys a second house on the coast of France.”

  Dex leaned forward, his voice gruff and sexy. “Ooh, do I hear a little anti-establishment in your tone, Agent Brodie?”

  With a chuckle, Sloane came to sit at the edge of Dex’s desk. He leaned forward to whisper, “Does that turn you on, Agent Daley?”

  Dex gave a snort. “That would imply there are moments when I’m not turned on. Okay, well, in this job there actually are moments when I’m not, but if our lives aren’t in danger and you’re around, it’s a safe bet I’ve got a stiffy.”

  Sloane arched an eyebrow at him.

  “Okay, sometimes even when we are in danger.”

  “That so?”

  “You gripping an MP5 submachine gun, sweat dripping down your face, your tac pants pulled tight over your ass when you crouch down? Fuck, I’m getting hard thinking about it. Come on, man. I’m positioned behind you in formation, and you think my mind’s not going to go there? It’s your own fault.”

  “Jesus, Dex. We’re at the office!” Sloane hissed.

  “You asked.”

  Sloane shifted uncomfortably, his pants tighter than they’d been a moment ago. “Yeah, but… now you’ve got me… you know.”

  “So….”

  “So what?” Sloane eyed him warily. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting? Because we’re in the middle of a case.”

  Dex’s pale blue eyes clouded, the heat in them going straight to Sloane’s dick. “We are in the middle of a case. A case with intel that won’t come in until tomorrow morning, or tonight at the earliest.”

  Sloane swallowed hard. “Ten minutes?”

  Dex grinned wickedly. “Ten minutes.” He stood, his fingers brushing Sloane’s thigh as he walked past.

  This was insane. Sloane couldn’t believe he was doing this at work. He’d never done anything with Gabe at work, not even sneak a kiss. Then again, Gabe had been a stickler for the rules, too afraid of what would happen if they’d been caught. Dex… well, Dex was a terrible, sexy—fuck, he was sexy—influence. Then again, the only time their sergeant ever suspected something was amiss was when Dex wasn’t up to his shenanigans.

  If Dex wasn’t eating snacks when he shouldn’t be, or singing in the showers, or bugging Ash, or Cael, or anyone with a pulse, Rosa was whipping out her thermometer and taking his temperature, convinced he was coming down with something. Two days ago, Dex had been straining his little blond head trying to work out a riddle Sloane had given him, and the whole floor almost went into lockdown from panic due to his prolonged silence. Their Medical Chief, Hudson, had gone so far as to insist he examine Dex, though now that Sloane thought about it, he was pretty sure Hudson might have been taking advantage of the situation. The guy was always eyeing Dex’s ass.

  Sloane waited five minutes then casually slipped out of the office, heading for the moderately sized lunchroom on their floor. After greeting the half a dozen or so agents who were in there, he tapped the blue numbers on one of the vending machine’s smart screens. A candy bar dropped down into the tray. Sloane swiped it up and tucked it into his front breast pocket. Exactly four minutes and thirty seconds later, he was using his keycard to access his personally assigned sleeping bay.

  What the hell was he doing? This was insane. This was—

  Two taps on the door exactly thirty-one seconds later.

  Sloane opened the door, his abdomen tightening at the sight of Dex standing there, mischief and lust in his eyes.

  “You’re late,” Sloane said, letting him in and locking the door behind him.

  “Looks like you’ll have to discipline me.”

  Okay. He could do this. “Get on the bed and unzip.”

  “Yes, sir.” Dex sat on the bed, kicked his feet up, unzipped his pants, whipped out his dick, and finished off by lying with his hands behind his head, a dopey grin on his face. The cocky bastard. Before Sloane could talk himself out of it, he crossed the room, and straddled Dex, their lips meeting together in a hot and needy kiss. Dex wriggling beneath him, hands on Sloane’s fly, nearly made him forget his concerns. Nearly. Sloane made certain to remain alert while kissing Dex, letting out a low groan when Dex pulled at Sloane’s hardening cock.

  With a nip to Dex’s bottom lip, making his partner groan, Sloane rolled onto his side. He motioned down toward the other end of the bed, his blood drumming through his veins, filling his cock at the sight of Dex’s tongue poking out to lick his bottom lip. “Get down there and be quiet. The walls are insulated, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

  Dex’s enthusiastic nod almost made Sloane laugh, until he was forced to throw an arm up to keep himself from getting kicked in the face as Dex scrambled to turn his body around. The man was a disaster, nearly falling off the bed in the process. Sloane threw an arm out, grabbed him by the belt, and yanked him down so his cock was in front of Sloane’s face.

  “You’re damn lucky you’re pretty, Daley,” Sloane growled quietly.

  “Aw, you think I’m pretty?”

  “Shut up and suck my dick.”

