Kiss Me Read online

  Kiss Me

  By Jamie Craig

  Published by JMS Books LLC

  Visit jms-books.com for more information.

  Copyright 2021 Jamie Craig

  ISBN 9781646566754

  Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

  Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

  All rights reserved.

  WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

  No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

  This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Published in the United States of America.

  * * * *

  Kiss Me

  By Jamie Craig

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 1

  “I have got to stop looking at naked men,” Mal Donnelly muttered, bringing the camera to his face once again.

  There were eight naked men, to be precise, and they were all posing like the professionals they were. They represented different heights, colors, and even lengths, but they all stood in front of the camera with an easy sexuality that made Mal feel awkward and clumsy. And when they were done taking the promotional shots, they would go back to the set. Mal didn’t know the name of the movie they were working on. But judging from the props surrounding them, it definitely involved bondage, prison, and slaves.

  It might have also involved leprechauns and pots of gold. Mal wasn’t sure. The shoot definitely did. And a rainbow backdrop, too. Mal wished he had been in charge of designing the set. He could have thought of something that fit a St. Patrick’s Day theme without looking quite so cheesy.

  But he had to admit, the green body paint had been an excellent idea. Their director told the eight men to have fun with it, and they had taken the words to heart. Mal liked taking candid photos—or photos that appeared to be candid—and he knew these shots would be a special treat for everybody who got the chance to view them.

  “Just a few more shots in the group,” he managed to say.

  Talking had been difficult since the shoot began. He thought he would be able to handle photographing the finest gay male porn stars in Los Angeles—and for the price, he was determined to be professional and easy to work with. But nobody had mentioned that one of his subjects would be Alejandro Marroquin. When it came to Alejandro, Mal didn’t know how to be professional. And somehow, the green paint only increased his desire for the other man. It might have been the playful glint in his eye—which Mal strived to capture—or the easygoing smile.

  Alejandro Marroquin was the stuff dreams were made of. Literally. And Mal wanted to drag him into the shower and scrub off every bit of the paint. Maybe even with his tongue. The stuff wasn’t toxic, after all.

  “We’ll take a lunch after this and everybody can shower,” the director, Bo, said from behind Mal. “Then I’m going to need Johnny and Lex in makeup.”

  Mal lowered the camera and smiled. “Well, you can all go to lunch now. We’re done here.”

  The eight naked men broke away from the group and casually reached for towels to wipe the thick paint away. What hadn’t already dried came off easily. Mal pointedly did not watch them dress. He found it was easiest to pretend these gigs were just like any other if he ignored the men as soon as the shoot was finished. Sometimes he toyed with not taking any more of these types of assignments, but freelance photography wasn’t easy, and Bo always paid well.

  Mal stole a glance at Alejandro from the corner of his eye. And the perks weren’t bad either. His lips twitched a little—Alejandro still had a drop of green beneath his eye.

  Alejandro was six feet and a hundred sixty pounds of bronzed perfection. Broad shoulders, rippled abs, slim hips with one of the tightest asses in the industry. With wavy dark hair that skimmed his shoulders and black eyes that burned through film, he commanded a presence that drove a lot of gay men to their knees. But that was the kicker. Alejandro Marroquin wasn’t interested in any of that. He was the hottest bottom currently filming gay porn. Mal had seen him practically bend in half to get the cock he wanted up his ass. He’d seen him swallow eight inches without blinking, then held the lucky actor there while he gazed up at him through his deadly, thick eyelashes.

  Mal had jerked off more than once imagining he was buried inside Alejandro, one way or another. And it didn’t help at all being in the same room with him now.

  The actors dissipated, their voices growing fainter as they ambled off to craft services to eat. Mal relaxed slightly as he packed away his gear, but his tension returned almost immediately when a familiar form appeared in front of him.

  “I’m looking forward to seeing how these turn out.” Mal glanced up to see Alejandro smiling at him. “I put the photos from the last shoot we did together at the front of my portfolio. Everybody raves about them.”

  Mal smiled, both pleased and embarrassed. “I think these are going to be good. Everybody looked great today.”

  “Are you done then? Or are you sticking around for lunch?”

  It took a few seconds to process Alejandro’s question. They had exchanged small pleasantries before, but their conversations never went beyond the initial politeness expected of occasional colleagues.

  “I…uh…am actually heading out now. I was going to go through the pictures and upload them this afternoon. Bo wanted to have them for the website before the seventeenth.”

  “But you have time to eat, right?” Alejandro nodded in the direction the others had gone. “You should come and join us. I’d love to hear more about your work.”

  Warmth crept up the back of Mal’s neck. Nobody as gorgeous as Alejandro had ever invited him to lunch. Even if it was just a friendly invitation to discuss photography, it was more than Mal was accustomed to.

  “Yeah. I have time to eat. That sounds good.”

