shirt. His hair stuck out at odd angles from his head.
Luis couldn't remember when Ronnie had taken off his wig. In retrospect, it was just as well. Dating crossdressers wasn't a habit Luis envisioned acquiring.
"Why are you standing there in the dark, hun?" Ronnie reached for Luis' glass and took a sniff. "Eew! Vodka! How can you drink that? It's the nastiest stuff."
Ronnie ran a well-manicured fingernail across Luis' collarbone and to his ear. "Be a doll and get me a little bit of cognac."
"Sure." Luis turned toward the bar to get Ronnie's drink.
Ronnie called out from behind him. "Thank you, Daddy."
The syrup-sweet tone of his voice raised Luis' ire. He'd never hated the nickname more.
* * * * *
The alarm on Drew's cell phone went off at 5:30 a.m. Uttering a groan, Drew rolled over and stopped the noise. If his free upgrade wasn't still months away, he might have flung the damn thing across the room.
By the time he and Kyle finished showering last night, it was almost 1:00 a.m.
Drew knew he was going to pay for his late night loving today, but Kyle was hard to resist. He put an arm under his head and rubbed his eyes with his other hand.
"You up?" Kyle sounded on the verge of wakefulness.
"Barely. Why did you keep me up half the night?"
Kyle snorted. "Was fun, wasn't it?"
Drew grinned. "Yeah." He rolled onto his side.
In the dimness, Kyle peered at him with one eye. "What?"
"Don't I get a good morning kiss?"
Kyle shook his head. "Your breath smells like cum."
Drew roared with laughter. "You're a fine one to talk, cocksucker. Come here."
"Better make it quick, or you'll be late for work."
Drew gave him a fast kiss. Cum comments aside, he didn't particularly care for morning breath. Period.
"Hey, where are you going? I was just getting warmed up."
Drew looked at the tent action above Kyle's legs. "Tonight. Come for dinner. I have packing to do and an early flight out on Sunday. I'll make something easy, and we can have a few beers while I get my gear together. Shouldn't take long."
Kyle rolled onto his side and hugged his pillow. "Is all this modeling bullshit fun?"
Drew opened his overnight bag and took out a clean pair of boxers. "If I didn't like Kevin and Teak so much and the money wasn't so good, I probably wouldn't keep up with it. The days can be really long, especially if Kevin is looking for something very specific."
"Doesn’t sound like a lot of fun."
Drew reached for the rest of his clothes. "It's more work for the other models.
Kevin and Teak arrived in Montana a couple days ago to shoot with the other guys."
"Why?"
"My schedule doesn't allow me to be there the whole time." Drew pulled up his pants and zipped them. "And I don't need to be there that long, anyway. Kevin already knows which shots he wants me in and with which models. It's pretty straightforward, actually."
"What are they like?"
Drew unfolded his green, uniform shirt and slipped it on. "Teak is very sexy, funny, and is a calming force when we're working. Sometimes Kevin can really get wound up trying to capture exactly what he's envisioning. The thing is, we're not plants or bugs. When he's photographing nature, he understands the take-it-or-leave-it reality.
We try to deliver, but we're really just a bunch of good-looking amateurs. We can only try to emulate what he wants. But other than that, Kevin is really a great guy. Smart, generous, and so damn talented." He enunciated the last three words, not concealing his envy one bit.
Kyle put his hands behind his head. "Do you ever get jealous of him with Teak?
You two were lovers."
Drew shrugged. "Not really. Teak and I had our time together. It wouldn't have lasted even if the crap about Luis hadn't happened." He tucked in his shirt and buckled his belt. "I'm glad they found each other. They're very good together. I bet they'll never split."
Drew gathered up his clothes from last night, folded them, and put them in his bag.
"Do you want me to make some coffee before you leave?"
"That would be great. I need to finish up in the bathroom."
Kyle threw off the sheet and got out of bed.
His ripped body stirred Drew's imagination and desire. As Kyle left the bedroom and Drew stared at his muscled ass, he couldn't help wondering why he'd never felt this strongly about Kyle before.
