Fish & Chips (Cut & Run 3)

“Porter"s a thug. A smug one who"s careful, but he"s not paranoid. Too proud for that. I think he"d carry but have it well concealed for use in a pinch,” Zane said.

Ty couldn"t help the gleam that entered his eyes. “That means we have to be creative,” he said with a certain relish as he scanned over Zane"s body again.

“Creative,” Zane repeated, and he looked down at himself as he watched Ty study him. “Like… what? I already wear concealed knives.”

Ty smirked and cocked his head. “Inner thighs are good, right at the groin. Material"s always roomy, so it doesn"t show, but it"s uncomfortable as hell. Also hard to get to unless you feel like shooting off a round right next to your johnson. Lower back is probably the best place. Won"t impede movement, less noticeable, especially if you don"t take off the jacket,” he surmised as Zane pulled a black suit jacket out of the wardrobe. “We just need something to secure it. Other than stuffing it into your belt, of course.”

“Because that"s so comfortable,” Zane said with a sigh. “But it"ll do unless you have another idea.” He walked over to the small satchel on the bedside table and pulled out Ty"s gun from where it was hidden in a large box of jewelry that consisted mostly of leather and chains.

They hadn"t found Zane"s Glock hidden anywhere.

“I do,” Ty said haughtily as he headed for the only bag he"d been allowed to pack of his own things. There was a single Ace bandage in there, brought along out of habit. He held it up to Zane with a raised eyebrow. “Okay, so it"s not a Molle system, but you make do.”

Zane cracked a smile and started pulling his shirt back out of the waistband. “Fix me up, then.”

Ty bit his tongue on any possible response and unraveled the bandage. They used Zane"s belt to make sure the gun stayed in place, and Ty made quick work of wrapping the bandage around Zane"s torso to secure it. It served to hide the telltale form of the gun"s pommel, but that was about it. Ty pushed Zane"s shirt down and stood back with his hands on his hips, surveying his handiwork.

“It"ll do,” Ty told him, realizing belatedly the dubious tone to his voice.

“As long as it doesn"t clatter to the floor, it"ll be fine,” Zane said as he tucked his shirt back in and picked up the jacket. “I feel better, anyway.”

“Oh, what a relief,” Ty muttered sarcastically.

Zane just smiled and walked to open the door for him. “Let"s go, doll.”

Ty merely rolled his eyes as he walked past him. Give the man a weapon and suddenly he was all smiles again.

Come to think of it, that was probably one of the traits that kept Ty interested.

They walked down the corridor together, Ty glancing surreptitiously at Zane as they moved. He cleared his throat and reached out to slide his fingers into Zane"s, taking pleasure in the ability to do so without fear of being spotted. “At least you make frustrated and cranky look good,” he commented, tongue-in-cheek.

Zane took up Ty"s hand and kissed his knuckles, offering a rueful look of apology before lacing their fingers together as they walked out into the several-stories-high, glass-walled promenade. “So you think Del is as proud to show off Corbin as Corbin is Del?”

“No, he"s just after his money,” Ty answered blithely, trying not to smile as he watched Zane out of the corner of his eye for his reaction.

Zane"s lips twitched. “Corbin can probably afford whatever eye candy strikes his fancy.” He leaned slightly toward Ty as they walked.

“But I"m thinking my version of Del is easier on the eyes.”

“Flattery will not get you laid any faster,” Ty told him with a frown. He was aware of his own good looks and not too modest to use them occasionally, but Zane rarely offered a compliment when they weren"t half-naked already, and Ty didn"t think he"d ever noticed so many eyes lingering on him as he had the past day or so. It was unsettling for a man who"d spent most of his life trying not to be noticed.

“Somehow I don"t think you keep me around for my seduction skills,” Zane said drily.

Ty barked a laugh before he could stop himself. He glanced at Zane and smiled affectionately at him. Zane"s goofy lines and occasional unabashedly cheesy attempts at seduction were just part of his charm. Cheesy, goofy, thank-God-he"s-pretty charm. “I think I can safely concur.”

Zane staggered slightly and clapped a hand over his heart in mock-surprise.

“Just take comfort in the fact that I keep you around for the amazing sex,” Ty murmured to appease him.

“How amazing?” Zane wheedled.

“Don"t push it.”

Chapter 5

THEY walked into the swanky restaurant indicated on their ever-demanding itineraries, and a cheerful hostess wearing the ship"s colors and a green Santa hat asked them to follow her through the candlelit dining room. Zane glanced around casually: it was your typical fancy sit-down place with painted cream wallpaper, glittery chandeliers, china, crystal, and linen on the tables, and one bank of floor-to-ceiling windows. Nothing surprising. The hostess led them to a raised dais that ran along one side of the room next to the wide windows that displayed the dying sunset and stopped by a table.

After a moment"s pause, Zane walked to the far side and pulled the chair closest to the wall out, indicating for Ty to sit. Not that he was trying to be extra suave, but he figured he"d go ahead and give Ty the seat that would put his back to the wall. Zane didn"t like people walking up behind him either, but he wasn"t likely to react violently out of instinct. And besides, Ty would warn him long before anyone suspicious got close enough to do damage.

Ty raised one eyebrow at him in warning despite his good intentions. Too much gallantry on Zane"s part might cause Ty to lose it.

Which might be fun to watch. Tonight, though, Ty sat obediently in the proffered chair and laid the linen napkin across his lap as he watched Zane step around the table to sit down across from him.

The hostess wished them a pleasant dinner and disappeared with surprisingly little fanfare. Considering how staff members had been consistently tripping over themselves and each other to help the guests, Zane was mildly impressed.

“At least we have a view,” Ty mumbled as he looked out the windows at the setting sun. The fading sunlight fought with the candlelight, casting odd shadows across his face.

Zane did glance outside, but he preferred to watch his partner instead, still studying the odd contrast of Ty versus Del. He opened his mouth to comment on it when a waiter stopped at the table, left them menus, a wine list, and a specials card, and whisked away after promising to return post haste.