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  Knowing he'd be early, Drew planned to stop at Café Du Monde. He hadn't had their chicory-flavored coffee and beignets in a long time. The sky looked like dirty wash water, but his morning seemed brighter knowing he'd have a breakfast treat.

  * * * * *

  Coffee in one hand and powdered sugar-covered donuts in the other, Drew thumped his booted heels on the stone pavers in Jackson Square. He found a decent vantage point, then sat down to wait for Luis. Coffee cup poised at his lips, Drew noticed Luis entering the square from the same direction he had, also carrying a coffee cup. Drew must have missed him at the Café by only a few minutes.

  His stomach churned. Last evening's meeting hadn't gone too badly, but Luis still had the upper hand. Drew wanted to turn that around this morning and even the playing field. He waved Luis over.

  "Good morning." Dressed for business, Luis sounded the same way he looked.

  He glanced at the dark sky. "Doesn't look good."

  "Let's get on with it, then."

  Luis sat next to him and took a sip of coffee. "What do you want from me, Drew?"

  "I want to apologize for cheating on you with Teak. I should have been man enough to end things with you first. I was angry and hurt. That's not an excuse, it's an explanation. I'm sorry."

  Luis ran his fingertip along the edge of his coffee cup. "Is there a 'but' in there somewhere?"

  "No. The time has passed for trying to rationalize my behavior—or yours."

  He looked at Drew, his eyes like puddles of hot chocolate, so warm and inviting.

  "Thank you. I said this then, and I'll tell you again now—I never cheated on you."

  Finding the statement still hard to believe, Drew frowned. "All the guys hanging on you . . . pawing you . . . ."

  "You weren't blind, obviously, but I didn't act on their invitations when you were there or behind your back."

  Drew's heart sank. What a fucking idiot I was. All those wasted years. All that time spent on negative emotions. "I wish I could have heard that honesty, seen the truth then."

  His voice low, Luis said the words Drew had waited years to hear. "I could have tried harder to make you believe me. I thought you were immature and over-reacting. I never thought when you left that day . . . ."

  Raindrops fell, leaving wet splotches the size of pennies.

  Luis rose. "I can't go to work soaking wet."

  Drew stood with him, and they walked in the direction of the café. "Where does this leave us?"

  "I don't know. You seem to be in pretty tight with Agent LaMontagne."

  Drew grabbed Luis' arm, slowing him. "How did you know his name? I never told you."

  Smirking, Luis resumed his quick pace, leaving the square. "I wondered if he'd tell you."

  "Tell me what?"

  "He and I had a little conversation last week at your office."

  You tracked me down? The idea thrilled Drew, but he kept his tone on an even keel. "You did? He didn't say a word."

  Luis chuckled. "He behaved exactly the way I would have. He wants you for himself, and I'm a threat."

  Drew's heart pounded, his breath stalled in his lungs. Was Luis sounding proud, even eager for the competition?

  Luis pointed. "Look, I'm over there. Let's pick this up tonight."

  "Where? When?"

  The rain's intensity increased. Luis ran across the street, calling over his shoulder, "My place at seven. If you found my office, you can find my apartment."

  * * * * *

  Drew hung around after his shift ended and waited for Kyle. They hadn't seen each other since their phone conversation the other evening. Drew would have left things that way if Luis hadn't told him about their meeting. He walked to Kyle's cubicle and knocked on the wall partition's metal frame.

  "Got a minute?"

  Kyle smiled, and leaned back in his chair. "Sure. How are you?"

  "Pretty good." There was no point in playing games. Drew launched the conversation with a pointed question. "Why didn't you tell me you'd seen Luis—that he came here?"

  Red color crept up Kyle's neck.

  Busted. Drew waited for him to concoct a reasonable explanation.

  "He's no good for you. He's been messing with your head and your life for years.

  This time isn't going to be any different."

  Bile rose in Drew's throat. He didn't expect this kind of blatant manipulation. "It's my life, Kyle. I'm an adult."

  "You don't act like one whenever his name comes up. You act like a lovesick dog."

  "I've always been upfront about my situation with Luis."

