Asher gripped the tablet more firmly, his fingernails biting into the leather case as a fresh wave of animosity at Landon Dwyer surged through him.
“A couple of hours ago?” Cameron spoke mildly, but his handsome features were twisted and pinched. A muscle in his jaw ticked. The vein in the center of his forehead throbbed. “Can he even do this?”
Thisbeing a new paid subscription feature on the blog salaciously titledThe Secrets and Lies of Asher Dare. According to the description, the weekly web series would include in-depth discussions about Asher’s past, as well as video interviews with people who had known him before and after he was famous. Anyone and their mother could participate in the gross invasion of privacy for the low, low price of $6.99 per episode.
The first episode, which wasn’t scheduled to air until the following Friday, already had over eighty thousand likes.
“We’ll be monitoring it, of course,” Talon said as he took the tablet back from Asher. “In short, though, the answer is yes. Unless there is a strong case of libel, he’s well within his rights.”
“Disgusting,” Cameron muttered under his breath.
Asher downed the rest of his bourbon in one swallow and didn’t say anything. He’d been anticipating a tell-all book with an overinflated sense of self-importance and a bloated press tour. Ever since Kyle Anders had stormed back into his life demanding money, a part of him had known where the situation was heading.
Now, he didn’t know what to expect. The immediacy of the vlog gave them almost no time to prepare, no opportunity to control the narrative. Even if they somehow managed a miracle before the series debuted, they would spend every week after that at least two steps behind.
His stomach lurched, and his heart sank somewhere to the vicinity of his navel. Fuck, he needed another drink.
As if reading his mind, Cameron took the glass from him and crossed the room to the bar cart in the corner behind Talon’s chair. He poured two fingers, paused, then tipped the bottle up again, filling the glass to the halfway mark.
Returning to his seat on the sofa, he passed the glass to Asher with a sympathetic smile. “You should probably eat something.”
He’d skipped breakfast and drank his lunch. Taking another swallow of his bourbon, he conceded that Cameron was probably right about that.
“I will.” At Cameron’s furrowed brow, he held his free hand up in a conciliatory gesture. “I promise. As soon as we’re finished here.” Then, he looked to Talon and asked, “So, what’s the plan?”
“I guess that depends on what you hope to accomplish.”
He paused, as if considering, but honestly, he’d already given the topic a lot of thought. “Ideally, I’d like people to keep reading my books.”
Talon nodded. “And as for the allegations of your sexuality?”
Asher snorted. Allegations, indeed. He was so gay he couldn’t even say it with a straight face. “Becca is concerned that me sucking dick might be a problem for my target audience.”
Beside him, Cameron choked, then began coughing so violently that he spilled coffee down the front of his borrowed gray T-shirt. A bright, burning blush crept into his cheeks. Only this time, Asher couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment or lack of oxygen.
“Jesus, Ash,” he wheezed.
Grabbing a couple of napkins from the tray on the table, Asher tried to blot at some of the coffee off Cameron’s shirt. For his efforts, he had his hands batted away, and the napkins snatched from his grasp.
For the first time since they’d met, Talon’s impenetrable veneer cracked. His lips twitched, and his eyes danced with humor. When he spoke, however, there was no trace of laughter in his voice. “I know what Becca thinks.”
“So, what exactly are you asking?”
Leaning forward in his chair, elbows resting on his knees, Talon pinned him with that inscrutable stare. “I’m asking ifyoucare if people know you suck dick.”
Asher shrugged. “I don’t really see what it matters. The pictures are already out there, and everyone knows what happened with Mitchell Faraday.”
“Pictures are only as good as their source. I have several reliable experts who will go on record saying that picture of you with Landon Dwyer was altered. As far as Mitchell Faraday—” Talon shrugged as he lounged back in his chair again “—you were a victim. Nothing more really needs to be said about that.”
The guy was good. Asher had to give him that, but he was tired of hiding. He was tired of pretending to be someone he wasn’t, even if it was a lie by omission. As much as he might want to, he couldn’t hide from his past any longer. The whole sordid tale would be out there soon enough, and the best he could hope for was to minimize the damage.
More importantly, he couldn’t do that to Cameron. He wouldn’t be shamed into hiding their relationship just to appease a bunch of people he’d never met. It wasn’t fair to either of them, and Cameron sure as hell deserved better than that.
Taking Cameron’s hand, he brought it to his lips and brushed a kiss over the knuckles. “I won’t lie.” The words were meant for Talon, but he kept his gaze on the man next to him. “Even if that means I never sell another book, I won’t lie.”
Cameron’s smile was the only confirmation he needed that he had made the right decision.
“I had a feeling you’d say that.” Talon dipped his head curtly. “Now, normally, I’d set up a press conference as soon as possible, but I don’t think that’s the right approach for you.” He held up a hand when Asher began to argue, instantly silencing him. “We want you to appear genuine. Standing in front of a podium and reading a prepared statement won’t accomplish that.”