  “You’re lucky you’re damn sexy,” Dex countered, inhaling sharply and bucking when Sloane closed a hand over Dex’s cock and squeezed. “Sweet Jesus.”

  “Yeah, less talking, more sucking.” He let out a low hiss at the feel of Dex’s hand on him.

  “Anyone ever tell you you’re bossy?”

  “I’m sorry, I was under the impression we came here for blow jobs and not to discuss my people skills.” Dex’s hot mouth enveloping him put a stop to both their grousing, and Sloane returned the favor, taking Dex down to the root. He closed his eyes, humming around Dex’s cock, sucking, licking, and trying his damn hardest to keep himself in control.

  Dex dug his fingers into Sloane’s ass cheeks, his gorgeous mouth making it difficult for Sloane to concentrate on what he was doing. Damn, the guy knew how to drive him over the edge. As excruciating pressure began to build up inside Sloane, he quickened his pace, his hand on Dex’s hips to keep him still. He loved the taste of Dex, and he expressed it as best he could, his tongue circling the head, pressing into Dex’s slit, making Dex buck. Dex hummed around him in warning, and Sloane doubled his efforts, sucking him harder and faster until Dex stiffened before he came in S
loane’s mouth. He swallowed, his muscles tightening as the heat spread, and with a low moan, he shot his load into Dex’s mouth.

  Sloane gently pulled off Dex, and as soon as Dex did the same, Sloane rolled onto his back, his breath coming out heavy. Damn, that was good. He lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling. The bed moved, and Sloane held back a smile at Dex snuggling up close, his arm around Sloane’s waist. Sloane’s hand found Dex’s hair, and he absently ran his fingers through the dirty blond locks, a smile breaking through. After a few heartbeats, Sloane nudged his partner.

  “We need to go before someone comes looking for either of us.”

  Dex let out a groan, but rolled over and got up, unaware of Sloane watching him tuck himself back in. He zipped up and straightened out his clothes and hair. Damn, he was cute. Pale blue eyes shifted up and Dex cocked his head to one side, that brilliant smile stealing Sloane’s breath away.

  “What?”

  Sloane shook his head. “Nothing.” He got up and sorted himself out before pulling Dex into his arms, delivering a kiss to his head. “Come on.” He didn’t know where the tenderness came from, and he refused to dwell on it. He made his way to the door, and with Dex out of sight behind him, Sloane peeked out of the room. At his signal, Dex slipped out and Sloane followed, closing the door behind him. They quickly made their way to the end of the hall, slowing down to a casual stroll when they reached the corner.

  They walked past the male locker room when Ash stepped in front of them, scaring the hell out them. Lucky for them, Ash was too annoyed to notice their less than innocent reaction.

  “Where the hell were you two?”

  Sloane and Dex produced a candy bar from their front breast pockets in unison, answering simultaneously, “Lunchroom.”

  Ash looked genuinely horrified. “You two are spending way too much time together. Seriously, that was creepy as fuck.” He snatched their candy bars. “For the psychological trauma you’ve just inflicted.”

  Dex pouted. “Hey, I was gonna save that for the next briefing.”

  “Briefings are not snack time.” Ash crowded Dex, who looked genuinely perplexed.

  “But…. How else am I supposed to get through them?”

  “I don’t know, by paying attention? I can’t believe Lieutenant Sparks lets you get away with it.”

  Sloane pushed himself between the two. Well, there was little pushing involved. He only had to slip a hand between them, and Dex took a step back. Sometimes it surprised Sloane how responsive Dex was to his every touch. Even when the guy was focused on something else, he always seemed to be aware of Sloane and his movements. “All right you two, that’s enough. What did you want, Ash?”

  “We’re going to Bar Dekatria tonight. Cael says if one more Intel guy calls him to add another algorithm to the case, he’s going to lose it and take everyone with him.” Ash chuckled. “You should have seen him. He got all red in the face and started stomping around. At one point he got so mad, he knocked over someone’s empty soda can.”

  “Did he pick it right up and apologize profusely?” Dex asked with a grin.

  “It’s Cael. Of course he did. Then he offered to buy the guy a new one.”

  Dex shook his head with a laugh. “You should have seen him when he was a kid, and he’d get pissed off in his Therian form, chirping all over the place, his little cheetah fuzz at the top of his head sticking up. It was adorable.”

  Ash actually laughed along with Dex. It fascinated Sloane how the two were always arguing, annoying the hell out of one another or wishing fiery pain upon each other, except when it concerned Cael. Then they were a couple of mother hens, clucking away over their little chick. It was sweet, and at times, frightening, especially where Ash was concerned. If it weren’t for Cael, Sloane would never have guessed his friend possessed any kind of nurturing instinct. Something moved behind Ash and Sloane coughed into his hand. When that didn’t work, he elbowed Dex, only to be once again ignored.

