Keeping Sweets

by Cate Ashwood

  Evan glanced across to Colt, whose mouth had turned down at the corners, but his expression was one of concern, not disapproval. “As long as he’s not jumpin’ in over his head.”

  “I think I saw some water wings in the closet when I was putting my shit away,” teased the blond. “If he looks like he’s going under, we can just throw on a pair, and he’ll be good as gold.”

  Evan smiled. He doubted Colt was questioning his ability to handle himself. He had gotten more of a protective vibe from the guy, but it was nice to know that none of the other guys saw him the way he felt: like the naïve underling.

  Bran took the exchange in stride, swiftly shifting the focus back to the introductions. “Ryan?”

  “Uh yeah, that’s me,” declared Ryan. “I’m twenty-three and from just down the coast from here. California born and raised. I know it’s a bit cliché, but I am hoping to break into the acting business. Been on a few auditions, mostly commercials, but I’ve only landed one so far. I’m still pretty new to the scene, moved to L.A. about a year ago. I figured this would be a way to make some money, and gain at least a little acting experience in the process. I’m mostly involved with a studio back in California, but when I saw the posting for a shoot this long, I jumped at it.”

  “Not sure how much acting experience you’ll get on set here, Ryan. This project is meant to be a little more… realistic… than some of the others you might have seen before. Might be a good opportunity for you to see how the behind-the-scenes parts work, though. Can let you in on the more technical side of producing movies. Subject matter is slightly different, but the principles are the same.”

  “I will take whatever I can get, and gratefully too, boss. Thanks.”

  Bran nodded. “Not your boss, just Noah. Glad to help. So other than gleaning experience from this project, what are you looking forward to the most?”

  “Spending some time at the beach. Beaches in L.A. are a different animal entirely. You can’t surf a single wave without running into scads of tourists in bad Hawaiian shirts.”

  “You surf?” said Riley incredulously.

  “You bet. I think I was surfing before I was walking. I’d be happy to give you a lesson or two between scenes if you’d like.”

  Riley nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yeah, that’d be right sound.”

  Evan felt the knot deep in his gut begin to loosen. It had grabbed hold of him the moment he had jumped down from Bran’s truck and shuffled across the gravel to the house, his bag slung high on his shoulder.

  His housemates weren’t as scary now that he was getting to know them a bit better. Actually, they all seemed, well, nice. A lot nicer than anyone he’d known in Fairfax.

  “And last but not least, Colton.”

  “Hi, yeah. I’m Colton. I’m almost as young as the greenhorn over there.” He gestured casually toward Evan. “I’m nineteen, but I’ve been on my own since I was sixteen.”

  “Where are you from, Colton?”

  “You can call me Colt. I’m from all over Texas mostly. My dad has a cattle ranch, but like I said, I left there shortly after I turned sixteen.”

  “Why so young?”

  Colt spoke in short drawled sentences, visibly uncomfortable with sharing too much of himself. “It’s a borin’ story. Cliché. Almost as cliché as a guy with stars in his eyes gettin’ into porn hopin’ for his big actin’ break.”

  He winked at Ryan. “My mama died, daddy didn’t think too highly of havin’ a faggot for a son, so I left. Traveled around a bit. Odd jobs here and there.”

  “So how’d you end up doing porn?” Evan was surprised to realize that the question had fallen from his mouth.

  Colt looked down at his feet, as if the hole that had frayed in the end of his dull gray socks was the most interesting thing he had ever seen. “Bein’ young and stupid mostly. Followed a guy, hopin’ that we’d end up together, but it wasn’t what I thought. No big deal.”

  Evan nodded his understanding. If anyone could understand putting aside common sense to chase after something he wanted, Evan could.

  “I am lookin’ forward to not being in Texas, though. Spendin’ time with y’all beats muckin’ out stalls any day.”

  The guys were obviously a lot mellower, getting friendlier and touching each other a lot more.

  “We got any tequila?” Kellan asked.

  “Yeah, I think I saw a bottle in one of the boxes when we were unpacking, and I’m sure there were some limes in the fridge,” offered Riley.