  "I thought we were moving on together, and that bastard screwed up everything by showing his ugly face." Kyle's expression revealed his emotional strain. "Since you know about the meeting, that must mean you've talked to him."

  He nodded. "We have spoken and seen each other a couple of times."

  "Was he as good as you remembered?"

  On the verge of losing his temper and raising his voice to inappropriate levels, Drew had to end the conversation.

  Kyle uttered a final remark. "Fuck you, choirboy." A smug look was plastered all over his face. Though keeping his voice low, he spoke in a triumphant, prophetic tone.

  "That's what he'll do to your body, your mind, your heart. And when he's done fucking with you, don't come crawling back to me. I'm done. Kiss my ass, you stupid son of a bitch."

  That sealed the deal. If Drew had any misgivings about breaking things off with Kyle, he didn't have them anymore. He left the building and went to his SUV. The conversation replayed in his mind as he drove out of the parking lot and toward the freeway. Drew had every right to be pissed off at Kyle for being manipulative, yet he knew to some extent that Kyle was right. Luis had played God with Drew's emotions time and again.

  He put on his turn signal and merged onto the freeway. Tonight, we'll be having dinner, alone. The idea thrilled and scared the shit out of Drew. He had absolutely no idea what to expect. Luis must be interested in patching things up, or he wouldn't have invited me. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out what he wanted from Luis. Do we deserve a second chance?

  Glad that traffic was lighter than usual, Drew changed lanes, then took his exit in Metairie. He drove past the parked cars along the avenue, roasting in mid-September's sunshine.

  Maybe having no agenda tonight was the best way to approach things. If he had zero expectations, he wouldn't have any disappointments, would he?

  While parking in his designated spot outside his apartment building, Drew remembered Luis' seductive charm. His voice, his word choices, the way he reached right into Drew's soul and yanked out all his secrets. Drew turned off the ignition. It would have been so easy to have had sex in Luis' office.

  Would Luis want that to happen tonight? Do I? His chest tightened. The attraction is still there, but is Luis assuming his dominant role with me because he thinks I expect it? Is it a facade? Suddenly nervous, Drew clenched the steering wheel. I'm older, wiser to his games. I've lived more, got my confidence, and a cop's nose now. If he's bullshitting me, I'll know it. He let out a long breath. I hope to God I'll know it.

  Chapter Ten

  Pierce's information had been rock-solid about Luis' lifestyle. Drew couldn't help being impressed as he parked his truck. He walked to the residence elevators. A security guard checked his ID and cleared his arrival with Luis before letting him pass.

  Drew entered the elevator. On the seventeenth floor, the door opened. He padded through the vacant hall to Luis' condo. Anxiety tickled his psyche. Luis knew he was here. If he left, he'd know Drew was a coward. He pressed the bell.

  Luis opened the door, smiling. "Come on in."

  His dress shirt was half-open, and untucked. The sleeves were rolled up his forearms. Luis had become even more handsome and desirable. Wherever Drew looked, something made him damn near drool.

  He walked into the spacious living room and let out a long, slow whistle. "Wow."

  "You like it?"
<
br />   He looked at Luis. "It's wonderful. Totally your style, and such a step up from your place in Florida."

  Luis chuckled. "Yeah, that apartment pretty much sucked. Good memories, but bad decorating."

  Drew couldn't disagree. "How long have you been here?"

  "I moved in a couple years ago." He wagged his thumb toward the dining room.

  "If you're hungry, dinner is ready."

  "Sure." Seeing the formal table setting made Drew grin. "Some things never change."

  He pulled out the upholstered chair and sat down.

  Luis ladled steaming jambalaya into Drew's bone-white soup bowl. "What doesn't change?"

  "The table setting. Even when you were serving those God-awful bologna and peanut butter sandwiches, you always set the table like we were having a holiday dinner."

  Luis sat down before placing his linen napkin on his lap.

  "Blame my grandmother for that. Old habits, like good table manners, are hard to kill." Luis crooked an eyebrow at Drew. "You're not still eating those sandwiches, are you?"

