Page 58 of Burning Up

“I’m going to call Toby and talk to him, and I’ll brief Matt once he’s back. Now get out there and scrub some engines or do something else useful.”’

“Yes, sir.” Bryce hesitated at the door and turned back to look at the chief again. “Thank you.”

“Go.” The chief shooed him out, but he was still smiling.

19

four months later

Bryce sank onto the couch, so exhausted he didn’t think he could move. Struggling to take in so much information at the police academy might just kill him before he was done. Having Gray teach a tactics class today—and rag on him incessantly—hadn’t made things easier. The bastard. Admittedly, Gray would have been just as much of an ass to Jack or Mason, not that it was really any comfort.

Bryce let a few classmates talk him into going out after classes even though he was exhausted. He should have come straight home and gone to bed. He hadn’t slept more than a few hours a night for days between studying and keeping up with two very demanding lovers. He doubted he could stay awake long enough to get undressed and get into bed. Maybe if he just lay down for a few minutes, he’d re-energize.

“Bryce! Bryce, wake up!”

Why was someone shaking him? He tried to tell whoever it was to go away, but no actual words came out so he turned over and pretended not to hear.

“I know you’re awake.” Toby’s voice. “What are you doing on the couch?”

Good question. Why was he on the couch? “Too tired.”

“Aww, are the mean old police instructors wearing the poor little baby out?”

Bryce sat up and scowled at them.

“At least he’s sitting up now,” Matt said. Bryce could hear laughter in his voice. They were fucking mocking him.

“Are you two asking for trouble?”

“Do you want trouble?” Toby asked.

Bryce considered the idea. What he wanted most was to sleep for several more hours. Was it really after eight in the morning? It must be if Toby and Matt were home. If he couldn’t sleep anymore, then his cock was definitely interested in trouble.

“No, no, no. You both promised,” Matt said.

“Promised what?” Bryce didn’t remember promising anything.

Matt glared at him. “That you’d go house shopping this morning.”

Ugh. Bryce had only promised because he’d figured Matt would be too tired after his shift. “Don’t you want a nap first?”

“Yeah,” Toby said. “A ‘nap’.” He winked at Bryce.

Matt shook his head. “We’ve put this off long enough.”

“All right.” Toby sounded defeated. “But I want trouble after house hunting.”

Bryce sighed. “I’ve got to study.”

“What we’ve got to do is find a bigger place so we’re not driving each other crazy.”

Matt was right. Toby and Matt’s lease had come up for renewal and they’d given up their place, which, lovely as it was, wasn’t big enough for the three of them. They’d moved into Bryce’s duplex, which wasn’t a hell of a lot bigger, with the intention that they’d search for a new place for the three of them. So far, they hadn’t found anything they even remotely liked.

Bryce pushed off the blanket he’d pulled over himself sometime in the night and forced himself to stand. “Let me get a shower, and we’ll go.”

Matt frowned at him. “You never even got undressed last night.”

“I was too tired.”

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