First Priority

by Este Holland

  “So? What’s the verdict?”

  “She’s going to see who’s available for an interview for an article. Nothing live. No TV or radio. How does that sound?”

  Adam stood to peer out the small office window. It was raining again in batches. The wind kicked the clouds around like a game of dodgeball. And it splattered against the glass a second before the sun hit, making prisms of the tiny drops of water.

  “Okay. That sounds good.”

  “It does?”

  “Well, not good, but better than what I feared.”

  I walked over and wrapped my arms around him. He rested his head on my shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll be with you the whole time. A few simple questions, that’s it.”

  “And the other?”

  “What other?”

  “You know who it was. I know you do.” Adam lifted his chin and peered into my face with his big green eyes. “I need to know.”

  I didn’t want to hurt him with the truth, but something told me he’d already guessed. “It was Chad.”

  He blinked hard and nodded. “And he was paid, I’m assuming.”

  “Yes.”

  He closed his eyes and let his head fall to my neck, burrowing in and inhaling. “You smell so good. Like sea salt and sexy soap.”

  I smiled and brought his hand up to kiss it. “Can soap be sexy?”

  “Yours can. You should start your own line of men’s soap and shaving products. Your tagline can be, ‘Smell as sexy as I do.’ ”

  I laughed and hugged him tight. I was proud of him for trying to make a tough situation easier. “I’m so sorry I brought this on, Adam. I promise to shield you as best I can.”

  “I want to say something manly like I don’t need you to, but we both know that would be a lie. So, I’ll just say thank you. And, besides, it’s not your fault I have a horrible stepbrother.”

  “Maybe not, but the media wouldn’t have been in such a frenzy to find you if I hadn’t said your name, and that gave Chad an incentive to ask for a lot of money.”

  “How much?” Adam asked. “No. I don’t want to know.” He shook it off and leaned up on his toes to kiss me. “Mm. I love your lips. Your whole mouth.”

  “Yours are pretty nice too.” I captured them again and pushed my way inside, reveling in the feel and taste of him.

  Eventually we separated, and I called Angela. She had a journalist lined up to interview us in Galway the next day, so we said our good-byes to the McCamishes in the pub and sailed to the island.

  We lay in bed that night and Adam’s kisses became more frantic. I tried to soothe him, but it had no effect.

  “Shh. Sweetheart, look at me.” I swept his hair back with both hands and framed his face. “Trust me?”

  I’d asked him that before we left LA, and he’d answered truthfully. He did the same now. “I do.”

  I smiled and kissed his eyes closed, then all around his face, anchoring his wrists to the bed twisting my legs around his to trap him. I didn’t want to tie him to the bed. It was too soon for that, but…fuck. That visual made me hard as a rock, and I pushed myself against Adam.

  “Feel what you do to me?”

  “Tru, please.” He rolled his hips but couldn’t get far.

  “I’ll give you what you need. Look at me.”

  His eyelids fluttered, and his blown pupils focused on me.

  “You’re going to let me take care of everything. Understand? Let it go. You have nothing to worry about. All you have to do is feel me.”

  He nodded, and I felt his muscles give a little as he relaxed.

  “Keep your hands above your head.” I fetched the lube and condoms. I spread the lube on my fingers and circled his tight hole before breaching it. I went slow but didn’t stop until one was all the way in. I moved in and out a few times, crooking it until I hit his prostate.

  “Ah! There.”

  “Yeah, it is.” I milked it for several minutes, adding a second finger, then a third, until he was practically sobbing my name.

  I withdrew and he clenched to keep me inside.

  “You want my fingers or my cock?”

  He cursed. “I don’t know.”

  I delayed by bending my head and sucking on the tip of his dripping shaft. He squirmed and tried to thrust into my mouth, but I held him still.

  “I want you, please.” He hesitated. “I-I want your cock.”

  I grinned and kissed his hip bone. “Good, sweetheart.” I pushed up and lowered my body to his. I whispered into his ear. “I’m proud of you.”

