Chapter 21 - Asher
Iswallowed hard, the anxiety coiled in my stomach as I confessed to Micah what I wanted. “Or…” I continued, “maybe the other way around?”
His smile was steady as he reached for my hand and squeezed it. “We can figure that out later.”
“How do you usually do it?” I felt ridiculous even asking, but I couldn’t quell the curiosity bubbling inside.
“I’m vers. I like it either way. We don’t have to rush into anything.”
“I know.” I wanted more, though. I definitely did.
I couldn’t quite wrap my head around the pull Micah had on me, and how deeply I wanted him, couldn’t figure it out.
Maybe it was just lust, or a familiarity combined with this newfound side of myself, but I really wanted to see how far we could take things. “Thanks.”
On the TV screen, the actors were kissing—finally—as the credits began to roll. A wave of post-sex sleepiness hit me and I yawned.
Micah leaned forward, taking that as his cue. “I should probably get out of here. I bet you’re exhausted.”
I wanted to ask him to stay, but I knew it wasn’t practical. We both had work in the morning, obviously, and he wasn’t really equipped for a sleepover. Instead, I nodded and smiled at him. “Thanks. For tonight.”
Micah pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. “Of course. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
It wasn’t long until I climbed into bed, still thinking of the orgasm that had ripped through me as he sucked me off, the way I’d felt with his cock in my mouth, and that last, tender kiss.
On the job site the next day, I found I really couldn’t stop looking at him. As he set up for some shots of me and Tyler hanging trim, I kept losing track of what Brooks was saying.
“Asher. You hearing me?”
I blinked a few times and shook my head, tearing my gaze from Micah’s ass. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m going to need you to focus if we’re going to get these shots before we lose the good daylight.”
My cheeks burned with embarrassment and I nodded.
“Sorry.” I worked silently, measuring shoe molding and cutting it to size before helping Tyler nail it in place.
After a few rounds of this, I stood and brushed myself off to measure the next piece when I noticed Micah’s gaze on me.
We made eye contact and he swallowed, his throat moving in a way that made me think of the previous night.
A moment later, he averted his gaze and it was clear he was trying to focus on his next task.
Brooks sighed and called cut again. “Micah. You’re in the shot. Surely you have something to do other than watch these guys use nail guns.”
“Sorry man,” he said, sidestepping out of the frame. “I’ll be in the trailer if anyone needs me.” With that, he hurried away.
Eventually, Brooks and Gideon, the camera operator, must have gotten the shots they needed, because he let us know he was moving to a different part of the post office for filming.
“We’re going to be in the back. You know what to do if you need me.
” A beat passed and Max turned to Gideon and Brooks.
“You two go on ahead and set up, I’ll be there in a minute. ”
Gideon nodded. “Sure thing.” A moment later, they were gone and I was alone with Max.
Max approached me, glancing around as if he were checking to confirm we were mostly alone. “Can I talk to you?”
A lump formed in my throat and I was seized with the sense that I was in trouble. “Yeah, of course. What’s up?”
“Look,” he said, dropping his voice a little quieter. “I don’t want to make assumptions about you or anything, but…”
Heat flushed through me. Had Micah told him? I nodded wordlessly.
“I think Micah might have a crush on you.”
Startled by what he’d said, I laughed, louder than I’d expected. A beat passed and I cleared my throat. “Sorry. Did he tell you that?”
Max shook his head. “No, but I can tell. I’ve known Micah for a few years now. I can always tell when he’s interested in someone.”
I raised my eyebrows. “And you think he’s interested in me?”
“Trust me. I’ve seen him checking you out. He gets a little flustered when you’re around. Can’t focus for shit.” Max put a hand on my shoulder. “I can let him know you’re not interested. I just wanted to give you a heads-up in case things got awkward.”
My brain scrambled for something to say. “It’s fine, really. You don’t need to say anything. I wouldn’t want to embarrass him.”
“Well, let me know if it becomes a problem, okay? I want everyone on set to feel comfortable, and if he’s making you feel any kind of way, I want to hear about it.”
I suppressed the urge to smirk. Micah was definitely making me feel some kind of way, but I didn’t think that was what Max was talking about. “Sure thing. Thanks for looking out for me.”
“Anytime. Now I’m going to head back with Gideon and Brooks, but don’t hesitate if you need me.”
He headed inside and I took the opportunity to step away and see if I could find Micah. “I’ll be right back,” I said to Tyler. “Going to get some water. Need anything?” He shook his head and I made my way to the production trailer.
The trailer door was closed as usual, and I knocked twice before pulling the door open, the cool, conditioned air rolling out and hitting me in the face and chest. I hummed gratefully and stepped inside, closing the door behind me.
At his desk in the back of the trailer, Micah looked up at me, a grin spreading over his features. “Hey there.”
“Hey,” I murmured, moving toward him and perching on the edge of his desk. “I thought I’d come get some cool air and water.”
“I bet you did,” he said with a smirk.
I hesitated before speaking again, not sure whether he’d want to know he wasn’t being as discreet as we’d hoped. “I just spoke to Max. He says you have a crush on me.”
Micah’s eyebrows shot up and he coughed, seeming surprised. “Sorry. Wait. He told you that?”
I couldn’t help the grin that I gave him. “He did. Cornered me after they got the shots he wanted and told me in private. Said to let him know if you ever make me uncomfortable or anything.”
“Am I making you uncomfortable?” When I shook my head, he placed a hand on my knee and trailed it up my thigh. “How about now?”
I swallowed hard, blood rushing to my cock already. What was wrong with me? I hadn’t felt like this about someone since I was a teenager, getting hard in the middle of the day for practically any reason. “Not yet.”
Micah pressed a hand to my groin and my breath hitched. “Now?”
Before I could respond, the trailer door swung open. Micah yanked his hand back and practically jumped up off of the desk, my heart racing as I adjusted myself to hide my erection. A moment later, Kieran stuck his head in the trailer.
He gave us a strange look, his brow furrowed, before speaking.
“Sorry to interrupt. Brooks needs you on set. Something to do with Sterling being a diva again.” Sterling was the host of the show, and he was usually pretty low-key, so I assumed the diva title was more teasing and friendly than accusatory.
“Not interrupting anything,” Micah murmured. “We were just talking about the show.”
Kieran nodded slowly. “Right. Well, my lips are sealed.”
“Fuck you,” Micah muttered, no venom in his voice. He stood and gave me an apologetic look. “Talk to you later.”
“Yeah, sure thing.” Once the door closed behind them, I sat back on the edge of the desk again, letting out a long, slow breath. Jesus, that was close.
The rest of the day went off without a hitch, with Micah and me studiously avoiding being seen together.
I had physical therapy for my shoulder after work, and once that was done, I headed home, starving and tired, ready to settle in for the night.
Once I was home, though, I realized how empty my house felt without him there.
The feeling just amplified when I went to bed alone, and I tossed and turned for a long time, wishing desperately that Micah was there with me.