Chapter Six
Drew fell asleep almost as soon as the plane took off for Kalispell, Montana.
After the flight attendant asked him to put his seat in the upright position, Drew stretched his legs as best he could in the narrow aisle. Sleeping in the cramped seat left his still-tender back in knots.
Grumpy was the prevailing expression on the faces of those walking to the baggage claim area. With his comrades in misery, Drew stepped onto the escalator leading to the baggage claim area. He spotted Sapphire, waiting with a limo driver.
Drew tried not to laugh, but couldn't help himself.
Sapphire looked a lot more like Dale Evans than Roy Rogers this morning. He wore a teal Western shirt covered in long, silver fringe. Red roses were embroidered on the pockets. A wide belt with a flashy, silver buckle held up jeans that looked painted-on. The red scarf around his neck matched his boots. An ash-blond wig completed Sapphire's outfit.
Drew could only imagine what the cowboy standing next to Sapphire thought when he first laid eyes on him. Dressed in black, formal Western wear, the driver looked as though he couldn't wait to put a few states between himself and Sapphire. Of course, it didn't help matters when Sapphire chattered like an excited child about everything.
He sniggered again.
Sapphire waved to him with all the theatrics of a Broadway performer. He hurried to the bottom of the escalator, while grinning at Drew like he was a long-lost son.
He'd gotten used to Sapphire over the past few years. When the Woodlands Collection took off, Kevin had hired Sapphire away from a large modeling agency in Minneapolis. He mother-henned everyone, but the results were worth all the fuss.
Thanks to Sapphire, Kevin's models look put together in an understated, sexy way that attracted men and women. In other words, he helped bring in the cash.
Sapphire barely let Drew get off the escalator before gathering him into his arms.
"Drew, baby, how are you?" He pulled back and gave Drew a critical once-over.
"You look very hot."
Drew grinned. "Thanks, Sapphire. Glad you approve."
He flicked Drew's hair off his forehead. "I wish those dreadful people would let you grow your hair longer. It's such a challenge to make it look all pretty when there's so little to work with."
They'd had this discussion every time they'd worked together. "Rules are rules.
I'm lucky they let me grow it this long before a shoot."
Sapphire raised his nose in a huff. "I think your boss is a fussy bitch."
Shaking his head, Drew chuckled.
The driver stepped forward. "If you follow me, sir, we'll get your things and be on our way."
* * * * *
Drew tipped the bellman, then locked his hotel room door. A large, cellophane-wrapped welcome basket waited on the bureau. Drew smiled. Kevin is so generous. He knew Sapphire was the creativity behind these gifts, but Kevin still had to pay for them.
He made all the models feel like family members.
Drew untied the lasso-styled ribbon and laughed about the cool assortment of goodies inside. Neatly tucked in straw were trail mix, saddle-sore balm, condoms, a sexy-looking bottle of designer lube, Drew's favorite bourbon, a pair of silver Western cufflinks with a matching bolo, and a photo book of the Whitefish area. Drew thumbed through the pages, becoming more enthusiastic about seeing the area tomorrow. He picked up the second book and laughed at the title: How to Talk Western When You're City Folk.
A card s
igned by Kevin accompanied the basket.
Welcome, Drew. We're glad you healed up and made it for the fall shoot. We'll take it easy on you, just in case. Enjoy the afternoon. Your spa appointment is at 3:00 p.m. Sapphire will be with you, as always. Meet us for dinner in the main hall at 7:00 p.m.
He opened the drapes. The Rockies had a bear hug on the horizon. Closer to the bunkhouse, as the hotel was called, a dozen or more horses grazed in a fenced pasture.
To the south, Drew saw someone leading a horse by rope around a small corral. An adult male rode the horse, and Drew wouldn't have been surprised if the rider was one of Kevin's models getting some lessons.
Drew smiled. If he had to have a second job, this one never sucked.
* * * * *
Two hours later, Drew was stretched out, face down, on a massage table.
Although the masseur had great hands, Drew had no idea how tender his ribs still were. He'd felt twinges after sitting too long, and he'd been super careful while lifting in the gym, but the probing fingers of the masseur made him flinch and wince several times.
