Under the Covers E-Book

K.C. Wells

• Herausgeber: Dreamspinner Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 280

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

Can they find their HEA in Romancelandia? Chris Tyler loves his job. He photographs some of the hottest guys on the planet, but none stir him like Jase Mitchell. He'll never let Jase know – he values their friendship too much to spoil it. Jase is looking forward to the Under The Covers Romance convention. It's a great opportunity to connect with readers who want to meet their favorite cover model, but more importantly, with agents who could advance his career. Too bad the only person he yearns to connect with is Chris. What Chris wants is Jase in his life, but he's afraid that's sheer fantasy. What Jase desires is a Hollywood dream, but that will mean leaving Chris behind. What both crave is a real-life romance and their own Happily Ever After.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Blurb

Sneak Peek

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

About the Author | By K.C. Wells

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Copyright

Under the Covers

By K.C. Wells

Can they find their HEA in Romancelandia?

Chris Tyler loves his job. He photographs some of the hottest guys on the planet, but none stir him like Jase Mitchell. He’ll never let Jase know – he values their friendship too much to spoil it.

Jase is looking forward to the Under The Covers Romance convention. It’s a great opportunity to connect with readers who want to meet their favorite cover model, but more importantly, with agents who could advance his career. Too bad the only person he yearns to connect with is Chris.

What Chris wants is Jase in his life, but he’s afraid that’s sheer fantasy. What Jase desires is a Hollywood dream, but that will mean leaving Chris behind. What both crave is a real-life romance and their own Happily Ever After.

Some guys have all the luck.

“Chris?” Jase regarded him with amusement. “You got enough shots in this position? Only, I’m gonna get cramps in my legs any second now.”

“I’ll rub ’em for ya,” Gabe volunteered, slipping his hand under the sheets, but Jase stopped the motion with his own hand, grasping Gabe’s wrist firmly.

“That’s quite all right. I’m more than capable of doing that myself.” He glanced toward Chris with an eye roll that Gabe wouldn’t catch.

Chris felt a little lighter. “Okay, guys, I think that’s enough. We’ve got plenty of the steamier poses in case the publisher wants to try and slip one past Amazon again.” And good luck with that.

As always, thank you to my wonderful beta team, for seeing what I miss.

Chapter One

April 2018

IF looks could kill, Gabe Wilson would have died about three times during the past hour, in the most imaginative ways photographer Chris Tyler could conceive. He considered the last one to be his bitchiest and best—death by an unexpectedly lethal shot of Botox.

Not that he really wanted Gabe dead. Although the way Gabe was looking at fellow model Jase Mitchell—like he wanted to lick every inch of Jase’s tanned flesh—made Chris reconsider. He was sure he still had that voodoo doll from New Orleans around there somewhere….

Chris knew his hostility toward Gabe had nothing to do with the leers he was giving Jase, and everything to do with the fact that Chris wanted to be the one lying on that rumpled bed with Jase, his hands on those smooth, bare shoulders, his gaze filled with heat as he contemplated a night of rolling under the covers with the gorgeous model.

When Gabe wasn’t looking, Chris gave him the evil eye.

Some guys have all the luck.

“Chris?” Jase regarded him with amusement. “You got enough shots in this position? Only, I’m gonna get cramps in my legs any second now.”

“I’ll rub ’em for ya,” Gabe volunteered, slipping his hand under the sheets, but Jase stopped the motion with his own hand, grasping Gabe’s wrist firmly.

“That’s quite all right. I’m more than capable of doing that myself.” He glanced toward Chris with an eye roll that Gabe wouldn’t catch.

Chris felt a little lighter. “Okay, guys, I think that’s enough. We’ve got plenty of the steamier poses in case the publisher wants to try and slip one past Amazon again.” And good luck with that. “Get your clothes back on and we’ll call it a night.”

Gabe threw back the sheets and knelt up on the bed. It wasn’t difficult to miss his erection in those sheer briefs. What amused Chris most? Jase wasn’t even looking.

“Want to grab a bite to eat?” Gabe asked Jase as he pulled on his T-shirt.

