Luca hums, lifting his head for another slow kiss. “What about you? Do you want me to get you off?”
“No, baby. This was for you. Just you.” Sure, I’m hard as a rock, but this? This was more than enough.
“But—” Panicked gray eyes latch onto mine. “—I have to. It’s not fair.”
I cock my head. “Fair? It’s not tit for tat, baby. I got all I needed from that, I promise. Thank you for letting me take care of you.”
“Are you sure?”
“So sure.” I roll to the side and sprawl out on the bed. “Come here and cuddle with me.”
Luca rolls toward me, tucking his body against mine. I drag my fingers lazily up and down his spine, enjoying the feel of his warmth and the comfort of having him in my bed, in my arms, in my fuckinglife.
It’s going to be such a fucking privilege to love him the way he deserves.
Chapter 25
Luca
“Doyoustillwannado self-defense?”
I finish wiping down the table, then toss the rag into the tub Arlo is holding. “Yeah, I do. Sure, it was scary, but it was fine.” Well, it was fine after a solid forty-eight hours of cuddles and attention from Austin. Being triggered sucked, though, and I’m not in a big hurry to repeat it. “What about you?”
Arlo props the tub on his hip, blowing an unruly lock of hair out of his face. “What about me?”
The hair falls back over his eyes, and he tries to blink it away, so I reach up and tuck it behind his ear. “Are you gonna do more self-defense?”
“Uh.” He turns on his heel, motioning with hishead for me to follow him. “I think so. If Jasper still wants me there.”
“Why wouldn’t Jasper want you there?”
Arlo hesitates. “I don’t know. Just in case he didn’t, y’know?”
I’m not sure what’s changed between the last time and now, but I’m sure Jasper’s fine with it. Even if he’s not, either Arlo goes, or I don’t. “He’ll deal with it if he doesn’t, or I just won’t go either.”
“Yeah?” Arlo sets the tub down on the counter by the sink, and we work side by side to unload the dishes and get them put in the soapy water.
“Yeah, we’re friends. So either he deals with it, or I won’t go either. It’s that simple.”
Arlo hums under his breath. “It’s nice having you as a friend. I still can’t believe Deb was trying to set us up.”
I can’t help but laugh at that. “Me neither. Not that it would have mattered.” I shove at his side playfully as I pick up a plate and start scrubbing. “I’m not sure I’m your type. Something tells me Silver Fox Jasper is more in line with your tastes.”
When I glance at him, he’s beet-red, but he doesn’t deny it. Dipping his hands into the soapy water, he picks up some silverware and starts washing them. “I’m glad you’re back at work.”
“Oh.” I chuckle. “So we’re just gonna skate right past what I said, huh?”
Arlo shrugs. “We can talk about my crush, sure, but then we’ve gotta talk about yours. You and Austin worked through that sexual tension yet?”
I hesitate. It’s not that I don’t trust Arlo; I really do, but I’m not sure how much I want to tell him. We’re friends, though, and it’s important to me to have friends I can be myself around. Friends who Damien can’t take from me.
I huff a laugh, face already burning. “Uh, yes. Kinda. He gave mea blowjob.” After I fucked myself up and sent myself into a tailspin.
Arlo’s gasp has me smiling. “No way!”
“You asked, not me.” I chuckle when he turns incredulous eyes on me.
“I guess I just thought the answer would be no.”
