“It’s my understanding that—” Talon glanced down and tapped his ink pen against the page. “—Landon Dwyer is the one who revealed your sexual orientation on his blog after spending the evening with you. Is that correct?”
“That’s correct.” The way he described it made it sound like Asher and Landon had engaged in nothing more exciting than a polite chat over tea. While he understood maintaining a certain level of professionalism, he didn’t have the time or patience for so much formality. “Look, I’ll answer whatever questions you want, but can we drop the political correctness and just speak plainly?”
Talon studied him for a moment, his eyes narrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line. Eventually, he nodded. “Very well.” His entire demeanor changed as he settled back into the overstuffed cushions and templed his fingers together in front of him. “How often would you say you engage in anonymous sex?”
“Recently? Just Landon.”
“Because of Mr. Stone.”
“Because of Cameron.”
There was an appraising sort of quality to Talon’s gaze now. “And before that?”
“A lot.”
Picking up his pen, he held it poised over the page, but his gaze never left Asher’s. “Definea lot.”
“A lot,” Asher repeated. “Like, epic proportions.”
He scribbled something on the paper. “Is there anyone in particular who stands out? Anyone who might be a concern?”
Asher resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He imagined men he’d never even met would come forward with salacious stories about him, all for their fifteen minutes of fame. “If you want names, I don’t have them. Even if I did, you’re going to need a bigger notebook.” He tilted his head to the side and snorted. “But you already know that, so why don’t you just get to the point?”
Lips twisting into a perceptive grin, Talon pinned him with those intense, teal eyes. “Does anyone else have pictures of you naked?”
“Not to my knowledge.” Then again, he hadn’t been aware that Landon had taken a picture of him until it had been slapped across the internet. “Most likely not. I didn’t bring a lot of guys back here, and it was even rarer that I spent the night with any of them.”
It continued that way for another ten minutes, the questions becoming increasingly more personal. By thetime Cameron walked back into the room with his phone in one hand and a rock glass in the other, Asher felt more like he was in the middle of an interrogation than an interview.
Settling himself on the sofa, Cameron passed him the glass. “Bourbon,” he whispered. “I thought you might need it.”
No one got him like Cameron. Well, maybe with the exception of Luke, but he’d been Asher’s best friend for all of his adult life, so he kind of had an advantage. With Cameron, it wasn’t time and experience, but like he possessed some sixth sense linked directly to Asher’s emotional state. He always knew what to say, what to do, and exactly what Asher needed.
He took the glass with a grateful smile, then curled his free hand around the back of Cameron’s neck, urging him forward. He kept the kiss brief and chaste, knowing Cameron would find anything more than a brush of lips in front of their guest embarrassing.
“Thank you.”
As anticipated, a sweet blush swept over Cameron’s cheeks and up to the tips of his ears. He glanced at Talon from the corner of his eye, but the smile on his face was all for Asher.
“You’re welcome.” His eyes strayed to Asher’s mouth again, but he shook his head and leaned away. “So, what have I missed?”
“Not much. Talon has been grilling me about everyone I’ve ever slept with.”
Cameron smirked. “And how is that going?”
“Well, it’s only been ten minutes. I had to condense a lot.”
“Mm,” Cameron hummed, nodding casually as he reached for his coffee. “Probably a good idea.”
Turning back to Talon, Asher expected to see…something. Humor, irritation, exasperation. The guy’s expression was still as inscrutable as ever as he retrieved his tablet, tapped at the screen a few times, then passed it across the coffee table.
“This started making the rounds on social media a couple of hours ago.”
Asher held the tablet up at an angle so Cameron could see it as well. He didn’t have to ask what he was looking at. He would have recognized the garish red background and sparkling gold logo in his sleep. Sinematic—the celebrity gossip blog that had started this whole fiasco in the first place—was bold and flashy, just like its owner.
A tagline under the title readThe Sins of the Cinematic World. Landon probably thought the pun was clever.
It wasn’t.
