14. Jacob

14

JACOB

" H ow do I look? It looks good, right?" Diego was standing in one of the lobbies, in front of a nondescript wall, bland and boring. "Chris let me borrow one of his uniforms."

"Yeah, but you forgot the ball, wanker," Chris joked, as he kicked a soccer ball over to Diego. "Now, that completes the look. Don't you think?"

"You look great, Diego!" Tommy offered them both a thumbs up before he adjusted his camera stand. There were a few photographers behind him, adjusting their camera set-ups as well, clearly playing follow the leader.

"So, is that a yes?" Leo walked into the lobby, holding a coffee from the café in his grip and his phone held up to his ear. "Because if it's a yes, I'm going to be so fucking excited. If it's a no, I'm willing to keep talking your ear off for the next three hours?—"

He stopped suddenly in his tracks. "Got it! It's a yes! Thanks! I promise I won't bother you for at least the next six months. Maybe. We'll see what happens. Bye!"

"Wrapping up on getting approval for the shoot?" I started, as I walked over to him.

"Yep. I stayed up all night working through various time zones, but I think I finally got it all figured out. Or at least, most of it, which means if the last pieces don't snap into place, we shouldn't have to throw the whole project away."

"See? Told you that you could do it." I beamed over at him as I looked him up and down. I hadn't seen Leo since he'd taken an impromptu nap in my arms yesterday. After that, he'd disappeared to get lost in his work.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Leo smirked. "How's everyone doing so far? Anyone trying to kill each other yet?"

"Not yet. But I think everyone's just getting set up, so give it some time."

"Ha, ha," Leo said, without even a hint of a laugh. "Are we still waiting on Andrew? What about Keith?"

"Looks like they're coming in right now," I replied, just as Andrew and Keith walked through the door. Andrew was already dressed up in a way-too-tight suit, and Keith looked purposely disheveled in one of his basketball uniforms.

"Perfect. Let's get started," Leo said, looking over at Tommy and the rest of the crew. "Especially since there's a small chance I'll get a call telling me to shut the whole thing down."

"Wait. What?" Tommy squinted in confusion. "Did you just say we might have to stop the shoot?—"

"Not if we get started right now, we probably won't!"

"Pretend there's a fire! The flames are licking the side of your face! But you're not afraid because you're not afraid of anything!" Leo called out, as Chris tried to sexily lean against the wall. He was only wearing a pair of beige pants, with Tommy telling him that he'd be able to edit on the rest of his firefighting outfit later.

Chris, taking Leo's direction, began to dramatically run in place, his face wearing a determined expression.

"Damn. That looks pretty good," I murmured, to no one in particular.

"Right?" Diego appeared right beside me as we watched the photoshoot. "Leo and Tommy know how to make magic together. It's a beautiful thing."

Diego paused for a moment before he went on. "I saw those photos. With Keith and Leo."

I shrugged. "Not much to be done about it, even if it's not the truth."

"It really doesn't bother you?" Diego hummed. "I may not know everything going on with you and Leo, but it's pretty obvious that you two are having a moment together."

"A moment?"

"Something special, right?" Diego shrugged. "Don't worry. I don't need to know the specifics. All I really need to know is what I already know."

"And what's that?"

"That Keith is an asshole." Diego laughed. "Not always, but a lot of the time. He's way too immature for a relationship. If Leo goes back to him, he'll just do the same thing all over again. He's like the dog who has the diamond in his mouth, and then sees his reflection while crossing a river and thinks another dog has a diamond, too. So, he drops his diamond in the river, all while trying to get the other dog's diamond."

"I think that might've been a stick, not a diamond?—"

"Leo is worth way more than a stick." Diego held up a finger. "You and I both know that."

"You're right. Leo is worth way more than a stick." I grinned. "And thanks. For being on my side with everything. I figured since all of you have known Keith for longer?—"

"You two talking about who's Team Leo and Team Keith?" Andrew interrupted our conversation. "Because I'm pretty sure we're all Team Leo. Except for Keith. For obvious reasons."

"I… didn't realize that everyone was choosing sides?"

"Don't tell Keith. Or Leo," Andrew replied. "They probably wouldn't like it."

"Definitely not." Diego shook his head. "But if you ask anyone, you're the clear frontrunner."

