Colt moaned, then yelped into Mal’s mouth. His body jerked, and he fisted his hands in Mal’s shirt while his hips stuttered. He broke their kiss and started babbling, “Oh God, I’m… I didn’t… that’s never…. I’m sorry….”
“Sh, sh, I want this too.” That’s when Mal realized his knee was warm and wet and getting wetter. “Oh.” He held Colt until his body stopped quivering. “It’s okay. Colt. Don’t be sorry.” Mal stepped back one pace and held Colt by his shoulders.
Colt let go of Mal and covered his face with one hand. “That’s…. I’m so embarrassed.” He reached back for the door handle. “I need to….”
“You already did.”
Colt stared at Mal for a second, then snickered. “I guess I did.”
“You can’t go out there like that. It happens to everyone at some point.” Mal stopped and shrugged. “I consider it a compliment. I barely touched you, and then you….” He gestured with both hands to his own crotch.
Colt groaned again, but not with pleasure this time. He skirted around Mal and flopped backward onto Mal’s bed, covering his face with one hand again.
“It’s okay,” Mal repeated. He went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face and over his head a few times, then went to the closet and pulled a T-shirt and sweatpants out for Colt. When he returned, Colt was snoring softly.
To say Colt’s dark hair was disheveled was an understatement. His lips had a bit of a pucker to them, and his shirt was rucked up, exposing his belly button. Mal leaned down and pulled off Colt’s shoes and socks. Next he unbuttoned and unzipped Colt’s pants, grabbed the hem, and tugged them off. Everything in Colt’s pockets fell to the floor. Tossing the pants closer to the closet, Mal collected the items. Keys, phone, wallet, and… keycard. He held the card between two fingers and turned to look at Colt, sound asleep in Mal’s bed. Shaking his head, he put all the items on the table. Then he concentrated on wrestling Colt out of his underwear and shirt.
It was hard—pun intended—to stop himself from trying to rouse Colt. His chest had a dusting of dark hair that trickled down to his belly button. He was lean, and his ribs moved with every breath. Colt’s chest had a nice shape as it tapered to his waist. The hair between his legs was as dark and pleasing as that on his head, though curlier—thick and plush. He had to wipe Colt clean quickly; he couldn’t keep looking at that body and sweet face and touching Colt’s smooth skin without doing something that would be seriously embarrassing. Once finished, he gathered their clothes, put them in the hotel hamper, and left them in the hall to be collected and dry-cleaned. Lastly he tucked Colt under the blankets.
A quick shower with a little extra soap and some special attention to his cock, and Mal could relax and sleep. He retrieved the extra bedding from the closet and arranged it in the huge armchair in the corner, clicked off the light, and settled in for the night.
MAL woke, scrubbed one hand over his face, and unfolded from the chair just as the phone rang with his wakeup call. When he hung up the phone, Colt sat up and glanced around with a decidedly sheepish expression on his face, his hair standing up in all directions.
Mal held up one hand. “Don’t say you’re sorry.”
“Has it ever happened to you?”
“Yes.” Mal sat on the bed next to Colt and put one hand on his leg. “Tenth grade with Billy Morse. After it was over, he ridiculed me, told lies about what happened, and generally made my life hell. That’s why I told my parents I was gay. When your family owns half the county, people don’t beat you up, but there are plenty of other ways to hurt someone.”
“God, I’m—”
“You’re going to say it, aren’t you?”
Colt nodded and grinned. “I’m sorry that happened to you.” He picked up the blankets and looked underneath. “I’m… uh… sort of without clothes here.”
“Hmm. I took them off you and used them to wipe you clean. Then I put our clothes out for the hotel laundry.” He held up Colt’s keycard. “Your keycard wasn’t very lost. It fell right out of your pocket.”
Colt blushed crimson. “What about Gwendolyn? She’ll ask about our clothes,” he pointed out.
“Don’t try to change the subject. Gwen works for me. We don’t really have to—” Mal stopped when Colt raised his eyebrows. “Okay, fine. I was planning to tell her we got drinks spilled all over us.”
“What about Frank?”
