This is a follow up story for my 'Flirting With Danger' story, these two stories have become the Lighter Side Series. AND before anyone you ask, I have at least two more stories in the works for this series!

Sequel to: Flirting with Danger

Chris ambled into the office a little later than usual whistling a tune. Heading straight for the coffee pot he poured himself a cup of the thick liquid then grimaced as he took a sip. Vin, he thought with a shake of his head. Turning to the sink Chris added a little water to the cup hoping to weaken it some. Taking another taste Chris shrugged his shoulders figuring that it was as close as he was gonna get to a good cup of coffee.

"Hey, pard," Vin said in greeting as he stepped from the bathroom.

"Good morning," Chris replied with a smile. Then frowned as they heard the elevator opening. Chris felt his eyes widen in shock at who joined them.

"You lost?" Vin teased.

With a roll of his blue eyes and a grin on his face Buck walked over to the coffee pot.

Chris looked at his old friend and darted a look from the coffee pot to Vin in a silent warning.

"I saw that!" Vin fussed. "There's nothing wrong with my coffee."

"This 'coffee' is the reason we don't have roaches in the office," Buck said, as he poured himself a half a cup of coffee then filled the rest with water.

"What?"

"Hell, not even roaches can survive this toxic waste."

"No one makes you drink it," Vin said and poured himself a cup.

Both Chris and Buck laughed as the younger man made a face.

"Okay! So it is a little strong this morning," he reluctantly admitted and added water to his own. "I had something on my mind when I was making it ..."

"What's her name?" Buck teased.

"I don't want to talk about it," Vin told him.

"So what are you doing here so early?" Chris asked Buck, steering the conversation away from the younger man.

"I spent the night with Jennifer and she had to go into work early," Buck told them. "It would have been stupid to go all the way home only to turn right around and come back. So I decided to grace you unworthy people with my presence ..."

"So you haven't changed your clothes?" Vin asked, taking a deliberate step back.

"No ... I mean yes!" he fussed and took a mock swing at Vin. "I always keep a change of clothes in my truck."

Chris grinned. He was glad Buck never changed. Buck had been the one constant in his life when he needed it the most. And thanks to Buck, Chris now had five additional constants. Suddenly he felt like he was being watched and turned to find two sets of blue eyes watching him and asked, "What?"

"That's mean looking mosquito bite you have there, old dog," Buck said with a wicked twinkle in his eyes.

A hand flew to his neck as heat flooded his face. Darting a look between his two best friends Chris struggled for something to say, but was at loss for words.

"So, how was your weekend?" Buck asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Chris ducked his head, but not before they saw the smile that spread across his face.

"That good, huh," Vin elbowed him, causing them all to laugh.

Chris's smile grew as did the heat in his face. Raising his head he looked at the two men and said, "Oh, God you have no idea." Chris then sat his now empty cup on the counter behind him. "Not that I'm sharing any details, but Ezra ... Ezra ..." his voice trailed off as thoughts of his green-eyed lover stole his breath.

"Rocked your world," Buck supplied for him.

"Rocked, hell, he shattered it!" Chris laughed and grabbed Buck's arm in his excitement. "I haven't had a weekend like that since my honeymoon!"

"Good, you deserve it," Buck told him and gave him a brief hug.

"Thanks, Buck," Chris said, returning the hug. "I'm glad you don't have a problem with this ..."

"Problem? Hell, Chris I couldn't be happier for you!" he insisted.

"Yeah, Ezra's just what you needed," Vin added.

"Thanks guys," Chris told them. Once again he smiled at them and then continued, "I know I said I wasn't gonna share any details, but I have to tell you this one thing Ezra did. It was totally unexpected and ... hasn't been done to me since ... since ... hell I don't even remember ..."

"Well, quit blushing and spill it!" Buck pushed.

"He ... he ... tickled me," Chris whispered and feared his face would be forever red.

"Good you need to laugh more," Vin said. "But what he do?"

"No! He 'tickled' me," he stressed the word tickled.

"You mean coochie, coochie coo tickle?" Buck asked with a wiggle of his fingers.

Chris nodded his head, yes.

"Hell, I didn't even know you were ticklish ..."

"I used to be as a kid, but," he shrugged. "Like I said it's been years since anyone dared, but Ezra ..."

"Don't follow the rules, does he," Vin stated rather than asked.

"Hell no! That man does just what he wants," Chris told them with a laugh.

"And you love every minute of it!" Buck teased him.

"Damn straight!"

Chris couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this good. This alive. This content. This happy. This ... loved. And he owed it all to one man. His lover. His life line. His Ezra.