  His chest heaved with a gulp of air, but he nodded and licked his lips. “Thank you,” he whispered.

  It wasn’t the words alone he was thanking me for. “You’re welcome.”

  I rolled the condom down my length and made sure I was slicked before I pushed inside Adam’s tight body. He whimpered with pleasure and tried to wrap his legs around me, but I grabbed below his knees and pushed them toward his chest, plunging in hard.

  He cried out, and I did it again, provoking a shocked groan.

  “Too much?”

  Frantic, he shook his head. “No! Don’t stop.”

  We began a rhythm, him clenching his muscles around my dick as I withdrew and lifted his ass as I fucked deep. I leaned in between his legs and drew a line with my tongue over his chest and circled his nipples.

  “Oh, God! Coming!”

  “It’s mine.” I pulled out, and his protest turned to a groan as I swiftly took him into my mouth and sucked hard until he erupted in short, creamy bursts.

  I ripped the condom off and kneeled by Adam’s side. My fist flew over my flesh, and I grunted and came on Adam’s chest and chin. I used my thumb and painted his lips with my come, and he licked it off.

  I stumbled to the bathroom, came back, cleaned him, and climbed under the covers. We scooted around until we were positioned comfortably, and only then did Adam speak.

  “That was incredible.”

  “Yeah, it was.”

  He rubbed a hand over my chest, and I fell asleep to the feel of his soft touch and breath on my skin.

  Adam

  I awoke to the sun glinting off the water of the bay. I sighed and rolled over. It was truly beautiful; I didn’t want to leave. I especially didn’t want to go to Galway and talk to a stranger about myself and my new relationship with Truman.

  I walked into the shower and wrapped my arms around Truman’s slippery waist.

  “Morning.”

  “Good morning.” I kissed his wet skin and licked at the water. “Mm, you taste good.”

  Truman chuckled and turned around to kiss my mouth. “So do you.”

  “Oh, yeah. Morning breath is yummy.”

  He smiled and kissed me again. “You don’t have morning breath.”

  “Everyone has it.”

  “Not me. I’m perfect in every way.”

  “Ha!”

  Truman’s eyes sparkled with glee. “What? Name one thing that’s not perfect about me.”

  I grinned. “Your humbleness, for one. There’s way too much of it.”

  His laugh boomed in the tiled shower. I smiled to myself and began to wash as Truman finished up. When I got out, he was standing in front of the mirror with a white towel slung low on his hips, trimming his beard.

  I sighed as I dried off. “Back to the real world.”

  His eyes caught mine in the mirror. “This is the real world. It could be your real world. If you want it to be.”

  My heart skipped. Was he saying…? “You mean, like, permanently?”

  “I mean, you can come here whenever you want.”

  “But, with you, right?”

  Truman set the trimmer on the counter and leaned a hip against the sink. He hooked a finger in the towel tied at my waist and yanked. I fell against his firm chest.

  “Of course, with me. But, if for some reason, I had to leave for a few days, I’d want you to be comfortable enough to stay here without me.”

  “Another re
ason you’re teaching me to sail.” A thought hit me. “Is that why you made sure I had Brian’s number in my cell?”

  “Yes. I want you to have help, just in case.”

  “In case what?”

  He shrugged as he kissed my neck and ran his nose along my jaw, causing a shiver. “In case I’m not here and you need anything.”

  I didn’t press him anymore, afraid of what he was hinting at. If they found Truman’s secret spot, they’d hound him, and me, by extension.

  I took his face between my palms. “I’d rather be by your side if anything happens.”

  We stared into each other’s eyes, and I didn’t mind it. I was never comfortable holding eye contact for long, but with him, I wanted to know what he was feeling. In that moment, I detected hints of happiness and trepidation.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  Truman let me go to walk into the bedroom, and I stood for a moment before following. He glanced over as he pulled on some black dress pants.

  “Tell me, please.”

  He sighed inwardly and put his hands on his hips. I got distracted by how hot he looked in nothing but those pants. I refocused when he spoke.

