Jackson turned for his trailer and opened the door, inviting Ash to step in first. He watched Ash climbed the steps, his gaze locked on Ash’s ass. The jeans hugged the curves of it so tight, showing how firm and finely shaped it was. His heartbeat quickened with a mix of emotions, nervousness at getting ready to talk to him, excitement at being alone with him, and lust at wanting to rip the skin-tight jeans off Ash’s ass. Jackson shook his head to refocus himself and closed the trailer door behind him as he followed Ash.
Ash walked to the middle of the trailer and faced him, folding his arms across his chest. “So what do you want to talk about?”
Jackson took in Ash’s defensive posture. Ash looked like he was already prepared for a fight, and he could understand why. They hadn’t been able to trust the few moments of camaraderie with how quickly things took bad turns between them. Somehow, he needed to get them making good turns together.
Jackson sighed and moved closer to him, stopping at the table. He tugged off his cowboy hat and tossed it to the table, his head bowed as he ran a hand over his short black hair. “I’m trying to figure out where to begin.”
He glanced up at Ash, the expression Ash wore, eyes wide and lips slightly parted, stopped his thoughts. “Is something wrong?”
Ash blinked a couple times. “It’s just, I think I’ve only seen about two pictures of you without your hat on.”
A few low chuckles left Jackson’s throat. “Do I look that bad without it?”
“No, you look that good without it.”
Jackson’s chuckling stopped, along with his breathing at the shock of Ash saying something like that to him. He glanced away from him. If he didn’t know what to say before, he really didn’t know now.
Ash unfolded his arms, resting one hand and his hip against the edge of the table’s booth. “Sorry. I know last night me getting flirty pissed you off, but what I said just now, take it as a compliment. Don’t worry about any other meaning.”
His voice hardly a whisper, Jackson said, “You flirting last night didn’t piss me off.” He chanced another look at Ash, seeing the shock had returned to his face. He lifted his head more, looking into Ash’s eyes. “What you said last night, about how you didn’t think I’d want to have my image tied to an HIV/AIDS event, why’d you say that?”
“Because of the typical stereotype connected to HIV and AIDS, the one you threw out at me last night.” Ash’s voice came sharper. “Which was total bullshit on so many levels. First, this is something that all people, from all walks of life, need to be aware of and concerned about. It doesn’t discriminate like people do. But it’s because of that stereotype that I figured you’d want to stay clear of having your wholesome image close to it. And second, you don’t know me. You don’t know what I do behind closed doors. But if you want to know, I’m clean, I’m always safe, and I get tested regularly. What you said, implying I just screw whoever, whenever, however, that was pretty fucking low.”
Jackson nodded slowly. “I know. I’m sorry.”
Ash stared at him, his mind thrown into shock once again. He couldn’t believe Jackson hadn’t snapped back at him. Instead, Jackson was looking away, his entire demeanor speaking of not wanting to fight. Ash felt his confusion growing. He didn’t get what Jackson’s game was here, unless there was no game, just Jackson wanting to truly have an open moment with him. The thought of that confused him even more.
Ash shoved the thoughts aside. Hopefully he could figure things out as they kept talking. “Well, I appreciate the apology. I’m not sure I want to accept it, though.”
“I can understand that.”
“So why the hell are you playing this concert? You said last night this was the most important charity event you’ve ever done. With the shit you said to me, I’m finding that a little hard to believe.”
Jackson stood quiet for several moments. Ash started to think he wasn’t going to answer him, until Jackson cleared his throat.
“I have an uncle who’s HIV positive. He’s lived with it for years. He has a partner and they love each other very much, but in their early years, they were always on again, off again. He was something of a wild man back then.” Jackson raised his head, giving Ash a small smile. “You’re going to be surprised to learn this, but he’s a rocker. Never hit the big time, but he’s played guitar in a band for years. Still does. He loves it. And he loves your music, too. He’s a huge fan.”
All anger and animosity he’d felt toward Jackson fled from Ash. He took a step toward him and stood in front of him, close enough to touch him. “On our next tour, you guys should come to one of our shows. I’ll give you my number so you can call me and I’ll get you backstage.”
