For whatever reason, Brantley couldn’t sleep. He’d spent most of the night lying in bed, listening to Reese breathe. Every now and then, Reese would mumble something incoherent, his body moving more than usual.
It had him wondering if Reese had nightmares. Odd that they’d slept beside one another for this long and he hadn’t noticed. Which he took to mean, if he did have them, they weren’t as regular as Brantley’s were. Had the events of the past few days gotten to him? He still remembered the look on Reese’s face after John Collins took his own life. Completely blank, as though it had no impact on him whatsoever.
Thing was, Brantley knew how he felt. While he had tried to talk the detective down, it was because that was what he was trained to do. Along with hand-to-hand combat, sniper skills, and myriad other special training, he’d also been trained to negotiate. He’d failed this time, but he wouldn’t dwell on it. The mental illness had taken its toll on the detective. Anyone could’ve seen it. Those closest to him should’ve seen the signs, even if it was only his co-workers.
But that was behind them now. Brantley refused to look back, to worry he hadn’t done enough. He’d done exactly what he could, nothing more, nothing less. And now three of those women were back with their families.
No, his failure was not with Detective Collins; it had been Shelly Masters he hadn’t come through for. And that he would regret, tucking it away with all the others he’d failed in his life. But he would move on. He would continue to do what was necessary. And while he’d been skeptical about this new assignment, leading the governor’s task force in finding missing persons, Brantley knew it was exactly where he belonged.
Reese jerked in his sleep, a strangled cry escaping him. It was enough to have Brantley turning, sliding one hand over Reese’s chest.
“It’s a dream,” he said softly. “Reese. Wake up for me. It’s just a dream.”
Reese went completely still. His body no longer moved. His chest was barely rising and falling. His eyes opened slowly as though he needed to take stock of his surroundings before he gave himself away in case the enemy was nearby. Brantley knew that feeling all too well.
“Hey.” He leaned down, pressed his lips to Reese’s shoulder.
“What time is it?”
“Four thirty.”
“Early for you, isn’t it?”
“Haven’t slept much,” he admitted, sliding his arm under Reese’s head and pulling him closer.
Reese came without complaint, but rather than curl up beside him, Reese apparently had other ideas as he moved over him, his weight familiar and welcome.
A distraction. That was what this was. Whether it was because Reese needed to feel something other than what plagued him in his dreams or because he didn’t want Brantley asking questions he wasn’t ready to answer, it was a distraction, nonetheless.
Brantley urged him to move atop him completely, their naked bodies aligning. Reese’s lips trailed up his neck, along his jaw, back down again. The sensations had his body hardening, his cock throbbing as it brushed against Reese’s.
Putting his hands on Reese’s hips, he held him in place, ensuring he didn’t go too far.
This was what he needed, to be close to Reese, to soothe away the strains of recent events and replace those mental images with something that would get him through the days and nights ahead of them.
“Give me your mouth,” he whispered, tilting his head so he could meet Reese’s lips with his own.
Their tongues began a leisurely dance that quickly grew more urgent. Brantley kept him close, grinding his hips so the friction of his body glided along his sensitive shaft. He remembered the first time they’d done this. On an airplane, back when Reese was confused about what he wanted. These days, there was no holding back but there had been something incredibly intimate, innately sensual about that moment despite the fact they’d both been mostly dressed.
“Brantley…”
“I’m here, baby. Whatever you need, I’m here.”
When Reese lifted up, his hips rocking more insistently, Brantley slid his hand between their bodies, gripping Reese’s cock firmly. In the darkness, he could see his profile but not the expression. He didn’t need to see, though, because he knew what Reese looked like when he needed more.
“Oh, God.” Reese’s hips moved faster as he thrust into Brantley’s fist. “More. Need … more.”
Brantley’s grip was already tight but he gave Reese what he asked for, feeling the intensity of Reese’s stare as he levered himself up on his hands and drove his hips forward, fucking Brantley’s fist like it was a lifeline that might save him from the darkness.
