Page 50 of The Money Shot
He shrugged, but I swore I caught a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.
“Also, we should get tested. Just to be safe,” I added.
Liam frowned. “Jack, I’ve never done anything that would—”
“It’s non-negotiable,” I blurted.
“Fine,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “We’ll go on Monday during your lunch break.”
I was about to come up with another rule when the screen caught my eye.
Liam was on top of me, sitting on my chest, the moment frozen right before... the moment. My throat went dry, and I felt a jolt of heat low in my stomach.
I glanced at Liam, who was suddenly very interested in crossing his legs and wiping his forehead.
He coughed. “Video’s ready to upload. If you want to back out, now’s the time.”
Liam looked up at me with those big brown eyes, and my heart clenched. If I had any sense, I’d tell him no. Walk away before this went too far.
But then I thought about everything Liam had been through. Losing his job. Bradley’s arrest. His fear of failing.
“Go for it,” I mumbled.
His fingers flew over the keyboard, and after a moment, he turned to me with a small smile. “It’s done. We’re live.”
My pulse quickened, but before I could say anything, Liam stood and looked me dead in the eye.
“Jack,” he said, his voice low, “I know you said we shouldn’t... you know, unless it’s for a video. But why don’t we strike while the iron’s hot and make another one?”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Liam
Iheld my breath so long I thought I might pass out, waiting for Jack to answer. He stared at me, his brow furrowed, like he was trying to solve a Sudoku puzzle with only half the numbers filled in.
“Sure, um…” he finally mumbled, his voice a low rumble.
Thank God. Relief flooded through me, and I felt my lips curl into a grin before I could stop them. Not wanting to give him a chance to change his mind, I tugged at his hand, practically dragging him back toward the bed. It only took us a few seconds to remove our clothes. Jack hesitated for a second more, then moved to climb in, his knee sinking into the mattress. That’s when it hit me. The camera.
“Wait! The phone!” I blurted, sitting up so fast I almost head-butted him. “Make sure it’s on and aimed right.”
Jack froze, his hand mid-air, and nodded. With trembling fingers, he wrested the phone from the clamp, fumbling with the screen as if it were suddenly the most complicated piece of technology in existence.
“Got it,” he muttered, placing it back in the clamp and angling it just right.
The moment he got back in bed, the vibe shifted. We just… sat there, staring at each other. It wasn’t like the first time, where we were both half-crazed and couldn’t keep our hands to ourselves. This was different. The kind of awkward you feel when you’re trying to act naturally, but you’re too aware of the fact that you’re supposed to act.
I broke the tension by reaching for his hand and bringing it to my lips. I kissed his palm softly, hoping it would kick start something. Jack’s breath hitched, and then, out of nowhere, he asked, “When did you realize you were gay?”
I blinked at him, caught completely off guard. His expression was curious, not judgmental, and for a moment, I wondered if he was stalling—or genuinely interested.
Still, I had to laugh. “You’re asking this now? On camera?”
He shrugged, the faintest grin tugging at his lips. “Drake might want to know about Lucien’s tragic backstory.”
I snorted. “Tragic? Okay, sure. Let me spin you a tale.”
Jack stretched his arm out across the pillows, and I took that as an invitation. Scooting closer, I laid my head on his chest. His arm tightened around me almost instinctively, and I let myself relax, listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat.