“Marcus, how about you fill us in on the modifications for the…” Sebastian’s voice carried across the table as he spoke to the manager of a Seaver Tech research division in Spokane whose face was plastered on a giant wall-mounted flat-screen, but Cam could barely force himself to listen. Despite the bright sunlight flooding the conference room through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind him, and the extra-large coffee on the table in front of him, Cam was tired. On the other side of the thick, glass-block privacy walls which cocooned the conference room from the rest of the office, no doubt the employees of Seaver Tech were moving around, hurrying to finish their work before they could leave for the weekend. Cam was just a tiny bit jealous. He wondered for the twenty-seventh time why Bas always scheduled these meetings on Friday mornings.

Not that having Sebastian at the helm again was in any way a bad thing. In fact, it was one major silver lining to all the shit that had had gone down on St. Brigitte and the even bigger mess they’d found when they returned. Emmett Shaw’s betrayal and the ramifications of it were things Cam and Sebastian would struggle with for a long time, but it helped to know Sebastian was back among the living, no longer swamped under the weight of his own grief, and he and Drew were closer than ever.

Cam’s cell phone buzzed almost imperceptibly, and he withdrew it from his pocket.

[Cort:] I feel like we need a vacation.

Cam rolled his eyes as he read the message, but couldn’t stop the smile from tugging at his lips. He glanced across the table to find his boyfriend, the newly appointed head of Seaver Tech’s new Internal Security Division, waggling his eyebrows meaningfully.

Kendrick Cortland was completely incorrigible, and unconditionally his. He typed his reply quickly, knowing exactly how to provoke his man.

[Cam:] You do realize we’re in the middle of a board meeting?

[Cort:] Think you mean a bored meeting. Ha!

Cam stifled a smirk – the dad humor was terrible - just as another text buzzed through.

[Cort:] FYI, Margaret agrees. We need a vacation.

[Cam:] Margaret? My assistant? You chatted with her about this?

[Cort:] Yup. We talked. Last night while I was waiting for you. She’s very concerned about your stress levels. You’re not getting any younger you know.

No surprise there. Of course Margaret had agreed with whatever scheme Cort concocted; she’d been Cort’s BFF since pretty much day one. She told Cam she loved the way Cort had lightened his heart… which was such a sweet and accurate way of putting it, Cam couldn’t be mad even when she conspired with Cort behind his back. His heart was lighter these days. And fuller, too.

[Cam:] I am twenty-six, Kenny.

[Cort:] And apparently too senile to remember my name, brat.

Cam pushed his lips together, fighting the pulse of heat rising from his belly. With Cort, arousal was a steady current always running just beneath his skin.

[Cam:] Shhh. I need to pay attention to the meeting.

[Cort:] Bullshit. You’re not paying attention. You’re probably thinking about last night.

The annoying man was not wrong, but Cam would be damned if he’d admit it. He put his phone facedown on the table and pretended to watch Marcus talk about… something… from the flat-screen on the wall, but in reality, Cam was definitely thinking about last night.

It had started out with a stupid bet, the kind that had become a daily occurrence in their relationship. Cam hadn’t known quite how competitive he was until Cort started turning every thrown wad of paper into a game of basketball, and every glass of wine into a round of Never Have I Ever. He also hadn’t known it was possible to laugh as much as he did with his rule-skirting boyfriend.

Sadly for Cort, who was arguably even more competitive than Cam, his League of Legends game had never quite picked up, probably because he insisted on playing with Cam sitting beside him, leaning against his arm, massaging his shoulders and… other things. Cort’s matches invariably involved him being killed early on, while people on chat swore ripely and suggested anatomically-impossible moves in angry Russian. Six months after his first game, he was still unranked… but it didn’t seem to dull his enthusiasm for “practicing.”

