On the way back, Sloane took Dex’s hand, and when no one was looking, kept walking instead of going into the dining room.

  “Where are we going?” Dex asked, hurrying along as Sloane led him down the hall and through the door that led to the grand staircase. They went down the stairs, and the butterflies in Dex’s stomach went wild. He felt kind of giddy, and he loved Sloane’s sudden bout of spontaneity. It was dark outside, but the estate was aglow with warm light. They crossed the courtyard to an alcove at the far end that was shrouded in shadows.

  Sloane pulled Dex inside, and before Dex had a chance to speak, Sloane had him up against the wall, kissing him and stealing the breath from him. Dex moaned against Sloane’s lips, his fingers curling around the sleeves of Sloane’s black dress shirt. Dex had all but melted when Sloane had finished dressing earlier in the day. He’d decided on a black button-down long-sleeved shirt and black dress pants. He looked sexy as hell, huge, and imposing, the most gorgeous man to walk these halls, and he was Dex’s. His hair was neatly combed to one side in a retro style, and he had a jaw full of rough stubble. Dex could come just from looking at him.

  A shiver ran through Dex, and he groaned when Sloane cupped him through his trousers. “Sloane,” he breathed. They couldn’t be out here for very long before someone would come looking for them. After all, they were sneaking away from their own rehearsal dinner. As if reading Dex’s thoughts, Sloane quickly got to work unbuckling Dex’s belt and shoving Dex’s trousers, along with his boxer briefs, down to his thighs. He turned Dex to face the wall, and Dex spread his legs as far as he could, his hands braced on the smooth stone. He heard the tear of a lube packet and then felt the cold of Sloane’s lubed finger penetrating him.

  Dex groaned, and Sloane pressed his chest to Dex’s back. He nipped at Dex’s jaw while his fingers stretched Dex, first one, then two. Dex writhed beneath Sloane, and he pushed his ass back against Sloane’s fingers, fucking himself on Sloane’s long, slicked-up digits.

  “Fuck, you’re so goddamn hot,” Sloane growled. He smacked Dex’s ass cheeks, and Dex almost came right then.

  “I need you inside me.”

  Sloane turned Dex’s face so they could kiss—it was sloppy, wet, and filled with painful need. Sloane removed his fingers from inside Dex and replaced them with his cock. Afraid of making too much noise, Dex bit down on his bottom lip, his forehead pressed to the wall as Sloane slowly sank into him, the burn so delicious Dex couldn’t help moving his hips. There was so much emotion swirling inside him that he feared his body wouldn’t be able to contain it. He needed something to distract him, to leave him unable to think.

  “I want it hard, Sloane.”

  Sloane kissed Dex’s cheek. “Are you sure?”

  Dex nodded. He needed to channel all the emotions inside him threatening to explode into Sloane taking him, into carnal desire from his soon-to-be husband. Out here with the sounds of nature, in the middle of a fairy-tale castle, just hours before their wedding, after the hell of the last few days, he wanted to feel Sloane down to his core. Sloane thrust the rest of the way in, and Dex gasped. He arched his back, and Sloane closed his hand around a fistful of Dex’s hair, tugging his head back and claiming his mouth, a feral growl rising from his chest as he pumped himself inside Dex. They kissed like they’d been starved for each other’s touch, tongues dueling, lips sucking, teeth nipping.

  Dex thrust his hips, impaling himself on Sloane, and Sloane plunged into him over and over. Dex threw a hand back, his fingers digging into Sloane’s thigh, the claws of his right hand growing out and scratching at the wall. Sloane palmed Dex’s erection, his fist pumping in time with his deep thrusts. Sloane changed his angle and hit Dex’s prostate, covering his mouth with his free hand to muffle Dex’s cries.

  “That’s it, baby,” Sloane said, breathless. “You’re so beautiful like this, your face flushed, your gorgeous lips open as you make the sweetest noises. Do you feel that?” Sloane asked, snapping his hips, and Dex thought his eyes were going to roll into the back of his head. “Do you?” Sloane snapped his hips again, and Dex nodded. “When you walk back in there, you’re going to still be feeling my dick inside you.”

  Dex moved Sloane’s hand from his mouth and looked at him over his shoulder. “I love you, Sloane. I love you so fucking much.”