Across the studio from the bed, Chris tensed. Say no. Please say no.

Jase sat up, running his fingers back through his hair to tame it a little. “Sorry, but I have plans. Thanks for asking, though.” He got up and went over to the chair where he’d laid his clothes, and dressed himself.

Chris got on with the task of moving cameras out of the way and generally tidying up the set, breathing a little easier. He couldn’t help being pleased that Jase had given Gabe the brush-off, not that he had any intention of asking Jase himself.

There were some lines you didn’t cross.

“Listen, I’m in town for a few days. We could meet up for dinner one night, if you like.” Gabe gave Jase the full, perfect white-teeth smile. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

That line Chris didn’t want to cross was right there, and for the first time, he wavered. Ask him! Say something! Make a move!

Jase pulled on his boots before facing Gabe. “Sorry, but I’ve got a lot on this week.” He gave a shrug. “Just bad timing.”

“Sure.” Gabe finished dressing, his smile a thing of the past. He peered at Chris. “Can you send me a copy of those via Dropbox? I’d like to see them too.” He scowled. “Just in case I don’t like the one they pick.”

“Sure. And I don’t think there’ll be a problem. You looked as fabulous as always.” Chris removed the SD card and started downloading the images onto his PC. Jase was leaning against the desk, staring at his phone, ignoring them both.

Gabe waved his hand. “Okay, I’m outta here.” He picked up his jacket and headed for the door. “Thanks for making me look fantastic again, Chris.”

“Don’t forget your scarf!” Chris yelled after him. “You don’t wanna be without it right now.” Early April in New York was proving unsurprisingly chilly.

Gabe came to a halt, turned around, grabbed his gray scarf from where he’d left it hanging on a hook, then strode along the hallway that led to the door.

When it slammed shut behind him, Jase looked up and let out a shuddering sigh. “Could he be any more obvious? Every time you had us change position, he got his hands closer to my package.”

Chris gave him a hopefully sympathetic glance. “Would it surprise you to learn he describes himself as straight?”

Jase snorted. “Is that some new definition of straight I haven’t heard of? Because I swear I felt his drool on my back more than once during the bed shots.” He bit his lip. “Do you think the pics will be any good?”

Chris had to smile. “How many book covers have you been on so far? The camera doesn’t exist that could take a bad photo of you. If it did, the lens would crack.”

“You’re sweet.” Jase glanced at his phone. “Say, are you doing anything right now? I mean, have you got another shoot lined up?”

“Why? I thought you had plans.” Chris couldn’t help grinning.

Jase gave him a sheepish smile. “I do. I need to talk to you about something, and I was thinking we could do that over a drink.”

For one heart-stopping moment, Chris was overwhelmed by the idea that Jase might possibly feel for Chris the way he felt for Jase. Then he dismissed the concept as illogical. In all the years they’d worked together, their relationship had been purely professional.

“Sure, I can do that,” he said in as nonchalant a manner as he could muster. “Is there something wrong?”

Jase’s brow smoothed out. “God, no. It’s just that… you’re going to the Under the Covers Romance Convention next month, aren’t you? In Vegas?”

Chris nodded. “I go every year. Why?”

“Well, it’s going to be my first time.”

“At a book convention?”

Jase flushed. “At any convention. And I was hoping you’d find a bit of time to let me know what to expect.”

Chris cackled. “Oh my. A con virgin. Well, I’m sure I can find time for a drink and a chat.” He peered at Jase. “You’re not nervous, are you?” Jase always came across as confident and self-assured.

“I wasn’t, until I learned how many people are going to be there. Nearly seven hundred authors, and maybe three thousand readers. Not to mention all the publishers, agents, and whoever else is going.”

“Feeling a little overwhelmed?” Chris could understand that. He remembered his first romance book con. Talk about feeling like a very tiny fish in a very large ocean.

“It shows, huh?” Jase let out a nervous laugh, and Chris took pity on him.

“Come on,” he said, getting up from his chair and reaching for his jacket. “There’s a great bar just around the corner, and they make a mean cocktail.”