  He pasted on an innocent expression. "Every now and then, but I stopped bringing them to work. The people there gave me too much shit."

  Luis brought a spoonful of jambalaya to his lips. "Do you blame them? How did you end up down here, anyway?"

  "I finished school in Wescott, and saw a job opening through the school's network. At that time, I didn't really care where I moved, as long as I got far away from Minnesota's winters."

  "Sounds like a smart move." Luis rose. "Can I get you a beer?"

  "Sure, whatever you're having."

  Luis handed him a bottle of Abita and a glass. "Does Teak work at anything besides peddling his gorgeous smile?"

  While pouring his nut-brown ale, Drew frowned. "Teak? Yeah, but he and I aren't together, if that's what you're wondering. He followed me to Wescott, but we didn't last long. He's older than I am—guess I like older guys, and the relationship wasn't right for either of us. The only good thing that came out of it was Teak met Kevin there."

  "Marks?"

  "Yeah, they're so much in love. In fact, they're getting married in mid-December, and I'm going to be their best man. I'll have to brave the elements one more time, but I wouldn't miss it. They have something really special."

  Luis stopped chewing. "You used to say that about us."

  Drew filled his spoon and put the spicy stew in his mouth. "Your cooking is good as ever."

  "Why are you changing the subject?"

  He let out a sigh while studying Luis. "I used to say that, but that was before."

  "Before all the craziness?"

  "Yes. And you're with Ronnie now. No offense, but I'm really surprised to see you with a tranny. I never pegged you for rolling that way."

  Luis waved his hand, appearing to dismiss the remark. "It's mostly business. He's fun and very adventurous, but it's nothing serious."

  "Does he know about your dominant side?"

  His lips curled up in a half-smile. "No need. Ronnie is such a willing bottom, it doesn't matter." Luis sipped his beer. "What about Kyle? You seem pretty tight."

  "He exaggerated. In fact, I broke things off with him when I got back from Whitefish."

  "Really." Luis extended the word, sounding surprised. "He was fighting hard for you when I met up with him."

  "I'm flattered, but truthfully, he hated knowing you were around. He always knew about you. But having you in the same town, and knowing I needed, I mean, I wanted to see you, pissed Kyle off." Drew pushed past his verbal misstep as if he hadn't said anything revealing. "Then he kept his meeting with you a secret. I don't need manipulators in my life."

  He hoped Luis understood the underlying message.

  After swallowing his beer, Luis cleared his throat. "So you're free."

  Drew contemplated his answer. He wanted to be honest but goddamn, he had no intention of appearing needy. "More or less. There's a guy I've dated. I work with him."

  "In town?"

  "No, he's a model, too, and lives in California. We've had a thing off and on for the past year or so. Anyway, he'd like to firm things up. He knows you're back in my life, at least for now, and he's willing to wait for me to sort this out." Drew wagged his index finger between himself and Luis. "If I want to pursue something with him after that, he'd move here or I'd move there."

  Drew enjoyed seeing Luis blanch. For a while, he thought he might be revealing too much, too fast, but after seeing Luis' reaction, Drew felt better. He had options. Now Luis knew he wasn't the only ticket in town.

  Luis leaned back in his chair. "Where do we go from here, Drew?"

  The honesty in his eyes took Drew by surprise. He grabbed his beer, walked to the patio door, and gestured to the handle. "May I?"

  "That's what it's there for."

  Drew opened the door and walked onto the balcony. Only a few stars punched through the light-polluted sky, but it was nice to see the city from this elevation. The door opened and slid shut again.

  "Here's a fresh beer."

  Drew accepted the bottle, and set his empty on the patio table. "Thanks. It's beautiful up here. I usually see the area from the ground or a boat, looking for people and things that don't belong, are lost, are dead."

  Luis stood behind him. "Sounds dreadful."

  "Sometimes, but I like the work. It's challenging and different every day."

  "Dangerous, too."

  Drew took a drink. "I could have been killed a few weeks ago. The asshole's going to jail. Ultimately, it was a good day."

