Jordan’s foot bounced with anticipation. He couldn’t quite contain himself. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of this sooner — say, when he’d first seen Alex in the bar. Of course, he hadn’t had any idea then how deep the bank’s talons had gotten into Alex’s soul.

Alex gave him a little smile. He looked so perfect right now, with his hair just a little messy after a long day of work. Jordan had finally gotten him to get rid of the tie, too, so his white dress shirt was just a little bit open. “You okay there, Jordan? Did someone give you a bag of Pixie Stix again?”

Jordan burst out with a loud guffaw. “You remember that?”

A few people turned around to look. Bars like this weren’t places that people went for loud guffaws. Bars like this were places for decorum, and etiquette.

People in suits came here for quiet conversations and clear, cold drinks. Jordan had drawn more than a few sneers when he walked in, and a small part of him worried that one of the snobs glowering at him might be in a position to hurt Alex’s career.

That didn’t really happen though, did it? People didn’t fire, or refuse to hire, other people because of their friends, and Alex didn’t seem to be too worried. Not with the way his whole face lit up every time he looked at Jordan.

“How could I forget?” he said now. “I swear to God, you were swinging from tree branch to tree branch like a damn monkey. Hooting, I should point out, the whole time. Until you fell, of course. That made the whole thing a lot less fun.”

“Yeah. I don’t even remember the arm hurting when I broke it.” Jordan laughed at himself and toyed with his cocktail glass. Who even served drinks in glasses like this anymore? It wasn’t the 1890s. People didn’t drink from coupé glasses anymore, and certainly not etched glasses.

Whose idea had this bar been? Oh, right. Jordan’s, because it was close, and because they had some of his photos up. “It hurt after, though. I’ve still got a scar.”

“I’m sure you do. You’ll get a scar when you break your arm in three places.” Alex was giving him a look that was probably intended to be stern, but the corners of his lips were twitching. “I’m surprised all you did was break your arm, to be honest.”

“If I’d done more, I think my dad would have lost his mind. Insurance covered the surgery, but it didn’t cover lost wages or anything like that.” He grimaced, remembering how angry his dad had been. “Anyway. Listen, I had something I wanted to run by you, if that’s okay. I was wondering if you’d be at all interested in modeling.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “Do they even still make the International Male catalog?”

“Nope. And while I do shoots for catalogs and stuff like that, I have a whole separate booking process. Those companies usually pick the models. I’m not asking you to do that. I’m asking you to model for the art photography I make.”

Alex stiffened a little. “I don’t know, Jordan. It’s kind of a big deal. People don’t want folks handling their finances if they’ve been involved with anything they find … you know. Indicative of questionable judgement.”

Jordan had anticipated that answer. He reached over the table and took Alex’s hand. Their intertwined fingers made an excellent contrast, both with each other and against the stark white tablecloth. “Even if I asked you to do anything clothing-optional — which isn’t necessarily likely — we wouldn’t use your face or anything identifying.”

The heat from Alex’s hand distracted Jordan from what he wanted to say for a second, and he just stared into Alex’s eyes. “I just think you’re beautiful, and it’s been a while since I’ve worked with live models for my own art.” He ripped his gaze away from Alex to indicate his prints on the nearby walls. “Those are mine, just to give you a sense of what we’re talking about here.”

Alex’s cheeks darkened. “I, ah. I know. I kind of took a little trip through your website after our first date.” He chuckled nervously and swallowed. “Is this something you really want?”

Jordan nodded enthusiastically. “It is. I think it would be great for us, and I think it would be pretty amazing for me too. I’d pay you, of course. I’d pay you for the shoots, and a percentage of anything I made from images with you in them.”

Alex swallowed again, and used his free hand to reach for his drink. “I’ll do it.”

Jordan relaxed a little. “For real?”

“Yeah.” Alex’s voice was soft, almost a whisper, but it was rough, too. “I mean, I’m pretty bogged down at work, and you’ve got a lot going on yourself. We’ve both got a lot of commitments, and they’re important, but this will help us commit to spending more time with each other, too.”

He smiled, a little shyly. “In our heads, it’s okay because it’s technically work, right? Not just fun and pleasure?”

Jordan’s heart sank. How lost was Alex, if he couldn’t make himself agree to spending time with someone he cared about just because it wasn’t work-related? Jordan had always cared about Alex, and now that they’d reconnected, he was attracted to him as well.

