Nothing Special V, page 14
part #5 of Nothing Special Series
Tech ran his hand along the side of his hair. He kept it parted on one side and combed back with a little mousse to help it stay put. He refused to use gel and have his hair as hard as a helmet, but he didn’t want to cut it or let it hang in his face. “Some things are private to me. And God is against displays of affection in the office. If he’d seen what you did today, you would’ve been reprimanded.”
“Reprimanded,” Steele snorted.
“Yes. He has no problems with couples. But he doesn’t want us to get into shit; you know – hate from other officers about seeing us all over each other. He’s professional, that’s all. Nothing more.”
“I can respect that.” Steele nodded. “So have dinner with me Friday night. Privately.”
Tech chewed on his bottom lip. A date sounded good and he had no doubt he’d have a great time, but Tech needed to set the ground rules early. “I think… how about you come over to my place Friday night?”
Steele squinted at Tech, inching forward as he did. Instinctively, Tech wanted to move back, but with his ass already against the counter, he had nowhere to go. “Your place?” Steele’s voice had dropped even lower.
Tech tried to hold that piercing iced glare but it wasn’t as easy as it sounded. “Yeah, I thought we could finish what we started in the equipment room,” he said as casually as he could and shrugged for added emphasis.
“I kissed you. I’ve been wanting to since I first saw those pretty lips. But that’s what it was. Now I want to get to know you outside the office.” Steele was practically standing on top of him, and when he cupped Tech’s jaw to lift his eyes to his, he tried to muster the courage he’d shown the other day.
“I really don’t have time for dating, Steele,” Tech said, too low for it to be believable.
Steele didn’t look like he liked the sound of that whatsoever. “You don’t have a hour for dinner but you have time to fuck me.”
Tech flinched inside. Steele’s words made him sound slutty as hell. He guessed when he thought about it, that’s exactly how he was coming off. But he didn’t sleep around or give himself to just anyone. He just didn’t want to get invested in a relationship that would go south, leaving him still having to work with Steele or worse, Steele packing up and moving on to his next adventure. He couldn’t deal with any of that, but god help him, he wanted so badly. “I didn’t say that.”
“I beg to differ.”
“I meant let’s keep it causal. A coworkers with benefits type of thing.” Tech put on his best sensual smile, but the coldness in Steele’s eyes told him it fell way short.
“So you’re a tramp,” Steele huffed at him.
“Excuse me?” Tech felt his face heat so fast, he thought it’d combust.
“Wow, I certainly wasn’t expecting this bullshit. But if it walks like a duck and it talks like a duck, then what the fuck… call it a duck.”
“Do you think insulting me will get you somewhere? And it’s not bullshit.”
“I’m already confined to nowhere. Right? Coworkers with benefits… really? Just because you took a dump in a box and wrapped it in a pretty bow, doesn’t mean it’s not still shit, Tech!” Steele barked.
Tech’s eyes widened and before he could think better of it, he planted his back foot and shot his hands up to push Steele back, but the FORECON Marine was faster and caught both of Tech’s wrists. Gritting his teeth, Tech flipped his hands and yanked them upwards, slipping out of Steele’s hold. As fast as he’d practiced it, Tech looped his arms around Steele’s, throwing him off, and shot his hands out again, hitting Steele in the center of his chest, pushing him back hard enough to make him stumble into the tables behind him.
Tech’s heart was racing fast as the adrenaline flooded his body with the first act of aggression he’d attempted on another person. Why the hell he picked a black ops soldier to do it on was beyond him. But he straightened his back and kept his eyes locked on Steele’s stunned ones.
“I’m impressed, detective. Didn’t see the counter move coming.” Steele’s voice was dark and deadly, like that first day.
“I’m not afraid of you, and I know you won’t hurt me.”
Steele straightened and began to close the distance Tech had put between them. “Do you really believe that, or are you trying to convince yourself?”
“I know it.” Tech met Steele half way, watching him closely.
“Where did you learn that?” Steele dragged his heavy palm down Tech’s arm until he was cupping his hand.
