CHAPTER 20

“Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version)” – Taylor Swift

THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN waiting for this entire trip.

Driving by the coast with the windows down, while the music’s on full blast.

The view is pretty stunning, although Luca makes it look even better from the passenger seat as my eyes follow the sunbeams that are reflecting off his skin.

“Thank you for coming to the festival with me yesterday,” he says, glancing over at me. “I hope you had fun.”

“I did,” I reply. “I must say it was pretty adorable seeing you in your element like that.” An endearing blush creeps onto his cheeks. “I can tell how much art really means to you.”

“It does. My dad would always talk about those festivals and how nice it would be for us to finally go to one together in the future.” His voice drops a little. “We never actually had a chance to go together. But painting pieces for the festival ever since we moved back here made me feel close to him in a way. ”

My heart breaks a little after hearing this. “I can see that. I think it’s great that you continue to go to them.”

He squeezes my hand with the one not gripping the steering wheel, making my heart meld back together.

We don’t really have a specific plan for the day other than some sightseeing, which is more than eventful considering how beautiful the village that we just arrived in is. While Luca explains the backstory behind some of the intricate designs, I try my best to follow along despite my random, inaccurate, and secondhand embarrassing comments, with the latest one being: “I feel like I’m in the Cheetah Girls 2 movie.”

He snorts. “Oh God.” Then his brows crease. “Wasn’t that shot in Barcelona?”

“No, I know,” I say. “The architecture just reminded me of some of the scenes. I remember wanting to come to Spain as soon as I finished watching it for the first time. It was one of my comfort movies as a kid.”

Luca rests his hand against his cheek with amusement as we move to sit on a bench. “Why do I have a feeling that you liked the guitar player from that movie?”

“Maybe because I did,” I say coyly.

He rolls his eyes. “So did Sofia.”

My eyes light up as I face toward him. “Wait, so you’ve also seen the movie?”

“Sadly, yes,” he replies. “Sofia loved those movies growing up as well. I actually still have nightmares of her and her friends and how they would pretend that they were members of the Cheetah Girls and annoy the hell out of me every weekend.”

Immediately covering my hands over my mouth, I squeal, “I’m crying. That’s iconic.”

“Yeah, I was crying too,” he deadpans .

I laugh. “Would you believe me if I told you my friends did the exact same? But also with High School Musical .”

He tilts his head up at me. “Now what makes you think I’d believe that?”

As I smile at the reminder of how silly we all were during our adolescence and still probably are, Luca asks, “So where do you want to go tonight?”

“What about a nightclub?” I suggest.

“Okay, yeah sure.”

Noting a bit of surprise in his voice, I add, “It’s just I couldn’t really enjoy it that much during the first weekend. But if you prefer doing something else, I’m okay with that as well.”

He quickly shakes his head and smiles. “No, I don’t mind. I’m open to anything.”

“Is there a different one you’d recommend so we can try somewhere new?” I ask.

He glances at me knowingly. “Yeah. I know one I think you’d like.”

“Perfect.” I grin as his hand intertwines in mine.

_________

When we’re back at the resort, the first thing I look for is the sheer black halter midi dress that I got from the boutique next to the lobby.

I intentionally put all my hair up in a higher ponytail to reveal its backless cut. My red cocktail dress may have been the most revealing thing I’ve worn so far, but this is way bolder.

Even without Luca, I would have still worn this dress tonight. But now I want to make an impression . Maybe a bit more, since I’ve noticed he’s taking things pretty slow with me .

He’s been extremely well-behaved. Dare I say, a bit too behaved. To the point where I feel a little bad for being disappointed that he’s not initiating to do more than just kissing yet.

While I put on my short black strappy heels, I wonder if he’s just waiting for me to give him a hint that I’m comfortable to take things further, and so that’s exactly what I’m going to do tonight.

When I hear a knock, the adrenaline in my veins spikes as I walk toward the door and open it. Luca quickly looks down my dress, with his top lip pressed softly down onto his bottom. Then he abruptly looks up at me, his eyes darker. “Ready?”

His glance wasn’t quick enough for me to not notice. And the fact that he doesn’t comment one word on what I’m wearing, despite usually doing so, makes me smirk to myself at the hold that this seems to be having on him.

Suddenly I feel a bit more powerful . Like I have this sense of control I’ve never had before. And I didn’t wear this dress for nothing. Flaunting the back of it would only be the logical thing to do here. So I make sure to walk slightly ahead of him, that way he has the perfect view of it.

