Chapter Two

Isthmus

 

“I’ll grab ice if you order dinner,” said Izzy, tapping his key card against the sensor for the door. He always missed the scent of chlorine that lingered in hotel rooms, along with the fresh faces in the halls.

Outside of press conferences, he was rarely recognized—not like Rowes. Rowes was the hottest thing in the show, which meant he was the one on the cover of magazines more and in the eyes and hearts of every fan.

“Sure.” Rowes shrugged, slipping out from under Izzy’s arm and pushing his way into their hotel room without a backward glance. It was the third time Rowes had pulled away from him in the last three hours. Ever since prep for the latest season had started, it was as if a switch had flipped.

Izzy narrowed his eyes, pausing at the door and holding it for a moment longer. Rowes looked and moved the same, slipping his shoes off and padding around the room like he always did. Maybe it’s nothing?

“Hey.” Izzy slipped through the door, letting it shut behind him before he reached for Rowes’ hand, halting him in his place. “Ro, what’s going on? Talk to me. Do you want to go out for dinner instead?”

He looked around the room from the cheap lamps to the two hideous queen-sized beds. They could afford better—way better—but Izzy liked the rustic side of things. He was content with air conditioning and fresh sheets, but maybe it was a little too rustic for Rowes.

“Is it the room? I can call down to the desk and get us a better one. They had the penthouse available, but this one looked like more fun. And the view is pretty sweet.” Glancing toward the window, he caught the sight of the sparkling city lights. There really was nothing like the view of the city at night—always awake, even if almost everyone was sleeping.

“No.” Rowes took a breath, sagging his shoulders before he slowly turned back to Izzy and closed the space between them. He looked so young, and vulnerable like that, and more like a kid who had never been in the television business. “I think I just need a hug.”

That can’t be all. If Rowes had his way, he’d be locked in a permanent hug with at least three people, and Izzy was more than happy to be the one who indulged him. It was what best friends were for, after all.

“Anytime, buddy.” Wrapping his arms as tight as he could, he brought Rowes as close as possible, until there was no space between them at all. Warmth and the scent of Rowes sank into him, washing away the strangeness of the hotel room. “I don’t mind in public either, if that’s what you’re worried about. The fans love it.”

Izzy wasn’t quite sure why, but every time he even looked at Rowes, the crowd seemed to go wild. He was more than happy to indulge them. Rowes was the most beautiful person he knew, and he literally loved giving him hugs. His life wasn’t full without them.

He would never describe Rowes as handsome, exactly. There was something delicate about Rowes that made him pretty, his fine features and sweet smile anything but rugged.

It was another story when he slipped into the persona of his character and became something fierce and dangerous. That was why Rowes was the fan pick—even if he denied it.

Rowes went stiff, tugging away from Izzy’s arms as he sniffed. His eyes were wet, the flush on his cheeks something that threatened to break Izzy’s heart. “Not everyone likes it.”

Am I missing something? He fought the urge to crack his knuckles as he immediately tensed. Sometimes people didn’t understand how truly sensitive Rowes was and how much a small comment could affect him.

“Did somebody say something to you, Ro? One of the bodyguards? I swear, if one of them—”

“No.” Rowes threw out his hand, his face nearly frantic and his voice cracking. “Nobody said anything. Just…I don’t know if we should hug and stuff anymore.” His face flushed as he dropped his gaze to the worn pink carpet. “There are already so many rumors, and I don’t want someone to think that you’re…you’re…” He trailed off, clasping his hands behind him.

Snorting, Izzy reached for the empty bucket for ice, pulling out the little plastic bag and flicking it open. Rowes flinched at the sound, worrying his lip between his teeth. Unreal. Un-fucking-real.

Isthmus Linton was one hundred percent gay and proud of it—a real live homosexual who loved cock more than ice cream. That didn’t mean that he was fucking his best friend.

