Charcoal-gray suit, light blue shirt, and his favorite cartoon tie. He grinned at his reflection, thinking back to the first time he and Jordan had gotten dressed for work together, and Jordan seeing his collection of cartoon ties.
“Who’d have thought that under that dark and serious frown, you’re really a big kid at heart.”Then Jordan had kissed him, undoing the tie and the shirt, and made them both extremely late for work.
“I’m smiling too, looking at you.”
Jordan’s teasing voice broke into his reverie. He spun around to see his smirking lover leaning negligently against the door frame. Valerie gave him a big smile as she closed the door.
“Come on in and have a seat. We have time.” His gaze took in Jordan’s sinewy body, and a fresh wave of lust rolled through him, remembering how he’d woken up this morning. Nothing compared to Jordan’s hot, wet mouth on his erection, coaxing him to completion with small sounds and wispy, tickling touches.
Jordan stalked over to him and grabbed him around the neck, crushing their lips together and thrusting his tongue into Luke’s mouth. They stayed that way until Luke’s phone buzzed, the loud noise jarring in the silence, causing them to spring apart.
He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and, still panting, answered the phone. “Conover.” It took a second for his racing heart to steady itself.
“Mr. Conover, I’m sorry to interrupt, but Wanda Grant is on the phone for you.” In an effort to break out of his shell, Luke had told Valerie he and Jordan were in a relationship. It only made sense, since she knew more about him than anyone else, considering how much time they spent together. His revelation opened the floor for her to confide in him that her brother was also gay, but they hadn’t had a chance to have any further conversations.
“Wanda. Are you and everyone else set for later?” Wanda and her staff had worked tirelessly to make Keith’s dream become the reality he’d never get to see. From the corner of his eye, he caught Jordan frowning at his phone, then shutting off the screen with an almost angry jab of the button.
“Baby doll, we are more than ready. Everyone here is so excited about working there and helping out.” A note of pride crept into her voice. “I always knew you’d do great things.”
A slow burn heated his face. “I didn’t do anything, really. It was all because of Keith, and then Jordan’s helped so much.”
“How is that fine-lookin’ man of yours?” Wanda had been overjoyed when he confided in her how he and Jordan had taken a step toward a relationship. They’d had her over for dinner several times at Jordan’s town house, and the two of them had hit it off so well she’d even shared her secret for her famous peach cobbler with Jordan. Sometimes Luke wanted to pinch himself to make sure his life actually was as good as it seemed.
His greatest fear was that it would all vanish and he’d be left alone once again. After coming out from the shadows, he didn’t know if he could survive it.
“Jordan’s good, waiting impatiently here for me, as a matter of fact. We’re going over to the center a little early to make sure everything is set up the way it should be.”
At the mention of his name, Jordan looked over and raised a brow. “Who is that?”
Luke covered the mouthpiece. “It’s Wanda. She’s asking about you.”
A smile broke out across Jordan’s face as he crossed the room. “Let me speak with her.” He plucked the phone from Luke’s grasp before Luke had a chance to answer. “Wanda, how are you? I’m sorry I missed you the last time I stopped by.”
Luke leaned his hip against his desk, contemplating his lover. Jordan’s outlook on life, the gentle, loving side of him he rarely showed the public, coupled with his devastating looks and natural self-confidence, made him impossible to resist. The past few months had shown Luke the world he’d missed by secreting himself at home, hiding out and immersing himself so deep in his work that life passed by without him ever noticing.
Jordan laughed, throwing his head back with abandon, his cheeks flushed and blue eyes sparkling. Luke couldn’t help comparing him to the emotional wreck he’d been only months before, when they’d first met. Thank God Jordan had come through his darkness with little lasting trauma. His strong will and determination had made his addiction to pills short-lived. For the life of him, Luke couldn’t understand how someone could get addicted to drugs, especially a person as strong and confident as Jordan, but it no longer mattered.
“Where’s your mind at, that has you so lost in thought?” Jordan’s voice penetrated his musings. He jerked back to awareness and the heat of Jordan’s body pressing up against him. Luke slipped his arms around Jordan’s waist and pulled him closer.
“I’m thinking about what used to be and how happy I am that I’m no longer that man.” He cupped Jordan’s jaw in his palm to stroke the angled line of his cheekbone. “And how you were the reason for the change.”
Unusually serious, Jordan shook his head. “No, it wasn’t me. No one can make anyone change. You have to want to do it and be ready to embrace it. I was merely lucky to be there at the right time; that’s all.”
Luke eyed Jordan with curiosity. “You don’t believe people change because they know it will make someone else happy? That they want to better themselves because the person they care for would be happier?”
When he pulled away, Luke could see the agitation on Jordan’s face.
“But then it’s not real. It’s never right to change because it would make someone else happy. That’s not being true to yourself; it’s for the wrong reason. You can only ever really change for you.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to question Jordan further when the phone rang again. Luke hit the speaker button.
“Mr. Conover, Dr. Drew Klein is on line two.”
“Hold on a minute, Valerie.” He hit the Hold button and Jordan’s eyes flickered. “Are you going to take that? I’m sure I know what this is about, don’t you?”
He most certainly did. Drew had been practically begging Jordan to arrange a meeting between Ash and himself, and he’d flat-out refused. He’d bet his last dollar Ash hoped that tonight they could talk, and would think nothing of using the event to further his own selfish needs.
Jordan’s thin smile unnerved him. “Even if I asked, no, begged you to try with Ash, for me, because it would make me happy, would you do it?” His finger hovered over the Hold button on the phone.
