“I’m Sean. It’s a pleasure.” He gave Josh one of his finest sultry once-overs. “Or at least, it will be soon.”
It was amazing what one look could do. In a breath, the vestiges of Josh’s fake confidence vanished and were replaced by a mixture of arousal and nerves. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he shifted his weight in a way Mike recognized all too well. He would have bet money that Josh was starting to get hard.
“It’s, um, nice to meet you.” The flush that spread over his fair cheeks was beautiful. For the first time, he looked like the wholesome, American Dream type Mike had first seen in his photos. The one he wanted to pin down and dirty up, in every sense.
A predatory emotion within Mike lifted its head and sniffed the air. He shouldn’t be turned on by Josh’s naïveté. Colette was taking valuable time out of his day to have him train a newbie so green, he was like a sapling trembling in the breeze. Josh couldn’t even pull off a decent fake-it-till-you-make-it. And yet, Josh was pushing buttons for him that were coated in dust, it’d been so long since someone touched them.
Mike knew better than to mix business with pleasure—beyond the literal—but the idea of performing with someone he had actual chemistry with was tempting. “I get the feeling that by the time we’re finished, you’re going to develop a taste for ginger.”
Josh’s mouth flapped like a fish, speechless. Mike’s grin grew. He must not know that it’s customary for porn stars to flirt with each other before a shoot. He thinks I’m being serious. Which, to be fair, I am a little bit.
“Sean. A word, please?” Colette stepped out into the hallway without looking to see if he was going to follow.
He did, shutting the bedroom door behind him. “What’s up?”
Colette faced him and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m having doubts about our latest addition. I intended to film a teaser for the website with him today, but now that I’ve met him . . .” She clicked her tongue. “I’m not sure he’s worth the money.”
To Mike’s surprise, defensiveness rose up in him. “That seems harsh. Give the guy a chance. Teasers are only three to five minutes long, which means they can’t take more than an hour to film. How much can that cost?”
“Fifteen hundred dollars.”
Mike whistled. “Shit. I always knew it was a lot, but that’s outrageous.”
Colette started ticking off on her fingers. “There’s the cost of renting this location. Production expenses. Video editing. Yolanda’s compensation. Your compensation—”
Mike’s tongue acted without his volition. “I’ll do it for free.”
Colette’s eyebrows shot up to her heart-shaped hairline. “You’ll what?”
Her shock was justifiable. Mike hadn’t done a freebie in . . . ever.
Despite questions racing through his head, he stood his ground. “You’re a sucker for natural light, right? That’s why you scheduled him for right before sunset?”
“That was the plan, yes. But if he fucks up and takes too long—which I suspect he will—we’ll have to shoot with overhead lights. Or cut our losses right now. I could pay to rent this place for another hour, but somehow I doubt he’ll be worth it.”
“Just give him until the sun sets. That’s less than an hour of filming, and since we’re not having sex, I don’t think it would be fair for you to pay me for that. You can cut some costs, and I’ll consider it a favor.”
Colette looked at him askance. “That’s generous of you. Should I be concerned?”
“Why, because I want to watch the new kid flounder some more? This is pure Schadenfreude on my part.” Mike shrugged. “Well, that and he’s hot. Besides, don’t think for a second I won’t call in my favor the next time you’re holding auditions for one of your big films.”
That’s not the whole truth, and you know it.
Mike slapped a muzzle on his mental voice. “Murmur Inc. has done a lot for me, so I don’t mind giving back. Especially if it keeps me in the forefront of your mind come casting time.”
She tapped a manicured finger against her chin, considered him, and then her expression gave way. “All right. You’re on. Dick seems to respond to you anyway. Maybe you can coax some star quality out of that lifeless rock.” She opened the bedroom door and marched inside without another word.
Mike followed after her. She made a beeline for Yolanda and started discussing lighting. Thanks to a large west-facing window, the room was suffused in warm, golden light. It was perfect for filming right now, but it wouldn’t last. They needed to hustle, loath as he was to rush. If they produced a sub-par piece, Sean Hardwood would look terrible right along with everyone else. He’d have to hope Josh could produce.
