“Okay,” Ty murmured, holding up both hands apologetically. He pulled his folder back toward him and flipped the page over, trying to concentrate again. “What the hell is the Queen of the Mediterranean doing cruising the Caribbean, anyway?”
“Billy Ocean owns the rights to the other name.”
“Why would they name the ship Billy?” Ty asked with a sidelong look at Zane.
Zane ignored him, though the corner of his mouth curled up slightly. “Are there any of these activities that we seriously don"t need to be doing, regardless of the schedule? I really don"t think cliff diving is a good idea,” he said, the reluctance clear in his voice.
“Why?” Ty asked as he looked up at Zane curiously. He looked uncomfortable. It was an odd look on a man who"d gone through the things Ty knew Zane had gone through.
“What?” Ty insisted after another silent moment.
“It"s scary, okay?” Zane muttered. “Unnerving. I hate free fall.”
Ty fought hard not to smile or let any amusement show in his eyes, although he knew he could rarely hide emotions from Zane anymore. He nodded and reached out to pet Zane"s knee. “Me too,” he said simply.
Zane let out a slow breath and nodded before returning his attention to the papers. “Anyway,” he started, but he didn"t say any more than that.
“It helps if someone shoves you over the edge,” Ty told him seriously, thinking Zane"s fear of falling might go beyond simply falling off a cliff. It was the loss of control. It was just one more reason Ty knew that falling in love with his partner was a solo endeavor.
“I"ll pass, thanks,” Zane answered immediately. “I can handle this kind of stuff as long as I"m attached to a line. But diving off a cliff is just like losing my grip on a knotted rope.”
The knotted climbing rope at the FBI Academy represented Zane"s physical washout his first time through. He"d graduated the second time, but Ty knew he still thought of the academy and its rope as hell. “There"s always rock climbing,” Ty offered, but he couldn"t put much effort behind it. The conversation had struck a tender nerve, and he"d lost the relatively good mood he"d been in. He perused his itinerary silently, not really seeing it anymore.
“I was hoping for a break from dangerous situations,” Zane explained after a quiet moment. “We"re on a goddamn cruise ship, you know? What could happen? Who would go on a nice, relaxing cruise to take a f**king zip-line ride through the jungle treetops?”
Ty hummed thoughtfully, focusing on the question. “I"d be really interested to see the other guys" itineraries, see which outings match up with all three,” he said suddenly. “What if these adventures have a purpose? Like, they"re going scuba diving, but they"re really collecting some antiquity off the ocean floor they mean to sell?”
“There"s a shopping extravaganza planned on Tortola, British Virgin Islands,” Zane said. “Maybe a meeting off-ship to make a sale?”
“Or a buy,” Ty said with a nod. He stood with his folder and began moving toward the balcony again, unconsciously drawn to the fresh air and light despite the frigid temperature outside. He reached over one shoulder and began rubbing the sore muscle at the base of his neck, his frown growing, his mood gone sour as he grew restless. This was why he tried to avoid any topics that evoked the thought of being in love. It always ended with the depressing knowledge that it was very much a free fall. A solo one.
“How about we take a break and go walk around while it"s still light out?” Zane suggested from behind him.
“Sounds good to me,” Ty muttered. He threw the folder onto the small sofa in the sitting area.
“Well, let"s go, then, doll,” Zane drew out in Corbin"s voice.
Ty winced and made a derogatory sound as he turned and looked at Zane. “Hold on, I have to put on my British,” he said with a long-suffering sigh.
Zane"s smile reappeared. “I"ll wait.”
Ty snorted. He"d been struggling with the persona of Del Porter, flitting in and out of it when he attempted to sink himself into it, worrying about the accent and his ability to maintain it when around other passengers. He slid his feet into a comfortable pair of loafers and waved Zane toward the door. “I"ll get it,” he told Zane with false confidence.
Zane appeared at his side rather than walking away, and he reached to curl his fingers around each of Ty"s wrists, capturing them firmly and slowly pulling them down and around Ty"s back as he leaned in close.
Ty raised one eyebrow, flexing his fingers against Zane"s grasp.
He didn"t try to get loose though, and he didn"t feel the edge of panic threatening that he once would have, if his hands had been restrained.
The handcuffs he knew he couldn"t handle.
But he trusted Zane.
“Maybe you should change into something nice,” Zane suggested smoothly. “Give me something gorgeous to look at while we walk around.” He kissed the soft skin under Ty"s chin.
Ty lifted his chin for the kiss, then looked back down his nose at Zane carefully, trying to decide if he was helping him become Del or making fun of him. Then Ty"s expression warmed, and he smiled wryly. There was a part of him that was almost enjoying the idea of the roles they were supposed to play, even though he"d spent most of the morning griping. It was certainly a far cry from who he really was.
“What would you like to see, darling?” he asked, the British accent back in full force.
A gentle tug on Ty"s arms had him arching back enough that Zane could nip at his throat. “Something that will get you noticed,” Zane murmured before he bit down and then licked over the abused skin.
“You know how much I like that.”
Ty laughed even as he tried not to lose his balance and take them both down. “You hate that,” he corrected wryly.
Pursing his lips, Zane made a noise of agreement. “I suppose what I really like is seeing people covet you and knowing you"re mine.” He nipped at Ty"s earlobe before he released Ty"s wrists. “Go on then.”
Ty snorted, smiling almost sadly as he met Zane"s eyes. He sort of wished Zane meant it, rather than saying it as part of the character he was supposed to be playing. But wishing would get him nothing but heartbroken, and they had a case to concentrate on.
“We can do this,” he assured them both in a low voice.