Jase’s eyes lit up. “Now you’re talking.” He pocketed his phone and picked up his coat.

As they headed for the door, Chris mused that in the seven years of their photographer/model relationship, this had to be the closest they’d gotten to a more personal conversation.

Not that he minded in the slightest.

“SO,” Jase began, taking a sip of his margarita, “what do you actually do at these conventions?” He was delighted Chris had agreed to a drink, not just because he’d have the chance to get the info he needed, but also because it meant he finally got Chris away from his camera. Seven years of working together as photographer and model, and Chris had always kept things on a strictly business basis.

Even if Jase had hoped he’d behave otherwise.

Chris leaned back against the padded bench of their booth. “Mostly I meet with publishers, looking for contracts to produce cover shots. I’m not tied to one particular publisher, hence how I end up doing shoots for any kind of romance cover you can name. Historical, with gorgeous costumes and heaving bosoms. Contemporary. BDSM, with dark, brooding backgrounds and a lot of leather. Gay.”

“I meant to ask you about that. I’ve been doing a lot of gay romance covers lately. Is that a thing?” It felt like all of five minutes since Chris had suggested, after two years of doing nothing but headshots, that Jase would look good on a book cover. In reality, five years had passed, and the start of a career that meant steady money coming in for Jase.

Chris chuckled. “If an explosion of gay romance is a thing, then yes, it is. Five years ago I was producing covers for a couple of publishing companies that put out gay romance. Then the self-publishing revolution really hit, and now everyone is writing them. At least, that’s how it feels sometimes. Put it this way. My book cover shoots make up most of my work.” He smiled. “Didn’t I tell you this would be good for you?”

Jase nodded. “And I’m grateful. Especially as my original plans didn’t pan out.”

Chris took a long drink of his mojito. “Yeah, I know. It’s so damn hard to make a break into the acting world. But you’ve done some commercials, right?”

Jase laughed. “Sure. I was the Gillette Man, as my mom keeps reminding me. Shaving commercials weren’t exactly what I had in mind.” He sighed. “At least I got a few parts in some soap operas. I really thought I’d gotten in the door with those.” Not that soaps were what he wanted. No, for Jase, the Holy Grail was a significant part in a movie, or—better yet—a role on the stage.

“I keep going for auditions, you know,” he said softly.

Chris gave him a warm glance. “That’s good. Don’t give up on your dream.”

Jase smiled. “Just last week I had an audition for a part in a movie. Good part too. The best I’ve ever gone up for.”

“When will you hear if you’ve been successful?”

Jase sighed. “If I don’t hear back, then I didn’t make it. I’m not expecting to get it, if I’m honest.” Just hoping. Dreaming.

“Don’t lose faith.” Chris locked gazes with him. “Seriously. If that’s what you really want, then you keep trying to make it happen, okay?”

Jase nodded, overcome by the earnestness in Chris’s voice.

“I looked you up, you know,” Chris said quietly. When Jase gave him an inquiring glance, Chris flushed. “You know when you wrote down all your experience when you first started working with me? Well, I went looking for your first commercial.”

“Oh my God. Me, as a little kid, standing on a copy of the Yellow Pages so I could kiss a pretty girl under the mistletoe? Tell me you deleted it.” It had been revoltingly sweet, and his mom had told everyone she met for at least a year after it first aired, much to Jase’s embarrassment.

“Aw, I thought it was cute.” Chris’s eyes twinkled, and not for the first time, Jase thought how beautiful they were, a deep, warm brown that went perfectly with his light brown hair. What I’d give to have those eyes focused on me in some place where there was just the two of us.

A bed would be perfect.

He cleared his throat before steering the conversation to safer ground. “So tell me what to expect at the convention. Because all I have is a list of events I’m supposed to be attending.”

“If you take a look at the agenda, you’ll see it’s roughly made up of three parts. There are the craft panels for the authors, where they get advice on writing from people who’ve had a lot of success. Plus, there are opportunities to meet with agents and publishers and make a pitch. I do a talk on what makes a good cover, along with someone from the art department of a publishing company.”

