UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL by Jayson Leigh
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events or locations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the Author's consent.
Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who took the time to drop a line. As usual, comments, thoughts and questions are welcome – jmleighwrites@gmail.com.
CHAPTER 2
Ignite
Shane felt like he was missing something. He rubbed at his eyes tiredly when the words on his tablet appeared to float off screen. Despite devouring just about every published article on Leo Malone, he wasn't sure what to make of the man.
With his band's first album release five years ago, Leo Malone had become famous overnight at the age of nineteen. He'd been notorious for his outrageous on-stage antics, trashing expensive equipment, including a vintage guitar he'd acquired for a quarter of a million dollars, during a live performance. A successful second album released just a year after had ensured his star continued to rise. He was the stereotypical rock star, indulging in every known vice. By the age of twenty one, he'd been arrested three times although he was never convicted. The first was for a DUI but the charge had been thrown out because of a faulty breathalyzer test. The second, cocaine possession but he'd pleaded out to a fine, community service and drug counseling. His final arrest had been for assault, but the reporter had dropped the charges soon after. Rumor had it that he'd been substantially compensated for his trouble.
He seemed to be following the rock and roll legend rule book so thoroughly that his demise seemed inevitable. Just before his twenty second birthday, he'd disappeared from public life. It appeared that poster boy for narcissism and substance abuse had gone to ground. The last photos taken of him were two years ago in a public park were he'd been sweeping leaves as part of his community service sentencing. There were rumors that his band had broken up. Rumor had it that he'd been holed up in rehab while hidden from the public eye. Another one claimed he'd been dealing with mental issues.
Two months ago, just as mysteriously as he'd disappeared, his record label announced a new album from The Blackbones. Naysayers predicted the public was over them. Leo Malone was washed up. A two-album wonder. He'd been away too long. The adoring public thought otherwise.
Hard rock was not Shane's personal music of choice; He preferred the crooning ballads of Celine and Barbra to Leo's heavy blend of jarring guitars riffs and raspy vocals. But after watching a dozen YouTube videos, even Shane had to admit that the guy was good but did he deserve his fans' hype, the industry's accolades and the public's scorn? He closed his eyes, deciding that he'd find out soon enough.
The chauffeur hurried to open the door for him, and Leo stepped out into the steamy Los Angeles heat. Six foot tall in jeans and a faded, grey T-shirt molded to the defined the planes of muscle underneath. His wavy black hair fell just above the collar of his black leather jacket and framed cut an angular jaw with tanned skin and glinting brown eyes. He scratched his chin, and felt the dusting of dark stubble on his cheeks.
As he walked slowly to the entrance of Atlantis Records headquarters, he thrust his hands in his pockets in search of his ever present pack of Marlboros. With just a few sticks left, he wasn't sure how he'd get through the interview. Speaking of which, he knew he was late; should've been here hours ago as Paul had reminded him on the dozen messages in his voicemail. The fact was, he was late because he was on edge and he was on edge because he was late.
He hated doing publicity. Sure it was a necessary evil in his profession but he wouldn't pretend to like it. He'd tried to convince the record label president, Perry Ford, that the album would sell and he didn't need to whore himself out. They insisted that he still needed to sell concert tickets. Blood sucking, money-hungry sons of bitches.
The front door swung open to reveal the fuming face of his longtime friend and manager, Paul Golden. "Where the hell were you?"
Leo shrugged and shoved past him. Paul knew why he was late. He didn't want to do this fucking thing and ignoring it for as long as possible seemed like a good idea, at the time.
Paul sighed and Leo could see he was trying to grip on himself. "You were supposed to be here three hours ago. We agreed..."
Leo made an impatient sound. "You and Perry agreed to this. I was coerced."
"It's called a fucking contract, Leo" Paul retorted. "They pay you millions and you churn out hit songs and do publicity. Like every other working artist out there."
"I'm here now," Leo said as he walked into the elevator. "Let's do this shit."
Paul punched in the 3rd floor furiously and turned back to his client. "Shane Roderick's on his way out. It's over. I ask you to do one fucking thing, and you blow it. We've been publicizing this thing all week, and before the end of the day, it's going to be all over the internet that you blew it. We're trying to revive your fucking career, and you don't give a shit."
Leo flushed with anger at Paul's comments. He clenched his fists then released them. He felt anger brimming inside, and barely managed to put a lid on it. Paul had known him too long and knew exactly what buttons to push. He closed his eyes and tried to remember the breathing techniques he'd learned in rehab.
Just as he'd made up his mind to keep his cool, Paul's furious attack continued. "You know what's worse than being labeled a drug addict in Hollywood? It's being fucking unreliable!"
