Read A Bid For Love for Free Online

those shifts. That would make it completely worth it." He checked the arrangement on the little rolling table and grinned. Just the way he and that girl downstairs discussed. The pretty little thing had a huge romantic streak and entered into Scott's plan with gusto. All he needed to do was pluck a golden rose from the wide selection of blossoms he'd bought and gather the lighter he'd found. The candles waited, ready for him.
    "So darlin', are you starving from your flight? Airline food doesn't improve as time goes on."
    Asher didn't answer. Scott heard the unmistakable sound of a glass clinking against tile. "Honey?" He moved toward the door, bringing the cart with him, but leaving it just outside the bathroom door. "Hey, you okay?"
    Those broad hands that had stroked and caressed him into the greatest bliss of his entire life trembled as they clutched the edge of the Jacuzzi tub, those long legs being caressed by warm water. Gold hair swung down over Asher's face as the other agent fought for a bit of air.
    "Honey!" Scott rushed to wrap his arms about the shaking form. "Asher! What's wrong?"
    The soft gasp he got in response did nothing to ease his fears. Only after two more sounded did Scott realize they were no longer gasps at all, but silent laughter. It still took Asher the longest minute of Scott's life to stop shaking and look up through a wave of blond hair. "It just... Oh, I'm sorry, it just sort of hit me all at once. How...God, how utterly normal we sound."
    Scott considered the smiling face, eyes alight. Damn, Asher looked really good happy. That set a new thought in his head and his arms tightened. He couldn't recall the last time he'd seen Asher happy. "Well, darlin', what did you think would happen? Did you expect us to turn into something odd? Angst or a soap opera? What were you thinking it would be like?"
    "I don't know. Just...talking about you coming home and...it just sort of caught me is all. Scared the hell out of me for a minute, thinking how very easily I'm falling into this. How very little I seem to care about all the...all the crap we're going to have to navigate." The thought sent a new tremble through the lean form in Scott's arms.
    "But that's good. You see, I want you to feel being with me is worth the pain and aggravation we're going to have to put up with. At least Noah knows to keep his comments to a minimum. He knows I won't put up with too much about my sexuality." He pressed a kiss between Asher's broad shoulders, realizing just what a nice position this was.
    "Noah knows? And he still..." A far more healthy-sounding chuckle rippled his lover's lean torso. "I'd have thought our unit leader, who twitches at the sight of a pink shirt, would be too eeked out to have a best friend who's bi."
    "He's fairly eeked out. We were friends for a long time before I told him. And it's a subject we don't discuss. It's amusing when he twitches. For about ten minutes, then it's just annoying. So I don't ever mention a man I might find attractive if we're out. I stick with the ladies when I'm with him." Scott sighed and let his arms slip away from Asher. "Let's not talk about Noah. He's not going to be happy, and I don't really care."
    "I'm sorry." Asher turned and caught Scott's hand. "I'm not used to being...the one pursued, I suppose. And just to get it out of the way, it's not the fact you're seeing a man we're going to get crap about. From Noah or anyone else. And you know it. It will be the fact you're seeing me."
    Scott sighed and put his romantic preparations on hold so he could settle beside Asher for this talk. With his feet firm on the floor, they could face each other easily. "Ash, I know. And I'm ready to ignore them for the most part. If they cross the line, well, I'm ready to deal with that, too. I can be forceful when I want to exert myself, you know." He squeezed the hand still holding tight to his. "I love you. And nothing they say or do is going to change it."
    "As long as you know going