Page 50 of A Simple Mistake
“Max and Ryu?”
Min took the change of topic without a blink.“I just let the doctor out.Max is awake.Ryu is asleep.Finally.”
“Worries too much.”
Min shrugged.“It’s Max.People worry about him.”
“Yeah.Need me?”
“No.We’re good here.Safe.You can sleep.”
“You were up all night, too.”
“I’ll switch off with Theo when the others get here.Akane called.She’d like your help later.”
“Tea first,” Jack decided.“Then I’ll sleep.Ask Akane to give me a couple of hours?”
“It’d be longer than that.”
“That’s fine then.Wake me when she’s ready.”
He watched Max’s second walk away, noted the slump to his shoulders, and made a mental note to check with Theo that Min was getting some rest, too.
Max’s housekeeper had prepared a futon in his room and had set out tea on the low table.Jack bowed and even found the right words to thank her before the woman bustled off again.His Japanese was functional but limited and he wished he’d practiced more, had added to his vocabulary while he was at home.He’d made the effort to learn the basics when he’d been here on assignment.It wasn’t logical to let that effort go to waste.
His tablet chimed as his eyelids grew heavy over his second cup of tea.A Skype session popped up on the screen along with Gareth’s avatar in the chat window.
Since when is Payne in the dirty picture taking business?
Jack snorted tea and answered the call.“He… what?”
The screen came alive and Jack bit back an appreciative whistle.Gareth wore a clinging, sleeveless hoodie.Jack’ssleeveless hoodie, at that.The lowered zip showed his collarbones and the hollow of his throat, and Jack swallowed.He could do with some of that right now.Only… “What are you talking about?What dirty pictures?”
Gareth didn’t answer.Instead, Jack got a slideshow of himself, practising kata in Max’s gorgeous dojo.Barefoot, bare-chested, in nothing but deep green hakama pants.
Yeah, that would do it.Man had a thing about Jack in bare feet.
“Do you have any idea how much I want to rip those fucking pants off you?”
Gareth’s voice had a growly, frustrated edge that Jack could relate to.His libido was sitting up and taking notice, too.“I didn’t know hakama turned you on,” he teased regardless.“I should maybe wear them around the house.And Skylar didn’t send those.He’s still in Tokyo.”
“And you’re not?”
“No.”
“You’ve a security issue?”
“Nah.Just Min’s revenge for me flirting with Akane.”
Gareth’s eyes narrowed.“Who’s Akane?”
“Min’s fiancé.It bugs him that I’ve known her longer than he has.”
“Her?She’s a spook?”
“Nah.SysSec like me and a damned efficient hacker.She’s the friend I mentioned.We worked together when I was out here on assignment.You’d like her.”
“Hm.”