Last night, however, Cort had suggested Cam demonstrate his own skills, while Cort took careful notes. Cam hadn’t been particularly enthusiastic. Only a month ago, he and Cort had bought a townhouse of their own, and they were still in the process of moving in. Between painting the rooms - and the laughter-filled competitions required to determine the colors each room would be painted - moving furniture around until Cort lost his temper then decided leaving the whole lot in the middle of the room would be a great way to start conversations, and the emotional rollercoaster ride of unboxing and hanging the family pictures Cam had taken from his parents’ house, he’d already been tired, but Cort had insisted. If Cam could finish a match before Cort got him off, he’d win the forfeit of his choice. Otherwise, Cort would have to settle for an IOU.

It had been too tempting to resist.

Besides which, Cam knew that he’d been able to complete matches in less than twenty minutes - sometimes less than fifteen. Tired as he was, distracted as he was, he was confident he could hold out. Cam had already decided he would hold onto that IOU because there was something special in the works for their first Valentine’s Day together.

“Fine,” he’d told Cort. “Let’s do this.”

But of course, Cort hadn’t been able to resist stacking the tables against him. Within the first minute of the game, Cort had been naked and hard, and he’d stripped off Cam’s clothes, too, in record time.

Cort had started off with a slow, sensual massage that had completely killed every one of Cam’s defenses, then he’d crawled beneath Cam’s desk, like a fantasy come to life, and used that extremely-skilled mouth of his to make Cam scream before five minutes had even passed.

It had been the hardest, most satisfying orgasm Cam had enjoyed in weeks of very satisfying orgasms.

He’d also been utterly crushed in his match.

He shifted his legs beneath the table now, just remembering the sensation of Cort’s mouth on him. His phone buzzed again, and Cam turned it over, desperate for distraction.

[Cort:] Imagine if I were kneeling in front of you right now, in the boardroom. I’d be under the table looking up at you…

[Cort:] My hands would be on your thighs, rubbing them. Can you feel it?

Oh, fuck. This was exactly the kind of distraction Cam didn’t need.

He glanced down the table at Sebastian, who was listening intently to Marcus, and along the other side, toward Drew, who was watching Sebastian. Neither seemed to notice the flush creeping across Cam’s cheeks, but David Pearce had. He cocked a concerned eyebrow at Cam.

[Cam:] David is looking at me right now. Do you want me to be rock hard while he’s watching me?

Cam already knew the answer to this question. Cort was uncompromisingly protective of Cam, including Cam’s privacy. There was no way Cort would want David to suspect anything. And while Cort wasn’t overbearingly jealous, he was definitely territorial. Sure enough, Cort sent a dark glare down the table at David.

Cam stifled a laugh and realized he didn’t give a shit about the meeting anymore. He bit his lip as he typed.

[Cam:] That’s probably the hottest thing I’ve seen today.

Cort’s brow puckered in confusion.

[Cort:] What? The Marcus guy from Seattle?

[Cam:] Spokane. And no.

[Cort:] You don’t mean David.

Cam snickered. Poor David.

[Cam:] Not David.

[Cort:] Then what?

[Cam:] There’s this guy across from me.

Cort raised an eyebrow, then bit his lip.

[Cort:] Do tell.

[Cam:] He’s totally built, and just a tad jealous. Broad shoulders, green eyes, makes me hard instantly, has these hands…

[Cort:] Hands?

[Cam:] Yup. Big, beefy hands. Can’t text for shit, but they’re amazing on my skin…

[Cort:] Yeah? I’m calling in my IOU.

Cam frowned at Cort across the table.

[Cam:] For what?

[Cort:] Tell you in a minute.

[Cort:] Now about that vacation.

Cam looked at his boyfriend suspiciously, wondering what the hell he had in mind. It wouldn’t be office sex, or at least he didn’t think so. They’d done that already, christening both Cam’s office, Cort’s brand new office, as well as the elevator and several other key places Cam couldn’t remember without blushing.

