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“I’m really sorry about this,” Holden said. “I need you to get in the bathroom.”
Greg’s expression clouded with confusion until Brody pounded on his door again. Holden heard a door open and then a muffled voice asking Brody to please be quiet. It gave him a moment to clear his mind and focus on getting Greg out of the bed and hidden from Brody’s sight so Holden could respond to him.
As he ushered Greg into the bathroom, Holden gave him a quick kiss and an apology. Greg waved him off and closed the door.
Holden opened the room door just as his phone dinged with another text from Brody.
“Jay-sus, H-man, what took you so long?” Brody barreled into the room without waiting for Holden to invite him. It wasn’t a large space, which meant Brody was able to take in the rumpled sheets on the bed, the clothing on the floor, and—kill me now, Holden thought—the distinct odor of sex in the air. “Ah. You dirty dog. No wonder you’re running late. ’Bout time you got your dick wet, old man. Or wait, is this the same chick you saw last month? Where is she?” Brody turned as if he expected someone to materialize out of thin air. He eyed the bathroom door and grinned as he took a step toward it.
Holden stepped between Brody and the door. He put up his hands. “Sorry I overslept,” he said. “Clear out, and I’ll get my shit together. We can pick up something for breakfast at a drive-through. Okay?”
Outwardly, Holden hoped he was the epitome of calm under pressure and that Brody wouldn’t hear how fast his heart was beating. Inwardly, he was a mess. All of his worst nightmares about being outed were staring him in the face. It had been stupid to have Greg come to the same hotel where Brody was staying. Absolutely stupid. And then to forget to set his alarm? Mind-bogglingly stupid. They should have waited until Holden camebackfrom China Lake, when he could have booked them into a hotel in West Hollywood, but Greg was going to be flying by then. The memory of holding Greg in his arms the night before, of his cock in Greg’s mouth, of sayingI love you…all of that was worth any amount of hazing Brody might give him.
But is it worth potentially losing your job?
That warning voice, the one that had kept him safe during his tours in the navy, that had gotten him to where he was now, kept him silent about the man hiding in his bathroom, even as Brody tried to get around him.
“Come on, Brod. You ever think she might not want to be seen by the likes of you?” Holden winced internally at the use of “she” and hoped Greg would forgive him for lacking the courage to admit the truth to his coworker. “Give me ten minutes, and we’ll be on the road.”
Brody threw up his hands. “Fine. But pics. I want to see this mystery woman of yours.”
“Fine.” Holden turned Brody and pushed him toward the door. It was like trying to move a brick wall, but Brody slowly picked up his feet and let Holden maneuver him back into the hallway.
“Ten minutes, Mercer. Tick tock.” He tapped his watch. “I’ll be waiting in the lobby.”
Holden breathed a sigh of relief as he closed the door and leaned his forehead against it to catch his breath. His heart rate was just returning to normal when Greg stepped back into the room and sent it hammering in his chest again. He tensed, anticipating an argument or a look of disappointment—maybe even disgust—at how he’d taken the coward’s way out. Was this the moment Greg walked away?
Instead of angry words, what he got was Greg’s arms slipping around his waist and soft kisses up the back of his neck. “Are you okay?” Greg asked.
With a groan, Holden rocked back against Greg’s chest. “I will be.” He took a deep breath. “I am so sorry.”
“What are you apologizing for? It’s not your fault your coworker is a nosy asshole or that me being in your room could compromise your job. Even if being out was possible for you, the way that guy acts, I wouldn’t have wanted him to know I was here. Even if I was a woman.” Greg turned Holden so they were facing each other. “And if you think I’m going to walk out that door because you work with someone like that, think again. It’s taken me a long time to find you, and it’ll take a lot more than this to drive me away.”
By the time Greg stopped speaking, Holden was trembling. He sucked in a breath, wrapped his arms tighter around Greg, and buried his head in the crook of Greg’s neck. His anger and embarrassment at Brody’s words had been nothing compared to his fear that Greg would throw up his hands in exasperation and say he never wanted to see Holden again. Two months ago, he never would have dreamed of having someone in his life who mattered this much to him, and yet, here he was. Holden wasn’t going to question why he felt the way he did about Greg; it was enough for him that he did.
“You are the love of my life,” Holden said. “And I wish I had more time to show you how much you mean to me, how much I wish we could jump to the part where we get to be together all the time, but I’ve got to get my ass downstairs, or I’ll be hearing about it for the next three hours.”
“Love of your life, huh?” Greg asked. “I can live with that.”
“Good.” Holden kissed him. “Now, let me go.”
Greg helped Holden pack up since he’d be checking out and staying on base for the next week while they tried to get to the bottom of the glitches and see how many modules were affected. There wasn’t a lot to pack—Holden had only pulled a shirt and pair of sweats out of his bag—but Greg’s help still got him out the door quicker. They said a hurried goodbye with a final kiss.
“I love you,” Greg said as Holden stood in the doorway.
“I hate that I have to leave this way, but I love you too.”
With that, Holden turned and headed for the elevator. When he looked back, Greg was still standing in the doorway. God, Holden had no idea how he’d gotten this lucky. He blew Greg a kiss just as the elevator dinged its arrival. Greg blew one back as the doors opened. Holden stepped inside, the doors slid shut, and he sagged against the wall, feeling as if he was leaving a part of himself behind.
Holden found Brody tapping away on his phone in the lobby. When he didn’t say anything about discovering Holden had had someone in his room, he crossed his fingers that the man was going to be an adult about things. That hope flew out the window as soon as they were in the car and Holden took out his phone to text Greg it was safe to leave the room.
“Texting your girlfriend?” Brody asked as he pulled the car out of its parking space.
Holden kept his eyes on his phone. “Not any of your business.”
“Oh, come on, man. We’ve been working together for how many years, and this is the first time I know you’re getting some, and you won’t even tell me I’m right?”
Pray for me, Holden texted.
