ONE
JAX
The last timeI had sex with Blue Davies was three long years ago. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to have sex with him again. Oh, boy, did I ever. But Blue had rules, and his rules were hard and fast and it was well known that Blue didn’t hook up outside of scenes. Blue Davies had sex on camera or not at all.
Did I know why? No.
Did it drive me crazy not to know? Sometimes, yes.
But Blue and I had formed a friendship over the years that was built on mutual respect and the way we could relate to each other. Both Blue and I had worked our asses off to put ourselves through school. It was on me to pay for college because my dad couldn’t, and in Blue’s case, his parents wouldn’t.
I’d even let Blue couch surf for a few months a couple years back when a pipe burst in his apartment and he’d been without a place to go. He’d have asked Lukas, but it was just after Leo died and Lukas was dealing with Asher and the fallout from that.
Some things never changed, because Lukas was still dealing with Asher. Asher had been dogging Lukas for two years to let him film a scene, and he had finally given in. But Lukas wasn’t about to let just anyone touch Leo’s baby brother.
As it would happen, Lukas wanted me and Blue to screen test with him. If he’d have asked me two years ago, the answer would have been a resounding no. Two years ago, Asher still had the face of a teenager. I hesitated to call it baby fat, but over the last year he’d matured a bit. His face had lost that teenage roundness, his shoulders had gotten a bit broader. He was only twenty, so he was still young, but now I didn’t feel weird about checking him out. And he was a sweet guy. What a shame he was hopelessly infatuated with Lukas, because that was never going to happen. Even if Lukas hadn’t started seeing someone recently, Asher never stood a chance.
Blue was another solid choice to be Asher’s first scene partner. Blue was dynamite in bed. A true vers, he could rock your world on top or bottom. The idea of him and Asher together had become jerkoff material. Blue could be bossy in bed, and though I had no idea what Asher would be like, my instincts screamed to protect him.
Everyone around Lukas knew Asher by now, and plenty of guys were chomping at the bit to be the one who got to be his first, but when Lukas approached me, there was no way I was going to say no. Then he’d floated the idea of meorBlue, and that quickly became meandBlue.
Asher was late for the screen test, which was unusual for him, but when he screeched into the room, almost tripping on his apologies, I knew he was nervous as all hell. He looked at me, eyes meeting my bare chest, making contact with my nipples.
“Sorry,” he said before turning to Lukas. “Sorry,” he repeated.
“No harm done. Take a seat on the couch, Ash, and we can get started,” Lukas said, getting straight to business. With how jittery Asher was, it was probably for the best.
After a moment’s hesitation, and reassurance that he didn’t have to strip down, Asher opted to leave his shirt on. He sat on the couch, but way too far away for my liking. I’d been on board with being Asher’s scene partner even before now, but seeing how sweet he was, how uncomfortable he looked, made me all the happier that Lukas had trusted me for this.
When it became clear that Asher needed some encouragement to get things going, I leaned over, wrapped my arms around him, and yanked him closer to me. My unexpected maneuver had earned me a little yelp from him.
“That’s better.” I smiled as I looked down at him. “Hey, cutie.”
“Uh, hey.” Asher shifted around and looked at Lukas, clearly floundering and in need of a little direction.
“Get comfortable, Ash. You’re not going to do anything today that you’re not ready for. Maybe a little kiss. Maybe we just get you two talking to each other and see how your chemistry unfolds.”
“Right. I knew that.” Ash looked at Lukas again. “Do I look okay? I tried on like fifteen outfits.”
The way Asher pined for Lukas was fucking palpable, and almost painful because Lukas lived in denial about it. But if there was one thing I was good at, it was being a distraction.
I cradled Asher’s face in my hand and turned his head so he was looking at me. I poured every scrap of sincerity into my voice. “You look incredible.”
“Thanks.” Asher’s exhale was ninety-nine percent pure relief. “You look nice too.”
“These old things?” I plucked at the fabric of my basketball shorts, one of far too many pairs I owned. “You really like them?”
I’d asked as a joke, but I couldn’t help but want Asher to like me. I wanted everyone to like me. I’d always been wired that way, and I think it was part of the reason I worked so hard to be charming. To be the easygoing one. The one people could count on.
I didn’t hate the way Asher looked me up and down, his eyes mapping my bare skin. I liked the way he looked at me, kind of awestruck, kind of turned on. But still that hint of trepidation lingered in our interactions.
“Are you nervous, Ash?” I whispered, even though the camera would catch it anyway.
“A little,” he responded.
“What if I promised to take care of you? To be extra sweet with you? Would that make you feel better?” I leaned closer, angling my body toward his. We were so close to kissing I could smell the lingering cinnamon from the gum he favored. Part of me wanted him to initiate the kiss, but Ash wouldn’t. He was three nerves and a giant fucking boner. After letting the tension build until I almost couldn’t breathe through it, I leaned in and gently slanted my mouth over his.
I slid my hand into his hair and wrapped the other arm around him, drawing him closer. Ash melted into me, sliding his hands up my bare chest. I could feel him tremble as he touched me.
