3. Leo

3

LEO

I think we both know that I'll be making the rules around here, for as long as you'll have me.

What the hell had he meant by that?

I hadn't stopped thinking about Jacob since our moment at the bar. One minute, he'd been playing things cool. And the next, it seemed like he was seconds away from kissing me?

Was he just a master at mind games? What would've happened if I'd closed the distance between us?

The fact that I didn't know was driving me up the wall. I tried to distract myself with work, tried to spend my time going through texts from Tommy and emails from the rest of the crew.

But none of it was working. I knew that I was going to be a complete mess until I had dinner with Jacob and the rest of the guys, until I could get another moment alone with him and ask him to explain himself.

Nope.

I couldn't live like this. I especially couldn't work like this, being thrown off my game by a chance close encounter. I casually headed to the bathroom in my suite, with only one thing on my mind.

Jacob.

I leaned against the bathroom wall as I brought a hand down to my boxers. I closed my eyes and wrapped my hand around my cock, with thoughts of Jacob being the only thing running through my head.

Fuck.

I thought about the way he'd looked at me, the way he'd stared at me when we'd first met. I thought about his hand on my cheek, our bodies so close together. I thought about what he'd meant by being the one to make all the rules, if that meant he was a controlling type.

Was he controlling in the bedroom, too?

I groaned at the thought, my shaft throbbing in my palm as I steadily stroked myself up and down.

Maybe that was exactly what I wanted. Maybe I wanted Jacob to be in control, for someone else to take the reins for once. My job was always so demanding, and I was always the one with all the answers, the one with all the responsibility, too.

I stroked myself faster, as I imagined Jacob being completely in charge of me, my hands tied behind my back, my body splayed out in front of him. I groaned as I felt myself harden against my palm, almost reaching the point of no return.

"Jacob… Jacob…" I whimpered out his name as I came for him, my come spilling across my fingertips. "Fuck…"

I'd quickly gotten dressed after my moment in the bathroom, knowing that dinner was going to be starting sooner rather than later. It didn't take me long to put together something casual yet refined, deciding to go with a tucked dress shirt and tight black jeans. I'd even added an expensive wristwatch for good measure, even though it was less about showing off and more about fitting in.

My time in the PR world had taught me that fitting in just made everything else so much easier.

Of course, as I was opening my door and stepping out into the hallway, I bumped right into him.

Jacob was stunning. His muscles were nearly bulging through his shirt, which made him even better , the outline of his body obvious despite his clothing.

Just then, I felt a twinge of insecurity ripple through me. One, because Jacob may have been the hottest man I'd ever met in my life, which made me wonder where I fell on his own personal hotness scale.

And two, because I had a feeling that he already knew that I'd been touching myself in the bathroom while thinking about him, that he was somehow going to call me out for having a post-orgasm glow all thanks to him.

"You look amazing," Jacob started, his eyes locked on mine. "Do you always dress like this? Or did you get all dressed up for me?"

"Stop."

"Stop what?"

"Did someone send you to do this to me? Is this some kind of test?" I pressed. "A guy like you just shows up on one of the biggest shoots of my life, and you won't stop flirting with me?—"

"I don't think I've done that much flirting, actually," he corrected, with a small grin. "Maybe once. Maybe twice."

"You're throwing me off my game."

"Maybe you need to be thrown off your game." He shrugged. "Maybe you need someone to help you shake things up."

"What I need is to focus on my work."

"And you're saying I'm getting in the way of that?" Jacob playfully winked.

"Sabotage. Absolute sabotage…," I murmured as I stepped around him. I heard Jacob let out a laugh, somewhere behind me, as we headed to the main dining room.

"You really do look good, you know," Jacob said, as we were steps away from the doorway.

"Thanks. You look good, too," I finally admitted, before I cleared my throat. "Seriously, though. Once we're at the dinner table, I'm going to need you to keep things professional?—"

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Suddenly, Keith's voice was cutting through our conversation. I took a deep breath before I looked over at him, dreading this moment ever since I'd seen his name as one of the athletes listed on the call sheet.

Keith Rogers. Basketball superstar.

Known for breaking hearts just as easily as he masterfully handled himself on the court.