Playing with the edge of the bag, he shoved it into the bucket. He didn’t mind explaining that to the few thousand people who felt it was their right to ask him, but he’d thought it was pretty clear between the two of them.

Rowes was just different. Nothing had an expectation to it or that longing that he got when he needed to get laid. Their simple touches didn’t give him the shivers, and seeing Rowes naked was as natural as breathing. They just were.

Hopefully it was just a misunderstanding.

“Can you get me a steak, Ro? And maybe peppers or something on the side?” He ruffled his friend’s hair, grinning at the shy smile he got in return. “And a chicken Caesar wrap for you…extra croutons.”

Rowes’ face lit up, all shyness dropping away at the promise of croutons. “You think I could get extras?”

It was crazy how much Rowes watched his carb intake. He was literally perfection, inside and out, but he still counted the things. Bread was his enemy, for some reason. Personally, Izzy loved watching Rowes stuff his face with a sandwich. It was something only he got to see.

“You’ve been really good,” said Izzy, shooting him a grin. “And I looked into the menu before we got here. They make their croutons in-house with sourdough.”

Rowes let out a groan. “Where’s the menu?”

Izzy paused as a knock sounded on the door. Turning to the sound, he furrowed his forehead. He didn’t think they’d been recognized on the way up to their room, but there was always a chance. Or it could just be their co-worker Connley, hoping to steal their basket of tea and coffee samples.

Glancing through the peephole first, Izzy grinned before throwing the door open to reveal Lorena. Of all the agents he’d ever had, she was by far the best. She didn’t have the slave driver attitude of some, and she took care of them like family, even bringing them cookies every once and a while.

“Lorena, baby!” Izzy opened the door wide, welcoming her inside. “Thank you so much for rescuing us! Sorry about the slip-up, but I’m doing my best to convince the directors to include some LGBTQ characters. Do you think they’re pissed?”

He wasn’t actually sorry at all. On their way back from the conservatory, he’d checked his social media. The clip of his shouting about the LGBTQ community was already going viral.

Lorena surveyed the room quickly, pursing her lips as she caught sight of Rowes, who was still frozen like some kid who had gotten caught with his hand in a bag of sugar. She usually stuck to the luxury suites instead of the ones that were a bit more basic.

“I’m here to talk to Rowes about something. Do you mind if we borrow the room for a minute?” asked Lorena, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she strolled to the coffee maker before slipping one of the pods inside and starting it up. “There are some changes to the script for next season that I wanted to run by him.”

“Okay.” He looked to Rowes, hesitating at the door. Was it just his imagination or had he paled a few shades? Maybe he was coming down with something. He’d been off all day. “I’ll be back in five.”

Grabbing the ice bucket, Izzy took one last look over his shoulder. Rowes wasn’t even looking at him, busying himself with the menu instead. Narrowing his eyes, he shot a look at Lorena. “Make it quick, okay? Rowes isn’t feeling well.”

She raised her hands, giving him a soft smile. “It will only take two minutes, then I’ll be out of his hair. Did you guys want me to order some food for you? Or maybe some soup, Rowes?”

Shaking his head, Rowes didn’t even look up. Izzy huffed out a laugh. Sometimes his best friend was so painfully shy that he got second-hand embarrassment—only Rowes wasn’t even smiling.

“Or maybe I’ll stay,” said Izzy, tossing the bucket back on the counter and bypassing Lorena. Taking a seat next to Rowes on the bed, he threw an arm over his shoulder, leaning in close.

Rowes was trembling, the tiny shiver in his frame barely perceptible. Izzy could feel it like a blaring alarm, though, and he wasn’t leaving until it stopped. Whatever was going on, it would have to go through him first.

“You were saying?” asked Izzy, directing his question to Lorena while keeping his gaze locked on Rowes. His face was too pale, the menu in his hands starting to shake. Izzy grabbed it before setting it on the bed. “I’ll order room service while you guys chat. Don’t mind me.”