I shouldn’t have turned around though. When I glance back at him and notice him quickly look up, I immediately clock how he almost freezes in place. I don’t know what’s sexier. Knowing that Luca was looking down my body. Or the way his cheeks are flushing now that I caught him staring.

This is dangerous though. Because now I feel even more powerful as I turn back around and continue walking with pure satisfaction.

________ _

Luca wasn’t joking when he said I’d like this club. It’s more of an indoor-outdoor hybrid, and it’s filled with these fluorescent lights. I can already tell I love it by the music alone. When I instantly recognize the song, I pull his hand toward the dance floor. “They’re playing Dua Lipa. C’mon.”

As if his attire isn’t distracting enough, with his black cropped pants and navy linen shirt that’s unbuttoned at the top, my eyes grow even heavier when a third button pops open, revealing more of his now sweaty chest.

Even while we’re dancing, I’m too focused on his skin to notice he’s looking at me until his voice tickles my ear. “Are you having fun?”

I smile at how endearingly he asks this, noting how he wants to make sure I’m having a good time.

And that’s only making me want him even more.

“Yes. Are you?” I reply as he leans in and playfully kisses my cheek.

When the next song starts, my eyes light up once I recognize the melody, remembering it’s “Nuestra Canción” by GALE. Even though I just started learning more Spanish this past week, Latin music has always been one of my favorite genres to listen to. And since this song also happens to be a favorite of mine, it only adds to the high that I’m currently on.

Everything is going perfectly, but I still sense that Luca’s holding back.

As the song builds up, I subtly turn around so that his chest is pressed against my back. It’s obvious enough to where he could take the initiative and do something.

Yet, he still does nothing .

When the song gets quieter closer to the end, I whisper in his ear, “You know, you don’t need to be this cautious with me.” I want to sound casual, while also reassuring him that I’m comfortable. Since he’s treating me like he knows I don’t have any experience, which is the exact opposite of what I want. And a big reason why I kept it from Enrique in the first place.

Luca’s brows furrow. “What do you mean?”

“If something feels overwhelming, I’ll let you know,” I clarify.

When his expression only grows more confused, my back tenses, not wanting to have sounded so obvious that it takes the spontaneity out of the moment. Despite the tension that’s building in my shoulders and how sweaty my palms are, I confess, “I don’t want my lack of experience to affect how you treat me.”

It’s direct. Maybe a little too direct. But it’s how I feel. And it wouldn’t be smart to now avoid things I wanted to say in the past, even when I was embarrassed to say them.

He tilts his head to the side. “I wasn’t trying to do that. I’m sorry if it came across that way.”

“Maybe I misinterpreted it then,” I say. “I guess I’m a little confused.”

“About what?” He brushes a stray strand of hair from my face so sweetly that I feel bad for questioning him.

“If you… you know ? About the physical stuff.” I know that’s not even a sentence, but I find myself choking on my words all of a sudden. I’m more than aware that I’ve been vulnerable around him plenty of times now. Told him things way more personal than this. But now that we’re together, it feels different. I swallow the lump in my throat, wondering if maybe I’m over sharing.

Luca blinks knowingly all of a sudden. “I don’t want you to think that my mind is stuck on only that one thing.”

“If you’re referring to sex, why would that be a bad thing?” I ask.

“It’s not. That’s not what I’m trying to say. ”

“And if your mind is thinking about it, I don’t want you to feel like you can’t express what you want with me.”

His eyes soften as his tone grows more serious. “No, I know that. I just don’t want to disrespect you or anything.”

The concern in his eyes. The patience in his voice. Now that my previous suspicions have been confirmed, ironically, I’m even more turned on. “The fact that you’re saying this is enough for me to know that you’re not doing that,” I say.

He brushes my hand as my chest tightens at the subtle contact. “You’ve waited years, and I don’t want to change the way you want it to happen.”

Yeah, I’m going to fall down at any moment.

I bring my hands up to his neck, not only needing support, but also just wanting to touch him. “But it’s not just about me anymore. I care about what both of us want. And trust me, if I’m giving you any impressions of doubt it’s just my awkwardness and not at all me worrying that you’re pressuring me to do something.”

“Okay. Thank you for telling me how you feel.”

“I didn’t mean to bring down the mood though.” I sigh, trying not to roll my eyes at myself.

He shakes his head. “You didn’t. I’m happy that you talked to me.”

“You weren’t wrong when you said communication might not feel sexy sometimes. I know it was necessary to bring up since I was thinking about it…which is why I decided to talk to you in the best possible setting.” I chuckle nervously.

