Chapter 5
LUKE
Iwake two hours before my alarm with anticipation swirling in my gut and a smile on my face. Today is collab day.
It’s only been a week since our first meeting, but I haven’t seen Riley since that night.
We’ve texted back and forth about details, and he’s been taking up way too much space in my mind all week.
I’ve had to force myself not to check his social media more than once a day.
Everything about that night was so easy and natural.
This is the first collab in a long time I’m actually really looking forward to.
I’ve been very fortunate to have some great scene partners over the years, and a few of them have fallen into regular rotation.
But even when I’ve worked with friends, it’s always felt like just that: work.
Maybe it’s because I’ve never done a scene with someone who’s brand-new to the industry like this.
Maybe it’s because he’s so beautiful, and his personality actually matches his outward appearance, which is a huge turn-on.
I’ve met a lot of attractive men in this business and fucked most of them, but a lot of the time, they have about as much personality as peeling paint. Definitely not so with Riley.
I also can’t help but admire his bravery in deciding to move to a completely new city and take a crack at a career that he wants to do purely for himself.
Most guys get into this business for the money, but as we cooled off and finished up our wine the other night, it became more and more evident as we talked that he’s here because he’s genuinely excited about the work.
It made me realize that I honestly can’t recall the last time I was that excited about work. Was I ever?
There’s no denying I’m excited now, though.
My morning wood is harder than it’s been in years, my balls full and tight, and it takes every ounce of self-control I possess not to take the edge off before the shoot.
I’m no spring chicken, though, and I worry that if I blow my load now, I won’t have anything to offer later when it counts.
I should get up and go for my morning run like usual.
Instead, I lean over and open the blinds a crack to let some good natural light in and arrange the sheets low around my hips so that the ridge of my erection is visible beneath the thin fabric, just the tip peeking out.
I tease my slit until there’s a bead of precum glinting in the morning light.
Leaning slightly forward onto one elbow, I maneuver for the perfect angle and snap a photo, posting it to Fanboy with the caption: Today is the day!
Are you all as excited to meet Riley as I am?
Within seconds, likes and comments are pouring in.
I’m not surprised. After I posted that teaser video we took last week, my inbox exploded with questions about Riley and when they could see more of him, and of us together.
I have to admit I watched that video a few times myself.
He’s fully clothed, but seeing him writhe on top of me with his tongue in my mouth gets me unbelievably hot.
My cock gives a helpless throb just thinking about it.
I’m about to say fuck it and take care of it anyway when my phone vibrates with an incoming text.
JESS:
Already up and at ’em, I see.
ME:
Well…I’m up alright.
JESS:
Ha. Cute. I got Riley all set up with his Fanboy page last week and he’s been getting lots of traffic already. I have a good feeling about this one! Such a cutie, too. I just wanna squeeze him.
ME:
Feedback’s been good then? You know I stay out of the comments.
JESS:
VERY good. I’m gonna need a raise if your inbox stays this full. I’ve got a car scheduled to take you both to the studio, so answer your damn phone when they call, yeah? I know how you are.
I chuckle and roll my eyes at that. Like every other millennial I know, I’ve had my phone on silent for years, and I never answer calls from numbers I don’t recognize.
I assure her that I’ll answer my phone, to which she replies with the eyebrow-raised emoji.
She knows me so well by this point that I should probably be concerned, but thank fuck for her.
I was fumbling around doing my best in the early days of my Fanboy account, trying to manage everything myself, when I got an email out of the blue from a Jessica Ashford offering her personal assistant services.
I don’t think it was possible to reply any faster than I did, and she’s pretty much the only thing that’s kept me from complete burnout for the last few years.
Honestly, if it weren’t for Jess and Nathan, I’d probably be a total recluse.
It’s not that I don’t enjoy being around people; I’ve just never had many friends.
My childhood was too transient to really ever feel at home anywhere, and why bother making new friends when I might not even be at the same school the next year?
These two didn’t give me an option, they just forced their friendship upon me whether I wanted it or not.
Nonconsensual friendship. But I’m so fucking thankful that they did.
They’ve both improved my career, but more importantly, they’ve significantly enhanced my life.
My arousal flagged during our text exchange, and now I just have to pee.
Rolling out of bed, I lean down to unlatch Aggie’s crate door on my way to the bathroom.
The pile of blankets shifts and snuffles until her nose pokes out from a corner, checking to see if we’re really getting up yet, or if I’ll make my way back to bed after I’m done in the bathroom.
I’ve learned she’s a lazy little thing in the mornings—if I’m asleep, she’s asleep.
