Jordan and Luke
One week later
Luke placed his bag in the overhead compartment of the plane. “Do you want the window or the aisle seat?” He glanced over his shoulder at Jordan standing right behind him.
“Aisle is fine. That way I can lean on your shoulder.” Jordan winked at him.
“Darlin’, you can lean on anything you like. Keep taking me back to Paris, and you can have anything you want.” They sat, and Luke relaxed. It had been a hectic day. They’d first had to drop Sasha off at Gage’s house, which meant a trip early in the morning to Brooklyn. He’d offered to watch her since everyone else either had cats or wasn’t home. Then Luke had wanted to stop at Esther’s to see his mother. It still seemed bizarre to Luke for everyone to be together, but strangely comforting in a way. He often found himself reaching for the phone to call Tina during the day to check on her or to say hello.
They’d had her over to dinner several times, and she and Jordan surprisingly hit it off, as Jordan, with his natural charm, made her feel completely at ease and had her laughing at his jokes and cooking with him in the kitchen. He, Ash, and Brandon had all decided to participate in family therapy with her, and after learning more about her brutal life with Munson, Luke slowly let go of the past.
Life, as he knew it, was good.
The flight attendant appeared at their seats.
“Champagne, water, or something else to drink?”
Before Luke could answer, Jordan spoke. “I’ll take champagne and so will he.”
Luke elbowed him. “What if I didn’t want that? Maybe I want something different.” The flight attendant smiled at him when he looked to her.
“Do you want something else, sir?”
Luke groused, “No. Champagne is good. Thank you.”
Jordan snickered. “I knew it.”
“You’re such an ass.” He pretended to read the Wall Street Journal he’d brought with him.
Jordan kissed his cheek and brushed his fingertips along Luke’s jaw. “But you love me, right?”
Luke put the paper down. “Of course I do.”
More than ever. He’d never imagined the life he lived now, filled with friends, family, and so much laughter; it sometimes scared him. Finding Brandon was the greatest joy in his life. Now that their mother lived with Esther, he couldn’t imagine anything making his life any better than it was at this moment. He was on his way to Paris with the man he loved, flying first class, and staying in a luxury hotel.
And when they arrived, he planned to tell Jordan his surprise. He knew how much Jordan loved the country; some of his favorite weekends were the trips they took to Pennsylvania to go antiquing or fishing. Growing up in the country, Luke had never had a chance to appreciate it, but now he looked forward to their planned getaways from his hectic, soul-draining job. He’d had his eye on a little piece of property in one of the small towns they passed often, with a pond and a garden in the back. Jordan would frequently remark on what a nice weekend retreat it would make.
Two weeks ago, he’d bought it and planned to surprise Jordan with the deed on this vacation.
What more could he want?
They took off on time and within half an hour were already being served their first snack. Jordan had become unusually quiet, accepting the dish of nuts from the attendant. Perhaps it had been a long day for him as well.
The attendant placed his little container on the tray. “Enjoy, sir.”
He thanked her and reached in to take a handful of nuts but felt something cold and hard instead. He tipped the dish over, and a ring fell out.
Stunned, he looked over at Jordan, who smiled at him.
“Marry me, Lucas?”
~ ~
Jordan had seen people in shock before, but Lucas seemed paralyzed. Sudden doubt crawled through him as he watched Lucas’s reaction. Had he made a mistake about Lucas’s feelings for him? They loved each other, didn’t they?
“Lucas, if you don’t say something soon, I may have to check your breath against a mirror to see if you’re still alive. Of course, if you don’t want to marry me, I guess I can live with it. I thought—”
“Shut up and kiss me.”
Thank God. He could breathe again. Happiness welled up inside him. “Can I take that as a yes?”
“Can’t you ever do what I ask?” Lucas sighed and took off his seat belt to face him. “Kiss me. Now. We’ll talk later.”
The lights had dimmed in the cabin as it was an overnight flight. Not that Jordan cared in the least. He would kiss Lucas in the middle of the day in Times Square if he decided. Jordan did what he wanted, where he wanted. The only thing that never changed is that he wanted to do it all with Lucas.
He took Lucas’s face between his hands and crushed their lips together. His mouth moved over Lucas’s, hot and hungry, while their tongues met and tangled. Jordan sank into the kiss, fervently hoping his touch and breath could speak what was in his heart.