“I’m fairly sure he’s on our side,” Mal said. He tossed the T-shirt and jogging pants onto the bed. “You can wear these.”
As Colt pulled on the shirt, he asked shyly, “You’re really not angry?”
Mal shook his head. “No. It happens. Nothing to be angry about.”
“Next time maybe we shouldn’t drink first,” Colt said.
“I think those are wise words.” Mal slid onto the bed next to Colt and took his hand, pulled him close, and then kissed Colt long, slow, and gentle before he leaned back. “Let’s go get some breakfast before we end up not leaving this room.”
After breakfast it was back to the recording studio so Colt could finish the commercial. Mal thanked any god who would listen over and over for the blessing that was coffee. Big, steaming cups of coffee.
“Nice time last night?” Audrey pointedly stared at the Grande Doubleshot Mal was sucking down.
“Lovely. I haven’t drunk that much in a long time.”
“College-caliber drinking?” Audrey asked. Mal nodded, and she made a pucker face. “Ouch.”
“That’s one word. Not the one I’d use,” Mal said.
“And your dinner out with Colt?”
Mal’s lips curled into a smile. “Very enjoyable.”
Audrey patted his arm. “I’m glad. You deserve to be happy and get out occasionally.”
“But he’s—”
“So what. If you’re both consenting, so what? The two of you seem good for each other, and that’s all that counts.” Audrey finished her coffee. “Even hungover, he’s doing a good job. I can’t believe that’s the same kid I hired a few months ago.”
“Me either.” Mal fell silent for a minute, gathering his thoughts. “Have you heard any rumblings from the board about Colt?”
Audrey shook her head. “No, why?”
“Some seem concerned that Colt and I are becoming too close.”
“Pfft. Ignore them, stodgy old bastards.” She turned to face him and looked him in the eye. “Don’t let them ruin what could be a good thing for you.”
Once the filming was complete, the producer promised Mal would have a final version to approve in about two weeks, just in time for them to be home from New York City.
THE recording studio in Nashville was laid-back and practically deserted compared to the set of The Tonight Show. Mal had no idea what went on behind the scenes on one of these shows, and it was fascinating. People were everywhere, yet none of them seemed rushed, and they were all incredibly helpful.
He and Colt were escorted to a dressing room—the so-called green room—to meet with Audrey, Gwen, and Phillipe. Within a few minutes, Colt had changed into one of the suits that were quickly becoming his signature. Gwen had spent months cleverly coordinating the clothes Colt wore for his official appearances with the label colors of Kensington’s whiskey. Tonight Colt wore a very dark burgundy suit, cream shirt, and a dark brown tie.
When time drew close for the show to begin, Audrey and Mal were escorted to front-row seats in the audience. Gwen and Phillipe would remain in the green room in case they were needed by Colt and could watch everything on a large TV screen.
Colt was scheduled near the end of that evening’s show. The host, Jimmy Fallon, who Gwen and Phillipe were completely starstruck by, was very funny. Mal found himself full-on belly laughing during the opening monologue. A tingle and a slight rush coursed through Mal when the night’s guests were announced and Fallon gave a short description of Colt to the audience.
Mal leaned over and whispered in Audrey’s ear, “This is pretty go
od. I need to watch this more often.”
Audrey nodded. “Me too.”
During the entire first part of the show, Mal was on pins and needles waiting for Colt’s introduction. First up was the star of a current, very popular movie. She was charming and very relaxed. Mal was sure it helped that she and Jimmy seemed to know each other, and he referenced previous times she’d been a guest. Next came a best-selling author who was brash, outgoing, and so over-the-top he had the audience laughing and applauding.
“He doesn’t sit still,” Audrey murmured.
Mal nodded and agreed in a low voice, “I’m exhausted just watching him. I’m sure they plan the arrangement of guests to keep the energy going.”
Audrey shrugged and glanced around. “It’s working. I’m going to buy his book.”
“Sucker,” Mal mumbled and grinned at her.
Finally it was Colt’s turn. “I wonder if he’s as nervous as I am.” Mal rubbed his sweaty palms against his pant leg.