A few grunts and then Reese was coming, his body going stone-still as cum splashed over Brantley’s stomach. The sensation had his own cock throbbing, but he ignored it. This wasn’t about him. In fact, it was never about him. What he found in Reese was so much more than his own satisfaction.
It was over as fast as it started. Reese crawled out of bed, returned with a towel, and cleaned him off before joining him in the bed once more.
“Let me hold you,” he whispered when he felt Reese’s hand sliding down between his legs.
He knew he was going to return the favor, but right then, the only thing Brantley wanted was to hold him.
“You sure?”
“Never been more sure about anyone in my life.”
“I was talk—”
He pulled Reese close. “I know what you were talkin’ about. Now shut up so I can hold you.”
There was a soft chuckle. A few minutes later, they were both asleep.
***
“What’re your plans for tomorrow?” JJ asked, hoping the question came across as casual.
“Thanksgiving?”
She quirked an eyebrow. “Yes. Thanksgiving.”
“My dad invited me out to his place. Me and my mother.”
“Your mom has Thanksgiving dinner with your dad and his new wife?”
Baz offered a one-shoulder shrug. “What can I say? They like each other’s company.”
“At the expense of their new spouses?”
“My father’s theory is, if it’s supposed to work out, it’ll work out.”
“I suppose he’s got a prenup.”
“Of course. Ironclad, too.”
JJ shook her head. “How can he be so cavalier about marriage?”
Baz cocked a hip on his kitchen counter, wiped his hands on a dish towel. “I wouldn’t so much say he’s cavalier about marriage. More so he’s optimistic about love. He loves to be in love.”
“And the wedding part? What? He’s a stickler for a big party?”
Baz laughed, a sound she adored.
“I never thought about it. But yeah, maybe.”
“What about your mother’s husband? Will he be there?”
“He’s actually out of the country on business. Bigwig CEO. It’s the end of the fiscal year or some shit. He’ll be back on Sunday. They’ll have their own Thanksgiving then.” He planted his palms flat on the counter, leaned toward her. “What about you? What’re your plans?”
“Don’t have any. I did buy a turkey-and-dressing TV dinner if that counts for something.”
Baz shook his head, frowned. “No, it does not. You can come with me.”
JJ was instantly on her feet. “Oh, no. No, no. I am not havin’ Thanksgiving with your folks. No way, no, sir, no how.”
“What if I told you he’s got an indoor heated pool and a kick-ass hot tub?”
“You cannot bribe me with kick-ass hot tubs, Baz. Just won’t work.”
He walked around the small breakfast bar. No, stalked was more like it. Before she could run, he grabbed her arm, pulled her into him, and banded his arms around her to keep her from bolting. He seemed to know her pretty well.
His playful expression sobered, his eyes concerned. “Why aren’t you havin’ Thanksgiving with your parents?”
Her turn to shrug. “They don’t celebrate the holiday anymore. Not since Jeremy died.”
“You could always invite them to your place,” he suggested. “Make them dinner, show them you’d like to celebrate.”
JJ tried to push away from him, but he was having none of it. His hold on her tightened.
“Who said I wanted to celebrate?”
“I can see it in your eyes.”
JJ closed her eyes. “No, you can’t.”
Baz chuckled and his lips pressed to hers gently, briefly. “Come to my dad’s with me, JJ. I promise, we’ll keep it casual. I’ll tell them you’re a friend from work. How’s that?”
Opening her eyes, she mock-glared at him. “What? Am I not good enough to be your girlfriend?”
“You’re too good to be my girlfriend, JJ. But I don’t want you to feel trapped.”
Oddly enough, she didn’t, though she had no clue why that was. Hell, anytime a guy wanted to spend more than one night at her place had always made her panic. And she honestly couldn’t remember if she had ever slept with a guy in his bed. If she had, it hadn’t been memorable.
