Diplomacy

could feel the other man’s arousal grind against his own growing bulge. He knew they would have to stop; that they couldn’t do this in the office where it would be just a matter of time before they got caught, but it felt so good he didn’t want to let go. It was finally Lucas who pulled away. His eyes were dark and his hair was tousled to Jack’s surprise, as this could only have been his doing. He pulled his fingers away from the soft curls that twined so eagerly around them and took a deep breath, still looking into Lucas’s dark brown eyes as he rested his forehead against the younger man’s. They both chuckled softly.
    Just at that moment, there was another knock on the door. Jack turned a little and dropped into his chair, then quickly turned and tucked his legs under his desk as Gertje walked in with a tray. Lucas tried to look careless as he picked up a piece of paper next to him.
    “I figured since you two men don’t know how to take care of yourselves, I would have to do it for you, so I brought coffee, tea and cake. Makes working all the more pleasant, don’t you think?”
    “Thank you,” both men answered simultaneously. They had the hardest time not breaking out in laughter until she placed the tray on the small side table and left. As soon as she was gone they let it out.
    “We are playing with fire, man,” Lucas started, his hand in front of his mouth. “You’re all flushed and your lips…” He bent down and loosely placed a kiss on Jack’s lips, “…look recently kissed too.” 58 | Z a h r a O w e n s

    “Well, it’s not like you could stand up and turn around without looking…” Jack gazed at Lucas’s crotch area, “…like you were standing at attention.”
    Lucas’s face turned a little more serious as he placed his hand on Jack’s. “So why don’t I get us a hotel room on Friday? You think you can get away from the Secret Service?”
    Jack stopped laughing too. “Yeah, I’m sure I can. It’s not like I’m the President. I can go to the bathroom without them checking the men’s room first.”
    “Four more days,” Lucas sighed.
    “Yeah, ehm, Lucas…” How was he going to tell the young man?
    “What? You want to back out of this?” Lucas asked a little apprehensively.
    “No!” Jack was quick to answer. “No, it’s not that, I… never mind.
    It’ll all work itself out in the end.”
    Lucas got up and bent down to kiss Jack again. “Yeah, lover. I’m sure it will.”
    Jack was reluctant to let go of the beautiful Brit. “You have to go, right?”
    “Yeah,” Lucas answered, “since it’s clear we’re not going to get any work done here.”
    Jack watched him walk toward the small table, pick up the two cups, and walk back to bring Jack his coffee. He then drank the now lukewarm tea in one swig, put the cup down and winked as he turned around to grab the door handle. He playfully threw Jack a kiss before he walked out.
    Four more days.

    D i p l o m a c y | 59

Chapter Nine
    “SO are you all packed to go?” Jack inquired over morning coffee in his kitchen.
    Maria was reading the New York Times. “Mmh, most of it.”
    “When’s the train leave?” Jack tried to ask casually, sipping from his mug of coffee, hoping he didn’t sound too eager.
    “Around eleven thirty. Driver’s picking me up after he drops you off and picks up Lucy,” Maria answered while flicking the pages.
    “When will you be back then? Sunday, right?” Jack again tried to sound casual, more like he was going to miss her than like he wanted to be home… alone… and showered… when she came in.
    “Sometime in the afternoon. I think the train arrives at the Midi around three-thirty. Driver will pick me up again.” Jack made a mental note of the arrival time and tried to look at her over the rim of his mug in such a way she wouldn’t notice. Tonight he was meeting Lucas in some hotel room in Antwerp, and he felt a pang of guilt.
    What was he doing? Maria was the best wife a diplomat could have.
    Undemanding but independent, smart, beautiful, loyal. Loyal… not like him. He couldn’t even contemplate what would happen if she found out. If she found out he was not working with Lucas this weekend, but screwing Lucas. How could he ever explain to her that Lucas did things to him that she had never been able to do, and he hadn’t even slept with him?
    “Hey sleepy head. Snap out of it. Jack?”
    As he looked up Maria was standing in front of him. He had clearly been