“My next guest is a very popular man at a social gathering,” Jimmy Fallon began.
“Oh, that’s cute,” Audrey said in Mal’s ear.
“I bet he’s the man who’s always invited to a bring-your-own-bottle party. I know I’m certainly going to include him on my next guest list. Give a big, warm welcome to the new face of Kensington’s Distillery and Still House in his very first ever television guest appearance, Colton Hale.” Jimmy Fallon finished his little introduction and stood, walking to the edge of the stage to greet Colt.
For a few horrifying seconds, Mal thought the lights, the audience, the whole thing had caused Colt to freeze. He looked a bit overwhelmed and shell-shocked. Stopping just outside the curtain he’d walked through from backstage, Colt looked around.
Audrey grabbed Mal’s hand, sucked in a breath, and dug her fingernails into his palm. Mal was so focused on Colt he didn’t think to pry her loose.
After a quick handshake, Jimmy patted Colt’s shoulder and said, “It’s great to meet you. Big fan of your product.” He leaned in and said something in Colt’s ear that made him smile.
It was the man’s job to put people at ease, but his closeness to Colt gave Mal a pang of jealousy. In the next second, Colt’s entire demeanor changed. His shoulders and face relaxed, his stance became overall less rigid, and he flashed a brilliant smile at the audience.
“Thank you. This isn’t what I expected!” Colt waved to those watching, and in return he was given a round of applause and a group yelled a hello back.
Colt took the seat beside the desk, looking as cool and calm as if he’d been doing television since he was three years old.
“So, Mr. Hale—”
“Oh, please call me Colt.”
“Colt, then. I’d love to know, what’s it like being the public persona for an entire distillery the size of Kensington’s?”
Colt drew a deep breath and glanced down for a few seconds, appearing thoughtful. “Well, a lot of folks invite me to BYOB parties.” A ribbon of soft laughter coursed through the audience. He laid his hands on the desktop and continued, “It’s been a lot of fun and not what I expected at all.”
“Can you give us some dirt on your boss, the owner of Kensington’s Distillery and Still House?”
“Malone Kensington is an amazing chef. He tests new recipes for the tasting room, Kensington’s Place, on the staff. Sometimes he likes to joke around and slip in store-bought frozen dinners. We get a plate with different samples on them, and the last time, the group I was in raved about the Salisbury steak that came out of a box.”
Jimmy burst out laughing. “What happened?”
Colt blew out a laugh. “We kept him going for a good twenty minutes before we confessed.”
“I bet he won’t do that again.”
Colt held up both hands and shrugged.
“Do you know much about how fabulous whiskey and moonshine are created?” Jimmy asked after the audience’s laughter died down.
Colt cleared his throat and sat back in his seat. “I’ve learned a good distiller never reveals his secrets, but I can tell you one thing: it all starts with the water. The key is the freshest, purest spring water.”
Mal jostled Audrey’s hand. “That’s our boy.”
There was a round of applause when Jimmy produced an empty whiskey bottle. “Could I get you to sign this?”
“Of course.” Colt signed the bottle and handed it back. Jimmy took the signed bottle, clearly delighted to have that souvenir. “I arranged for one of our new line of signed bottles to be brought for everyone in the audience.”
The crowd erupted in cheers, and again Jimmy waited for them to settle down. “It’s been a joy meeting you, and I hope you’ll be a regular here.”
“I would enjoy that very much.” Colt arched an eyebrow and shook one finger playfully at Jimmy. “No more asking for distilling secrets.”
“It’s a deal, sir. Any last words of whiskey wisdom for our audience?”
Colt spread his hands wide. “Folks, don’t drink and drive. It’s not worth it.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, Colton Hale, spokesman for Kensington’s Distillery and Still House in Tennessee.” Jimmy stood up and held one arm out, indicating Colt could leave the stage. “I’m serious, don’t be a stranger, and thank you for joining us tonight.”
Colt mock saluted the audience, shook Jimmy’s hand again, and waved as he left, calling out, “Thank you, Jimmy. Good night, everyone!” He left the stage to cheers and applause.