The fragile walls keeping Leo's violent nature at bay finally cracked and he turned around and grabbed Paul by the shirt collar, pushing him purposefully into the wall. He had a slight height advantage over his manager, and he crowded in on him threateningly. "Shut the fuck up or I swear to God I will shut you up myself. You were nothing before I met you. The only reason you have anything, a job, your cars, your supermodel wife is because you work for me, you worthless piece of shit. I never asked to do the damn interview anyway and you don't get to fuck with me because I screwed up. I'm here now, so do your job and fix it..." With that, he released Paul's collar and stepped back just as the elevator doors opened and he found himself staring into blue.
With a blink and a sharp intake of breath, he realized they were huge blue eyes that belonged to a very attractive blond man. When the blue eyes widened in recognition, he realized that he was looking at his soon to be interviewer, Shane Roderick.
He was shorter than Leo, at least two inches below his own six feet, but lean and gracefully built. Everything about his flawless attire screamed TV-ready to Leo. It was a look that appeared casual, but was in fact put together in a rather skillful way. Light blond hair was cut low and coiffed to perfection. A crisp white button-down shirt was topped with a cashmere blazer and slim grey tailored pants. The overly groomed look was everything Leo despised. It was preppy, pretentious and uptight, yet he couldn't look away.
Aquamarine. The color came to him suddenly. The other man's eyes were the perfect shade of a clear blue sea exposed to the rays of the sun on a bright, tropical morning.
He knew he was staring, but fuck, Shane Roderick's eyes were huge and mesmerizing. He could tell the other man's body was lithe and compact beneath the prim clothes and his mouth, Christ. His mouth was parted, with red lips, wet and slightly swollen, like he'd been biting on them just moments ago.
When his dick stirred, it hit him that he was very publicly lusting over a man.
A man.
He turned back to face Paul who was attempting to straighten out his shirt and whispered, "Fix this already."
Fuck me, Shane thought resentfully. How was Leo Malone even better looking in person? He'd noticed the rock star watching him mutely. He was pretty sure the musician was one of those who wouldn't talk to the help when the cameras weren't rolling.
"My apologies," he heard Paul Golden say to him. He pulled his gaze from Leo and settled on his harried looking manager. "It's just been one big misunderstanding."
Shane maintained a skeptical look while Paul smiled widely and put an arm around his shoulder to herd him back into the studio. "Turns out that my assistant told Leo's people that the interview started at 6:00 pm. Can you believe it? You can't get good held these days! So he thinks he's on time and I say we don't want to disappoint him now, do we?"
Shane groaned inwardly at the blatant lies coming from Paul. Since when did this become about disappointing Leo, anyway? He's the one who kept them all waiting. Still, he wasn't a professional journalist for nothing. Feigning a smile, he responded evenly, "Of course. I wouldn't want to disappoint Mr. Malone or my viewers."
He'd feigned walking away from the interview, hoping it'd pressure Paul Golden to produce his missing client. In truth, Shane's bosses would've skinned his hide had he abandoned the interview. It was a lose-lose situation all around or was it a win-win... he couldn't quite tell anymore.
He turned to Leo Malone with an outstretched hand. "Hi, I'm-"
Leo shook his hand. "I know who you are."
Shane raised a brow, hating him already.
"No need for small talk," Leo said briskly. "Let's get this show on the road."
They took their seats as the crew flittered around them, fixing microphones, perfecting lighting and camera angles. Shane looked away from him purposefully, allowing a long stretch of silence to linger.
Suddenly, Leo found himself unwilling to allow those stunning blue eyes be focused on anything but himself. "Something wrong?"
Shane shrugged. "I'm avoiding small talk," he replied evenly.
Leo let out a surprised laugh. Something about the unobtrusive confidence of other man surprised him. He had a feeling there were many layers he was yet to see and he found himself in the mood to do some unwrapping. "This should be interesting," he noted aloud to Shane.
Shane tried to shake away the onslaught of negative thoughts about Leo. He didn't want to be biased going into the interview, but Christ, the guy was an arrogant jerk... A jerk who made a fitted pair of faded jeans looked like haute couture. He sighed and scolded himself inwardly. Okay, get a grip on yourself and stop drooling. You've got to stay objective here. He isn't the first gorgeous man you've interviewed. You've done sit-downs with Matt Bomer, Channing Tatum, Jason Momoa... He stopped that train of thought immediately. Thinking about tall, dark and attractive men really wasn't helping here.
Loud voices across the room suddenly caught his attention and he turned to find his producer and Paul Golden in a very heated argument. Leo was quite deliberately not paying attention to the commotion and Shane suddenly had a bad feeling about this.