  “Before we break out the really hard stuff, I think a toast is in order.” Bran disappeared into the kitchen and came back with a chilled bottle of champagne tucked under his arm and glasses dangling precariously from his fingers.

  “Here’s to a project full of fun, freedom, and fucking!” he announced as he freed the cork with a loud pop. He poured the cold liquid into the glasses, then handed one to each of the guys.

  Evan had never had champagne. He lifted the glass and inhaled the sharp sweet scent. Touching the rim to his lips, he had his first taste. The bubbles tickled his tongue, but he liked it. It wasn’t like anything he had ever tasted. He sipped it slowly, not quite sure how the alcohol would affect him. The liquid was cool running down his throat, but warmed his belly, making him feel a bit relaxed and sleepy.

  Chapter 10

  BRAN didn’t want things getting out of control, but so far it seemed that everyone had a nice buzz and things were going according to plan.

  “Be right back!” shouted Ryan as he jumped up to fetch the tequila shot supplies.

  The rest of the boys waited patiently for him to set up the seven shot glasses on the coffee table.

  Bran watched with a smile as all the guys gathered around. He felt a hand on his arm, and turned to see Evan standing there looking a little unsure of the situation. He leaned in close to whisper in Bran’s ear.

  “Do I have to?”

  Bran smiled. “You never have to do anything you don’t want to do. You know that. No one is going to think any less of you if you don’t want to do it, but if you decide you do want to drink tequila, promise I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “Okay. Maybe just one.”

  Evan still looked nervous, but moved into the circle around the table with the rest of the guys. He watched carefully as Bran showed him how to lick the back of his hand before sprinkling salt on the moist area. Evan copied his movements before throwing the shot back and downing it in one gulp. He coughed as the liquid burned down his throat.

  Bran laughed. “Took that one like a champ, kid. Well done!”

  Evan looked proud and defiant.

  Ryan lined up the shot glasses again and poured seven more. Evan shrugged and picked up his glass.

  “Sláinte!” shouted Riley.

  Evan downed the second shot. His eyes were beginning to glass over, and Bran thought he had probably had enough. The kid was a lightweight. He needed to slow down or he was going to be sick in the morning.

  As the night wore on, most of the guys had more tequila than was necessary for a good solid drunk and their actions began reflecting that. The shots were getting dirtier; Ryan lay on the table so Kellan could slurp the liquid from the deep ridges between his abs.

  Before he knew what was happening, Bran felt himself being pushed down to a sitting position in one of the chairs. He looked up to see Evan climbing into his lap, straddling his hips and pushing one hand back into his hair, as the other hand placed a lime gently between his teeth.

  Slowly Evan leaned down. His hot breath tickled Bran’s neck as he licked a warm moist path along the sensitive skin. The salt tickled as Evan upended the shaker. Bran let his head fall back and a groan escape as Evan’s warm tongue swept over him once more before swallowing the tequila. Before Bran could process what had happened, he felt the lightest brush of Evan’s lips against his own as the boy plucked the lime from his mouth and pressed the peel against his teeth to squeeze out all the tangy juice.

  His e
yes were wide and his face flushed, and Bran was reminded of how Evan looked just before he came. He was broken out of the reliving of the fantasy by catcalls and hoots from all the guys.

  Remembering they had an audience, the bashful Evan was back. He crawled off Bran’s lap, his eyes lowered.

  Bran felt the loss of the warmth and solidness of Evan’s body against his own. He wanted him back. He reached for his hand, not knowing what Evan’s reaction would be, but before he could pull him close again, Cooper suggested they all get into the hot tub. Everyone took off running toward the back deck, clothes flying in every direction as they all stripped down. There wasn’t a shy boy among them, other than Evan, who looked absolutely mortified.

  They were left alone in the living room and all Bran could think about was pulling Evan back into his lap and finishing what he had started. He was so fucking turned on there was no way he was going to be able to get through the night without his balls turning blue.