He was the hardest lesson I'd ever had to learn about not mixing business with pleasure. We'd met when I was doing some interim PR for his team, and he'd spotted me in the first row during playoff season. I'd tried to tell him that I didn't date my clients, but he wore me down using every trick in the book, flower deliveries, thoughtful gifts, even shouting me out after a game.

Of course, I fell for him. What else was I supposed to do?

We'd dated for a few months last year, and at first, everything seemed perfect. He was too good to be true, in all the ways that mattered, and I loved getting access to VIP clubs and the VIP treatment literally anywhere we went together. And then, one day, I was scrolling through my social media accounts and noticed a few DMs. All of them were from different guys around the country, telling me that they'd seen Keith and I all over social media like we were a real couple despite the fact that Keith had been secretly sleeping with them, too.

Finding out the man I was in love with was cheating on me, so openly, so regularly? It absolutely broke me. And the cherry on top? All the guys that Keith was cheating on me with looked nothing like me, as in, they were all super built and muscular with abs for days. I'd always been built more like a runner, lean and tall, my muscles built for use and not for show. I'd basically stared in the mirror for weeks after Keith and I broke up, wondering if I could ever look like those guys, if Keith would've been more committed if I'd tried to bulk up for him.

Wondering if I could get the man I loved to love me back, just the same.

"Hey, Leo. How've you been?" Keith beamed over at me before he looked over at Jacob. "And who's your new friend?"

Keep it professional, Leo. Just keep it professional.

"I've been fine. Not much to report." I shrugged. "And this is Jacob. He works with the transporter team."

"Could've fooled me, Jacob." Keith chuckled. "I thought you were another one of the athletes for the shoot."

I looked back at Keith, reading his expression, noticing the way he glanced up and down Jacob's body…

It was the same way he used to look at me at his games.

"No!" I accidentally blurted out loud.

"No, what?" Jacob seemed concerned. "Is everything all right, Leo?"

"Yeah, of course." I tried to laugh it off. "I just meant, ‘no,' as in, we should save all the small talk for the dinner table. We don't want to be late. It'd be rude."

"Right. Excuse us." Jacob nodded, before he placed a hand in the middle of my back, ushering me further into the room.

And I let out a shaky breath, trying and failing to hide the sudden wave of emotions that hit me like a ton of bricks.

I was in heaven and hell, all at the same time.

Heaven, because the spread of food laid out on the table was beautiful. There were perfectly roasted potatoes and carrots, the scent of butter and herbs rolling off them in delicious waves. There was also applewood smoked trout and grilled corn, right next to a bowl of cooked blue crabs. I was salivating pretty much as soon as we sat down at the table, my eyes going straight toward another bowl that was filled to the brim with fresh-baked rolls.

Hell, because Keith's eyes had been on Jacob ever since we'd sat down. It was like watching a hunter learn about its prey, stalking it before it got the chance to strike.

Waiting for the perfect time to drag it off somewhere in the dark and have its way with it.

"This food is fucking perfect!" Andrew, one of the football players started. "Props to whoever the chef was!"

"Yeah, it's almost as good as my mom's home cooking. Almost," Chris joked, a soccer player, his Cockney accent thick. "She would kill me if she heard me say that, though, so keep it quiet."

"You can thank Jacob and Bradley for all of this," I added to the conversation. "They were kind enough to cook us all this welcome meal, of sorts."

"Ha! Welcome to getting snowed in," Chris joked again. "Thanks, though. It's way better than eating protein bars for dinner. None of these guys know their way around the kitchen."

"Speak for yourself." Diego, a baseball player, playfully rolled his eyes. "I know my way around the kitchen. But I don't make all this money just to cook for myself! That's why I have Chef Tati."

The athletes began to loudly whoop and whistle, some of them even pounding the table for full effect. I raised an eyebrow, before I asked, "Uh, what's the deal with Diego and Chef Tati?"

"He's just mixing business and pleasure," Keith answered, his attention still on Jacob. "But if you ask me, nothing wrong with that."

I ignored the blood boiling in my veins as I sliced into another potato. The guys continued to have a rowdy conversation, as I focused on the meal in front of me. It was bad enough that Keith had even decided to go along with this photoshoot when he knew I was heading up the project. It was even worse that he seemed determined to go after Jacob, casually eye-fucking him right in front of me.