Yet here she was, still at Baz’s, wearing one of his button-downs and nothing more after they’d spent the entire night together. Some of it had even been to sleep.
His arms relaxed, his hands sliding down her backside. Cool air caressed her thighs when he planted them on the backs of her legs then moved them up to her ass.
“Say yes, and I’ll do that thing you like.”
“What thing’s that?” she asked, because yes, he could most definitely bribe her with sex.
He held her gaze, smiled. “Say yes, JJ.”
With a sigh, JJ went against every single one of her rules.
She said yes.
And that thing with his tongue … Heaven help her … so totally worth it.
***
“Well, you have to admit, Travis holds true to his word,” Reese told Brantley as they stood inside the new conference room in the barn later that afternoon.
“That he does.” Brantley walked over to the wall, tapped a button. “Question is, did he come up with the fancy electronic system or was that somethin’ JJ finagled out of him?”
“My money’s on JJ.”
“I resemble that remark,” JJ called out from the stairs.
Reese looked up, watched as she strolled down.
He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but there was something different about JJ. It was in the way she moved, her smile, even her eyes. She looked … happy.
“For the record, Trey helped me install it,” she said, stepping into the room with a coffee mug in her hand.
“Did they get in your way?” Brantley asked. “The construction crew?”
JJ shook her head. “They kicked ass over the weekend. I worked from home most of the time, so no, they weren’t a bother. I was impressed at how fast they worked.”
“Travis has some serious pull,” Reese noted. “So what does this fancy system do?”
“I had it set up so it’s easy to transfer any call directly in here from any of our phones. That way, if you’re off somewhere and you need us, we’re all in one place.” She pointed to another switch. “I also talked to a guy at Sniper 1 Security. He showed me how to set up the comms to the phones so there’s a direct link anywhere in this building.”
“The comms came in?” Brantley looked like a kid on Christmas.
“Yeah. FedEx package arrived yesterday mornin’.” She looked at Reese. “I called your brother to let him know we received and that we were super grateful.”
“And the computer setup?” Brantley asked, nodding in the direction of the large monitor sitting on the credenza against the wall.
“That was on the governor’s dime.” She smiled brightly.
“And he knows about that?”
“He does. Gave me full approval.” She seemed very proud of herself. “I think Rhonda’s startin’ to like me.”
“Speakin’ of the governor…” Brantley turned to face them. “He wants the five of us in his office this afternoon.”
Oh, shit. Reese didn’t like the sound of that.
“It’s not bad,” Brantley promised, but he didn’t elaborate as to what it was the governor did want.
Reese figured it could be any number of things. Considering what had happened in Dallas…
He pushed the thought away because he needed to stop seeing those women in his mind, the horror that had been inflicted upon them. It pained him still, and he’d never been more grateful to have Brantley than he was right then. The man had been his anchor last night, holding him together, giving him exactly what he needed.
“Where’s Baz?” Brantley asked as he headed out of the conference room.
“He went to talk to a guy he knows for one of the positions.”
“Police officer?” Reese inquired.
“No. At least, I don’t think so.” She shrugged a shoulder.
“If we’re lucky, we’ll get the next few days off,” Brantley told JJ. “But keep your phone on you. We get a call, we’re on.”
She nodded. “Did you happen to check out your new offices?”
Brantley frowned, glanced over at Reese.
Reese did his best not to give anything away. He knew what JJ was referring to because he’d been upstairs to check on the progress already. When they’d come in the house last night, he’d smelled fresh paint, knew they’d been hard at work. What he hadn’t expected was for it to be finished. The only thing they had left to do was get the deck installed. According to Travis’s email, that would be handled next week starting on Monday. Evidently not even the almighty Travis Walker could work miracles when it came to enough time in the day.
JJ laughed. “He really doesn’t go anywhere but the bedroom and the kitchen, huh?”
“Not if he can help it.”
