“Come on, y’all. Let’s go do the nasty.” Day waved the file in the air and headed out the door with Syn and God following him towards the captain’s office.
“Tech. I need a new knife, please. The paramedic wouldn’t let me rip my other one out of the guy’s shoulder,” Ruxs informed him.
“Sure. I’ll get it.” Tech stood, still not making eye contact with Steele. He could see him out of the corner of his eye, studying the new map on his desk. He hoped he liked it. He punched in the code to the equipment room door and went inside, walking towards the knife shelf. He’d need to put in a new order soon. While his inventory system opened up, he went to check on the mold for Steele’s earpiece. He opened the case and gently prodded the small lump.
“I like the desk.”
Tech gasped and jumped hard enough to drop the plastic tool he has holding. Steele’s dark voice was close to his right ear, near enough to feel his breath on his neck. “Jesus Christ. I didn’t even hear you come in.”
“Relax. I’m used to moving silently. It’s gonna be a hard habit to break.” His powerful words made their way under Tech’s collar and the heat of his body washed down his back like a hot caress.
“I guess it would be,” Tech replied before clamping his mouth shut. “Get to know that map, I’m gonna quiz you on it. It’s important to learn the city.
“Hmm. A quiz. I guess that’s better than a test… I don’t like tests. But you probably know that. You’ve had an unpleasantly close encounter with me, you’ve read about me… seen that video just now.” Steele’s whisper was rough. “I know you read what they called me. Are you still afraid of me?”
Tech closed his eyes and let the excited nervousness settle inside his stomach. Yes, he had read more. He knew exactly what Steele could do, but no one else did. That video only revealed a fraction of his skill and agility. “I do know. And, no. I’m not afraid.”
Steele was so quiet it was eerie, because Tech knew he was still there. Lurking, stalking. Tech felt like he was being hunted, but not to be eaten. He tried to calm his body, but he had a feeling Steele could sense his anxiousness. God, the things this man could probably do to him. But Tech wasn’t on Steele’s level and he never would be. No one was. All the training in the world wouldn’t make him his equal. Steele’s strength came from centuries of ancestral ingrained talent and decades of elite training. Tech was just a nerd.
“What are you thinking?”
“Nothing,” Tech huffed. “Was there something you needed from me?”
Steele’s laugh was predatory. “Actually, yes. But for now, I’ll take more bullets, and I need a better suppressor. Day can have this piece of shit back. It’s too loud. An AAC would be preferable, but if they won’t approve it… a GEMTECH.”
“I’ll get it approved,” Tech responded. He’d get that damn suppressor even if he had to sell his ass for it. Wow, where’d that come from? He’d move a few things around in their budget this quarter.
“Good.” Steele felt so close to his body, Tech couldn’t turn around if he wanted to. “How’re your arms feeling now?”
Tech cleared his throat while he busied his hands with the earpiece components. “They’re great. I can hardly feel the soreness now. Um… thank you for the bandages. I type a lot, so sometimes my forearms can get a little sore.” Really. Tech rolled his eyes, did he actually just admit that? Typing, seriously. If he didn’t sound like a weakling before, he certainly did now. Damnit.
“I can believe that. It’s tedious and repetitive. I’d be happy to show you some exercises for them.” Steele’s hands ran up the length of his triceps and around his arms. Tech tried not to shiver at the light touches. Thoughts of what Steele could do with those hands that were now on his body were causing a lot of feelings that’d been dead for a long time to spark back to life. Steele kept his fingers on his forearms and ran his thumbs down the insides until he reached his pulse. Steele pressed both thumbs there and Tech felt his knees weaken. “Your pulse is erratic.”
Of course, it is.
“You may not be afraid… but are you comfortable?”
Was he comfortable? That wasn’t something he could answer. Now, if Steele asked was he confused in his company… fuck yes. However, he was also pissed at himself that he’d admitted to this FORECON Marine that typing made his wrists hurt sometimes. He didn’t want Steele to treat him like a baby. “I’m not scared,” Tech growled.
Steele dropped his arms and caught him around his waist, spinning Tech fast enough to make him dizzy. His breath caught in his throat when he stopped only a couple inches from Steele’s face, having to slightly tilt his head up to look into those penetrating gray eyes. “You keep saying that. But your body is telling me different,” Steele hissed.