"You like the potatoes, huh?" Jacob smirked as he asked the question. "Bradley was pretty proud of those."

"All my compliments to the chef." I took another bite. "So, if Bradley handled the veggies, does that mean you handled the meat?"

I blushed as soon as I finished talking, realization creeping up my cheeks. "I have no idea why I said it like that."

Jacob didn't react. "You're right. I did handle the trout and the crab. I usually like to catch the trout myself, but in these conditions, it just wasn't going to happen."

"Ah. So, you two just raided the fridge, then?"

"One of several, yes." He nodded. "How do you feel about steak?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is it something you'd eat If I made it for you someday?" His tone was sincere, like it was less of a thought exercise and more of a promise.

Just then, I felt a pleasurable chill down my spine, as I noticed that Jacob was giving me his full attention, like no one else was even in the room.

Like Keith didn't even exist.

"Leo? Your verdict on steak?" Jacob smiled. "Please don't leave me in suspense over here."

"Right. Sorry. I'd eat steak, if you made it for me, Jacob. I'd probably eat whatever you made for me since you're obviously a pretty good cook."

"Good." Jacob nodded again before he went back to eating his dinner. "I'll be sure to keep that on the menu, then."

Jacob and I were the last ones at the dinner table.

The guys had gone into a different room, arguing over some upcoming boxing match and who they each had bets on. Bradley had silently gone with them, seeming to get along with everyone despite being sparse with his words. I'd wrapped myself in a nearby blanket as I watched Jacob start to plate all the leftovers.

"Do you need me to help with anything—" I started.

"Nope. This was my treat to you."

"I thought it was you and Bradley's treat for everyone?"

"Same difference." Jacob pulled the last of the potatoes into a bowl. "Either way, the idea was for you to enjoy yourselves, not be worried about clean up."

"Maybe being worried about clean up would be good for some of these guys." I laughed. "It might help build character."

"Speaking of cleaning up…" Jacob's words trailed off, as he leaned against the table. "I think you should head for the sauna."

"What?" I asked, right before Jacob's earlier offer came to mind. "I, uh, kind of thought—I didn't think you were serious?—"

"I'm very serious, Leo." Jacob leaned down toward me. "I want to see what you look like without your clothes on."

I gulped in pure shock, my cheeks going red all over again. "I—I'm not sure if?—"

"You don't want me to see you?"

"It's not that." I shook my head. "I just wasn't expecting all of this. Or any of this."

"But you want it?" Jacob asked, concern etched across his features. "Because if you don't, we don't have to do anything?—"

"I want it," I cut him off with my response as I stood up from the table. "Just give me a few minutes? And I'll meet you at the sauna? The one closer to my room."

"A few minutes. Got it. That should give me enough time to finish putting everything up." Jacob moved away from the table now, too. "I'll meet you there."

What the hell am I doing right now?

I was waiting inside the sauna, with a towel wrapped around my waist. I'd talked myself in and out of this decision at least a million times, going back and forth about the pros and cons. I couldn't pretend like I didn't want Jacob, but I also couldn't pretend like this whole thing had a really good chance of blowing up in my face.

For all I knew, Jacob had plans to sleep with as many guys at the lodge as possible. Maybe this whole thing was just a game to him, trying to see who'd be the first to sleep with him when he was barely even flirting.

I closed my eyes as I leaned my head against the wall behind me.

What if Jacob is just another guy playing games?

"Hi." Jacob's voice floated over to me, and I slowly cracked open my eyes. He was now sitting right next to me, a towel wrapped around his waist, too. Despite the thick steam that surrounded us, his muscles were on full display, even his back swelled with them, so strong and so secure. I couldn't help but take a few moments to stare at his abs and thighs, muscles rippling underneath his skin, his body so perfect it was like it'd been sculpted by a master.

Fuck.

I grimaced as I thought about what Jacob saw when he looked back at me, how underwhelming I must've seemed in comparison?—

"Fuck. You're fucking perfect," Jacob murmured. "Even better than I imagined."

"Are you… sure?"

"Am I sure about you looking fucking perfect?" Jacob smirked.