  He was drunk, but not drunk enough to forget the reasons why coming on to Evan was a bad idea. He could control himself. He was sure of it. They were buddies and needed things to stay that way. In the meantime, Evan wouldn’t make eye contact, his focus still trained on his toes, pink staining the tips of his ears.

  Bran stepped closer, testing the waters to see if Evan would back away. He stayed put. He reached toward him, pulled him closer, and then tilted his head so he could look into Evan’s deep brown eyes. When Bran had first met Evan, he had remarked that the kid looked like a Disney cartoon. The resemblance was still there, just this time he looked like a Disney character whose mother had just been shot.

  “Whatsa matter, Ev?”

  Evan shook his head, attempting to look away. Bran held him steady, trying to be comforting, reassuring.

  “Come on. Everything is just fine.” He still wasn’t completely sure what was troubling him, but it made his chest ache to see the kid upset.

  Evan pulled his lower lip into his mouth, worrying it with his teeth. “I’m just different than the other guys.”

  Was that all? Of course he was different. He was amazing. “But Ev, that’s why I picked you first. I like that you’re not like the other guys.”

  “Yeah, but I just really don’t fit in. You’re so good at all this shit, and I’m just anxious and awkward.”

  “Evan, listen to me,” he said, trying to convey the utmost sincerity, “being inexperienced is not the same thing as awkward. Trust me; you have nothing to worry about. There are no expectations you need to live up to. Just be yourself, do what feels right and trust your instincts. You’re doing great already, and if that last shot you did is any indication of how it’s going to be once the camera is rolling, well, let’s just say that it’s a good thing we went digital, because film woulda melted from the heat.”

  “Really?” he asked tentatively.

  “Jesus Christ, Ev. I almost came in my pants, you had me so turned on.”

  That earned Bran a big smile from the smaller man. He released Evan and waited for him to step away. He didn’t. Bran needed to put some space between them or he was going to end up doing something stupid.

  “Let’s go jump in the hot tub before they send in a search party.”

  “Um, do I have to strip? I mean, I know they’re all gonna see me naked eventually, I just….” He trailed off.

  “You wanna keep your shorts on for now?”

  “Yes, please.” Bran was relieved. He wasn’t sure how much more teasing he could take. He wanted Evan with a fierceness that had been missing for so long. Seeing Evan naked when his inhibitions were lowered and his desire was ramped up would be pure torment.

  “I’ll keep mine on too if it’ll make you feel better.”

  “Okay,” Evan agreed. “Might seem less weird if I’m not the only guy with pants.”

  “Don’t worry about anything, okay? Remember what I said about trusting your instincts. Just do what you feel is right, and don’t let anyone push you into anything you’re not ready for.”

  “I won’t.”

  After that, everything went smoothly. The guys had mellowed a little by the time they reached the hot tub, most switching back to beer or water from the hard stuff. No one mentioned Evan and Bran’s lack of nudity.

  Conversation flowed easily between them as they discussed past relationships, travel, and of course, sports. Evan kept pretty quiet, but seemed to be enjoying the company with a relaxed smile that stayed put for the rest of the evening.

  After everyone was sufficiently pruney, they decided to turn in for the night. The shoot the next day didn’t start till midmorning, but the guys were exhausted from the liquor and travel. Comfy beds awaited them all as they said goodnight and headed to their rooms.

  Bran climbed the stairs, limbs nice and loose from the hot water. He made a mental note to look into getting a hot tub when he wrapped up the shoot. There. He had added something to the list of things to do with the money he earned.

  His bed was calling to him, plush and pillowy soft. He fell into the soft mattress and burrowed under the duvet, nestling himself in like a fox burrowed up in his den for the winter. The world always seemed like a much nicer place when he was wrapped in coziness.

  Chapter 11

  EVAN pulled the blanket tighter around his body, tucking his feet under and rearranging the pillow beneath his head. The couch wasn’t the most comfortable place to sleep, but it was better than the alternative.

  He may have gotten a little drunk, but not drunk enough to be the audience in Kellan and Riley’s exhibitionistic fantasy. He had stripped the comforter from the bed and carried it down the hall like Linus with his blanket. At least it was quiet out here. Finally quiet, but he couldn’t sleep. The thoughts were racing through his head and the room had a slight tilt to it.

