Complicated (2 page)

“I’ll keep an eye on you.” Michael slid his arm around Jonathan. “We’ve got to stick together.”

“We do?”

“Sure. Everyone needs a friend in this business.” Michael’s brown-eyed gaze slid over him again. “I’d like to stick to you.”

“I’m not…” He almost said gay, but who was he kidding? “I’m not interested. Friends, yes. Anything else, no. I’m trying to start my career.”

“Honey, aren’t we all?” Michael grabbed Jonathan’s ass. “I know where I want to start.”

“I’ve had enough to drink. I’ve got an early call.” He left his partially full bottle of beer on a nearby table. “See ya.” When he turned, he saw Sean. His breath lodged in his throat. Sean was there? He wasn’t a bit player. Hell, he had the supporting role.

“That’s Sean Banks,” Michael said. “He’ll use you and abuse you. If you’re ready, he’s rarin’ to go.”

“Enough.” Jonathan pushed away from Michael. For a friend, he’d become a pain in the ass. “Don’t spread rumors you know nothing about. It’s not polite, and besides, no one is going around accusing you of sleeping with everyone.”

“Come on. Everyone knows.” Michael rolled his eyes. “I’m telling you, you’re going to get eaten up.”

“I don’t agree.” Sean appeared beside Michael. He stared at Jonathan, a predatory look in his eyes. Heat radiated from him. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the script reading. Be prepared.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.” Jonathan smiled. “I will.” He sounded too eager, but he didn’t care. Sometimes, being young wasn’t a bad thing.

Michael steered him toward the door. “He’s setting you up.”

“It’s work for tomorrow. How is that setting me up?” Jonathan groaned.

“That’s his
modus operandi
. He makes nice now so he can get into your pants later,” Michael snapped. “You think he likes you, but it’s an act.”

“Spoken like a guy who has been shot down.” Jonathan shook his head. “I need sleep. I’ve got something to run through for tomorrow. If I don’t sleep, I’m horrible, and seven a.m. is early.”

Michael grabbed his arm again, stopping him. “Let me come with you.”

“I prefer to sleep alone.”

“What are you?” Michael asked. He let go of Jonathan. “A freak? No one prefers to sleep alone. You think I’m ugly, right?”

“I think I need to go. Good night.” Jonathan left the bar and strolled to his apartment. Getting a place off of East Ninth had been a stroke of genius. It wasn’t far from the shoot so he could watch when he wasn’t actually involved with the production. He’d learned so much from observing the crew. He headed up to his floor, needing time alone. Too many thoughts ran through his head. The lines, the pass to come back…Sean…being Sean’s love interest.

He tossed his wallet and keys on the table then locked the door. As he headed through the apartment to his bedroom, he stripped out of his clothes. He slid one hand over his dick. He’d gotten hard at the thought of being with his fantasy man. He fell onto the bed and wrapped his fingers around his cock. A poster of Sean from his days on the television show
Dueling Dotsons
hung on the ceiling over Jonathan’s bed. He gazed into those brown eyes and wondered what it would be like to make love to Sean.

Hell, he wondered what it would be like to make love to anyone. Being a virgin sucked, but he wanted to wait until he found the right guy.

Jonathan pumped his hips, grinding his cock into his palm. He closed his eyes and imagined Sean as the one giving him the hand job.

“Yeah, baby. That’s right.”
Sean smiled. Fire lit in his eyes. The muscles in his jaw tightened.
“Come on. Come for me, honey.”

Jonathan didn’t need much coaxing. A couple good thrusts and he usually came apart. Seeing Sean in his fantasy pushed him along faster. He tensed, and the heat in his lower belly spread throughout his body.

“Sean,” he shouted. Cum spurted over his hand and across his stomach. He puffed to catch his breath. Tomorrow, he’d see the real man. His life wouldn’t magically get better because he played Sean’s lover, but possibly he’d get his infatuation with the movie star out of his system. Maybe.

Chapter Two

“You picked him?” Sean rested his hands on his hips. He hadn’t been able to get the blond-haired man out of his brain all night. When he’d slept, his dreams had revolved around the man. The moment he’d seen the call sheet today, his day had brightened. He’d never been big on younger men, but he did have a thing for dating his costars.

“Yeah, I did pick him,” the assistant director said. She rolled her eyes. “You cannot possibly be attracted to him. Aren’t you and Daniel having a thing?”