Josh had taken a seat on the edge of the bed. When Mike entered, Josh caught his eye and smirked like he was trying to pull his confident mask back on. As Mike approached, it slipped off his face as if it had been oiled.
“Mind if I join you?” Mike gestured to the space next to Josh.
Josh opened his mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out, and his bottom lip trembled. Mike was overwhelmed by the desire to take it between his teeth and bite. Josh must’ve been at a loss for words, because he ended up just nodding and scooting over a little. Mike took the seat, struggling to keep his face neutral. If he acted too wolfish, Josh might spook. He’d never be able to explain to Colette why her new recruit had run screaming from the room.
“So, Colette says this is your first time.” Mike smiled. “Nervous?”
“No.” Josh sounded defensive. “I’m not a virgin.”
Mike suppressed a laugh. “Good to know, but you’re still a porn virgin, which is a whole ’nother ball game. You’re about to learn that having sex and filming porn are different things.”
Josh bit his lip, and Mike was hit by that urge again. “I don’t understand.”
“You will when we get started.”
“All right, gents.” Colette directed her attention at them. “We have to move fast. We’ve got about forty minutes to get this done. Anybody need to hydrate or stretch or anything?”
“I’m good,” Mike said.
Josh glanced at him and then back at Colette. “Me too.” His tone sounded like a challenge, or maybe like he was trying to prove something.
Mike’s mouth twitched. If he wants to get competitive with me, I can think of all sorts of ways to make that fun.
He was somewhat alarmed to realize how much he was looking forward to this. Man, he needed to get out more.
“I want you both to sit back against the headboard like you’re two buddies having a normal conversation.”
“In bed,” Josh quipped. “Like you do.”
Mike snorted before he could stop himself.
Colette glared at them both. “We’re on a time crunch, remember? As I was saying, I don’t have a script prepared for you, so you can talk about whatever comes to mind. This is informal, and it isn’t about dialogue so much as chemistry, which you two seem to have plenty of.”
Mike snuck a look at Josh. He was blushing again.
“Dick, bear in mind,” Colette continued, “this is your first introduction to Murmur Inc. and our clientele. Make an impression and you may start off with a strong fan base. That’ll drive demand for you, and hopefully it’ll give some new people a reason to hit that subscribe button.” She winked and looked to Yolanda. “Ready?”
Yolanda gave a thumbs-up from behind the tripod.
“Get into position, gentlemen.”
Mike and Josh both scooted back so they were sitting against the pillows with a couple of inches between their bodies.
“Perfect. Action!”
Yolanda flipped a switch, and the red recording light flashed on.
Mike turned to Josh, ready to strike up a conversation, but stopped short. Josh was staring at the camera like it was going to bite him: eyes wide, mouth open. His face was so comical, Mike burst out laughing.
“Cut!” Colette massaged her temples. “Dick, I didn’t think I
had to mention this, but you’re not supposed to look directly at the camera.”
“Oh, right. Sorry.” Josh’s expression was sheepish. “Where should I look, then?”
“. . . At your partner.”
“Ah! Of course. Got it. I’m ready now.” Josh peeked at Mike and sent him a small smile. Mike had to fight the urge to giggle. Josh was like a rubber ball. With the slightest touch, he went ricocheting between bravado and uncertainty, leaving utter calamity in his wake.
Colette signaled to Yolanda again. “Action!”
This time, Josh kept his focus on Mike. It was an improvement, though there was still something unnatural to the stiff set of his shoulders and the way his gaze never wavered.
Mike didn’t know what it was about Josh that put him in such a charitable mood, but he resolved to loosen the kid up before Colette nixed the whole project as a lost cause. “So, Dick, you said this is your first time filming porn?”
In lieu of an answer, Josh glanced at Colette.
Mike chuckled. “Don’t worry. We’re allowed to break the fourth wall. You can answer.”
He looked back. “Uh, yeah, it is.”
“How do you feel about it so far?”