Walking over to sit on the edge of Vin's desk Chris gave a slight wince and in spite of the knowing looks on the others' face he grinned as he realized that he hadn't felt this deliciously sore in years. God, he loved it!

He and Ezra spent practically all of Saturday in bed. Only leaving to eat and go to the bathroom. 'Course neither of them were alone when they did that either. It was nothing for Chris to turn around and find a sexy rumbled looking Ezra standing behind him. Or for Ezra to find Chris. Although, Chris never did manage to get Ezra over the back of the couch, but he wasn't worried. He knew it would happen. It was only a matter of time.

Hearing the elevator ding had all three men looking toward the door.

"Morning, brothers," Josiah said as he set his umbrella by the door.

"Morning."

"Josiah."

"Beautiful day isn't it."

That had all three men looking at Chris before breaking out in big grins.

"Chris it's raining. Pouring in fact," Josiah told him. "And it's suppose to be like this all day."

"I know," Chris said, still grinning. "But that's a good thing. All this rain will help the flowers grow and ..." his voice trailed off as he realized what he was saying. Swallowing hard he got to his feet and headed for his office. "This is all Ezra's fault!" he muttered, leaving the three grinning men behind.

A few minutes later Chris returned carrying a folder. "I have a meeting with Travis," he told them. "When I get back, which should around nine, I want to meet with everyone in the conference room."

"Good morning, gentlemen," Ezra said as he walked into the office, heading for his desk.

"How was your weekend?" Buck asked him.

"Stimulating," he told him with a cocky smirk on his face. Causing them all to laugh. And it was, Ezra thought to himself. He and Chris had made love all weekend. There wasn't an inch of skin on his lover's body that Ezra didn't know intimately.

"Don't get to comfortable," Vin told him. "Chris wants to meet with us in the conference room."

"Just where is our notorious leader?" Ezra asked after setting his briefcase on his desk.

"Had a meeting with Travis."

Ten minutes later the six of them were sitting in the conference room waiting.

Ezra surveyed the group of men around him. Josiah appeared to be writing something, but by the frown on his face Ezra knew Josiah was more likely drawing stick people. The older man tended to do that when he had something on his mind. Ezra made a note to talk with his friend later and see if there was something they needed to talk about.

Buck and JD sat across the table from each other and were trying to make field goals with paper footballs. It was impossible to tell which was winning since both were grinning like a couple of fools.

Nathan was on his cell phone, probably speaking with his girlfriend, Rain. Whom Ezra had yet to meet, so he had no idea if she was good for the medic or not. But he'd find out.

Shifting his attention to his right Ezra settled his gaze on the man beside him and noticed an odd looking scar on his forearm.

"What cha looking at Ez?" Vin asked him, without looking up.

"That's an interesting looking scar on your arm," he replied. "And the name's E z r a."

Vin nodded and said, "One of my foster father's cut me with a coke bottle."

That momentarily threw Ezra, but he quickly recovered. Scooting his chair back, he indicated Vin for do the same then placed his leg in Vin's lap and lifted his pant's leg to reveal a moon-shaped scar on his calf.

"See this?"

"Yeah, what cha do cut yourself shaving?" Vin teased him.

"Ha, ha," Ezra rolled his eyes. "One of my mother's 'friends' knocked me down a small flight of stairs and I wound up with a cap from a beer bottle imbedded in my leg."

"I have a three-inch scar on my side where a suspect cut me with a knife."

"Oh, please!" Ezra snorted. "I have a five inch long scar on my thigh where I was cut by a saber while I was in the service."

"Yeah, well I have this scar ..."

Chris quickly grabbed a couple of folders from his desk and headed down the hall. His meeting with Travis had run late thus throwing 'his' whole schedule to hell. With a weary shake of his head he wondered what his hooligans had done to keep themselves entertained.

Just as he neared the conference room door, he heard a voice say, "If you show me yours ... I'll show you mine."

'That's Ezra's voice!' he gulped. Pushing the conference room door opened Chris felt his eyes widen as he saw Vin unbuttoning his shirt.

"What the hell's going on in here?"

"Good morning," Ezra told him in a silky voice instead.

"Good morning," Chris replied then shook his head before he got lost in those eyes. "What are you doing?"

"We're giving the boys a free show," his lover teased him and batted his eyes at Chris before laying his jacket on the table then began loosening his tie.

"What?" Chris turned his attention to Josiah and was about to ask what his wayward son thought he was doing, when Chris noticed a flash of ... something in the older man's eyes. Just as he was about to ask if something was wrong Ezra laid his shirt on the table revealing his chest.