Sapphire chewed a fingernail and paced the floor like a father in the delivery room. "What do you think?"
"It's really up to Mr. Rothem, but judging from his reactions, I'd say he'd be better off not riding."
Drew cracked an eyelid. "I'm in the room, you know."
"Hon, we just don't want anything to happen to you. I hope that horrid person who tried killing you gets a good ass-kicking in prison."
Drew groaned.
"You're a police officer?"
Drew nodded. "Sorta. I'm an agent with the Wildlife and Fisheries Department.
We handle the bad stuff in the bayou."
The masseur stopped working, seemingly intent on hearing the whole dramatic tale. "Someone tried to kill you?"
"Another minute and he'd have done the job, too." Sniffling, Sapphire flicked away a tear with his thumb. "I think you should move to Redding and work with Kevin and Teak."
"And do what? Learn how to make picture frames?" Drew had become so relaxed, his voice sounded more like a yawn. "Anyway, back to the horses—I'm an accomplished rider. I won't do anything strenuous, like a full gallop, but I'll be fine for a few action shots. Stop your worrying, Sapphire, I know how to get off a horse if I need to. I can come back here to work out any kinks, if I get them. I'll be fine."
"This guy really messed you up, huh?"
"He was a big man, whacked out on drugs. Going to jail wasn't in his plans, but they are now."
Sapphire looked at his watch. "We're due in the salon for a haircut."
Drew propped up on his elbows. "Trim, you mean."
Sapphire wiggled his eyebrows. "That, too. A bit of manscaping is included this afternoon."
"No wax. I hate that. Hurts like a son of a bitch, and a couple days later, it itches like one, too."
Drew rolled to his side and swung his legs off the table. The greedy look in Sapphire's eyes and the flick of his tongue across his lower lip didn't escape Drew. He covered his hips with a towel as he got to his feet.
The masseur held a plush robe for him to wear.
The towel fell to Drew's ankles as he slid into the warmed robe. And that hungry look was still in Sapphire's eyes when Drew turned to face him again.
Flip-flops on Drew's feet made soft, snapping sounds as he walked to the adjoining salon. Sapphire was behind him, and Drew could feel the heat of his gaze.
This wasn't the first time Sapphire had molested him with his eyes, and Drew knew it wouldn't be the last. As long as he didn't do more than ogle, Drew kept his mouth shut.
After all, he'd done the same thing many times, too.
A slender woman with jet-black hair greeted them at the salon door. "You must be Drew. I'm Cassie. Welcome." She extended her hand and a warm smile. "Are you ready for some personal attention?"
"Do your best, hun, this one's special."
Cassie smiled at Sapphire. "We're happy to take care of all the gentlemen in Mr.
Marks' group." She held open the door to a private room. "Right in here."
"Mind if I join you?" Hope filled Sapphire's eyes.
"How about after all the razoring is done? You can come in for the haircut, or trim, whatever you want to call it," Drew said.
Sapphire's mouth turned down in a frown.
"Come on, don't be hurt. I'd like a little privacy, that's all. If I'm going to shed tears of pain, I don't need witnesses."
"I can hold your hand."
If it was possible to have eyes scream you gotta be kidding me, Cassie's were.
"Please, Sapphire, go read a magazine or stretch out somewhere for a half hour.
Cassie will come and get you the minute she's done."
He hung his head and left.
Cassie shut the door. "Okay, Drew, what are we doing for you this afternoon?"
"Just clean me up a little bit. No wax. I hate that shit, and I would be crying if you used it. I had my junk waxed once, and I nearly popped a vein trying not to scream."
Cassie chuckled. "Got ya. Seems none of the guys here like waxing. Except for eyebrows. Sapphire loved having that done."
Now it was Drew's turn to laugh.
"Take off your robe, and let's get you stretched out here to see what needs doing."
Always self-conscious in front of women, Drew felt his face turn fifty shades of red hot as he disrobed. He settled himself onto the padded table, and put the small towel over his groin. Every time he had this work done, he pretended he was at the dentist getting his teeth cleaned. Until the stylist touched his dick. Then all bets were off.
