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feature had been the tree-lined driveway
that set the place far enough away from the highway to minimize traffic noise.
Considering how tired Alex was, sleeping wasn't likely to be a problem anyway.
    "I got adjoining rooms, but only one is
ready," Kyle said as he came back to the car where Alex waited. "I
figured we could order some breakfast while we wait."
    "Sure," Alex said, climbing from
the vehicle and stretching out the kinks in his back. Heck, he could probably
go straight to sleep without eating, but since the only thing he'd had in the
past twelve hours was a lousy cup of coffee, his stomach would likely thank him
by not growling the whole time he tried to get some rest.
    He followed Kyle into a surprisingly nice
room. It wasn't large, but it had apparently been refurnished just recently.
Everything seemed shiny and new, including the bed…which, for Alex, was a
rather strange observation.
    Kyle was so not his type.
    Not that he really had a type, but big,
strong, self-confident guys who could turn into grizzly bears wouldn't be his
type if he actually had one.
    Kyle sniffed the air and for one stupid
moment Alex wondered if he could smell arousal. Alex wasn't aroused. The chubby
was just from…ah… Okay, so "lack of sleep" was a really stupid
reason, but hey, he could lie to himself as much as he liked.
    Determined to make a joke out of the
situation, Alex decided to fall back on his tried-and-true method of getting
through awkward moments—teasing.
    "Honey?" he asked, because that
was what bears liked to eat. Right?
    He didn't even realize the way the word
sounded until Kyle lifted an eyebrow, grinned, and asked, "Yes,
dear?"
    Laughing softly at his own mistake, Alex
shook his head and turned to look around the small room. "Sorry, I was
just wondering what it was you could smell."
    "It's too late to order breakfast from
the motel," Kyle said, apparently happy to ignore that not-quite question,
"but the girl at reception gave me some menus of local places that'll
deliver whatever we want. What's your poison?"
    Alex grimaced at the rather apt description.
His fellow police officers usually rolled their eyes when he headed for the
local salad bar rather than the greasy burger joint, but he could never
understand how they expected to stay fit when they filled their bodies with
such unhealthy food.
    "I'm easy. Whatever you want to order
is fine by me." Alex almost managed to hide his distaste as he lied.
    Kyle grinned and Alex almost changed his
mind.
    "Sorry," Kyle said, "but if
you want donuts or burgers you better speak up now."
    "I prefer muesli and fruit for
breakfast, but I'll settle f—"
    "Really?" Kyle moved closer, the grin on his face suggesting a far more
intimate relationship than the one they actually had. He lifted a hand as if he
was going to cup Alex's face, and for a moment Alex even thought the guy was
going to kiss him, but then Kyle blinked and stepped away, shaking his head as
if he wasn't quite sure where the impulse had come from. "There's
a…um…menu for a…um… I'll order fruit and muesli for both of us. It shouldn't
take long for them to deliver."
    "Thanks." Alex wasn't quite sure
how to react, so he reached for his wallet instead, intending to pay at least
for his share of breakfast.
    "I've got it," Kyle said with a
wink, his joviality not really hiding how off balance he was feeling. "Expense account."
    "Oh, okay," Alex said with a
shrug.
    Even without his wallet and the contents of
his pockets that Alex had removed when he'd frisked him—was that really less
than twelve hours ago?—Kyle seemed to have plenty of cash available. Alex had
seen him pocket what seemed to be several thousand dollars from a hidden drawer
in the car his brother, the eagle ,
had left for them. Apparently being a "bounty hunter," or whatever
Kyle actually did for a living, paid quite well. It sure as shit paid better
than police work.
    Alex listened without comment when Kyle
ordered enough breakfast for five