She looked up at me with her eyes wide but steady, and she was fully present. There was a clear readiness to follow through on what she’d agreed to, which made this whole situation hotter than it already was. Her mouth stayed on me with control, and she used the right pressure, keeping her pace, and adjusting when I shifted my stance. She didn’t break focus. She sucked harder, and my body reacted fast. But I knew I couldn’t let her take me over the edge. Her job was to make me hard, not make me come. But, fuck, was it hard not to let go.
When her pace increased, waves of pleasure crashed through me. I needed to be careful. As much as I wanted to release my cum in her mouth, I had to hold it back. I hated the idea of the other girls finishing me off after Lana did all the work beforehand. And I still had to let myself admit that she made me feel things I never had. Those feelings irritated me because no woman had ever had me in a chokehold like Lana did.
I fisted her hair and tightened my grip on her jaw, slightly pushing her back. “That’s enough.”
She stopped immediately, lifting her head and sitting back on her heels while she waited for me to say something else. I reached down and grabbed her hand to help her up. When she stood, I pulled her against my body, pressing a kiss to her lips before looking at her again. “You did well. I’m proud of you.”
Lana’s body tightened, but she wasn’t uncomfortable with my praise.
Rocco let out a slow whistle. “Jesus…you sure you don’t want her in the actual film? Because she could pull it off. I’ve seen less prepared auditions.”
Lana’s cheeks flushed. She looked embarrassed, but not ashamed, almost like she only now remembered we weren’t the only ones in the room. There was pride in the way she held herself upright. She’d stepped into something difficult, something she had no experience with, and she handled it without falling apart. In a way, I was worried that this was just a façade, and that the moment she thought about it for too long, she would crumble. I’d keep an eye on that.
“She did more than fine,” I said, glancing at the room. “She earned her place here today. So treat her with respect, or you won’t be back for the next project.”
Madison’s jaw tightened. Kira looked like she wanted to roll her eyes again, but thought twice. I turned back to Lana.
“Stay close,” I told her. “I might need you again later.”
She nodded once, then moved back to her chair.
I took a steady breath and turned to the bed, positioning myself in front of the girls. The room was tense, with Madison and Kira still annoyed, but my focus was on keeping things under control. And with her sitting just off to the side, I knew I could.
22
Lana
I hated the attention.
I hated the way Madison and Kira watched me like I was a problem they had to work around.
More than anything, I hated the pressure inside my chest that made it hard to breathe normally. And it was because of Callan. My heart seemed to explode every time I was near him, and I had a hard time understanding why. Well, I had a suspicion, but I didn’t want to accept it. There were too many reasons why I couldn’t allow myself to have feelings for him. It would be too strange, for one. And it’s not what I wanted to gain from this.
My goal was to become more confident and step out of my comfort zone for once, and I had done that.
When Callan called cut, I stood right away. I didn’t look at anyone. I didn’t want to see their reactions or their silent judgement. The room was thick with heat, and sweat clung to their skin. The girls’ hair stuck to their faces, and they all needed a moment to catch their breath. Trey put the camera down, and Rocco stayed on his chair, looking more than pleased with what the three on the bed offered.
I moved fast. I pressed my notebook to my chest and walked out without saying anything. I needed air and distance, and once I was out in the hall, I stopped to take a deep breath. I leaned against the wall and rubbed the back of my hand over my forehead, unable to stop my knees from shaking. Without having been in the scene, I was exhausted. Mentally more than physically.
My gaze flicked to Callan as he stepped into the hall, stopping a few feet away. He wasn’t naked anymore but wearing sweatpants and a shirt. He didn’t crowd or touch me. He just watched me long enough to understand I needed a moment. After a moment of silence, he asked quietly, “You good?”
“Yeah,” I assured him, sounding more breathless than I really was. I forced myself to look at him. “I just needed out of there.”
He nodded, studying me closely before his eyes dropped to my notebook. “Did you get everything? Need me to answer some more questions?”
My brows furrowed at his offer, and I looked at my notebook before shaking my head. “No, I think I have enough notes. Thank you.”
Our eyes met again.
“Of course.”
We stood there in silence again, just looking at each other until I cleared my throat. “I, uh…I’m going to start writing the essay now.”
“All right.”
“Yup,” I said with a tight smile, unsure how to end this conversation. “Okay, so—”
“You want to get dinner?”
