Page 38 of More than Need

“Wait, seriously?” That’s not the impression Dawson had gotten. The intense familiarity alone had drowned him.

“Mhmm. Milk?”

“Yeah,” Dawson said absently, still stuck on the previous comment. “How long have you two known each other?”

Gideon paused to think about it. “I’m… not sure? I joined the force later at twenty-three because I went to uni first. He made detective that same year—one of the youngest at twenty-one.”

That didn’t surprise Dawson. Riley had that regimented personality that likely did well in that kind of work. “You didn’t know him then?”

“We didn’t have a lot of reasons to interact until I made detective and got put under his command.”

Sydney’s a big place; seems easy enough not to run in the same circles, even with the same career trajectory. “How old are you?”

Gideon laughed and put the milk back in the fridge. “Thirty-two. Do you want my ID, officer?” he teased.

“You used to have to do that, right? Before you made detective?” Getting pulled over by someone that looked like Gideon would have made his day. How come he’d never gotten a ticket from a sexy cop? What a tragic loss.

“Still do, in fact. Riley makes us rotate every few months and do a few days on the streets to keep our skills ‘fresh.’ Not mandatory, but they certainly don’t turn away our help.”

“I bet he pops little kids’ balloons for fun. You know, like that guy in the Minion movies.”

“Gru?”

“Yeah, that one.”

Gideon laughed. “Not inaccurate. Though my partner Ange actually likes it. She gets a kick out of giving smart-mouthed youngsters speeding tickets; she’s a sadist like that.”

“Riley doesn’t rotate, though, does he?”

“Not anymore. We keep him pretty busy. But he would have gone through it. Everyone pays their dues.”

Did they still have their uniforms? Were they allowed to keep them? They’d have pictures at least, right? “He had the douchebag sunglasses, didn’t he?”Please.

“You’d have to ask him. I didn’t know him in his blues, remember?”

Right. University. A shame. “What did you study?”

“Criminology.”

“How long have you worked under Riley?” Dawson asked. “That’s not—you’re not allowed to—” He gestured between them. “It’s fraternisation?”

Gideon handed Dawson his mug and leaned a hip against the counter. “Yeah, we could get in a lot of trouble for it. Riley more than me.”

“Why’d you do it, then?”

“You’ve seen him, haven’t you?” Gideon said with a deep chuckle.

“Okay, but you’ve known him, what did you say? Five years? Whynow?”

Gideon shrugged and sipped his coffee. “I honestly couldn’t tell you. Well, Iwashappily married for most of that time. All of it until recently. Beyond recognising that Riley is an incredibly attractive man, I didn’t think anything else of him. Or anyone. My marriage, my kid, and my job kept me out of trouble.”

“You didn’t know you were gay?”

“I’m bisexual, and I’ve always known. I slept with a few guys before my ex-wife, Lucia. None during, and you and Riley are the first people I’ve been with since the divorce.”

Good thing he hadn’t known that beforehand. He didn’t want that kind of pressure when performing. He’d been good, hadn’t he? They’d all come multiple times. That had to count for something. He definitely wasn’t asking for a scorecard, just in case.

“I can see your brain moving,” Gideon murmured against the rim of his mug.

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