Chapter 34
brODIE
After we both came down from that explosive high, Van blanketed my body with his heavier one, and we made out.
We couldn’t get close enough or kiss enough.
The orgasms with him were amazing, but that wasn’t the best part.
It was this.
Us, in the aftermath. We lay on the couch in a sweaty, tangled mess, sharing kisses and talking and laughing.
I had no urge to let go. Far from that. I wasn’t lying when I said that I wanted to possess him—every single part.
It was intimate in a way I’d never experienced. As new to me as my finger in his ass was to him.
Hey, I’m a rock star, not a poet. And a finger in the ass can be poetic. Ask around.
“We better shower, or we’ll be glued together forever.” I gave his jaw a gentle nip.
“I like that idea.”
“Until we go to move and the dried cum gives you a wax job you never anticipated.”
Van slowly shifted his chest away from mine. I caught his wince when we finally separated.
“Okay, next time, shower right away and save the cuddling for after,” Van said as he stood up.
“Cuddling, huh? Didn’t take you for a hugger,” I teased as he offered his hand to help me.
I stood up and faced him, leaning in for another kiss.
“Don’t tell anyone,” Van warned as he smiled at me.
“What’ll you give me for my silence?”
“More hugs?”
“Sold.”
Once we showered and changed, we made ourselves coffee and got to work.
I grabbed a guitar, and we sat on opposite couches.
“What’s your usual routine?” I asked.
“Music first, lyrics later. You heard the riff I was playing earlier, so we can start with that and go from there.”
Three hours later, we had a good base for a new song.
Van had a great ear for creating a melodic hook that was simple but memorable. I was focused on the rhythm pattern and how that would complement my vocals.
I always gave my input to the songs Van presented to us.
And, of course, there were songs I wrote that I would present to him.
But this, starting from scratch, creating a song together, was a whole new experience for both of us.
And it worked. We bickered back and forth in our usual way until we developed a sound we could both agree on.
“Did you have a look at the recent press clippings?” Van asked as we took a break and shared a coffee on the patio.
Despite the chill, the sea air was energizing.
“Not yet. Anything I should be aware of?”
“There’s a photo of you and me at the airport yesterday. There’s all kinds of speculation on social media about our relationship,” he replied with a frown.
“Okay, well, we agreed to ignore it for now.”
Van was silent, sipping his coffee and staring out at the ocean in the distance. He had that worried expression in his eyes that I knew all too well.
“What’s wrong?”
He bit his lip and then turned to me.
“I got a lot of comments on my personal accounts. Some are supportive, but there’s also a lot of hate. Homophobic rants. It’s just so angry. I’ve never felt that kind of vitriol directed at me before.”
Reality was a rude fucking wake-up call.
“Most of the time, your fans far outnumber the haters, but I never fully understood what it’s like for you.
I mean, I did, but not to the extent I do now,” he continued, then reached out to take my hand.
“And I worry about what will happen when we come out as a couple. I’ve never had anyone care who I was with.
If I went on a date with a woman, no one looked twice.
And I don’t like that I’m already worried about how I’m going to handle it. ”
I tightened my grip on his hand and brought it up to my mouth, gently kissing his knuckles.
“I won’t bullshit you, it’s not going to be easy.
People are going to stop and stare and make comments.
There are going to be places we’re not welcome, even with my celebrity status.
But I learned a long time ago that we can’t let other people dictate our happiness.
There’s always risk in being a high-profile person and being openly gay to boot.
And there’s also a reason I have PR people monitoring my accounts.
If I read every horrible comment, I’d never leave the fucking house. ”
Van nodded. “Just be patient with me. I may be older, but as far as this goes, you’re the wiser one.”
“Said no one, ever.” I chuckled, trying to ease the tension.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to spoil the mood.”
“You didn’t. And we have to talk about this. You’re being honest, and I love that about you. I don’t ever want you to hold anything back.”
Van leaned over and took my lips in a slow kiss.
“You ready to get back to work?”
“I’m ready to write a hit song.”
“Let’s do it.”
We’d just started brainstorming the lyrics when Dawson appeared at the door.
I waved him in.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I wanted you to know that there’s a van parked near the gate, and it’s been sitting there for an hour.
It’s a pap. I spotted a professional camera with a telephoto lens.
I don’t know how the fuck they found us.