"Are you sure about whatever is happening right now?" I pressed. "It's just, there are a lot of other options out there?—"

Jacob kissed the rest of my sentence away, his lips suddenly on mine. I groaned at the feel of it, my hands moving up to his shoulder and pulling him even closer. He clearly took the motion as an invitation since he slipped his tongue into my mouth a few seconds later. I groaned again, as he pulled me into his lap, his arm wrapping around my waist, fully closing the distance between us.

"I wanted you from the first moment I saw you, Leo," Jacob admitted, his words coming out low. "You have no idea how bad I fucking want you."

"I didn't know if you'd be into this, when I first saw you."

"Into what? Into you?" Jacob pushed his hips up to meet mine, his hard cock punctuating the end of his sentence. "Because I'm pretty sure we've established by now just how into you I really am."

"No, I just meant… I didn't know if you were into guys," I continued. "No offense. I know you can't really assume anything about someone's sexuality, anyway, but?—"

"But you would've bet on me being straight." Jacob seemed amused. "You're not totally wrong about that, by the way. Especially since you're the first guy I've ever wanted to hook up with."

"Wait. What?!"

"Who cares?" Jacob shrugged. "I don't give a shit about labels, Leo. I just see what I want, and then I go after it until I get it. That's how you stay in control."

"But—"

"You should take off that towel, before I rip it off you myself."

I nodded, doing as I was told, pulling my towel away from my skin and watching it fall to the sauna floor. Once I was naked, Jacob pulled his own towel off, too, our exposed cocks only a few inches away from each other. I felt my cheeks warm as I noticed the head of Jacob's cock was already wet with precome, my body tingling with excitement as I imagined him inside me?—

"Get on your knees," Jacob instructed, just as he widened his stance.

Again, I followed his instruction, as I lowered myself toward the floor. A few moments later and I was face-to-face with his shaft, my mouth salivating the same way it had during dinner and I'd been in front of a delicious looking meal.

Fuck.

I wanted to taste him so fucking badly.

"Put your mouth on me, Leo."

Without hesitation, I placed my lips around the tip of his cock. I started to take even more of him inside my mouth, but I felt him gently pushing my face back up as I did.

"Keep your mouth right there." Jacob took in a sharp breath. "Don't move down until I say so."

I groaned out of pure frustration, everything in me so eager to feel all of him against my tongue. In a moment of rebellion, I began to move my tongue across the tip of his cock, licking up every drop of precome that'd landed on his skin. He shivered as I played with his tip, one of his hands soon landing in my hair.

"Fuck, Leo… fuck…"

I rested my hands on his thighs as I focused all my attention on playing with his weeping slit. Before I even realized it, Jacob had started to push his hips against my mouth, his cock slipping deeper down my throat with every thrust. When it was clear that every inch of him was now inside me, I felt his palm keeping my head in place, making sure I continued sucking him dry. I moaned at the feel of Jacob fucking my mouth, using me to chase his pleasure as my own cock started to drip with precome.

I shuddered when Jacob finally exploded against my tongue, his come spilling down the back of my throat. He shivered as he seemed to catch his breath, just as I continued swallowing down every drop of him, not wanting to waste a single ounce of it. When I pulled away from his cock, I noticed I'd missed a bit of his come that'd slid back toward the top of his shaft. I took one of my fingers and casually swiped it from his skin, before placing it on my tongue.

"Fuck. That was so fucking hot." Jacob let out a deep sigh, his eyes focused on mine. "You're so fucking hot, Leo."

He then looked down at my cock, firmly standing at attention, precome leaking down its side. "Come to bed with me."

"You want me to come to bed… with you?" I quirked an eyebrow. "You don't want us to finish up here?—"

"I want you in my bed," he ordered, before he wrapped his towel around his waist again. "And you better make sure your towel stays in place while we're walking back, because no one else is allowed to see your cock. Not as long as we're here together."

Before I could say another word, Jacob was already heading down the hall. And, as I finished wrapping my towel around my waist, I couldn't stop smiling to myself.

No one else is allowed to see your cock.

I wanted you from the first moment I saw you, Leo.

You're so fucking hot.

Jacob wanted me . And, at least for right now, just me .

And even though I knew there was a good chance that wasn't going to last forever, it was good enough for now.