Sloane shut his eyes tight in response, and Dex knew it was what his partner was doing. His grip tightened on Sloane’s hand, and he leaned in to talk quietly to him.
“Pearce was unstable. If it hadn’t been you, it would have been someone else. You know that. Gabe loved you. He was willing to fight for what you had, but he had no idea what was happening to his brother. Pearce got what he deserved.” There was no way the guy had survived the explosion. He’d run right into it. It was finally over. “It’s time for you and Gabe to have peace.” He brushed Sloane’s hair away from his brow, watching as Sloane opened his eyes before shaking his head and closing his eyes again. He pulled his hand out of Dex’s, laying it on his stomach.
“Okay.” Dex swallowed hard and sat back, closing his eyes, his heart sinking. Whatever had been between them, whatever chance they might have had, it was falling by the wayside. As much as it hurt, Dex understood. All that pain Sloane had felt when Gabe died was most likely coming back, along with the guilt, the nightmares, and the grief. Pearce had killed his brother and instead of living with his guilt, he’d transferred all his anger, bitterness, and blame onto Sloane.
All Dex could do now was be a good partner. He’d help Sloane through this however he could, tucking away the ache inside him. It had been good while it lasted, and maybe it was for the better. Hiding a relationship from his teammates was one thing, but from his family was another matter. As he drifted off to the sound of sirens, an image of Gabe came into his mind, the one he’d held in Pearce’s house. With a silent “thank you,” he gave into his exhaustion.
TWO DAYS before Christmas, Dex was lounging in front of his TV, flipping through the channels, watching nothing in particular. After the incident with Pearce, he’d been given Christmas leave early. He should have been bouncing off the walls. He loved holidays, especially Christmas. And although he was looking forward to spending it with his family, he still couldn’t get over the hurt he felt at Sloane’s refusal to see him.
Sloane had been given Christmas leave early as well, to recuperate, both physically and emotionally. It had hit everyone pretty rough, knowing Gabe had died at the hands of his brother, everyone believing if maybe they had just done something different, Gabe might still be alive.
Dex had tried to see Sloane at the hospital, but Ash had stopped him from going in. Normally, they would have threatened each other until Ash got so frustrated he’d let Dex have his way, but this time it was different. Ash had actually looked upset when he somberly pleaded with Dex, telling him Sloane asked him not to let Dex in. It had cut deep, but Dex simply nodded and left. For the rest of the week, he’d tried calling Sloane and even texted him. Nothing.
The doorbell rang and with a groan, Dex got to his feet and shuffled to the front door. It was probably Cael again. His brother had been worried about him, and despite Dex reassuring him a hundred times that he was fine and needed some time on his own, his brother would show up with pizza or burgers, trying to get him out of his funk. He opened the door, his greeting dying on his lips.
“Hey.”
Dex blinked a few times, wondering if he was seeing what he thought he was seeing or if he was hallucinating. Sloane stood on his doorstep, wrapped up in a black winter coat, a black and pale blue striped scarf around his neck and a matching wool cap on his head. His cheeks and nose were rosy from the cold, and in his hand, he was holding a huge present wrapped in light blue paper with white snowflakes and a big silver bow on top. There was a large red gift bag hanging from his wrist. All Dex could get out was a pathetic, “Hi.”
“Can I come in?”
“Yeah, sure. Sorry.” Dex stepped aside and let Sloane in, closing the door behind him. He was surprised when Sloane handed him the box and then dropped the gift bag on top.
“Merry Christmas.”
“You… got me Christmas presents?”
“Sort of. It’s part Christmas present, part bribe.” Sloane removed his hat, scarf, and coat, hanging them on the hooks by the door. Then he removed his boots. He paused halfway. “Is it okay? I mean, I don’t want to presume you want me to stay.”
“It’s fine.” Dex looked down at the presents in his hands. “A bribe for what?”
Sloane ushered Dex into the living room and over to the couch. He took the box from Dex and put it on the floor, then took Dex’s hands and pulled him down to sit beside him. His brow was creased with worry. “In the hopes you’ll forgive me. I know I hurt you, not letting you come see me and not answering your many, many attempts to get in touch with me. I needed time to think.”
“About what?” Dex’s pulse shot up, his heart all but ready to burst through his chest. Bribery was a good thing, right? Surely Sloane wouldn’t come all the way to his house with a gift the size of Cael just to give him bad news, right?
“Everything. The case. Us.”
Dex’s heart flipped. “Is there an ‘us?
??”
“You were right, what you said in the ambulance about it being time for me and Gabe to have peace. It’s time I put Gabe to rest, for me to move on.” Sloane licked his bottom lip, his gaze on their hands. “I know what I’m asking of you isn’t fair, and I don’t expect you to wait for me, but yeah, I’d like for there to be an ‘us.’ Maybe, if you’re willing to take things as they come, see where they lead, you can help me. I know it’s asking a lot, but I like you Dex. I like who I am with you.” He looked up at Dex then, a small smile crossed his face. “I’ve felt things I didn’t think I would ever feel again.”
“What about the team? My family?” Dex already knew what his answer was, but he had to ask.
“Whatever happens between us has to stay between us or one of us will be transferred to another team. You know that.”
Dex nodded. How the hell could he keep something like this from his dad? Worse, from Cael? It would break his brother’s heart if he found out Dex had kept secrets from him. He felt Sloane give his hands a squeeze, and he returned his gaze to Sloane’s hopeful one. Sloane needed him. “We’ll just have to make sure no one finds out.”
With a big smile, Sloane took hold of Dex’s face and brought him in for a passionate kiss. Dex surrendered completely, melting against Sloane, relishing in the softness of his lips, the warmth of his mouth and the taste of him. He refused to acknowledge how much he’d missed this. It would be stupid to fall for Sloane or even think about getting on that path.
Sloane wasn’t making any promises, wasn’t offering him a relationship, just a possibility to see what could be. If Dex wasn’t careful, he could end up falling hard, and that would be bad for both of them. For now, he’d return Sloane’s hungry kisses, getting what he could. He climbed onto Sloane’s lap, moaning at the feel of those large hands on his ass. When they came up for air, Dex pulled back, his breath coming out shaky. His gaze shifted down.
“What in the name of Frosty’s snow-covered balls are you wearing?”
Sloane followed Dex’s gaze, looking down at himself. “It’s a sweater.”
“It’s got reindeer on it. And snowflakes.”