Together, they did battle for Ethan’s soul, and in that pain, they found love again.
It didn’t die.
It had just sunk to the bottom.
“Please,” Ethan whispered breathlessly. “Let me free,” he begged, hoping Gene would understand.
Instead of releasing him, he stared into his eyes. In them, he saw love, need, and how much he’d been struggling. There was no doubt that Ethan understood what Gene already knew. They were bound together by so much more than just the FBI.
They were mated.
And Gene was monogamous. He’d mate for life.
“Take what you need,” he offered, knowing that when Ethan was this lost, he needed a clear path back to himself again.
That was Gene.
At his offer, Ethan did just that. He put all of his faith in his man so that he could feel whole again.
There was no doubt that he needed to find his footing again. Oh, Ethan knew that he’d gotten damn lucky on this one. Not only had Gene saved his job, but he was saving him.
Again.
This was his hero.
With his hands on Gene’s hips, he wanted to get to his body as quickly as possible. So, he pulled off his man’s badge and tossed it onto the coffee table.
It landed right beside Ethan’s.
Gene didn’t just stand there. Instead, he grabbed the waistband of the man’s shorts.
Only, Ethan stopped him, realizing he’d been running for ninety minutes, and was a mess.
He should probably shower.
“I’m sweaty,” Ethan said, only to be cut off.
“I like you sweaty. I like the way you taste and feel. Don’t worry about that,” he reassured. “We’re just going to get sweaty regardless.”
Really, it didn’t matter.
It was warm in the cabin, and Gene had other priorities. He was fighting for his man’s life.
“Promise?” he asked.
Gene smiled.
“Promise.”
Well, then, he wouldn’t worry about some sweatiness. To be honest, Ethan understood. He knew when Gene was musky from working out that scent turned him on wildly. It was the scent of mate, and he craved it.
Dropping his lover’s jeans, Ethan pulled his boxers down and followed them to the floor.
As he stared up at Gene, he said one thing.
“I love you.”
In that moment, Gene’s heart kicked in his chest, overwhelmed by that feeling between them. It came so easily from his mouth that it made his heart happy.