"I was given the impression this was a no-holds barred interview," Shane protested. He glanced at Leo who was now by the open window at the far end of the room, smoking and ignoring them all.
Paul shook his head from side to side as he hedged, "It's just a standard non-disclosure agreement with a few stipulations that ensure my client's privacy, that's all-"
"You're telling me his multiple arrests, prior drug use and rehab stints are off limits?" Shane said incredulously. "What's left to talk about?"
"His new album. It debuted at the top of the charts and it's still there, eight weeks later. He's launching a North American tour this weekend."
Shane retorted, "So this will be an hour-long commercial to sell albums and tickets?"
"I'm no journalist," Paul said condescendingly, "but my client is a multi-talented singer, songwriter and guitarist with four Grammy awards. You do have a lot to talk about without dredging up tawdry details. That is, unless, you want us to go to another network." Shane didn't respond, just ran a hand tiredly over his face and looked across the room to his producer, Trent McCarthy, for support. Trent, who'd accompanied him and the crew to LA for this interview, was already on the phone doing damage control with Bill in New York.
Shane looked back down at the contract and scanned it's lengthy contents. Also off-limits were questions about his family, a former member of the band who'd been replaced... it went on and on, for 12 pages. He flicked it on to the table with disgust.
He noticed that Trent had finished his call and approached him. "I thought this was taken care?"
Trent stepped up close and said under his breath heatedly, "This is bullshit. They ambushed us. I personally negotiated the terms of this interview with the head of Atlantis Records, Perry Ford. He said we could talk about anything, as long as the public sees that Leo's clean and sober. He gave absolutely no restrictions. It's Leo and his scumbag manager who planned this."
Shane bit down on his lip, and tried to be reasonable. "Okay, you call Perry. Tell him-"
Trent shook his head, annoyed. "He's conveniently away on vacation and unreachable according to his assistant."
With a sigh, Shane realized, "They set us up."
"Bill says we've got to do this," Trent added resignedly. "Our lawyers are vetting the contract as we speak. He was never going to do a tell-all... he just needs the publicity that's all."
They lapsed into silence as Shane wearily wondered what they'd got themselves into.
By the time they got around to the interview, the Up Close and Personal crew was exhausted. Dinner plans had been cancelled, hotel reservations extended, and airline bookings changed.
Shane glanced down at his tablet; most of the questions he'd planned to ask were useless now, but that didn't faze him. If there was one thing working in live television had taught him, it was being able to think on his feet. While he was still pissed at the hit job Leo and his people had pulled on him, now wasn't the time for that anger.
He smiled benignly at Leo, it was important to put the interview subject at ease although with the rock star's charisma and easy confidence, he was sure he would have no problem with that.
"Leo thanks for joining us today."
With a polite nod, the musician replied, "Thanks for having me."
"So what's it like being back in the spotlight?"
"It feels good to be making music again, meeting the fans, going on tour. That's always great."
"And is this a comeback?"
Leo looked slightly bothered as he replied, "Is that what they call a return from brief hiatus these days?"
Shane bit back a smile. While his hands were tied with regards to questions about Leo's sordid past, he was zeroing in on something else that made the other man uncomfortable, fame.
"You were one of the biggest celebrities around but you walked away from a hefty contract with your former recording company, kicked out a member of your band and left a string of broken hearts across town."
Leo looked at him steadily, as if waiting for a question.
"So what's different now? Why did you come back?"
"The music. That's what it's always been about and it's been great being able to focus on that again."
"And would you still consider yourself a celebrity today?"
The rock star appeared surprised by the question. He obviously hadn't expected Shane to circumvent the contract and bring up something that still made him uncomfortable. He tried to recover quickly. "I guess it's sort of embarrassing to answer that. I'd sound like a tool no matter what I say. I get that I'm famous and I've got fans but everyone's a celebrity these days. Everyone's got fans; all it takes is a video on YouTube, right?"
Shane nodded; maybe Leo was a little more clever than he'd initially given him credit for. He continued in the same line of questioning. "Speaking of YouTube, your videos have a combined total of almost two billion views."
"I wasn't aware," Leo replied shortly and added what sounded like a rehearsed statement after a short pause, "My fans are great and I appreciate their support."
"You're considerably richer now," Shane said, "You just signed a $100 million contract with Atlantis, endorsements with a liquor brand, a Japanese cellphone company, among others..." He could see Paul Golden glaring at him out of the corner of his eyes but he maintained his razor-sharp focus on Leo, while smiling pleasantly.
Leo's lips quirked in a half smile but warm brown eyes remained steady on Shane. "I enjoy what I do, but it isn't charity," he said shortly.
Most guests were uncomfortable with silence during interviews. Many babbled on, sometimes revealing more than they intended to, because they feared dead air. Leo was quite at home with silence. He made his point and felt no need to speak more than absolutely necessary.