  Alejandro stepped back, giving Mal room to finish packing up. He’d slipped on a pair of baggy white shorts after the shoot, and it was impossible not to notice the way the line of his pelvis angled down to disappear inside the waistband. Briefly, Mal wondered if he was going to bother putting on a shirt to eat. Probably not. The man was obviously more than comfortable in his own skin. His own delectable skin. Even if it was still a little green.

  When Mal moved to swing his camera case over his shoulder, Alejandro beat him to it. With a smile, he adjusted the heavy strap against his bare muscle.

  “I’m glad Bo listened to me. Not that this project needs any help, but plastering your photos across the web is going to put us over the top, I’ll bet.”

  Mal’s pleased smile widened as he began to follow Alejandro. He looked unbelievable from the back. Mal had always had a thing for broad shoulders, and Alejandro’s shoulders were perfect. “The shoot was your idea? I had no idea you were a fan of my work.”

  “Well, they were always going to do the shoot. I was just the one who told Bo he’d be an idiot not to g
et you.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate it. Of course, now I better make sure Bo only sees the best shots. I’d hate to make a liar out of you.”

  Alejandro glanced over his shoulder as they stepped into the large corner of the warehouse where craft services had been set up. “You’ll just have to make it up to me then,” he said. With one of his dazzling smiles.

  Mal blinked. Alejandro was really, actually, genuinely flirting with him. Him. Mal didn’t want to fool himself into thinking it meant anything, but he thought it couldn’t hurt to flirt back a little.

  “I suppose I do owe you one.”

  “Well, that was too easy.” As they stopped at the end of the table laden with food, Alejandro picked up a plate and handed it over to Mal. “Maybe I should hold out for you owing me two.”

  Mal was surprised by the sheer amount and diversity of the food laid out before them. He filled his plate, though he wasn’t really aware of what he was dishing up. Alejandro was standing close to him—close enough Mal could smell his aftershave. Who could think about eating?

  “Get me another nice gig like this, and I’ll owe you three.”

  He followed Alejandro to a low couch along the wall, hesitating only for a moment when Alejandro sat in one of the corners. There was just enough room for two people on it, and with Alejandro currently sitting sideways, propping his plate up on his knee, it would be next to impossible for their legs not to at least brush against each other. Mal didn’t have a choice, though. It was either take the seat or not sit with him at all, and frankly, the latter wasn’t even an option.

  “So what do you do when you’re not making men look fabulous?” Alejandro asked.

  “Whatever I can. I do a lot of freelance stuff, so most of my work comes through referrals. But fortunately, I’m doing less work at weddings and family reunions and more work on movie sets. What do you do when you’re not…” Mal paused, realizing he didn’t have a good way to finish that sentence. “Not here?”

  If Alejandro noticed his hesitation, he didn’t acknowledge it.

  “Eh, I’m boring,” he dismissed. “Right now, all my free time is taken up helping my sister get her restaurant off the ground. She’s a great cook, but she knows jack about business.” He dipped a taquito in a small pot of guacamole. “Bonita’s of the opinion that because of what I do and the fact that I’m not actually afraid of my computer, I must be a marketing genius.”

  Mal could tell Bonita that Alejandro didn’t need to be a marketing genius to be a success—not when he looked like he did.

  “Has she already opened her restaurant? I know the editor of the Life and Leisure section at the Times. I could give him a call.”

  The smile Alejandro shot him was quizzical. “You would do that? You don’t even know her.”

  Mal looked away, trying to hide his embarrassment at being so eager to help. It seemed ridiculous to say that he would do it just because she was Alejandro’s sister and, therefore, worthy of the effort.

  “I might have to try to her food first. To see if she’s as great as you say.”

  “Well, that’s easy enough. Pick a night. I’ll treat you to the best meal you’ve had in the past decade.”

  Mal had not been fishing for an invitation—or a date—but now that he had it, he wasn’t going to waste his opportunity. He’d be a fool to do so, even if all he got out of the night was a meal.

  “What about tomorrow?”

  “Good. Tomorrow is good.” Alejandro shifted slightly, re-balancing his plate on his thigh as his knee nudged against Mal’s. “Do you want to pick me up at seven?”

  “Yeah, I can do that. Pick you up here?”

  He shook his head. “I’m not shooting tomorrow. I’ll give you my address before you go. As long as you don’t mind driving to Santa Monica.”

  Mal thought he’d drive all the way to San Francisco, if that’s what Alejandro wanted.

  “No, I don’t mind at all.” He smiled, a little shyly. “I guess it’s a date.”

  “I guess so.”

  Alejandro dug into his food with a fresh gusto, prompting Mal to do the same. They chatted lightly as they ate, but it wasn’t long before the assistant director was calling people back to the set. Mal watched the others disperse with more than a pang of regret that lunch was already over.

  “Do you have a pen in your case?” Alejandro asked. “I should have one in my dressing room if you don’t.”

  It didn’t take Mal long to consider his options. If he fished out the pen he always kept with his gear, he’d have to leave Alejandro. If he lied, he’d have the perfect excuse to get another five minutes with him. Another five minutes that would just be more fuel for his already active imagination.

