Chapter
Sixteen
MADDOX
This is a first.
Luca’s body goes limp, his slurred words cut off as he relaxes against the pillows.
I stop what I’m doing and look up at him. His eyes are closed, those long lashes fanned across his cheeks, and his breathing is slow and deep.
He passed out on me.
I chuckle against his skin, but pull back and wipe my mouth. For a moment, I just stare at him, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest.
He’s beautiful.
That slow cracking of the shell around my heart scares the shit out of me, especially for a man twenty years my junior. But there’s something about Luca that makes it hard to be so closed off.
His honesty, his vulnerability, his fucking innocence makes me want to open myself to him fully and completely.
But I can’t. I can’t have another man break me as badly ashedid. If Luca did, I don’t think I’d be able to put myself back together again. I told him what we have can only be physical. Anything more is too much.
I can take care of him right now, though. I can give him what he needs until he finds someone better, a man who’s not held together with ice and duct tape. Luca deserves a person who hasn’t stashed a mental box of bad memories in the back of his mind, and can handle a relationship with a person as good as he is.
As quietly as I can, I slide off the bed and head to my bathroom. Grabbing a cloth, I wet it with warm water and head back to the room. I clean Luca’s belly, cock, and hole, and he barely stirs.
My chest puffs out with pride, knowing I pleased him so much he passed out from pleasure overload. Not something I’ll forget anytime soon.
Once he’s clean and I’ve wiped myself up, I climb into bed, gather him in my arms, and pull the blanket around us. I hold him close, rubbing his back gently, feeling the warmth of his skin.
Luca was absolutely perfect. The sweetest man I’ve ever been with, the most pliable, the most responsive. The way he trusted me with his pleasure, to take care of him and make him feel good… yeah, that makes me feel like more of a man than I’ve ever felt.
What is it about this man in my arms that makes me lose all sense of who I used to be? It’s almost like my past never happened when he’s around. I only remember when I force myself not to fall for him.
How long will that last? How long will he be able to keep me from ruminating over what I lost, the time that passed where I was trapped in my pain?
Sighing, I push thoughts of my past from my mind as Luca’s warmth seeps into me.
He stirs on top of me, then turns his face so he can meet my gaze. “What happened?” he asks in a sleepy voice. “How… did I…”
“I pushed you to your limits,” I answer simply. “I won’t be so selfish again, I promise.”
Even in the dark, his blush is visible. I’m fucking addicted to the sight. “I mean… you don’t have to promise that.” He chews his lower lip. “I… uh, kind of liked it.” Those wide brown eyes meet mine, saying all the things his lips can’t.
“So that’s not a hard limit for you?” I ask anyway, needing to check in with him.
Luca shakes his head slowly. “Definitely not a hard limit.”
Leaning forward, I take his lips in a gentle kiss, savoring the taste of him. Luca’s still a little out of it, his lips moving slowly over mine, his mouth slack.
Breaking the kiss, I press his head back to my chest. “Was it good for you?” I ask, not needing the praise but wanting to hear the sweet words from Luca.
His chuckle is low and breathy. “Yeah. It was perfect. I never imagined anything could feel like that. Is it weird to say thank you?”
“I’d give you anything, Luca,” I mutter, and almost start because I actually mean it.
He lets out a low, pleased breath, then wiggles on top of me. I immediately let him go, allowing him to sit up. “I should go,” he whispers as he tries to slide off my body.