  “I don’t want this shit to change how you feel about me. Not that I know exactly how you feel, since we haven’t known each other that long, but…you get what I mean.”

  “I get it.” I stepped up to him and put my hands on his arms. “Listen, I’ve lived in and around LA my whole life. I know how the media twists things.” I paused to lick my lips. “I’m not saying I know how to deal with them—obviously, I don’t—but I never believe the things they say. Not without a shit-ton of my own research.”

  Tension leaked out of Truman, and one corner of his mouth lifted. “You’re really sexy right now.”

  A flush warmed my cheeks, and Truman rubbed his face on mine.

  “I love it when you blush.”

  I huffed a small laugh. “Really?”

  “Mm. That was one of the first things I noticed about you. I wanted to feel it.”

  I smiled, and he lowered his lips to mine. He kissed me and dipped his tongue inside my mouth. Tilting his head, he dove deeper, pushing his tongue against mine until I pushed back, and we wrestled for dominance.

  He held my face. “We have to get going.”

  I blinked. “Um, yeah. Right.” Truman had scrambled my brain, and I had to reach down to squeeze the base of my cock.

  “God, I love what I can do to you.”

  He was laying on the L word an awful lot the past few days, and I had to admit…I liked it.

  “Me too,” I said.

  Chapter 22

  Galway

  Truman

  Marcel drove us to Galway, where we were to meet a Mr. Timothy Konstance at the Galmont Hotel bar. He was a freelance journalist from London, hand-picked by Angela. Probably because she knew my relationship with Daniel and thought I’d be more comfortable with someone who chose to write his own stories. She was right, as usual.

  “Mr. James. Danny’s told me a lot about you,” he said in a thick English accent.

  “Has he? All good, I hope.”

  “No, but I’m sure all true.” He surprised a laugh out of me.

  He turned to Adam to shake his hand. “Tim.”

  “Adam.”

  “Well, gents, would you like a drink before we get started?”

  I nodded at the same time Adam shook his head. Tim just laughed.

  We sat in some white chairs in a corner away from everyone else. The circle chandelier glowed neon purple, casting a pretty glow over the bar patrons. I ordered a gin and tonic while Tim got a beer, and Adam a club soda. The server recognized me, but he was an older man in his late thirties and had enough professionalism to keep his expression neutral.

  “This okay?” Tim asked as he set a small digital recorder on the table.

  Adam leaned into my side, and I said, “Sure.”

  Tim’s eyes flicked between us; then his face softened in a smile. “You guys are really trying to make a go of it, eh?”

  Tim hadn’t turned on the recorder yet, so I smiled at Adam. He tilted his head to meet my eyes and nodded.

  “Yeah, we are,” I said to Tim.

  “That’s lovely.”

  After our drinks arrived and we’d tasted them, Tim started his recorder. “You know how this goes, but let me just say, if you say off the record, it goes no further than me, all right, gents?”

  Adam nodded, and I squeezed his hand.

  “I’ll let you talk, and ask questions to guide you, all right?”

  “Sure,” I said. “Adam and I met at my Oscar after party. We’ve been dating for a few weeks, getting to know each other like regular dating people do. He’s from Pasadena. Works as a graphic designer, and a…” I looked at Adam. Does he want me to plug his books? We should’ve talked about that beforehand.

  Adam shrugged and cleared his throat. “A writer.”

  “Brilliant,” Tim said. “What do you write?”

  “LitRPG.”

  Tim’s face creased in concentration; then it cleared. “Role-playing literature, got it.” He took a drink and sighed. “So, you gents don’t know each other all that well, yet, if you just started dating.”

  “That’s right,” I said.

  Tim nodded. “What do you think of Truman’s fame, Adam? Do you like it? Hate it?”

  Adam stilled beside me, and I opened my mouth to veto the question, but he squeezed my arm.

  “I haven’t known him without it, so I can’t say for certain. It’s a part of the man I met. I like him, though. So, I guess we’ll see.”

  My chest lifted a bit with pride.