Jackson lost his voice for a moment as he looked in Ash’s eyes. The ebony make-up lining them accentuated their blue hue, but he had a feeling even without the eyeliner, Ash’s eyes would be just as beautiful. He found his voice, but still couldn’t take his gaze from Ash’s. “I’d appreciate that.”
“It’s no problem.” Ash paused for a moment. “How is he now? I mean, is he doing okay?”
“Yeah, he has good days and bad days, but he’s got Dale, and he always says so long as he has him, everyday is a good day.”
“It sounds like they love each other a lot.”
“They do. They were about as opposite as opposite can be when they were young, still are in a lot of ways. My uncle, Lee, is kind of haphazard, messy, and still has a little wildness in him. But Dale is all about structure and being organized. He manages one of the largest banks in Dallas, so you can see the rocker and the business man, kind of an oil and water mix. It was because they were so different that they were always breaking things off, but they also couldn’t go long without finding their way back to each other again.
“When Lee found out he had HIV, that’s kind of what sealed it in them realizing how much they loved each other. He didn’t think Dale would want him anymore, and he even tried to push him away. But Dale held on, and more than ten years later, they haven’t spent a day without each other.” Jackson chuckled. “And fighting! They can still get ripping in some good ones, bitching and bellowing at each other. But those moments always end in an embrace and a kiss.”
Ash smiled. “It’s beautiful they can work through that.”
“Yeah, but they’ve hit a point where neither of them takes offense to what the other says. They’re so confident in their love for each other, they brush those moments off like they’re nothing.”
Ash placed his hand on Jackson’s bicep. “I’m sorry for saying I didn’t think you’d care about this charity. I guess I was passing judgments again, and it was crap of me to do that.”
Jackson lowered his gaze. He slowly lifted his other hand and rested it over Ash’s on his arm. “We’ve both done that too much.”
Ash looked at Jackson’s hand over his. His heartbeat hit a frantic pace.
Jackson glanced up, catching Ash’s gaze. “Plus, as a gay man myself, it makes it extra special for me. But like you said, it’s important for all people to know and understand about it.”
No other words would come to Ash. Jackson…did he really just say that? Ash’s mind spun with him desperately trying to catch hold of some comprehension. Jackson just confided in him that he was gay. And even if he doubted Jackson’s words, he couldn’t doubt the way Jackson was looking at him, or the softness in his touch.
Still unable to find words, his mind still floating, Ash tipped his head slightly toward him, watching to see what Jackson’s reaction would be. Jackson’s eyes half closed, his hand slid up Ash’s arm to the back of his neck. It was the only sign Ash needed. He closed the distance between them, his arms going around Jackson as he brought their lips together.
A hushed groan rumbled in Jackson’s throat. He started to part his lips, and Ash slipped the tip of his tongue through them. Jackson opened wider, accepting Ash’s tongue into his mouth. Ash took control of the kiss, rubbing his tongue across Jackson’s, sucking it into his mouth
.
The kiss came to a slow end. Ash kept his eyes closed for a long moment before opening them, and saw Jackson doing the same, as if he was also savoring the kiss.
Jackson couldn’t bring himself to pull his hands away from Ash. He let out a single, short laugh that held more confusion than humor. “What’s happening here?”
“I don’t know, but I’m running with it.” Ash took Jackson’s face in both hands, pressing their lips together in a more forceful kiss.
He turned Jackson toward the table and pushed him back to sit on the edge. Jackson spread his legs wide for Ash to stand between them. Ash’s fingers went to the buttons on Jackson’s shirt, working with deft skill in opening them, his lips never breaking from Jackson’s. The last button undone, he flung Jackson’s shirt open and drew the kiss to an end so he could see the body he’d been dying to get a look.
Jackson’s pectorals were thick with muscle, his abdomen cut in deep grooves. But what surprised Ash was the tattoo on Jackson’s left pec. He hadn’t expected him to be inked. The image looked as if Jackson’s skin had been ripped open, not bloody or gory. Rather, it made it appear that beneath Jackson’s skin was an American flag, and in front of his “skin” was the profiled head of a bald eagle.