Luca leans forward, igniting my entire body as he gives me a seductive glare. I can’t read his next move. Yet, I can feel the excitement dancing along my skin, my chest slightly arching into him as a reflex.

“Here. Now it’s my turn to communicate.” His posture grows more confident. “Do you remember that second party?”

“How could I forget…” I roll my eyes at the reminder of how I behaved. “Why?”

“I wanted to kiss you so badly when you walked up to me. But then I realized you were drunk.” He glances at my lips. “And even more when you told me later that night how you wanted me to at the wedding.”

I groan. “So there’s more from that night that I told you about?”

A cocky grin spreads across his face. “You also said you think my back’s solid and that I should stop working out so much.”

“Great.” I scoff nervously. “So you would have kissed me that night if I wasn’t drunk?”

“I feel a little guilty for admitting it, but if you want to know the truth… yes .” Luca brushes his thumb across my chin so softly that I wonder how I feel it between my legs that are suddenly screaming over such a simple touch.

I challenge, “Show me how you would’ve done it that night.”

I swear his eyes just turned three shades deeper.

As the music picks up again, he leans forward.

His hand moves behind my head before I realize what he’s doing. I feel his fingers slide down my hair tie, slowly pulling it out of my long hair without leaving my eyes the entire time.

Never in my entire life would I have imagined a guy taking a hair tie out of my hair would stir this much arousal in me and yet —

When my hair falls down to my sides, Luca takes both of his hands and places them behind my neck, underneath my hair. I feel his fingers clasp onto my hair, gripping my waves like an anchor, comfortably, yet so consumingly, that my lips part open with desire. Which is perfect, considering how he immediately pulls my top lip against his bottom lip as his fingers graze across my sensitive jaw and ears.

He’s moving his lips the same way that sends chills down my back, the way they cling onto mine as if he needs them between his. But this time it’s more urgent. Wilder .

I still can’t quite put it into words how he does it, other than I feel his kiss in my entire body and not just on my lips.

As my lips part even further, he slips his tongue slightly into my mouth, but noticeably more than before. Between his tongue and the way his arms are roaming down my back, a stronger moan vibrates off my mouth and into his, when I hear him groan. The sound is unlike anything I’ve heard. Full of longing . Desire . And self-control . And it travels straight to my chest, when I feel my nipples tighten against my dress, his discipline, again, turning me on even more.

_________

Once we reach our floor, I immediately pull Luca by his unbuttoned shirt collar and into my suite, while he grins into my lips at my newfound behavior.

It’s as if we’re both consumed with a surplus of adrenaline, energy, and lust . So much so that both of us don’t quite know what to do with it. The electricity is so palpable that if he were to just touch the end of my finger with his, we’d both probably feel a sting.

As he sits down on the couch with his arms spread out while leaning back, I gasp at how overwhelming yet satisfying this feels.

Although just looking at him like this is lighting me on fire, I’m reminded of what he said earlier, and only think it’s fair to be a little polite in return .

So while I’m standing a few feet away from him, I coyly ask, “We could take it slow if you want? I’d personally prefer not to, but—”

Luca scoffs, before pulling me toward him and lifting me right onto his lap so that my legs straddle his waist.

He leans in. “You were saying?”

“I don’t really remember what I was saying.”

All he does is continue to glance at me with the smuggest expression. “If you’re going to keep undressing me with your eyes, the least you could do is make sure I’m not watching.”

“I thought guys like to watch?” I play with his collar.

He looks down at my hands. “Not when it’s this distracting.”

“In what ways?” I ask innocently as I meet his eyes.

He bites down on his bottom lip. “Trust me. You don’t wanna know.”

“And what if I do?”

“Maybe I’ll tell you some other time.”

I grip his shoulders tightly when I feel his lips press against my neck, noting this is the first time he’s kissing me there. My forehead crinkles so deeply that I almost whimper when his sighs echo over my skin.

Each new spot he kisses me, I find myself feeling things I didn’t quite know existed. Not like this. The heat curling up my stomach is now roaring through my hips, his rising chest guiding me like a compass.

I tilt my head to the side, giving him more access as his tongue also touches my skin. I can’t hold in the moan that’s been building inside me any longer when I hear him groan. “Fuck. It should be illegal to smell this good,” Luca says, his voice breathy.

“You like how I smell?” I barely manage to say .

“I find it pretty disrespectful now that you ask,” he replies as his jaw tickles my collarbone.