“Daniel? No.” He wasn’t interested in Daniel Young. Good God, they’d known each other since the first Ducky juice drinks commercial. They’d been friends, yes, but partners? Not going to happen.

“Then what’s wrong about this one? Too immature? Tony saw him act yesterday. He said the kid was pretty good.” She flipped through the sheets on her clipboard. “He only had a couple lines, but even I bought into what he’d said.”

“Because you like all the actors,” Sean said. “Look, if he works out for the kiss scene, then cool. If not, I’m not doing a love scene with him. I don’t care.”

“You made eyes at him at the bar last night.”

“Him?” He feigned shock. Yes, he’d made eyes at the kid. Who hadn’t? He was gorgeous. Still, Sean refused to jump into bed with just anyone…again. He’d been through that phase already. Rehab had helped him see everything differently, especially when he’d come so close to dying. He shuddered. The overdose had opened his eyes so wide. He’d been destructive and careening out of control.

“Lover boy, you’ve got to meet him and pretend to have been lovers for years. Don’t yell at me. Suck it up.”

“You’re so nice to me.” He scanned the call sheet. They’d do the read in a half hour and the run-through shortly afterwards. Maybe, they wouldn’t get along and he’d be able to get away from the kid. Sean strolled downstairs to the second apartment set.

The director and the cameramen were already onsite and chatting. The kid stood patiently to the side, apparently absorbing everything Tony said. What a newbie… Sometimes, challenging the director added to the value of the movie.

“I’m here,” Sean announced. “Everyone have their scripts?”

Tony narrowed his eyes. “Stop the diva shit.”

“I’m ready.” The younger man stepped forward. He offered his hand. “I’m Jonathan. I’m happy to meet you.”

“Jonathan.” He shook hands. Either Jonathan truly had manners, as he’d displayed the night before, or he was the world’s best brown-noser. “So you’re playing Owen?”

“I believe so.” Jonathan inched away from Sean. “I’ve read through the script a bunch of times. I think I’m ready.”

Sean bit back a response. Part of him wanted to say, “We’ll see.” The rest of him wanted to see what the kid could do.

Jonathan took his position at the stove. “Hey, Clay? You home?” He strode across the room. “Dane called. He said something about a meeting.” He stopped by the couch. “You’re staying home tonight, right? We haven’t had time alone in a long time.”

Sean wanted to argue with Jonathan. He wanted to say the kid was a horrible actor. So much for wanting. “I can’t just take the night off.” He crossed to where Jonathan stood. “That doesn’t mean I’ve got to go right now.” The dialogue was schmaltzy, but who cared? He trailed his fingers down Jonathan’s cheek.

Jonathan smiled. According to the back story, Clayton and Owen had been together for over three years. For a moment, Sean actually felt that connection. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on Jonathan’s lips. His mouth tingled. A sizzle started in his chest. The script didn’t call for him to take the kiss further, but he wanted to. He wrapped one arm around Jonathan and kept the other hand on Jonathan’s jaw.

Sean swallowed Jonathan’s moan. He’d made the kid moan. Nice.

“Cut,” shouted Tony. “That’s enough. Get a room.”

Jonathan broke the kiss first. He wobbled on his feet and swayed into Sean. “Sorry,” he murmured. “I’m not used to…that.”

“You’re new. It happens.” Sean forced a smile, despite his inner disgust. It happens? What the hell kind of answer was that? He sounded like a dick.

“Yeah.” Jonathan frowned. “We have one other scene.”

“We do.” He let go of Jonathan. If they were going to act like partners, there had to be trust. He turned his attention to Tony. “I’m not being a diva, but give us five minutes. We need to build up a rapport. Do it and I swear we’ll get this in less than three full takes.”

Tony threw his hands in the air then groaned. “Ten minutes.” He waved the assistant director and the crew out of the soundstage.

Once they’d left, Sean slipped his hand into Jonathan’s. He needed to think through what he was going to say. For Christ’s sake, he’d fucked up everything else. “I’ll be honest. I’m still not sure we can pull of being a couple of three years. It’s hard. We’ve known each other for what? Five minutes?”

“True.” Jonathan blushed. From his hairline to the collar of his shirt, his skin turned a brilliant shade of pink.

Sean couldn’t remember the last time he’d made someone blush, and not from a bad joke or a stupid maneuver. “We’ve got chemistry, no doubt.” He stared into Jonathan’s hazel eyes. The flecks of green and gold stood out against the brown. He felt the warmth of Jonathan’s smile all the way to his soul. Few people got to him in such a way, but Jonathan had cracked the armor around Sean’s heart.

