Chapter Seven

The weeks following the debacle in Jordan's kitchen were brutal for Luke. Even though he'd barely had time to breathe between conference calls and meetings, the way he'd left Jordan standing so devastated in his kitchen weighed on his conscience. Twice he'd called to apologize, but each time, Jordan had sounded like he did the first time they met: polite, distant, and cold.

Many nights were spent attending to the start-up details of the foundation, and only because it was absolutely necessary as chief financial officer did he attend. Jordan would come in after everyone had already arrived, and leave as soon as the meeting was over. His pale blue eyes flickered over Luke without a hint of recognition or friendliness.

If Luke tried to catch his eye, Jordan averted his head, refusing to meet his gaze. Maybe Luke shouldn't have kissed him, but Jordan's extreme reaction pissed him off. After all, Luke didn't kiss himself. Jordan had been a more than willing participant.

Very willing, as Luke remembered the push of Jordan's smooth tongue into his mouth and how his long fingers dug into Luke's hair as he held him tight. The scrape of Jordan's slight stubble against his jaw and the light, teasing scent of his expensive cologne lingered in Luke's mind.

He wants me but can't admit it.

His body tightened at the recollection. Dr. Jordan Peterson could turn out to be one of the biggest challenges of his life, and Luke loved challenges. It was how he'd pulled himself up from nothing when he first came to New York City. Someone only had to tell Luke no, and that was all the impetus he needed to make it a yes. It was why he was so successful in business.

Dispassionately, Luke stared out of the window of the cab as it traveled through the streets of the city toward home. As attractive as Jordan was, Luke didn't have time to deal with the man's baggage. Luke's infrequent sexual encounters were little more than a meeting of bodies in the dark and a quick release. The effort had grown depressing and tiresome, so he'd stopped trying altogether. One thing he didn't need was a conflicted, overly emotional man. As attractive and sexually appealing as Jordan was, Luke had no desire to get sucked into his world.

In the end, Luke decided Jordan might be the one challenge he wasn't willing to accept.

Yet…from the moment Jordan stepped into his office weeks ago and rocked his world with his cocky attitude and arrogant airs, Luke had thought of little else. Now that he knew him slightly better, Luke realized Jordan's pride and superiority masked a well-hidden insecurity. A shield he used to protect himself. Men like Jordan didn't respect anyone who bowed down to them too easily. They pushed everyone away, to find out who was genuine and also to keep their own secrets close to their hearts. Because Luke sensed Jordan had secrets of his own. Those dark shadows in his eyes weren't only caused by grief. Whatever Jordan hid had the possibility of blowing up his world.

Luke never bowed down to anyone. But then again, he wasn't looking for a relationship with Jordan. He'd meant what he said. Jordan needed some time at the gym to not only get physically stronger but to mentally work through his problems. Luke had done that very thing for himself. Normally he wouldn't give a shit, but if the two of them would be working closely on this project there was no need for it to be uncomfortable. They'd be work partners, nothing more. The weirdness of the kiss would fade, and life would go on.

Satisfied with the way he'd worked everything out in his mind, he exited the cab, anxious to get inside and out of his suit and tie and relax. As he watched the cab pull away, an unbidden image of Jordan popped into his head and Luke realized he didn't live all that far from Jordan's town house, maybe six or seven blocks at the most.

"Hi, Arthur." He nodded to the gray-haired doorman. "Anything doing tonight?" Arthur and the daytime doorman had been instructed to tell anyone not on his approved visitor list that he was either away on business or not at home. That took care of his foster brother Ash's attempts to see him at home when he couldn't get through to him at the office.

"Not tonight, sir. Nice and quiet." The doorman handed him some files that had been messengered over from his office. Because it was the weekend didn't mean the workload ended.

"Thanks." Luke glanced at the files, then got his mail and took the elevator up to his apartment. Ever since he'd found out that Jordan had taken in a stray dog, he'd debated getting a dog himself, or even a cat. Something living to come home to, that would be waiting for him. Something that would care if he lived or died, even if it was only for their own creature comfort. But with his insane hours, it wouldn't be fair to leave an animal cooped up all day and half the night alone.

He unlocked his door and flipped on the light, hating the darkness. Immediately, he turned on the television to keep him company. He had it programmed to one of the business channels so he could keep up-to-date with the foreign markets. The only benefit to working late at his firm was the full dinner spread they always provided to the staff, so he didn't have to worry about food. Beer, on the other hand, he always had in full supply. He opened a bottle and took a deep, satisfying swallow.

