Z nodded and offered a brief wave to Jayden. “Then I guess I’m off. See ya.”
Greeting others as he passed them, Z made his way to the offices on the far side of the building. Sniper 1 Security occupied the seventh floor, though Casper and Bryce owned the entire building, leasing out the rest of the space. The reception area and a small conference room, with their warm, homey décor, were made to invite clients to want to do business with them, but past the dark wood-paneled walls and chocolate suede furniture in the entry, the rest was relatively sterile. White walls and white-tiled floors were the extent of the decoration throughout. A bullpen with roughly twenty desks outfitted with computers, along with a break room, made up the majority of the floor, but on the far side were several offices—occupied by the big dogs of the company—and the conference room, where the agents would meet to be briefed on a case.
No one was in the conference room, nor were they in Casper’s office, so he kept walking. Passing Bryce’s office, Z noticed they weren’t there, either, which meant…
“Oh, good, you’re here,” Casper said in an unusually chipper tone when Z stepped into RT’s office doorway. “Come in and shut the door behind you.”
“What’s up?” Z questioned, glancing suspiciously from one man to the other as he did as Casper instructed.
“We’ve got an assignment that needs immediate attention,” Bryce hurried to explain, as though keeping it a secret any longer was painful.
Z released a heavy breath.
“Somethin’ wrong?” Casper asked.
“Not now, no,” he told them. “So, urgent assignment, huh?” Didn’t all of their assignments require immediate attention? Z kept the question to himself as he waited for someone to enlighten him.
“You and RT are goin’ to Port Aransas,” Bryce continued.
Hmm. The Texas coast. This was getting rather interesting already.
“Me and RT?” Z’s eyes slid over to RT, whose blond head was bent down, his attention focused on his laptop.
While admiring him, Z noticed the man’s broad shoulders tense. He fought the urge to fist pump the air at his good fortune. It’d been a while—the brief stint in Coyote Ridge notwithstanding—since he’d been on an assignment with RT. Z happened to know that RT had purposely kept them from working together even before The Incident—especially alone—and Z knew exactly why, but he’d never commented on it, waiting for an opportunity such as this to arise.
Z was nothing if not patient, and he’d learned over the years that dealing with RT required a certain amount of…skill. And patience. Definitely patience. Considering he’d had his eye on the guy for years, he’d merely been biding his time.
Good news… Looked as though his efforts were possibly about to pay off.
“The beach?” Z inquired with a smile, unable to mask the excitement sizzling in his veins. “Y’all are thinkin’ I need a tan, right? I knew someone was gonna comment on it sooner or later.”
Bryce laughed, as Z had expected him to. Casper merely watched him intently, a slight smile flirting with the corners of his mouth, but as usual, the older man fought it.
Those two were up to something; Z could feel it.
“Fine, I’ll bite,” Z continued. Leaning toward Casper, his smile widened. “They’ve got fishin’ there, too, right? Get it?”
“Z,” RT reprimanded.
RT’s admonishing tone wasn’t surprising. The guy was way too serious these days. Even when they’d been down in Coyote Ridge four months ago, after they’d taken down the obsessive stalker who had been antagonizing Cheyenne Montgomery for months, RT hadn’t bothered to lighten up at all. His mood had only taken a darker turn since they’d slept together, and it was beginning to bother Z. A lot.
The way Z saw it, RT walked around like he had something stuck up his…
Okay, wait.
Nope, no freaking way. Z tried to ignore the lightning bolt of heat that jarred him at the thought of RT naked while Z was…
Damn it.
Definitely not the time or place to be thinking about that.
Focusing his attention on Casper and Bryce once more, Z resigned himself to getting through this conversation before he allowed his fantasies loose. “Fine,” he said with an exaggerated sigh. “What’s the assignment?”
RT reached for his iPad, then turned it around so that it was facing Z. The screen lit up, and Z found himself staring at…a painting?
“Man, I’m not much into art, but thanks for thinkin’ of me,” Z said instantly, frowning at the image.
“The painting was stolen.”
“Really?” Z picked up the iPad for a closer look. “They coulda picked somethin’ nicer than that. It’s kinda ugly if you want my opinion.”
“We don’t,” RT grumbled, his eyes never fully meeting Z’s.
Ignoring RT’s piss-poor attitude, Z said, “So, what’s up?” Z was definitely curious now. “They stole the painting, took it to the beach for a relaxing vacation?”
“Not quite,” Bryce said, getting to his feet and walking toward the window. “It wasn’t the actual painting they were after.”
“No? Then why steal the ugly thing?” Z stared at the screen, trying to understand why anyone would want something like that hanging on their wall.
“They snatched the wrong one,” Casper told him, his voice gruff. “The one they took was a deliberate counterfeit.”
“Holy shit,” Z said with a whistle. “There’re two of ’em?”
RT laughed. Finally.
Z met RT’s crystal-blue gaze, another surge of heat vibrating through him, unlike anything he’d ever known before. Then again, he’d gotten quite familiar with the new version of lust he’d succumbed to. It was like lust on steroids, in fact. Whatever this was between him and RT, it was potent and powerful and off-limits as far as RT was concerned, and that intrigued Z more than ever.
Z had been with plenty of men in his life, felt different things with many of them, but nothing came close to the intensity of what he felt for RT. However, as much as Z wanted to pursue that lust, to grab RT, slam him up against the wall, and stake his claim on the man, he knew better. RT wasn’t ready yet—yet being the key word.
Not for what Z wanted from him, anyway.
“The real painting contains a secret code.”
“Seriously?” Z’s head snapped over to Casper. “This is some high-tech shit? Why didn’t you say so? Sign me up, I’ll just head home and get my flip-flops.”
“You don’t own flip-flops,” RT grumbled with a strained chuckle.
Nope, he didn’t, but he’d buy a pair if it meant spending time at the beach. With RT. Instead of saying as much, Z smiled at RT, loving the way his boss looked away instantly.
Yep, this thing between them… It was high time they figured it out because Z had spent his entire life wishing for that cataclysmic awakening so many people found when they met their soul mate. And that night—two short weeks ago—though they’d both been a little intoxicated, was only the beginning as far as Z was concerned. He was looking for that person…the one who made you crazy enough to do stupid shit, to want stupid shit…like lots and lots of mind-blowing sex. And, you know, perhaps marriage and babies.
But mostly mind-blowing sex.
Z was pretty sure RT was that guy for him. And he was equally certain that RT knew it, too, he was just too damn stubborn to admit it.
EIGHT
RYAN DID HIS BEST TO ignore Z, but it wasn’t easy. As serious as this mission was, he knew that taking Z along would keep it lively, if nothing else. Aside from entertainment… No, not entertainment. Aside from… Hell, at least Z was reliable.