Page 36 of The Story of Danny Rose

Bloody hell.

I swallowed as a rush of nerves and joy and mind-numbing confusion ripped through me.

Terrance leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk. “We deploy operators at Hillcroft, not men, not women, not spouses, not friends. What you do off the clock is your business—but when you step inside this building or you’re on an assignment, you represent the agency as an operator. Is that clear?”

“Crystal.” Danny smiled. “Have a good one!”

Terrance’s lips twitched with mirth, and while Danny walked out, I suddenly felt the need to linger. Partly in case Terrance wanted to say something, and partly because I felt I should.

I wasn’t wrong. He did have something to say.

“You sure you can keep shit separate, Payne? You’ll be his CO until he graduates. It’ll put him in a vulnerable position.”

I nodded with a dip of my chin, still a bit stunned. I felt a tightness around my chest, and it wasn’t solely about Danny’s declaration. It was how easily he had announced a homosexual relationship to an outsider. Being gay wasn’t anything I hid from anybody, but it wasn’t something I advertised either.

“His training comes first, regardless of what happens in our personal lives,” I promised.

“That’s all I need to know.”

Okay, good, then I was fucking out of here. Christ. What a mindfuck.

I walked out, finding Danny waiting for me in the hall with a curious grin, and I closed the door to Terrance’s office.

“Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?” he asked. A hot second later, his smile fell, and he grew visibly worried. “Oh shit. You wanted us to be private, didn’t you? Oh fuck—I’m such a?—”

“That’s enough,” I managed to say. I put a hand on his shoulder and ushered him toward the elevators, and I was quick to let my hand drop again. “I want us as official as we can be. I’m just not used to coming out to people.”

“Coming—” He stopped and looked up at me, shocked. “They don’t know you’re gay?”

I honestly had no clue. “I don’t see why they would. We don’t talk about personal matters here.”

It was a good thing it’d been Terrance. He was fine with it—and I only knew that because Quinlan had once brought a boyfriend to a holiday party.

“I’m sorry, Em,” Danny said soberly. “I wasn’t thinking. I think I was too high on my relief, and I… Fuck. I’m sorry. I should’ve talked to you first.”

I blew out a breath and let things settle, and it didn’t require too much energy. In fact, it felt kind of good.

I mean, I’d come out to my family early. I’d told Mum first. I’d admitted I liked boys when I was in junior high. She’d reacted well, and she’d encouraged me to tell Dad too. But after that…with my history in the military and the fact that I didn’t have much of a social life, I’d walked a thin line between open and private.

Maybe that could change.

Life had been too black-and-white up until now. It wasn’t like I’d had anyone to hold hands with in public. I hadn’t dated anyone openly because that wasn’t the dynamic I’d shared with anyone.

“Don’t be sorry. I’m not.” I kept my voice down as we passed the reception desk, and luck was on our side. An elevator opened up as soon as I pushed the button, which would give us a brief moment of privacy. I pulled him close in a tight hug and kissed the side of his head, and I let out another breath.He doesn’twant us to be temporary.“You just gave me another reason to celebrate today.”

He glanced up at me with a wary expression, so I cupped his face in my hands and kissed him.

“I mean it. Don’t feel bad. Okay? You took me by surprise, but it feels nice.”

He wasn’t convinced. “I could’ve handled it better.”

“Fuck it.” I kissed his nose and smiled. “You wanna be mine even when you’re on the other side of the world? You’ve made my day, Danny.”

He raked his teeth across his bottom lip. “That was how I figured you’ve been thinking we’re temporary. You keep saying things like, when you go off to live your life in and out of conflict zones—shit like that. But I want more than that.”

I closed my eyes briefly and took a breath. “Trust me when I say I want more too. I just didn’t wanna assume—or take advantage.”

“Take advantage, how?”

---