But once I’m up, she’s bright-eyed and energetic, ready for whatever the day has to bring.
Most days, I wish I could bottle up and save some of her energy for myself, but today I’m excited enough for both of us twice over.
We make quick work of our morning routine: breakfast for us both, a quick walk and potty break for Aggie before she’s picked up for the doggy daycare Jess found after The Incident, and a shower for me where I manage not to jerk off.
I spend way more time than usual on my pre-shoot grooming and prep.
I use my trimmers to clean up my body hair a bit, but hesitate before removing the stubble on my face.
The way Riley was rubbing his face against mine like a cat at one point the other night makes me think he liked the feel of it.
I decide to stick with just detailing the mustache and leave the stubble alone.
I tell myself that the only reason I’m not going totally clean-shaven is because I want to make Riley feel comfortable on his first shoot.
I’m ready and waiting when the town car comes to collect me, and knowing that Riley is already in the backseat has my heart thundering behind my rib cage. The car has barely rolled to a stop before I’m yanking open the door and sliding into the seat next to a beaming Riley.
“Well good morning, sunshine. You ready for this?” I grin back at him and clap him on the thigh right above the knee, squeezing lightly. The feel of the hard muscle beneath my palm settles the butterflies in my stomach, as if they recognize him and relax in his presence.
“I was born ready for this.” His smile is nearly blinding in its brightness now. “Have you seen the comments on our Fanboy posts? I can’t believe I already have thirty subscribers, and I haven’t even posted anything yet!”
“I can believe it. But whatever you do, stay out of the comments section. You’d think that people who pay for access to you wouldn’t be heartless assholes, but you’d be wrong.
” Riley’s eyebrows pull in a little in confusion, his smile fading.
My heart lurches at the loss of its warmth, and my gut immediately sours.
I shouldn’t have said anything. He deserves to be excited about today; he doesn’t need a jaded old cynic bursting his bubble.
I give his thigh another light squeeze and a pat before reluctantly releasing him.
“Don’t worry about any of that today. Just try to relax and let me take care of you. ”
“Well that shouldn’t be too difficult,” he teases, a breezy smile gracing his beautiful face once more. “I’m the one getting a full-body massage.”
Nathan had decided on staging a massage scene in his warehouse studio, insisting that we would have the right kind of chemistry for such an intimate vibe, even on a first shoot.
He’s the expert, so I didn’t protest. And I’m not about to argue against any excuse to have my hands all over Riley’s body.
“So, any advice for my first day on the job?” His tone is playful, but the way he reaches over and covers my hand with his and toys with my fingers tells me he’s still a bit nervous.
I consider him for a moment. It’s been such a long time since my first day, and things are completely different now than they were back then.
There is so much more freedom in what we’re doing today than I had when I had to audition for studios in those early days.
Now I have control over the final result, and even though I won’t be editing this video, I know Nate would never make Riley look anything less than stellar for his first shoot.
“Just relax as much as possible,” I say finally. “Try to forget that the camera is there, even though Nate will be directing us at times. Just focus on me, and on letting me make you feel good. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Do you remember your first shoot?” he asks, looking down at where he’s slowly twisting my fingers between his own.
I whistle under my breath. “Oh man, that was a long time ago…things were a lot different then. It was through a studio I can’t even remember the name of…they don’t exist anymore. I had to, like, audition for it.”
Riley makes a choked little noise of surprise. “Audition?! How do you audition for porn?”
“Well, there aren’t a lot of clothes involved, and you’re in a room with your potential scene partner and a bunch of studio execs. It’s awkward as fuck, and they expect you to get hard and come on command. Luckily, I was eighteen and pretty much horny all the time, awkward or not.”
Riley’s eyes are saucers now, and the way he’s gaping at me makes him look even younger than his twenty-four years. “You were eighteen?”
“I was. That’s a story for another day, though.”
“Sorry.” He winces. “I didn’t mean to be nosy. I mean, that’s…it’s none of my business.”
I give his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Hey, no worries. I don’t mind telling you about it, really. I just don’t want to think about it right now. I’d rather focus on our shoot today.”
He smiles wide at that. “I’m really excited,” he admits. “I’m excited that it’s with you.”
Why does that make my heart melt a little?
There’s a primal urge rising up from somewhere I didn’t even know existed inside me, whispering that I need to protect him at all costs.
Whatever it takes. Which is ridiculous, because the kid is clearly perfectly capable of taking care of himself.
He doesn’t need protecting; he’s already proven that just by taking the leap and moving out here on his own.
He kind of reminds me of myself in some ways… that’s all it is.
I give him a small, reassuring smile in return.
“I’m glad, too.”