With one last glance at Rowes, he twined their fingers together, moving just far enough away to grab the phone and dial room service. He tried not to listen as Lorena spoke, he really did, but he failed utterly when he heard the word ‘gay’, dropping the receiver just as he finished ordering.

“The directors made the choice that Salem’s love interest would be a rival gang member—probably one of the background men from this season,” said Lorena.

Rowes tightened his grip, nearly crushing Izzy’s fingers.

“They want to have that inclusive culture going forward, and I think it’s about time,” Lorena continued, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

What the hell is she talking about? She’d never supported any of Izzy’s ideas for a gay character. In private she was accepting of him, but in public she was strictly professional, supporting what she felt was best for the show in the public’s eyes.

Izzy made a face. His shaking had worsened, and he looked even paler than he’d already been. This conversation better be over.

He knew what it was like for someone to judge you on your character alone, and Rowes’ character was top-notch. There was no way he would get with a nobody, especially not a rival. Izzy’s character, on the other hand, was a bit of an unpredictable maniac.

“Why not Kemble?” asked Izzy, grabbing the phone and hanging it up with a click. He’d apologize to reception later. “I am the only out gay man on the main cast list, and Kemble is a hot shot who does what he wants.”

Lorena pursed her lips. “From what I understand, the relationship won’t get much screen time. It’s not going to be one of the main plot points—”

“Well, maybe it should be,” said Izzy. Rowes looked like he was about to pass out, and Izzy could sympathize. Whenever he had to kiss a woman on screen, it felt like an inner betrayal. He couldn’t eat the whole day before just knowing what was coming. It didn’t matter how beautiful they were. It took a lot out of him to create the desire he needed from nothing. It was exhausting.

“Isthmus.” Lorena let out a sigh, tugging at her hair in the way she always did when she was starting to reach her limit. The last time she’d done it, she’d fired her assistant. “It’s going to be a few shots, maybe three minutes of screen time and one kiss. That’s it. Your character is going to have another female love interest this season. We have to appeal to the majority of the fans, and the fans are saying that they want Kemble with a woman.”

Snorting, Izzy rolled his eyes. What part of the internet were they getting that from? Maybe some of the conservative sites. But they didn’t like the show to begin with. Gunlover idealized the gangster lifestyle, which didn’t sit well with a lot of people. It was still hot as fuck, though.

“It’s fine,” said Rowes, speaking up for the first time. His grip on Izzy’s hand was fierce and matched his own. They were going to accidentally hurt each other if they kept it up. “Izzy, it’s fine. One kiss won’t be that bad.”

“Excellent!” Lorena perked up, already turning for the door. “I’ll let the producers know that you’re on board. I’m sure you’ll bring the same passion to this season as you have in every other.”

The door snapped shut, and Izzy turned a hesitant smile on his friend. His color was starting to come back, and his shaking had eased. Maybe he’d just been nervous about the role. Well, I can help with that. “My own little baby gay. Can I coach you?”

Rowes shrugged him off before throwing a punch into his shoulder. It barely stung.

“You know I’m straight, right?” asked Rowes, raising one brow as he lay back on the bed. Every ounce of tension had evaporated the instant the door had closed. If Izzy squinted, he could almost see a pure image of his best friend. Everything is all right.

“Uh, I think I missed that memo,” said Izzy, rolling his eyes. “Just kidding. I am very aware of how painfully straight you are. No corners or nothin’.” He squeezed Rowe’s knee, tickling the flat surface until Rowes kicked out with a giggle.

“Quit it.”

Of course he knew. They spent most of their time together on and off set. Between sharing hotel rooms and living in a studio apartment back home, they were rarely apart. It was damn inconvenient when Rowes brought a woman home, even if he tried to be discreet. Izzy always kept his lovers away, making sure that their place stayed distinctly theirs.

