“This is from the bullet, isn’t it? The one you took for me, at the Seattle marina, to stop me from seeing the death when the snipers killed FBI Agent Nolan.” Reece touched the round scar with gloved fingers, light as he could. “Why the hell were you hiding this?”
“Reece,” Grayson said thickly, “I know your empath feelings are getting riled—”
“You’re damn right my feelings aregettin’ riled.”
“—but I don’t think you understand just how hard having your hands on me makes it to keepmyhands to myself—”
“Don’t change the subject.”
“Who’schanging the subject? You’re between my legs, leaning over my dick, and trust me, I don’t need emotions for any of the things you’re making me want—”
“You’re trying to distract me, and A for effort, but I need an answer.” Reece looked up, meeting his eyes. “Why were you hiding this scar from me?”
After a moment, Grayson was the one to look away. “That night was rough for you. A lot of violence and bad discoveries. I didn’t want to make you remember it.”
“Evan.” Reece’s fingers were unsteady where they rested against the scar. “You think I could ever forget what you did?”
“Considering it was minutes after I had cuffs on you—”
“Don’t try to shrug this off like it’s no big deal when it’s the biggest deal,” Reece said heatedly. “You got this scar protecting me from corruption. Youtook a bullet for me.”
“You believed saving my life was worth more than your freedom.” Grayson’s soft, deep drawl carried through the truck. “A bullet was more than worth a chance to save your heart.”
Reece’s hand was trembling now. “And you say I make bad decisions,” he said hoarsely.
Grayson met his eyes again, and for a split second Reece could almost imagine he’d seen a flash of courage and steel, a glimpse of the man Grayson had once been. “That wasn’t a bad decision.”
“Neither is this.” Reece put both his hands on Grayson’s chest. “Neither areyou.”
Grayson’s arms twitched, like he’d had to stop himself from putting them around Reece. He could feel Grayson’s heartbeat, strong beneath his hand. His own body was burning hotter and higher, heat rolling out from Reece’s core through his limbs. His empathy was waking up too, the temptation of another person’s pleasure too much to resist.
Reece shifted, just that little bit closer. “Did you notice we’re fogging the windows?”
“You’refogging the windows,” Grayson said. “You got any idea what it’s like to have all your empath body heat this close?”
“Why don’t you tell me?” Reece leaned in to brace himself on Grayson’s chest with light pressure. “In fact, why don’t you tell me again how hard I’m making it to keep your hands to yourself?”
Grayson swallowed something that might have been a groan. “I already told you my dick doesn’t need emotions to want you,” he said, low and gravelly. “But try to remember that only one of us is gonna get knocked out if we touch each other.”
“True.” Reece leaned forward an inch. “But try to remember that only one of us is wearing gloves that let him touch the other.”
Grayson’s mouth snapped shut.
“That’s right,sugar.” Reece held up one hand. “You can’t touch. But I can.”
Grayson was staring at his hand. “But you’re gloved. What would an empath get out of that?”
“Don’t tell me you already forgot.” Reece put his hand back on Grayson’s chest, anticipation already threading through him, his own jeans uncomfortably tight. “I get to make you feel good. It’s only literally what my empath fantasies are made of.”
Grayson seemed to be recalculating everything he’d ever known about empaths. He arched, a small movement, but then, he didn’t exactly have much room to move with Reece between his legs. “And I’m supposed to—what, exactly?” He looked up. “Just lie here and let you drive?”
Reece leaned in, bringing their faces closer, still braced against Grayson. “I’m a really good driver,” he said, dropping his hand three suggestive inches lower, onto his stomach and closer to the hard outline filling his jeans.
Grayson’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, his gaze flicking over Reece’s face. “Care Bear, your eyes.”
Reece could guess his pupils were huge, over-dilated, as if they could take in every bit of Grayson like light. “Haven’t you seen plenty of empath eyes when the empathy kicks in?”
“Yeah,” Grayson whispered. “But never like this.”