Carrying the rest of the six-pack, he trekked into the living room. With a tired grunt, he flopped onto the sofa, not even taking the time to remove his shoes. A glance at his watch showed the time as well after midnight. Most of his co-workers had headed off to a club in Tribeca after they'd left the office, but Luke had zero interest in standing around, chatting up some random guy. Not even the thought of an easy blowjob could tempt him. His health wasn't worth it. Drugs flooded the clubs these days, and he knew many of the regulars who hung out at those places did them; even some of the guys at the firm indulged. Drugs and the people who used them disgusted Luke. Only the weak let themselves get pulled into that world. He'd seen plenty when he ran away and had been offered a variety numerous times but avoided it at all costs. Unless he had no say in the matter.

Shaking from those haunting memories, Luke forced them out of his mind. He wondered what Jordan did in the evening to pass the lonely hours, and completely on a whim, pulled out his cell phone, found Jordan in his contacts, and pressed the call button. He set the bottle on the floor next to him and closed his eyes as he lay back on the sofa. The phone rang once, twice; then Jordan's voice, low and rough from sleep, answered.

"Dr. Peterson."

Oh fuck . Yeah, he'd probably think it was an emergency call. "Um, Jordan, it's Luke."

No answer.

"Lucas Conover? Jordan, are you there? Did I wake you?"

A deep sigh filled the phone receiver. "Give me a moment."

Luke heard sheets rustling and movement. While he waited, he pulled off his tie, unbuttoned his shirt, and toed off his shoes. Settling back again on the pillows of the sofa, he closed his eyes.

"Why are you calling me? Don't you know it's after midnight, for Christ's sake?" As usual, Jordan's irritated voice only made Luke smile. He did love to push the guy's buttons. And the fact remained he had no idea why Jordan piqued his interest. Maybe it was in how hard Jordan loved Keith; Luke respected the hell out of the man who took his relationship so seriously.

"Maybe if you'd talk to me during the day or at the meetings these past few weeks, I wouldn't have to track you down and wake you from your beauty sleep." Luke chuckled at the outraged breath that hissed in his ear.

"I wasn't aware we had anything else to say to each other." That frosty, pissed-off tone was pure Jordan. He had that prep-school asshole thing going on, yet Luke wanted to hold onto the thread of friendship he'd sensed beginning those nights in the restaurant and in Jordan's kitchen. "You apologized, I accepted, and that's it."

"Look. I know I fucked up and I'm sorry for the kiss but I did mean what I said. I think you'd feel much better if you built up some strength, and I can help. Besides," he teased, trying to lighten the mood, "Sasha was pretty sweet on me, and I wouldn't want the dog to mope around, nursing a broken heart."

"You're an asshole, you know?" Jordan's growl only made him laugh.

"Yeah, but animals and little old ladies love me."

"Why are you bothering me, Lucas?" The resigned tone reentered Jordan's voice. "I'm fine as I am."

Back to that challenge . "Bullshit. Come on, Jordan. What's the matter, afraid you'll fail? Won't be able to keep up with me?" For some indefinable reason, a wicked smile curved his lips. "I'll go easy on you, considering you're so much weaker than I am."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Then meet me tomorrow at Power Fitness on Eighth and 17th. We'll start on a regimen to get you back into shape." Luke dropped the joking tone and turned serious. "Eleven o'clock?" He held his breath waiting for an answer.

"Pushy bastard." Jordan's annoyance came through loud and clear. "You aren't going to leave me alone until I show you you're wrong. I'll meet you then and prove I'm fine and don't need your help."

The phone clicked off. Luke grinned to himself as he got ready for bed, ridiculously happy.

Challenge accepted.

~ ~

At five minutes to eleven the next morning, Luke strolled into Power Fitness—the gym he'd belonged to for the past several years. He gave a perfunctory greeting to the young woman who checked him in at the front desk; then he scanned the waiting area. No sign of Jordan yet.

Luke decided to change in the locker room first. He liked to take a shower and have a change of clothes so he didn't have to walk home all sweaty from his workout. After pulling on the thin T-shirt and light sweatpants he normally wore, he slung a towel around his neck and returned to the reception desk. Jordan sat on the bench, looking out of sorts and out of place. As he did each time he saw the man, Luke sensed something wasn't right, but he couldn't place his finger on it.

"Good morning."

There it was. That blue-eyed stare that had caught his attention the first time they'd met. As hard as he tried, Luke was unable to dismiss this man from his mind. Admittedly he hadn't tried too hard.

"What's good about it? You woke me out of a sound sleep and made me come here, when I could've been home—"

"Doing nothing as usual?" Luke cut off Jordan's grumbling. "Stop bitching and start moving." He walked past Jordan and waved him to follow. "Put your stuff in a locker, then we'll hit the weights first, and you can show me what you've got."

Luke waited while Jordan did as he suggested, then they walked in silence until they reached the weight room. For a Saturday morning, it was relatively empty. A few other guys, headphones in place, sat at the machines, their concentration solely on their workout. Luke scanned the room and indicated to Jordan they should approach the bench press area.