"It's not a competition."

"Yes. It is." Diego's eyes went wide. "Jacob, do you not realize who you're up against?"

"Yeah, man. We really need you to take this seriously. We've got some cash riding on this thing."

"What are you talking about—is that Leo?" I was now looking down at Diego's phone, where there was a photo of Leo and Keith cuddled up together on a private plane. Leo and Keith were wearing matching shades, matching shirts, and matching shoes.

Everything looked so expensive .

"Did you show him the photos from Cabo?" Andrew asked. "Show him the photos from Cabo, Diego."

Diego pulled his phone back and scrolled through the screen for a few seconds. When he was finished, he showed me his phone again, this time with a photo of Leo and Keith on a beach. Keith was holding Leo in his arms, and Leo had his arm outstretched toward the camera, offering the lens a bright, orange mimosa.

"Do you see what we're talking about now?" Diego brought his phone back toward him. "You might have the heart, but Keith has the cash. He can make things feel like love even when they aren't."

"I know for a fact that Keith was cheating on Leo the whole time they were in Cabo." Andrew grimaced. "And yet, it looks like they're having the time of their lives."

"Thanks for your concern, guys, but I'm not worried about Keith. Really," I lied, as a shock of insecurity shot through my system.

Despite all the time we'd been spending together, it wasn't like Leo had mentioned anything about our relationship being permanent, or something more serious. Even though I knew better than to think that he'd ever go back to Keith, there was still an air of uncertainty about what was happening between us.

Maybe it wasn't going to be Keith, but was it ever going to be me?

"Jacob! Can you come here for a minute?" Tommy called out. I excused myself from my current conversation before I made my way over to him.

"Hey. Is something up?"

"Take your shirt off."

"What?"

"I'm trying to prove a point to Leo." Tommy waved a hand. "He thinks something is up with the lighting in here and that it can't be fixed in post."

"Because not everything can be fixed in post, Tommy," Leo scoffed. "And we're already operating on borrowed time here?—"

"Is your shirt still not off?" Tommy seemed puzzled as he looked back at me.

"I just don't understand why you need me to prove a point when we're surrounded by professionals?—"

"That's exactly why. Everything we've got in the can is good. If we start messing around, trying to get an impossible shot, and then we find out we have to call things off? Everyone's going to go into a spiral."

"Right, but why does that include me?—"

"Because you look like the other guys," Leo said, with a smirk. "Which makes you the perfect test case."

"Okay, then." I still didn't quite understand the logic of what was happening right now, but I knew that questioning the artistic process was only going to lead to more issues. I slipped my shirt over my head and moved to stand in front of that same bland wall the rest of the guys had stood in front of.

I then noticed Leo's expression change, his cheeks reddening in a familiar way.

I grinned to myself before I asked, "Does this look okay, Leo? Where I'm standing?"

"Yeah. It looks fine. You look fine." Leo coughed behind his hand. "We only need a few test shots, so Tommy, you can go ahead and do your thing."

"Jacob, do whatever comes naturally," Tommy instructed as he bent down behind his camera.

I tried to remember what the other guys had done during their photoshoots, flexing their muscles, shooting smoky stares at the camera. I didn't really care if I was doing a great job, only interested in making Leo more and more flustered as he stood next to Tommy. I loved the idea of Leo's thoughts being flooded with desperate need, dirty images flashing behind his eyes.

I loved the idea of pushing him to the brink of desire, especially in a place where he could never touch me, where he could never beg for me on his knees.

Where he was forced to keep his cool.

"Damn. You're good at this." Tommy whistled. "You ever considered a career in modeling?"

"I don't know. What do you think, Leo?" I changed position, leaning against the wall, my hips pushed out. "You think I could do this professionally?"

"It's not important what I think," Leo murmured before he glanced around the room, like he was looking for something.

Just then, it all clicked into place.

He wasn't looking for something . He was looking for someone, looking to see if anyone else was paying attention to our impromptu photoshoot.

Was Leo getting jealous? Did he not want anyone else to have eyes on me right now?

"I think we've got enough shots, Tommy," Leo murmured again.

"Cool." Tommy nodded before he held his camera up for Leo to look through the shots. "You're seeing what I see, right? About the lighting? I really don't think it's going to be a problem."