“Fine, I guess. I honestly didn’t know what to expect.” His eyes wandered once down Mike’s body before they met his again. “But I have a good feeling about it.”
Shit. Maybe he’s got a knack for this after all.
“I like your confidence. Let’s see if you can back it up.” Mike leaned forward, reached behind himself to grab hold of his shirt, and slipped it off in one fluid motion. He tossed it to the side before flicking his hair away from his eyes and grinning at Josh. “Your turn.”
Josh didn’t move. Instead, he stared at Mike’s defined chest with a distinct awed expression. It was immensely satisfying.
“What’s wrong?” Mike edged closer. “Never seen a shirtless man before?”
“Yes. I mean, no, I have.” His bratty, defensive tone was back. “You just . . . surprised me.” He pulled his shirt off too, tossing it onto the floor like Mike had.
Mike whistled, studying his torso without bothering to be subtle about it. Josh wasn’t as cut as Mike was, but he was so damn lean. He probably did cardio, like jogging or something. And he was tall. Mike had no complaints—at least, with what he’d seen so far.
“Are you a top or a bottom?” Mike asked.
It was a standard question in the biz, but Josh seemed put off by it. “That’s a little personal, don’t you think?”
“Dude, this is porn. You’re gonna fuck on camera at some point.”
“Oh, right.” Josh ran a shaky hand through his hair, and the light strands fanned over his brow. “I’m a top.”
Mike smirked. “Not with me, you’re not.”
Josh pouted. “You can’t—”
Mike reached over and trailed a finger down his bare chest. “Look at all that fair skin. I bet you bruise like a peach.”
It was impossible to tell if the flush that swept over Josh’s body was from embarrassment or arousal, but judging by his quickened breathing, Mike would have put money on the latter.
Before Josh could respond, Colette interjected with some direction. “Not bad, newbie. You’re a little stiff, but your reactions almost seem genuine.” She glanced at her laptop, which was streaming the live feed. “And the camera loves you. That’s always a plus. We’ve got about twenty-five minutes left. That’s enough time for us to film a kiss.”
Mike nodded, excitement bubbling up in him. He’d have to examine why that was later, but for now he was prepared to give the whole world a show. Except, when he looked at Josh, he was frowning.
“A kiss?” Josh’s eyebrows knit together.
“Yes. Please tell me you’ve heard of it.”
“Of course I have. It’s just . . .”
Colette signaled for Yolanda to cut. “Is there a problem? Again?”
“Isn’t kissing supposed to be off-limits, or something? Like, too intimate for porn?”
Colette blew out an exasperated breath. “Where did people get the ridiculous idea that kissing is more intimate than sex? I blame Pretty Woman for this. No, kissing isn’t too intimate for porn. Or maybe it is for some companies, but we’re not peddling emotionless titillation here. Our porn has romance. Storylines. Production value. Didn’t you do your research before applying to work for us?”
“I did, I swear. I guess I thought . . .” He glanced at Mike as if looking for help. Mike shook his head. “Never mind. I dunno what I thought.”
“Less thinking. More doing. We’re burning daylight. Action!”
Mike eyed Josh, wondering what sort of kisser he was. Every guy was different. Some liked to ease into it while others went in guns blazing. Or tongues blazing, as was often the case. Mike sincerely hoped that wasn’t Josh’s style. If one more porn star decided it was sexy to shove his tongue down Mike’s throat, he’d gag. Or at least, he would if he hadn’t trained away that reflex a long time ago.
As it turned out, Josh’s style was to do nothing. He looked at Mike with wide eyes that said one thing: I’m at a loss. His trembling had returned. Mike couldn’t tell if it was stage fright or genuine fear, but Josh seemed like he was one loud noise away from a meltdown. This was the most transparent his inexperience had been thus far.
Impatience flashed through Mike—they had a job to do, after all—but there was a tinge of something else. Like sympathy, only . . . deeper.
Throw him a bone, said a voice in the back of his head. He’s scared. You were a scared newbie once too.