"Come this way. What was your usual workout like?" The bar was set with one-hundred-pounds total weight.

Jordan's eyes darted off to the side, and he shifted on his feet. "I, ah, I wasn't ever a lifter. I'm not the muscle-bound type. I ran mostly and did some yoga." At Luke's smile his voice rose, becoming defensive. "I did it for stress relief, after long days of surgery."

"Hey, I'm not one to judge." But his smirk grew broader. "Of course, if you don't think you can do it—"

"Screw you. I can do anything I want to." Jordan threw down his towel and lay back on the bench. "Spot me."

Luke had to bite back a laugh at Jordan's angry growl. "All right, Prep School. Calm down." Jordan lay down on the bench and reached for the bar, and Luke stood behind him to give him instructions. "Lift it slow and even on both sides."

"I know." The words came out through gritted teeth.

Right away, Luke could see Jordan was barely able to lift the bar. It wouldn't do any good to call him out on it, as Jordan was the type who'd rather hurt himself than admit defeat. The man was way too stubborn.

"You know, we should probably have started out with some sit-ups and stretches first, to warm your body and loosen up." That sounded plausible to him and not too obvious that he didn't think Jordan could lift the weight.

Jordan pushed through five more lifts before setting the bar back on the rack. His flushed face shone with a damp sheen of perspiration, and his breath puffed out heavily. "I could've handled it." But he looked happy to get off the bench.

"I saw, Prep School. But I'm running this show, and I say to the mat now." He strode over to the workout mat and sat down. "Sit-ups. Let's do fifty of them."

Jordan stood over him for a minute, and Luke couldn't help but stare. The man had a perfect ass, the thin nylon shorts he wore leaving little to his imagination. Against his will, Luke's cock hardened.

Focus, buddy. You're not here to score . "Hands behind your head. Keep your core tight and your legs straight. Look up at the ceiling and lift, using your stomach muscles, not your neck."

"I've done sit-ups before. I know how to do them." Jordan's black scowl only spurred Luke to goad him further.

"You may think you know, Prep School. Now I'm showing you the right way." He placed his hand on Jordan's abdominal muscles to make sure he was doing it right. At his first touch, the man nearly jumped away from him. "Calm down. I need to check your form."

Uncertain blue eyes met his.

"Do a set of twenty-five for me now."

Jordan blinked, then jerked a nod and lay back. Luke kept his palm flat on Jordan's stomach as the man rose, then lay back. Underneath his fingers, the slippery fabric couldn't hide the tautness of Jordan's muscles or the heat from his body. As he counted in his head, Luke could hear Jordan's exhalations and feel the clench of his stomach muscles. The man's body was all lean, sinewy muscle, with very little mass to him. Luke wondered how the softness of Jordan's bare skin would taste, and lost himself in the thought of licking down Jordan's—

"Lucas."

He blinked and jerked his hand off Jordan's body. "Why do you call me Lucas, when everyone calls me Luke?"

Jordan shrugged. "I don't know. I decided Luke sounds like a cowboy, and you're a city boy."

Not really, but what the hell . Luke nodded. "So your form is decent. I'd have you do three sets of twenty-five sit-ups to build up your core. What you need to do is concentrate on strength. As I suspected, you have little to no muscle mass."

"I'm not built like that. Keith tried to build me up and failed." His gaze dropped to the mat, and his fingers twisted the edges of his shorts.

"I'm not trying to build you up, Prep School. I want to make you stronger." Luke watched him carefully. Now that he was so physically close, Luke noticed the slight tremble in Jordan's fingers and the occasional twitch of muscles in his arms and legs. "Hey, are you all right? You're shaking."

As if he hadn't heard him, Jordan remained staring at the ground.

"Jordan, man. Are you all right?" A bit afraid that he'd pushed him too far between the lifting and the sit-ups, Luke shook Jordan's arm. "What's wrong?"

"Huh? What? Nothing." Jordan blinked and rubbed his eyes. "I must've zoned out for a moment."

Something was definitely off, and it frustrated Luke that he couldn't figure it out. "Well, let's do some stretching, and then we can see about some free weights." He paused. "Does that work for you?"

"Yeah, sure."

He took Jordan through a routine of free weights and noted in his phone the weights and reps. "So do you think this is something you can handle? I think if you do this three times a week and eat properly, you'll regain your strength. Maybe even become stronger."

"Sure, it's fine." Jordan's phone buzzed. As they walked back to the locker room, he checked it, and Luke saw him bite his lip and hesitate over returning the text.

"Bad news?"

They entered the locker room, and Jordan slumped down onto the bench, indicating Luke should sit next to him. Jordan rested his elbows on his knees, bracing his head in his hands, obscuring his face from Luke's view.