"No. You were right," Leo admitted. "Everything looks great."

After he spoke, he glanced over at me, a knowing look on his face. I returned the expression with a grin of my own, a silent language developing between us.

"Thanks. For putting up with Tommy," Leo joked as soon as we were back in his bedroom later that afternoon. The photoshoot had just ended, and Tommy and the rest of the photographers wanted a few hours to themselves as they edited everything and brought it all together.

Leo went on, his back to me while he shut the door behind us. "Tommy was way too casual about asking you to take off your shirt, but that's how he is with everyone. He doesn't have the best boundaries when it comes to?—"

"Models? Athletes?"

"Anything. Anyone." Leo laughed. "Anything goes when it comes to the altar of Tommy's art."

"Sounds intense."

"A little, but you can't argue with Tommy's results." Leo shrugged. "Plus, he turned out to be right about the lighting thing. I think I was just too stressed out when I was looking at the unedited photos of the guys?—"

"Were you jealous?"

"What?"

"When Tommy was taking my pictures," I continued. "When there was the slightest chance that someone other than you was going to see me shirtless."

"Uh…" Leo's words trailed off, like he was trying to come up with something to say. "I mean, I wouldn't say that I was jealous exactly…"

"I thought we already agreed that you weren't going to lie to me."

"Fine." Leo playfully rolled his eyes. "Maybe I was a little jealous. Just a little. I know you aren't interested in any of the guys or anyone on the crew, but?—"

"But you just like the idea of having me all to yourself?"

"What do you want me to say?" Leo lowered his gaze. "You're hot. Who wouldn't want you all to themselves?"

"So, you're saying that you want me?" I asked, nearly in a whisper.

"Of course, I want you, Jacob."

"How much do you want me?" I moved closer to Leo until my mouth was near his ear. "I want to hear you say it."

Leo groaned, as I felt a shiver move through him. Around the same time, I also felt his cock getting hard in his pants, a bulge suddenly pushing against my belt.

"Just say the word, baby," I whispered again. "Just tell me what you want, and I'll give it to you."

"But… the competition…" Leo pouted. "I don't want to lose…"

"Well, the good news about that is that you've already won." I smirked. "You were right yesterday. I just didn't feel like conceding."

"Ah. So, you're finally admitting that I already won?" Leo smirked right back. "Do you feel better? No longer living in the land of delusion?"

"You are such a sore winner." I couldn't help but laugh at Leo's response. "I don't think I've ever seen that before."

"Sorry for rubbing it in." Leo pretended to frown. "It's just something winners do sometimes."

"You're totally ridiculous, you know that?" I laughed again before I pressed my lips against his, Leo's own laugh soon swirling with mine.

A few seconds later, and I deepened the kiss, my tongue sliding against his. It was becoming a familiar dance between us, our bodies so used to bending and moving together. Leo wrapped his arms around the back of my neck and pulled me even closer to him.

I suddenly broke off the kiss as a thought ran across my mind.

"Jacob? Are you okay?" Leo seemed very concerned.

"I'm fine." I pressed a kiss against his forehead for emphasis. "I was just wondering how you feel about cold showers."

"Cold showers? As in taking one? Or is that code for something else?"

"Not a code. Just a question."

"In that case, no. Not super into them."

"Perfect."

"Perfect for what? Jacob? Jacob!" Leo called out as I headed toward the bathroom. I turned on the shower as I waited for him, my hand held out underneath the stream to make sure it was coming out cold.

"Jacob? What are you doing?" Leo asked, standing in the bathroom's doorway.

"I want you to get in."

Leo grinned, as his hands flew down to the bottom of his shirt, already lifting up.

"You can take off your shoes. But keep everything else on," I instructed.

"You want me to get in a cold shower with all my clothes on?"

"I feel like I made myself pretty clear."

"Okay…" Leo seemed suspicious as he pulled off his shoes. When he was finished, he cautiously stepped into the shower, his socks immediately dampening.

"Ugh." Leo's face fell. "This reminds me of that one time I got caught out in the rain in the middle of Paris."

"Now."

"Now?"

"Now, you can take off the rest of your clothes."

