Scar kept his hands and body where he’d been told to keep them.
“Start simulation,” Zorion said.
The room came awake.
Holographic emitters came alive. Audio began next, targets appeared, disappeared, then repositioned.
“Two o’clock,” Roz’s voice came over their comms. “Three hostiles left lane. Civilian in line. Delay.”
Gage moved first.
He rolled his cane, extended it, and checked a threat with the blunt end. Scar brought his gun up and fired five blanks under Gage’s raised arm.
Through the remainder of the simulation, his body gravitated toward Gage’s.
There were moments during the fighting when Scar couldn’t help himself and leaned too close, brushing the edge of Gage’s hood with his mouth as he gave another direction.
Scar was breathing hard. Sweat dampened his shirt under his heavy tactical vest. His body wanted more. Not more work. More Gage.
“Run it again.”
Grace and Mirage repositioned them, giving pointers as though they hadn’t just watched a flawless execution. They slipped his arm under Gage’s, adjusting the lock and angle for the next run.
Scar pushed in, distracted, rubbing his mouth lightly along the back of Gage’s neck.
“Your sweat smells so good,” he murmured.
“Knock it off, dammit!” Meridian smacked him in the back of the head as if he were a sixteen-year-old fuck-up who’d just been caught fucking in the house.
“Ow, shit.”
Gage laughed.
The sound dragged him out of his funk and made him smile before he could stop it.
God, he wanted Gage in the worst way. And in the same breath, he kept thinking about how to do right by him. How not to make him feel like every other piece of ass he’s had because none of them could hold a candle to Gage’s light.
Meridian got in his face.
“If you don’t stop wasting my time, I’m gonna’ send your horny ass on a mission to Antarctica, so I won’t have to deal with this adolescent bullshit anymore once your balls freeze off.”
Scar stared, stunned.
Gage choked on a few sounds that soon turned into raucous laughter he couldn’t control.
Scar tried his best to stay composed and silent, but seconds later, he cracked, folding over Gage’s shoulder, the two of them collapsing against each other.
Mirage’s mouth twitched as he tried to hide his quiet laugh. Zorion let out a snort he disguised as a cough. Valor’s low chuckle rolled out as if he didn’t give a damn if he offended Meridian or not.
Even the field team broke, shoulders shaking, hands covering their mouths as if it were illegal to have fun, in front of such a serious man.
Meridian’s expression didn’t change, his silence sharpening before he growled, “Both of you get the fuck outta my sight.”
White Ravens
Scar
After Scar walked inside Gage’s quarters and the door closed behind them, Gage turned toward him, a smile still gracing his pretty mouth, and the last of his restraint broke.
