Page 6 of The Long Game

It brought back memories—difficult ones—to hear the words in person again.

Jack was not surprised to learn there were multiple outstanding warrants for Clyde Miller. Grady was just starting to read the list from his phone when his coworkers arrived, red-faced and out of breath, apparently having been left in Grady’s dust when he’d made the run to get to Jack.

Jack tried not to dwell on that, tried not to think about Grady coming in the bar without waiting for backup.

Tried not to recall the way Grady had immediately made sure he was okay despite the danger. Grady’s priority should have been arresting Clyde, but Jack had felt like the most important thing to him. It was a heady thought.

He retreated behind the bar to stay out of everyone’s way while they dragged a loudly objecting Clyde out the door. Once that was settled, Grady dropped into his usual seat like he’d just stopped by for a beer. Jack met him there, drawn like a magnet.

Long, strong fingers curled around Jack’s wrist, and instead of a flare of fear or even a smidgen of unease, Jack felt…settled.

“Is there somewhere we can talk privately?” Grady asked.

Jack used Grady’s hold to tow him to the end of the bar and into the storeroom. He wanted a moment away from the chaos of the cops departing and the rest of the staff returning to their posts. He wanted a moment alone with Grady.

The converted snug had never felt more aptly named, partly because they were stocked for the weekend, but mostly because of Grady. Action heroes took up a lot of space.

Jack pressed his back against the wall. Grady’s dark eyes searched Jack’s face before he cupped Jack’s cheek in his warm hand.

Jack’s heart raced but, shockingly, he wanted to press closer. He held perfectly still instead.

“Are you okay?” Grady asked, voice deep and quiet.

Jack nodded. “I’m fine. He never came near me.”

Grady’s gaze dropped to Jack’s mouth, and Jack wondered how Grady couldn’t hear his heart pounding.

“Thank you for coming. I shouldn’t have called. It was unfair to put that on you. Next time I’ll—”

“Can I kiss you, Jack?”

A flutter of panic disrupted the steady rhythm of Jack’s furious heartbeat, but some combination of adrenaline, curiosity, and longing made him nod once, the movement jerky and quick.

Grady’s thumb stroked over his cheek, then his lips pressed to Jack’s. Jack groaned, arching against Grady as joy and anxiety rushed through him. Grady’s tongue swept past his lips, making him forget why this was a terrible idea. A needy noise escaped his throat, his fists clenching in the cotton of Grady’s shirt while his world tilted and his knees wobbled, trying to find steady ground.

But he couldn’t. It wasn’t there beneath his feet. He was flying, but it wasn’t on joy or desire. Or, notonlythat. It was fear threatening to sweep his legs out from under him. Panic curling its cold fingers around his neck and running down his spine.

Sex, Jack could do. But notthis.

Grady’s hand threaded into Jack’s hair to cup the back of his head, warm and supportive. Jack ached at the care Grady took with him, even as he forced his fingers to uncurl. He released Grady’s shirt, pressed his palms to Grady’s chest, and pushed.

“No.”

Grady stepped back,taking in Jack’s red lips and the flush high on his gorgeous cheekbones. His first thought wasn’t about why Jack had made him stop, but that he shouldn’t have started this to begin with. They were at Jack’s job, for fuck’s sake. This was not the time. Or the place.

And Jack deserved better. He deservedmore.

Then Grady registered Jack’s brows pinched tight over his midnight-blue eyes and his confused expression when he licked his lips, like he couldn’t understand why they tasted like they did. Like Grady.

Grady dragged in a deep breath. “No?”

“I don’t—” Jack stopped and licked his lips again. “I can’t do this.”

Grady wanted to reach out, to comfort Jack, but he kept his hands to himself. “What do you mean?”

Jack stared at Grady’s shoulder. “I like you too much.”

“And that’s…bad?”

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