Hell & High Water (THIRDS 1)

Dex was quiet for a moment, his gaze somewhere outside his window. “I take it your parents aren’t around?”

Sloane pulled the BearCat into its space. He turned off the engine and sat there, aware of Dex watching him. Taking a deep, calming breath, Sloane faced Dex. “Okay, listen up, because I’m only going to say this once. I don’t talk about my past, so don’t ask me about my parents, where I came from, or what I did before the THIRDS. It’s nobody’s business. I don’t talk to anyone about it. Not Maddock, not the team, no one.”

“Did you talk to Gabe about it?” Dex studied him closely, and Sloane looked away, a sharp pain twisting his gut.

“That’s not up for discussion either. Lock the door behind you.” He climbed out of the truck, slamming the door behind him, the sound resonating through the cavernous underground garage. Dex caught up to him, keeping up with his long strides on the way to the elevator. He was also quiet, which Sloane had come to learn was not a good thing. It also never lasted long.

“I respect that, but you’re sure there’s nothing I should know, as your partner?”

“Saying you respect my decision and then following it up with a question that challenges it, voids your so-called claim of respect, Daley.”

Dex held his hands up in surrender. “You’re calling me Daley, which means you’re pissed off with me. I get it. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not pissed off,” Sloane grunted, stepping inside the elevator and placing his hand on the display pad. “Drop it. If there was something relevant, I would tell you.”

“Okay.”

They were both silent on the ride up to Sparta and through the lounge to the locker rooms where Sloane’s guilt started getting the better of him. He took Dex’s arm and pulled him into one of the empty training rooms. The lights were off but there was enough illumination coming through the atrium that they could see each other. Dex stood close enough for Sloane to catch his scent, a concoction of something citrusy plus Dex’s own male scent, with the addition of dirt and sweat. It took a lot for Sloane not to lean into him. It certainly knocked the wind out of his sails; his anger from moments ago completely subsided. Not since Gabe had he felt this strong a pull toward someone, and the worst part was he didn’t know what to do about it. The longer he spent in Dex’s company, the more messed up he felt inside.

“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be a dick about it. I … I’m not ready to talk about that part of my life with anyone. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready.” He put his hands to Dex’s cheek with the pretense of checking his injury. When his gaze met Dex’s, he found himself mesmerized by those eyes. He’d seen plenty of Therians with eyes that pale, but not many Humans. There was also something about them that drew him in. When those pools of blue lowered to Sloane’s lips, he knew he was in trouble.

“If you ever feel like you’re ready, know you can trust me.”

Sloane nodded, his thumb brushing over Dex’s soft lips, the feel of a hint of stubble under his hand making his body react in the most inappropriate way. He needed to walk away, right now. Dex stayed where he was, his breath as unsteady as Sloane’s. Their bodies had gravitated toward each other when the sounds of boisterous laughter from somewhere out in the hall gav

e them both a start, and Sloane jerked back, his heart threatening to pound through his chest.

“We should go,” he said, motioning for Dex to go first. “Thank you, for earlier. For the PSTC.”

Dex smiled at him, “Just doing my job.”

“Well you did good.”

By the time they got to the locker rooms, Calvin, Hobbs, Ash, and Cael were already inside. Calvin and Hobbs were moping as expected, but Sloane knew it wouldn’t last too long. Maybe they all needed something to lighten the mood.

Sloane walked to his locker and started to remove his vest. “Hey, why don’t we all head to Bar Dekatria for a couple of drinks?”

Dex smiled widely at him. “Yeah?”

“Why not. I’ll let Maddock know in case there’s a callout. We deserve a little repose.”

“Woo! Booze!” Cael did a little happy dance, making the team laugh, though Sloane’s gaze was on Dex. The guy had an amazing smile and genuine too, the kind that reached his eyes. He liked that Dex was open about everything, and whatever he did, he put his all into it. He was a hard worker, and Sloane was growing to appreciate Dex’s sense of humor, even if it drove him crazy at times. Sloane went back to getting undressed, removing his vest and shoving it at the bottom of his locker.

Dex’s cell phone went off, and Sloane glanced over in time to catch him pushing his pants down over his ass. To Sloane’s horror, he left them there while answering his phone. The stark white of his boxer briefs was a sharp contrast to the charcoal tac pants, and it seemed to accentuate his deliciously rounded ass. Despite the voice in Sloane’s head telling him to look away, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He’d managed to resist the temptation of eyeing it until now. Dex pinned his phone against his ear with his shoulder while removing his vest, one side first then swapping his phone to the other side to remove his other arm.

“I left it in your desk. Top right-hand drawer.”

Sloane stole a quick glance to make sure no one had caught onto him before returning to his ogling. Dex was oblivious to his striptease as he continued to chat on his phone. Shirt now off, Dex stood in his snug black undershirt, the curve of his spine nearly as tantalizing as his ass. Sloane’s thoughts went to that night in the parking garage. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about what they’d done, or what had gotten into him. A day didn’t go by that he didn’t recall with exceptional clarity how good Dex’s body felt against his, of Dex’s hard erection, the look of sheer pleasure on his flushed face as he came into Sloane’s hand.

“Your other right,” Dex said with a snicker. “I’m sorry. I’m messing with you. It’s in the left.”

The slam of a locker to Sloane’s right startled the hell out of him, and he turned to glare at Ash. His friend leaned against his closed locker, an eyebrow arched. With a heavy sigh, Sloane went back to putting his clothes away.

“Enjoying the show?”

Sloane gritted his teeth, refusing to take the bait. Just his luck. Out of everyone in the locker room, Ash had to be the one to catch him eyeballing his partner.

“What?” Ash asked innocently. “Just an observation. Much like the one you were making of someone’s ass.” With a chuckle, Ash walked off.