Luca’s gaze lingers on us, heavy and warm, like he’s memorizing this moment. Like he’s savoring it.
He leans in closer, his eyes glittering. “Your bond is pure,” he says, his voice quiet but confident. “It’s strong. The love in your hearts isn’t the problem here.” His gaze flicks between us, lingering on the way Anabel’s thigh presses against mine, the way my fingers tremble in hers. “It’s the physical manifestation of love that’s really holding you back.”
My breath catches. I can feel Anabel’s eyes on me, waiting, but I can’t look at her. Not yet. Not when Luca’s words are unraveling me, thread by thread.
“That’s where I come in,” he says softly.
Anabel lets out a shaky exhale. My cock jumps in response, desperate, needy. I shift again, my jeans too tight, too restrictive. I want to be naked. I want my cock out.
Luca’s lips curve into that gorgeous smirk. “I can help you let go,” he says. “I can help you move past fear and shame and hesitation.” His intense gaze locks onto mine. “You’ve already started opening. You just need someone to guide you through the rest.” He pauses, letting the words sink in. “I’m that someone.”
Anabel makes a soft, needy sound beside me, her fingers tightening around mine. She shifts restlessly in her seat. God, I want to make her come. So, so badly.
Luca’s eyes never leave mine. “You don’t need me to help you fall in love with each other,” he says, his voice rough with something that sounds almost like hunger. “You’re already there.” His smirk deepens, wicked and teasing. “No, you need me to help you fuck each other.”
The word hangs in the air between us, filthy and perfect. My cock throbs, my balls tighten, and I have to bite back a groan. Anabel’s fingers are still tangled with mine, her grip tight enough to ground me, but not enough to stop the heat flooding my face.
Fuck each other.
The words echo through my skull, raw and filthy and exactly what I’ve been too afraid to admit I want. Because I want to do filthy, unspeakable things to Anabel. My best friend.
Anabel swallows hard beside me, her throat working. Her cheeks are flushed, her lips parted, nipples hard little points that I want to pinch and lick. She’s just as turned on as I am, just as enthralled by Luca’s bluntness. But she doesn’t pull away. Doesn’t let go of my hand.
Luca leans back just enough to give us space, but not enough to let us off the hook. “So,” he says, all warm and flirty. “Do you want my help?”
My pulse hammers in my throat, and I’m hyperaware of where my fingers are laced with Anabel’s. The sounds of the hotel bar—the clink of glasses, the murmur of conversation, the distant hum of music—fade into the background, drowned out by the roaring in my ears.
Anabel’s gaze lifts to mine, wide and searching. She doesn’t say anything, but she doesn’t have to. The question is there, hanging between us, fragile and hopeful. Do you want this? Do you want me? Are we really going to let this virtual stranger into our intimate lives?
I nod, once, my throat too tight to speak, and I can see the relief in her eyes when I do. She wants this, just as much as I do. My heart slams against my ribs, but I don’t look away. I can’t.
She turns to Luca. “Yes. We want your help.”
I swallow hard, my gaze flicking between them. I’m inexplicably drawn to this man, this stranger, and I can tell Anabel is, too. I don’t understand it, but does that matter? Something about him feels weirdly familiar. Strangely right.
I nod, too. “We do.”
Luca leans back in the booth, his broad shoulders pressing against the leather, his gaze never leaving us. He gesturesbetween us with one hand, his fingers long and expressive. “Then kiss her, Cole. Soft and slow.”
My stomach flips, my pulse spiking. My hands are shaking, but I don’t hesitate. I turn to Anabel, my heart in my throat, and lower my face to hers. Her breath stutters, her lips parting just slightly, and then my lips brush against hers for the first time.
It’s soft, hesitant at first, but then she makes a low, needy sound, her free hand curling into the hair at the nape of my neck, and I melt into her. Her mouth is warm, her lips impossibly soft, and she tastes like wine and something sweet, something uniquely Anabel that makes my cock weep.
I groan against her mouth, and she whimpers, leaning into me. I deepen the kiss just a little, my tongue brushing against her lower lip. She opens for me with a soft gasp, her fingers tangling in my hair, and my cock throbs in my pants.
Kissing Anabel is the best thing I’ve ever done. I’ve imagined it so many times, but all of my fantasies fell short of this moment. Of the feeling of her lips against mine, her tongue sliding sweetly into my mouth.
We break apart after a moment, breathless, our foreheads pressed together. Her cheeks are flushed, her lips swollen, and I can’t stop staring at her. She’s so fucking beautiful like this, all flushed and trembling, and I want to kiss her again.
I want to kiss her forever.
I feel…changed. New. And also like a bit of an idiot, because apparently I could’ve been kissing Anabel like this for a while now.
Luca’s voice cuts through the haze of my thoughts. “How was that?”
Anabel’s fingers twitch in mine, her breath still unsteady. “Good,” she whispers. “Really good.”
I nod, struggling to form words. “Yeah. Good.”