  Sloane’s expression softened, and he kissed Dex, his thrusts remaining sharp and deep inside Dex. He stroked Dex, jerking him off as he murmured against Dex’s mouth, “I can’t wait to get you on that beach, to make love to you on the sand, in the ocean, my hands all over you.” Sloane’s free hand roamed Dex’s body, caressing his skin, slipping under Dex’s shirt and tweaking one of his nipples. Dex sucked in a sharp breath.

  “Sloane,” Dex warned. He was so close. Sloane nipped at his jaw, his hand moving quicker as his hips lost all rhythm.

  “Come for me, baby. Spill yourself all over my hand so I can suck your come off my fingers.”

  “Oh God.” Dex’s orgasm plowed through him, his body trembling with the force of his release as Sloane pumped himself once, twice, then muffled his hoarse cry in Dex’s hair as he came inside Dex. They stood together unmoving, Sloane’s arm around Dex, his cheek against the back of Dex’s head. With a hiss, Sloane carefully pulled out of Dex, and Dex turned, groaning when Sloane met his gaze and did as promised, licking his hand clean before he kissed Dex so Dex could taste himself. They helped each other set their clothes to rights, and then Sloane leaned into Dex and lifted his chin, their eyes meeting.

  “I should be nervous about Saturday, but I’m not.”

  “You’re not?” Dex asked quietly.

  Sloane ran his thumb over Dex’s bottom lip. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. I love you, Dex, and nothing will make me happier than being your husband.”

  Dex wrapped his arms around Sloane’s neck, his heart squeezing in his chest. As he kissed Sloane and thought about their upcoming exchange of vows, excitement bubbled up inside him. In just a few days, he would be married to this amazing man. He couldn’t wait.

  Sloane had never been happier. They kissed until they couldn’t stay out here any longer and snuck back inside. As they approached the dining room, it was oddly quiet. They exchanged glances before Sloane opened the door, and they walked into a pitch-dark dining room. The lights suddenly came on, and they were taken aback by the collective shout.

  “Surprise!”

  Sloane gaped at their colleagues, all coming to stand together in the center of the room, now decorated in tangerine and turquoise balloons, streamers, and paper lanterns. A huge banner read: Congratulations!

  “Oh my God, you guys.” Dex gave a sniff, his eyes glassy. “I can’t believe you did this.”

  “Believe it,” Taylor said, grinning wide as he approached. He held out his hand to Sloane, who took it, returning Taylor’s smile. “Whatever our differences in the past, Sloane, you are one hell of a team leader. I knew my team was in good hands when Destructive Delta was out there with us. Thank you for everything.”

  “Thank you for always backing us up,” Sloane said, his throat thick from Taylor’s words. They didn’t always see eye to eye, and yeah, there had been some rough moments between them, but Taylor was a great team leader who took pride in his job and did his damned best to keep everyone safe. Sloane had never questioned the man’s skill or leadership ability.

  Taylor nodded, his eyes bright with unshed tears. He turned to Dex, his expression softening. “PR, huh?”

  Dex chuckled. “Yeah, somebody’s gotta look pretty for the camera.” He winked at Taylor, making him laugh. Taylor averted his gaze, his voice quiet when he spoke, and Sloane could tell he was trying to keep hold of his emotions.

  “Not gonna lie, Daley. I’m going to miss having you out there.”

  Dex surprised Taylor by bringing him in for a hug. “I’ll be around anytime you need me.”

  Taylor nodded. “Thanks. We’d arranged to do this in Unit Alpha, but you know…” His expression softened. “With everything going on with the sarge, we canceled it. When the sarge found out about it, he talked to Lou, and they arranged for us to surprise you here.”

  Tony came to stand next to Dex, who turned and hugged him tight. “Thanks, Dad.”

  “You’re welcome, kiddo. Your unit wanted to give you a proper send-off, so here they are.”

  Dex wrinkled his nose and gave a sniff before turning to announce boisterously, “Let’s get this party started!”

