Page 61 of The Money Shot

I stifled a laugh, shaking my head. “Not at all. Just relaying the message.”

She chuckled, a rare sound, then nodded. “You’re doing an excellent job, Jack. I’ll check in with Evelyn to see if she’ll cover the costs for you to go. If she’s serious about this project, she’ll agree.”

“Thank you,” I said, standing up. The weight that had been pressing on my shoulders all morning seemed to lift slightly.

Andrea waved me off with a wink. “Now get out of here before I change my mind.”

As I walked out of her office, a grin spread across my face. The thought of a few days on a tropical island—even if it was for work—felt like a much-needed reprieve. For the first time in weeks, I felt like I could breathe again. And if Evelyn agreed to cover the trip, well, I’d be practically skipping my way onto that plane.

The idea of a mini-vacation to St. Kitts had put a spring in my step that even Evelyn Van Alen couldn’t crush. Back at my desk, I worked with a new sense of purpose, plowing through emails and finalizing details for the med-spa project. By the time I glanced at the clock, it was nearly seven, and the office was eerily quiet.

Everyone else had gone home hours ago, but I was still here, motivated by Andrea’s rare smile. That bit of encouragement was like jet fuel. I packed up my things and headed for the subway station, the crisp evening air refreshing after the stuffy office.

As I descended into the station, I scanned the platform automatically, half-expecting to see Liam. It had become a habit to look for him, though I knew he wasn’t commuting into the city anymore. He’d been honest with me about that, at least. Still, the absence of his familiar face sent a pang of something unnameable through me. I shook it off as the train pulled into the station.

Settling into a seat, I pulled out my phone. Over the weekend, Liam had given me access to the FantasyFans dashboard, and curiosity got the better of me. I opened the app and logged in, scrolling through the metrics. The numbers were staggering. Another two hundred and nine subscribers had joined Liam’s page since this morning. My jaw dropped.

“Wow,” I muttered under my breath. The revenue we were pulling in was incredible. As much as I hated the idea of being part of this world long-term, I couldn’t deny that it was turning into a lucrative endeavor. Still, the thought left a bitter taste in my mouth. Why couldn’t we have found success doingsomething… normal? Something that didn’t make me feel like I had to keep looking over my shoulder.

God, if my father ever found out about this, he’d probably disown me. The man spent my entire childhood drilling into me the importance of integrity and professionalism. This… this was the antithesis of everything he stood for. I sighed and closed the app, shoving my phone back into my pocket as the train pulled into my stop.

When I reached the apartment building, Dimitri, the security guard, was just leaving. He was as surly as ever, grumbling under his breath while Nessa chattered away, undeterred by his grumpiness. She spotted me and immediately lit up.

“Oh my God, Jack!” she squealed, practically running over. “You’re making videos with Liam, and they’re so hot!”

I felt the heat rise to my face instantly. “Nessa…” I started, but she cut me off.

“Don’t ‘Nessa’ me! You’re a natural! I mean, wow, those angles, the passion, your—”

“I’ve got to go,” I interrupted, stammering as I backed toward the elevator. “Liam’s… doing something for me upstairs.”

She raised an eyebrow, a wicked grin spreading across her face. “‘Something,’ huh?” she teased.

Thankfully, the elevator doors slid shut before she could say anything else. I leaned against the wall, letting out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

When I got to the apartment, I walked in and called out, “Liam?”

Silence. I frowned, setting my bag down and heading toward his bedroom. I knocked on the door. “Liam? You in there?”

No answer. I opened the door and found the room empty. Then I heard it—a low groan coming from down the hall. My stomach tightened as I followed the sound to Bradley’s old room. The door was slightly ajar, and I pushed it open.

Liam was on the bed, completely naked, his laptop perched on his thighs. He looked up, startled, his face turning crimson.

“Jack!” he yelped, scrambling to cover himself with a nearby blanket.

Stupid blanket.

I froze, my brain short-circuiting. “I… I didn’t know you were…” My voice trailed off as I struggled to find words that wouldn’t make this even more awkward.

I felt a stirring in my chest—and lower—that should have been impossible considering how many times we’d had sex over the weekend. I shook my head with a wry smile, stepping into the room. “Liam, I think we’re past the modesty stage by now.”

His blush deepened, which only made him look more irresistible. He patted the bed beside him, and I sat down, trying to ignore the heat building in my veins. Liam turned his laptop toward me, pointing at the screen.

“I didn’t realize our fans could chat with us,” he said, his voice a mix of exasperation and disbelief. “Our inbox is overflowing with messages from perverts wanting to, you know, do things with us. There’s no way I can chat with all these people—we’d never have time to do anything else.”

I shrugged, leaning back on my hands. “We’ll figure something out,” I said, though I didn’t know what that something might be. Then I reached out and cupped his chin.

“Wanna make another video?”

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