Chapter Thirteen Threatening Behaviour

Chapter thirteen

Threatening Behaviour

Now Eddie knew what it was like to kiss someone he'd wanted to for half his life, he could put all that life experience into Joel and kiss Tiffany exactly as he'd kissed Lee. He was off to do that right now. He'd get this scene done in one take, then move on to the others and have the desert location scenes in the can before sundown.

If he could stop fucking thinking about Lee.

Fuck .

He'd kissed him.

Not kissed him. Consumed him.

Jesus. Fuck. God.

What had he just done ?

He'd slammed his mouth onto his dad's best friend's. Poked his tongue in for good measure, wriggled it around a bit and lapped up his dad's best friend's saliva as if he were a rabid, starved animal desperate to quench a desert thirst. He had kissed his dad's best friend.

His dad's straight best friend.

But…Lee had goaded him into it. Hadn't he? Yes , he was sure he had. Eddie wouldn't have jumped down the man's throat without at least some come on. He wasn't that stupid. Wasn't that brave . He wasn't Joel . Eddie had rejection sensitivity at the best of times. He'd never have put himself out there knowing Lee would push him off and cause the rest of their time in America to be as awkward as fuck. Worse, Lee would tell his dad! But Lee had told him to kiss him.

Hadn't he?

Eddie went through it all in his head as he made his way to the dune, as he often repeated conversations, analysing what he should and shouldn't have said. He needed to check if he was in the wrong here. If an apology was in order. Number one, Lee had followed him. He'd prevented Eddie's escape to the room by himself. He'd then asked him questions. Helped him delve into the mindset of the character he was playing. A man suffering with desperate lust and unrequited love. He hadn't known that was exactly how Eddie felt about him .

Or had he?

There'd been a glint in his eye. And he'd stood over Eddie in all his monolithic and provocative glory, smelling of dirt and ash and sweat and man, and had told him to stand up.

"Stand. Up."

Eddie blinked back the stars from that sucker punch of a revelation.

Lee had told him to stand up.

"Stand. Up."

Not told him . Demanded it .

Had he wanted Eddie to be at lip-locking level?

Lee hadn't moved away. He'd gazed at him. Delved into his soul and ripped out his secret. Shit. He'd known . Of course he'd fucking known . Eddie had had a boner when he'd hugged him the other day. Had woken up with one when next to him in bed. He shivered at his touch. Practically walked around with his tongue lolling out and dick in his hand every time he'd seen him. Here. At home.

So why had Lee let him kiss him?

More pressing, why had Lee kissed him back ?

He'd kissed him back, right? He had done that? Eddie wasn't imagining it. There was definite lip movement, and he was certain his tongue had made contact with Lee's which meant he had to have allowed it. And he would swear on Olivia's life that Lee had put his arms around him, thrust him forward and crushed their bodies together.

That had been Lee .

Eddie was caked in sweat by the time he reached the dune, dazed and dumbfounded, avoiding all the crew hanging around waiting for him. Jenny redid his make-up.

"You all right there, sweet pea?"

Eddie allowed Jenny to move his face from side to side. "No."

"Well, you better be." She then jumped down from the dune to behind the camera and Eddie made eye contact with Kyle. He winked at him. Eddie had to shut it all off to get this scene in the reel. Rolling his shoulders, he set up his position on the sand, waiting for Tiffany to have her make-up retouched and for Mitch to relax in his chair, headphones on. The slate came out, declaring the umpteenth shot of The Kiss , and was clapped . Why now? Why did he have to do all this now when all he could think about was Lee?

"And, action !" Mitch pointed at him.

Eddie shunted into character, grabbed Tiffany's arm, drew her to him, raked a hand up her neck and imagined Lee. He kissed her. And he was absolutely sure she dissolved into him. That was what she was meant to do, right? And Eddie kissed and kissed, recalling every fluid movement of his lips with Lee's, every hankering for it to keep going, delve deeper, find more, and every time he chased him down, showing in his kiss how much he wanted him, had wanted him, had been pining over him for years. He'd shown all of himself, laid himself bare and been brave.

Like Joel was being in this moment. With Tiffany. Or Maya.