The first thing Chris noticed was 'his brand' on Ezra's neck.

"Damn," Buck said then whistled. "Who have thought, those silk shirts hid a body like that."

"Thank you," Ezra wiggled his eyebrows at them. "My chest always invokes these types of reactions."

Chris broke out of his trance and snatched up Ezra's shirt and tossed it at him. "Put your shirt on!" He didn't want anyone 'reacting' to 'his lover's' chest but him.

Ezra merely grinned at him as he set the shirt back on the table. "Don't come in here tossing clothes around," he told him. "And don't think we haven't noticed that you're late ..."

Chris snorted. "It looks like I got here just in time!" he quipped. "Do you always take your clothes off in front of people like this?"

"If the money's right ..."

Knowing ... hoping Ezra was kidding Chris ignored that, for now, and once again asked, "What's going on?"

"Vin and I are making comparisons ..."

"Of what?" he dared to ask.

"Well," Ezra began and with a roll his eyes said, "Vin says his is bigger than mine ..."

"Scars!" Vin quickly clarified with a laugh. "We got to talking about our scars and well ... one thing lead to another and ..."

"You're spoiling all my fun!" Ezra gave Vin a friendly shove.

Vin laughed again. "See this one here," he pointed to a long jagged looking scar along his ribs. "Bowie knife. Hurt like a son of a bitch."

"Can I touch it?" the Southerner asked.

"No!" Chris snapped.

Ezra grinned at Chris's outburst before pointing to a scar on his near his collar bone. "See this one here?"

"That's a hickie not a scar ..."

"That's not a hickie ... that's a brand," Ezra proudly told him.

That had Chris raising his head and standing proud.

"You mean this scar?" Vin questioned and was about to touch it when he heard Chris growl at him, making Vin quickly pull his hand back.

"Josiah tossed me through a plate glass window ..."

"It was an accident!" Josiah cried in his own defense. "Hell, the crazy bastard was fighting two men ... twice his size. All I did was pull him off one of them. It's not my fault he lost his balance and went through the window!"

"Josiah ..."

"Dammit, Ezra you know that was a hard time for me ..."

"I know it was an accident, Josiah," Ezra told him in a serious tone. "I was only teasing. I'm sorry."

Josiah nodded and sat back down.

"I have an appendix scar," Vin suddenly said, breaking the tension.

"Me too!"

"Mine almost ruptured."

"Mine too!"

"It did not!" Josiah corrected. "I got you to the hospital in plenty of time."

Ezra stuck his tongue out at the older man.

"Is this one ..." Vin's question trailed off.

At Vin's question Chris held his breath waiting to see how Ezra would handle the situation. Looking at his lover Chris saw understanding and a wicked twinkle in those green eyes and relaxed.

"Yes that's where you shot me in the back ..."

Vin's head jerked up and seeing that twinkle he swore under his breath and gave the Southerner a shove. "You little shit," he fussed.

"Put your clothes back on boys and let's get to work," Chris told them and sat at in the chair at the head of the table.

But try as he might, he couldn't keep from watching as Ezra dressed. Seeing that golden skin made Chris's fingers inch to touch. To caress. To claim.

God, the man was beautiful, Chris inwardly sighed. And he's mine! Chris could hardly believe his luck. Because, not once, but twice now he'd found a very special person that loved him in spite of everything. Chris had lived in fear for the first two years of his marriage thinking that Sarah would realize she'd make a mistake and discover that Chris wasn't worthy of her love. But she hadn't. The four years they shared were some of the happiest of his life.

And Chris knew that with Ezra he'd have moments of doubt, not of Ezra's love, but of his own ability to hold on to that love. To prove that not only was Chris worthy of Ezra's love, but that he did deserve it. And Chris would be damned if he'd give any of it up.

Thinking to the weekend Chris knew that he wasn't the only one with doubts. More than once over he'd caught fleeting glimpses of a shy insecure green-eyed little boy hiding just under the surface and it made him fall even harder for the man. But Chris wasn't worried, he knew that together they could and would work through anything that came up. They belonged together so there really wasn't any other option.

Looking at Ezra now, Chris had to smile because he knew without even looking that every eye was on his lover. Ezra moved with such grace and poise that people couldn't help but watch him. Chris also, knew that Ezra had no clue as to the real reason that both men and women felt drawn to him. Oh, sure Ezra was damned good looking and could flirt and turn on the charm with the best of them, but that wasn't it. At least, not all of it. What drew others to Ezra was his unassuming ways and his love of life. Ezra was simply Ezra. And Chris wouldn't have him any other way.