"No, merely another obligation I've been ignoring for months that I shouldn't have." Jordan's eyes met his through the fall of his hair. He blew out a gusty breath and sat up straight. "See, for years, we all visited Drew's grandmother, Esther, on Sundays. We've known her all our lives. She raised Drew and his sister, Rachel, after their parents were killed. Esther's close to ninety and still going strong, but we like to keep an eye on her."

"Sounds nice, if you're into all that family stuff." He wasn't, since you can't want what you never had. Luke leaned back on his hands and continued to listen.

"She's a special lady, and loves having a house full of young people." A smile flickered on his lips as his eyes softened. "She especially loved Keith since he'd bring her chocolate all the time."

"You didn't mind going?" Strange that the cool, indifferent Jordan Peterson would care about someone else's relative.

"Of course not. I love her like she was my own grandmother. But I haven't seen her in months, and that text was from Drew, pleading with me to come tomorrow. It's her birthday this week, and they'll all be there. Drew and his boyfriend, his sister Rachel and Mike." His fingers twisted together. "They want me to come."

Once again, Luke noticed how his hand shook. "So go. They're your best friends."

Jordan balled his hands into fists. "You don't understand. They're all paired up now, and I'm alone. I sound like a fucking wuss, but I don't think I can face walking in there by myself, without Keith. Seeing all that happiness. Shit, I thought I was past it but…" He shrugged. "It fucking sucks because I hate the thought of disappointing Esther." They sat in silence for a while; then Jordan's face brightened. "I have an idea."

Luke, tired of sitting for so long, had gone to his locker and fiddled with the combination. "Yeah? What, Prep School?"

"What the fuck is with that name?" Jordan shot a scowl at him.

Luke couldn't help but grin. "It fits you perfectly, and it pisses you off."

Jordan gave him the finger, a wicked smile curving his lips. Uh-oh . Luke didn't like the look of that smile.

"Come with me."

Luke froze and huffed out a nervous laugh. "What?"

"Come with me. Keep me company. Eventually, you'll have to meet the guys anyway since they're going to be involved with my work at the foundation. I can pick you up tomorrow morning. It's only a few hours." Those pale blue eyes gleamed. "Besides, Esther's an amazing cook."

"Look, it's nice of you to offer, but I don't know you guys, and I'd feel weird going to some old lady's house for her birthday." Luke's fingers fumbled with the combination, and mercifully it opened so he could hide from those piercing eyes.

With a swiftness Luke didn't think he possessed, Jordan appeared at his locker, crowding him into the small space. "Esther would flay you alive if she heard you call her old." That arrogance dropped from Jordan's voice, replaced by a warm, almost intimate tone. "Please, Lucas. I'm as close to begging as I've ever been. I don't think I can do this alone."

Lucas . Jordan's seductive voice curled around Luke's spine, and he closed his eyes. The scent of Jordan's cologne mixed with the sharp tang of their sweat and heat, creating a dizzying need within Luke he'd never before experienced. He imagined Jordan underneath him, begging in that same sexy tone. His cock stiffened and he stood still, keeping the lower half of his body hidden behind the open locker door.

He didn't belong in Jordan's happy family nucleus. Badgering Jordan to join him here was the wrong idea; he should've left things alone and let Jordan continue to avoid him. Luke needed to put some distance between them. This was what he got for letting himself get too close.

"What are you so afraid of? Am I good enough to hang out with at the gym but nowhere else? I'm only asking for some company, goddamn it. Why do you have to make me beg?" To his utter shock, Jordan pushed him into the locker, his angry face only inches away. "Just fucking forget it. And forget this gym bullshit. I don't need you for anything." He stalked off into the bathroom.

Luke raked his hand through his sweaty hair, guilt now coming into play. He hadn't meant to come off as such a bastard. What would be the harm in spending a few hours with the guy? It was hard having your life ripped away in a moment while everyone else continued with their own as if nothing had happened.

He knew what it was like. Shame coursed through Luke. Had he forgotten about his promise to pay it forward? This was no different. He might have been able to make it alone, but it didn't mean he couldn't help Jordan try and overcome his own demons. The man had a life to get back to, after all. He closed his locker and found Jordan in the bathroom. Luke saw him pop something in his mouth.

"Headache," Jordan mumbled under his breath.

"Look, Prep School. You're right. I was being a dick." Noticing Jordan's raised brows, he rushed to finish his train of thought before he changed his mind. "I'll come with you. Keith always talked so much about you all, I feel as if I know everyone already."

Luke's heart jolted at the faint smile and relief in Jordan's eyes.

After showering and deciding on a time for Jordan to pick him up in the morning, they parted ways at the front of the gym. Unable to keep his eyes off the lean form of the man walking away, Luke knew he was doing the right thing by going with Jordan, even if it would be a boring way to spend his afternoon.