Ash ran his hand over the tattoo. “That’s cool.”
“Thanks.” Jackson slipped his fingers under Ash’s shirt, edging it up. “I know you’ve got more than what’s on your arms. I’ve seen pictures of you with your shirt off a lot.”
Ash grinned and stood up straight to pull his shirt off. “You've seen pics of me with it off, or you’ve looked for shots of me with it off?”
“Considering the position we’re in right now, I guess I can admit it’s been more of the second one.”
“I like hearing that.” Ash dropped his shirt to the floor.
Jackson looked at Ash’s chest. Adorning each pec where two nude male angels, their bodies inked to be muscled and beautiful, one with feathered wings, pure and heavenly in appearance, and the other with black reptilian wings, dark and haunting. Each embraced half of a heart, as if in battling against each other, they’d torn it in two. Along with the tattoos, both of Ash’s nipples were pierced with silver rings.
Jackson placed his hands on Ash’s waist, running them up his sides. “I love those two. They’re beautiful.” He drifted his hands in to Ash’s chest, flipping the nipple rings with his thumbs. “And I’m really liking these.”
Ash closed his eyes. “And I’m really liking what you’re doing with them.”
Encouraged by Ash’s words, Jackson leaned forward, placing a kiss on Ash’s chest just above his nipple before covering it with his mouth. He sucked on it, flicking the ring with his tongue. Ash laid a hand on Jackson’s head, a quiet moan purring in his throat. Jackson brought his hands back down Ash’s sides to his hips, and slid them behind him to his ass. He rubbed his palms over the cheeks, and as he switched to give attention to the other nipple, he clamped onto Ash’s ass, jerking him forward.
Ash pushed his hands between their bodies to Jackson’s jeans and opened them. He gave a little growl at confronting Jackson’s boxers.
Jackson tugged the nipple ring with his teeth before sitting back. “I’m guessing you’re not a boxers kind of man.”
“I’m not an underwear kind of man, period.”
Jackson dropped his gaze to Ash’s crotch, realizing what that implied.
Ash pulled at Jackson’s jeans, trying to get him to lift his hips. Jackson rose slightly off the table, and Ash dragged his jeans lower, taking the boxers with them. He looked down at Jackson’s cock, the thick shaft curving in an arch, the tip resting at his navel. Ash touched his middle finger to the slit and traced down the full length to where it met Jackson’s sac. The length, the girth, it was perfect. His body already yearned to feel it stretching and filling him.
Ash wrapped his fingers around Jackson’s cock, squeezing against the hardness. Jackson’s head fell back, his eyes closing as a moan passed over his lips. He lifted his hips, moving his cock in Ash’s hand. Ash pumped the shaft in harmony with each raise and lower of Jackson’s hips, watching how Jackson moved them, envisioning them working between his own legs.
Jackson brought his head forward again, looking down at his cock sliding in and out of Ash’s hand. He wanted Ash’s cock in his hand, to stroke it and make him come. He reached for Ash’s jeans, able to see the hard line behind them. He unfastened the button, and as the zipped came down, Ash’s cock pushed out. He gripped the shaft and rubbed his thumb in circular motions over the broad head.
Having Jackson’s hand on his cock broke Ash’s control. He took Jackson’s mouth in a rough kiss, pressing him to lie further back on the table. Jackson reclined on one elbow, refusing to take his other hand off Ash’s cock. Ash rocked his hips with Jackson’s hand motions, never losing the rhythm of pumping Jackson’s cock.
Jackson broke the kiss to take few quick, deep breaths. With Ash’s body over him, the fierce hunger in how Ash worked him and kissed him, he could already feel his orgasm starting to rise.
Ash kept his lips close to Jackson’s, sharing each quick breath with him. He thrust harder into Jackson’s hand, jerked faster on Jackson’s cock. He felt Jackson shudder, his abs constricting, and knew Jackson was about to lose it. He dipped his head toward Jackson’s ear, his voice a gravely whisper as he spoke. “Let it go, Jackson. Let me make you come.”
