Page 18 of Syncopation
Ray let out a sigh and his fists uncurled. “I know what songs sound the bestso far, and there’s some I think will bleed well into each other and—” He stopped talking.
Zavier huffed a laugh. “You’re really fucking good at what you do when you put your mind to it.”
“And you’re a complete asshole, Zav.” Anger there. “Fucking shithead.”
“Shithead me or Shithead Carl?” Because there wasn’t anyone else he thought Ray would pin that on.
He was quiet for a while,eyes open now. He met Zavier’s gaze. “Me. I’m the shithead.”
Now there was something Zavier liked: Ray’s self-awareness when he calmed down. “Mish thinks we should work on ‘Dark Dreams.’ We have today and tomorrow.” If they got that song worked up, they’d be free to pick and choose from the other albums.
“I guess I could put together a playlist for the festival.” Ray took a breath. “They’reusually shorter sets, aren’t they?”
“I have no idea.” Conventional wisdom from having attended a few said yes, but fuck if Zavier’d claim something he didn’t know.
Ray rubbed his face. “I’ll have to ask Carl.”
Ah, now maybe he could help there. “Or I could. Parlay my ignorance into usefulness.”
The look Ray gave him seeped into Zavier’s bones. A man with that kind of expressiondeserved to be turned over a knee.
“I wouldn’t call you ignorant. Full of yourself? A grade-A fuckwad? Sure.” Ray smiled.
Zavier laughed. Couldn’t help it. Ray wasn’t the first to use him to playPin the Tail on the Jerk. Wasn’t wrong, either. He rolled over on his lounge chair and dropped into his most seductive voice. “Why, Ray, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you like me!” If onlyhecouldspank that smirk off his face.
The shudder that ran through Ray was a thing of delight, like a sip of fine liquor, and warmed Zavier the same way.
Ray’s arousal was painfully obvious from his sudden flush, the way he licked his lips, and the impressive bulge in his shorts. “I—should go downstairs.” With that he rose and tried in vain to get up in such a way as not to show Zavierhis hard-on. Failed.
A moment later, Ray was thumping down the stairs and Zavier was alone. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the sky. Ray lusted after him. Probably had for years, but seeing it so close—that was temptation incarnate. Zavier pressed a palm against his hardening shaft. Yeah, he’d be indulging in that fantasy tonight, once he was alone and could jack off in private.
But for now? The band had work to do. Physical lust could be satiated. Musicality took time and energy. Zavier hauled himself up from the chair and headed back down to join the band.