  Everyone cheered, and Sloane laughed when eighties music started playing. He kissed Dex’s cheek, smiling at the light in Dex’s bright blue eyes. His partner was clearly touched by all the love they were being shown. Their colleagues took turns approaching them and congratulating them on their upcoming wedding and their promotions, teasing Dex about all the different PR stunts he was likely to be involved in. Most everyone seemed to agree that although it would be a shame Sloane would no longer be out in the field, the knowledge and experience he’d accumulated over the years would be of great value to team leaders in training. Better trained team leaders would mean stronger teams, all of whom would help move THIRDS HQ toward a better future. With the resources they had, they could make a big difference, not only in the lives of agents from all over the world, but also in the lives of the people they helped.

  Their team came over once everyone had finished, and Ash gave Sloane’s shoulder a squeeze. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to. He knew Ash was touched, same as Sloane was. They really had one hell of a unit here. Sloane grinned at Ash. “So which one of you made sure no one came looking for us?”

  Ash coughed into his hand, and Dex laughed.

  “Aw, Ash. You big softie.”

  Ash rolled his eyes. “Whatever.” He so wasn’t fooling anyone.

  As Sloane and Dex chatted with their friends and colleagues, they heard cheering. They looked up, and Sloane laughed at the giant, six-tiered donut wedding cake several fellow agents wheeled in. Dex gasped, and Herrera winked at him.

  “We know you guys have your own fancy cake, but seeing as how Dex has been going on about a donut wedding cake for months, we figured this would be the perfect time to get him one.”

  Dex wiped a tear from his eye. “It’s so beautiful and looks so delicious.” He pointed to the top of it. “I especially like the cake topper.” It was two gummy bears, an orange one and a blue one, and between them they held a red gummy heart. Dex clasped his hands together. “Okay, everyone, dig in!”

  Plates were handed out, and everyone laughed when Dex didn’t bother with a plate. He just took the top two tiers filled with donuts off the cake. He blinked up at Sloane, innocently.

  “What? It’s technically two pieces.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think so.” There were enough donuts on those two tiers to feed their team. Or at least Hobbs. The last thing they needed was Dex on a sugar high, bouncing off the walls while Lou was trying to maintain some semblance of order. The poor guy had enough on his plate with the wedding and reception. Sloane had no idea how Lou managed it all.

  Hudson and Seb joined them, with Nina and Rafe not far behind. Dex offered them donuts. “Take some. Mr. Scrooge McDonut over here won’t let me stuff my face.”

  Nina laughed as she plucked a pink frosted donut with shredded coconut from the top tier. “Well, you do have a tux to fit into. Lou will murder you if you need to get it adjusted. Again.”

  “That wasn’t my fault,” Dex complained. “It’s all the training I’ve been doing.”

  “And all the cake you’ve been eating,” Letty teased, taking a blue frosted donut with white swirls.

  “You said cake, but what I think you meant to say was bench pressing.” Dex narrowed his eyes at Hobbs, who took six donuts, three around each index finger. Dex turned to Sloane, his bottom lip jutting out. “How come Hobbs gets to stuff his face?”

  “Because Hobbs isn’t the one getting married on Saturday,” Sloane said, kissing Dex’s temple. “After the ceremony, you can stuff your face with all the wedding cake you want.”

  Dex waved a finger at everyone. “You all heard him. None of you are getting wedding cake. It’s all mine.”

  Everyone laughed and continued to pilfer Dex’s donuts until there was only one left, the one with the gummy bear grooms. Dex peered at Sloane, who had yet to take a donut.

  “Don’t even think about it, Brodie.”

  Sloane leaned in to kiss Dex, and while he had his partner distracted, swiped the donut. Dex’s scandalized expression made Sloane laugh.

  “You’re adorable.” He took Dex’s hand in his and placed the donut on his palm. “And I love you.”

  Everyone awwwed, and Dex plucked the gummy heart from atop the donut. He handed it to Sloane. “I love you too, holder of my precious squishy heart.”

  Sloane opened his mouth, and Dex popped it in.

  “You two are making my teeth hurt,” Ash declared. “I need something to drink. Preferably with vodka or something.” Ash walked off, and Cael cheerfully followed.

  Sloane was touched by the effort everyone made to put together the surprise party. Zach came over with a big smile.

  “Thank you for inviting me and my siblings to the rehearsal dinner and the wedding,” Zach said. “They’re very excited.” He pointed over to his three bear Therian sisters and six giant bear Therian brothers, all chatting and laughing with members of Unit Alpha.

