Chapter 3

Zane and Ty had just enough time to shower and wind down, and that was what they did. Together. When the water started running cold, they turned it off and stayed in the shower for several more minutes, until it got cold enough to drive them into the bed and under the covers. They fell asleep wrapped up in each other.

When Zane woke, he slipped out of Ty’s arms and pulled on a robe. He headed for the doors to the balcony and stood leaning against the frame, gazing out at the gardens, the cliffs, and the choppy ocean beyond.

The bed creaked, and he turned. Ty was sitting on the edge, wearing only his sweatpants, watching him. “What do you think?” he asked after another moment of silence.

“It’s gorgeous. I didn’t figure it would be so fucking beautiful. But it’s . . . rugged and captivating.”

Ty’s eyes strayed to the pristine vista behind Zane, then back to Zane. He smiled slowly.

“Kind of like someone else I know,” Zane added. He raised an eyebrow. “I sense mischief brewing.”

Ty stood and joined Zane by the doors. Zane turned, and Ty stopped in the doorway, facing him with the same crooked smile still on his lips. It felt like he had something important to say, but the surroundings seemed to be outdoing him. Beyond the manicured gardens below, a sheer cliff stretched in either direction, ushering the angry sea along its way.

“Ty?”

Ty took a deep breath and grasped Zane’s hand.

“What are you up to now?” Zane asked, even more suspicious.

“Marry me, Zane.”

Zane’s breath caught. His hand involuntarily tightened on Ty’s, and all he could do was stare into Ty’s eyes. He’d never dreamed he’d hear Ty say those words, especially not so soon after returning home. He’d never dreamed he’d experience half the things Ty had offered him. He brought Ty’s hand to his lips and kissed his fingers, inhaling deeply to calm everything that was suddenly churning inside him.

Zane did want to marry Ty. But he didn’t want it yet, not when they still had so much to learn about themselves and each other.

“No,” he breathed.

“No?”

“No,” Zane repeated shakily. Ty huffed. Thank God he looked bemused instead of upset, one eyebrow cocked and a gentle smile on his lips.

“You’re not even going to think about it?”

“No,” Zane repeated, more confident this time. He was relieved Ty didn’t appear to be hurt, but he also knew how well Ty could hide his feelings. He took Ty’s face in his hands, hurrying to explain. “I know you, Ty. And I know the thought probably just popped into your mind. You haven’t thought it through. You haven’t looked at it from any angle other than the one we can see from our balcony.”

“That doesn’t make it any less sincere,” Ty said, frowning.

“I know, doll.” Zane took a deep breath, wishing he had the words to explain just what Ty meant to him, how much he really did want what Ty was asking. The time just wasn’t right. It didn’t feel right saying yes, not after they’d been apart for so long, not after all that had happened to them. Not after they’d both changed so much. Nothing seemed like an adequate explanation, though, not when so much of him wanted to just say yes. Instead he sighed. “Let’s . . . let’s get to know each other again first. And you give it as much thought as I do everything. And if you can convince me you’ve done that, then when you ask me, I’ll answer as fast as you always do.”

Ty’s lips quirked up, and he didn’t take his eyes off Zane’s when he leaned back. “You’re saying no?”

Zane stepped closer and kissed him. His lips moved against Ty’s when he murmured, “I’m saying no for now.”

Ty cupped his cheek, his fingers playing with the tips of Zane’s curls. “I’m going to keep asking until you say yes.”

“I look forward to it.” Zane grinned, drawling when he added, “Try to be creative next time, huh?”

Ty kissed him one last time, then shoved at his chest and patted his cheek hard. “Asshole,” he grunted before turning away.

Zane reached past Ty on both sides to grasp the doorframe, trapping him in place. “Don’t be mad,” he growled.

Ty smirked, jutting his chin out for a kiss. Just before their lips brushed, there was a loud rap on the door.

Zane pulled back, and Ty huffed in irritation. “And so it begins.”

Zane chuckled and let Ty loose, going to his suitcase to unpack and to find clothes for dinner. When Ty opened the door, Mara Grady threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.