  “I don’t, actually. Do we have time to go to your dressing room?”

  “I’m not due on the set for another hour.” He rose and took Mal’s plate automatically, carrying both of them over to the trash. “I was just going to take a nap anyway. So as long as I’m not keeping you from anything, you’re welcome to stick around and keep me company.”

  Mal couldn’t even remember what else he had planned for that afternoon. All he could think was, oh, my God, Alejandro wants me to keep him company.

  “I can stick around for a while.”

  Alejandro offered another dazzling smile before leading him down a long, narrow hallway. Somebody had scrawled Alejandro’s name on a white piece of paper with black marker and taped the sign to an otherwise nondescript door. The dressing room wasn’t much more than a closet, but it was big enough for a makeup table and a small couch. When Alejandro shut the door behind him, he blocked out all the noise from the set.

  “You don’t have to share this, do you?”

  Alejandro snorted. “Not on days I’m here. But tomorrow, the paper on the door is going to have Blade Blue’s name on it instead of mine.” Straddling the chair, he gestured toward the sofa. “Go on. Sit down. You’ve been on your feet all morning.”

  “Blade Blue, huh? You know, for as much time as I spend on these sets, I don’t think I’ve ever met him.”

  “You’re not missing much. He’s the kind of prick who gives the rest of us a bad name.”

  That may have been the case, but as far as pricks went, Blade’s wasn’t too bad. “I’ll keep that in mind. Though he’s probably closer to what some people expect porn stars to be.”

  “Probably.” Another devastating smile. “I guess it’s a good thing we know differently, then, yeah?”

  Mal was certain that if Alejandro smiled at him like that again, he would slide off the couch and onto his knees. He was also quite certain that if he did hit his knees, Alejandro wouldn’t be surprised. How could he be? That smile must have the same effect on everybody he met.

  “Yeah, it is. So…how long have you been…making movies?”

  “Four years. An ex-boyfriend introduced me to Bo. I didn’t really want to do it, but…” He shrugged. The simple gesture just drew attention to the tight sinew of his shoulder. “The money was good, the work was easy, and I got to travel with a lot of hot guys. After my ex dumped me, that sounded pretty damn good.”

  “Somebody dumped you?” Mal blurted.

  Alejandro chuckled. “Let’s just say I wasn’t exactly what he was looking for. What about you? I’m not stepping on any toes by taking you out to dinner tomorrow night, am I?”

  “Oh, no. I think LA is just about the worst place on the planet to find a relationship. Or even a worthwhile date.”

  “Well, maybe tomorrow night will change that opinion.” For a moment, Alejandro ducked his lashes. “This is going to sound crazy, but I spent most of the shoot this morning trying to figure out how to ask you out.”

  Mal’s eyes widened at the confession. “You’re right. That does sound crazy. For a lot of different reasons.”

  “It’s not going to change your answer, is it?”

  Mal was startled into laughing. “No, of course not. Why would it?”

  Alejandro relaxe
d again. “Just checking. It’s been awhile since I’ve…dated.”

  “Really?” Mal leaned forward. “I figured you of all people wouldn’t want for dates.”

  “Nah, I’m too busy most of the time. And the guys I meet aren’t the kind I’m usually interested in spending more than a few hours with.”

  That implied he thought Mal was the sort of guy he’d be interested in spending time with. But Mal didn’t know what was so special about him. “What kind of guy are you interested in?”

  “Oh, the usual. Though I’ll admit, I’ve got a weakness for anybody remotely creative. I see someone with talent, and…” His black eyes glittered. “…I just want to suck him up with a straw.”

  Mal’s mouth ran dry. “In that case, maybe I’ll have to bring my entire portfolio with me tomorrow. And some poetry I wrote in high school.”

  A sharp knock at the door startled Alejandro into straightening, and it opened to reveal the AD standing in the entrance. “Bo needs you,” he said, glancing between the two men. “And bring the cuffs.”

  Alejandro shot Mal an apologetic look as he rose from his chair. “Sorry about that.” Turning around, he grabbed a notepad lying haphazardly on his makeup table and scribbled something down. “I guess that hour he promised me was just a tease.”

  “I’ll tell Bo you’re on your way.”

  “Thanks.”

  The door clicked shut again as Alejandro tore out the sheet of paper. Mal was already on his feet, wishing Bo hadn’t teased with the promise, too.

  “Bonita’s place is dress casual,” Alejandro said, holding out the address he’d written down. “So just come as you are, and I’ll have the best date there.”

  Mal disagreed with that assessment—it was pretty obvious he was making out with the better end of the deal—but he nodded and accepted the paper. They looked at each other for a beat, and Mal found himself entranced by the perfect curve of Alejandro’s lips. But then the moment passed and Alejandro took a step back toward the door.

  “I’ll be there at seven sharp,” Mal promised.