“I’ll have to make a note of that one.”

Chris’s eyes gleamed. “Yeah. About that. Have you any idea how many book covers you’ve been on?”

Jase didn’t exactly keep count. “Not really.”

“Would it surprise you that after five years of doing this, you are now one of the most prolific models when it comes to romance covers? Put it this way. You step into that room, and you’re gonna know exactly how many readers like your covers.” Chris grinned. “I can almost hear the squeals from here. And of course there’ll be a lot more cover models wandering through the hotel hallways, usually wearing something that shows off their muscles.”

Ah. That reminded him. “What do I take with me? Are we talking casual, professional, what?” Jase should have written it all down in a list.

“No bare chests, okay? That tends to get frowned upon. Just remember, you’re a walking advertisement for your brand.” Chris leaned forward. “But if you want my advice? Bring the kilt you wore for that cover when you were a laird up in the highlands. Remember?”

“A kilt?” Jase chuckled. “You sure about that?”

Chris returned to his earlier position. “Trust me. Those ladies will swoon for you in a kilt.”

Jase snorted. “It’s not the ladies I want to be doing the swooning.” Then he stilled. “Shit. I didn’t mean that to come out the way it did.” His heart pounded. In all the years of their professional relationship, his sexuality had never come up, and he’d never mentioned it. And as for his attraction to Chris? For all Jase knew, he’d spent the past five years lusting after a straight guy. When it was just headshots, that was one thing, but when they started working on the book cover photos, and they’d begun working more closely….

Getting up close and personal had given Jase a whole new perspective.

Chris took another drink from his glass. “Relax. You’re safe. And I’m not exactly surprised.”

“You’re not?” Jase blinked.

Chris gave a shrug. “How does the saying go? ‘It takes one to know one.’ If you get my drift.” He winked. “And bring the kilt.”

It was the boldest thing Jase had ever heard come from Chris’s mouth.

It was also the most encouraging.

“Can we go back to the agenda?” Not that Jase wanted to, but it meant he was less likely to say something that would ruin their professional friendship. Just because he’s gay does not mean he’d be interested. And after seven years of getting along just fine, Jase did not want to screw this up.

“Sure. There are a lot of reader events, where they get to meet their favorite authors and get a ton of free books. These go on during the day, and you’re probably down to go to a few of them.”

Jase nodded. “There’s one about bridesmaids and best men. Apparently I need a tux for that one.” He could see this using up every ounce of his luggage weight allowance.

“Yeah. You get to mingle, look pretty, have your picture taken with the readers, that kind of thing. And then there are the social events. These take place every night. Sometimes there’s dinner, sometimes not, plus a lot of music and dancing.”

Something clicked in Jase’s mind. “Oh. I’m dancing at one of those.” By the sound of it, he’d be on a podium, along with a few other models.

Chris’s eyes widened. “You might wanna think about a bare chest for that one. I’ll make sure that event is on my agenda. As support, of course,” he added.

Jase didn’t miss the twinkle in his eye.

“The big event of the week is the book signing. The authors sit in a huge room in long rows, and then they let the readers loose on them.”

“You make it sound like a feeding frenzy.”

Chris laughed. “More like several long lines of fans waiting to connect with their favorite authors. A lot of readers only come for that event, and yeah, you can expect up to three thousand of them. Then it’s the final party, and come Sunday it’s all over, apart from all the goodbyes.”

“So basically, you’re telling me to expect a lot of posing for pictures. Will I get the chance to meet with agents and publishers too?” That was, after all, the reason for going. If his acting career wasn’t going to pan out, then maybe Jase should make the most of his career as a cover model. At least that helped pay the bills.

“Sure. Just make the appointments. You’ll find all the info on the con website.”

Jase sank back in his seat. “Thanks. I feel a whole lot better about going now I have an idea what to expect. Except… it seems like I’ll be spending the entire week in the hotel. I’ve never been to Las Vegas. I wanted to see some of it.” He’d seen bits of Vegas on TV and at the movies. It would be a shame to be there and not do even a little sightseeing.