Leo slid his soaked shirt off, letting it land with a thud against the bathroom floor. He reached for his pants and boxers next, shivering underneath the water. When he was finished, he looked back over at me as another shudder rolled through his frame.

"Are you uncomfortable, Leo? Do you want to stop?"

"No."

"Are you sure? You don't look very comfortable to me?—"

"I'll warm up. Eventually." Leo beamed. "That's how cold showers work, right?"

"Right." It was all I said, as I reached into the shower and turned off the water. I then silently slipped my own clothes off, too, not stopping until I was completely naked in front of Leo. After that, I stepped into the shower beside him.

"Wait. So, only one of us has to be all wet and shivering? That hardly seems fair," Leo joked.

"That's because I'm going to warm you up." I grinned before pressing a small kiss against his shoulder. I dragged my lips across the bottom of his neck, my movements purposely slow and steady. I wanted to take my time with every inch of him, even as I felt my own excitement building for him, my cock stirring to life.

"Fuck. You are really, really warm," Leo murmured, as he moved closer to me, his chest almost against mine. "Come here. Let me steal your body heat."

I reached a hand down between us, my fingers finding Leo's shaft. He groaned, as I began to stroke him, my mouth still pressed against his skin.

"Jacob… Jacob…" He moaned my name as he started to get hard against my palm.

I smirked to myself, stroking Leo until his precome was leaking onto my fingertips. When his breath began to speed up, his frame shuddering but not because of the cold, I moved my hand away from him and back toward the shower's controls.

And then, I turned the cold water back on.

"Fuck!" Leo's eyes went wide, his cock immediately softening in my grip.

"You were right, about eventually warming up in a cold shower," I started. "But that's only if the water is on the whole time. If someone keeps starting and stopping it, it's sort of like getting hit with a new wave, over and over. You can never get used to the cold."

"Uh, that sounds like a torture tactic."

"Only if you don't like it." I kept my voice low as I turned off the water, my hand going right back to stroking Leo's cock.

In that same moment, it seemed like a light went on behind Leo's eyes. "Oh, my God."

"What? Is something wrong?"

"Are you edging me? Is that what this is?"

"I don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about, baby." I feigned complete innocence. "What's edging?"

"Jacob—" Leo seemed amused, a smile playing at his lips.

"Can you put it in your own words? Explain it to me?"

"You are such a—" Leo's words disappeared, now transformed into a deep moan. He looked up at me for a moment, his eyes searching mine, before he pulled me closer to him, our mouths crashing against each other's.

Mine.

Mine. Mine. Mine.

I broke off our kiss, my mouth going back to Leo's neck. Without thinking, I pressed my lips against his skin, sucking in air at the same time, except no air was filling my lungs. When I was finished, I took in a deep breath before kissing the spot that was quickly turning a deep shade of purple.

"Did you just give me a hickey?"

"Shit. Maybe?" I looked back at the spot I'd just kissed on Leo's neck. "But you should be able to cover it with a sweater or something?—"

"I don't want to cover it." Leo quickly shook his head. "I… kind of like the idea of you marking me."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Leo's cheeks reddened as he spoke. "It's like you're claiming me. Letting everyone know."

"And is that what you want? You want everyone to know about us?"

"I don't care if everyone knows about us," he replied. "We're adults. We can do what we want. Besides, it's not like you're officially part of the crew, so it's not even unethical—Jacob!"

While Leo had been talking, I'd moved to the other side of his neck, giving him another hickey to match the one he already had. His fingers dug into my arms as I sucked against his skin, channeling the momentary pain through his fingertips. When I was done, I reached underneath each of Leo's thighs, pulling him into my arms, his waist against my stomach, his legs crossed behind my back.

I pressed him against the shower's wall for added balance, right before I started to thrust against him, my cock sliding between his ass cheeks but never slipping inside him.

"What are you—this is so mean—" Leo was gasping for air between each thrust, his shaft freely bobbing between us. "Jacob, just fuck me."

"I'll think about it," I said, continuing to press my hips against his. "We'll see if I ever get around to it today. I'm a little busy, teasing the fuck out of you."