When they finally broke apart, both were panting. Lucas had a dazed look in his eyes, his lips so ripe and swollen from Jordan’s kisses, it was an effort for Jordan not to grab him again. Jordan took a deep breath and closed his eyes in an effort to slow his racing heart.
“Jordan?” The quiet hesitancy in Lucas’s voice scared Jordan.
“Yes?”
“Are you sure? You really want to get married?”
Jordan had spent almost a year with Lucas, and he loved him now as much as when he first fell for the man. They worked hard but always made certain to carve out time where it was the two of them together. Jerry had finally made good on his threat and retired to Florida with his wife, Marie, and he and Lucas planned to fly down to visit them. He’d learned from past mistakes and spent more time at Drew’s clinic and had recently thought about teaching at one of the medical schools in the city. It didn’t matter any longer to him to be the best and the biggest. What mattered was his volunteer work at the community center and reading to the kids. Or taking long walks with Sasha through the city with Lucas, then coming home to make love. The crushing loneliness he’d suffered from after Keith’s death was a thing of the past, but he never forgot how insidious it was and how it had almost destroyed him. Jordan made sure to never keep secrets from Lucas, and Lucas had opened up to him about all the pain he’d had inside since childhood.
It hurt him, then, to think Lucas still had doubts.
“I love you. I want to be a family, have children, grow old with you. Does that sound like I don’t want to get married?” Jordan picked up Lucas’s hand and stroked it. “I want to be married to you. Only you.”
Lucas raised his free hand to Jordan’s face and brushed his knuckles along Jordan’s cheek. He then took the ring and handed it to Jordan and extended his finger.
Trembling a bit, Jordan slid it on Lucas’s finger and held his hand tight. He pushed the Call button for the flight attendant.
“May we each have another glass of champagne, please?” He squeezed Lucas’s hand. “We have a wedding to plan.”
~ ~
Drew and Ash
One month later
Ash was in a piss-poor mood when he came home. He threw his briefcase on the chair and headed straight to the bar for an iced vodka. He hated spending Saturdays at the office, but he knew he wasn’t good company for his friends right now so better to take his bad mood out on his files. Domino glared at him from the sofa, seemingly disappointed that Ash wasn’t Drew.
Ash glared right back at the cat. “I miss him more.”
He’d spent almost the entire past week either in court or working late at the office, anything rather than being home by himself. Esther had tried to persuade him to come by, but Ash made excuses about work. Drew had been gone at some damn conference, and Ash missed him horribly. Since they’d first been together, they’d never been separated for even a day. Ash checked his watch, noting that Drew’s plane should’ve landed by now and wondered why he hadn’t called.
For all the years before he’d met Drew, Ash had been alone without a second thought. He had work and countless men, and it had all been enough. Until Drew. Once he met Drew, it all changed; Ash shed his skin and became a new person. He assumed falling in love was what did it.
But with Drew gone this week, self-doubt haunted Ash. The nights alone crawled in, bringing with it all his old insecurities about his worthiness to be loved by a man as good as Drew. Phone calls at night and raunchy sex over Skype didn’t cut it for Ash. Drew was his home, his center. He needed Drew’s touch and calming presence. Without Drew in his bed Ash was rudderless: unsure and alone. After so many years without love, he found it unbearable to breathe without Drew to lean on. Even an extra therapy session hadn’t helped.
Ash knew what people thought. They believed his dominance in the courtroom extended to every aspect of his life. He poured himself another drink and stared at the colorless liquid. What a joke that was, a facade. Only Drew knew the scared man Ash was, the man who needed to be held in the middle of the night, the man who couldn’t take a deep breath without Drew by his side. The iced vodka slid down Ash’s throat, but it was no cure for his loneliness.
The lock clicked, and Drew walked in, smiling at him from the doorway. And like magic, Ash could breathe again. The grayness slid away, and color reentered his life.
“Baby.” Ash grabbed Drew to him and crushed their mouths together. They held each other close and rocked. Ash’s lips found the curve of Drew’s cheek. “I missed you so damn much.” He continued to kiss Drew down his neck as he cupped Drew’s ass. “Don’t go away again. Don’t leave me.”
“Mmm. Sorry I didn’t let you know we landed, but my phone died. Come with me next time?” Drew pulled off his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. “I hated sleeping alone.”
“Me too. I couldn’t sleep at all without you. That damn cat kept staring at me like I’d done something horrible to you.”