Jackson tipped his head back, his voice leaving him in a loud moan as his climax overwhelmed him. Ash focused on Jackson’s cock, watching the white fluid leave it to splatter Jackson’s abdomen. He flicked his gaze to Jackson’s face. Jackson’s expression of pleasure finished him even more than seeing his cum.
Ash stood up straight, grabbing hold of his own cock. Jackson’s had lost his grip on it when his orgasm claimed him, but he’d brought him close to the edge. Ash stroked it hard and fast, pushing himself over.
Jackson opened his eyes in time to catch the final few strokes before Ash came, and he found himself entranced. He looked at the fluid on Ash’s hand, his mouth watering for a taste. But even more, he wanted Ash’s body close to him again. He extended a hand to him. Ash took it and dropped forward, bracing himself on the table with his other hand as they met in another kiss.
Ash eased the kiss to an end. He took a deep breath. “Well, that was one way for us to work out the tension between us.”
Jackson smiled and placed a light kiss on Ash’s lips. “I think I like it a lot better than bitching at each other.”
“So do I.” Ash dipped his head down, laying a kiss in the center of Jackson’s chest. “You got some towels around here?”
“Down by the bathroom, there’s a closet with some.”
Ash pushed off the table and turned to get towels. He found washcloths as well, and after quickly wiping himself clean, he returned to Jackson and ran the cloth, damp with warm water, over him.
Jackson couldn’t help but feel touched at the gentle way Ash cleaned him. He wondered if he should speak his thoughts. He wanted to, and at the same time, he didn’t. But even more than voicing not wanting to voice his emotions, he didn’t want Ash to think he was just a random quick hook-up. Jackson glanced up at him, his voice hushed. “I can’t even begin to say how many times I’ve thought of having moments like this with you. No matter what you said to me in the press, I could never shake how attracted I was to you.”
“It was the same for me. You’ve driven me nuts all this time, constantly making me pissed and horny at the same time. That’s just not right.”
Jackson laughed and claimed Ash’s lips in another kiss.
A soft chiming sound interrupted them.
“What’s that?” Jackson asked.
Ash shoved his hand into his front pocket and pulled out his phone, the chiming becoming louder as he did. He hit a button, shutting it off. “A reminder alarm. I set it so I’d make our rehearsal on time.”
“Guess that means you have to go.”<
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“Yeah, sorry. I should’ve thought of that before we got into this, but you kinda made me forget about everything after we kissed.”
“Sounds like I’m the one who should be apologizing.”
“Being hot is nothing to be sorry for. Look at me. You don’t see me apologizing for it, do you?”
Jackson gave him a playful grin. “No, but with some of the hairstyles you’ve had, an apology or ten might be in order.”
Ash let out a huff. “You’re going to fit right in with Devin, Chad, and Jeremy.”
“Just do me a favor. Try to keep your hair like this for longer than a couple days. I’m really liking the color.”
“It’s my natural color. I decided to start from scratch again after my mohawk disaster. I had to get it cut down to this length just to fix it.” Ash laid his hands on Jackson’s hips and brought their bodies close again. “But if you want me to keep it like this, then I’m guessing you want to see more of me.”
Jackson angled his head to kiss him. “I want to see and touch every part of you.”
A pleased groan sounded in Ash’s throat as their lips met. Jackson led the kiss this time, his tongue moving over Ash’s in slow, deep thrusts. Ash stepped backward, his hands still on Jackson’s hips, drawing him toward the couch. They nearly reached it when his phone went off again.
Jackson spoke with his lips touching Ash’s. “Another reminder?”
Ash sighed and pulled out his phone, glancing down at it. “No, Devin’s texting me.”
Jackson looked at the screen as Ash opened the text, reading, Where the fuck are you?! Rehearsal! Remember? “Looks like you gotta go.”
“Yeah.” Ash replied to Devin with, Cool it. On my way. He hit send and turned to Jackson. “Come with me. You can watch us rehearse, then we’ll grab a late lunch.”
Don't Read in the Closet volume one Page 27