With an inward sigh at the draconian terms of the non-disclosure agreement he'd just signed, Shane pushed on. "So how would you define the new album, Phoenix Rising?"
The other man blinked. "I wouldn't." This wasn't going well. Shane knew that an interview wasn't supposed to be like a tennis match with back and forth volleying; rather a few questions should produce more detailed answers. Right now, Leo wasn't doing much talking right and he was running out of questions.
"Is the title, perhaps, self-explanatory?"
"That question is self-explanatory, don't you think?"
A rude retort was on Shane's lips when Paul Golden called out loudly, "Okay, that's enough." He clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "We're going to take a smoke break right about now. We need ten maybe fifteen minutes."
"So you wouldn't agree with critics who suggest that-" Shane paused to consult his notes, "this album resonates with weary regret but some lyrics indicate that Leo Malone's evolution isn't quite-"
Leo cut in impatiently, "I don't pay much attention to critics."
"So you're saying..."
"I'm saying fuck the critics. I'm not trying to be transgressive. I just make music that happens to offend some people."
"Don't you think lyrics about drug use, drinking, partying contradict your new image?"
Leo's eyes narrowed as he pulled in a slow loud breath. He stared at Shane intently, eyes flickering over him like the answer to the question was somewhere on his body. "I don't think they matter."
Shane knew he was stepping on thin ice but persisted anyway. The man had a way of answering questions without really providing much of an insight to himself and Shane was determined to get something out of him... "Are you sober now?"
"Yes," and in what Shane realized might be the first honest answer of the night, he added, "It's been a struggle, but yes, I'm sober."
"Has getting back to making music made it easier to stay sober?"
Leo sat up as he responded, and Shane thought he just might have the singer's attention now. "I only work when I'm sober. I make good fucking music when I'm sober. Rumor has it that some musicians make their best music drunk or stoned out of their minds, I'm not one of those."
Shane was thoroughly intrigued. "And the struggle...?"
Leo smiled ruefully, "There's stress and pressure, expectations, traveling, partying... sometimes it just gets too fucking much and I want to get out of my head you know?"
Shane nodded, caught in Leo's intense scrutiny. He did understand wanting to lose himself in something, anything, when work and industry pressures got too much. Drugs and alcohol weren't his thing, but he craved companionship at moments like that and it was the one thing he'd been missing recently. Leo, looking at him like, made him want things, things he knew he could never get from the rock star.
A loud request for a time out from Trent startled Shane. He pulled his gaze from Leo and gratefully focused on his tablet. He needed more than a few moments to collect himself.
"May I ask a question?" Leo said, still watching him closely.
Shane noticed a dangerous glint in the other man's eyes, but he knew he wasn't going to back down. "Go right ahead."
"What did you think?"
"Of...?"
"The album."
Shane was temporarily thrown off course. It wasn't rare for a subject to ask the interviewer questions in an interview, but this was one enquiry he simply wasn't prepared for. He'd fallen asleep last night, after listening to the first two songs. He'd spent so much time reading up on Leo's personal life, that the music had seemed secondary. An error that was now being brought to his attention.
"I liked it." He responded simply. It'd be suicide to admit anything else.
"Would you tell me if it was crap?"
Shane let out a surprised laugh, "No."
Leo chuckled but didn't ask the obvious follow up question, whether or not Shane had lied.
Still feeling awkward at the unexpected question, Shane offered again defensively, "I'm not a music critic, so I'd rather not-"
"I don't care what critics think."
The implication being that he cared what Shane thought. He noticed the amused, weighted look on the rock star's face, as if he knew something Shane didn't. Suddenly unsure where this was going, and wondering if he was being toyed with, Shane bit his lip, and looked down at his tablet. He hoped that he wasn't blushing. Fuck, the bright overhead lights magnified everything...
Quickly gathering his thoughts together, he asked, "So what's your take on the album?"
Relaxed and visibly relieved that his music was front and center again, Leo answered confidently. "I'm proud of it. I've heard a couple of songs on the radio and they sounded a little different than I expected. I've got all these memories of recording with the band in Austin, London and Stockholm and sometimes we made some creative decisions have me wondering now... Look, listening to the finished product is fucking hard, you know... you kind of wish you'd done things differently... but, well, it is what it is and I'm fucking proud of it."
"Some critics think this is your best work yet... there's talk about this being on the list of the best rock albums ever..."
Leo rolled his eyes. "It's no Nevermind or Back in Black or London Calling or Exile on Main Street. It's flattering to be compared but I don't think I'm there yet, maybe I never will be. Who creates these lists anyway? I've put out three albums, and to me, they're all fucking genius, but hey, it's apples and oranges... who's to say one's better? It's nice to hear that shit but it's just distracting."
