“I think they taste good without cheese.”
“Oh, you must really like them. You can have the whole bag.” He hands it to me.
“Thank you, Luke. You’re a real friend. Very loyal.”
“And friendly,” Luke says.
“That’s right!” I laugh. “Want to try, Bellanti?”
I narrow the distance between us, then dangle the bunch in front of him, close enough for him to smell the faint, sweet grape scent. He freezes.
“That’s, uh, okay,” he says finally.
His throat moves. Got him.
“Yummy grapes.” I swing the bunch back and forth before him.
I lean closer to him, and he inhales in that way he does when I’m around. I’m half-naked, still dripping water down my chest, and the cold air prickles my skin. His gaze drops, then snaps back up.
“You eyeing the grapes, Bellanti?” I ask.
His face goes red, and he glares at me. “Yes.”
He yanks the whole bunch from my hands. His fingers tremble, and I watch him take a grape into his hand. I almost feel bad, but he glares at me again, then stuffs the grape in his mouth.
My whole body tenses as I watch his jaw work.
“That’s right,” I say. “Chew. Lots of small bites. No sudden movements.”
Enzo chews slowly.
He’s never eaten a grape in my presence since the day we met.
“I’ll be here if you need me.” I smirk.
Enzo’s jaw tightens, but he stays quiet. He’s being careful.
“Huh,” Luke says. “I think I understand now why they say grapes are romantic. Even Axel and Bellanti look like they’re about to kiss, and they hate each other.”
Enzo swallows the grape. His expression hardens. “Axel and I are definitely?—”
“—not going to kiss,” I finish for him.
“To suggest that—” Enzo says, and I nod.
“—is absurd,” I finish.
This time he nods.
“Well, even Finn and Noah don’t make out in the locker room,” Luke says.
Guilty expressions go over Finn and Noah’s faces.
“Maybe they would if they fed each other grapes,” Troy says.
Luke blinks. “Do you think so?”
He stares at the grapes in Enzo’s hand.
