“Never woulda guessed this was down here,” Brantley stated as they stepped through a heavy, windowed door into an anteroom.
“It’s not open to the public,” he explained. “Roger keeps it open for military only.”
Usually he would’ve donned his ear protection like the sign instructed, but there was no one else down there at the moment, so he stepped through the next door, holding it for Brantley. Once they were both inside, he stepped out of the way, allowed Brantley to pick a lane he was comfortable with. Reese took the one on his left, set his bag down, and pulled out his weapons.
“How long’ve you been comin’ here?” Brantley asked, retrieving his ammo and setting the plastic cases on the small counter.
“Since I got back, so … years.”
“Nothin’ closer, huh?”
“Unfortunately, no. I was just thinkin’ I should open one of my own.”
“Yeah?”
“If I had the drive, maybe I would.”
Brantley peered over, those blue-gray eyes that were a sure sign of the Walker gene pool skimming over him briefly.
Reese pretended not to notice. Or tried to, anyway. There was something in that quick sweep that sent a frisson of heat through him. It was a foreign feeling, at least in this situation. Although there’d been a couple of times in his life when he’d noticed a man on a visceral level, never once had he considered himself attracted to one. Yet he couldn’t shake the strange sensation when he was around Brantley.
Probably overthinking it, he figured. He was curious, that was all it was. Curious to hear about Brantley’s last mission, the one that had brought him stateside permanently. The one that had ended his career as a SEAL and placed him back in the civilian world. Aside from the bits and pieces he’d gathered during that Sunday dinner, Reese didn’t know much about Brantley. But there was no denying he wanted to.
Once he was set up, Reese walked over and snagged several targets, passing a couple to Brantley before pinning his up and sending it down the lane on the electronic cable hanging overhead. He heard the door open behind him, noticed the clerk setting the additional boxes of ammo at the back. Reese nodded his thanks, retrieved the boxes, then turned his attention to the lane. He stepped up so the partition separating the lanes blocked his view of Brantley.
“Let me know when you’re ready,” he called out as he put his ear protection on, followed by the clear glasses to protect his eyes.
A few seconds later, there was a light knock on the partition. Reese knocked back, giving the signal he was a go.
For the next hour and a half, the only sounds were the echo of gunfire and the ping of brass casings bouncing on the concrete. They didn’t attempt conversation, but it wasn’t necessary. They weren’t here to chat, and Reese would’ve been fine no matter who was in the lane next to him. Interesting that he was glad it was Brantley.
Damn near perfect for a Friday night.
Chapter Six
“How about a beer?” Brantley offered when they headed out into the parking lot nearly two hours after he’d walked into the range.
“You buyin’?”
“Yeah. Provided it includes dinner.”
“Pushin’ it, Navy boy.”
Brantley smirked at the younger man. “Just hungry.”
Reese’s light brown gaze swung over his face. “Provided you know what’s not on the menu.”
Yeah, he liked this one, all right. “If I was hittin’ on you, you’d know it.”
“Fine. Dinner. I know a good steakhouse not too far from here.”
“I’ll follow you,” Brantley said before heading for his truck.
As he drove, he found himself smiling. Reese Tavoularis was unexpected to say the least. And no, Brantley wasn’t talking from an intimate perspective. From what he could tell, the guy was definitely straight. Even if there might’ve been a hint of curiosity behind that inquisitive gaze, he knew better than to entertain the notion. Brantley had long ago decided to keep his intimate encounters on an even keel. He preferred men who both knew what they wanted and didn’t see things that weren’t there. Men who were open to a sexual partner who didn’t play games or hint for more than a few hours of intense pleasure. It was the very reason he got along so well with Cyrus.
As for Reese… Brantley wasn’t opposed to some flirting. Especially since Reese seemed to expect it but wasn’t put off by the notion that he was hanging out with a gay man.
It was a rarity for him, actually. During his time in the military, no one suspected he was gay. Or if they had, they didn’t let on about it because that was how it worked. Sticking your nose in someone else’s business could reveal secrets you didn’t care to uncover. It was one thing if your buddy came out with it. Past that, you minded your own damn business.