Although struck by his self-effacing response, Shane seized on it nonetheless. "So do you think these `best of' lists affect artists' creativity? Does it, perhaps, put more pressure on artists to try to outdo themselves?"
Leo frowned. "Let me put it this way. I don't think I created the album of the decade and frankly, neither has anyone else this decade. If you go into the studio wanting to create the best album ever, that's a whole lot of pressure you're never going to live up to. My band and I just try to have fun because if it's no fun making it, we're not going to like it. We had this vague idea that we wanted a record that was stripped down to its essence, you know? A couple of times, I played a riff and we just jammed on it and a few songs came about that way. We experimented with our sound a little bit, got together with some talented producers and I think it turned out okay..."
Shane nodded encouragingly as Leo spoke. He had to admit that when Leo talked about his music, he made a more vocal and interesting interviewee. He'd forgotten what it felt like to verbally spar with a guest. Reality starlets were usually a little slow on the uptake. Leo Malone was animated now, passionate and knowledgeable about his work, and it showed in how his face had lost its guarded look. He was actually smiling now.
The rest of the interview went off without a hitch within an hour, interrupted by two smoke breaks for Leo, it was over.
His crew packed up their equipment to leave, while Shane snuck furtive glances at Leo when he thought no one was looking. It should be criminal how good looking the man was. Good looking and straight as an arrow, he reminded himself ruefully. Leo Malone was certainly more intelligent than he'd given him credit for, and certainly a lot more subdued. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but the flashes of introspection and self-awareness had him thinking that the gossip rags more than a little wrong about the guy.
Despite his better judgment, Shane allowed himself the pleasure of thinking about spending time alone with Leo, drinking in his lingering dark gaze. If the saying that the eyes were the windows to the soul, then he thought that the little he'd seen of Leo's made him long for more... Maybe another place, another time, another life. He turned to go as an overwhelming wave of loneliness came crashing down on him.
Leo ran his hands through his dark hair and tried to ignore the tense flare in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't help it, he was already plotting something, already planning how he could get another look at Shane and those blue eyes, in private.
He turned to Paul who was busy texting on his phone. "Got plans tonight?"
"Going home to the wife and kids. You know we leave early tomorrow for-"
"Yeah, sure. What do you know about Shane Roderick?"
Paul gave him a wary look. "What do you want with him?"
"Just curious..."
Paul glanced out of the window as the car slowed to a halt in front of his house. "Look him up on Wikipedia."
"Where's he staying?"
"Are you mad at him? You know you got off easy on that assault charge with the other reporter."
Leo gave him an affronted glance that had Paul smirking. "Just in case you'd forgotten, that's all..." He got out of the car and stood by the open door, "He's at the Four Seasons. You're not going to confront him about the interview, are you?"
Leo's response was pulling the door shut with a loud bang. Paul watched the car speed away with his client who was definitely up to no good. With a thoughtful expression, he composed a short text to Jake, Leo's bodyguard - Keep a close eye on L.
Leo relaxed into the buttery soft leather seat, lit up a cigarette and exhaled thoughtfully. He knew he had somewhat of an addictive personality. He'd seen enough therapists to know he had issues with compulsions and impulse control. He knew exactly what his problem was right now, he couldn't get Shane Roderick out of his mind.
He closed his eyes and indulged in his first memory of Shane, buttery blond tousled hair, bright blue eyes and wet, pouty lips made to suck, well, lots of things, really.
Shane's good looks aside, Leo was taken aback at how much he'd pushed during the interview. The non-disclosure agreement ought to have ensured an easy discussion but the other man had found a way to push his buttons... buttons that hadn't been pushed in a long time and surprise, it was a fucking turn on. Shane's quiet strength was attractive. He was reserved and gentle but Leo could tell he was hiding a fierce independent spirit and after the taste he'd gotten earlier today, he wanted more.
He reassured himself that he hadn't been lying when he said he was clean and sober, had been for over a year now, and had no intentions of returning to his former ways. Yet like a drug, he felt an unexplainable force drawing him to Shane
He didn't want to think too much about the attraction. He'd always been attracted to personalities not bodies, and if Shane happened to be male, so be it. He hated labels anyway; gay, straight, bisexual, alcoholic, druggie... why bother. There were so many facets to any individual that one adjective really couldn't do anybody justice.
Stubbing out the cigarette in the ashtray, he decided that he wasn't doing anything wrong. He and Shane were two responsible adults. No one was going to get hurt.
Shane was pretty sure he'd only considered ordering room service but hadn't actually ordered yet. He was tired, but he would remember if he made the call, right?
