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Tristan answered on the second ring. "Hello?"
"Hey." Just hearing Tristan's voice was enough to smooth away some of his unhappiness. "How
are you feeling?"
"I'm good. How was the briefing?"
Cam sat on the couch and leaned back against the cushions. "Interesting. You were right."
"I like the sound of that." Tristan laughed. "About what?"
Cam closed his eyes and let Tristan's voice wash over him. "Roger MacDonald's tumor was
causing his abilities."
Tristan sighed. "I know it could have been treated. What research could possibly have been so
important it was worth losing his life?"
Cam didn't get that either. Even during the roughest times in his life, he'd done whatever he had to
in order to stay alive. "I don't know. Whatever he was learning, it must have been important to
him." Cam almost let the part about the list slip, too, but he wasn't supposed to discuss that.
"I guess." Tristan paused, long enough that Cam started to wonder if something was wrong. After
several long seconds, he asked, "Do you have to work today?"
The hesitation made Cam nervous. "No."
Another pause. "I've got some coffee, if you want to come over. I'd like to talk to you about
something."
That sounded ominous. Cam's stomach knotted. "Okay. I can be there in a few minutes."
"Great. I'll see you then."
Cam pushed the end call button, frowning. When somebody said they wanted to talk, it was
usually bad. But what did he know? His last "relationship" had consisted of fucking the same guy
twice, and that had been an accident. He'd forgotten who the guy was and picked him up again,
only realizing they'd been together once already after he had the man in his hotel room. Oops.
Sitting around wasn't doing any good. Cam steeled himself for whatever might come and stood.
During the short walk to Tristan's room, he tried to convince himself whatever Tristan had to say
wouldn't be bad. His old insecurities tried to raise their ugly heads, but he pushed them back
down. Things were different now.
* * * *
The door opened moments after he knocked. Tristan stood in the doorway in faded jeans and the
dark green T-shirt he'd worn the first night they slept together, his feet bare and his hair tousled.
Cam wanted to touch him, kiss him, but wasn't sure he would be welcomed. Instead, he hung
back.
Tristan smiled at him. "Come in. The coffee's ready."
Unable to smile back, Cam followed Tristan to the kitchen in silence.
Tristan indicated the small kitchen table with its two chairs. "Have a seat." He went to the
coffeemaker to pour two mugs for them.
Cam took the chair nearest to the living room. Watching Tristan pour the coffee and set the two
mugs on the table, along with a jug of milk and some sugar, gave him time to collect himself.
Whatever Tristan had to say, he would be ready. Cam was a good actor. No matter what face he
wore, it betrayed only what he wanted it to. They didn't call him Chameleon for nothing.
At last Tristan sat across from him. His grave expression only added to Cam's worry. He didn't
speak right away, concentrating on adding milk and sugar to his coffee.
Cam couldn't take the waiting. "You said you had something you needed to talk to me about?"
Tristan finished preparing his coffee and looked up. "I've decided I want to join the field team."
For a long moment, Cam couldn't process what Tristan had said through the flood of relief he felt
at what Tristan hadn't said. Then the words clicked. A thread of worry tempered his relief. "Are
you sure? It gets pretty dangerous sometimes."
Tristan nodded. "I've been thinking about it a lot. I talked to Telly last night about the training. I
know it's going to be hard, and dangerous, but I want to help."
Tristan had discussed joining the field team with Telly instead of him? Jealousy joined the roiling
mass of emotions in Cam's chest. He forced a smile. "If that's what you want, I'm behind you one
hundred percent."
"Thanks." Tristan's bright grin eased a bit of his tension. After taking a sip of his coffee, Tristan
added, "I'm going to call Claudia today and tell her."
Cam kept smiling. "That's great. She'll have you starting the training in no time."
Tristan rested his chin on his hand and looked at Cam. "What's wrong? You seem, I don't know,
tense."
Damn. Cam must not be acting as well as usual if Tristan could see his tension. He knew Tristan
couldn't sense his emotions using his empathy. In answer, he shrugged. "I'm tired. The briefing
was long, and I didn't sleep too well last night."
"Me either." Tristan's cheeks pinked. "Maybe we should take a nap?"
Back on familiar ground, Cam raised an eyebrow. "Together?"
Cheeks flushing redder, Tristan nodded. His voice lowered. "And in case you can't sleep, I've got
an idea of how to relax you."
That sounded promising. Cam didn't have to fake the grin that spread across his face. "That
sounds like a great idea."
They left the coffee cups on the table and stood. Tristan caught Cam's hand in his and led the way
to the bedroom.
Once inside, Tristan pushed the door shut and moved to stand in front of Cam. Cam wanted to rip
Tristan's clothes off, to devour the man, to make Tristan want him and no one else. When he
reached for Tristan, though, he did none of those things. His fingertips traced Tristan's jaw of
their own accord, a gentle graze of a touch.
Tristan's eyelids fluttered closed, and he swayed toward Cam. Cam closed the distance between
them and pressed his lips to Tristan's, soft and slow. Tristan let out a tiny sound, half sigh and half
whimper. His lips parted, allowing Cam's tongue inside.
Cam threaded a hand through Tristan's silky hair and deepened the kiss, wrapping his other arm
around Tristan to hold him close. Tristan melted against him without hesitation, warm and
willing. He'd never experienced that kind of easy surrender before, but he liked it. A lot.
They stood there for several minutes, kissing, deep and slow. Tristan gave as good as he got,
tangling his tongue with Cam's and wrapping a hand around the nape of Cam's neck in an almost
possessive gesture. It was an action Cam wouldn't normally have welcomed from a lover. For the
most part he liked to do most of the touching and avoid being touched in return any more than
was necessary to get off. With Tristan, it was different. He needed Tristan's touch like air.
Finally Cam broke the kiss. Tristan let out a whimper of displeasure that turned into a gasp at the
first brush of Cam's lips against the sensitive skin of his neck. Cam ran his lips from Tristan's
collarbone up to his jaw, savoring the taste and scent of Tristan's smooth, supple skin.
Tristan let his head fall back with a whispered, "Please."
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