  Drew was stalling. He could almost feel Luis' body heat behind him, hear his soft breaths. His heart seemed to pause between beats, his lungs not to need as much oxygen. He waited for Luis to make a move, to say something to let him know what he was thinking, feeling.

  He got his answer a few seconds later when Luis slid his hand under Drew's shirt. His hand was so warm, so strong, moving on Drew's body. Luis pulled him backward against his chest.

  Drew's resistance was evaporating. Luis' allure and all those memories they shared were like anesthesia, numbing his rational mind and letting his body take over.

  He threaded his fingers between Luis'.

  Luis kissed Drew's temple. "You didn't answer my earlier question. Where do we go now?"

  Drew turned around and looked into Luis' eyes. "I don't know. Are you saying that you forgive me, and I should forgive you?"

  "It's in the past. It's done neither of us any damn good to keep dragging around this emotional baggage."

  What he was about to say could be a deal-breaker. "I don't know if I've changed enough to try this again."

  Luis bristled. "I don't understand."

  The fog of lust cleared, and Drew stepped out of Luis' grip.

  "Look at you." He gestured to the apartment. "Look at this beautiful place. This is you, how you are, what you love. It's big and bold and gorgeous, just like you. Judging from the way Ronnie was hanging on you, I'd wager you're still the most sought-after lover around." He shook his head. "I don't know if I'm strong enough to believe you can have just one man in your bed—me."

  Anger flared in Luis' eyes. "You're saying you still don't trust me?"

  The remark was patently absurd. "Do you trust me? One conversation over dinner and all is forgiven? We pick up where we left off? I'm sorry, but I can't go back to the old ways."

  "Who said anything about that?" Luis let out a frustrating growl, and took a long drink of beer. He set his bottle down, and before Drew knew what was happening, Luis pulled him into his arms. Their lips met in a crushing kiss. Luis fisted Drew's hair, holding him tight, controlling the intense contact.

  One groan after another slipped from Drew's throat, and he swallowed several of Luis' in return. Every twist of their tongues brought Drew closer to absolute submission. His dick ached and was probably oozing pre-cum, since his erection was pressed so hard against Luis'.

  Drew's mind rebelled. This is so fucking wrong. I gotta stop before
I can't. He tried to push Luis away, but couldn't get out of his tight grip.

  With one hand, Luis grabbed Drew's crotch and rubbed his swollen dick. With his other, he kept a firm hold on Drew's neck.

  Luis breathed the words against Drew's wet mouth. "I know you want me as much as I want you."

  "I do." Drew pushed away, getting free of Luis' hold. "But not like this."

  Breathing hard, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "It would be so easy to have sex with you tonight. I've fucked you in my dreams a million times."

  "So have I. I've seen your face, remembered your tight ass beneath me when I've come. I want you. Tonight." The ache in Luis' voice was plain as the corn-yellow moon hanging overhead.

  Drew lifted Luis' chin with his knuckle. "I have to take this slower. Trusting you will be easy, if I see you've changed. All I see right now is that the lust we had is still there. As hot as ever. I can't be your fuck buddy. I want more."

  Luis didn't do a good job of almost hiding his disappointment and anger. "When did you decide it was okay to talk to me this way?"

  "I'm not your subbie. We're just two people talking tonight."

  "Our history is more complex than that."

  Drew leaned against the railing. "We have to write some new history if we're going to be together."

  "And how do you propose we do that? There's one thing about me that hasn't changed. I call the shots."

  "I won't take that lying down."

  Luis snorted. "You've become headstrong over the years."

  "I don't think of it that way. Becoming a cop gave me a lot of self-confidence. I'm not afraid to say what I want and go after it, anymore. There's a difference between being a submissive in bed and being a doormat in life."

  Luis rubbed his chin while eying Drew. "I can tell the negotiations are going to be a hell of a lot of fun." He drained his beer. "Since we're not going to get reacquainted in the bedroom tonight, how about a date?"

  The invitation surprised and pleased Drew. He relaxed for the first time since they came onto the balcony. "I think that'd be a better place to start than being bent over the railing with your dick in my ass tonight."