This went beyond attraction and affection. Jordan had to save Alex from the bank, and from himself.

“That’s one way of looking at it,” Jordan hedged. He couldn’t make himself just agree, but he figured that was a good enough cover. “What do you say we finish up here and get started?”

Alex met his eyes, and all Jordan could see was heat.

He took Alex back to his place for the first time since they’d gotten together. Even though all he wanted to do was to hold Alex close and kiss him until they both forgot the Charles River Bank existed at all, he guided Alex over to the space he’d set up as a kind of mini-studio, with a stark white background. At least Alex could assuage his conscience this way.

“What I want to do here is get a sense of how you react to the camera, so I know how to handle you.” He sat Alex down on a little stool and turned him so he wasn’t looking directly at the camera, but diagonally off to the side. It wasn’t quite a profile shot, but it would give the best angle of Alex’s incredible jawline.

Jordan shot a few pictures like that, and then he stepped forward to change the angle. He stroked Alex’s cheek when he did, and the contrast between Alex’s soft eyes and his five o’clock shadow made Jordan’s breath catch in his throat.

Alex stood up, right away, and leaned in. “Is it all right if I kiss you?” he asked, a little breathless.

“Hell yeah.” Jordan closed his eyes. He’d thought it would take more than that to get a reaction out of Alex, if they were in a professional mindset. Then again, Alex had seemed pretty intense back in the snooty bar.

Alex kissed him like he was trying to find life again. He was slow and sensual, but the way he sought entry into Jordan’s mouth made him seem like a man on a quest.

It was beautiful, and a little disheartening too. That a man like this, an artist with a soul like this, could be left to languish in the most corrupt bank in the country was a sin and a shame.

If Alex was going to seek life through a kiss, Jordan was going to give it to him. He quickly took control, chasing after everything Alex had ever been and could still be. He slowly unbuttoned Alex’s dress shirt and got rid of it, tossing it onto the stool. Then he stripped Alex of his plain white undershirt, leaving him bare to the waist. God, he looked incredible.

“I always knew you were beautiful,” he murmured, taking a step back to admire with his artist’s eye. “Even before I noticed anything sexually, at all, I knew how beautiful you were.

“I’m so glad I had this chance. So glad you and Devon wound up roommates, man. I’m so glad I get to see you now, as a grown man.”

Alex ducked his head and blushed. His dress pants bulged, which looked uncomfortable, and he unbuckled his belt as he spoke. “I’m grateful to Devon too,” he said with a little smile. “He’s been a good friend, you know.”

He met Jordan’s eyes. “And you can do more than look.”

Jordan laughed and got rid of his own clothes. He took Alex by the hand and led him into the bedroom. “Are you sure you want this?” He searched Alex’s face for any sign that his desire didn’t match up with his words. “Because we can stop, any time.”

Alex stroked Jordan’s face. “You were the first guy I ever wanted, Jordan. We’re adults now, and we know each other as adults, and there’s nothing about you I don’t still want. I still want this.” He let his hand trail down Jordan’s jaw and neck, lingering over his chest.

Jordan pulled condoms and lube from the nightstand and lost himself in exploring Alex’s body. For all the hours he put in at work, he certainly kept in great shape. Every curve, every muscle, they all needed to be touched and catalogued. He needed to know what made Alex sigh, and gasp, and moan, and of course he couldn’t help but think about how the long lines of Alex’s body would look stretched out in black and white.

Alex’s descent into the clutches of a soulless bank hadn’t affected his enthusiasm in bed at all. Jordan was almost surprised to find out that Alex was vocal about his pleasure. Alex let him know, and quickly, when he found a spot that worked for him. And when, during prep, Jordan found that sweetest spot inside of Alex, Alex moaned loudly enough for Jordan to worry about the neighbors.

Not that he wanted Alex to be quiet. Not at all.

He rolled the condom on and slicked himself up, and worked his way into Alex with short, shallow thrusts. Alex’s body was tight, and it was so incredibly hot. He looked up at Jordan with so much trust and love, Jordan had to grip himself to keep control.

Was this love? Whatever it was, it could easily overwhelm Jordan. Right now, he didn’t know if he cared.

He moved when Alex told him to, snapping his hips back to thrust back in. Alex wrapped his long legs around his waist and held on, a happy smile on his face as he groaned. Jordan beamed as he did it again, and again.

This was his work. He’d put that smile on Alex’s face. He’d chased the worry and stress from Alex’s beautiful eyes. He thrust even harder as heat pooled in his belly, unable to hide his pleasure and his pride.