“What should we do to make this more comfortable?” Jonathan asked. When he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbed. Such an unintentionally sexy move.

“Well…we need to kiss again.” Sean bridged the gap between them. He kept their fingers entwined as he kissed Jonathan. The tingles returned. The urge to strip Jonathan down and sample every inch of him gripped Sean. He hadn’t felt such a need to possess someone in a long time. He sucked on Jonathan’s bottom lip, muffling another one of Jonathan’s moans. There was a definite spark between them.

His dick pressed against the zipper of his jeans. Damn. He should’ve worn boxers. The movie was supposed to be rated PG-13 or something like that. A man’s bare ass wouldn’t be approved. He chuckled. Then again, having two men kiss probably wasn’t considered PG-13. Did he care? Not really.

Jonathan clutched Sean’s T-shirt. He rested his forehead against Sean’s and gasped for breath. “I don’t know about three years together, but we can do the first bloom pretty good.”

“We can.” He wanted to run his fingers through Jonathan’s sandy blond hair while they made love.

“Are they coming back?”

“They will.” Sean eased away from Jonathan, missing his warmth immediately. “Let’s run through the kitchen scene one more time before they do.”

Jonathan grinned. “Sure.” He righted his shirt then thrust both hands into his hair to smooth the tresses off his forehead. The blush remained but now resembled a healthy glow. He returned to the stove then glanced over his shoulder and smiled. “Clay? You home?”

Before Jonathan could turn around, Sean slid his arms around him. “I am.” He kissed Jonathan’s neck. “Before you ask, I’ve got a few hours off.”

Jonathan turned in his embrace then draped his arms around Sean’s neck. “I’ve got a few ideas as to how to spend the time.”

“I knew you would.” Sean met him for another kiss. The chemistry worked perfectly. Hell, if he didn’t know better, he’d think they were a long-term couple, not guys who’d just met.

“Now, that’s what I want to see,” Tony said.

His voice jarred Sean. He’d been so wrapped up in Jonathan, he hadn’t noticed the crew had come back into the room. “Tony.”

“Good thing I got some of that on film.” Tony snapped his fingers. “Reset and do it again. I’ll set up some hand-helds so we can get the close-ups. You’ve got good feeling here. Maybe two takes and we’re good.”

“We were good the first time.” Sean stepped away from Jonathan. “But we’ll do it again. Tony, a word?” He waved at the director. When he had Tony within whisper range, he said, “The other scene is in bed. Give us lunch to work that out. Okay?”

“And get what I’m getting now?” Tony nodded. “You bet. Whatever you want.”

“Perfect.” Sean turned his attention back to Jonathan. “Ready?” When Jonathan nodded, they ran through the scene once more with ease. Hell, he was starting to believe the fantasy. He liked Jonathan more than he wanted to admit.

Tony nodded and slashed his hand through the air. “That was awesome. Cool. You’ve got two hours then we block and set up the other scene. Got it?”

“You bet.” Sean grabbed Jonathan’s hand. “I know where we can get killer tacos. Come on.” He navigated through the building to the door. Once outside, he led his friend through the maze of trailers to the food truck. The production company had brought in the taco one again. Good thing, since he loved the fish tacos.

“Want something super awesome?” Sean stepped up to the short line. “They have some of the best fish tacos you’re ever going to eat.”

“Fish tacos? I’m more of a chicken kind of guy. If the fish isn’t breaded and doesn’t come from a box, then I’m not the man for the job,” Jonathan answered. He blushed again. “Wait. That came out wrong. Sounded like I’m a cock man.”

“So? I am.” Sean shrugged. He’d never been shy about being gay. Hell, he’d known he was gay since the age of twelve. He’d only come out publically right after the incident with his one-time girlfriend, Cassidee, because he’d been asked about his sexuality and didn’t want to hide it any longer.

“You are?” Jonathan scrubbed the back of his hand across his mouth. “I’m sorry. I’m pushy, and I blurt out a lot of crap. I’ll keep my trap shut next time.”

“You’re fine.” Sean tapped on the counter. “I’ll have two of your best fish tacos and two shredded chicken ones for my friend.” He placed tip money in the cup. When the worker handed over the food, Sean grinned. “Thank you.”

“Thank you,” Jonathan said. He waved then fell into step beside Sean. “I can pay for my own food. I do work—outside of this gig.”

“Oh yeah?” Sean stopped in front of his trailer. “What do you do?”