He'd just unbuttoned his dress shirt and was about to unzip his suitcase when the soft knock came again.
"Coming!"
Pulling the door open with just a hint of irritation, he gasped in surprise when he saw who was there. He stood there stunned into silence.
"Hi,'' Leo said with an easy smile, as if it was the most natural thing for him to be standing outside Shane's door.
"What are you doing here?"
"You left something back in the studio."
Shane was startled, a swarm of thoughts running through his mind. What could it be? Why didn't his crew pick it up? Why was Leo personally delivering it to him? What the hell was going on? "Well, what is it?" Shane prompted when he realized Leo wasn't speaking up, but was choosing to watch him closely.
"Oh, right."
Shane noticed that he seemed to have forgotten what he came here for.
He fished his hands into both jeans pockets and came up empty. Then he gave Shane a charming flash of a smile, holding a finger up to buy a little more time before producing something from the inside of his leather jacket.
Shane took the offered object. A pen. "Oh." He spun it around in his hand. It was a cheap, plastic click pen, with The Four Seasons Hotel printed boldly on the body. "It's almost an hour's drive from the studio and you came all the way here to bring me this?"
He knew he was missing something, but it hadn't quite clicked to him yet, and then it did. He'd been on his tablet throughout the interview. He hadn't used a pen even once. This wasn't his. "You got this downstairs in reception?"
Leo smiled teasingly. "Took you long enough."
There was silence then he threw his head back and laughed. A long hard belly laugh that surprised even him.
When he was done laughing, Leo took a step closer and said in a quiet, confident tone that set something alight inside him. "Let me in."
Shane wasn't one for rash decisions, but even the split second he took to make a decision felt too long. He leaned back against the door and allowed Leo brush past him.
He shut the door, staring at the whitewashed wood as he said in a voice barely above a whisper, "I was just about to change into something more comfortable."
Leo turned back around, sliding his jacket off his lean, shoulders unto the carpeted floor. "Don't--" he said. He stared at Shane who was still facing the door, and walked purposefully to him, slipping a hand around his waist to turn him around before crowding him against the solid door and planting a hungry kiss on those soft lips.
Shane gasped in surprise and his hand shot up quickly to push against Leo's solid chest. His other hand came up unconsciously to touch his lips.
Leo watched him, reminded of a Greek god as he stared at the object of his desire. Smooth, creamy skin, rock solid pecs and abs were revealed in the parting of his open shirt. His pants rode low on his waist because he'd taken his belt off, and a slight dusting of dark blonde hairs curled below his navel.
He lifted his attention back up to Shane's mouth, and pushed away Shane's hands which still clung to his lips in surprise. Christ, he thought, he could work those lips forever. He fixed his gaze on Shane's, wanting the other man to see and understand the extent of desire in his eyes.
Shane stared at him mutely, understanding what was left unsaid.
Leo didn't waste any time, leaning back in and covering those tantalizing lips with his. He greedily ran his hands all over Shane, couldn't get enough of the soft, smooth skin that felt hot against his own skin, the tight nub of erect nipples brushing against his fingers and the round curves of taut butt cheeks that filled his palm as he pressed Shane against the evidence of his own desire.
They kissed until they were both gasping for breath and Shane wrenched his face away from Leo. "Are you gay?" he panted.
Leo took in Shane's blue eyes cloudy with lust, lips swollen and shiny from what he'd just done to them, and the stiff way he held himself that couldn't contain his hunger for Leo. He knew he wasn't about to ruin a good thing. "What's it to you?"
A non-answer, Shane noted. He exhaled softly. "Nothing. It's nothing."
"Are you sure?" Leo asked, with more honesty.
Shane laughed shakily. "I don't know. Maybe, I don't care. I just know this feels right."
Leo knew if he was being honest with himself, he would admit to being a little uneasy at the extent of desire and passion they aroused in each other. If he was being honest, he would get the hell out of here because he had a feeling he was getting into something more than he'd bargained for. He ignored those feelings and tightened his hold on Shane's hip, whispering in his ear, "I want you naked."
In the bedroom, Leo watched Shane make quick work of his clothing and pulled off his own t-shirt to reveal his lean body. His body was made of hard planes with a v-curvature to his body. Being sober and returning to the gym had done wonders for his body. His abs were firm and defined with a light scattering of dark hair sprinkled across his chest.
On the bed, he shuddered when Shane traced a line with a wet fingertip from his nipple down to his navel, and then retraced the motion with warm kisses, ending just above his fully erect cock. He leaned back on the pillows and pushed his knees apart, allowing Shane move up between them. He didn't speak, only looking up at Leo with a heated gaze every now and again.
Shane took hold of his cock, caressing the long, thick length in both hands before licking at a translucent drop of come that had formed at the tip.
He pushed up on his elbows and took Shane's chin in hand. With his thumb, he rubbed back and forth on Leo's wet, lower lip and said, "Your mouth is fucking obscene."
Shane smiled, closing his eyes to allow thick golden eyelashes press down against his cheek. He sucked for a few moments then revealed those blue eyes to Leo again and released the wet thumb from between his lips. "Good thing it's at your service."
With that, he ducked and encircled the base of Leo's shaft again with one hand, while the other cupped his balls. Leo moaned out in appreciation and grasped the crisp white cotton sheets in both hands.
Shane took in just the head at first, tonguing the slit playfully while continuing curling his hands around his heavy balls. The room was devoid of sound, save for the wet ones coming from Shane's full, bulging mouth. Slowly, and inch by inch, he began taking in more and more of Leo's length, feeling the prominent vein throb with his downward motion.
Leo groaned, deriving as much pleasure from watching the rise and fall of Shane's blond head, as from the sensation from every sucking motion. He felt his eyes fluttering closed and arched his hips up from the bed.
Shane pulled back easily for breath, and moaned as he went in for more. He sucked hard, released Leo's balls and gripped the root which was encircled by curling hairs. Up and down, he sucked noisily and wetly, letting saliva drip down and lave the shaft as he felt it hit the back of his throat each time he went down.
Leo released his tight grip on the sheets and curled his two hands around Shane's head, pushing him down to take more of him inside. As curly hairs brushed against his lips, Shane suppressed his gagging instinct and allowed Leo push in even further than he'd thought he could take. He hummed as wiry hairs brushed against his lips, and he sucked deeply, spreading his lips wider to accommodate the widening base. He let Leo guide him, his mouth acting as hot, tight, suction for the other man's deep, strong thrusts. His own cock was hard and leaking but he ignored it. He wasn't sure how long till it got some attention, but he didn't tire, wanting all that Leo had to give him. He moaned with need, becoming one with Leo's rhythm and swallowing each time the cock sank deep inside his throat. His eyes met Leo's who was watching him with an intense look of wonder mixed with lust.
Leo pulled out to just the tip, and Shane swirled his tongue around the cock head then he fed his cock back into Shane's mouth slowly, watching those pouty, red lips stretch widely to accommodate him once again. He realized he couldn't tire of this, feeding Shane his cock could become an addiction. With that thought, he felt his orgasm trigger. His movements lost their rhythm but were more intense. He rocked his hips, and thrust his cock deep into Shane's mouth, holding his head still in both hands and spurt into his mouth.
Shane stroked Leo's flank to encourage the motions, wanting Leo to release it all in him. Finally, Leo tensed and arched his hips one last time, letting out the last drops of his come into Shane's willing mouth. He pulled out wetly from Shane and let out a breath of air at the sight.
Those lips. Those fucking lips just wrapped around his cock, were now wrecked and wet with his release. He sat up suddenly, pushing a surprised Shane back into the bed. He aligned them so his body covered Shane's entirely and he brought up his hand to rest on Shane's cheek. Shane opened his mouth; aware that the remnants of Leo's come was still in there. When he was sure Leo had gotten a good look, he pressed his lips together again, and watched Leo watching him swallow down every last drop.
Leo couldn't help himself. He dove in frantically, pushing open Shane's lips and sucking on his tongue. Pulling the acrid taste of his own release from the other man's tongue.
With a knowing smile, Shane pulled back and then guided Leo's hand down to between his own legs where his hard cock lay. "Just follow me," he whispered to Leo.
Leo allowed Shane to tighten the curl of his hand over his cock. He showed him how he liked it; a tight continuous motion from root to tip in fast movements. He watched Shane's face closely. Staring at the wet eyelashes hiding closed blue eyes, the droplets of sweat pooled on his forehead and nose, as well as the pink tongue darting out every now and again to wet his lips.
He watched Shane gasp for air and smile with pleasure, and he loved the control he held in this moment, of being the one who held Shane's orgasm at bay. He squeezed the hard cock in his hand for just a second too long and watched Shane's eyes fly open.
Bright blue eyes stared at him. It hit Leo then, that he couldn't deny Shane anything. He grasped Shane's cock more firmly and jacked it hard and fast, encouraging Shane's frantic movements. Although Shane had already been leaking come, the first spurt surprised him. He looked down, between them to watch the continuous bursts of come. He kept up the back and forth motion until Shane was spent and tiredly pushed his hand off him.
He lay back on the bed next to Shane and listened to nothing but the sound of Shane's breathing returning back to normal. After a few moments, Shane pushed at his arm and murmured tiredly, "Clean up."
