Locked (PresLocke Series Book 2) (24 page)

That only seemed to encourage Derek, though, because his hand whipped out and he grabbed a hold of Jordan’s wrist to pull him down onto his lap.

“Are you threatenin’ me?” he asked, his eyes glued to his boyfriend’s in a way that made it crystal clear to anyone watching the two of them that they were madly in love.
 

“Only within an inch of your life,” Jordan replied, and smacked a kiss to Derek’s lips. “Oh fine,” he said with a wave of his hand. “If anything, this story makes me sound extremely…talented.”

“That’s one way to look at it.” Derek settled back in his seat with his arms wrapped around Jordan’s waist. And if the attentive way Ace was now staring at the two of them across the fire was any indication, he was just as eager as I was to find out what had happened the last time these two had sat down to eat s’mores.

* * *
 

SITTING ACROSS FROM Derek and Jordan was like sitting across from lifelong friends. Within seconds of meeting them I felt accepted, comfortable, and welcome. But more importantly, I felt as though I could be the exact version of myself I wanted to be—Dylan’s partner.

Dylan had reached across to take my hand in his, as Derek began to relay his story, and I couldn’t help but wish for a few seconds that this could be our life. This simple, easy, day-to-day routine we’d been living since we’d arrived in Florida. Because
this
life was as close to perfection as I had ever imagined possible.

“The story goes like this,” Derek began, grinning like a devil as Jordan rolled his eyes in a dramatic way I was coming to associate with the effervescent man. “We’d gone over to Brantley and Finn’s for a bonfire, just like this one. They’ll be here a little later, and anyway, we decided to make s’mores. A decision that was made before we’d all had a few too many drinks, and when it finally came time to get out the ingredients, this one here picked up a marshmallow, looked at me across the fire, and bet me that he could fit more marshmallows in his mouth than I could.”

Jordan was pretending to pay very close attention to inspecting his nails as Derek continued to tell the tale. I had to admit, I was curious now just how many it had taken to win, since Jordan now claimed this story made him sound…
talented
.
 

“So, never one to back down from a dare, I took him up on the challenge. Really, I should’ve known better, having been at the receiving end of watching him swallow a mouthful of—”

“Derek!”

Dylan placed my palm high on his thigh and squeezed as he let out a laugh, and when I cut my eyes in his direction, he licked his lips.
The tease is flirting with me.

“Oh please, now you’re acting shy?” Derek said.
 

Jordan shot him a glare. “
Stick
to the story.”

“Oh, fine. Anyway, we started to each put a marshmallow in our mouths, one at a time. Finn was out at four. You’d think a lawyer would have a bigger mouth than that. Though his professor got five inside, and that explained a lot as to why he held Finn’s attention all these years. But Jordan,” Derek said, smoothing his hands up and down the top of Jordan’s thighs, making him squirm atop his lap. And Dylan chose that moment to slip my hand down the inside of his thigh, making me almost mirror Jordan’s agitated move. “Well, he gave me and my big mouth a run for my money…” Derek chuckled and then bit at Jordan’s ear before saying, “Then left me in the dust.”

I rubbed the firm thigh under my palm, and then glanced over at the two telling the story, and couldn’t help but ask, “So just how many marshmallows
did
Posh get in his mouth?”

When Derek and Jordan both froze and pinned me with equally shocked expressions, Derek’s eyes practically twinkled with mirth, as if he couldn’t believe I’d just called Jordan the name I’d heard earlier, and Jordan…well, to say he looked shocked speechless was a gross understatement. He’d gone all slack-jawed, and straightened on Derek’s lap like someone had just zapped him in the ass. I had a feeling I was witnessing an anomaly, because this guy didn’t seem the type to be speechless or shy in any way at all.

“You better watch out, Locke,” Derek advised as laughter bubbled out of him. “This one takes issue with
that
particular nickname.”

“I don’t know,” I said as I looked Jordan over. “I think it suits him. I’ve been called much worse, trust me, and that’s a title you should be proud of. By the way, you still didn’t answer. How many marshmallows?”

Jordan seemed to preen under the compliment, before he settled back into Derek’s arms and said, “Twelve.”

