Chapter 138: The Producer’s Toy -3

Monday morning felt different.

Cade walked onto the studio lot with his script under his arm and the contract already signed. The lead was his. Beside him would be Jasper Quill.

He spotted Jasper near the craft services table before the chemistry test started.

Tall, lean, dark hair that fell a little over his forehead.

He had an easy smile and the kind of face the camera would love. When he looked up and saw Cade, the smile widened.

"You’re Cade, right?" Jasper stepped forward and held out his hand. "I’ve been looking forward to this."

Cade shook it. Jasper’s grip was warm and firm. Up close, his eyes were a clear hazel that seemed to take everything in without rushing.

"Same," Cade said. "I watched some of your earlier work. You’re good."

Jasper laughed softly. "High praise from the new lead. Don’t make me nervous before we even start."

They stood there for a moment, still holding the handshake a second longer than necessary.

Jasper’s thumb brushed once across the back of Cade’s hand before he let go.

The touch was supposed to light and friendly. But Cade felt it.

Across the soundstage, Rylan stood with the director and a few crew members.

He was in a dark jacket, tablet in hand, looking completely professional. His eyes flicked toward Cade and Jasper once.

The glance lasted only a second. No expression. No acknowledgment.

Cade’s stomach tightened. In public, they were nothing to each other. Producer and actor. That was the rule.

The chemistry test began.

They ran a short scene from the pilot—two men who had known each other for years but never said the important things out loud.

Jasper listened with his whole body. When it was his turn to speak, his voice dropped into something quieter, more intimate.

Cade answered the same way. By the third take, the air between them felt charged in a way that had nothing to do with the script.

The director called cut and looked pleased.

"That’s the pairing," he said. "We’re keeping it."

Jasper turned to Cade with a real smile this time. "Looks like we’re stuck with each other."

Cade smiled back. "Could be worse."

From the edge of the set, Rylan watched without speaking. When Cade glanced his way, Rylan had already turned back to the director.

---

That night Cade’s phone lit up with a single message.

Come over.

He arrived just after nine. Rylan opened the door and stepped aside. The second the door closed, the public version of them disappeared.

Rylan didn’t speak right away. He reached up and brushed Cade’s hair back from his forehead with careful fingers.

The touch was gentle. Almost soft. Cade’s eyes fluttered half-shut. His pulse picked up under Rylan’s fingertips.

"You looked good with him today," Rylan said quietly.

Cade’s throat worked. "It was just the scene."

"I know." Rylan’s hand slid down to the side of Cade’s neck, thumb resting over the steady beat there. "But I still watched every second of it."

He leaned in and kissed Cade slowly. No urgency. Just a deep, unhurried press of mouths.

Cade’s hands came up and settled on Rylan’s waist. The kiss stayed soft for a long time. When Rylan finally deepened it, Cade made a small sound against his mouth.

Heat pooled low in his stomach. His body responded the way it always did now - quick and eager.

Rylan pulled back just enough to speak against his lips. "I told you I don’t share. That includes the way he looks at you."

Cade’s breath was already shorter. "He was just acting."

"Maybe." Rylan’s fingers traced the edge of Cade’s jaw. "But I still didn’t like it."

He guided Cade toward the couch instead of the bedroom. They sat close. Rylan’s hand rested on Cade’s thigh, high enough to be deliberate.

His thumb moved in slow circles. Cade’s cock began to harden under the light pressure of fabric and attention. He didn’t hide it.

Rylan noticed. His eyes dropped, then returned to Cade’s face. "You’re already reacting."

"You touch me and it happens," Cade said.

Rylan’s expression softened for a moment. He leaned in again and kissed the corner of Cade’s mouth, then the underside of his jaw, then the side of his throat.

Each kiss was careful and gentle. Cade’s head tipped back to give him more room.

Goosebumps rose along his arms. His breathing turned shallow.

