Page 12 of The Long Way Found

With the late afternoon crowd gone, they were alone in the gym now.

They stood close, facing each other, sweaty and breathing hard. Their muscles were tense and gleamed in the high-altitude sunlight pouring through the windows.

Luke's chest rose and fell. His eyelids seemed heavy.

Jack's hands flexed at his sides. One step. That's all it would take.

Luke's gaze dropped to Jack's mouth.

Jack's pulse hammered.

Then—

The front door chimed. A group of teenagers burst in, loud and laughing.

The spell broke.

Luke stepped back, clearing his throat. "Good session."

"Yeah," Jack said between shallow breaths. "Thanks."

They stood there for another beat, neither moving.

"Tonight," Luke said.

"Tonight," Jack confirmed.

Jack showered in the locker room, the cool water having no effect on the heat surging through him. He could still feel Luke's hands hovering near his hips during squats, could still see Luke's eyes drop to his mouth.

Tonight.

He dressed quickly and headed out. Luke was at the front desk, talking to Amir. When Luke saw Jack, he flashed the same megawatt smile that had rocked Jack's teenage world and rattled him yesterday.

Killer.

"See you at seven?" Luke called.

"Seven," Jack confirmed.

He walked to the Jeep, confident that something would definitely happen tonight.

And for once, Jack wasn't going to fight.

CHAPTER 5

LUKE

Luke pulled his Audi into Delmonico's parking lot at 6:55. He cut the engine and sat for a moment, breathing and regaining focus. The March evening was cold and clear. Stars were already visible above the mountains. Luke watched his breath fog the windshield, and when his imagination took off running, he let it for a few precious seconds. He let himself want it with Jack—not just tonight, but the whole crazy thing, after all this time.

Careful, he thought. Stay present and don't get ahead of yourself.

After work, he'd gone home, showered, and changed into dark jeans and a soft charcoal sweater. It held the line between casual and “yeah, I’m hot” sexy. A moment later, he was ready. He got out of the car and walked toward the restaurant.

Inside, Delmonico's hadn't changed in 20 years. Dark wood paneling, leather booths, and candles adorned each white tablecloth. Low, intimate lighting filled the room. The air smelled of grilled steak, red wine, warm bread, and melted butter. Soft conversation mixed with the clink of silverware. Anita Baker's voice drifted through the sound system.

The hostess, Jenny, greeted him with a knowing smile.

“Hi, Hon, I’m meeting a friend tonight,” Luke said. “Could you show him to my table when he gets here?”