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?”