Now it was my mouth’s turn to fall open as I glanced at the bag of marshmallows sitting on Dylan’s lap.
How in the world…?
Those things weren’t exactly small, either. When I raised my eyes to find Dylan’s, he held the bag up at me.

“Think you could beat that, hotshot?”

I shut my mouth and looked back toward Jordan, who’d brought Derek’s fingers to his lips, where he kissed them, telling me, “What can I say? There isn’t much in life I prefer than having my mouth full.”

“He ain’t lyin’ about that, either. Thank God,” Derek said, and though he was clearly joking around with his boyfriend, there was an underlying affection there. A love that was obvious to anyone looking at the two of them, and that made me yearn for what they had. I wanted to be able to feel that free with the wonderful man sitting beside me. I
wanted
to be able to show the world that I meant what I’d told him the other day on the boat. That I loved him.
 

AN HOUR OR so later, Derek’s buddy Finn and his partner Brantley arrived, and not too far behind were Dylan’s parents. We spent the rest of the night telling stories around the fire and eating hot dogs and s’mores, and I felt more “normal” than I ever imagined I could. Not only did I feel like a person, rather than a celebrity, but the deep sense of acceptance I was experiencing was unlike anything I’d ever hoped to feel. Down here, with Dylan’s friends and family, I could be me. The real me. A person I was finally starting to understand, thanks to the man I currently had my arms wrapped around.

Dylan was cradling a beer as he spoke with Sunshine about when we would next visit, and as he spoke he casually turned his hand over to entwine his fingers through mine, as if he’d been doing it for years rather than months, and I marveled at just how lucky I was.
 

Somehow through all the chaos that was my everyday life, Dylan had found me. And as I stood there surrounded by so much love and warmth, I knew there was no way I was ever going to let him go.

21

MONUFUCKINGMENTAL

“DYLAN, IS IT true you’re moving to New York?”

“Why didn’t Ace go with you on your trip?”

As I headed past the handful of photographers outside my apartment, I was surprised there were any there at all, considering I’d been in New York for a week for a few shoots.
 

“Not today, guys,” I said, keeping my head down. Once inside the apartment, which was feeling a little less like my temporary home lately, I rolled my suitcase over to the counter and fished my phone out of my pocket. This had been the longest I’d gone without seeing Ace since I met him, and I was anxious to get together now that I was back in the same time zone. Other than missing him like crazy, it’d been an unbelievable week. It’d started with a group shoot for Provocateur on Rockaway Beach in Queens, before I’d headed back to the city for the individual photographs. I’d shot
GQ
in Central Park by the Bethesda Fountain. Then the Gucci shoot had me at the top of One World Trade Center, taking in the breathtaking views of New York City and beyond. And my favorite part—commandeering what was conveniently named Dylan’s Candy Bar for a sweet shoot that I had a feeling Ace’s friend Ryleigh would’ve enjoyed. I may or may not have ended up back in my hotel that night with an embarrassing assortment of chocolates, gummies, and cake pops.
Fuckin’ hell, those cake pops…

“Welcome back, Mr. Prescott,” Ace said, cutting off my thoughts before I could drool too hard. “When the hell do I get to see you?”

A huge grin took over my face at the sound of his voice. “Now. Five minutes ago. As soon as possible.”

“You should’ve come straight here.”

“Nah, I need a shower and some fresh clothes before I tackle you. Plus, I knew you had that meeting today with your agent. How’d it go?”

A long silence descended before Ace blew out a breath. “Uh…you know, not great.”

“Not great? What happened?”

“Just the same old lately. Deals have dried up. We’ve started reaching out about different projects, but no one’s biting.”

“Shit, Ace,” I said, and closed my eyes in frustration on his behalf. “It’s so unfair. This is all so—”

“Hey?” Ace said through the phone, and I bit down on my lip to stop the rest of the words I wanted to say. “It’s okay. I mean, it sucks, but if losing out on a few roles and sponsors means I get to be with you and be happy, then I would do it again in a fucking heartbeat. Okay?”

It always amazed me how Ace had the ability to make me feel like I was riding the biggest high of my life, but at the same time wondering if I should be.

“Stop it,” he growled, and my lips quirked.
 

“Stop what?”

