He looks down at the tent in his pants, a forlorn expression on his charming face, which makes me laugh. “Hang in there, buddy. You’ll be home soon,” he tells his dick, tossing me a quick wink and a once-over of my body. A thrill shoots through me at knowing he considers me, my body, home.
With a final sigh, Aaron takes off his jeans, giving me an even better view of just how much he enjoyed those activities, and I try to calm down my own parts, not letting them get their hopes up for more just yet. He readjusts himself, tucking his hard-oninto the waistband of his boxer-briefs, and heads to the clothing rack, where he puts on his costume that was laid out for the next scene. It’s a ragged-looking shirt that was probably white once upon a time, which is now absolutely filthy and cut nearly to shreds, with a pair of pants that look like they’ve gone through hell as well. Somehow, he manages to look absolutely edible, even in rags, and I curse the unfairness of it all.
Once his shoes are on and he’s all set, he walks across the space toward the door, holding his hand out for me to join him.
“Wait,” I tell him, suddenly realizing. “You need to wash your hands first.”
He gives me another cheeky wink. “Nah,” he says smoothly. “I’d rather you and I knowexactlywhere my hands have been every time we see this episode air.” He brings that same hand up to his mouth, licking the tip of one finger while keeping his eyes on mine, and it nearly buckles my knees again. He tosses his head toward the door, his other hand still extended to me, waiting.
“Let’s go, baby. I need to get this shot over right the hell now so I can fuck you proper.” He adjusts himself again, bending his knees briefly as he does so, and the thought of him hard for me underneath his costume, my release on his fingers, unbeknownst to anyone else, while he films his first shot of the season…it does things to me I’m not proud of. We willdefinitelybe watching this episode the second it’s streaming. From bed. I take his outstretched hand and follow him back into the epicenter of our former life.
THIRTY-EIGHT
GEMMA
We make our way to his call location, an indoor soundstage behind the backlot that he’s worked on many times before, where scenes that take place in a lot of the less frequent locations are filmed.
The studio lot looks the same as I remember it.
But the easy smile on the man next to me makes the whole thing feel entirely different.
He wraps his arm around my neck as we transition from the bright daylight to the dim interior setting. Aaron leans in close to my ear while pointing around the set discreetly.
“I’m lucky you’re not a screamer, I could make you come in every hidden corner of this place and with those little breathy noises you make, no one will even fucking know.”
Even if no one can hear his filthy words, the instant blush on my face and my expressionsurelygive it away. I chastise him.
“Shh, Aaron! Be professional, please! These are your coworkers, and they were mine for years.”
“Professional?” He scoffs. “Was there anything professional about how you came all over my hand in my trailer a few minutes ago? Or how your scent, your taste, is still gonna be all over me when that camera starts rolling, and ten million people aregonna get to see it? Is that the kind of professional behavior you’re looking for?”
I slap his chest repeatedly, hopefully hiding how my thighs are clenching, and my shocked gaze meets his satisfied one right as Alex meanders over to greet us.
My hand slaps down over his mouth, which looks geared up to start talking again, just to make sure he doesn’t add more to that thought.
One of my favorite faces in the world has a smug, shit-eating grin on it as she saunters over.
“Well, well, well,” she drawls. “If it isn’t the sight we all thought we’d see years ago, in the flesh. How’s…” her hand motions between us rather than give it a name, “this life treating you?”
Aaron wrenches his face free of my hand, wraps his arm around my shoulders and answers her with a big ass proud grin on his face. “The taken life? It’s perfection.” He winks down at me, the girl who’s still half-scowling up at him in warning.
He gives Alex a fist bump in welcome (not a high five or a handshake, after said trailer experience, thank God), and I smile warmly at her from underneath his arm.
“Hey, you,” I tell her.
They catch up for a minute before she makes a couple of terrifying threats to get him where he needs to be rtfn.
Before Alex can scare Aaron away from my side, a familiar face walks by and Aaron shouts hi to Brooks—one of my favorite patrons from the library, who’sheresomehow—and asks him if he’s doing okay in the new job. I doubt I’m doing a good job hiding the surprise on my face. By his attire, I’d guess he’s a stagehand, but this is the first I’ve heard of it. Brooks nods his head enthusiastically, a grin threatening to split his cheeks wide open as he does, and he waves at me when he sees me there, too. He points between the two of us, eyes twinkling suggestivelywith the unvoiced question, and Aaron nods his chin at him in affirmation.
Alex disrupts the moment by clapping in our faces loudly, startling Aaron out of the moment, but she can’t undo what he did to my heart by giving that kid the in to a better life. One where he’s not stuck under the thumb of the wrong people, but able to build his own future, the way he deserves to. After a reassuring hand squeeze and a quick kiss, Aaron bolts, and I settle in a few feet away from Alex as the scene begins, letting her do her thing, but close enough to hang if she gets the chance to step back for a few.
She sneaks over at one point to shoot the shit with me, and she definitely lets it slip that the bigwigs have gotten word Aaronmightbe up for the award for supporting actor for last season, but she makes me promise to keep it a secret. She has to stroll back to the director’s side after a couple minutes, and shoots me a wink before she goes.
Honestly, it’s so good to be back. Watching him do his thing here, not only how he brings his character to life when the camera is rolling, but seeing him in his element even in between takes, making the crew and cast laugh, the easy camaraderie between them…it fills something that’s been missing deep inside of me. This man of mine, he bringsgoodto the world, directly and indirectly. People around him can’t help but smile after interacting with him, viewers can’t help but be moved by his performance. He’s just got this aura about him—when he’shim, that is—that makes shit better everywhere he goes. I love being a huge part of that butterfly effect.
For the rest of the morning, I watch, enraptured by the depth he’s bringing to his character, the gravity of the situation he’s in. He’s so fucking talented, it gives me chills. I know when I finally get to screenThe Sabbaticalit’s going to be life-changing.
When they break for lunch, I’m swept into a bear hug before we head over to craft services together, his hand on my low back.