  “Guys,” Sloane warned.

  “What are you two talking about?”

  Ash and Dex stopped abruptly, both turning to Cael who stood there, a deep frown on his boyish face. Dex waved cheerfully. “Hey, little brother.”

  Cael folded his arms over his chest. “You were talking about me, weren’t you?”

  “Us? No.” Dex’s grin got wider.

  “You’re a shitty liar. I’m not in the mood for you, Dex. Stupid Intel with their stupid algorithms, and their stupid stupidness.” Cael sighed, looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry. They’re not stupid.” He looked up at them with a pout. “What?”

  Dex threw his arms around Cael’s neck, petting his head and murmuring softly. “You’re so precious. So, so precious.”

  “Get off.” Cael pushed Dex away from him. “So are we going to Dekatria tonight or what? I need alcohol.”

  “Of course we are,” Ash replied, throwing an arm around Cael’s shoulders. “First drink’s on me. What do you say?”

  Cael perked up. “I say awesome!”

  “Hey, I’m cute, too,” Dex protested as they followed Ash and Cael to the bullpen. “Why don’t I get a free drink?”

  Ash flipped him off, calling out over his shoulder, “You’re not cute, Daley.”

  “Screw you. I’m fucking adorable!”

  Sloane leaned into Dex, whispering. “I think you’re cute.”

  Dex smiled at him and batted his lashes. “Do I get a free drink?”

  “No.”

  “Damn.” Dex craned his neck and waved his arms. “Hey, Rosa! I have to ask you something.” He ran off and Sloane chuckled, hearing Dex calling out after her. “Where are you going? I want to ask you if you think I’m cute. You do, right? Rosa?”

  Well tonight should be interesting to say the least.

  Chapter 5

  SCRATCH THAT. This wasn’t going to be an interesting night. It was going to be horrifying.

  “Oh no.” Sloane tried pushing Cael back out the bar’s entrance, but Rosa and Letty were crowded around him with Hobbs blocking the doorway. “Get out. Everyone out!”

  “Why?” Cael stood on his toes, trying to peer around Ash and Sloane.

  Damn it, there was no time. “Just get out—go, go, go.” He grabbed Ash’s arm, hissing in his ear. “Threat Level Fuchsia. Fuchsia!”

  Ash’s eyes widened and he turned to usher everyone back out. “Shit. Everyone out before—”

  “What?” Dex swept past them, God knew how, slowing when he saw what Sloane had been trying so hard to avoid. He turned and threw his arms up with a loud “whoop” in victory, followed by a sing-song, “Karaoke night!”

  Ash delivered a punch to Sloane’s arm. “What the fuck, man? You couldn’t have said something sooner?”

  “Damn it, Ash.” Sloane rubbed his arm, glaring at his best friend. “I didn’t see the equipment until it was too late.” He returned Ash’s punch to the arm. “You’re the one who wanted to come here.”

  “I didn’t know they’d started doing that shit. Now what?”

  “Now we get drunk. He’s already checking out the playlist. It’s too late.”

  Ash thought about it for a moment. “We could knock him out.”

  “That’s your answer to everything isn’t it?” Sloane lowered his voice to mimic Ash’s growl. “Dex is singing in the shower, you want me to knock him out? Dex is eating gummy bears during the briefing, you want me to knock him out? Dex is napping during the assembly, you want me to knock him out?” Sloane shook his head. “How can you knock him out if he’s already out!”

  “Chill, man. Don’t get your fucking panties in a bunch. I suggest you skip the beer and go straight to the vodka.” Ash strolled over to the bar and held a finger out to signal one of the barmen. “Also I could have woken him up and then knocked him out. Just saying.”

  Sloane chose to ignore his friend, offering a noncommittal grunt when Bradley, the handsome Therian bartender with an armful of tattoos and tight black T-shirt, greeted him with his
cheerful smile. Bar Dekatria was a Therian and Human friendly bar that had quickly become a team favorite, especially for Dex. It was less than a fifteen-minute drive from THIRDS HQ. The place was tastefully decorated in a classy retro-style with rich dark woods, dark accents, a black, tufted leather bar, and leather seating, and had a spacious dance floor opposite the bar that Dex always managed to hijack along with his male and female groupies once he’d had a few drinks in him. The guy was a total lightweight when it came to booze.

  “What’ll it be, Sloane? Beer? Or my ‘It’s Going to be One of Those Nights’ special?” Bradley leaned on the bar, his eyes sparkling with mischief. By now, Bradley had come to know Sloane and his team pretty well, and he had a bad habit of finding Dex amusing, among other things. The bartender had no sympathy for Sloane whatsoever. Bastard.

  Sloane shook his head pitifully. “Karaoke night? Really? How could you do this to me?”

  Bradley let out a pleasant laugh. “I’m sorry.”