“I think she thinks I’m gay—or at least bi, though,” said Rowes, his voice going quiet as he stared up at the ceiling. “Everybody thinks that. Lorena probably told the directors that one to push that decision through.” He gave Izzy a pleading look.

“It’s just a kiss?” Izzy asked, scratching at his chin as he shifted along the bed so he could lean against the pile of pillows. Tugging Rowes’ arm, he urged him closer. “You know as well as I do that a kiss isn’t just a kiss.”

One shot could turn into a dozen, with those same lips against yours as you tried to dredge up a passion that you didn’t feel. But that was acting. He kissed women all the time for the show, but somehow this felt different.

A knock on the door cut him off, and Izzy let out a sigh as Rowes leapt off the bed and pulled the door wide without looking. “Oh, food!”

He must’ve been fucking starving or something.

Izzy took care of the tip as Rowes set the food out on the bed before taking a seat on the ground. It was the same way they always ate in a hotel—with Izzy sprawling over the bed and Rowes below him, spilling shit everywhere. The only difference at home was that they usually chilled on the couch, Rowes sitting on a cushion on the floor.

It had always been like that for them, even in high school when they’d first become friends. Rowes just seemed to have some sort of issue with sitting on a bed or couch to eat—something about them being too squishy threw off his balancing act with his plate.

Grabbing the remote, Izzy flicked on an old action movie, tucking into his steak. Rowes’ mouth was already full of his wrap, crunching away on what sounded like more croutons than anything else.

“So what’s up with you and Lorena?” asked Izzy, flicking a bit of carrot to the side of his plate and shoving a pepper into his mouth instead. “It’s awkward as hell between the two of you lately, and don’t think I haven’t caught all those looks. You guys hooking up?”

Rowes spluttered, lettuce and chicken going absolutely everywhere. Izzy passed him a napkin with a roll of his eyes. The constant spills were one reason he never argued with Rowes chilling at his feet, even if it made him feel like some kind of owner.

“I said I was straight, not suicidal,” said Rowes, grabbing for his phone and propping it against his knee. Izzy watched him scroll through a few apps as if aimlessly searching for something. How many games do you have on that thing?

Without fail, it was something Rowes did when he was nervous—avoiding the situation by burying himself in his phone. Izzy wasn’t buying it this time.

“She’s very pretty—gorgeous, even.” He had eyes, even if his spectacles were tuned for men. It was like having 3D goggles that picked up on gay dick instead of layered images on a theater screen—and he could get a good taste of the image instead of a mouthful of popcorn.

“And married,” said Rowes, tapping through his phone at record speed. He paused at one screen, his shoulders going tense. His wrap lay forgotten, a few croutons spilling out onto the plate, along with some shredded lettuce on the floor.

Izzy peered over his shoulder, recognizing one of the platforms for social media shorts. He did his best to stay away from them, but occasionally they dragged him in for a few hours. The headline on this one caught his eye, though.

Are Kemble and Salem actually Dom and sub?

Well, that was a new one. He glanced at the television, muting the commercial for toothpaste as Rowes hesitated, staring at his phone as if it were a bomb. The thumbnail didn’t give much information other than the words and a blurry picture of them. It could have been their stunt doubles from the picture quality.

“You should play that one. It looks interesting,” said Izzy, wiping a bit of sauce from his lips with a nearby napkin. The steak wasn’t half bad for getting to them so quick. The staff must’ve recognized who they were when they checked in.

Rowes jumped, his phone hitting the floor as he looked over his shoulder. His eyes were wide, his face nearly red as he flushed. A small piece of lettuce clung to his lip. Izzy wiped it away with his napkin before tossing the tissue toward the trash. “I…I—”

“Come on. Just play it. I don’t usually watch those things, but it looks neat.” It was interesting that someone who didn’t know them thought they were in a BDSM relationship.

People calling them too cuddly was one thing, and Izzy would agree with them if he gave a fuck. The truth was, he was not Dom material.

