“LINDSAY BISHOP and Mark Rice. They ran 1600 meters for North Valley High School in three of the meets I attended. The rest of their teammates competed in different events. We were last on the track together two years ago. They weren’t running at the same time as Jack. There’s no reason to believe any of them would recognize him.”
Leo rubbed his eyes, which looked almost as bleary as Jack’s. He was sure Leo hadn’t had any more sleep than he had, which had topped out at two hours. Sean had hammered on his door at 5:30 a.m., and he had dragged himself out of his bed and down to the kitchen, surprised to find most of his team already assembled, including Matt, who had been skyped into the meeting.
“Lindsay is teaching in a summer camp three hours north,” Leo continued. “She’s contracted until the end of August. Mark is in Europe with his parents for the next three weeks. Their coach left the school last year to take up a new position in Florida. The other members of the team are still in Monroe. I never met any of them face-to-face, but I can’t be a 100 percent certain they wouldn’t recognize me if they saw me.”
Leo delivered his revised report flatly, bringing the team up-to-date with the new information Jack had discovered for himself. He winced when he remembered pulling up photographs of all the winning competitors from the three meets. Lindsay Bishop’s eyes were always fixed on Leo’s face, her interest undeniably clear. There wasn’t much chance she would have forgotten him in the intervening two years.
“We’ve had all the photographs pulled from the Internet,” Martin put in. “Though I don’t think it’s likely anybody else will go looking for them.”
“The sister?” Sean asked.
“Two years younger than Lindsay. Not interested in track. I’m pretty sure she’ll believe Leo was just passing through.”
Sean nodded curtly. “Is there anything else we should know?”
“No, sir. There wasn’t anything else.” Leo’s defeated tone supplied the rest: that one slipup was more than enough. Jack was relieved when Sean didn’t take the opportunity to hammer Leo any further; he already looked miserable and uncharacteristically uncertain. Jack didn’t like seeing it. He wished he’d had five minutes alone with Leo before they faced the interrogation, but there had been little opportunity to chat.
“Martin and I have talked it over,” Sean said. Leo tensed, his face suddenly paling, and Jack drew in a sharp breath. “We’ve decided you can stay.”
Jack wasn’t sure who looked more relieved. He exhaled in a slow hiss and watched as Leo’s whole body slumped.
“It doesn’t look as though the two people who actually know you will be around for the next few weeks. And there’s only a slim chance any of their teammates will stumble across you. I think we dodged a bullet this time.”
Leo nodded silently, still looking shaky.
“But we’re going to err on the side of caution,” Martin said. “You need to hang back a little, Leo. At least for the next few days. JD has agreed to step in and watch Jack’s back.”
Leo raised his head and caught Jack’s eye. It was easy to read the regret there, and Jack had to crush the urge to reach across the table and shake some sense into his friend. This isn’t your fault, he thought, but he didn’t want to wind anybody up again so he left the words unsaid, waiting for a better time, when he could get Leo alone.
“You can still work the diner alongside Jack,” Matt chimed in. “You’ve been invaluable there,” he added kindly.
Sean looked around the table. “Let’s get this assignment back on track, gentlemen.”
“I’ll see you boys at ten,” Matt said. “Why don’t you catch another couple of hours of sleep? Not even Ronnie’s coffee is going to keep you awake otherwise.”
He disappeared from the screen just as the kitchen clock struck six and Clare walked in, yawning.
Leo slid off his stool, stumbling as he gained his feet. His eyes were heavy with fatigue and ringed with dark circles. Martin reached out to steady him, but he righted himself quickly without any help.
“Martin, why don’t you leave Leo here with us?” Clare said. “The boys could both do with some sleep. Leo can crash on the couch.”
Martin glanced at Sean, who nodded.
“Thanks, Clare. I appreciate the offer.”
He turned, and Jack felt a surge of gratitude toward Martin when he pulled Leo into a hug and whispered something into his ear.
Leo gave a quick nod and tightened his arms briefly before letting Martin go. Martin patted Jack on the back as he passed, and a minute later Jack heard the front door slam shut.
Sean rubbed at the stubble on his chin. He looked pretty tired himself, though he was doing his best to disguise it.
“Right. Time for our training session,” he said.
Jack groaned out loud and dropped his head onto his folded arms.
“He’s kidding,” Clare said. “You boys get upstairs and grab a few hours of sleep.”
Jack raised his head, trying to read Clare’s face. Her eyes darted to Leo, who still looked shell-shocked.
She leaned in and murmured, “You both look as though you could use a little time together.”
“Thanks, Clare.”
“Get some sleep,” she said firmly.
Jack didn’t have the energy to hide his embarrassment, but right now he didn’t care. He turned toward Leo, who suddenly seemed to snap out of his trance.
“I’m sorry I screwed up,” he said, addressing Sean. “It won’t happen again.”
“You’re a good operative, Leo. I know you’ll learn from this mistake.”
Leo nodded. “I appreciate you letting me stay and see the assignment through to the end.”
“Tell me,” Sean said. “If I’d forbidden it, would you have left?”