Whoever .

It didn't matter because all Eddie had in his mind was Lee. Like he always did. When he found a stranger in a club. Put his location on Grindr. Opened the door to the ones he called up. He'd tried and tried to find his own Lee. It never mattered who he ended up with. He always imagined Lee.

And now he knew what Lee tasted like.

Not cherry lip gloss. Onions. Tuna fucking melt.

He tasted of diesel. Sweat. Desire .

Oh, God , Joel was in danger of showing Maya exactly how much he wanted her.

Why hadn't Mitch yelled cut yet?

How long could he keep this up? Usually, a kiss like the one he was offering would soon merge into ripping clothes off. But this scene didn't warrant that. Yet .

How close had Lee been to ripping his clothes off? How long had their kiss lasted? Would Lee have taken it further had they not had their own real-life cut? Jesus .

Fucking yell cut!

Lee had kissed him back .

Exactly the type of kiss Eddie had given him.

Not passive. Not relenting. Not pacifying.

Raw, primal, and visceral.

A kiss that said, I want you .

" Aand , cut!"

Oh, thank fuck for that!

Tiffany fell away from him as if released from tight shackles.

Eddie wiped his mouth of the lip gloss then glanced over at the crew watching on.

"That'll do." Mitch hefted out from his seat. "Next scene set up!" And off he went.

"Well done," Tiffany said, as the location photographer snapped a picture of them. They posed for a few and Eddie spoke out of the side of his mouth to her.

"Thanks. Couldn't even taste the tuna."

"Would love to know who you were thinking about."

"Just in character."

Tiffany tsked in disbelief, then the photographer aided her down from the dune. Eddie made his own way down and bumped into Kyle.

"I'd like to know too," Kyle said.

Eddie cocked his head. "Huh?"

"Who you were thinking about for that kiss? Was it what I said before lunch?"

Eddie breathed out a smile, chest constricting. He peered over Kyle's shoulder to meet with Lee's gaze. Lee's fractured gaze. The gaze that seared into the back of Kyle's head as if he were the enemy, and Eddie wondered whether to brace himself for Lee launching forward and throttling Kyle like he had Hank.

That thrill had Eddie's cock stirring.

Lee. Lee. Lee.

Lee was who he was thinking about. Who he always thought about. Not Kyle's suggestion that they ditch everyone at Vegas and go clubbing. It was and always would be the unattainable Lee Everett.

"Better get to the next scene," Eddie said.

"Yeah, sure." Kyle gathered up his camera. "Offer's still open. Especially after that. Can't wait to see what you do with the bedroom scene." He winked.

Eddie gave a polite smile, then trotted up to find where the next location on the desert was from the production runner's tablet. The shooting scene. At the back range. Where he'd been with Lee that morning.

Lee.

Always Lee.

The runner did as her job required and ran off, allowing Lee to approach him. "Well done," he said, dipping forward into his ear.

Why had he done that? Why get so close? Why rumble deep and seductive to make Eddie shiver? Why? Why? Why?

All Eddie could get out was, "Thanks."

Was he thanking him for the praise, or for the kiss that had helped him achieve the best damn screen kiss he'd ever given? He didn't know. They both had the same reaction, regardless. Eddie, smitten, adjusting himself. What he wanted to ask was whether Lee had kissed him back because he'd wanted to, or because he'd felt obligated to. But the question died on his tongue when the runner motioned for him to take his place at the shooting range.

"I have to go… "

"Yeah." Lee nodded, gesturing for Eddie to rush off. "Sure. Of course. Go do you. Or Joel." He snorted. "Whatever."

Was that… nerves ? Blushing? Lee's silver speckles in his stubble couldn't hide the rose tint. Did that mean he was unsure about all this, too?

Christ . Was Lee… feeling something?

Eddie smiled at him, then bounded off to film his next scene.

He smashed it first take. As he did with all other scenes after that. Desert location in the can by sunset. Which was a good thing, as they all had to be off the land for Haven Ranch to reopen to guests and the production convoy to drive to Las Vegas for the next location shoot there.