I didn't give Leo another chance to respond, as I brought my mouth down to his chest, my lips wrapping around one of his sensitive nipples. Leo groaned, just as the tip of his cock spilled precome against my stomach, his body desperate for me. I moved my mouth to his other nipple, then, steadily playing with his chest, monitoring the way his breathing changed, how hard his shaft was becoming between us.

He was getting so, so close to coming for me, even without me directly touching his cock, even without me being inside him. I felt my own cock twitch between his ass cheeks, as I was enraptured by the idea of Leo wanting me so much that he was about to explode all over me.

"Jacob…" Leo whimpered; his fingers pressed deep into my back. "I'm—No! No! Don't!"

Leo's hand tried to stop mine, as I turned the cold water back on for both of us. He whimpered again as his trembling stopped, his cock calming down once the cold droplets landed on his shaft. When I looked back up at him, it seemed like his eyes were brimming with tears, everything in him on the verge of breaking.

"Hey. You okay?" I murmured, not moving another muscle until I'd checked in with him. "Red for stop. Yellow for you need a break. Green if you're still good to go."

"I don't—it's too embarrassing."

"What's too embarrassing, baby?"

"I think I'm about to cry because I want you to fuck me so badly." Leo lightly laughed. "I'm literally crying because I want your cock and you won't give it to me. Like, I'm about to reach my breaking point just because my boyfriend won't?—"

Just then, Leo cut himself off. "Fuck. Sorry. I don't know why I said that. Obviously, we're not—you're not—this isn't?—"

"Green, yellow, or red, baby?" I kept my voice low. "That's all you have to figure out right now."

"Green."

"Good." I smiled at him as I carefully shifted his legs back down toward the shower base. "Wait right here."

I stepped out of the shower for a moment and went to quickly grab some lube and a condom. I'd already rolled the condom down my shaft by the time I'd gotten back to the bathroom, stepping right back into position in front of Leo, lifting him until his legs were wrapped around me again.

"Jacob, I just wanted to say?—"

"We don't need to deal with that right now, baby," I said, just as I lined my cock up with his waiting hole, the condom slick with lube. "All I want you to think about is how much you want me, how much you like letting me do whatever I want with you, how much you like doing whatever I tell you."

Leo seemed to relax against me, his previous tension melting away between us. I playfully kissed him underneath his jaw, as I slowly entered him, my cock sliding inside him inch by inch. When my shaft was fully buried inside of him, Leo gasped and groaned.

"Fuck. You didn't even need to open me up with your fingers first…" His words trailed off as he spoke.

"That's because you're so used to my cock now." I grinned. "You've gotten so good at taking my cock, Leo, that your body's gotten used to me. No more resistance. You just let me right in."

Leo opened his mouth to speak again, but his words were replaced by shameless moans, as I started to thrust my hips against him, my cock sliding in and out of his tight hole. Once again, Leo's cock bobbed between us, his shaft as hard as a rock, his tip glistening with precome. Leo's fingers were digging into my back as I fucked him hard against the shower wall, claiming him, taking him all for my own.

Boyfriend.

He'd called me his boyfriend.

I'd been trying not to think about it, not wanting it to change the mood between us. But how the hell was I supposed to pretend like he hadn't said it? Was that who he wanted me to be in his life? His boyfriend?

Or maybe he'd just misspoke. Maybe he hadn't meant a damn thing by it.

Maybe he would accidentally call anyone his boyfriend if they fucked him half as good as I did.

Like the kind of people who said I love you in bed while they were in the middle of coming, even to total strangers.

"Jacob! Jacob!" Leo cried out for me, as I plowed into him again and again, my thrusts against him unrelenting. "I'm coming! Fuck! I'm coming!"

Leo's come sprayed between us, lines of it landing against his chest and mine.

Fuck.

He was making such a fucking mess. Not to mention that perfectly blissed-out look he had on his face right now, like he would've been okay with me fucking him until the end of time. He locked eyes with me, with an expression I couldn't quite read written all over his features.

"What do you need, baby?"

"You. I just need you," Leo replied, his tone tender and sweet. Something about his words set something off inside of me, and I couldn't hold myself back any longer. I came inside him, my cock erupting with come, my mouth closing over his. Even after I'd finished coming deep inside him, we stayed like that, pressed against each other, wrapped around each other.

Neither one of us seemed ready or willing to move an inch away from each other.