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thought of Aidan in this place. Classy, clean, and uncluttered—a lot like the man before him.
    Aidan wore jeans and an untucked, open-collared white shirt that exposed the strong cords of his throat. An instinct to bite and mark the man came out of nowhere. Gavin turned a suspicious look on his new partner, still not sure Aidan wouldn’t fuck with his psyche just for fun, but Aidan was frowning down at his cell phone.
    “Problem?”
    Aidan looked up. “Kitty isn’t happy with me. She apparently wanted to review a few things with you before handing you over to me. She’s a mother hen who has a hard time not clinging.”
    “She’s nice.”
    “Too nice.” Aidan snorted. “Empathy is all well and good, but our job is to acquire a book, not fall in love or feel sorry for the criminals who stole it.”
    Gavin flushed. “I wasn’t suggesting either. I just—”
    “I know. Sit down. We need to review the file. Coffee?”
    Aidan’s turn in manners took him aback. “Ah, yeah.” He thought he’d be treated like a virtual slave for the next few days and was prepared to handle it. Having Aidan act as though Gavin were a guest threw him for a loop.
    He followed Aidan into a bright and tidy kitchen. White cabinets and black granite showcased a chef’s dream kitchen, complete with all the stainless-steel appliances. Gavin wondered if Aidan actually cooked or if this was all for show. To his bafflement, he found himself intrigued by his teammate in a way he’d never been before.
    After rounding the kitchen island, Aidan motioned Gavin to sit on a nearby stool while he reached for the coffeepot.
    “We need to make a few things clear. Yesterday was a prelude to physical intimacy. That, and I wanted to see you react to being ordered around a little.” Aidan set a steaming cup in front of him. He didn’t offer cream or sugar, which Gavin didn’t use anyway. Then he poured a cup for himself and rounded the island to sit next to Gavin at the counter. He turned his seat so they could face each other. “Sexually, we connect. There’s no need for us to have to fake an attraction. It’s there. That’s good.”
    His clinical attitude eased Gavin’s discomfort with his behavior yesterday. He’d been too hot for the guy. Yet Aidan admitted to the attraction too. Good to know they were on equal footing in that at least.
    “I watched you, and I learned. You’re a natural submissive, Gavin. Don’t argue the point. Accept it. Like I said before, there’s no shame in being true to yourself.”
    Gavin never would have suspected Aidan to be so welcoming or easy to work with. He’d fully expected taunting and more bullying. Then again, Aidan could be setting him up for a punch line sure to come.
    Aidan frowned. “I’m not setting you up. Christ. This is serious, and you’re worried the bully on the playground might beat you up?”
    “Asshole.” Gavin glared.
    “Look. I’m all about the mission. I don’t lose. I don’t screw up ,” he directed at Gavin.
    Ah, there it is.
    “And I’m not used to working with a partner. I work alone, or at least I have since the PWP disbanded. But hey, I’m adaptable. You and I need to be together on this. Jack isn’t budging. No games, no jokes. This is serious. When we’re surrounded by a bunch of sadistic deviants with nothing better to do than slit throats to get off, we need to be there for each other. I can’t afford to have you too scared to fight back, and you can’t afford for me to be a dickhead who’d leave you to fend for yourself. Trust works both ways.”
    “True.” The asshole had a point.
    “And quit calling me an asshole.”
    “Quit acting like one. And stay out of my freakin’ head .”
    Aidan paused. To Gavin’s surprise, he laughed. “You’re no one’s boy all the time, that’s obvious.” He studied Gavin and nodded. “A submissive, but no slave. And apparently only in the bedroom.”
    “What?”
    “Nothing. Just making some notes about you out