Audrey turned in her seat, her face lit up as she finally let go of Mal’s hand. “They love him!”
“I knew they would.”
Chapter Ten
ONCE Colt was back in the green room with the door securely shut, he sat down and began to shake. “Thank God that’s over. I thought I was going to throw up the entire time.” He leaned forward and ran both hands through his hair, then held his head in his hands. “I’ve never been so scared in my life.” He looked up and glanced around the room. “Where’s Mal?”
“He and Audrey are still in the studio. They’re in the front row and can’t leave until it’s over,” Gwen said. “You were awesome!” She took his arm and tugged until he stood up. “I’ll take care of this suit.”
Colt shrugged out of the jacket as they watched the television. It wasn’t long before there was applause and music.
“It looks like the show ended,” Phillipe said. “They should be here in a few minutes.”
Finally the door opened and Audrey breezed in, followed by Mal.
“You were fantastic!” Audrey was more excited than Colt had ever seen her.
“Thank you. I thought I was having a stroke,” Colt admitted.
“I loved every minute,” Mal said. He stepped forward and grabbed Colt in a powerful hug.
Colt let himself relax against Mal’s body and soak in all the support and affection the physical display represented. He immediately reciprocated and slipped both arms around Mal’s waist and squeezed. Then he yawned.
Mal chuckled and let go but continued to hold Colt by the shoulders. “It’s been a long day.” He looked around at the others. “How about some dinner? I made reservations for all of us at a brasserie near here.”
Everyone agreed enthusiastically to that plan. Dinner was festive but didn’t go very late, and Colt made sure he didn’t have more than one glass of wine. He did all his toasting with water or sweet tea. A few hours later, they all piled into the SUV. The first stop was the hotel Audrey, Phillipe, and Gwendolyn were staying in. Mal had put the group up in a separate hotel than him and Colt. They’d be staying at the Waldorf Astoria. Part of the reason was cost, Colt was sure, but Mal was likely aiming for greater privacy as well, and there was no denying the Waldorf Astoria was drenched in romance. The perfect place for the perfect night.
A round of goodbyes, and Mal and Colt were alone in the SUV, sitting close, hands clasped together.
“Are you sure about this?” Mal asked in a very soft voice.
/>
Colt nodded and licked his lips. All evening since leaving the studio, his cock had been full enough to be pleasant but not uncomfortable, and he had found it almost impossible to take his eyes off Mal for too long. Maybe it was the fact Mal had booked one room for them, and Colt knew what was coming. Or maybe it was how Mal planned this romantic evening and did so with subtlety and so much thought and obvious care. Whatever the reason, in Colt’s eyes, Mal had become the most attractive man on the planet. Objectively no one would deny Mal was a handsome man, but for Colt, his appeal had much more to do with his kind and generous heart. Making Mal happy was fast becoming Colt’s top priority.
Colt gazed directly at Mal. “I’ve never been more sure about anything.”
“I have to confess,” Mal said with a small laugh, “it’s been a while since I’ve….”
Scratching at the bridge of his nose, Colt joked, “Yeah, sorry about that.”
They both laughed. Mal pulled Colt’s hand up and brushed his lips over the back before they dropped their hands again.
“I have a confession too. I’ve been with other men, but never someone who….” Colt stopped, not really sure how to continue.
“Who cared about you? Boyfriend material? Worried about you enjoying our time together?”
“Yeah.” Colt nodded. “I like the boyfriend part,” he murmured.
“Me too.”
When they arrived at the Waldorf Astoria, Frank pulled into the parking garage and escorted Mal and Colt to their suite.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to get you a room?” Mal asked Frank as he unlocked their door.
Frank shook his head. “No, sir, thank you. The hotel security is superb, so I thought I’d hop a cab to Queens and see my cousin. We only manage to get together every couple of years now.” He grinned and shrugged. “Knicks are playing tonight.”
“Nonsense, take the SUV.” Mal pulled an envelope from his hip pocket and pressed it into Frank’s hand. “And the pizza is on me tonight.”
Whiskey and Moonshine Page 13