Alex came first, coming in thick ropes over his chest and belly. His eyes rolled back as his body clenched around Jordan, and Jordan almost forgot himself again. There was no more beautiful sight than this, a man so lost in ecstasy, and Jordan had done it.

Then his orgasm overtook him, a living thing with a mind and lifespan of its own, and he shouted as he spilled into the condom. He collapsed on top of Alex, panting, and found Alex stroking his hair when he came back to himself.

He got up and disposed of the condom, and he brought back a damp washcloth to clean them up. Then he climbed into bed with Alex, and Alex held him again. Alex’s limbs were still loose from his orgasm, and his strokes languid as he ran his fingers through Jordan’s wild hair.

Alex wasn’t asleep. He was still smiling, and he was still wrapped deep in the bliss Jordan had put there. Jordan had enjoyed it too, but he’d taken just as much pleasure from watching Alex as he had from simply having sex.

After a while — Jordan wasn’t a clock watcher, he didn’t know how long it was — Alex kissed Jordan’s shoulder. “Hey.”

Alex’s erection was returning. It poked Jordan’s thigh, just a little bit. “I want to make you as happy as you just made me. I probably won’t be quite as amazing, but I want to make you feel good. Will you let me?”

Jordan didn’t bottom often, but he wasn’t opposed. He just didn’t often get the chance. Most of his partners wound up being strictly bottoms. “I’d have a hard time saying no to you for anything,” he said honestly. “But that’s not even a hardship.” His cock perked up at the thought, even though he’d just had sex a short time ago.

Alex took great care of him. By the time he was ready to slick the condom on, Jordan was as hard as a rock. It had been a long time since he’d done anything but top, and he was excited to feel taken care of again.

He breathed through Alex’s initial intrusion, a long, infinitely slow and patient single thrust. It took Jordan a minute to adjust, but once he did, and Alex started moving, Jordan almost cried.

He had never been so full in his life, so complete. Everything he and Alex had meant to one another as kids had culminated in this moment, and here they were. They belonged exactly like this, as together as two human beings could possibly be, and they couldn’t let anyone come between them.

Alex grabbed Jordan’s cock, and he started to jerk gently along with the sensuous rhythm he’d already set up for them. It was amazing, perfect, and Jordan let go and just let himself feel. He had Alex behind him, and Alex inside him, and Alex gripping him. Everything was perfect, and when his orgasm washed over him, that was perfect too.

He cried out and fell over, bracing himself as Alex finished. When Alex got up to go get rid of the condom, Jordan made himself get out of bed. He was going to pass out soon enough, and he’d left his phone out in the front room. If he didn’t put it on to charge, he’d be screwed in the morning, and not in the fun way.

He shuffled into the main room and grabbed his phone, only to see the message light flashing. He checked, and found a text from his buddy Gus. He knew Gus from his work on the pipeline project, and he had a lot of respect for him.

When he saw Gus’ message, though, he had to scratch his head. Hey, bro. Aren’t you seeing some guy who works for CRB?

Why would Gus even know that? Jordan hadn’t brought up Alex’s employer. Maybe Devon had said something? He does. He’s cool anyway, though. Why?

That’s an awesome asset, bro. We can use his system login to get at the bank’s electronic records.

Jordan did a double take. Then he put his keyboard into all caps. YOU CAN’T PUT THINGS LIKE THAT IN WRITING, GUS.

Give me a break. We can delete the texts anytime, and we’re using a secure message app. If we can get the records, we can prove the bank is bribing Alaskan officials to approve pipeline-related projects. They’ll go to jail, and the planet will win. Think about it, bro.

Jordan did think about it. Everyone, from activists and environmentalists to journalists, had been speculating about why Alaskan officials had been so pro-pipeline. Bribery had been suspected, but there wasn’t enough evidence to get a warrant for the bank, and the bank was unsurprisingly not cooperating.

He looked back toward the open door, where Alex had climbed back into bed. Dude, he texted back, I don’t think Alex has those kind of clearances.

He wanted to help the cause. He did. At the same time, if the security breach were ever traced back, Alex would never work again.

Jordan was willing to sacrifice everything, including his life, for his cause. Alex hadn’t signed up for that.

We can talk about this tomorrow, bro. Gus signed out of chat.

Jordan went back to bed and tried to ignore the vague twinge of guilt in the back of his head.