I glance at her, and my breath freezes in my lungs. She’s staring at me with wide eyes, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her fingers twitch, like she’s fighting the urge to reach out and touch me. The knowledge that she wants me too sends a jolt of need straight to my cock.
I reach out blindly, my fingers brushing against hers under the table. She gasps softly, her hand turning to lace our fingers together. Her skin is warm, her grip tight, and I cling to her like she’s the only thing keeping me grounded.
Maybe because she is. In the insanity of this moment, her hand in mine is real.
Luca takes a slow sip of his wine, those amber eyes never leaving us. The glass looks delicate in his big hand, the darkliquid catching the light. He sets it down with a soft clink and leans forward, elbows on the table.
“Do you know why I’m here?” His gaze bounces back and forth between us.
Anabel and I shake our heads in unison. My fingers are still tangled with hers under the table, and I don’t ever want to let go.
Luca’s lips curve into that knowing smirk. “Because of your wishes.”
Anabel stiffens beside me. “Our wishes?”
“At the fountain. My fountain.” He tilts his head, watching us like we’re the most fascinating thing he’s ever seen. “You both wished for each other.” He sips his wine again and when his eyes meet mine, my cock throbs. “I couldn’t leave such tender wishes unanswered.”
My pulse hammers in my throat. She wished for me. Holy shit. Holy shit.
Anabel’s grip tightens on my hand, her breath hitching. She turns to me, her blue eyes wide, searching. “Cole…?”
I nod, my voice barely above a whisper. “I wished for you, Anabel. I wished for…the courage to tell you how I feel.”
Her lips part, her gaze softening, and for a second, the world narrows to just this, to her hand in mine, to the way she’s looking at me like I’m something precious. Like I’m hers.
Luca lets out a satisfied chuckle. “See? Even the gods can’t resist a love story this sweet.”
Anabel’s cheeks flush, but she doesn’t look away from me. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she says softly. “I wished for you, too.”
Her words hit me like fireworks, lighting me up from the inside with something hot and beautiful.
“You did?”
She nods, and I feel like I can’t breathe.
Luca’s eyes flick between us with slow, deliberate precision. His smirk fades, replaced by a soft, gentle smile that only emphasizes how handsome he is.
“You love each other.”
The words hang in the air, simple and undeniable.
Anabel squeezes my fingers, her breathing ragged. She doesn’t look away from me, her blue eyes so, so bright. “Yeah,” she whispers. “I do.”
My throat goes tight as my heart kicks wildly against my ribs. I nod, praying my voice doesn’t crack as I tell her the truth. “I love you.”
Three
Cole
Luca watches us with a knowing gaze that should unnerve me, but it doesn’t. “This isn’t just infatuation,” he says, his tone almost intimate. “Nor is it just attraction. This is the real kind of love. The patient kind. The loyal kind. The kind that trusts.” He taps his chest, right over his heart. “I can feel it because I’m made of it. It’s part of me.”
Anabel’s thumb brushes over my knuckles, making my skin tingle. I can feel the heat of her thigh pressed against mine, the way her body leans into me, like she’s trying to get closer without even realizing it.
Luca’s lips curve, just slightly. “You’re destined for each other. Fated.”
Anabel’s breath shudders out, her fingers trembling in mine. “I just… I never thought—”
I squeeze her hand, cutting her off. “Me neither.”