“I have a teacher.”
Steele’s eyes darkened. “And what else does he teach you, Tech?”
Tech shook his head in exasperation. “It’s not like that. He teaches law enforcement officers tactical and survival techniques. Look, let me explain about the—”
“You’ve made your decision. You don’t need to explain yourself… especially to me. I asked for some of your time, you said no.” Steele pressed Tech’s hand to his cock, which was so hot and hard behind those worn jeans, Tech’s knees almost gave out at the mere thought of that thickness penetrating him. “But you’re out of your damn mind if you think I’m giving you this without it.”
Steele jerked the door to the breakroom open and left Tech standing there with his cock tenting his Levi’s. He guessed he’d met one of the few men in his life who actually wanted to get to know him and Tech had played the guy for an easy lay. He’d led Steele on, flirted and caressed, only to shoot him down as soon as he took a chance and asked him out. Tech was a wolf in geek’s clothing. Nice job, idiot.
After spending ten minutes in the bathroom rinsing his face with cool water, he thought he looked a little less flushed, but it still took a few more minutes to muster up the courage to go back to the office and face Steele. Thankfully, he wasn’t in there. Did I already run him off? Feeling like the world’s biggest prick, he avoided everyone’s curious eyes and went straight to the equipment room to pretend he had work to do in there.
Tech was counting the bullets and triple checking his inventory when Syn walked in, clearing his throat. Of course. “Didn’t go like you thought it would?” Syn asked knowingly, settling himself on the stool beside Tech’s computer.
“What do you mean?” Tech frowned.
“Shawn.” Syn sighed, leveling his midnight eyes on him, giving him a look that said, “Seriously.”
Tech plopped down on the stool next to Syn. “I said something stupid… as usual.”
“Which was…?” Syn prompted.
“He asked me out.” Tech paused for a moment, the words made more mortifying by confessing to his sergeant. “I basically told him… I told him… I don’t have time for that.”
“And that’s so horrible.” Syn rubbed Tech’s forearm. “I think you’re being a little—”
“But I told him we could have sex,” Tech cut Syn off, the words spewing from his mouth in a hurry.
Syn didn’t try to cover his wince. “Ouch. Okay. I think I get it now.”
Tech squeezed his eyes shut and turned back around, dropping his head into his hands.
“Why don’t you want to go out with him? He’s a good-looking guy… if I’m being honest, he’s hot. What’s the problem?”
“I’ve done the relationship thing, Syn. That shit sucks when it all goes sour. A few years ago, I took two weeks off, told God and Day I had the flu but I didn’t. I was so devastated Syn, after Jason left. I’m just trying to not go through that anymore. Casual hookups. That’s all I can do.” Although I haven’t had one in six months. He barely had time for those.
“You really believe you’ll be happy like that forever? I’ve seen the way you look when we’re all hanging out. When God and Day are all over each other, or Ruxs and Green.”
Tech chuckled humorlessly. “Actually, you and Furi are the worst.”
Syn reared back and laughed loudly. “So I’ve heard.”
Tech wished he could laugh at all this, but he failed to see a silver lining.
“That’s my point. You deserve someone all over you, too. And from the looks he gives you… it’s pretty safe to assume he would be.”
“He’s a flight risk,” Tech added.
“What the hell, Tech. We all are. Nothing’s guaranteed.”
“I work long hours.”
“Now you’re just coming up with stuff. You’ll both work long hours… in the SAME office.” Syn yelled the last part in Tech’s ear, making him shrink away.
“I don’t know.” Tech slumped in defeat.
“Think about it. It’s your call.” Syn patted him on his shoulder and left him sitting there. Alone.
Steele
Steele sat on top of one of the picnic tables on the side of the precinct building smoking the rest of his sweet cigar. He didn’t know what had just happened in there. One minute they were kissing and feeling each other up, then the next minute he’s calling Tech everything but a child of god. Why’d I say that to him? He was worse than those guys that asked a girl out and when she said no called her a stuck-up bitch. He understood their situation was a little different but he never thought Tech would only want his dick. This wasn’t a college frat house. What was with the guy? Sure, Tech was younger, but not that damn young. Was he not capable of having a relationship? All Steele asked for was dinner, not his hand in marriage.
