Xander
“Jesus, is that a clipboard?”
“A what?”
“Oh, c’mon, I know you’re a baby, Carter, but you can at least parse contextual clues, can’t you?”
“Context…what?”
“Jake, please.”
I glared at Mika. “Shut it.”
Mika shut it.
I looked around the dining area at the faces peering back at me with varying degrees of boredom, impatience, acceptance, and amusement.
That last on Colin’s face as he leaned back in his seat listening to his team be…
well, our goddamn stupid ass team. I didn’t know if his amusement was for their sake or mine, though, and I wasn’t sure I liked that feeling.
It would be one thing if he was amused because he could see me getting fed up with their bullshit; that at least would be understandable, if not tolerable.
No, my worry was that he was amused because he could sense my attention was distracted whenever he was around.
It had been since the moment I’d met him, but it was worse since last week when my attention was locked onto him after our second shared orgasm.
Even more so with his willingness to leave everything that could happen between us in my hands, leaving me to deal with what came next.
I was not going to imagine him jerking off in the shower.
Or the sounds he’d made when I’d…fucked my dick against his.
I most definitely wasn’t going to think about the sight of his mouth wrapped around my cock while he not only let me, but enjoyed me using his mouth to get myself off.
And there was no way in hell I was going to think about what it would feel like to sink my dick deep into that bouncing ass and listen to the noises he’d make when I was balls deep and—
“Listen,” I said, clearing my throat roughly.
I hadn’t decided what to do with the ball in my court.
I mean, I should say no and I was keeping up the idea that I could say no by putting it off…
but I was still thinking about what would happen if I took him up on his offer.
If I were to call him to my cabin and what would happen.
“It’s that time when we have to talk about optics.
” There were groans, and I rolled my eyes.
“Suck it up, fuckers, this is part of the job, and has been for a while, and you know that.”
“Uh, optics?” Carter asked, and I had to admit it wasn’t a stupid question; he had joined us a couple of weeks after the last time the conversation had come up.
“It’s not enough that we’re out here busting our asses and saving lives; we have to pick some of us to go out and smile in front of people and say nice things,” Cait said with a sigh. “That is, some of you do, not me.”
“Usually the prettiest ones,” Mika said, his eyes drifting to Jake, who blinked.
“Am I…pretty?” he asked, and God save us, he sounded confused.
“You’re sure as hell not ugly,” Colin piped up, and I hated the annoyance that flickered through me.
Jake’s eyes went wide. “Oh my God, did I just get a double stamp of gay approval? Are y’all hitting on me?”
“No,” Mika said sternly, but I thought Colin was with me when I noticed his eyes darted away a little too quickly.
Then again, the confused look on Reno’s face hinted that maybe we weren’t the only ones who’d noticed.
“Doesn’t mean I can’t understand on an unbiased level that you’re attractive and personable. ”
“I wouldn’t turn you out of my bed,” Colin said, but his eyes were on me so I couldn’t decide if he was talking to Jake or me.
“I do love being sexy,” Jake said with a chuckle, then blinked when he caught the moment Mika’s eyes sharpened on him before snapping away.
Before…whatever that was could continue, I smacked my hand on the counter. “Could you idiots pay the fuck attention? Jesus.”
“Sorry, Big Boss,” came the group response, except Cait. That Colin said it made my attention whip to him for a moment, but there was nothing on his face to say he had actually spoken the words or that he was…it didn’t matter.
“Part of our job involves going out into the public occasionally and…educating people,” I said, mostly for the sake of Carter and Colin, both new to that. “Sometimes that means making the kiddies look at us with stars in their eyes.”
“Hey,” Carter protested with a snort. “I was one of those kids, so it’s kind of effective.”
“You got stars in your eyes because you were rescued,” Maverick piped up. “Not the same as going to a school assembly and talking.”
Carter blinked. “Uh, that’s a thing?”
“Yes, and thank you for volunteering because we need someone to talk to some schools about what we do, and remind them not to be idiots in the woods,” I said with a snort.
Carter paled. “Okay, but—”
Colin leaned forward and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “You’ll be great. You were inspired by rescue workers; that’s all the kids need to know.”
Maverick shot Colin a curious look, but his eyes darted immediately to Carter.
I kept the two of them on perimeter watch mostly because they worked well together, the best…
well, they irritated the shit out of me when they were around too long.
I wasn’t surprised to see him show concern for his work buddy and best friend, even if it was in that weirdly quiet way he did just about everything.
