Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
LUKAS
Jax stretched out on the couch downstairs in what everyone called the “green room.” Today it would serve as a place for Jax and Ash to have their screen test. Just because you wanted two people to have chemistry, it didn’t necessarily mean they would.
Especially when one of them was new to the scene like Ash was.
He might think he knew what he was doing, but jerking off solo on camera was different from filming a scene with another human being.
Jax glanced up at the clock on the wall. “Maybe he got cold feet.”
“He’s only a few minutes late. He’s been asking for this since I met him.”
“Yeah, but we both know that dreaming isn’t the same as doing.”
Upstairs, a door slammed and heavy footsteps tore through the house and then thundered down the stairs. Jax smirked at me, and sat up to make room for Ash.
“I stand corrected,” he said as Ash burst into the room.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry.” Ash screeched to a stop at the sight of Jax sitting on the couch, shirtless, one of his long arms draped over the back of the couch.
“Sorry,” Ash said again before turning to me. “Sorry.”
“No harm done. Take a seat on the couch, Ash, and we can get started.”
Ash put his bag down and reached for the hem of his shirt. He hesitated and looked at me questioningly.
“You can leave it on. It’s fine. Jax would be half or mostly naked all the time if he had his way.”
“Right.” Ash sat on the other end of the couch. He wiped his hands on his pants, clearly nervous. His gaze skittered around the room taking it all in. The camera, the lights, the fact that I was standing behind the camera, and he was in front of it.
“You’re going to have to sit a bit closer to Jax.”
Jax patted the couch cushion. “Come on. I only bite if you like it.”
Ash’s uneasiness was clear as day as he shimmied closer to Jax.
“Closer, Ash.” I’d expected a little nerves, but Ash had been around long enough to know that he’d actually have to touch Jax. It wasn’t like they were strangers. Jax worked pretty steady to put himself through school.
When Ash didn’t get close enough for Jax’s liking, he rolled his eyes, then leaned over and wrapped his arms around Ash and hauled him close. Ash let out a little yelp, and his cheeks flushed bright red.
“That’s better.” Jax looked down at Ash. “Hey, cutie.”
On camera, they looked good together. Jax was taller than Ash and had a larger frame, but he wasn’t so much bigger that their size difference looked strange.
Ash had the youthful, boy-next-door thing going on.
Jax, with his regular gym routine and his shirtless torso, paired with the loose basketball shorts he favored, looked like your textbook jock.
“Uh, hey.” Ash shifted nervously. He tossed a glance in my direction as if searching for 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 me again. “Do I look okay? I tried on, like, fifteen outfits.”
Before I could answer, Jax took over. He cupped Ash’s cheek and turned his face so he was looking at Jax.
“You look amazing,” Jax told him, sincerity oozing from every pore. Jax was nothing if not charming, and he was the kind of guy who didn’t say shit he didn’t mean. His kind heart was part of the reason I wanted Ash to shoot with him. Jax would be good for him.
“Thanks.” Ash exhaled. “You look nice too.”
“These old things?” Jax plucked at the fabric of his shorts, making Ash’s face turn a pretty impressive shade of pink. “You really like them?”
Ash raked his gaze down Jax’s body, then back up again. “They suit you.”
“Are you nervous, Ash?” Jax asked quietly, not quite a whisper.
“A little,” Ash admitted, but he looked far more relaxed than he had a minute ago. It was like Jax was the twink whisperer or something.
“What if I promised to take care of you? To be extra sweet with you? Would that make you feel better?” Jax leaned in, and they were perilously close to kissing.
Through the camera, I saw the way Ash looked at him, like he was full of so many new sensations and wasn’t sure what to do with them. He looked a little like a deer caught in the headlights, but then he nodded and Jax smiled at him.
It was obvious they were a good match. Jax would be able to ease Ash into a scene, to calm his jittery nerves. Something I hadn’t expected from him, if I was being honest. I guess I should have, but Ash had been pushing me for ages to do this, insisting that he was ready.