Rowes would make a good sub, though. Not that he was thinking about it.

His romantic feelings had lasted all of twenty minutes for Rowes. One laugh together and he knew that he never wanted to risk losing their friendship. The occasional stray thoughts were only natural for someone as handsome as Rowes, especially when they spent so much time together.

Rowes bit his lip, bringing his phone back up and shuffling so he was leaning against the bed frame more. Izzy set his plate to the side and scooted forward a bit so he didn’t have to strain to see the picture at all. It wasn’t so blurry now that he was a bit closer.

“You can see okay?” asked Rowes softly, his finger hovering over the play button. One of his nails was chipped like he’d been chewing at it again.

I have to figure out what’s bothering him.

Putting Rowes out of his misery, Izzy reached for the phone, hitting the play button before settling on his elbows. Rowes was stiff, his hands trembling so the screen shook, making it nearly impossible for Izzy to see.

“Just relax,” said Izzy, reaching for Rowes’ hair and tugging the strands. His hair was so soft, and even after their trip to the conservatory and battling the crowd with Lorena, he looked completely put together. He didn’t need the hair products and gel Izzy relied on.

Rowes let out a sigh, lolling his head to rest against the side of the mattress and raising the phone so they could both see clearer.

The music in the background of the video was dark and throbbing as words started to scroll across the screen against a black background. Izzy shifted, trying to get comfortable as his stomach twisted. He was sure why, but something about that music just called to him. It was something he would hear in a club while grinding a hot guy and picturing himself eight inches deep.

It wasn’t something he’d ever think to listen to with Rowes.

A fresh batch of words scrolled across the screen and he blinked back to attention, hoping his stray thoughts would stay far away.

“I wasn’t convinced that Kemble and Salem were in a D/s relationship until I saw today’s footage. Now they can’t deny it.”

Izzy rolled his eyes. He could deny a lot of things, especially something as ludicrous as that. People thought a single light spank was hard-core kink nowadays. It was crazy.

“What’s D/s?” asked Rowes, tilting his head to lean into Izzy’s hand. “Just a second, I’ll look it up.” He moved to pause the video, but Izzy stopped him.

“It’s Dominance and submission—the ‘DS’ in ‘BDSM’,” said Izzy, reaching to turn the volume up. A male singer had started in the song as the screen faded to red before the first shot of them appeared on the screen.

“How do you know that?” asked Rowes, his eyes wide.

“Shh.” Izzy held a finger to his lips, the music and the picture momentarily taking his breath away.

It was a shot of them on their way back from the conservatory, Rowes looking more tired than Izzy had realized. It was right outside the glass doors of the hotel, the sparkling lights from the entrance almost as bright as the sun that was low on the horizon. Izzy had one hand on Rowes’ neck, his fingers on his pulse point with Rowes’ eyes closed in what looked like bliss and his face tilted to the sky.

Holy fuck. His gut throbbed, his words swept away as his mouth went dry. For the life of him, he couldn’t remember that moment, but there it was before him. They looked like lovers who were caught up in an intimate moment. And the way his hand was wrapped around Rowes’ neck, his finger tangling in the bit of his hair that had started to grow out as the back, made him question everything he knew about them.

Rowes seemed to be lost in the picture, the trembling in his hands finally still. What did he see? Could he remember the bliss in a moment that Izzy had somehow forgotten?

The picture changed, starting to snap through clips so quickly that he could barely keep up. Some were grainy shots in the darkness that he could shrug off, but others were crystal clear and undeniable.

One was of them at a conference, with Izzy’s arm around Rowes’ shoulder. Izzy was leaning in, whispering into Rowes’ ear with a grin. As he watched, Rowes flushed bright, his eyes tracking the crowd as a smile flicked over his lips. It was probably something dirty that Izzy had been joking about—not that he could remember now.

The camera dragged slightly to the side as the person must’ve been bumped, catching Lorena, who looked anything but impressed as she stared their way.