“Jacob, Renaldo, and Mikhail,” I began, and rolled my eyes at the sounds of protest. “Jake, Reno, and Mika then. Jesus. You three will be on rotation based on the need for public speaking in other avenues. Also…we’re going to get a visitor.”
Trevor looked up from his spot in the corner. “Another inspection?”
“No,” I said with a heavy sigh. “They feel we need…some social media help.”
There was a long pause before Reno gave a chortle. “Seriously?”
“Welcome to the twenty-first century,” Colin said before I could speak. “Makes sense.”
I stared at him. “Does it?”
He shrugged. “You grew up in the MySpace era, as did, uh…Reno and Mika, I think. Jake is a crayon eater.”
“Damn right,” Jake grinned, giving Colin a shrug.
Colin caught himself with ease. “And it’s not like I’ve seen anyone do anything ‘modern’ around here, anyway. So it makes sense that we need someone who knows what they’re doing. That shit is how you get your faces out there, how you get people to support you.”
I hated that he was right, and he knew it. “Right, so in the next week we’ll be seeing a new face. Someone who’s going to show up and…live here for a bit. Get a feel for things.”
“This your way of saying we should scare him or her off?” Carter asked with a raised eyebrow.
God save me, he was an idiot, but he was a loyal one. I had chosen well. “No, he is not to be scared off. But don’t lie to his ass either. He needs to see the shit we do, what shit we go through, good and bad, so fucking treat him like part of the team, got it?”
“He’s not, though,” Maverick pointed out simply.
“Pretend,” I growled. “Or everyone who scares him off will end up in a world of hurt, alright?”
Reno sighed. “This means a new rotation, doesn’t it? But like…public relations.”
“Cait and I will post something soon,” I said, ignoring the daggers she shot me.
Carter raised a brow. “Get Doc involved.”
Colin straightened. “I am not a good person for this, not when I’m still greener than you are to sex.”
Carter whipped around. “Fuck—”
“He’s too new for that, but…he’s good with words, so maybe he can help you all,” I said, almost disappointed when Colin looked comforted by the idea.
Jake swiveled in his seat to eye Carter and asked the question I hadn’t considered. “You offering him up for a reason?”
Carter looked back at him, frowning. “He knows us, and he’s got tons of experience all over the place, so why not?”
Before any of us could think what to say to break up what could easily become an argument, Colin piped up. “I do love a vote of confidence. Just for that, Carter, I won’t turn you out of my bed if you show up.”
The room broke into laughter, and I felt a wash of annoyance, followed by relief. I hadn’t been looking for a second, but this man was—
At the end of the meeting, I suddenly realized what I wanted to say. I shouldn’t say it, I really shouldn’t because it was a stupid, stupid idea but—
“Alright,” I called out. “You all know what’s coming.
Look for that optics rotation posted in the rec room, where we post everything else.
Otherwise go about your normal shit. Mika, I want a follow-up on your reports tomorrow evening at the latest. Carter and Maverick, I need some follow-ups on the damages and upkeep from the recent storms for our borders.
Same for you, Trevor. Find me in my cabin if you need when you know for sure.
Colin, I also need a follow-up meeting with you, same as them. Find me in my cabin.”
Colin was the only one who didn’t look surprised; he tilted his head back and gave me a knowing look as the others took in stride what I’d said and began leaving the room, talking among themselves. Most of them left; only Trevor lingered behind.
“What?” I asked brusquely.
He held out a piece of paper. “We’ll need this…all of it, and soon.”
I looked and realized it was parts and tools; I couldn’t fathom what they were for. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he said simply, because of course he did.
“Fine,” I muttered, tucking them away. “How bad?”
“You’ll end up on the phone,” he said with a small smile.
“Fucking great,” I grunted. “Fine. Anything else?”
He looked me over. “Are you—”
“What?” I asked sharply.
He stared at me for a moment, tilting his head before shaking it. “Nothing. Thanks.”
“Like I have a choice,” I muttered, because if Trevor said we needed it, we needed it, simple as that.
All that was left was Cait, who eyed me with a shrewdness I didn’t like. “What?”
“I don’t know,” she said lightly. “You’re…less bitchy?”
“Fuck right off,” I snorted. “You’re helping me come up with the list.”
“Of course,” she said. “With Colin’s help, apparently.”
“Apparently,” I said dryly.
She gave me a lingering look before turning away. “I’ll give you my idea of the rotation the next time I see you.”