“Stop it, Jordan.” Lucas banged his hands on the tabletop, and Sasha, lying in the corner, picked up her head and whined. “That topic is closed. It’s not up for discussion.”
“If you didn’t claim you hated him so much, I wouldn’t care. But I see the torment behind your eyes, and the pain in your voice rips my heart out.” Jordan put a hand on Lucas’s shoulder, but he drew away. Still, Jordan persisted. “The opposite of love isn’t hate, Lucas. The opposite of love is not giving a damn at all. I don’t know what happened all those years ago. But whatever it is, it’s still killing you, eating away at your insides like a parasite, and you’re fooling yourself into thinking you can get rid of it like yesterday’s trash.”
Breathing hard, they stared at each other until the doorbell rang, setting Sasha, racing to the front door, barking her head off. Jordan shook his head in despair and went to answer it.
“Neil, hey, come on in.” Jordan held the door wide open. “Sash, quiet down.”
The detective stepped into the foyer. “Sorry to interrupt your evening, but I wanted to discuss something with you, if you have the time.” Neil’s gaze focused behind Jordan’s shoulder, and he knew Lucas had come into view. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. Hello, Luke.”
Jordan watched the two men shake hands. “You didn’t interrupt anything. We’d finished dinner, and I was about to make some coffee. Want some?”
Neil nodded, and they all walked into the kitchen. Jordan busied himself with the coffeemaker, while Luke and Neil discussed the stock market and what the next tech trend was going to be. After they all settled in at the table, Neil took a sip of his coffee, then spoke.
“Jordan, what can you tell me about that kid you had the confrontation with the night of the community center opening?”
Surprised, Jordan glared at Neil. “Are you planning on charging me? I don’t understand.”
Lucas, obviously still pissed off at him for their earlier confrontation, lashed out at him. “Jesus, you’re rude. I’m sure Neil is asking for a reason.”
Realizing he was out of line, Jordan apologized. “That was uncalled for on my part. What do you need to know?”
Neil chuckled. “No need to apologize. I know you didn’t mean anything by it.” He flipped open the notebook he never went anywhere without and consulted some notes. “It seems that our sources have heard some chatter lately about dealers who’ve been getting angry with the development of community centers like yours, as well as neighborhood watches and tenant associations banding together to stop the drugs and guns.”
Jordan’s mind flashed back to seeing Johnny on the street earlier, but he dismissed it. The kid was a small-time dealer, not part of a dangerous drug underground. “He’s a teenager who probably got himself in too deep, as I see it. I’ve only dealt with him, and he never mentioned anyone else.”
Lucas interjected at that point. “Wait a minute. Didn’t he say you needed to watch yourself earlier? That his boss didn’t like what you were doing with the community center?” He turned to Neil. “Isn’t that what you meant?”
Neil nodded. “Exactly. That’s a threat if I ever heard one. You have to watch yourself. I’m going to ask that a car drive by here every hour to make sure you’re safe.” For a moment he looked uncomfortable. “Uh, Luke, are you living here now? I’m assuming you two are a couple?”
Jordan grinned as Neil’s face turned red. “We are, but nothing’s been decided on that front. Yet.”
Neil busied himself with putting away his pen and notebook. “I’m happy for you, Jordan, and I know Marie will be thrilled.” He stood up and shook each of their hands. “You should both come to dinner soon. I know she’ll want to meet you, Luke.”
“I’m entering a detox program starting Monday, so I’ll be tied up with that, but certainly after I settle everything, we’ll come, right?” He raised a brow to Luke, who nodded back.
They walked Neil outside. The night was cool but not chilly, and Sasha came out with them to sit on the stoop. “Remember, Jordan, don’t take any risks and be careful.”
Jordan patted the older man on his back. “Yes, I will, Dad. Now go home to your wife already.” He watched Neil walk away down the block, then asked Lucas, “You want to grab her leash? She should have one last walk before we settle in for the night.”
“You still want me to stay?”
Surprised at the hesitancy in his voice, Jordan wrapped his hand around Lucas’s arm and pulled him close. So close the delicious roughness of his stubble pressed prickly warm against Jordan’s own cheek. He inhaled the scent of Lucas—leather, coffee, man. “I never want you to go.”
Chapter Nineteen
They had finished walking Sasha, and Luke’s nerves fairly hummed in anticipation. What had started out as a lust-inspired remark, that he wanted Jordan inside him, had turned into an obsession of thought and desire. In his traumatic journey to New York, he’d had no choice but to accept men inside him. Payment, they’d said, as they grunted and pushed their way into his uncaring shell of a body. It was the only way Luke had known how to survive.
All that had changed, thanks to Jordan. Watching as Jordan gave Sasha fresh water and settled her in for the night, Luke leaned against the carved newel post of the staircase. Jordan had shed his jacket on entering the house, and the T-shirt he wore stretched across his back and shoulders, accentuating the flex of muscles as he bent over to give the dog one last pat.
Luke’s eyes narrowed as Jordan approached him. “What is it?”
Jordan shook his head and grabbed Luke by the waistband of his pants, yanking him close. “Do you know how torturous it’s been for the last hour, sitting with Neil, making small talk, when all I wanted was to lay you over the countertop and fuck your brains out until you screamed?”
Fucking hell. Luke’s dick went hard in an instant. He could feel Jordan’s erection prodding him as well, the thin sweatpants doing nothing to conceal his lover’s mutual excitement.
“Oh yeah?” Luke licked his lips and took a deep breath. “That sounds pretty fucking hot, Prep School, but I’m kinda looking forward to being in a bed with you right now. ’Cause one time isn’t gonna be enough tonight.” He tangled his hands in Jordan’s blond waves, kissing him, wanting to possess every inch of him. And Jordan, in his usual no-holds-barred manner, gave as good as he got, plunging his tongue into Luke’s mouth while rubbing his body hard against Luke.
Luke finally broke off the kiss, gasping for air. “You’re killing me. Let’s go upstairs.”
