Page 33 of Starring Role

And I like everything about you, thought Jimmy. He was grinning, too.

It seemed to take forever to drive home, and when they got there, they started taking their clothes off as soon as they were through the door.

It would be hard to keep this secret. But maybe it wouldn't matter too much, as long as it didn't hit the news.

What would be so wrong about the world knowing?he wondered briefly. But he knew already: it would put a dangerous and unneeded pressureon something beautiful that was just beginning—and was therefore fragile. And it might put Coop's career in danger, because some people were so weird about people being gay and happily with someone. There would be time for all that eventually.

He had to laugh at himself.Here I am, planning the future.Maybe I'm not so coolly detached as I like to think.

But he could never be detached aboutCoop—never.

#

"You know Cooper hasbeen seen with a rich gay producer, right?" Hope held out her phone and gave Jimmy a look that said,I told you not to get attached.

Jimmy looked at the photograph, which was a pretty decent image of Coop, smiling, wearing a tux, and apparently having a discussion with a man about art. He looked great. And very much not in love. "Yeah, he told me aboutthat guy. It's cool. They're not dating." His tongue itched to say "He's dating me," but he thought he probably ought to tell the whole pack at once and not keep making Hope hold on to secrets for him. It was clearly not something she liked doing or approved of.

She snorted at his reply and scrolled some more on her phone before handing it back. "And you know he's done these, right?"

Jimmy'smouth went dry as he looked at some very vulnerable-looking pictures of a nearly naked Cooper, clearly a few years younger, posed as male cheesecake. He was probably in his late teens or early twenties, young, hungry and vulnerable, with big eyes and a very smooth, very young face. His chest didn't have the definition it did now, or the body hair. He looked barely legal; it shocked and shookJimmy.

"Didn't see those, did you?"

"No. What magazine are they from?"

He tried to sound blasé. His heart had begun to pound, and the dangerous feeling of wanting to fight someone—a feeling that was all too familiar in his family tree—had begun. Who had taken advantage of Cooper's youth by taking these revealing pictures? Had they wanted more from Coop than just the pictures? Or wasthis just another Hollywood thing, a normal thing he had to get used to? People liked to see actors' bodies, and after all, it was publicity.

"Some little artistic journal. A series on young actors. They really show a lot, huh?" She took her phone back and slid it into her pocket. "They're all over the internet now, as well as a few edits. What are you going to do when he really does endup doing nude scenes? You think you'll be able to hold it together? How about love scenes?"

"There won't be any nudity on this show. It's prime-time stuff."

"They could still give him a love interest. And he's obviously going to be doing big-budget movies someday. I mean, look at him. He's gorgeous, and he can act. Someone's bound to cast him in something more provocative someday. Whatare you going to do then?"

"I don't know. I guess I'll deal with it, and we'll talk about any insecurities I have, if... If he's in my life when that happens," Jimmy said evenly.

"You're serious about him, aren't you?" She sounded disgusted.

"You don't have to look at me like that. Yes, I am. But I'll have you know, he's serious about me, too. I was going to tell the pack all together,but you got it out of me. Do you really have to go looking for trouble before there is any?"

"That's precisely when you should be looking for trouble." She poked him in the chest. "You, James Holdst, are asking to get your heart broken. You're dating an actor."

He was. It was true. But in his heart, he trusted Cooper. And even if he had wanted to, it was too late to pull back. He lovedthis man, and no other. It was Coop for him, one way or the other. He didn't believe Hope's dire prediction of heartbreak because of Coop's career. But if it happened, he'd face it then.

The next time he saw Coop, he did bring up the photo shoot, though. He was just curious—and a little bit freaked out that it had been something inappropriate.

"Oh, gosh." Coop covered his face. "It wasa long time ago. It was great publicity. But, yeah, it's a little bit embarrassing. I look very young. Everyone laughs at those pictures...or does other stuff." He was really blushing hotly now.

Jimmy put an arm around him, somewhat alarmed by this reaction of almost writhing embarrassment, and tried to be encouraging. "Hey, you're gorgeous. I'm glad if it helped your career. As longas you weren't pressured into anything, or hurt."

"Oh, no, no, it was... It was fine. I just get asked about those pictures a lot. And laughed at."

"I would never laugh." Jimmy kissed his boyfriend. "I admit I like being the one to see your body, not everybody. But it's your job, and I won't be a jealous jerk about it."

Coop relaxed slightly. So, hehadbeen worried about Jimmy feelingjealous or possessive. Yikes, did he come across that way? Something to work on, maybe.

"I don't think I'll have to get naked much for this show," Coop said. "Whipping my shirt off every week seems to be about the size of it."

"And there are worse things than that," Jimmy said encouragingly. Really, his boyfriend had a fine chest. A fine, admirable body all round. And he wasn't goingto be weird or jealous about other people realizing that. He would work on being proud, instead.

"Such as working on my abs." Coop groaned aloud and covered his face again.

"For an actor, you're awfully easily embarrassed. C'mere." Jimmy gently tugged Coop's hands down and replaced them with a soft kiss. "I didn't mean to make you self-conscious. Let me make it up to you?"

Cooper's facebrightened at the offered distraction. He always, shamefacedly, eagerly, loved sex with Jimmy. It was the one time his mind seemed to really shut down the anxieties and self-criticism.

It's the least I can do,Jimmy thought wryly.

He drew Cooper closer and rubbed the inside of his wrist gently, that vulnerable spot where he somehow stored a lot of his tension. Then he kissed him, enjoyingthe way the tension left Coop's body and he got softer, more pliable, closer and more sexually charged. It was something in his body language, of course, but his entire pheromone profile grew stronger and more intoxicating. A heady aroma, indeed. Oh, he could eat this man up, he really could.