C21 Box Set

Chapter 3-8

Two hours later, Dylan felt as if he’d been run through a wringer. So when Mars said they could stop, he heaved a sigh of relief.

“You’ve finally convinced me of your story, and I’m a hard audience, although for different reasons than Webb will be,” Mars told him. “I think you’ll do fine.”

“Thank God.” Dylan sank down in one of the chairs, crossing his arms on the table to rest his head on them.

“Don’t move,” Mars said, starting to massage Dylan’s shoulders. “Damn, your muscles are as hard as rocks, and not in a good way.”

“I’m a bit tense,” Dylan admitted.

“More than a bit.” Mars slowly and skillfully began working out the various kinks. When he hit a particularly bad one, causing Dylan to hiss in pain, Mars said, “Sorry, I’ll ease up.”

“Please don’t. I’m starting to feel human again.” And more than a bit aroused, which is not good. Dylan did his best to tamp down on his libido.

Mars was no help in that respect when he said, so quietly Dylan wasn’t certain he’d heard him correctly, “Believe me, you’re very human, and sexy.”

Straightening, Dylan turned to look at him. “Sexy?”

“s**t, I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

Dylan chuckled. “Freudian slip? Not that I mind being called sexy. Especially by a man who’s pretty damned sexy himself. Although this does pose a question I’ve been wondering about. Are you gay?”

Mars lifted an eyebrow. “Do you think I’d be saying you’re sexy if I wasn’t? I’m just not as blatant about it as you are.”

“I’m not blatant,” Dylan protested.

“Says the man who had a room at the hotel he used—and often to hear tell—for assignations with male guests.”

Dylan nodded. “True enough, I’m afraid. I’ll freely admit, I like s*x. Is that so horrible? Does it make me any worse than a straight man who…who gets married so he’ll have a woman he can screw any time he’s in the mood?”

“That’s a very cynical outlook on marriage.”

“I suppose. What about the straight guy with his bachelor pad, who brings home a different woman every night?” Dylan said, suddenly feeling quite defensive. “I…I only started using the hotel room so Tommy wouldn’t find out.”

“I see.” Mars shook his head. “Meaning you were cheating on him before you broke up.”

Dylan winced. “Yes—and no. I didn’t start until the last few weeks before I walked out on him. After I realized what he was doing to me. I guess you could say I was trying to regain some control over my life.”

Frowning, Mars walked away. Dylan thought he was going to leave the room, and debated stopping him. But to what end? There’s nothing I can say that won’t make me seem worse than he already thinks I am.

Turning to look at Dylan, Mars asked, “Until the end, were you faithful to…Tommy?”

“Yes! I cared about him. I thought I loved him. I’m not a w***e, damn it!”

“I didn’t say you were,” Mars said, coming back to stand in front of Dylan. “I’m trying to understand what makes you tick.”

“Because you have to, if I’m going to join C21?”

“No. Because I’m interested in you. But I’m not going to do anything about it if I think you’ll go off with any man who waves a finger at you to follow him.”

“That’s blunt,” Dylan said wryly, even as his pulse quickened.

“It’s the way I am. I call it as I see it.”

“Not a bad thing, I suppose. At least it means you’re honest.”

Mars smirked. “To a fault, according to Alastair. At least when I’m not on a job. It could be deadly if I was when I’m undercover.”

“No kidding.” Dylan studied Mars, seeing him in a different light now. “I won’t push. Now’s not the time. But if I survive my meeting with Webb, and this whole scam—for lack of a better word—works, and I get the information we need…When the job’s over, I’d like to get to know you better.”

“I think I can live with that idea.” Mars smiled, locking his gaze with Dylan’s. “Very definitely. Now, however, we need to find clothes for you to wear for your visit to IE Global and then fix supper. Neither of us has eaten since this morning.”