Just as Ezra reached for his necktie there was a knock on the door. Looking up Chris just did resist the urge to groan as he saw Mary Travis step into the room.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Mary said with a smile.

Chris reluctantly made the introductions between Ezra and Mary. He didn't know why he was worried that Mary would be trouble. Ezra knew he loved him. He guessed it had to do with their relationship still being so new and the fact that he didn't want anyone messing with that.

"I'm sorry to interrupt Chris, but I wondered if I might have moment of your time?" Mary asked.

"Sure," he replied, getting to his feet Chris allowed his hand to brush across Ezra's hip as he passed him then followed Mary from the room.

Ezra's hip tingled from that all too brief contact with Chris. Then with a shake of his head he finished dressing.

"You don't have anything to worry about with Mary ..."

"Yeah, whatever Chris and Mary shared has been over for a year or more now," Buck reassured him.

"I'm not worried about Mrs. Travis," Ezra told them. "I know how Chris feels about me. Just as Chris know how I feel about him." Then with a grin playing at his lips Ezra continued, "Besides, as soon as she sees that hickie ... uhm brand on Chris's neck she'll know he belongs to another as well."

"Yeah, I forgot about that," Buck laughed.

Ezra grinned at him and sat back down.

When Chris returned, he was quick to reassure Ezra that Mary only wanted him to fix a ticket for her. Which he did, but only after making sure Mary understood that this would be the last time.

Now an half an hour later they all sat their individual desks preparing for an upcoming case when there was a knock at the door.

Looking up Ezra tensed as he saw the four delivery boys standing in the doorway. One held roses, another daises. A mug filled with candy with balloons attached and a big red balloon in the shape of a heart was held by two of the others. And the last one held a gold-plated candy dish in the shape of a cowboy hat.

"We have a delivery for Chris Larabee," one of the delivery boys said just as the man in question stepped from his office.

Ezra quickly looked away as all eyes swung to him at the young man's words. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. He gave serious thought to ducking under his desk, but knew he'd have to face Chris sooner or later.

The embarrassed look on Chris's face had Ezra bitting his lip and he wondered at his chances of slipping from the room.

Once the delivery boys were gone Chris growled his name and not in a good way.

Ezra tensed even more then drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. This was ridiculous he told himself. Chris wouldn't reject his gifts like Maude did. Would he? No, he wouldn't. Chris loved him. But just to be on the safe side, Ezra tightened the reins on emotions and got to his feet.

What the hell was Ezra thinking! Why not just announce to the whole f** world that the two of them were lovers! Chris couldn't believe it.

After growling his lover's name Chris was ready to tear into him only his attention was caught by Josiah and he easily read a warning to tread lightly. He wasn't at all worried about Josiah, but the warning had him taking a closer look at Ezra and the underlining fear he saw in those green eyes made his heart lurch in his chest. Chris was suddenly reminded of that shy little boy he'd saw over the weekend. Then in the blink of an eye it was gone. All of it. There wasn't even a trace of emotion on that handsome face.

"It is customary for a gentleman to bestow on his lover a token of his affections the morning after," Ezra began to explain, his accent thick and heavy. "It is a sign of respect and to let the lover know that what was shared was ... special."

Chris opened his mouth only to have Ezra continue.

"When the gentleman went to the florist he was almost overwhelmed by all the possibilities, but knew that not all of them would be approbate. But one such token could not ... express the true depth of emotions that the gentleman felt," Ezra told him.

Just then Ezra's mask slipped for a moment and what Chris saw had tears stinging his eyes. Those green eyes pleaded with him not to reject his offerings. At least not in front of the others.

"The gentleman realizes that maybe he went to far. Maybe got a little carried away ..."

"The lover loves it. All of it," Chris quickly told him. "The lover not only appreciates the tokens, but wishes to share them with the gentleman. The lover would also like to assure the gentleman that once they're alone ... that appreciation will be shown with much enthusiasm."

Chris watched as disbelief colored those green eyes before his words sunk in and happiness spread across Ezra's face making him seem younger and sexy and it made Chris want to snatch him up and taste that happiness for himself. But he curbed that need. For now.

Stepping closer to a grinning Ezra, Chris thrust the balloons and candy dish at him then said, "Help me carry these to my office."

Ezra simply nodded his head, yes.

