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“No.” I shook my head, answering for him. “Close it out.”

“Yes, Detective.”

Aaron turned to me. “My friends won’t understand.”

“They’d better fuckin’ start,” I informed him. “And if they really are your friends, they won’t be expecting you to buy all night, especially since you’re not even there.”

And instead of arguing, he let his head thunk down against my chest, sort of sagging against me. After all of it—the past day, going undercover, the excitement, the adrenaline, me and him—Aaron Sutter was wiped out.

“Corporate giant, huh?” I said, closing my eyes, leaning my cheek into his hair.

He grunted something in response before he gave up all his weight to me.

Aaron had people trying to get up to the suite all night long. After I stripped off everything and put him in sleep shorts, I covered him with the comforter and cranked up the air conditioner. There was nothing better than sleeping in a cold room, all warm and snuggly on soft clean sheets under a thick down comforter. I was hoping he wouldn’t wake up.

When the calls came to the room, I had Miguel take them. He said no really well. When the pleas for entrance reached Aaron’s cell phone, I explained he was asleep. No one believed me, and I finally just let everything go to voicemail. Everyone was going to need to be educated very shortly. The days of taking advantage of him were over. There would be no more coattail riding. I would make sure of it.

It was still early as far as nightlife in Vegas went, just a little past ten, so I tried Agent Summers to give her an update. I got her on the second ring.

“You keep late hours, Agent Summers.”

“It’s the job, Detective.”

She was thrilled with our progress, and I gave her times when we would be moving the following day. I clarified how Aaron had tweaked the plan on the fly and how his quick thinking had suckered the mark right in. She was very impressed with him.

I spoke to Jimmy after that, not caring about the two-hour time difference where he was concerned. I had hoped I’d wake him up and was disappointed I hadn’t.

“That’s such a dick move, D.”

But I didn’t give a damn.

It was nice that he was both concerned and happy about what was going on with me. “I want you to have a life. You know I do.”

“I’m sorry that you’re gonna be labeled as the partner of the gay detective. That’s just how it’s gonna be.”

“Yeah, well, it’s never bothered me before. Only difference now is that more people’ll know.”

“Jim—”

“Like I give a fuck.” He sounded disgusted. “Whatever happens, happens. If guys down at the precinct care who you’re fuckin’, there ain’t shit I can do about that. What I will say is that everybody had better keep any stupid-ass comments to themselves or I’ll punch their teeth in.”

“This is your adult response?”

“Lemme think about it a sec,” he quipped. “Fuck yeah.”

“Thanks,” was all I said, because the thank-you for having my back didn’t need to be spoken.

This was my partner; it was pointless to drag the conversation out. I would do anything for the man, and of course, it went both ways. That was never a question. Ever.

“So,” my partner grunted at me over the phone.

“What?”

“I’ma tell Lise about Sutter, all right?”

“Yeah,” I sighed. “Tell your better half before she sees it in the news somewhere and gets all hurt that I didn’t tell her myself.”

“Okay.”