The word repeated like a mantra through Ryo McLane’s mind as he slipped between the cool sheets of the bed. The witness he’d been assigned to protect testified against his former boss earlier that morning, the boss was in the hands of the NY legal system, and he was free of Rose for the foreseeable future. He’d managed to have a relatively quiet dinner with his family without the phone ringing once, and now he was faced with the wonderful prospect of an entire uninterrupted night alone with Dee. No matter how long the week from hell had seemed, it was finally thankfully over and they were alone, with no distractions. The dark still form of his partner shifted slightly as the bed creaked, and a totally out-of-character predatory smile crossed Ryo’s face as he watched Dee stir sleepily. Ryo reached out one hand and gently brushed it along Dee’s outstretched arm just as his eyes fluttered open. A smile crossed those lips and Ryo couldn’t help himself. He leaned down and kissed them, not even trying to hold back the soft moan that escaped his throat at the contact.

It had been a very long week.

Dee shifted enough to pull Ryo down beside him, strong arms enclosing him in a haven of warmth and safety. Ryo sighed happily and smiled up into the usually intense green eyes, softened by the darkness.

“Miss me?”

“You have no idea.”

Ryo cut off any further attempts at conversation using the one tactic he knew Dee would never argue with: he kissed him again. What was there to talk about anyway? Life would remain much easier if Dee had no idea….

He was just melting into the oblivion offered by his lover’s lips and hands when it happened.

Without any warning whatsoever, Bikky came bursting through the door and launched himself between them using the well-practiced tactic of kicking Dee in the face. He stood up on the bed and glared down at Dee with a smile of triumph. “I knew it, you devil! Stay away from him!”

Dee glared back, one hand rubbing his eyes. “Fine, but do you have to kick so hard?” Snatching the covers with one hand, he rolled over and pulled them tightly around himself, muttering incoherently.

Bikky grinned, kissed Ryo on the cheek, and dropped down between them.

Ryo continued to sit there and stare at the two of them with a look of abject horror on his face.

This was not happening.

By the time Dee and Bikky’s breathing had evened out into the rhythms of deep sleep, the shock was finally beginning to wear off. He fell back against the pillow with a frustrated sigh, his eyes drifting to his partner’s still form. How in the hell could Dee just drop off to sleep like that?

He kicked the covers down and rolled over, staring blindly at the wall. With a force of will, he shut his eyes and tried to fall asleep with a hopeless desperation. Even with his eyes closed, he could practically feel Dee through his overheated skin, the soft caress of his fingers, the taste of his lips…

Giving the covers tangled around his calves a particularly vicious kick, Ryo rolled out of bed and headed for the safety of the kitchen. Putting several solid walls between himself and the object of his frustration seemed like a good idea. Pouring himself a glass of wine in the hopes that the alcohol would calm his nerves and let him sleep, Ryo leaned back against the cabinets and stared at the darkened cityscape outside the kitchen window.

“Ryo? Are you okay?”

Dee stood framed in the doorway, a dark figure haloed by the light from the hallway. His expression was lost in shadow, but flashes of light through the window accentuated the movement of the muscles in his arms and chest barely hidden by the dark tank top.

So much for trying to relax himself to sleep.

He didn’t realize he was staring until Dee crossed the kitchen and took the glass from his fingers.

“Wine?” he asked in surprise. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What happened this week? You’ve been acting weird all night. Rose didn’t-”

Ryo laughed nervously, waving the question away. “No, no, nothing to worry about.” He straightened suddenly, looking into Dee’s eyes from a few inches away. “I missed you, that’s all.”

Dee had looked like he was about to protest, but his eyes softened at the unexpected words. “I missed you, too.” He leaned down and brushed his lips across Ryo’s, one hand fumbling blindly to set the wineglass down on the counter. He finally succeeded and wrapped one arm tightly around Ryo’s waist, the other slipping up to unbutton his shirt. Ryo moaned and pulled Dee’s tank top out of his sleep pants, sliding his hands over the smooth skin of Dee’s stomach as his mouth dropped down to the tender skin of Dee’s throat. Dee hissed in a breath and threw his head back, his hands pausing in his surprise. He dropped his head back down, his lips brushing Ryo’s temple as he pulled him closer. Ryo ignored him and continued his kisses in a line down to Dee’s collarbone, slipping his hands under the waistband of his pants. Things were progressing beautifully.

At least, Ryo thought so.

Dee suddenly stepped back, grabbing Ryo’s forearms and holding him at arm’s length. “We have to stop.” His voice was a hoarse whisper.

Ryo shook his head in a half-hearted attempt to clear it. “No, we don’t. You want me, don’t you?”

Dee took a deep breath. “Oh, God, yes.”

“Well, then…” Ryo shook off his grip and stepped closer, sliding exploratory fingers up the bare skin of Dee’s arms.

To his surprise, Dee shook him off. “No, Ryo, I mean it. We have to stop.” He paused again until Ryo looked up at him, eyes wide with shock.

“Why?”

“What exactly were you planning? Just dropping on the kitchen floor and hoping the kid doesn’t wake up?”

Ryo stared at him wordlessly, and then jerked his arms free. Long week or not, Dee was right. This wasn’t like him at all.

Dee cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to move him back to his room?”

Ryo sighed and sagged against the pantry door, his anger deflating in a rush. “I can’t. He’ll just wake up and-”

“And,” Dee interrupted, his eyes glinting in the light, “you’re going to have to tell him eventually, love.”

Ryo nodded miserably. “I know.”

“Good. On that note, I’m going back to bed.” He held out one hand. “Coming?”

“Apparently not.” Ryo’s mumbled reply was so unexpected that even he had to smile. “How can you possibly just go back to sleep?”

Dee grinned back. “Lots of practice. Fair is fair, Ryo. Night.”

With that, he disappeared and clicked off the hall light, leaving Ryo alone in the kitchen. Ryo grabbed the wine glass and downed the contents in one gulp.

Just wait, he silently promised. Bikky will get up early to play basketball in the morning and then you are so mine.

With a grin and a succession of ideas dancing through his head, Ryo dropped the glass in the sink and went to bed.