Bait

The tension between them was becoming deliberate.

It wasn't an accident anymore.

Kole knew what he was doing.

It started with the shirt.

Kole had slipped into it like it was nothing-like he wasn't aware of the way it clung to his body, the way the fabric outlined every inch of his chest. A black, tight-fitting t-shirt. The kind of shirt Jackson hated.

Because it made Kole look too damn good.

Jackson had watched him all day, keeping his distance-barely talking, avoiding his eyes. But Kole could tell.

He could feel Jackson's stare burning into his skin like a branding iron. And he reveled in it.

After all, Jackson was supposed to be the one in control.

Kole didn't need to be in control. He just had to push. Just enough.

---

They were in the elevator heading down for a photoshoot. The glass mirrored walls reflected everything: their faces, their shoulders, the way they stood just a few inches apart, each of them aware of the proximity.

Kole didn't miss the way Jackson's eyes flickered to his chest when he adjusted his shirt. He didn't miss the way Jackson's jaw tightened either.

The elevator stopped on the floor. Jackson's hand reached for the door-just as Kole slid a finger beneath the collar of his shirt and tugged it a little lower, just enough to tease the edges of his collarbone.

"I'll be back in ten," Kole said, voice soft but full of something darker, something dangerous.

Jackson didn't respond immediately.

And then... the smallest gesture: his hand, resting just a little too long on Kole's shoulder as they exited.

It was electric.

Kole was almost giddy with it.

---

By the time they were in the dressing room, Jackson was quiet, his gaze darting between the stylist, the mirror, and-unmistakably-Kole.

He could feel Jackson's eyes on him, the weight of them on his bare arms, the way they trailed down his legs.

"Something on my face?" Kole teased, smirking as he spun around in front of the mirror. He knew exactly what he was doing.

But Jackson's response was cold.

"Nothing," he muttered, his tone clipped. "Just focus on the shoot."

Kole paused, turning back slowly. "I am. What's the matter, Jackson? You seem... distracted."

A lie, of course. Jackson was far beyond distracted.

Kole's finger traced a line on the mirror, just a little too deliberately, before turning to face him again. "You seem a little tense."

Jackson's lips pressed into a thin line. "Stop it."

"Stop what?"

The silence between them was thick. Heavy. Kole took a slow step forward, crowding Jackson just enough to feel the way he stiffened.

"I'm not doing anything, Jackson. Just being me."

Jackson's eyes darkened. The game was in full swing now.

"Careful, Kole," he said, his voice a low growl, his fingers brushing dangerously close to Kole's arm as he stepped back. "Don't tease a man like me."

Kole's breath caught in his throat.

He was playing with fire. But he had no intention of backing off. Not now.

"Teasing?" he murmured, stepping closer. "I'm just... giving you something to look at."

Jackson's gaze burned through him. "You don't know what you're playing with."

And suddenly, that tension, that simmering pressure, was about to snap.

Kole moved even closer, daring him with a grin. "Do you want me to stop?"

Jackson's eyes narrowed, his hand reaching out in warning. But before he could make contact, Kole stepped out of his reach with a laugh.

"No?" Kole taunted. "I didn't think so."

---

That night, they were alone in the suite. The quiet between them was almost unbearable.

Kole couldn't stop watching Jackson, even when Jackson tried to avoid his gaze. There was something raw in the air. Something unspoken.

Kole wanted to push him to the edge. He wasn't sure why.

But Jackson? He was pushing back in ways that made Kole want it even more.

When Kole slid under the sheets that night, he didn't try to hide the fact that he was wearing nothing but those damn silk shorts-bare skin beneath the thin fabric.

The room felt too small.

He could hear Jackson's sharp intake of breath from across the room.

But Jackson stayed on his side of the bed, still and rigid. Not moving. Not touching.

Kole could almost feel the tension vibrating through the air.

It wasn't enough.

Not yet.