As if this couldn’t feel better, his mouth gently sucks on my neck when I let out another, even deeper moan. Then I feel him hard beneath me.

“Oh wow,” I whisper under my breath.

Sadly he hears it.

“What?” Luca asks.

“Nothing,” I reply.

He must feel me reposition myself slightly when I notice his cheeks almost flush.

I add, “My bad. I’ve never felt that before.”

In the brief moment where it appears like he’s almost wondering if I’m uncomfortable, I quickly reassure with wide eyes, “No. It’s nice .”

I must look a little too enthusiastic when he chuckles.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone describe my erection that way before,” he says.

Just the word sends another wave of pleasure down my body as I shyly smile back at him. “I guess there’s a first time for everything then,” I say.

“And thank God for that,” he says, grinning back into my lips.

The pressure of him against my center sends a shiver right through me, knowing my body is making his react like this. It’s so sexy. That I almost grind into him a little at the new and pleasant sensation.

Then my phone rings. Is this karma or something? It must be.

Thankfully, we keep kissing. “I’ll check my phone in like a minute,” I say.

“Okay,” he adds as he pulls my lips into his again.

“Or maybe in a few minutes,” I rephrase .

His lips curve upwards against mine. “Sounds good to me.”

When we both desperately need air, Luca asks, “Quick question, did you wear this dress to fuck up my mind?”

Even though I saw plenty of his reaction just by how he’s been staring at it the entire night, I tease, “I didn’t think you even noticed it since you didn’t comment on it.”

“I didn’t comment on it because I’d get in trouble for what I wanted to say.” He doesn’t lose our eye contact as he traces his fingers down my exposed back. But he’s not just touching my skin. The pressure he’s placing against it, the speed in which his fingers are traveling down, the way I almost feel the ends of his short nails grazing along my skin. It’s making everything in my body awaken.

And so all I can do is watch him make a mess of me. “How do you say, I like the way you touch my neck, in Spanish?”

“Me gusta cómo me tocas el cuello.” He leans forward to kiss my neck again, while his fingers continue to caress my back at a distracting pace. But his sounds . His sighs at just watching me unravel for the first time are pleasing enough.

I close my eyes, humming at the combination of sensations along with the hardness that’s growing underneath me. Thankful that the thin fabric of my underwear is all that’s resting over his pants. “What about…” I moan. “I like the way you kiss my neck?”

“Me gusta cómo me besas el cuello.” His voice continues to vibrate off my skin.

This time my moan is met with an even louder gasp.

“Once again Jasmine, I’m barely touching you,” Luca teases, as I remember the reference from when he taught me how to surf.

I challenge, “Well maybe that’s the problem.”

His hands move to the ends of my dress, pulling the fabric up agonizingly slowly. “ ?Quieres que te toque?”

I gasp. “I don’t know what you just said, but yes .”

He meets my eyes with his now inky sapphire ones. “You want me to touch you?”

I barely nod, and then tilt my neck up when his fingers trace up my legs as my dress moves up with them. He rests his hands on the sides of my upper thighs, when I hear his almost raspy voice by my ear. “ Where ?”

And then the loveliest thing happens.

My fucking phone has to fucking ring right now of all fucking moments. FUCK.

I groan. “The only person who calls me twice in a row ever is my mom.”

Luca removes his hands from underneath my dress to my extreme dismay as I struggle to keep my weight upright. He looks at me, a bit concerned, but also trying to regain his composure as well. “Maybe it’s an emergency?” he says, his voice still scratchy from our tragically-interrupted hookup.

I grumble to myself for even bringing up my mom of all people right now. It just slipped out of my lips since I’m not exactly thinking the most logically right now. My body achingly moves off his as he stretches his neck.

It’s almost like we sigh in unison on what could have just happened.

I check my phone, then mumble to myself when it really is my mom. “If I don’t call her back, she will keep calling me until I answer.”

“Don’t worry. Go talk to her. It’s getting late anyway.” He checks his phone, raising his brows. “Shit. It’s already 3 am.”

“I’m sorry,” I say. “Next time my phone’s going on silent.”

“Don’t be sorry. I’ll see you in a few hours anyway.”

“Oh shit, we’re surfing tomorrow, right.” His lips made me temporarily forget about anything before his kiss. Remembering when we have to wake up, I groan even louder. “Do we really have to get up at 7?”

“If you want to feel the fresh salt air right in the morning,” he exaggerates.

“And if I don’t want to?” I mock.

“Goodnight.” Luca kisses my lips so softly that it makes me want to throw my phone into the ocean, and just pull him in again.