  Dex patted Zach’s bulging bicep. “Of course. How could we not? You’re part of the gang, and you sort of played an important role in mine and Sloane’s relationship.”

  Zach arched an eyebrow at him. “Oh? How so?”

  “You made sure my first impression was a memorable one,” Dex said, winking at him.

  Zach chuckled. “I’m glad I could help.”

  They spent the next couple of hours talking to their colleagues and answering questions about their new promotions and the wedding. Everyone wanted to know when they’d be hearing the pitter-patter of little Sloanes or Dexes. The thought didn’t terrify Sloane like it once had. It was still too soon, but it was no longer out of the question.

  While everyone enjoyed the party, Dex and Sloane stood to one side, leaning against the wall and observing their friends and family. Several members of Unit Alpha hovered around Tony, and Sloane caught more than one of his colleagues scanning the room for the sarge, as if making sure he was there and safe. Sloane had a feeling Tony had just earned himself a protective detail whether he liked it or not.

  “Hello, fellas.” Hudson smiled brightly as he approached, Seb at his side. “A donut cake? You’d think you were at the office.”

  Dex let out a snort. “Where else am I going to get my sugar high?” As if realizing what he’d said, Dex blinked up at Sloane and ran his tongue over his bottom lip. “What I meant to say was, where else am I going to get all my healthy snacks? Yum, so many delicious veggie sticks and… nutritious rice cakey things.”

  Sloane shook his head, amused. “I love how you think I don’t know about your afternoon donut run or that every fifth trip to the bathroom is actually a trip to the canteen.”

  Dex gasped, a hand flying dramatically to his chest. “Why, I have no idea what you’re speaking about, sir.”

  “Right,” Sloane said, “just like Hudson has no idea how all those boxes of cookies got into his locker.”

  Seb turned to Hudson and arched an eyebrow at him. “I thought you said you were going to cut down?”

  Hudson shoved his hands into his pockets and suddenly found his shoes of great interest. “And I will.”

  Seb folded his arms over his chest. “You said that three weeks ago, remember?”

  Sloane held back a smile as Hudson lifted his chin high with a sniff.

  “I can quit anytime. I simply don’t want to.”

  Dex and Sloane laughed. Poor Seb, as if he could ever deny his husband anything. He was worse than Sloane. At least Sloane had managed to get Dex to eat vegetables. Hudson never had that problem, but his cookie addiction was as bad as Dex’s sugar one.

  Dr. Winters approached, smiling warmly at them. “I just wanted to thank you both again for inviting me. It means so much. I don’t normally accept invitations for events outside of work, but I feel I had to make an exception for you two.” He extended his hand to Dex, who shook it, smiling wide, then he held his hand out for Sloane. “Congratulations.”

  “Thank you,” Sloane said, shaking the doctor’s hand. “Saturday.”

  “I’m so very happy for you both.”

  Dex looked at Winters’s empty hands. “You don’t have a drink. Let me get you one.”

  “Thank you,” Winters replied, and Dex headed to the bar.

  No one liked having to go see Dr. Winters because usually that meant something was seriously wrong. It wasn’t because he wasn’t a nice enough guy or compassionate or understanding, but he was the guy they saw when they were in pain. Sloane had spent months in Dr. Winters’s office talking to him about Gabe, and it had been agony, having to constantly pick at the scab of his wounds before they were even properly healed. It was the process. Talking to Winters was supposed to help him, but he hadn’t been ready to talk to anyone, much less a THIRDS-appointed doctor. Everyone on his team had spent time with Winters, some more than others, but in the end, the man had helped them in many ways.

  After Ash had infiltrated the Coalition and then been shot, he’d seen Winters. Calvin had seen the doctor on several occasions due to his position as sniper on Destructive Delta. Cael had several sessions after being kidnapped by Hogan, after his encounter with Fuller, when Dex had been taken by Pearce, and then Dex’s “ambush.” Dex had been in to see Winters almost as much as Sloane. The list was long.

  As if sensing his thoughts, Winters placed a hand on Sloane’s shoulder. “You two have been through so much, you deserve to be happy.”

  “Thank you, and thank you for everything you’ve done for me, and for Dex.”