SWAT Ed: Fox & Bull (Nothing Special 8)

Bull clenched his jaw, not liking that Fox was acting all professional and stiff now. He’d felt the cold shift in Fox’s attitude after supper, but he wasn’t going to cater to Fox’s ego—that was surely as large as the city he policed. Dale had been challenging him because that was what cowboys did, and if Fox couldn’t handle the heat, then it was best Bull learned that now. And Fox still hadn’t turned to face him yet. What the fuck? Bull wanted to see those gray eyes before he got in the shower… and jerked off.

“When are you going to sleep?”

“My night’s just begun.”

Bull exhaled harshly. Damn, Fox could be irritating as fuck. Why couldn’t he just answer a simple damn question? Bull didn’t have time for this. “Well, I have to get up at five, so try to keep it down.”

Fox chuckled. “Don’t worry. You won’t hear me, Bull. I can come in your room in the middle of the night while you sleep and climb in bed right beside you… and you’ll never know it.”

Bull should’ve said something like “don’t you ever fuckin’ do that,” but instead his tongue sat heavy in his mouth.

“Now, hit that light for me on your way out.”

Bull growled his displeasure but ultimately did as he was asked.

Bull turned over and slapped his palm against his cell phone to silence the shrieking alarm. He could’ve sworn he’d just closed his eyes and fallen asleep; now it was time for him to get up. Bull swung his legs over the side of the bed and dropped his head into his hands. His mind was fuzzy from the lack of sleep since he’d stupidly lain awake, thinking a sneaky Fox was going to come into his bedroom and…

Bull groaned. Or had he been wishing for that?

His morning wood throbbed between his legs as he thought of how hard he’d gotten off last night. He’d listened until the early hours of the morning for a footstep, a creaking floorboard, Fox taking a piss, Fox getting into bed, snoring, anything. But all he’d heard was the usual sounds of his ranch and silence. Fox told him that he wouldn’t disturb him, and he hadn’t lied.

It only took Bull ten minutes to get ready in the morning, and that was with a shave. His wardrobe wasn’t fancy, and his unruly black waves stayed hidden under his hat all day, so not much grooming required there either. Bull stepped out of his door and across the hall to Fox’s room and knocked once.

“Breakfast is at six.” Bull turned the knob. “It’s best to eat it when it’s—” His voice was cut off when he saw the perfectly made bed and the absent duffle bag. He stood there confused after he flipped the light switch on as if Fox was maybe lurking in a dark corner again. But he wasn’t. It looked as though no one had been in that room in months.

Did he leave? Maybe he got called back for a case. And he didn’t want to interrupt my sleep.

Bull’s heart thundered, and the worry that he couldn’t allow to come out roared in his head like a fog siren. He gripped his temple as he backed out of the room and stormed down the hall. Maybe he spoke to Amelia before he left, or maybe he tacked a note to the fridge. He was treating Fox as if he was his boyfriend and he owed him an explanation for not being in bed when he woke. Bull was being ridiculous, yet his strides got faster.

Amelia was pulling some biscuits out of the oven when he blurted, “Did he leave a note?”

“Ahh!” she yelped, both of her oven mitts flying into the air as she clutched her chest.

Bull lowered his voice. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare ya.”

“Good lord, Bull,” she breathed. “What’s got you clucking like you lost your nest?”

“Fox is gone,” Bull said, trying to sound more neutral. “Did he say something to you or Pop?”

A concerned expression crossed her face before she asked, “Are you sure?”

She doesn’t know either. Damnit! He just left and didn’t say anything. Bull went to the coffee maker and filled his mug so she didn’t see his dread—there was no other word to describe the unease in his chest. Fox may not have liked being confronted by Dale last night, but Bull already knew the SWAT leader wasn’t a coward. A man like Fox would take Dale’s actions as a personal challenge and would rise to the occasion, if not above. So, that could only mean that Fox had left and didn’t return for the same reason as last time.

Bull left the kitchen with his coffee and hauled ass to his office. He flipped through every morning news station on television first, then got online to see if anything had happened overnight that required Hart’s special tactics team. But so far nothing had been reported. Bull had been so engrossed in scanning article after article that he didn’t hear his father calling his name. Bull jerked his head up and saw his dad leaning heavily against the doorframe.