Jax, a seasoned pro, read the situation and moved in.
He gave Ash plenty of time to stop, to say something, to pull away from the impending kiss, but Ash swayed toward it instead.
Jax slid his hand into Ash’s hair and brought his other arm around him, pulling him a little closer as he deepened the kiss.
Ash’s hands rose off his lap, and he slid them up Jax’s bare chest, at which point Jax pulled away, smiling softly at Ash, who stared up at him with wide eyes. Then he looked at me, and I turned the camera off.
“You guys looked great. Did you want to see?”
Ash was off the couch like his ass was on fire and at my side before I could blink. I started the footage back at the beginning when Ash sat down, and he grimaced at how awkward he was at first.
Jax stood up and came over, and he loomed over Ash’s shoulder, watching the scene with him. He slung his arms around Ash’s waist and rested his chin on Ash’s shoulder. “We look good together.”
Ash didn’t acknowledge him but instead looked up at me for approval. “Do you think so?”
There was a strange quality to his voice, but I chalked it up to nervousness.
“I think you and Jax are very well suited. I’d still like to see you with Blue, but I like the idea of you and Jax. I think you looked good together, especially when you started to relax.”
Ash nodded, though I got the impression that he wasn’t as pleased about that as I was. “And what about Blue?”
“Blue will be here in five minutes or so. He’s coming straight from work, but he was excited for this.” In fact, Blue had been over the moon. I kept that part to myself, though. Ash was already looking a little shellshocked.
Ash looked at me, his jaw agape. “Really? Why?”
Jax kissed Ash on the cheek. “Because you’re you. You’re always flitting around here looking cute as fuck.”
Ash scoffed and shook himself loose from Jax’s hold. “I’m not cute.”
“Awww, don’t be like that. I didn’t mean it like a bad thing.
” Jax gave Ash the big, round, puppy dog eye treatment that he’d perfected over the years.
It wasn’t an act, however. Jax really was a big puppy.
He went to where Ash stood and pulled him into a hug.
“Maybe cute wasn’t the right word. You’re absolutely sexy as all hell, Ash, and I hope you pick me to shoot with.
I love Blue, but I’ll fight him for you if I have to. ”
“Why are you fighting me?” Blue asked as he came into the room. Dropping a backpack by the door, he flopped down on the couch in his typical dramatic Blue fashion.
“I’m fighting you for first scene rights with Ashy here.”
“Ashy?” Ash looked at Jax, somewhat confused.
“Oh, fat chance, Jax. Ash is all mine. You’ll see.” Blue reached for Ash and grabbed his hand. He pulled Ash close, then down on top of him. “See, much better.”
Not wanting to miss any of this, I started recording. The three of them had such a natural chemistry together that an idea had already started to form in my head. I didn’t know how Ash would take it, so I kept my mouth shut and watched the three of them interact.
Blue’s platinum blonde hair had grown out at the roots a little, but he’d probably freshen it up before we filmed.
He was dressed in a pair of tight jeans and a t-shirt he’d chopped the bottom half off of to make it into a crop top.
If Ash looked like the boy next door, Blue looked like a handful of trouble. The bad influence of the bunch.
“I’m so glad you finally wore him down,” Blue murmured, sliding his arms around Ash. His hands travelled downward until he cupped Ash’s ass and squeezed.
I zoomed in on their faces. Blue was genuinely into Ash.
Ash’s nerves came and went at a steady beat, almost like a metronome.
Calm. Anxious. Calm. Anxious. It was during a calm moment that Blue made the next move.
Sinking a hand into Ash’s hair, he pulled him down to a kiss that started at a solid eight out of ten on the heat scale.
Whereas Jax was all caution and coaxing, Blue was the kind to jump in with both feet and drag Ash along with him like the force of nature he was.
Blue was a tidal wave, and it was obvious that Ash was swept away by him. Their kiss went on for ages, only stopping when Ash started to rock against Blue, chasing friction. Then it was like the bubble burst, and Ash’s eyes flew open.