When Cort had chosen to leave the FBI, rather than wait to hear the outcome of their internal investigation into his conduct, Cam had been a little worried Cort would regret his decision. He’d come to realize just how much that badge meant to someone who’d struggled to find his place in the world the way Cort had. He’d wondered if Cort would ever find a job he enjoyed half as much. And then Sebastian had announced the need for more internal security and decided to set up the new division - people who could prevent individuals such as Emmett Shaw from taking advantage of them. When he’d mentioned to Cort that part of the job description would be protecting Cam, Cort had rolled his eyes and leaped at the chance.

Then Cam had been concerned that working closely together might be slightly too much stress on their new relationship… but the exact opposite had been true. As with moving in together - a choice several people, including Sebastian, had felt they’d made too soon - they found things were simply better when they were together. The more time Cam spent with Cort, the more confident and grounded he felt in himself. Cort was a strong guy with a powerful personality, but when it came to Cam he was nothing but protective and supportive.

[Cam:] We only took a trip to a luxurious private island six months ago.

[Cort:] Funnily enough, the kidnapping kinda kills my buzz when it comes to thinking about that trip.

[Cam:] Don’t say that, Cort. I remember with fondness several parts of our trip.

[Cam:] My favorite part was the Friday night…

Friday night on the island was the first time Cort had let Cam top him. It wasn’t the only time it happened over the past few months, but it was definitely less common - both of them usually preferred when Cort was in charge. Still, nothing set his man on fire like the memory of that night.

Cort’s eyes met his across the table and then narrowed. Tension crackled between them as if a live wire had fallen across the table, and Cam knew Cort was replaying every second of that night.

He shivered. He wasn’t quite sure how tonight was going to play out, but he knew it would be fun.

He glanced at the clock to see how much longer this meeting could possibly last, when his phone buzzed again.

[Cort:] You cannot distract me badass.

[Cort:] Let’s play a game.

[Cort:] Never have I ever gone to a place with a private pool.

Cam rolled his eyes across the table. His boyfriend had an inexhaustible supply of games. Fortunately, almost all of them ended in a win for Cam.

[Cam:] This game doesn’t work over text. We’ve established this. Besides, you and I have been in a pool alone. Our first night together, remember? Which makes it sort of private.

[Cort:] Oh, I remember. I’m feeling the need to blow off some steam.

[Cam:] Want to scream underwater and see if I hear you?

[Cort:] Want to make you scream under water.

Cam shivered and put the phone facedown, glaring at his man across the table. Cort’s face seemed all innocent, despite the long hair and scruff which Cam loved to rub with his fingers.

[Cam:] David is getting ideas.

Across the table, Cort hid a chuckle behind his hand.

[Cort:] You getting excited, Cam?

[Cort:] Maybe I don’t care whether David knows something’s up, as long as he sees those glassy, blue eyes are watching ME, your cheeks are all red because of ME, and you are MINE, down to the very last freckle.

Cam pressed his lips together and fought not to shiver.

[Cam:] Such a Neanderthal.

[Cort:] And you get off on it.

Truth. Undeniable truth.

[Cort:] Never have I ever had sex on a beach.

[Cam:] Seriously? Still doesn’t work over text, babe. But you know very well I hadn’t the last time we were at the beach, and I’m not likely to have accomplished it since then without you.

The closest he’d come had been on St. Brigitte, and as much as he enjoyed that memory, he was in no hurry to fly back and repeat it.

[Cort:] God, you know I love it.

[Cam:] I know. You love having my firsts.

A few weeks before, Cort had taken great delight in showing him just how much he loved being Cam’s first at so many things - first man he’d fallen in love with, first man he’d lived with, first man he’d ditched condoms with.

Cort frowned down at his phone as he read Cam’s message, and his expression had Cam frowning, too.

[Cam:] What’s with the face? You rethinking your stance on firsts?

[Cort:] Hmmm. Maybe I am a little.

What the hell? Since when? Cam scowled as he typed.