Eddie said his goodbyes to the crew, skating back to his room to pack on a high. There was nothing more satisfying than a job well done and a happy cast and crew. But when he let himself inside the room where Lee sat on the edge of the bed, everything already packed and ready, he realised there was something a lot more satisfying.

Lee.

On a bed.

"Hey." Eddie ruffled a hand through his hair, ridding it of the spray that had kept it in place for Joel's preferred look.

"Hey."

Eddie's smile fell. That wasn't a happy ‘hey'. It was a troubled ‘hey'. A deeply concerning ‘hey' and one that would no doubt lead to a dozen more gut wrenching words.

"We need to, uh…" Eddie gestured to nothing in particular other than the closed door of the room that had st arted something between them, something Lee was about to put a stop to. Eddie expected it. Expected it so much it wouldn't hurt when it happened.

Yeah, right.

Lee stood. "I packed your stuff."

"Thanks." Eddie hovered closer, picking up the handle of his case. It wasn't as heavy as it had been before, and he nearly chucked it over his head. " All my stuff?"

"Some of it is in my bag," Lee said. "No idea how you got all that crap in one case."

"I have a particular set of skills." Eddie winked.

"As I'm learning." Lee held his gaze.

There was a moment. An all-consuming moment tightening around Eddie and squeezing. Lee's eyes held him to the spot clinging to a futile hope unfounded. He didn't need to hear the rejection. He knew and understood the rejection. Lee didn't need to say it and Eddie didn't need to stand here and listen to it. They could leave this room and forget the kiss had even happened. Eddie wouldn't ever bring it up. Why would he? There was zero gain from talking about something that was nothing. To Lee.

Yet he was ground into the spot… waiting .

"Ed—"

Knock, knock. "What!" Eddie called over his shoulder and wasn't sure if his hammering pulse was because of the interruption or the relentless wait.

"Housekeeping. You need to clear the room."

"We'll be a minute!" Lee hollered back in that demanding, authoritative, copper voice that had Eddie's heart skipping and cock twitching.

Why? Because he was an idiot. That interruption could have been his lifeline to not have to hear what Lee was about to say. And like the gullible piece of infatuated prick he was, he was going to stand there and take it.

Like a fucking man.

"Ed?"

"Mm?"

Lee took a step closer and his eyes discoloured, like they were closing up. Like all the warmth that had been there before dissolved into a black lake and swallowed him into oblivion. He was back to being Mr Lee Everett. The rope that had been pulling them together had frayed and would now snap, putting the vast desert back between them.

"Your dad texted."

Eddie blinked. "What?" What ?

"They sent another threat."

Eddie furrowed his brow, his temple banging. "What? When? How ?" They weren't the questions he wanted answering, but he guessed they were the more pressing.

"They know where you are." Lee stepped closer again, his heady body and scent enveloping Eddie like a cloak. "The location schedule has been leaked online."

"Shit."

"And they've amped up their threat to your dad. They've even got a photo of you. Here."

Eddie closed his eyes, but when Lee grabbed his arm, it forced him back. "I won't let anything happen to you, but I need you to understand. It's why I'm telling you and your dad didn't. He wants to keep you in the dark but I can't do that. You might be his kid, but…" Lee swallowed, then ripped his hand away from him. The desert grew another acre between them and Lee stepped away into its vast expanse. "I'm going to take a detour to the Vegas location, in case anyone is following the convoy. "

"Could it be someone from the production? Sending the photo, I mean."

"It could be. So I need to ask you to stay with me."

"I have been."

"I know. But we've been on a desert ranch in the middle of nowhere. You haven't had much opportunity to ditch me."

"You worried I'm gonna ditch you for the slot machines?"

Lee held his gaze. "You better not."

Eddie drew in a breath. Stay close to Lee. Not exactly a hardship.

"All right." Eddie reached for the door handle, then paused. "Thanks for telling me. For thinking I'm man enough for that."

"I don't think it, Ed. I know it." Lee picked up his rucksack, shoving it over his shoulder, then took Eddie's case from him. "That's the problem here."

Lee then opened the door, marching out of the room and leaving Eddie once again blinking back stars.

That… hadn't been a rejection.

Did he dare probe as to why?