Christ.
“You’re just screwing up every which way.”
Steele turned around to watch his lieutenant approach. Day hadn’t said much to him since he’d arrived. The guy always seemed to be lost in thought; either that or he was fine with letting God take the lead in everything. Maybe he was experiencing some post-traumatic stress – he was just in a deadly shootout a few weeks ago. So Steele had given the guy a wide berth. But he’d heard good things.
“Not sure what you mean,” Steele said when Day stood in front of him. He watched Steele with pretty hazel eyes like he could read a person on the spot. Looking him up and down, Day reminded Steele of an underdressed Simon Baker.
Day sat on top of the table at the other end, propping one heavy Timberland boot up on the seat. “I think you do know. We’re a family here, Steele. Tech is a brother to all of us.”
Steele looked over and frowned, flicking his ashes in the other direction. “And I’m not?”
“No.” Day balked, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation. “You’re like a third cousin, twice removed right now. You have to earn that respect, man. But you keep hurting Tech and you’re gonna be downgraded to a redheaded stepchild.”
Steele pulled on his cigar to hide his smile.
“None of us are stupid. We can see there’s some weird power-play-tease-me-love-me-hate-me shit going on between you two, and God and I aren’t exactly against you trying to develop something, but we won’t have it become a disruption. We need Tech focused on his job. We need you one hundred percent out there on the streets. You feel me?”
“Yeah, lieutenant. I feel you.” Steele couldn’t argue.
“Alright. Go home. We’re done for today.”
Day walked away, having put on his boss hat and issued his warning. Steele already knew God wasn’t a man to be trifled with, but behind those sharp eyes of Day’s, he had a feeling he wasn’t either. His lieutenant had a very valid point. Tech was family to them, and blood was thicker than water. There was no way they were gonna all sit around and let Steele call Tech names and hurt him like he’d done. He’d gotten a pass that first day, now it was as if he hadn’t learned his lesson the first time.
Fuck. He had to fix this. All Tech said was he didn’t have time for a relationship… he never said he didn’t want one.
Steele took another amazing shower in Ruxs and Green’s guest bathroom and changed into a pair of gray sweats and a short-sleeved USMC t-shirt. He sat at the breakfast bar watching Green move around in his kitchen preparing a meal that looked rather complicated. Steele took a gulp of his longneck Stella, savoring the refreshing brew after a trying day. Ruxs was in the living area with his bare feet propped up on one of the most comfortable recliners he’d ever seen, taking a nap with his mouth wide open while he waited for dinner.
“Do you cook every day?” Steele asked him when Green poured a box of crazy-shaped pasta into a pot of boiling water.
“I try to. And I know what you’re thinking. But it’s not like that. This is a stress reliever for me. I enjoy it a lot. When I’m cooking, I don’t think about the scum I arrested that day or any bull that I had to endure. It’s just me and my kitchen.” Green stirred his sauce while he looked back at Steele. “What do you do to relieve stress?”
Steele took another drink and popped another olive from those that Green had set in the middle of the bar with cheese and crackers. “Nothing, really.”
“Well, you need something. That’s why you’re sitting there driving yourself crazy over what to do about Tech and how to fix it.” Green’s look dared him to deny it.
“I’ll handle it,” Steele said drily. He was thinking about how to approach Tech again, or how to apologize yet again, but nothing was coming to mind.
“I’m sure you will.” Green reached under the island and pulled out a cutting board, placing it in front of Steele. He placed three different color gutted peppers and a chef’s knife in front of him.
“What the hell do you want me to do with that? Throw the knife at you and toss these peppers across the room to see if I can get them in Ruxs’ mouth?”
“No, smart ass I want—” Green stopped midsentence.
Steele and Green shared a quick look of mischievousness at the exact same time their mouths curved into matching devious grins.
“Think you could get it in there?” Green struggled to whisper in between his hushed laughter.