“Stop feeling guilty.”

Damn. The guy knows me too well.
“It’s just—”

“No, Dylan. You don’t get to feel guilty about any of this. Not your career, which you more than deserve. Not the fact that people are closed-minded bigots, and not the fact that I’m madly in love with you. Enjoy your moment. You deserve it. I don’t tell you these things to make you feel bad about what you’re doing.”

“I know that,” I said, letting out a sigh. “But it’s still not fair.”

“Maybe not. But maybe it’s time for me to look into other things.”

“Other things?” I asked, sitting up and running a hand through my hair.
 

“Yeah,” he said, and I could hear a smile creeping back into his voice. “I’ve always been interested in the indie world. Movies, startup projects. That kind of thing. It’s actually how I got to know Shayne’s boyfriend Nate. Maybe this is a sign.”

“A sign?” I chuckled. “Since when have you believed in that kind of thing?”

And without missing a beat, Ace told me, “Since I met Sunshine Prescott.”

That had me laughing loudly. “Right? She kind of has that whole flower child vibe happening, doesn’t she?”

“Seriously, if anyone was going to make you a believer…”

“Oh, she will be pleased to hear it. Hercules, a total convert.”

Ace’s laugh rolled through me as I kicked my shoes off and wondered just how quickly I could get undressed, showered, and over to the man on the other end of the phone.

“So…did you miss me?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer. It was nice to hear sometimes.

“Fishing for compliments, Daydream?”

“Maybe. Would that be so bad?”

“Not at all,” Ace said, his voice dropping a couple of octaves. “And if you could see me right now, you’d know just how much I missed you.”

“Is that right?”

“Mhmm…”

“And why’s that?” I asked, settling back into the couch. The shower could wait a minute. Maybe until after Ace had teased me to a throb-worthy erection.

“Well, I’m shirtless, to start with.”

“Oh…I like that.”

“I thought you might,” he said. “And I’m down on my knees.”

I sighed at that visual, and lowered my palm to press to my pants. “Don’t stop there.”

“Nope, not going to. Because I’m surrounded by…”

My mouth was parted as I waited for whatever he was going to say, but when all I got was his sexy, heavy breathing in my ear, I demanded, “Surrounded by what?”

Then he laughed and said something I did
not
expect. “DVDs, Daydream.”

Huh?

“I’ve been so fucking pathetic without you I’ve resorted to rearranging my DVD collection. I need you to get over here—fast.”

“Please tell me you’re arranging them by size.”

“Contrary to what you seem to think, I haven’t seen all of Hollywood naked. So, no. Sorry to disappoint, but they’re getting arranged by genre and then alphabetically.”

My hand left my pants, and I screwed my nose up. “So let me get this straight. You miss me so much that you thought rearranging your home theater was a good idea? I would’ve preferred masturbation in the hot tub.”

“I’d prefer
you
in my hot tub.”

“That’s more like it.”

“Good. You’ll be dessert. Want me to call in anything for dinner? A new Thai place just opened down the street.”

My stomach growled at the mention of food. “Yeah, that sounds great. If you’ll call it in, I’ll swing by and pick it up on the way. Anything and everything sounds good right about now. Fucking starving.”

“Two of everything comin’ right up.”

“I feel like I’m a bad influence. You were all chicken and kale when I met you, and now I’ve got you sending out for Thai. Should I apologize?”

“Nah. I think I deserve a few cheat days.”

“Damn right you do. Especially after a long, hard day of rearranging DVDs,” I said, chuckling.

“All right, all right. I’m walking away right now. See? I’m not an addict. I can quit anytime.”
 

That just made me laugh harder as a knock sounded at my door. “If you say so. Hey, I think Lloyd from down the hall needs quarters for the washer again, so let me run and I’ll be over there in an hour.”

“Can’t wait.”

As I ended the call, the knock sounded again.
 

“Just a sec, man, lemme get some change,” I said, opening the jar of quarters I kept on the counter. Another thing I’d had to get used to in L.A.—sharing a washer and dryer with dozens of other renters. I pulled out a couple dollars’ worth and then went over and unlocked and opened the door. “Here you—” My words died in my throat as I came face to face with a woman a few inches shorter than me.