[Cam:] Well, you’re a bit late!

[Cort:] Your firsts aren’t good enough.

Cam stared at his boyfriend, but Cort was looking out of the window behind Cam’s head, a small smile playing on his lips. Was he trying to be funny? If so, he was failing miserably.

[Cam:] Fine, then. Maybe I’ll see if Drew or David is interested in giving me some more experience.

Fighting words, and Cam knew it, but he was more than a little pissed at the curve this conversation had taken. He jabbed at the Send key with more force than necessary, then placed his phone facedown on the table and pointedly turned his attention to Marcus.

“Thanks, Marcus. Send me that proposal and I’ll have Drew’s team jump on it,” Sebastian said easily. “Sounds like a great fit, and thanks for bringing it to our attention.”

From down the table, Cam saw Drew lean back with his hands folded across his chest, and nod once.

“Janine, can you switch to Dr. Grayson, please?” Sebastian asked one of the techs. Janine cut Marcus’s feed and switched to another image, this one was a young brunette with long curly hair and dark eyes. Cam recognized her right away.

“Pam,” he said, momentarily forgetting he was pissed at Cort. “How’s it going?”

Pam smiled and proceeded to fill them all in on the great progress they’d made in implementing and testing the new virtual reality surgical techniques Cam had greenlit on behalf of Seaver’s biomedical division.

“We’ve already helped save lives thanks to this technique,” she told the board.

Sebastian glanced down the table at Cam and met his eyes for a moment. From the minute he’d taken up his CEO position again, he’d been filled with nothing but praise for Cam’s performance in holding down the fort during his absence. At first, Cam had rolled his eyes - he’d felt as though he was barely getting the job done from day to day, and anything he’d managed to accomplish was based on nothing but sheer good luck. Slowly, though, he’d started seeing things with new eyes, seeing himself with new eyes. And yeah, maybe some of this had to do with the annoying jerk sitting on the other side of the table who Cam was pointedly not looking at.

A few minutes later, Sebastian drew the meeting to a close and everyone slowly began gathering their things, pushing away from the table, and breaking off into smaller conversations. Cam sat where he was, doodling with his pen on the edge of a piece of notepaper. He didn’t want to give Cort the opportunity to explain quite yet. He wanted to stew for a minute or two first.

But the door to the conference room suddenly locked with a quiet snick, and Cam looked up.

Everyone was gone. The room was completely empty except for Cam… and the bane of his existence, who was looking at him with smoldering green eyes.

“What are you doing?” Cam demanded.

Cort stalked toward him, all long limbs and bunching muscles beneath his casual Friday polo and the jeans he had insisted on wearing. For just a second, some primal part of Cam’s brain lit up in warning. Prey, we have spotted a predator! But this prey had finally learned better than to run away.

He remembered Cort walking into the ballroom exactly the same way the night of the gala, the first night they’d met.

“Once upon a time, I thought you looked like a Viking,” he said coolly when Cort was just a few steps away from him.

“A Viking?” Cort repeated, amused. He spun Cam’s chair around by the arm and scooped him up bodily, depositing him on the cool, black tabletop.

Cam’s pulse picked up, but he bit his tongue against the squeak that threatened to burst from his throat… and the moan that always followed when Cort demonstrated just how much bigger and stronger he was. Cam loved that about him - loved the way Cort made him feel safe and protected always. But he also lived to remind Cort that while he might be in charge in the bedroom, he was not dominant all the time. They had a constantly evolving set of rules, made ever more exciting by the fact that Cort tried to change them whenever it suited him, but Cam thrived on it. From the time he and Cort had embraced again at the airport on St. Michel, he’d never for a second doubted he had one hundred percent of Cort’s focus, attention, and most importantly, his heart.

Still, the man needed to learn, his texts weren’t always as amusing as he thought they were.

“A Viking,” Cam agreed coolly, as though he hadn’t just been plunked bodily onto a new piece of furniture, and his man wasn’t pushing Cam’s knees wide apart so he could step inside them. “Like Fabio.”