He laughed in surprise and returned the hug. “Hey, Ma.”

“Don’t you ‘Hey, Ma,’ me! Why the hell didn’t you come see me as soon as you got here? Gone a year—”

“Less than six months.”

“—and can’t come see his mother,” she scolded, holding him by his broad shoulders and shaking him. Then she hugged him again, pressing her cheek against his chest and patting his back.

“Missed you too, Ma.”

Zane chuckled and moved closer.

Mara released Ty and practically shoved him aside as she stalked into the room. “Don’t you think you can hide from me,” she told Zane. “Get over here and give me a hug.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Zane said, and the smile on his face was honest when he hugged her.

“You boys both look so handsome!” Mara said, even though Zane was still wearing his robe and Ty was in a ratty pair of sweatpants.

Ty laughed, rubbing a hand over his chin as he closed the door. “Where’s Dad?”

“Still trying to convince your grandfather that we did not just hit the shore of Guadalcanal and he should not hit anyone on the head with that shovel.” Mara released Zane and put her hands on her hips.

Ty was biting his lip hard as he tried not to smile. “Did you come for reinforcements?”

“Well, no,” Mara said thoughtfully. “Might not be a bad idea.”

“Did he really bring the shovel? On the plane?” Zane asked, not suppressing his laughter very well.

Mara shrugged. “He wouldn’t come otherwise.”

“He should make an impression on the in-laws anyway,” Ty said under his breath. “Do you know where your room is, Ma?”

“We’re in the other wing. Old farts and married folks are over there. Young troublemakers are shacked up on this side.”

Zane laughed before he could stop himself.

“Speaking of troublemakers, where’s Nicholas? I’ve got a hug for him, too.”

“He and Doc are in the next room,” Ty answered.

“Doc? Which one was that?”

“The one who lost his parents when he was young. I brought him home for Thanksgiving one time. You told him you wanted to wrap him up and bake him in a pie and he never came back.”

“Oh, that one! Oh, he’s a cutie. Little skittish. Well, make sure Nick comes to say hello to me and your daddy, got it? Earl was asking after him.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Okay. I just wanted to come get a hug before you got into trouble,” she told them as she headed for the door.

“Why does everyone assume I’m going to get into trouble?” Ty asked, his brow creasing with frown lines.

“Because we know you, baby,” Mara told him. She walked by him, patting his cheek. “See you boys at dinner.”

After shutting the door, Ty shot Zane an evil grin that damn near caused them to be late. Thankfully, it was a casual affair, or they never would have gotten ready in time. As it was, Ty was still tucking his shirt in and fixing his tie as they made their way to the back patio of the massive house.

Someone whistled from behind them as they were hustling down the stairs. Zane glanced over his shoulder to find Nick and Kelly, both looking well rested and more relaxed than they had been. It was also the first time Zane had ever seen either man in a suit.

“You dirty whores,” Nick drawled quietly.

“Shut up,” Ty mumbled, still fussing with his tie.

Zane just smiled and gave Nick a cheeky wink. They headed for the party with a handful of other guests. Zane didn’t know the numbers, but he estimated there were roughly thirty people on the island, with another hundred due to show up the day of the ceremony. Not a large wedding for such a prominent family. It was just family and friends, perhaps, but no business associates. Zane knew how these affairs went, and he found that particularly odd.

He glanced at Ty, his body warming all over. Ty had asked him to marry him. He’d been entirely sincere, too, in the way only Ty could be when he thought of something spur of the moment. It brought a smile unbidden to Zane’s lips, and he quickly schooled his expression to something a little less giddy as they joined the crowd.

The patio was full of outdoor heaters and covered with a large party tent with plastic windows and ties to keep the doors closed against the wind. The tent protected parts of the garden, too, giving the space an outdoor feel without the outdoor frostbite to accompany it.

While Ty and Zane had been placed at the table of honor with Deuce and Livi, Nick and Kelly were at the next table over with the other members of the wedding party. They split off and took their seats just in time, beating Deuce and Livi by mere seconds.