He looked at the mess between them and complied, returning with a towel from the bathroom and proceeding to wipe them both clean. When he was done, he heard Shane whisper. "Come back here."
He allowed Shane rest his head on his chest and realized after a while that Shane was falling asleep to the constant beat of his heart.
Shane rolled over to grab his vibrating phone off the nightstand. The glowing numbers said 4:30 am, and he was annoyed for not taking off the automatic weekday setting that roused him for work. He didn't need to be up this early. Even in his groggy state, he knew his flight back to New York was at midday.
He was just succumbing back to sleep when he remembered. Sitting up quickly, he looked to the empty side of the bed then called out loudly, "Leo?"
There was no answer. He sat there, reluctant to admit what the stillness in the room meant. The bedroom was empty and so was the bathroom and adjourning living room. It was a three-room suite, and he'd been in all three. Leo was gone.
On his way back to the bedroom, he caught sight of a sheet of hotel stationary, neatly folded on a table. He grabbed it anxiously. There were just three words: "I'm sorry. Leo"
He crumpled the note angrily. How could he have been so stupid? What did he think was going to come out of a night with Leo Malone? Had he been so fucking naïve to think Leo wanted him for more than just a night? He tried to take a step forward, and realized he was feeling just a little unsteady. He felt for the couch behind him and sat down heavily. What was Leo sorry for? Leaving abruptly or spending the night with him? So this had all been a mistake? He was nothing but a blip on Leo's radar?
He wanted answers. He took in a deep breath and wiped at the tears that were beginning to form. There was no time for that right now. He needed to think calmly and be rational about this. Back in the bedroom, he found his phone and scrolled until he found the number he was looking for.
Paul Golden answered on the second ring.
"Paul? it's Shane Roderick from Up Close and Personal".
"Shane?" Paul answered in a wary tone. "Is everything okay? Is there a problem?"
Shane breathed softly. He realized he didn't know how to go about asking for what he wanted.
"Is this about Leo?" Paul demanded. "What happened last night?"
Shane's mind began racing. What did Paul know about what happened last night?
"Look, whatever happened last night can be fixed. Don't call the police, okay? If he did anything stupid we can fix this. I'll call his lawyer... just don't file any charges. We're launching the tour soon, he can't go up against an assault charge right now... I swear I will fucking fix this..."
"I don't know what you're talking about. Leo didn't assault me," Shane cut in, when he finally caught on to Paul's meaning. Inwardly, he grimaced at the realization that Leo had done a lot of things to him last night, but assault wasn't one of them.
"I just want his number, that's all. Nothing happened last night, but I'd like to speak with him. Just a follow up to the interview."
Paul exhaled with obvious relief. "Well that shouldn't be a problem," then added after a moment's thought, "You know, Leo's on his way to the airport now. We leave for Tokyo in an hour, and won't be back till next weekend. That's why I'm awake at this god awful time. What's your excuse?"
Shane ignored his question, gasping in surprise, "Japan?"
There were suddenly loud voices in the background and then Shane heard Paul yell, "Tell that bitch to get her ass down here, right now. Leo's waiting; the plane takes off in an hour. I don't care if she's Joni goddamn Sampson, I'm getting out of here in 5 minutes."
Paul came back on, sounding harried. "Look, I'll call you when we get back, okay? If you need to ask Leo any follow up questions, I need to be on the call too."
Shane was still trying to digest everything he was hearing and said slowly, "You know what? It isn't necessary. I think I'll just... yeah, don't worry about it. I'll, um, yeah, sorry to bother you."
He ended the call, as the name Joni Sampson rang out continuously in his head. He pulled up Google on his phone, typed in her name and selected one of the dozen gossip sites that came up.
Joni Sampson, 22, internationally recognized model and fledgling actress. She's modeled for major fashion houses and is currently the face of La Vie cosmetics and perfumes. She was recently cast as the love interest opposite Leo Malone in his band's latest music video, and we can confirm that they are indeed a couple. Check out the latest photos of them together!
Shane scrolled through the photos. Torturing himself as he scrolled through every single one, Leo and Joni exiting a hotel in Beverly Hills. Leo and Joni walking the streets of New York looking every inch the perfect couple. Leo and Joni. Leo and Joni. Leo and Joni.
Fuck.
He threw his phone down on the bed and struggled to maintain his composure. When the phone beeped a text alert, he reached for it, against it his better judgment and read, `It's Paul. Let me know if there's a problem with the interview. I'm happy to fix it.'
Shane didn't bother stifling the flood of despair that crashed down on him. He let the tears fall as he considered the fact that there was no problem with the interview. The only problem was with his heart. It had just been broken, again.