I called Regan. She’s sending more team members up here, just in case. ”
“Jesus Christ, can I go, like, a week without having to deal with the press following me? I get that I signed up for this life, but come on. I just want a month off.”
Dawson sat down beside me. “I’m sorry, Brodie. We were careful. No one followed us from the airport, and it was a private flight. I don’t know how they found us.”
“It’s not your fault, Daws, and I’m not blaming you.” I sighed. “What about my family? My parents and my sister are nearby. I don’t want them being harassed.”
“We’ll place one team member each with your parents and your sister, respectively, if need be.”
Van grabbed his phone. “I’m going to make a phone call. I’ll be right back.”
VAN
I stood on the patio as the sea mist sprayed my face and thanked God for that. I needed something to cool my temper down.
My good mood from earlier had all but vanished.
What started out as the perfect day—mind-blowing morning sex with Brodie followed by a songwriting session—was now marred by concerns that our privacy was about to be breached.
I tapped my phone and waited.
“What’s up, Van?” Greg answered.
“Someone leaked word to the press that Brodie and I are in Rhode Island, and I want to know who. We’ve got a pap camped just outside his gate. Now Regan has to send more team members up here for us and for Brodie’s family.”
“That’s unfortunate, but these things happen,” Greg replied.
“That’s all you have to say? Are you serious?” I yelled.
I should’ve been more careful about how I spoke to my boss, but I was fuming.
“This is the business we’re in, remember? It’s nothing new, so calm the fuck down,” Greg snapped back. “They probably followed you from the airport.”
He was completely ignoring my suggestion that our location was leaked, and my gut began to churn.
“There was someone in Nashville taking pictures when we left. We took a private charter. And no one followed us when we arrived here.”
“You know as well as I do that it’s nearly impossible to disappear nowadays. All you can do is listen to the security team, and if you are confronted by the press, ignore them. Unless, of course, you finally have something you want to say.”
I caught the sharp tone of his voice and the real meaning of his words. But Brodie and I had an understanding, and we were sticking to our plan.
I could ignore Greg just as easily as he ignored my concerns about a possible leak.
“The band just finished a grueling year, and Brodie needs rest. Now his peace has been shattered,” I murmured.
“He’ll just have to lay low. The rumor about you and him being a couple has only intensified since the concert. Our social stats are through the roof, considering we’re post-tour. So it’s not surprising that the media is smelling blood.”
“And?”
“And PR is monitoring the situation. If this keeps circulating, they might take over your personal account.”
“I better go. Brodie and I have a song to finish.”
“Already?”
“Being here is very inspiring.”
“I’ll bet,” he replied. “I’ll check in with Regan to ensure she’s made Brodie’s additional protection a priority.”
“Fine.”
I hung up with no more answers than before I made the call.
I was tempted to chuck my phone into the waves, but that wasn’t smart. For me or the ocean.
“Everything okay?”
Brodie’s voice startled me.
I turned and nodded. “Everything’s fine. Well, not fine since we won’t be able to leave the property without being photographed, but other than that—”
“If Dawson is right and no one followed us here, how did they find us?” Brodie asked.
“Between you and me, I think there’s a leak.”
Brodie’s face fell.
“Someone at Bandit?”
I nodded. “I have my suspicions.”
“And?”
I slid my arm around Brodie’s waist and pulled him in tightly.
“Only a handful of people knew we were coming here. And the rumor about us isn’t dying down. It’s generating a huge amount of social engagement. I also checked our sales stats post- concert. Same thing. More photos of us together would only fuel the fire.”
Brodie shook his head, his messy waves hitting his cheekbones.
“I get that our music, our brand, is a commodity, but if what you’re suggesting is true, if someone internally leaked that info, I’m going to have a serious problem.
If we can’t trust the people closest to us and we don’t receive some measure of privacy when we ask for it, I’m done.
And I know the guys will support me on this. ”
“I have no evidence at this point. It’s just a theory.”
“But one that makes sense given the circumstances.”
“We can’t level an accusation without proof. First, I’m going to have Dawson run the van’s plates. See if we can find out who’s parked outside. We’ll go from there.”
Brodie leaned up and gave me a kiss. “Do you want to talk about this anymore?”
“Fuck no.”
“Good. Because we have a song to work on. And a bed to wreck.”
“Maybe we should reverse that,” I teased and took his lips again.
It took us a whole week to finish that song.