“Hell yeah. Cut a piece.” Steele turned and looked at Ruxs across the room, laughing already at the thought of him leaping up, confused, spitting out whatever was in his mouth.
“Here.” Green handed him a piece a little bigger than a half-dollar coin.
They both had to work to get their laughter under control while Steele took aim. When he thought he had it good, he sent the yellow piece of bell pepper sailing into the air across the living room. It didn’t land in Ruxs’ mouth, but it did smack the side of his cheek, making his eyes fly open. The way he smacked his own cheek had Steele and Green almost falling over each other in hysterics.
“You fuckin’ assholes,” Ruxs grumbled, still half asleep, looking around for what had just slapped his face. When he gave up looking for it he flicked them both off and turned his back to them and curled up on his side.
It felt good to laugh. Once they settled down, Green set the board back in front of Steele, and after he massacred the bell peppers for Green’s sauce, he was more than fine with being demoted from sous chef to taste tester.
“It makes no sense, Steele. You can slice tendons and muscles on a human at the perfect angle for maximum damage but you can’t make a semi-straight cut in a bell pepper.” Green shook his head, talking to himself.
They ate their dinner of baked turkey legs and red gravy pasta in front of the television. It looked like he had similar taste in movies to Ruxs and Green, all of them easily agreeing on an old sci-fi flick. Green told him there was a store-bought pie in the refrigerator but it was one of their favorites, and some butter pecan ice cream in the deep freezer. Steele didn’t make him have to say it twice. He made three plates and brought them into the living room. If Green kept up this kind of hospitality, he was never leaving.
They watched the news at ten, all of them laying around like beached whales. Steele had no clue how Ruxs and Green stayed fit. Maybe they were the kind of guys that no matter how much they ate, they never gained too much weight. Shit, he definitely wasn’t one of those guys. He could practically feel his muscle definition diminishing as he laid there.
After Ruxs finished helping Green clean up the kitchen, they said they were turning in.
“You mind if I work out a little, first?” Steele pointed to the equipment in the corner.
“Not at all. Be nice for someone to use it.” Ruxs shrugged, holding Green’s hand, leading him upstairs.
Steele cut off most of the lights downstairs and headed towards the back of the loft. Natural moonlight filtered in from the bay window, allowing him to look around the decent sized alcove. He realized there was enough equipment there for him to keep up a pretty good regimen until he got his apartment. Several sets of dumbbells, a weight bench. There were a treadmill and an elliptical machine. They even had a jump rope and exercise ball lying neatly on a yoga mat. Steele thought to do something light for now since it was so late and his belly was so full. He’d do a few reps on the bench and then a half hour on the elliptical. That should take care of a quarter of the calories he’d consumed at breakfast and dinner.
The workout was nice but way too short. It felt good to stretch his muscles and get his heart rate up, but it wasn’t enough. It also wasn’t long enough for him to decide what he wanted to do about Tech. This was the hardest he’d thought about any man since—
Steele finished his second shower, just to rinse off the sweat from his workout, and went back to his room. He had a television in there but he was in no mood to watch anything else. So far, it was quiet next door, but that would probably change any minute. Steele grabbed the headphones he’d made Ruxs stop by Best Buy for and plugged them into his cell phone. He reclined back on the soft covers, scanning his music selection. He tucked one earbud in his ear, frowning when he couldn’t put in the other one. He’d completely forgotten about his earpiece. Damn, it really was that weightless in his ear that he never noticed it… all day. Tech said it didn’t muffle sounds, so he’d forgotten all about it. He got up to get the magnet-tipped finger to get it out and paused with his discarded jeans in his hand.
Tech
Tech rubbed his tired eyes. He’d been playing Assassin’s Creed on his PlayStation 4 all evening, trying not to keep replaying his refusal of Steele’s date request over and over. He did want him, but he knew, deep down, he was doing the right thing. Sometimes the mind had to prevail over the body’s wants. Tech got in the shower, hoping the hot water would heat him up enough to keep him warm in his cold bed.
