Love Him Free (On the Market #1) - E.M. Lindsey Page 0,24

calling for delivery. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was offer that man pizza, but the thought of showing off his sub-par omelet skills made him feel like the floor was falling under his feet.

“Get it together, Kadish,” he hissed at himself as he reached for the door handle.

Inside, the apartment was almost totally silent save for some sort of low murmur in the back room. Rocco was nowhere to be found, but his small dog—James, which still gave him a tiny thrill of amusement—was sitting on the floor at the foot of the sofa while cat Rocco perched on the top, staring unamused at the interloper.

“Be nice,” Simon warned the cat before he set his keys and phone down, then went in search of his guest. As he slipped down the short hall, the sound got a little louder, and it only took a second for him to recognize what it was.

In all fairness, Simon hadn’t expected the star of the fucking movie to be in his home—and he also hadn’t expected that stranger to make himself comfortable in his bedroom with his porn. All the same, Simon blushed so hard he felt dizzy, and his hands shook as he threw his bedroom door open and found Rocco standing over his laptop, arms crossed over his large chest.

Rocco didn’t notice Simon come in right away, and Simon had no idea how to alert him without fainting out of sheer mortification. The laptop’s screen was small, but not small enough to conceal the image of Rocco as Sylent, holding a man in bondage as he pounded his ass.

“Fuck. Fuck my life,” Simon hissed. He took another step in, and the vibrations must have been enough, because Rocco looked over his shoulder, his mouth spread in a cat who ate the canary sort of grin. “Um,” Simon said.

‘I knew you were a fan,’ Rocco signed.

Simon swallowed heavily, and he knew his humiliation was written all over his face. ‘I did tweet your pseudonym account.’ He was on the cusp of defensive—and he knew when he got defensive, he got mean, and that was the last thing he wanted with Rocco.

After a beat, Rocco’s long arm stretched out, and he flipped the computer shut. Simon’s breath of relief was short lived, because only a second later, Rocco had closed the distance between them. Simon took involuntary steps backward, hitting the wall, but Rocco didn’t seem to mind.

‘You like my work?’

A thousand responses flitted through Simon’s head from a simple, ‘God, yes,’ to a lie like, ‘I find porn disgusting and I was praying for you.’

None of that came out. He just let out a single whimper, and a nod.

Rocco’s smile turned a little dark. ‘I like you.’

Simon laughed. He didn’t mean to, he didn’t even really think it was funny. Just the idea that someone like Rocco Moretti—Sylent, the adult film star, who could have literally any man he wanted—thinking he was worth anything? It had to be a joke. His stomach twisted, because what if it was?

He didn’t think Rocco was cruel, but…

His thoughts fled as Rocco’s large hand touched his face, and when Simon found the courage to look up, Rocco’s eyes had gone soft. “I’m sorry,” Rocco said aloud, and Simon jolted from the sound. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

Simon swallowed past the lump in his throat, then shook his head. He wanted to sign, but Rocco had crowded in so close, it wasn’t possible. “I didn’t want you to see that. I feel like a freak.”

Rocco’s brows flew high up toward his hairline. “You think making porn means I’m a freak?”

“No!” Simon burst out, then turned his face away for a second to gather his breath. “No,” he said again when he turned back. “I mean me.” He patted his chest for emphasis.

Rocco took a step back to give himself signing space. ‘You’re not a freak because you like to orgasm.’

Simon shook his head. ‘I was a fan. I messaged you because I liked your work and I felt bad that you were hurting. But then we talked, and I liked you as a person. But I still…like your work,’ he finished, his hands shaking a bit.

Rocco’s smile returned, and he reached out, taking Simon’s hand in his, squeezing with a gentle strength Simon wanted to curl up in and never leave. “It’s okay.”

Simon drew his bottom lip between his teeth, then his eyes darted toward the window before he looked back at