Yes, they were working, but they weretogether. Wasn’t that the real point? Being together?
But, fair enough. Lucas had forgotten all about that—made in passing—request.
If it had mattered so damned much to him, why hadn’t Riley put in a formal application for time off? He knew how it worked. Was Lucas supposed to be a mind reader? If anyone knew how busy Lucas was, it should have been Riley. If anyone should have cut him a little slack over an honest mistake—
Okay. In fairness to Riley, Lucas hadn’t really taken that request seriously.
Because Riley couldnothave been serious!
Of all people, Riley knew it wasn’t easy for Lucas to take time off around the holidays. That was premium vacation real estate.Everybodywanted that time off. How fair was it for Lucas to pull rank and give himself and Riley the time off? How was that going to look to the team?
Not good.
Although, as Riley had pointed out, since Lucas had never taken vacation days during the holidays, he probably could have taken some time this year. Riley certainly deserved the time off.
Lucas now realized that it had been unfair to want Riley to work every holiday season with him. That had been selfish. He’d sort of thought, assumed, Riley wanted to be with him, was willing to share the misery because they were sharing it together.
Wrong.
But all Riley had to do was ask. If he’d put in an SF-71, he’d have had his vacation request approved. Hell, he knew perfectly well Lucas would absolutely have wrangled that time for him, regardless of whether he submitted the paperwork, regardless of operational needs. Riley had to know that.
But instead of being his normal, reasonable self, he’d listened for a minute or two of Lucas trying to explain what he’d meant, and then said, “You know what, Luc? Either you show me you value this relationship by prioritizing us this year, or—”
“Or?”
“It’s time to call it quits.”
He was not smiling. He was dead serious.
Lucas could not have been more shocked had Riley hauled off and punched him.
He’d actually gasped. “Are you serious?”
Riley had stared at him, unblinking, with those glacier-blue eyes. “I sure am.”
“I-I don’t even know what you’re talking about! Show you Iprioritizethis relationship? What’s that supposed to mean?”
Riley had done that thing where he raised his left eyebrow, and only his left eyebrow, signifying… Skepticism? Cynicism? Anyway, the expression he used on the subject of an investigation during interrogation to indicate that they both knew said subject was full of shit. He had used the eyebrow on Lucas!
And then he’d said, “There are twelve days until Christmas. You’ve got till then.”
So, yes. Of course Lucas had been shocked. Also hurt, frankly. And then mad.
Mad as hell.
He’d said pleasantly, “I don’t take kindly to ultimatums. Not even from you, amigo.”
Riley had not batted an eyelash. With equal pleasantness, he’d replied, “And I don’t appreciate being taken for granted, sir.”
Taken for granted?!
Sir?
What the hell? What a thing to say to the guy who not ten hours earlier had been sucking Riley’s—
Anyway.
What the hell had gotten into him?