Leo’s eyes darted to Jack’s face. He could see the struggle there, though Leo’s resolute silence was all the answer Sean needed.
“Yeah. That’s what I thought,” Sean said wryly. “You’re lucky I think you’re good for Jack. Otherwise you and I would be having a serious falling-out.” He waved a hand. “You boys had better disappear for a couple of hours before I forget I’m in a forgiving mood.”
Jack reached out and caught at Leo’s hand, pulled him out of the kitchen and up the stairs, then shoved him into the bedroom and closed the door behind them.
Leo didn’t resist as Jack led him to the bed and pushed him down onto it. He yanked Leo’s sweatshirt over his head and then manhandled him onto his side. Leo wriggled over and made room for Jack to crawl in behind him. He threw an arm around Leo’s waist, and as soon as his head hit the pillow, Jack slipped into a deep sleep.
He was vaguely aware of voices in the hallway, and then the sound of the front door closing, but it wasn’t until an alarm sounded almost three hours later that Jack resurfaced. Leo mumbled something in his sleep and then bolted upright, suddenly wide-awake. Jack swiped groggily at his cell phone, realizing with a jolt that somebody must have come in at some point to set the alarm.
“What time is it?” Leo asked, looking dazed.
“Just after nine.” Jack pulled Leo back down onto the bed, wrapping an arm around him and reaching down to cup the hardness he knew he’d find.
After the morose start to the day, it was pure joy to hear Leo’s muffled laugh. “Do you really think I can risk being late for work? Half the team want to string me up.”
“Stop being such a drama queen.”
Leo nuzzled his face against Jack’s neck. “At least let’s take this to the shower,” he suggested. “Kill two birds with one stone.”
Jack was prepared to allow that. He rolled out of bed and padded across the carpeted floor, smiling when Leo came up behind him and slid his arms around Jack’s waist.
“This wasn’t how I imagined waking up with you,” he murmured against Jack’s ear, his warm breath making Jack shiver.
They made it to the bathroom, discarding clothes on the way, and Jack turned on the shower, tipping his head backward as Leo licked a path up his neck. When it was hot enough, they climbed under the showerhead and as water cascaded over them, they kissed and stroked each other to a shattering climax.
As Jack leaned against the cool tiles, pulling in shuddering breaths and trembling through the aftershocks of sudden release, he watched Leo through half-closed eyes. The muscles in his back were taut as he raised his arms and splayed his hands on either side of the showerhead, lifting his face to the thundering spray. Jack followed the trail as droplets of water slid down between Leo’s shoulder blades and then arched over his firm backside. He was surprised to find his cock twitching at the sight, even though he thought he was spent. It didn’t stop him pressing himself against Leo’s back and sliding his hands around to stroke Leo’s softening dick.
“What, again?” Leo laughed. “I can’t, man.”
He turned without dislodging Jack’s arms, grinning widely when Jack twitched against him, harder this time.
“I don’t know where you kids get the energy.”
He kissed Jack lightly and then pushed him back against the wall. Jack hissed out a breath at the coldness of the tile and sucked it in again harshly when Leo suddenly dropped to his knees and his hot mouth closed around Jack’s shaft.
Jack tangled his hands in Leo’s short, wet hair and lost himself in the push and pull of Leo’s mouth, the sight of water dripping down his face, and the droplets that trembled on his eyelashes. He lasted no longer than the first time, pulling Leo off just as his release sped through him and then gasping as Leo’s mouth was replaced by strong fingers that coaxed him through to completion. He pulled Leo’s face toward him, tasting heat on his lips before the cooling water chased the warmth away.
“That was amazing,” he whispered dreamily. He closed his eyes and drifted on waves of pure pleasure until a hand slapped him smartly on the backside, making him jump and curse, breaking the spell.
“Articulate as ever,” Leo said, smiling. “Move your ass, Jack. I absolutely cannot be late today.”
THEY WALKED out of the house twenty minutes later, Jack feeling more relaxed than he had in weeks. Leo seemed to have regained his old assurance, though he looked serious when he said, “I’ll never screw up like that again. Trust me on that, Jack.”
“Of course I trust you,” Jack replied. “And I keep telling you, it wasn’t your fault!”
Leo threw a look his way, but he didn’t say anything further. Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw JD shadowing them and knew Leo must have seen him too when he said, “I guess JD will be your only companion on your way into work and back for the next few days. Has he said anything more about your file?”
Jack turned his head away, keeping his eyes fixed on the road ahead. “Nah. I doubt he was able to find anything more. It’s not as if the Center’s files are going to be easy to hack.”
“Pity,” Leo said.
Jack wasn’t sure what was going through Leo’s mind, but it hadn’t taken him more than a few seconds to make a decision for himself. There was absolutely no way Jack was going to compromise Leo by involving him in this. Leo already had one strike against him, Jack wasn’t about to put him back in front of the firing squad. Whatever JD had to tell him, Jack was determined to keep Leo out of it. It might be a lie, it might be a secret—things they had sworn would never come between them again. But Leo’s neck was on the line, and Jack realized with a sudden start that he’d do pretty much anything to keep Leo safe.