“In my defense, I had other things on my mind,” Brantley stated. “But I could tell they’d been working.”
JJ laughed. “Right.”
Reese nodded his head in the direction of the door. “Come on. I’ll show you.”
He led the way, Brantley walking beside him, Tesha trotting along at their feet.
Once inside, they headed for the stairs. As they scaled the last few steps to the second floor, Tesha darted ahead of them, nose to the ground.
“Holy shit.” Brantley stopped at the top.
Reese smiled to himself because there was awe in that tone and he understood why. The entire upstairs had been transformed. It was no longer barren. It now resembled that of an office space worthy of a day’s work.
“Who did this?”
“Travis’s crew. They started on Friday afternoon, right after we left,” Reese explained. “Travis said they finished up on Sunday.”
“The same one that worked on the conference room?”
“No. They’re good, but not that good.”
Then again, Reese knew there hadn’t been much to do for this space. Closing up the walls was the hardest part.
“And the furniture?”
“That was all me.”
Brantley’s eyes darted over to him. “You bought all this?”
“I did. It’s my contribution to the household.”
“I told you I’d buy whatever you wanted.”
Reese laughed. “And you thought I’d be happy bein’ a kept man?”
That got him a laugh, and he felt some of the tension drain out of both of them. It had been touch-and-go all morning, and Reese knew Brantley was worried about him. Telling him he didn’t need to be would’ve gotten him nowhere, so he was grateful they had this to come back to. This was part of their new life together.
“Go on,” Reese urged. “Check out your office.”
Brantley headed across the game room, which was empty for the time being. Reese wasn’t sure what they would do with the space, but he figured they’d find something eventually.
A bark of laughter had Reese heading to Brantley’s office.
“A couch?” Brantley’s blue-gray eyes glittered with amusement.
“I’ve got one comin’ for downstairs, too. A little nicer.”
“Reese, I told—”
He held up a hand. “Don’t worry. I put that one on your credit card. It was our deal, after all.”
Brantley’s expression warmed. “This is great,” he said, walking around behind the desk. “Not too fancy.”
“I thought it suited you.”
“What about yours?”
“Mirror image of this one,” he admitted. “After I picked all this out, decided I liked it for me, too.”
Brantley scanned the space from his seat behind his desk. “They closed in the old door.”
“Wasn’t gonna half-ass it.”
Brantley reclined back, studied Reese. The scrutiny had Reese fighting the urge to fidget.
“You don’t half-ass much of anything, do you?”
“Try not to, no.” Reese perched a hip on the edge of Brantley’s desk, stared at him. “Told you I was all in. I’m tryin’ to live up to it.”
Brantley got to his feet, walked around the desk, and stopped in front of Reese. They remained like that for several heartbeats, their eyes locked together.
“If you ever wanna talk about it,” Brantley said softly, “I’m here.”
“I know.” Reese reached for Brantley, nudging him forward with a hand on his hip. “Same goes.”
Brantley smiled. “Is it wrong that I’m seriously thinkin’ about breakin’ in that couch?”
Reese returned the grin. “I was thinkin’ the same thing, so no, I wouldn’t say it was wrong.”
A few hours later, they were heading for the capitol.
The trip down to Austin was taken in two vehicles, Brantley driving one, Baz the other. Reese would’ve preferred to drive because he could’ve used the distraction. The mere thought of seeing the governor had his stomach in knots. He had no idea whether they were going to get commended or reprimanded for their efforts on the Dallas case. He could see the reasons for either or both, which didn’t help his nerves any.
“Did he sound upset when he requested us?” Reese asked Brantley.
“Who?” Brantley glanced over. “Oh, you mean the governor?” He shrugged one shoulder. “Didn’t talk to him. Rhonda called.”
Well, that didn’t help.
“It’s gonna be fine, Reese. Whatever it is he wants to say, we’re grown-ups. I don’t know about you, but I was dressed down plenty of times in the Navy. We can take it.”
