"We did let them know you are safe, and indicated that coming here might implicate them in ways they don't want to be implicated. But as soon as you are well-rested, we’ll make sure y'all get to visit with each other."
"You mean you're not taking me back home?"
"Oh, I'm taking you home. I'm just not taking you to that tiny apartment anymore," he says, crossing his arms over his chest. Thane’s facial expression brooks no debate.
"Does that mean we're going steady?" I ask, resting my chin on my fist as I blink up at him.
"You're kind of a dork, you know that, right?"
"I thought that's what you like about me."
"It's not the only thing I like about you, but yeah…I like your dorky.”
I grin and reach up, nipping at his ear.
"Ouch!" he says, grabbing the abused lobe.
"I'm sorry," I say, looking up at him through my eyelashes.
"You're not sorry," he growls, sweeping me up into a delicious kiss.
Still boozy from whatever Anders pumped into my system, I ignore the protest in my ribs and appreciate his gentleness while his mouth does wicked things to me.
We kiss like that for an age, as if we're reintroducing ourselves to one another. I like the pressure and when his tongue does that thing. He grips my hip, perhaps the one unbruised location on my body, and I feel grounded and loved.
His hand slips from my hip down across my belly and then lower. He grunts when he meets the hard-on under my jeans, stroking it lightly at first before gripping it with his whole hand, pulling at me through the material.
Just as his thumb meets my button, the door swings open and the rest of the team piles in.
I suppose if I hadn't been beat to hell, I would've sprung away from him and tried to act like nothing was going on. They’re lucky he moved his hand from my crotch back to my hip. I kiss him again for his efforts and he kisses me back, and we fall back into making out until someone finally clears their throat.
"You know this is not a dating club," DB says. He sounds annoyed, but his face reads a few different emotions. There's a slight quirk to his lips but a sadness in his eyes. It’s strange enough that I flick my eyes over to Odd, who has a suspiciously similar look on his face.
I'm not sure what's keeping those two apart, but surely they can work it out. I hope they do because, even with bruised and splintered ribs, nothing has felt this good in my whole life.
22
Thane
Making out with Ronan in front of people is a revelation. To not treat this as a separate part of my life, to not hide, to allow others to see that, yes, I’m in love with this man…is amazing. I want to set off fireworks in celebration. I want to be the firework.
Still, there's work to be done. I make sure everybody stays in the main area because nobody needs to know what Anders is doing in the back room. Thankfully, the PTN is soundproof.
Not much later, Anders sticks his head out, smiling. Grinning, really, from ear to ear.
"I've got leads on all of his contacts, and he gave me the details on the big supplier that Blake left off in his deal with the Marshals’ office.”
DB grips his cane and leans against the arm of the sofa. “That next level up sounds beyond our scope. Do you think Wimberley will want a go at them?"
"Oh, hell yeah. These assholes are into all sorts of gnarly stuff, and the supply run on this alone will keep Wimberley happy for a long, long time."
Jake nods in agreement. "I'll make sure to give the Wonder Twins all of my findings and our communication."
Odd once told me that he and Anders arenotthe Wonder Twins. He also said it’d ruin my day to find out why Wimberley calls them that, and I believe him. I do know from experience, however, that they’re a crack IT team.
Abigail raises her eyebrow. "So what's the deal with Wimberley?"
Odd lifts a shoulder. "It's a black ops site, privately owned, and they are way more equipped to handle large-scale assholes. The Guardians can take out a couple of folks, maybe a small local operation like this one, but it goes to Wimberley when it goes national or international."
