Page 15 of Obsessed

“Wow,” Rain breathed behind him.

Taking photo after photo on both devices, Mason used the remote to pull the drone up and back, getting video of the glorious sunset. Slowly, the hues drifted from pink to magenta to orange-laced-red, making the sky a true watercolor painting, and Mason captured it all, using Rain's inspiration to try new angles and push past his safety zone.

He could sense a presence next to him and when he looked down, he found Rain staring avidly at the remote.

“That’s what it looks like?” His gaze flicked above them, where a slight buzz gave away the drone’s presence.

“Yes. The screen isn’t as good as the photos.” Mason didn’t like to fly for long because it disturbed the natural wildlife so he brought the drone down and Rain hopped back a few steps as it landed on a rock next to him. Once the blades stopped, he moved closer and Mason swung the camera around, stealing some photos as Rain poked the drone.

Ask him to model, Cricket. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

“Do you…” Mason started, but he wasn’t used to asking for things and his throat closed up.

Rain looked up curiously, his smile soft and seductive. “Do I what?”

Breathing in deeply, Mason pointed at the cliff.

“Do I like the view?” Rain’s smile didn’t falter. “It’s gorgeous.”

Forcing away a scowl, Mason reached for the words but they flew away as Rain straightened up and sauntered over, getting a little too close. The scent of ocean air with the faintest hint of lavender teased Mason’s nostrils and he eagerly breathed it in, staring down at Rain, not knowing what to do.

“But you know what? I’ll pose for you. It’s better than you sneaking pictures while I look at the drone.” Reaching up, he ran a finger along Mason’s jawbone, leaving fire in its wake, and the creature in Mason’s core rumbled again, wanting more.

Sitting on a rock near the edge, Rain naturally angled himself until the spill of sunset cradled him in a soft peachy hue, and for a moment all Mason could do was stare. He’d wanted this for so long that having Rain’s full attention caused his mind to spin like a top.

Kneeling, Mason placed Rain at the edge of the frame, took a deep breath, and unleashed it all. In a way, it was like a dance that started the moment Mason had taken his first clandestine photo, but now they faced each other in a perfect tango, Rain intuitively turning and posing, working the camera, and Mason giving him everything in return - lying on the rocks by the edge, streaking him with shutter changes, doing keyhole photos from the middle of a shrub, and he even broke out the drone again for two more quick shots before the colors faded and they lost light.

Chest heaving, Mason shook with creative euphoria; he’d been inspired before but this was a hundred times more intense. Glancing at Rain, who had moved from the cliff to the firepit, he started packing up his gear, trying to hide his trembling hands.

“Thanks.” He wasn’t used to saying that word.

“Sure. It was fun.” The curve of Rain’s lips had Mason’s brain buzzing again. He hesitated to use the word muse but Rain had slowly become his Erato, and he ached to understand why.

Zipping up the pack, he hoisted it, taking note of the way Rain shuffled around the firepit as if he wanted to build a fire but didn’t know where to start. “How long are you staying.”

“One or two nights.” His tone told Mason that it was complicated.

Glancing at the shelter, Mason suppressed a deep frown. Made from wooden logs and raised off the ground, it had three walls and a roof but the front was open towards the view, and even though it was early summer the nights were brisk.

“You don’t have a sleeping bag.”

“That’s okay, I’m used to roughing it.” Rain grinned as if it was no big deal and Mason continued to stare, not knowing what to say until that grin fell away and Rain bit his lip. “Actually, I’m between places now. I’m kind of sleeping at The Pointe.”

Wait. Rain had nowhere to go? That would explain the noise in his gaze and countenance. And how did someone sleep at The Pointe? Had Owen put a bed in one of the offices? Of course, Mason didn’t ask any of those questions, he only nodded as Rain blinked those stormy eyes at him.

“Don’t tell anyone? I mean, Marci probably knows I’ve been sleeping in the storage room because she knows everything, but it’s pretty comfortable and I won’t be there for long.”

Mason’s stomach churned again. Rain was living in a storage room? Most people would be quick to ask if Rain had any friends or relatives, but Mason knew firsthand how family could turn on you, and most people were one unlucky break from being in the same situation. If Mason hadn’t been given his grandmother’s house, he’d be struggling too. His eyebrows twitched, wanting to furrow.

“What do you do when The Pointe is closed.”

Rain spread his hands around him. “This.”

Cricket, that young man should not be sleeping outside when you have three unused bedrooms upstairs.

Sure, Mason had the space but there was one glaring problem - the life-sized shrine to Rain that sat on his darkroom wall. While Rain seemed breezy about things, Mason was certain that he wouldn’t appreciate some of the photos, namely the ones from his threesome.

But then he thought about Rain sleeping alone in the cold darkness with no fire, waiting until The Pointe reopened and it made him…angry? No. Maybe it was concern. He couldn’t quite place it but it was one of the Rain things that made his stomach churn, and somehow he started to speak.

---