"Tell me how you like being trimmed." Cassie's tone was completely professional, which put Drew a bit more at ease.
By my own hand, in the can, at my place, with nobody looking at or touching me unless I ask. " Trim my underarm hair to an inch and a half. Shorter than that and it looks stupid.
And it prickles." Drew used the same tone he used for giving the barista his coffee order.
She nodded.
"If you think my chest needs trimming, okay, but I don't want to be shaved bare.
There, or anywhere else, for that matter. Give me a little definition by shortening things up. Same with this." Drew ran his finger from his navel to the blond thatch of pubic hair. "I like this treasure trail, and so does my boyfriend." Oh fuck, did I just say that?
Her cheeks reddened.
"Sorry."
Cassie cleared her throat. "It's okay. We usually don't have a lot of men in here so
. . . please go on."
"I know Kevin isn't planning full frontal shots, so I don't need my junk trimmed at all. Sapphire would disagree, but he's not in charge of that part. Just the rest of me."
Drew finished with a grin.
She smiled back at him. "If you don't mind my saying, I think you'll look great, and it sucks that the hunks are always gay." Grinning, Cassie wiggled her eyebrows.
"Would you like to go to your happy place while I work?"
Drew accepted a pair of ear buds. "I was hoping you'd say that."
"Relax, and I'll be done in no time."
Fifteen minutes later, Cassie held an eight-by-ten-inch mirror for Drew to inspect her handiwork.
"Looks good."
"No offense, but I think you'd be happier with a little trimming down there, too."
She pointed to his crotch.
Drew rolled his eyes. "Why?"
"If you wear a low-cut pair of pants or underwear, there's going to be a noticeable difference between your stomach and groin. Your call, but that's my opinion."
Drew really wished he could have avoided a full trim. He puffed out his cheeks, then let out a pent-up breath. "Okay, Luis will probably love it."
"Luis is your boyfriend?"
Drew tensed. "Did I say Luis?"
She nodded.
His mind played hide-and-seek with plausible explanations for his Freudian slip.
Drew lay bac
k on the table. When she removed the thin towel separating Drew from complete nakedness, his body wasn't the only part of him experiencing a new vulnerability. He hadn't even been thinking about Luis. Much.
Cassie put on a pair of latex gloves and picked up the shaver again.
"Ready?"
Drew nodded. He tried ignoring the warm hand on his dick, the latex feeling a lot like a condom, and images of what Luis' expression might be when he saw him naked again. The moment was rife with embarrassment.
Cassie, her face a beautiful shade of pink, worked in silence.
He concentrated on taking out the trash, polishing his dress shoes, ironing his clothes. Scrubbing the goddamn toilet. Anything to keep his dick soft and his mind a hundred thousand miles away from Luis.
I have to get this situation cleared up once and for all. I'm so sick of it I could puke.
* * * * *
That evening, Drew arrived for dinner promptly at 7:00 p.m. A hostess led him to the private dining room Kevin reserved for their group. Familiar voices and laughter made Drew smile, and distanced him from all the awkward crap that had happened at the salon.
Teak stood and smiled the second Drew walked in. Damn, that man gets more beautiful every time I see him.
They joined in a bear hug at the end of table.
Teak clapped Drew on the back. "It's good to see you. Kevin and I were really worried about you."
Before Drew could say anything, Kevin was behind Teak, smiling just as broadly.
Drew traded one man for the other. "I'm glad to be here. Kevin, how are you?"
"Better, now that I see you." Kevin pulled back from the embrace. "Come and sit down. We were just about to have another round of oh-be-joyful."
Drew screwed up his face. "Oh, be what?"
Teak flashed one of his million-dollar smiles at Drew. "Drinks. We're celebrating tonight."
The glimmer in Teak's eyes made Drew wonder what the occasion was.
Kevin pointed to the vacant chair next to Teak. "Have a seat. I believe you know everyone else."
Drew nodded and took a moment to shake hands with the other four guys at the table and give Sapphire his requisite hug.
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