“Tell you what. We’ll look at the agenda and pick a night when neither of us want to go to a social event. Then we’ll sneak out of the hotel and go be tourists for the night. How does that sound?”

Jase thought it sounded heavenly. Except “tourists” wasn’t quite the feel he was going for.

“Lovers” sounded way better.

Down, boy. Chris is being nice. Don’t mess it up.

“I think that’s a great idea.” Jase lifted his glass. “Here’s to Under the Covers Romance.”

“May it bring you all you desire,” Chris said with a smile.

Only if it brings you.

Chapter Two

May 2018

CHRIS didn’t like flying at the best of times. But from JFK at some ungodly hour of the morning? That was just cruel.

He smiled to himself. Eight twenty-five could hardly be considered ungodly, but getting to the airport had been a bitch. His shuttle had arrived fifteen minutes early, but then had proceeded to pick up everyone in goddamn Manhattan.

There I go again, exaggerating. He knew it was just a defense mechanism, anything not to deal with the actual concept of flying. He’d gotten through security as slowly as he’d anticipated, and that left him with an hour before takeoff. He gazed longingly at the bar where passengers were already drinking, but then dismissed it. The alcohol might make him feel better about the upcoming flight, but he knew from past experience that the two didn’t mix. He’d spend a part of the trip in the tiny bathroom, throwing up.

Stick with coffee. And food.

Chris ambled along, giving half glances at the stores on the concourse as he searched for a coffee shop. There was the obligatory Starbucks ahead, which would do in a pinch. He headed for the corner stand, trying to decide what he was going to order.

All such thoughts fled when he peered into the coffee shop and spied a familiar face in the far corner.

No way. What are the odds?

Jase was sitting toward the rear in a gray hoodie, his eyes shaded, but Chris would have known that face and body anywhere. He joined the line, waited for his Americano while nibbling a biscotti, then walked over to Jase’s table.

“Is anyone sitting here?”

“No, there’s—” Jase glanced up, his face erupting into a wide smile that made Chris forget about early-morning flights, snail-speed shuttles, and the fact that shortly he would be going up in the air in a very heavy plane, something that had always seemed physically impossible to his mind.

Chris couldn’t help returning that smile. “Hey. So is it okay for me to sit?”

Jase rolled his eyes. “Right. Making funnies at this hour. Sit.” He put down his phone and took a suck of what looked like iced coffee.

It was a no-brainer where Jase was going. The convention started the following day. What he needed to ascertain was which flight Jase was on. There had to be seven or eight flights a day to Vegas. The chances that Jase was on Chris’s flight?

Pretty slim.

“Well, I don’t need to ask where you’re going,” Chris quipped before sipping his hot Americano.

Jase chuckled, then rubbed his eyes. “I didn’t sleep last night. Couldn’t stop thinking about it. I was gonna call to find out when you were getting in, hoping we could meet up or something. You’ll be the only person I know there.”

“With all those people? I wouldn’t say that. Trust me. You always run into someone you know at a con. What flight are you on?”

“American. Eight twenty-five.”

Chris laughed. “No way.”

Jase widened his eyes. “You too? Where are you sitting?”

“As close to the back of the plane as possible.”

Jase bit his lip. “You don’t like flying, do ya?”

“Gee, what gave it away? I just like sitting near the back because in the event of a plane crash, data shows the back of the plane is probably safest.” Chris shivered. “Probably.” He regarded Jase with resignation. “And I suppose you just take everything in your stride.” That’d be right. Gorgeous looks, talented, and fearless.

Jase took another suck on his straw. “You know I said this was my first convention? This is also my first flight.”

“Seriously?”

“Yup. I’ve always taken the bus. This is the farthest I’ve ever traveled.” Jase scraped his fingers across his scalp. “Now you know why I didn’t sleep. And I can’t even ask you to distract me, because I’m in row fourteen. I’ll be nowhere near you.”

“Tell the cabin crew you’re a first-time flier,” Chris suggested. “They’ll watch out for you.”

Jase expelled a breath. “It’s only just under six hours, for God’s sake. You’d think I could hold it together for that long.”