“That was incredible,” Blue told him, a sexy little grin on his face.
Ash stood up, and his gaze whipped over to me. A weird look crossed his face. Maybe he wasn’t ready for this after all. But just as I wondered if that was the case, he shook off whatever odd vibe it was that had overtaken him.
“How was that?” he asked. “Can I see?”
“Yeah, hang on.” I rewound the video to the beginning. “I want everyone to see all the footage.”
I sat down on the ottoman so the three of them could gather around and watch.
Ash had the newbie nerves, that were undeniable, but it was kind of cute how it translated on camera with him and Jax, then him and Blue. Both men had different kinds of energy. Jax being the calmer of the two, whereas Blue was always a bit livelier.
Jax let out a low whistle. “I thought Ash and I looked hot, but the two of you? Holy shit, Blue.”
“Jesus. I might need a copy of that. For science,” Blue said, nudging my shoulder.
“I want to see one more thing. Jax, you sit on the left. Blue, you on the right. Ash, I want you in the middle.”
“What?”
“I think the three of you together might be perfect.”
“Lukas, can I talk to you outside?” Ash didn’t wait for me to answer, and he left the room.
I set my camera down and exchanged a worried look with Jax and Blue. “We’ll be right back.”
Ash was down at the other end of the basement where the bedroom was set up. He was sitting on the bed, his feet dangling just above the floor. His hands were folded in his lap, but his knuckles were white with how hard he was clenching his muscles.
“Are you okay?” I asked him, sitting down on the end of the bed next to him.
“What about what we talked about?” Ash glared daggers at me. “I told you I wanted to try with someone older.”
“You and Blue looked really great. So did you and Jax. I want to see the three of you together. We can still talk about some older models, but I really think this dynamic would work. Can I ask why you have your heart set on someone older?”
Ash looked at me like I’d just said the stupidest thing on the planet. “Are you for real right now?”
When I didn’t respond, Ash set his jaw and anger flashed in his eyes.
Then suddenly his hands were on me, and he pulled me into a kiss.
He pressed his lips against mine and tried to deepen the kiss.
His frustrated sound unparalyzed me, and I managed to put my hands on his shoulders and gently push him away.
“Asher, I’m sorry. I don’t film anymore.”
Ash’s nostrils flared. “You’re literally so fucking stupid.”
“Hey,” I rebuked him, annoyance flaring in me.
“You think I kissed you because I want to film with you? God.” He wiped a hand down his face. “I’ve been trying to get you to fucking notice me, Lukas. I thought… forget what I thought.”
“Ash, I’m sorry.” My voice was soft and full of regret. Ash was too young for me even if I was interested, which I wasn’t. He wasn’t my type. Even if I hadn’t known his brother, nothing would have ever happened between us anyway.
“Forget it. I need to go.” Before I could stop him, Ash was on his feet and out the back door.
I thought about chasing after him, but I figured he would need some time alone to lick his wounds.
After a few steadying breaths, I went back to the green room where Jax took one look at me and knew something had happened.
“Uh-oh,” he said.
“He, uh… Ash left.” I sat down on the ottoman. “Can you two check on him? He’s had a bit of a rough moment, and I think he could use a friend.”
Blue was on his feet in a second. “I’ll catch him.”
Jax shot me a knowing look. “He finally made his move, didn’t he?”
“What do you mean finally?”
Jax rolled his eyes and grabbed his shirt from the back of the couch where he’d put it when he’d come in. “He’s worshipped you for years, Lukas.”
“I know, but I didn’t want to know, you know? I thought if I ignored it, if I made it clear that it wasn’t going to happen, that he’d forget about it.”
“You’re a good guy, Lukas. Delusional, but good.” Jax clapped me on the back. “Blue and I will look out for him. Don’t worry.”
“Text me an update, okay?”
“Will do. In the meantime, Blue was right. We need copies of that footage.” He winked at me, then slipped out of the room, leaving me alone in the silence.