Zane knew everyone at their table except the older couple he assumed were the Stantons, and a younger man who was probably Livi’s brother. They didn’t have time for introductions before a man approached the table to say hello. Ty and Deuce both stood abruptly, and it startled Zane and the Stantons into flinching when they did it. Zane glanced up to see Assistant Director Richard Burns standing there.

Ty reached out to shake Burns’s hand. “Sir.”

“Tyler. Deacon,” Burns said as he shook Ty’s and then Deuce’s hands. He turned to Ty’s father, Earl, who was in the process of pushing back his chair to stand. They embraced warmly.

Livi cleared her throat. “Mama, Daddy, this is Director Richard Burns, a dear friend of the Grady family.”

The tall, white-haired man stood and offered a hand to Burns. “Theodore Stanton. Pleased to meet you, Director. This is my wife, Susan.”

As they exchanged greetings, Livi continued. “And this is Tyler Grady, Deacon’s brother. And Special Agent Zane Garrett, Ty’s partner.”

“Pleased to meet you all,” Zane said, standing and shaking Stanton’s hand when it was offered, just as Ty had done.

Burns took Livi’s hand in a dainty, formal greeting. “Congratulations, my dear, you look lovely.”

“Thank you, Director, that’s very kind of you.”

Burns nodded to them all, then gave Earl a wink and patted his lapel pocket as he turned away. “Earl, I’ll find you later.”

Ty’s hand sought out Zane’s under the table, squeezing. Then his thumb stroked over Zane’s palm, and any anger or resentment aimed toward the director that had been bubbling inside Zane began to fade. He glanced at Ty to find the man watching him.

Ty mouthed a silent, “I love you.”

Zane couldn’t help but smile.

They engaged in only a couple minutes of small talk before Deuce and Livi stood and Deuce tapped his crystal glass with a knife. The room quickly went quiet, all eyes turning toward them.

“Good evening everyone,” Deuce said, just loud enough to reach all the tables. He possessed a certain presence, like a man accustomed to speaking to large crowds or being in the spotlight. He smiled as he spoke. “You are our nearest and dearest, and we want to thank you all for making this journey to be here with us.”

He waited a beat, and Livi took over. “Deacon and I decided that we wanted our families and friends to enjoy this as much as we will, which is why you were all invited to stay for the entire week with us.” She turned a loving smile up to Deacon. He hugged her around her slim waist. “Rehearsals and planning are being kept to a bare minimum.”

“Just enough to make sure we don’t make fools of ourselves,” Deuce assured everyone, drawing laughter.

“And so we can all get the most out of this experience. We ask you to please enjoy yourselves this week as our most beloved guests.”

“And if you partake of the open bar, please stay away from the cliffs.”

More laughter arose from the crowd, and as Deuce held his glass up to toast, it was followed by applause.

Waitstaff appeared to man the buffet. Zane stayed in his seat and watched as others got in line. He smiled when Deuce hugged Livi and kissed her forehead. He tried to remember what he’d felt like before his wedding, but he couldn’t recall much of anything beyond nerves. Deuce and Livi looked anything but nervous, despite whatever trouble was apparently brewing.

They were a good couple, and Zane was genuinely happy for them.

When his eyes met Ty’s, he found his partner relaxed in his seat and watching him with a small smile. Ty winked at him, flushing Zane’s body with the same convictions he’d experienced the first time that wink had hit him. He lifted his water glass and toasted Ty before pushing out of his chair to join the buffet line.

As soon as dinner wound down and people moved on to drinks and dancing, Deuce stood and tilted his head at Ty to indicate they should go inside.

Ty turned to seek out Nick or Kelly, and immediately found Nick’s sharp eyes on him. He waved at him to follow, and Nick nodded.

At the doorway to the study, a man was standing with a metal-detecting wand. Ty stopped and spread his legs, holding his hands out. Zane did the same as he followed Ty into the study. Ty was still glancing around the room when a commotion arose behind him.