Chris took pity on him. “You wanna know what I do on flights? It might help.”

Jase nodded eagerly.

“Plug in your earbuds, find some nice, soothing music—classical is always good—then put on an eye mask. That usually helps me to sleep, and any flight where I can spend at least half of it asleep is a bonus.” What he didn’t tell Jase was that it had only worked for him a couple of times, but he figured that wouldn’t help.

“You can sleep on a flight, and you don’t like flying?” Jase widened his eyes. “Man, that’s impressive.”

“The takeoff and landing are the worst parts. The only times I get antsy are when we hit turbulence.” Chris snickered. “Or ‘rough air’ as they like to call it these days.”

“I don’t have an eye mask.”

Chris picked up his bag from the floor and placed it on his knee. He unzipped the side pocket and removed a sealed black packet. “Here. They give you these on long-haul flights. I have another one.” He handed it to Jase, who tucked it into his jacket pocket.

“Thanks. I’m hoping my trip has been pre-disastered, after the check-in fiasco.”

“What happened?” Chris caught sight of an item of clothing over the back of his chair when Jase leaned forward. Then it dawned on him what he was looking at. “Is that a kilt?”

Jase nodded. “That’s what I’m talking about. When I checked my bags, one was right on the weight limit, but the other was about five pounds too heavy. I took out the kilt and it went down to just over fifty-one. The guy at the counter was nice. He let it on. So now I get to stuff this into an overhead locker.”

Chris unzipped his bag and took a good look inside. “Give it to me. I can fit it in here if we fold it. You put it in those lockers and it’s gonna get crushed by all the carry-ons.”

Jase beamed. “Thanks.” He handed it to Chris, who folded it carefully and placed it in the bag. The zipper only just closed.

“There. Safe. Just make sure to hang it up once you get to your hotel room.”

Jase leaned back in his seat and reached for his iced coffee. “Thank you.”

A wicked thought crossed Chris’s mind. “You do know you’re gonna get asked what you’re wearing underneath that, don’t you? I mean, it’s the first thing that comes to mind when you see a kilt. Well, it comes to my mind.” He smirked. Talking with Jase like this had a very different vibe than the one Chris usually encountered in the studio. Maybe it was because they’d both revealed their vulnerabilities. Or maybe because it was a new setting. Whatever, Chris liked it. He felt more relaxed around Jase, which was no bad thing.

Jase chuckled. “I guess I’d better come up with a witty reply, then.” He glanced at his phone. “Do we need to go to our gate yet?”

Chris’s heart went out to him. Jase was twenty-seven, but if his latest revelations were anything to go by, there were a lot of things he hadn’t experienced yet. Despite his self-assurance during shoots, the Jase before him was a very different man, and something in Chris wanted to be there for him, to protect him.

“We can go now,” he said quietly. “That way we’re not hurrying last minute, and we can relax a little. Well, as much as we can with a flight ahead of us.”

Jase rose to his feet. “That sounds good. Let’s go.”

As they made their way along the concourse, Chris wasn’t thinking about the flight. He was thinking about Jase and how he had the chance to get to know him better over the following days.

The convention had suddenly taken on a whole new aspect.

CHRIS fastened his seat belt. He’d lucked out on this flight—he’d picked a window seat, but the next two seats were empty. That was a whole lot better than some of the flights he’d been on. There had been loud children over whom their parents apparently had no control whatsoever, crying babies, extremely talkative passengers who chatted the entire flight…. A little peace and quiet was always good.

The doors had been locked and the cabin crew were making their last checks. Only six more hours to go. Jase was sitting near the front in an aisle seat, next to a little old lady who was probably going to talk his ear off for the whole trip.

Poor guy.

“Hey, is this seat taken?” Jase stood in the aisle, grinning.

Chris laughed. “That’s my line.”

“The flight attendant said I could move, seeing as no one is sitting here. And besides, that lady I was next to? She got out her knitting.”

“They allow knitting needles on a plane?”

“Apparently, if they’re made of wood. Hers are bamboo. She told me. Right before she showed me the pattern. And the yarn. And then asked me to feel how soft it was.”