That was a valid point. Again, it did nothing for his nerves.
By the time they reached the state capitol, Reese was aware of the cold sweat trickling down his spine. Outwardly, he ensured no one saw he was on the verge of an anxiety attack. If he was lucky, Brantley would be the only one who knew how much he disliked being put on the spot like this. If the others found out, he figured he would be in for a lifetime of harassment, so he did his best to look cool and collected.
They made their way up to the second floor where the governor’s office was.
“Good afternoon, Rhonda,” JJ greeted the secretary with a big grin. “We’re here to see Governor Greenwood.”
Rhonda looked up, a smile on her face. Looked as though JJ was right, she was starting to like them.
“He knows it was short notice,” Rhonda said, “but he’s glad you could make it. Unfortunately, he’s only got about ten minutes, so this is going to be quick.”
Reese damn sure liked the sound of that.
Rhonda picked up her phone, pushed a button, and informed the governor they were there.
“You can go right in.”
Brantley led the way, Reese behind him, then JJ, Baz, and Trey. Reese wondered how Baz and Trey were faring. Neither was his normal talkative self.
“Governor,” Brantley greeted when they stepped into the opulent office.
Governor Greenwood was on his feet, walking toward them. He held out his hand, shook each of theirs in turn, referring to Reese and JJ by name because they’d been there before.
“Sir, I’d like to introduce you to Sebastian Buchanan and Trey Walker. They’re the newest members of my team.”
The governor politely greeted them with a firm shake before taking a step back and addressing them all.
“I hate that I had you drive all the way down here, but I didn’t think this was something I should relay over the phone.”
Reese’s shoulders tensed. Here it came. They were being canned because they’d stuck their noses where they didn’t belong.
“The Dallas mayor contacted me this morning,” the governor continued, his eyes giving away nothing.
“Sir, I take full responsibility for the actions of my team,” Brantley said quickly.
“Well, I would hope so.” Governor Greenwood met Brantley’s gaze. “In this case, especially. The mayor was quite impressed with the work your team did, including the supporting documentation provided on the investigation.”
Reese released the breath he’d been holding, as he figured they all did.
“And that’s the good news.”
Oh, crap.
Brantley stood with his hands clasped behind his back, shoulders squared. “The bad news, sir?”
Governor Greenwood smiled. “I’m being asked to expand your responsibilities.”
“To?”
“Not only will you continue to assist on missing persons cases, I’ve offered up your team to assist with homicide investigations.”
“Sir—”
“Only in specific cities for now. Dallas, Austin, and Houston. And only active cases. Depending on how this works out, we’ll determine whether that scope will be broadened.”
More work. Just what they didn’t need.
“I know it’s a lot.” Governor Greenwood’s gaze strayed to JJ’s. “But as I recall from your very thought-out presentation, you’re up for the responsibility.” He turned back to Brantley. “I think you might need to hire a few more people.”
A few? At this rate they were going to need an entire department.
“Thank you, sir,” Brantley said quickly.
“Don’t thank me yet but do keep me updated.”
“Of course, sir.”
The governor addressed them all as one. “You did a damn fine job with that case. I hope you understand how valuable your assistance was. I had to turn down the mayor’s offer to install your team up in Dallas permanently. Told him you’ve got more than enough going on down here.” He nodded, smiled. “Keep up the good work.”
A chorus of thank you, sirs went around before they left the office.
Reese expected to feel a hundred pounds lighter now that it was over, but he didn’t.
In fact, he might’ve been tenser now than before.
“We’ve made a commitment to Travis,” he reminded Brantley. “We have to find Juliet Prince.”
“It’s gonna be fine,” Brantley said softly as they headed back down to the first floor. “As a team, we’ve got this covered.”
Yeah, okay. Maybe he was right.
The did make a damn fine team and if he’d learned anything about Brantley, it was that the man finished whatever he set his mind to.