All I Believe (Firsts and Forever, #10)(16)

In case all of that was entirely too subtle, Nana exclaimed, “Nico and Luca want a few minutes alone, Jessie! It’s obvious they got the hots for each other. They’re probably sneaking off for a little makeout session.” She turned to me and asked, “You aren’t gonna do more than that, are you? If so, I can go upstairs and get the rubbers. I don’t have any more lube though, on account of the fact that they took it all from me at the airport. I know your supplies were in your lost luggage, so should I go ask at the front desk where we can buy some lube? Or maybe there’s something you can substitute. Want me to ask the kitchen for some butter or something?”

Luca burst out laughing and I turned bright red as I said, “No thanks, Nana. We’re just going to the restroom.”

I rushed off with Luca right beside me, and he said, “I love your grandmother.”

“I know she means well, but she has a knack for embarrassing me like no one else,” I muttered.

“She’s incredibly accepting about the fact that you’re gay.”

“You don’t know the half of it. Nana’s a huge equal rights advocate. She even finds stray gay guys like Jessie and makes them a part of our family.”

“That’s amazing.”

“It is, and I adore her. The fact that she has no filter is just part of the package.”

When we reached the small restroom, I turned to look at Luca and he said, “I totally followed you in here to make out with you, but now it’s weird. I feel like your Nana is going to ask for a full report when we get back to the table.”

“She will.”

I leaned against the sink, and Luca stepped close and said, “Hey, look. We’re the same height now.” He flashed me a smile.

“Again, the boots with heels, leather pants, and overall seventies porn vibe: not my doing.”

“I like these red pants on you,” he said, lightly running a fingertip across the top of my waistband.

“At least I can bend my legs, and they don’t squeak when I walk. That’s a big step up from the short-lived black pair.”

“You looked good in those too, in the minutes before the dogs shucked them off you.” There was that spark of amusement in his eyes again.

“I appreciate the fact that you didn’t laugh at me, though I really don’t know how you managed to resist.”

“Even if that was the funniest thing I’d ever seen in my entire life, and I’m not saying it was, you were already embarrassed. I wasn’t going to compound it by laughing.”

“Thank you for that, and for sitting with my family and listening to my grandmother’s stories. If you’re doing that to try to impress me, you should know I was already impressed, right from the get-go.”

“I’m not hanging out with your family solely to get in your good graces. It’s nice to have some company. I travel all the time, and most nights are spent alone in random hotels.”

“What do you do for a living?”

“I buy art for a lot of rich bastards who want it as an investment, and a handful who actually appreciate it.”

As he was speaking, his eyes slid down my torso. A moment later, a fingertip followed, lightly skimming my bare chest where the shirt gaped open. I drew in my breath as desire shot down my spine and my cock tried to swell in its tight, leather confines. Luca asked in a low voice, “Do you maybe want to go for a walk or something?” All I could do was nod.

We stopped by the table and told my family we were going to get some fresh air before heading out the open back door. I left the boots under one of the beach chairs, and Luca did the same with his shoes and socks before we headed down the deserted beach. He picked up my hand and held it as we walked, which made me grin.

As we wandered north, away from the center of town, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I looked up at the stars as the sea air stirred my hair. The idyllic setting, combined with the handsome guy by my side, holding my hand, made me feel better than I had in a very long time, and I told him, “I really needed this. Thank you. It’s been almost impossible to relax lately, but this is doing the trick.”


“Why can’t you relax?”

“I’m in law school, and it tends to stress me out. I took classes this summer, too, so I haven’t really had much down time.”

“How much longer until you graduate?”

“Way the hell too long.”

We’d been passing a cluster of tall boulders, and Luca spun me around and lightly pushed me against one of them. Lust washed over me as he leaned in close, his body pressed to mine. His breath was warm on my ear as he said softly, “I can think of so many ways to relax you.”

I chuckled nervously and said, “That sounds like such a line. How many men have you used it on, and does it usually do the trick?”

The corner of his mouth curved into a half-smile. “One, and it’ll only do the trick if he stops making fun of me.”

“I’m not making fun of you exactly. I’m just noting your technique. It’s not every day I get to watch a man like you work his magic.” I was nervous and rambling, and he and I both knew it.

“What kind of man am I?” he asked, nuzzling my cheek and running a hand around my waist.

“Smooth. Charming. Confident. Most of all, seductive. The type of man who can have anyone he wants.”