Chris bit his lip. “Sounds like you’ve had a lucky escape. You’d better stay here where you’re safe.”

“Sir, could you please take your seat?” The flight attendant sounded a little harassed.

Jase quickly slipped into the aisle seat and buckled up. He glanced over at Chris. “I thought I’d leave you some elbow room, you know, so you can spread out a bit.”

Gorgeous and thoughtful. Chris was liking Jase more and more.

During the safety presentation, Jase’s gaze was fixed on the cabin crew, who were demonstrating the life jackets and oxygen masks, and Chris couldn’t help but notice how he gripped the seat arms, especially when the plane started moving toward the runway. When the talk was over and the flight attendants strapped themselves into their seats for takeoff, Chris reached over.

“Here. You can hold my hand.” It was an impulsive move, but he knew he’d said the right thing when Jase grasped it instantly and held on tight. The plane picked up speed, rumbling along the runway, and Jase closed his eyes.

Chris forgot about his own fears and tightened his grip on Jase’s hand. “It’ll be okay. You’ll see,” he said in a soothing tone. “Just take deep breaths.”

Jase nodded, then pushed himself back into his seat as the plane lifted off the ground. “Oh fuck,” he said softly. Chris held on, rubbing his thumb in slow circles on the back of Jase’s hand. When the plane leveled out, Jase opened his eyes and glanced over at Chris. “That’s it? We’re up?”

“We’re up. And any minute now, the cabin crew will be along with water, soda, whatever you want, plus a little packet of pretzels or some other snack that tastes like cardboard.” He nodded toward the seat pocket in front of him. “Whereas I happen to have a couple of protein bars that taste way better, and you’re welcome to one of them.”

“But it’s a six-hour flight,” Jase remonstrated. “I can’t take your snacks.”

Chris smothered a chuckle. “You wouldn’t say that if you knew how many I’d brought along. Trust me, I have plenty.”

Jase let out a sigh. “God, I’m glad you’re on the same flight.”

Chris was thinking the same thing.

“THANKS for changing seats, by the way.”

Jase frowned. “Why are you thanking me? I got the better deal.” There was about an hour to go until they landed, and so far the journey had been relaxing. They’d chatted about books, music, and movies, and he’d been pleasantly surprised by how much they had in common.

Not that we ever really talked, until now.

Chris snickered. “Maybe, but I was so worried about how you were coping that I wasn’t dwelling on how much I hate flying.”

“And besides, it’s me that should be thanking you. I wouldn’t be here now if it weren’t for you.” Thank God for Chris and his ideas.

“What do you mean?”

Jase smiled. “For two years you did my headshots when I needed them, but when I got depressed about the lack of auditions, you suggested becoming a cover model for romance titles and sent off photos to publishing companies. You got me doing cover shots for gay romance, which I thought was so goddamn ironic at the time. You were there for me, and I’ll never forget that.”

Chris flushed, and once again Jase was reminded of what a good-looking man he was. Even when he was embarrassed, he was adorable. Not that Jase was about to share that sentiment. How did the saying go? Don’t shit where you eat.

Jase was not about to mess up his best relationship, no matter how attractive he found Chris. He didn’t want to risk ruining what they had.

“I’m just glad it worked out for you,” Chris said with a mild shrug. Then he met Jase’s gaze. “What makes me happier is that you haven’t given up on your dream. Do you know how many actors and actresses come to New York with hopes of making it big, only to find themselves stuck in humdrum jobs so they can survive? So many of them lose faith. They give up. Seven years on, and you’re still striving for your goals. That’s pretty amazing.”

Jase didn’t know what to say. Then he remembered Chris’s kind gesture. He reached into his pocket, removed the eye mask, and held it out to Chris. “Here. I didn’t need it after all. Talking to you was better than going to sleep.”

Chris covered Jase’s hand with his own. “Keep it. That way you’re prepared for the return flight.”

Jase laughed. “I’ve already found the perfect solution. I just make sure you’re on it. And I’d change flights to make sure that happened.” Damn, he felt good.

Uh-oh.