Rylan’s hand slid higher on his thigh until his palm pressed against the hard length of Cade’s cock through his pants. He didn’t squeeze hard. He just held him there, feeling the heat and the pulse.

Cade’s hips shifted once. A quiet sound left his throat.

"Easy," Rylan murmured against his skin. "We’re not going all the way tonight."

Cade’s eyes opened. "Why?"

"Because I want you thinking about this tomorrow when you’re standing next to him on set." Rylan’s hand moved in a slow, deliberate stroke over the fabric. "I want you remembering who you belong to."

The words sank in. Cade’s cock twitched under Rylan’s palm. He bit the inside of his cheek to stay quiet.

Rylan kept touching him like that - slow, controlled, never quite enough. He kissed Cade’s neck, his collarbone, the spot just below his ear.

Every so often his hand would press a little firmer, then ease off again. Cade’s body grew tighter with every pass. His shirt felt too warm. His pulse hammered between his legs.

After a long while Rylan unzipped him and took him in hand properly.

Rylan stroked him with the same careful rhythm, watching his face the entire time. When Cade’s hips started to move, Rylan slowed even more.

"Not yet," he said softly.

Cade’s voice came out rough. "You’re being cruel."

"I’m being careful with what’s mine." Rylan kissed him again, gentle and deep, while his hand kept the slow, maddening pace. "I can be gentle when I want to. Remember that."

Cade’s head fell back against the couch. His thighs tensed. The pressure built so gradually it almost hurt. Rylan didn’t rush. He just kept him there, on the edge, breathing hard and leaking into his palm.

When Cade finally came, it was with a broken sound and his fingers locked around Rylan’s wrist. Rylan worked him through it carefully, never looking away, until Cade was shaking and oversensitive.

Afterward Rylan cleaned him up with quiet efficiency, then pulled him against his chest. Cade rested there, heart still racing, skin still hot.

Rylan’s hand moved slowly up and down his back. The touch was almost tender.

"Tomorrow you’ll stand next to Jasper and do the work," he said against Cade’s hair. "You’ll smile when the cameras are on. You’ll give them the chemistry they want. And every time he looks at you a second too long, you’ll remember my hand on you tonight."

Cade closed his eyes. "I will."

Rylan’s arm tightened just slightly. "Good."

---

The next afternoon the studio held a small fan event to introduce the new leads.

Cade and Jasper stood side by side on the low stage.

There were lights and cameras everywhere. A few hundred fans packed into the space in front of them.

The host asked the usual questions. How did they feel about the roles? What was it like working together for the first time?

Jasper answered first. He had an easy way of speaking that made the crowd lean in. When he looked at Cade, his smile was warm and open.

"I think we already have something," he said. "It feels natural."

Cade kept his own smile professional. Inside, his pulse was already faster than it should have been.

He could feel Rylan somewhere in the back of the room. He did not look for him. Looking would have been a mistake.

The host moved on to fan questions. Someone asked if they would do a short scene from the pilot. Another voice called out for them to hold hands. A third asked for a hug.

The fans were loud. Happy. Already shipping them hard.

Jasper glanced at Cade and raised one eyebrow, waiting. Cade gave a small nod.

They had practiced a light version of fan service. Nothing too much. Just enough to sell the pairing.

They held hands first. Jasper’s palm was warm. His fingers curled around Cade’s with easy confidence. The crowd cheered. Someone shouted for them to look at each other.

They did.

Jasper’s eyes stayed on Cade’s face a second longer than necessary. The corner of his mouth lifted.

Cade felt the heat of that look even under the stage lights. His stomach tightened. He told himself it was just acting. Just work.

Then the fans started calling for more.

"Kiss him!"

"Closer!"

"Do the almost-kiss from the trailer!"

The host laughed and looked at the two of them. "Only if you’re comfortable."

Jasper leaned in first. He stopped with his face very close to Cade’s.

Their noses almost touched. The crowd screamed.

Jasper’s breath brushed Cade’s mouth. For a long second neither of them moved.