Drew chuckled. “You and Domino should be friends already.” He walked into the bedroom, and Ash held his breath.
Several minutes passed, and then Drew walked back into the living room with an odd look on his face. “What is this?” He held out a small box and a red rose.
“Did you open it?” Ash swallowed, more nervous than the first time he’d walked into a courtroom.
“Should I?”
Ash nodded, never taking his eyes off Drew as he opened the box. Drew began to tremble.
“Where did you get this?”
“From Esther. I spoke to her after Mike and Rachel got married, and she gave it to me.”
With a shaking hand, Drew took the wide band of gold from the box. “I never knew she had it. I thought it was lost in the accident and only my mother’s ring was recovered.” He held it in the palm of his hand for a moment, then went to put it on his finger.
“Don’t.” Ash closed his hand over Drew’s.
“Why not?” Drew’s green eyes clouded with confusion.
It had never been in Ash’s makeup to be with only one man. Before he’d zipped up his pants, he’d been on to the next hot mouth. Until Drew so ensnared him with his purity of heart and sweetness of spirit, Ash couldn’t help but lose his own heart. And now he wanted to give his heart to Drew forever.
“Because I want to do it. In front of Esther and Rachel, with whomever you want there when we say our vows.”
Drew’s eyes shone. “Are you saying what I think?”
Ash held Drew close, letting the peace that only this man had ever been able to give him wash over him like the warm ocean tide. “Yes. Please. Be with me forever. Marry me.”
Drew tipped his head back and smiled into Ash’s eyes. “That was very poetic and beautiful.”
“I have so little to give you; the best I can do is tell you what’s in my heart.” Ash brushed back Drew’s dark hair. “So will you marry me?”
Drew kissed him. “Of course. When and where?”
Ash smiled as he led Drew back into the bedroom. “Leave it up to me and your grandmother.”
Drew sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that. My grandmother will be uncontrollable.”
Ash laughed as he unbuttoned Drew’s shirt.
~ ~
For the first time since he’d started the Clinic, they closed during the week. Drew had gone in early to do some paperwork, then locked up and hurried over to his grandmother’s house.
There was no flower-filled garden or crowds of friends. This time, only his family and Ash’s were at Esther’s, along with Rabbi Waxman. He opened the front door and was greeted by Jordan and Luke’s dog, Sasha. After petting her, Drew heard voices coming from the kitchen and headed to the back of the house.
“Drew, darling.” Esther, dressed in a pink suit with a flower corsage, hurried over to him. “I’m so glad you’re here finally.”
“Nana.” He kissed her cheek and hugged her. “You look beautiful.” He scanned the room, his gaze coming to rest first on Louisa in a pretty white suit and then on Tina, also in pink like his grandmother. She stood surrounded by her sons.
“Thank you, sweetheart. I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited for this.” She patted his cheek. “I think Asher is more nervous than Rachel was on her wedding day.”
They shared a laugh and then Drew left his grandmother to join Ash and his brothers. “Hi.”
Ash spun around, that wonderful smile transforming his face. Drew loved seeing him so open and joyful. He loved Ash so much his heart hurt.
“Hey, baby.” Ash bent to kiss him, and as always, the pull of his body toward Ash was fundamental to Drew’s existence. They had a natural attraction that went beyond the physical; they were in each other’s heads, blood, and souls. He couldn’t stop loving Ash if he wanted to.
“Ready?”
“I’ve been ready for forever.” Ash cupped the back of Drew’s neck and trailed his fingers down Drew’s back. “I was waiting for you to find me for years.”
Drew held Ash’s silvery gaze and knew he’d never grow tired of waking up next to this man. “There’s no letting go after today.”
Rachel hurried over, the swell of her pregnant belly beginning to show through her dress. “Come, you two. The rabbi has papers for you to sign.”
“Let’s do this.” Drew slipped his hand into Ash’s, and they walked back to his grandmother’s living room. It only took a few minutes to sign the English and the Hebrew marriage certificate and then listen to the words that would bind him and Ash together forever.
They’d agreed beforehand that Ash would step on the glass, and he did so, with a large pop.
“Mazel tov!”
Ash kissed him sweetly on the lips. “You’re mine now.”
Drew tipped his head back and stared into the smiling face of the man he loved more than anything. “I’ve always been yours.”
~ ~