Rowes seemed to change in an instant before the camera as soon as he glanced toward Lorena. His lips went tight, his face shuttering as he pulled away from Izzy in a way that made Izzy’s heart ache to see it. The video faded, fresh text appearing on the screen.

“I’m convinced that their manager is trying to keep their relationship under wraps, even more so because of the way some people view kink. As soon as she is out of the room, though, all bets are off.”

It flashed to another video of them, this time inside the hotel. It had felt so private behind the layers of glass in hindsight, but apparently, someone had been filming them the whole time.

His gut clenched tight as he gritted his teeth. Fan videos had never felt off before—as soon as their show had started to do well, he’d known that his private life was over. But this…? It was violating.

Izzy touched Rowes’ chin on screen, tilting his head up with a fond smile on his face. Rowes had looked so gloomy that day, and Izzy remembered doing everything he could to cheer him up. Rowes happened to be crazy ticklish under his chin, not that it looked like that was his intent…at all.

The video showed Izzy sliding his hand down Rowes’ neck to his back and Rowes immediately standing straighter, rolling his shoulders once before seeming to settle.

“Fixing his submissive’s posture is one thing that a Dominant would do. Salem responds right away and doesn’t let his shoulders droop again.”

Okay…things were getting a bit far-fetched. Rowes had been complaining that his back was aching after the press conference, and Izzy had offered a back massage later, giving him one pat as a taste.

“You could try to fight that, but what about this one?”

Groaning, Izzy fought not to look away. Could it get any more incriminating? Not fucking possible. He knew himself and Rowes. They were friends and nothing more. Rowes certainly wasn’t into kink.

But looking at all this, maybe he was so, so wrong.

When they’d initially checked into the hotel, there had been some confusion about their room, and they’d had to wait about ten minutes. Looking back, the staff had probably been confused as hell as to why famous television stars were staying in such a crappy room when the penthouse was free.

As they’d waited, they’d settled on the couch in the lobby in their usual fashion.

The video showed them walking over to the couches in the small waiting area of the hotel, setting their bags on the carpet as they went. On screen, Izzy pointed next to the couch and, like magic, Rowes dropped to his knees in that spot before settling against the side of the couch and getting comfortable between Izzy’s legs. Izzy’s hand was in Rowes’ hair a moment later, the look on both of their faces pure contentment and bliss.

Izzy couldn’t look away, his heart pounding.

Rowes’ eyes closed on screen, his throat bobbing as he swallowed and tilted into the touch. Izzy had grabbed for the paper, skimming through the pages as he explored Rowes’ hair with his hand never pausing. The camera zoomed in, the shot going blurry as it tracked Izzy’s hand.

“I’m so happy for them. Until next time, peeps.”

The music cut off as the video ended, the replay button appearing in the center as a new one started to load. His heart had never beat so fast, his gut so tight that he wasn’t sure if he could eat another bite of his steak.

“You see why I don’t like to watch them?” asked Rowes, his voice surprisingly calm as he broke the silence between them. “They blow everything out of proportion.” He shrugged. “You’re looking at a mosquito bite on my neck, and they think you are choking me. Not to mention, when we sit in the lobby like normal people and I’m what? Your slave or something?”

More like my boy.

“Uh, yeah,” said Izzy, clearing his throat as he wiped his sweaty palms on the bed sheets. Had it always been like this, and he’d just been blind? Even now, Rowes was below him eating a meal with extra croutons that Izzy had told him to get because he was good.

I’m not a Dom. He pulled his hand out of Rowes’ hair, looking at his fingers with fascination. There was rarely a time that they were in the same room and weren’t touching in some way. Even if their touches weren’t sexual in the least, it apparently didn’t look innocent to anyone else.

“How did you know about that Dominance and submission thing?” asked Rowes, shooting him a curious glance as he tossed his phone and picked up what was left of his wrap. “Are you keeping secrets from me?” He winked, his laughter faltering when Izzy just stared.