  Tim smiled at Adam, then turned to me. “What do you think about this exposé by one Chad McGuire? Do you know him? He was quite detailed about your private life.” He looked at Adam.

  “I do. He’s my stepbrother.”

  We’d decided to be forthright about Chad and Adam’s relationship to get ahead of anyone trying to get a scoop. “I think families are always a tricky thing,” I said. “And it’s something they’ll have to work out in private. The article’s content—it was a mix of truth and other people’s perceptions.”

  “So, not all of it was true?”

  Truman shrugged. “I don’t consider Adam’s personality to be standoffish at all. Others might disagree. I don’t think it’s wise to judge someone without having met them.”

  “I have social anxiety and anxiety in general,” Adam said so low, it was almost lost to the background noise. I squeezed his thigh. “I’m not great around strangers or crowds. I guess some could misconstrue that.”

  “I see. That’s a legitimate concern, then, hey?”

  “Yes. I work on it with a therapist.”

  “Good. Mental and social behavior problems have slowly been working their way into the mainstream media. Any light you can shine on this subject?”

  Surprised, Adam kept quiet, and Tim let him work out his thoughts.

  I spoke into the silence, “I think it’s a good thing. It’s not something to be ashamed of or hide. Getting people help who need it can save lives.”

  “The people we notice in our everyday lives are extroverts, for the most part,” Adam said. “Most of them like being in the spotlight and may not understand why introverts are the way they are, but it doesn’t mean it’s any better or worse. I know there are extroverts with social anxiety as well, so really, everyone’s different. Everyone has their own journey to walk.”

  “Is that what you are, Adam? An introvert with social anxiety? In my research, I’ve seen that the two are not mutually exclusive.”

  “Yes, that’s correct.”

  Tim put a hand up. “I have done a lot of research on the subject. I’ll write a bit about the differences here.”

  Adam smiled and nodded. I owed Angela a big bouquet of roses for sending us Tim.

  He asked some more general questions, and we talked about my film schedule for the next ye
ar, and then it was over. I signed the slip to charge our drinks to my room and noticed the server had given me his phone number. I left it on the table.

  “Thank you for going easy on me,” Adam said as we stood in the lobby.

  Tim grinned, rocking on his heels. “You’re welcome. Though, I must confess, Angela threatened me within an inch of my life if I didn’t behave.”

  Adam looked to me and I gave him a wink. Tim left us, and I led Adam to the elevator.

  “Did you ask Angela to do that?”

  “Yes. I didn’t know she threatened him, but I’m sure it was taken with a grain of salt.”

  I hope.

  I pushed the button for our floor, and we exited to a long hallway. Our suite was at the end, and I hustled Adam to it.

  He laughed when I opened the door and nudged him inside and against the wall. I pushed my body into his, making all our nooks and crannies fit together. The hotel door slammed shut as I lowered my mouth to his.

  “You were great,” I said between kisses. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “Thank you. But you did most of it.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  Adam laughed, as I’d intended. I eased my lips against his, and he opened his mouth to receive my tongue.

  “Truman,” Adam mumbled.

  “Hmm?” I kept on kissing him.

  “Bed.”

  “Mhm.”

  We stumbled into the suite, mouths refusing to separate as we shed clothes and kicked off shoes. We fell together onto the white bed and bounced. Adam climbed on top of me and leaned over to continue kissing. Fuck, he loved my mouth. I’d always liked kissing as a lead-up to the grand finale, but the way Adam craved it and got off on it made me want to give it to him.

  Adam led, and to my surprise, he moved off my mouth and kissed my neck. He sucked hard, leaving a bruise behind and moved to my chest to lick and suck my nipples.

  “Fuck!”

  He sucked harder and a zing of electricity went straight to my cock. Speaking of which, I hoped my dick was part of his plan. He licked again and used his teeth on me until I squirmed and he attacked my belly button.

  “Tickles,” I said.

  He nuzzled into my stomach and flicked his tongue over the soft skin of my hip bone, down my thigh, and then nosed into my balls, avoiding the one thing I wanted him to touch.