Once in the office Chris pushed the door shut and locked it. Setting the flowers on a near by shelf, the candy dish he sat on his desk, and the balloons were merely released and allowed to float to the ceiling. Grabbed Ezra's now free hand, he went around to the chair behind his desk, and sat down, pulling Ezra onto his lap and cradled him in the crook of his arm.

"Thank you, Ezra," he whispered into the ear closest to him. Then began trailing kisses across Ezra's jaw until he reached those tempting lips, which he teased until Ezra was moaning and clutching at his shirt trying to get closer. Then and only then did Chris take those lips in a searing kiss that had them both trembling.

Chris was fast losing control and slowly eased back from Ezra so he could rein in his desires.

"You don't mind?" Ezra asked, after they'd come up for air. "I ... I didn't want to embarrass you, but I wanted to get you something."

"No, Ezra I don't mind," Chris assured him. "And I wasn't that embarrassed ... it's just that no one's ever sent me flowers or balloons or candy dishes shaped like a cowboy hat before," he laughed and pulled Ezra closer to him.

Ezra buried his face in Chris's neck without saying a word.

After a few minutes Chris eased Ezra back so that he could see his face and gave him a smile before pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose. "Ezra I want to listen to me very carefully."

At Ezra's nod Chris continued, "I'll be the first to admit that I'm not an easy man to love. I have a nasty temper that more times than not gets the better of me. Making me snap and snarl and lash out at those around me. Those closest to me really catch it. And the chances of getting an apology are slim and none."

Chris paused and ran his fingers through Ezra's silky hair to give himself a moment to gather his thoughts.

"I've only apologized to a hand full of people in my life," he said. "And two of them are ... are dead ..."

"Chris ..." Ezra began only to have Chris place a finger to his lips to silence him.

"I'm okay," Chris told him with a small smile. "I'm also stubborn as hell, but I like to think that I'm a fair man. What I'm trying to say is that in spite of my bad temper and stubborn nature ... I don't want you to ever be afraid to express your love for me in whatever way you want. I love you, Ezra and I want everything and anything you'll give me. Especially if it comes from your heart. Okay?"

"Okay," Ezra told him in a watery voice.

"Promise?"

"I promise, Chris," he said. "Do ... do you want to know why I choose what I did?"

"Please," Chris replied. Then sucked in a breath as his body responded to Ezra shifting around so that he could lean back against his chest. Once Ezra was situated, he gave Chris a wicked grin just before propping his feet on the desk, thus pressing his ass even further into Chris's groin.

"I chose the roses because it's a tradition and I hope that this would be the first of many traditions we'll share and create together. I thought you could use the mug, the smaller balloons came with it. The big balloon was chosen simply for it's shock value," Ezra laughed and threaded their fingers together. "And I fell in love with the candy dish. After all, what's a cowboy with a cowboy hat," he shrugged, then rested his head on Chris's shoulder.

"And the daisies?"

"I like them," Ezra replied. "They remind me of spring. Of starting over. Of new beginnings."

"Thank you, Ezra," Chris told him once again. Then tightened his hold around Ezra's waist as he began to wiggle making Chris's body throb in awareness.

"If you don't stop that I'll throw you over my desk and take you right here and now ... the others be damned," he warned him just before taking his ear lobe into his mouth causing Ezra to moan.

"Promise?" Ezra teased in a breathless tone.

"No. On second thought I think I'll make you wait until we get home," Chris told him.

Josiah breathed a sigh of relief at the way Chris handled what could have been a very messy situation. He silently cursed Maude and her inability to except gifts from her one and only son. And while he couldn't understand Maude, Josiah refused to judge her. Although, he liked to believe that she just didn't know any better. That maybe that was how she was raised.

With a shrug of his massive shoulders Josiah had to grin because in spite of Maude's influence Ezra wasn't anything like his mother. Ezra was truly a free spirit and had a love for life that Josiah had rarely seen in all his years. The younger man lived his life to suit himself, the rest of the world be damned. Josiah was proud to know him and even prouder to be considered Ezra's friend.

"What'd we do for entertainment before Ezra arrived?"

That question had Josiah looking up and he realized that here was another free spirit. One that he wouldn't mind getting to know better. A lot better.

"We watched Buck try to get the better of JD," Josiah replied with a smile.

"Try?" Buck snorted. "Succeed is more like it!"

"You're full of shit, Buck!" JD teased. "You couldn't spell succeed let alone be able to achieve it."

"Why you little ..." Buck growled and jumped to his feet.

Josiah shook his head and laughed as the two men ran off down the hall. Life was good and he was proud to be a member of this team. Of this family. Maybe rainy Monday's weren't so bad after all.

The End