Max & Adam – 2

“Hi Max. This is Adam Calloway.”

“If this is about that report, I’ll have the revisions to you tomorrow.”

“You found something?” Hot damn, he knew his favorite computer geek would get him the goods.

“Maybe. There was an encrypted file buried in his database, easy to overlook. It’s a list of names and addresses. They don’t mean anything to me, but they might be of use to you.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m at home, detective, some of us actually go home at the end of the day.”

Adam would’ve taken offense but the other man’s tone was teasing. Besides he did have a reputation for being there all hours of the night and day. “What time are you going into work tomorrow.”

“I’ll be there from seven to six. I’m working four tens for the next few months.”

“Why?” He wondered what it would be like to have a set schedule.

“Personal, detective.”

Adam growled. “You might as well tell me. There is no such thing as private when you’re dating a detective.”

“When did I start dating a detective?”

Shit.

He said that out loud.

Well his mother always said in ‘for a penny, in for a pound’. “Since now. I want you to go out with me.”

There was a long silence on the phone. “I don’t know if it would be a good idea for us to date. It’s always bad when people who work together start a relationship and it goes wrong.”

Adam laughed. “We haven’t even started a relationship and you already have it taking a nosedive, and I thought I was the negative one.”

“I’m not negative, I’m cautious.”

“You don’t need to be cautious with me, handsome, I know better than to mess with you. You’d set me up as a terrorist in the national database.”

“I can’t believe Julie told that story. It was an April Fool’s prank. Hell I was only twelve I didn’t think they would arrest her.”

“I was kidding. Julie didn’t say anything.”

“Oh. Um, then never mind. Where did you want to go?”

Adam was still getting over the chill of the discovery his future boyfriend was a dangerous hacker. Of course that could come in handy too. Maybe there was more than one reason Max worked for the police.

“Did I scare you off?” The quiet question broke Adam out of his thoughts.

“Um, no honey. How about I call you this weekend and we plan something?”

“Any day but Saturday.”

Adam wanted to track Max down and find out what he did on Saturdays but he’d already filled his stalker requirement for the day.

“Sounds good. I’ll try for Friday night, but if I get a lead on my investigation I might not make it.”

“Fine. If you can’t make it I’ll go out to the clubs with my friends. Talk to you later.”

There was a click and Adam stared at the phone. “Go out to the clubs? Over my dead body.” The thought of his Max rubbing his lean, sexy body against other men made him grind his teeth. He didn’t care what was going on he wasn’t going to let the other man out alone at a club. Who knew what kind of scumbag might try to pick up his man.

 

Adam went to work the next day eager to see what Max discovered. He found the report and information where the file was to be found on the network server. It only took him a minute to realize his favorite nerd found a goldmine of information. Drug dealer contacts, sources, buyers, everything packaged in one tidy bow.

“I think I’m in love,” he said settling into his desk.

“Who are you lining up for your personal psychotic brand of affection,” Jamie, his partner of three years threw himself in the chair opposite him.

“Max from technology. He just tied up Brandoff in a bow for us.” He showed him the note and the file.

“Oh, if you don’t snatch him up I will. Wow, this is amazing. Was any of this in the file you originally got?”

“Nope. I took it to him yesterday and demanded a redo.”

“That takes balls. Last time I tried that Sherlyn the last manager handed me my ass on a platter.”

“She wasn’t there, it was just me and my favorite computer geek.”

“A match made in heaven. This could go a long way in making a dent in our case.”

“Yep.”

The pair spent the rest of the day reviewing their material. At five Adam called it quits.

Jamie stared at him. “What do you mean?”

“I’m going home.”

“I know what you said. I just can’t believe it. You never leave on time.” Jamie watched Adam as if he were a strange new species of human he’d never seen before.

“I have a date,” Adam announced. He damn well didn’t plan to let Max declare him a no show and go out with his friends.

“With who?” Jamie leaned forward.

“Max.”

“Not our super duper computer nerd?” Jamie gave him a delighted smile.

“Yes.” Adam couldn’t stop the smile spreading across his lips. His body hardened at the thought of having Max to himself, preferably stretched naked across Max’s bed.

Traffic tried to keep him from his date but a little maneuvering and a couple of sidestreet shortcuts had him getting home earlier than he’d hoped.