  He heard the footsteps on the stairs and knew instinctively that it was Bran. He tried to make himself smaller, hoping he wouldn’t be seen. He wasn’t that lucky.

  “Evan? What are you doing out here?”

  “Oh… uh… a couple of the guys wanted to let off a little steam. I didn’t want to get in the way. The couch is fine. Much comfier than the bed at the motel actually.”

  “Want me to talk to the guys?”

  “No!” he protested. “No, please don’t do that. I don’t mind, really.” He didn’t want the other guys to think he had gone running to the boss the minute something happened that he didn’t like. All he needed was for them to have one more reason not to like him. It was going to be hard enough to fit in without getting a reputation for being a complete pussy.

  “Well, you can’t sleep out here. Come on.” Bran pulled the covers off his body and yanked him to his feet. “Follow me.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “To my room. You can sleep in my bed with me.”

  Evan gulped. “Your bed?”

  “Relax, Ev,” Bran snapped. “I’m not going to maul you in your sleep. There’s enough room for four people in that bed. I’m sure I can manage to keep my distance.”

  Evan wasn’t sure what he’d said to upset the other man. “No, Bran, it’s not that, it’s just, I don’t want to get in the way. We’ve only been here for a few hours and I’m already causing trouble.”

  Bran sighed heavily, turning to look him in the eyes. “You’re not causing trouble. I just want to make sure you’re alright. Just let me do that, okay?”

  Evan nodded, gathering his pillow to his chest, and followed Bran up the stairs to his room. The bed that sat against the far wall looked so soft and welcoming that it took everything Evan possessed not to run across the room and launch headfirst into the blankets piled haphazardly across the mattress.

  “Well, what are you waiting for?” Bran teased, his mood obviously having improved. “Climb on in. You’d better not snore, though.”

  Evan didn’t hesitate, crawling in and pulling the covers up over his head. The whole bed smelled like Bran. He had only been in it for a couple of hours, but it
was as if the house wanted to latch on and never let go. He buried his face into the pillows and inhaled deeply, trying to memorize the scent.

  Bran climbed in next to him and turned off the light.

  “G’night, Ev,” he whispered.

  “Night, Bran,” Evan replied, closing his eyes and listening to the rhythmic sound of his breathing. He knew what he was doing was borderline crazy, but did not stop to analyze the reasoning behind it as he waited for Bran’s breathing to even out and slow.

  It didn’t take long. Evan knew he was asleep but held his breath as he moved carefully, disturbing the mattress as little as possible as he inched toward the sleeping form next to him. He just wanted to be a little bit closer… just a little bit….

  He felt the warmth of Bran’s skin against his, the heat sinking into him, warming him instantly, making him feel the connection he was beginning to crave. It felt so good to be touched. The simple contact of skin on skin lulled Evan toward sleep.

  He turned onto his side, facing Bran. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness that enveloped them and he was able to see the outline of Bran’s face. He was beautiful when he slept, features relaxed, long eyelashes fanned against his cheeks. Evan had the overwhelming urge to kiss him.

  He remembered their almost kiss during the tequila shots. Surges of electricity shot through him at the memory of the feeling of Bran’s mouth against his. There were only two more days until he could feel it for real. He was nervous about his reaction, though, and not in the way he thought he would be. He was worried that the moment Bran kissed him, he would become hopelessly addicted. He would never want to stop.

  Bran’s eyes quivered before opening slightly. He rolled onto his side, hooking his right arm around Evan’s waist and pulling him into his arms. “Shhhh, s’okay, Sweets,” he murmured, voice thick with sleep. “I can hear you thinking.”

  Bran pulled him in tighter, bringing their bodies flush together. Evan felt shivers wrack his body with the affectionate name. He couldn’t keep himself from nuzzling against Bran, getting as close as possible. It felt so fucking good to be in his arms, to feel so much less vulnerable. He felt protected and wanted. He had never imagined it would feel so good.