“Hey.” He made his voice soft and gentle, like the brush of a hand. “You all right?”
“Yeah.” Josh’s eyes twitched like he wanted to look at the camera.
“Relax. I’ll only bite if you like that sort of thing.”
That earned him a laugh. Before his eyes, Josh relaxed a little bit. “I only like biting sometimes.”
“Let me guess.” Moving slowly, Mike thumbed the hollow of Josh’s throat. “Your neck.”
“Yeah.” Josh’s voice was breathy. For the first time since they’d started filming, his full attention seemed to be on Mike. There was a sliver of a chance he’d managed to do what every porn star had to learn to do: forget the camera, forget the other people in the room, and relax.
Mike wondered if he could claim this act of charity on his taxes. But then, if he was just being nice, why was his heart beating so fast?
You’re probably picking up on the newbie’s nerves. Stay in character.
He leaned closer, twisting his torso until their faces were inches apart. “Can I kiss you?” He wet his lips and dropped his eyes to Josh’s mouth. “I want to.”
“Um.” Josh’s chest was visibly rising and falling with his quickened breaths. The air between them had a notable charge, but even with all the sexual tension crackling around them, Josh was still shaking.
Mike lowered his voice, too low for Colette or the camera to pick up. “You’re just a scared kid, aren’t you?”
“I’m not a kid.” Josh managed to sound defiant, though his voice cracked.
Why is that so endearing?
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“I, um. I . . .”
“Something on your mind?” Mike cocked his head to the side. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”
It was like Mike had punched a hole in a dam. The words seem to burst from Josh. “Your cologne. You smell like citrus. Like oranges or something. It smells so good, I can’t think straight.” As soon as his outburst was over, a full-body flush swept over him.
Mike was shocked by his own reaction. Coming from anyone else, he would have thought that was a line, but from Josh it came across as genuine. Real and raw and honest. Mike found himself closing the distance between them before he could think about it. “Let me kiss you. I need to.”
Josh whimpered. “Please.”
The last thing Mike noticed before he closed hi
s eyes was the hot brush of Josh’s panted breaths against his lips, and then they were kissing.
It was artless, if Mike were being honest. Frantic and messy and probably the least-skillful kiss he’d ever experienced, but fuck. It felt amazing.
The room melted away. Mike forgot about Colette and the camera and everything but the man next to him. Mike hadn’t kissed someone for the sheer pleasure of it in . . . Nothing came to mind, which meant it had been far too long.
Josh’s mouth was soft and just the right amount of pliant. He opened easily beneath Mike’s firmer touch, allowing him to take charge of the kiss. Precisely how Mike liked it.
He leaned into Josh’s body, guiding him back, and noted with heady delight that Josh moved with him without resistance. They fell against the sheets together, chest to chest, and everything from their mouths to their bodies slotted into place like puzzle pieces. Mike was hard within seconds, and this time, he wasn’t relying on Viagra.
For a dizzying moment, Mike thought, I could get totally lost in him.
“Cut!”
Damn.
Mike jerked his head up and wondered if his eyes were still closed. The room was much darker than it had been before, illuminated by the final few rays of a fading sun. He blinked, disoriented. A small noise drew his attention beneath him. Josh was staring up at him, red-lipped and disheveled in a way that screamed sex. Jesus, Mike wanted to kiss him again.
But Colette had other ideas. “That’s a wrap, gentlemen. You can stop now.”
“Really?” Mike asked. “You don’t want us to do an outro?”
“No, the point of a teaser is to leave them wanting more, as you well know. If the video cuts off, people will think there’s a full-length one out there, and they’ll subscribe to the site.”
“Oh. Right. I knew that.” Mike couldn’t keep the disappointment from his tone. He looked down at Josh again, only to find him squirming. Oops. Mike was still on top of him, and his weight must be getting uncomfortable. He rolled off him and ordered his pulse to get back under control.
Colette tucked a fist under her chin and considered them. “Good work, Sean. Dick, you weren’t a total disaster. Shocked as I am to admit it, I’m impressed.”
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