Chapter One
“Why is it that Sunday afternoons always come around way too fast?”Bryn Ashton sat cross-legged on the floor of his bedroom, leaning back against the bed.“It’s not fair.”He shoved the last chunk of his candy bar into his mouth.
“Are you talking to yourself or me?”Gunnar Ericson, Bryn’s lupine partner in the Gene Control and Research investigation team, loomed in the doorway.
Bryn balled up his candy wrapper then tossed it at the trash can.He missed.Gunnar snorted his amusement.Bryn glared at him.“Hey!Gimme a break.It’s not easy aiming from down here, and I guess I was making a general statement of discontent.”
“You couldn’t hit a full-sized dumpster from three feet away and how many times in the last four months have we had a Sunday off?”
“Twice.”
“Exactly, so be grateful that Warden was feeling generous and gave us today.”
Bryn didn’t want to think about their enigmatic, workaholic boss.“We could be doing something a lot more interesting.In your bed.Naked.”Bryn eyed his partner’s broad shoulders and long hair.His cock stirred.“I think we’ve mastered the art of kissing.Isn’t it time we got to second base?”
“All in good time.As I keep telling you, a bit of anticipation doesn’t hurt.”
“That’s a matter of opinion.You know I touch you all the time, right?”Bryn’s augur abilities worked through touch and, from the start, Gunnar had never avoided it.
“Sure.”
“So I know what your future intent is.”
“Yeah.”
“Gunnar!”
Gunnar chuckled.“Okay.Full disclosure.I’m not trying to tease you.”
Bryn huffed.“Sure you’re not.”
“I don’t want our first time to be here at headquarters.I can’t wait to get my hands on you, but not here, where we work.It needs to be special.”
“Oh my…you’re a closet romantic!”Bryn scrambled to his feet.
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing.”Bryn closed the gap between him and Gunnar.“It’s sweet.”He walked into Gunnar’s arms.
“I amnotsweet!”
Bryn tilted his head.“It’s not a bad thing, even for a big bad wolf.”He parted his lips.Gunnar took the hint and they were engaged in a satisfying kiss when his cell sounded.The ringtone was the theme fromJaws.Bryn rested his forehead against Gunnar’s chest.“You have got to be kidding me.Warden.”
“That man never takes a day off,” Gunnar muttered, fishing his cell out of his pocket.“Ericson.”He listened for a few seconds then the call ended.“In a shocking new development, we’re wanted in the conference room.”
“Well fuck.You gonna give me any more of a clue?”Bryn asked.
“He said, and I quote, ‘get your asses downstairs now’.I don’t know any more than you do.”
Bryn sighed.“Let me grab my boots.”
Five minutes later he was stomping down the stairs after Gunnar.He hadn’t bothered with gloves or dark glasses because everyone in the building was used to his glowing eyes and knew better than to touch him.When they got to the conference room, Warden was waiting.Their admin assistant, Emmett Salisbury, hustled toward them from the direction of the staff entrance at the back of the building.
“Hey guys, what’s up?”He shrugged off his yellow raincoat to reveal a red sweater vest and white shirt paired with blue jeans.
Bryn shrugged.“No idea but I think we’re about to find out.No bow tie?”
“I was in a rush.I had plans to go out for tacos with Talbot.”Talbot Dunne was Emmett’s roommate and worked on the GCR’s tech team.