“One of my first boyfriends was kinky,” said Izzy, rolling off the bed before grabbing his plate. There was still one perfectly good piece of steak left, but there was no way he could stomach it. “You want this last piece?”

He plucked it from the plate without waiting for an answer, pressing it to Rowes’ lips. Rowes took it without comment, scraping his teeth over Izzy’s skin and probably trying to make sure he got it all.

Clearing his throat, Izzy turned away, heading to the bathroom to wash the plate. I’m still doing it. He hadn’t even thought about feeding Rowes the bite before he did it. They shared food all the time. I didn’t… Ah fuck.

Izzy turned on the sink, rinsing the plate as he gritted his teeth. With the hum of the bathroom fan overhead, he could almost tune out the rest of the world…but only for a minute.

“My wrap is better,” called Rowes, cutting through the sound of the fan easily as Izzy scrambled to try to remember the last time Rowes had fed him. He could recall countless occasions where he’d fed Rowes or offered him something out of his glass or off his plate, but Rowes never did the same thing to him. Maybe he doesn’t like to share?

That didn’t fit either.

Turning the taps on full cold, Izzy splashed water on his face, scrubbing hard before he returned to the bed. Rowes hadn’t budged, little bits of croutons and lettuce spilled all around his place on the floor.

“Make sure you clean up your mess,” said Izzy, biting his lip and covering his mouth with his hand when his brain caught up to what he’d just said. Stop it! Telling their sub to clean up was something a Dom would do. Friends didn’t do that, did they?

“I will.” Rowes was staring at the television, his phone long since forgotten. He’d upped the volume again to a level that would keep their neighbors happy. It was the same kind of rerun that was always playing in hotel rooms.

Izzy half expected a Sir at the end of it, letting out a sigh of relief when it didn’t come.

“This kinky boyfriend,” said Rowes, tossing a look over his shoulder as Izzy settled on the bed again, “did he like to get spanked and stuff or did he just call you Daddy?”

Izzy choked, patting his chest as he wheezed. He hadn’t thought about those days in a long-ass time. They were still fresh in his mind, though, the humiliation and thrill of it crystal clear.

“I—uh—called him Daddy, yeah,” said Izzy, crossing his arms as he looked away. He had been a different person then, and innocent enough that he’d thought he was a submissive. It hadn’t been hard to believe that with an older man.

Rowes spluttered, abandoning the rest of his dinner before crawling onto the bed. He paused a few inches away from Izzy, his eyes practically glowing with mirth. A stray piece of parmesan clung to his lip and Izzy wiped it away without a thought, bringing his finger to his own mouth and sucking it clean.

“You called him Daddy? Oh my God, you’re a bottom!” Rowes snorted, rolling onto his back as he let out a laugh. “Here I had to listen to all these stories about you pounding some guy’s ass, and it’s been the other way around the whole time. You’re so cute.”

“Hey.” Izzy poked him with his toe, resting his foot on top of Rowes’ belly to get him to stay still. “I was young, and he was twenty years older than I was. I had no idea what Daddy kink was or who I was at that time in my life. I didn’t even know I was going to be an actor at that point.”

Rowes sobered in a heartbeat. “Wait. He didn’t take advantage of you, did he?” His eyes were laser focused as they swept along Izzy’s body, as if he could remove the hands of his past simply by looking hard enough.

No. Thank God. Izzy shook his head. “He was a nice guy, but our kinks didn’t line up, so we didn’t last long together.”

The ‘Daddy’ ship had sailed almost as soon as he’d gotten on board, and he’d never managed to find his sea legs after that. There were times that he wondered if he should have been the one who was called ‘Daddy’, though. He wouldn’t have minded if Rowes called him that.

Where is this coming from? Half an hour before, they’d been nothing but best friends, but now he was picturing Rowes calling him Daddy? He was never watching a fan video again.