Richard surveyed the variety of toys arranged before him and half a dozen other MateHub stars. MateHub merch was always a little disconcerting when it was laid out like this, just highly realistic body parts strewn across the table. But he couldn't focus on that, not when his eyes had locked on a familiar ass. Max reached out like he was about to grab it, and Richard slapped his hand away.
Brandt gestured to the assorted dicks and asses on display. "As you can see, we got in the prototypes of the new merch line. We want footage for the promotional videos of you using—"
"I get Hunter's," Richard said, interrupting him.
"All of you will use multiple—"
"I get Hunter's," Richard repeated.
Brandt sighed. "Alright, but it'd be great if you also used—"
"No." Richard glared. Why would he want to use inferior products when Hunter's merch was right there?
Off to the side, Hunter shook his head fondly from where he lounged on the interview couch, his presence in Richard's mind shimmering with amusement. While he wasn't contracted to film this scene, they did have another lined up the following day. Richard would be using his favorite toy when a phone call would pull him away from it, and after he returned, he'd find his naughty roommate had taken its place. Of course, he wouldn't notice the difference until he was knot deep. A completely understandable mistake. The merch was quite realistic, and he was rather unobservant, after all.
Even though today would be a solo scene, Richard hadn't felt right going to the MateHub studios without Hunter.
"That's fine," Brandt said. "But we also want a few shots of other people—"
"I get Hunter's." A growl was creeping into Richard's voice. "No one else gets to use Hunter's. No one else needs to use Hunter's. I will be using it."
Max snorted. "I hate to break it to you, man, but a lot of people will be using it. Kinda the entire point of having merch."
Richard held back another growl, and Max smirked at him.
"What? Are you planning to buy them all?"
He might have considered it once or twice. Or every day since Hunter had signed the contract for this. No one but him should get Hunter's ass.
"Richard," Hunter called out, laughter sparkling in his tone. "We talked about this. How many people have a very, very lifelike replica of your dick living in their sock drawer?"
"Only a few," Richard grumbled.
"A few thousand," Max said, snorting again.
Some friend he was, undermining Richard's argument like that.
"So should I be getting growly over the people who are probably riding your dick nightly, Mr. Merch Shop Bestseller, five years running?" Hunter asked.
Richard huffed. He didn't think it was too much to ask for a little jealousy.
"Okay," Hunter said. "I'll get a list of people who have bought it from the merch shop and start storming into their houses, calling them floozies, and demanding they hand over my mate's dick. Happy?"
Richard couldn't stop the smug grin from spreading on his face. Extremely.
Hunter shook his head again, but he was grinning back. "Why do you even care? You're the only one who gets the real thing."
That was a valid point. Maybe he should contact the merchandising team and have them put that on the packaging. A nice, big disclaimer on the box saying the user better enjoy it because they'd never get to experience the real deal. Yeah, that was an excellent idea. He'd do that.
"Fine," he said, grabbing the toy. "But no one else at MateHub gets to film scenes with this. It's mine." He glared at his assembled coworkers, and they nodded solemnly.
"All yours," Kodiak said. Good. He didn't know how to use it properly anyway.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Xavier agreed dryly, looking about ready to roll his eyes.
When Max didn't immediately chime in, Richard side-eyed him. He got a shit-eating grin in return. Well, if Max wanted to be a bigger ass than the toy Richard was holding… Richard slowly reached toward one of the wolf shifter toys.
Max snatched it up before Richard's hand got too close.
"I'll start with this. Whoever's it is."
Right. Like he didn't know.
Richard exchanged a glance with Hunter, and Hunter gave him an almost imperceptible nod, a wicked mischief threading through their bond, both of them on the exact same page.
Time to do some meddling of their own.
But first, Richard had merchandise to test out, and then he'd need to remind himself how much better the real thing was in comparison.
* * *