Cort grabbed Cam’s neck and yanked it to the side, biting down firmly on the exposed tendon between Cam’s neck and shoulder. It was his favorite spot to mark Cam, who felt his dick becoming hard immediately. Conditioned response. When Cort claimed that spot, Cam wanted nothing more than to submit.

But not today.

He bit his lip and fought the instinctive sway toward his boyfriend.

“You’re saying I look like the ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter’ dude?” Cort snickered. “That’s okay. I’ll take that. Dude had thighs for days.”

Cam rolled his eyes. Trust Cort to focus on the man’s legs. He opened his mouth to make some snarky retort - likely something that would amp up his boyfriend even more, but then Cort did a thing with his tongue, curling his lips around the spot he’d bitten and sucking hard, and Cam couldn’t keep up his pissy attitude anymore.

Within seconds, his eyes were closed, his lips moving under Cort’s, his hips sliding forward, as Cort pushed his back down on the table. Cort braced himself on one hand and lifted Cam’s shirt, running a hand over Cam’s abs in a way that made Cam shudder hard.

“We haven’t christened this conference room yet,” Cort whispered.

Cam groaned, and his eyes flew open to meet Cort’s heated gaze. “True,” he whispered back. His boyfriend had a thing for semi-public sex, and Cam was totally on board with it. So on board.

Cort grabbed Cam’s chin and held it firmly. “Yeah. So, what do you say?” he demanded.

Oh, the bastard. This was a game for home, not the conference room.

But the light in Cort’s eyes wouldn’t be denied, and today, just this once, Cam didn’t want to.

“Please,” he whispered in Cort’s ear, feeling the lightness that always came from admitting what he wanted to the one man he could trust would always give it to him.

Then Cam was on his stomach bent over the table, his pants down around his ankles while Cort worked him open from behind.

Cam’s boyfriend was all about making the most of the travel-size lube.

Cort pushed inside him the next instant, and everything froze. Tingles of sensation floated up and down Cam’s legs the way they always did, and his heart nearly hammered through his ribcage. Having Cort like this, being taken by Cort like this… it was everything to Cam.

Cort shifted, tagging Cam’s prostate like a professional, which Cam had to admit by this point he kind of was. He moaned as pinwheels of color exploded behind his eyes.

“More,” Cam whispered, and Cort gave it to him over and over and over again. The conference room with its beige walls and beige carpet floated away, the whole building, all of its inhabitants, ceased to exist for him, and Cam forgot his own damn name. He was Cort’s, and that was enough.

Later, when he was laying on his side on the cold, hard table catching his breath, Cort’s arms wrapped loosely around him, his thighs wet with Cort’s come, Cam remembered their earlier argument and began to chuckle.

“What’s funny, badass?” Cort asked in the gravelly voice Cam loved.

“Here I thought firsts weren’t good enough for you anymore,” Cam teased. He grabbed Cort’s hand and brought it to his mouth, biting it firmly between his front teeth.

Cort hissed. “You didn’t see my reply?”

Cam rolled his eyes. “You know I didn’t.”

“Hmmm… Well, let me explain it to you, then.” He pulled his hand away from Cam’s mouth and rolled until he was poised over Cam - a position Cam couldn’t help but feel would be more comfortable in their bed at home. But when Cort opened his mouth again, Cam forgot any complaint he’d been about to make, because the words Cort spoke were devastating and true.

“Firsts aren’t good enough,” he said, as serious as Cam had ever seen him. “Because I don’t just want your firsts. I want your onlys, Cam. Your lasts, your in-betweens. I want your always.”

Cam’s heart, already filled to bursting with everything that was Cort, somehow managed to double in size.

This man, his man, was the most complicated, provoking, agitating, vexatious, aggravating man on the planet, but falling in love with him had never been anything but, plain, simple, and easy.