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Jason’s heart raced, goosebu over his bare arms despite the heat of the afternoon sun He returned Ben’s sh Jason like a bell Ben got it “You’re right I…” He looked down at his pad, gripping the pencil so tight he ht snap it

“Draw, draw!” Ben grinned “Maggie and I will be over here talking about rocks and trees”

Maggie tugged Ben’s hand, walking farther down the lookout, e Jason was completely confident she was safe with Ben, and he turned his attention to the paper, his pencil flying over the pages as he drew the view fro what he saw in each direction

Then he focused on Maggie and Ben Ben crouched, pointing into the distance as he spoke, Maggie nodding and listening avidly Jason wished he had brought the colored pencils he’d left in the tent to capture the hint of dark red in Ben’s thick hair, or the blue of his eyes…

I’m attracted to Ben

The words were beco Orword

Exhilarating

Yes, Jason’s belly fluttered with butterflies, nervous energy sending his pencil careening ale He turned to a fresh white sheet

Although he didn’t pay attention to wo looks at other men as mere admiration Envy of their fitnition of other men’s attractiveness had always been…theoretical Safe

He’d been able to tell hi a sculpture in a museum because he’d had the same distance from them But now here was Ben Ben, who had smoothly slipped under the barricade in a blink

For years, Jason’s life had been Maggie and work Work and Maggie, with as much sleep as he could steal in between Now, far from the normalcy of home and routine, a protective layer had sos the tunnel vision of his responsibilities had apparently blocked out He watched Ben with a longing unlike anything he’d ever experienced, and it was more than physical attraction

Breathing deeply, he cale

As they drove to the next lookout, Ben flicked on the radio, flipping through a couple of stations playing commercials Then he hit one with music, and before Jason could stop hi”