CHAPTER 25

“Dress” – Taylor Swift

“YOU KNOW IT’S FUNNY HOW we met,” I say as Luca and I sit on a blanket on the floor once we’re back at his apartment.

He takes a bite of broccoli before asking, “How so?”

“I’ve always had the fantasy of meeting my dream guy on a summer vacation. I never thought it would actually happen.”

“So I’m your dream guy?” Of course that’s the first thing he points out. I roll my eyes as he gives me a side smirk. “Is that what you thought when you first saw me?”

“Not even close. I couldn’t stand you that day. So you can imagine my frustration when I also found you to be obnoxiously attractive.”

Luca bites down on his lip in amusement. “If I saw you that day before you spilled the drinks like that,” he begins sarcastically, “I would have definitely checked you out.”

“Like how you checked me out before you taught me how to surf?”

“Yeah, and how you did the same,” he says arrogantly as he bites down on another vegetable .

His words remind me how many times I must have glanced over at him these past few weeks. And now I realize that he’s probably picked up on every single one of these moments.

I point the attention back to the food that he prepared for us just to distract from the heat that’s started to disperse at my core. “What did you put in this salmon? I usually don’t like it that much, but this is amazing.”

Luca stares at the dish cluelessly as if he didn’t just make it. “I honestly don’t know. I just threw in some spices that were in my cabinet into the pan, mixed it, and hoped for the best.”

I snort. “How do guys just put random shit together and it somehow tastes good?” He shrugs with a pleased grin. “I can make a pretty good grilled cheese. And an amazing salad.”

“A salad? That’s hardly cooking.” He chuckles.

“Maybe the way you make yours. I make my dressing from scratch.”

“ Woah .” He raises his hands with an exaggerated glare.

I nudge his shoulder. “Shut up. It tastes really good, okay.”

“I’m sure it does.” Luca smirks as I catch him glimpse down at my lips, the visual making my cheeks burn. “Regardless, I’m sure it’s better than anything I can make.”

“Are we eating the same dish?” I tease before slipping a piece of potato into my mouth. “By the way, what are these called again?”

“Patatas bravas,” he explains. “They’re crispy fried potatoes with a brava sauce that’s mainly made up of olive oil, tomato purée, and pimentón, which is essentially a sweet and smoky Spanish paprika.”

“I think I have to learn the recipe. They’re so good. ”

His face lights up at my comment. “It’s probably the only thing I really know how to make. I used to make them all the time in college. To the point where half our fridge were just potatoes.”

I laugh. “Imagine your roommates wanted like a beer and instead they’d just see a giant potato?”

“Yeah I almost mistook one for my phone,” he deadpans. “You could imagine the shock on my professor’s face when I showed up with a potato instead of my notebook.”

I snort. “Enrique must have enjoyed that.”

“He did.” Luca chuckles.

“How was it like rooming together that first year? It must have been fun to live together,” I say with wonder, wanting to hear more about an experience I hoped to have, wishing I could have lived in a dorm during university myself.

Luca’s eyes fill with a glimmer. “Yeah, it was honestly one of the best years of my life. It was nice to see each other every day like that.” Then his expression turns bittersweet. He tries to shake it off, but I give him a supportive glance, and he continues, “It was probably the calmest I’ve seen Enrique. Since he wasn’t working with his family as often. His dad can be pretty unbearable,” he adds, but then immediately shakes his head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have overshared like that.”

I know Luca would tell me anything, but this seems too personal for me to expect him to share more with me, and so I remind him that no matter what I’ll be here to listen if he needs me.

“Luca, I’d never say anything. But if you want to keep that to yourself, I also understand.”

He kisses my cheek, unraveling that fuzzy warmth all over my skin, before I redirect back to his previous point. “So did those potatoes sum up your college experience?”

He grins. “Yeah, just about.”

It’s then when I’m reminded of something he told me about earlier. “You said your first time was in college right?” When he nods, I sit up and ask, “What was it like?”

I wonder if hearing his experience will ease my nerves that have suddenly decided to appear out of nowhere again.

“Not as romantic as you’d think,” he replies. “But it taught me to make sure and check if her roommates were coming back the next time.”

“Why? Did they see you naked?” I feel my lips curve into a smile.

His cheeks flush. “Unfortunately…”

I chuckle then slightly shift the topic to what I really want to ask him about, what I’ve been most hesitant to bring up. “Do you have any dealbreakers when it comes to sex?”

Luca’s brows furrow. “Dealbreaker?”

“Yeah, like hypothetically speaking, is it a dealbreaker if a girl doesn’t give you head?” I ask him as if we’re not together now. And he clearly picks up on my lack of subtlety.

Yet Luca goes along with it, once again proving to me that there really isn’t any question I can’t ask him. “No, it wouldn’t,” he answers, his eyes and voice sincere.

I feel my brows pinch together, almost not believing him. “Really? Even if you went down on her, you’d still be okay with it?”

“Yeah, if anything that would be more of a dealbreaker for me.”

“What?”

“If she didn’t like me going down on her,” he explains. “I get off more knowing that the woman I’m with is satisfied first. ”

And now my heart is racing again. “Good to know,” I reply nonchalantly even though I fear I need an ice bath after hearing his explanation.

“If that’s something you don’t ever want to do, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

While I can’t deny how grateful I am at how he continues to alleviate any sense of pressure off me, my eyes still grow wide with embarrassment.

“What?” he says, most likely at my ridiculous expression. “There was nothing ‘hypothetical’ about your question. So if that was your way of indirectly asking me if it’s a dealbreaker for me, it’s not.”

I swear I’m not trying to gaslight him. I’m just feeling conflicted again at the idea of doing something that still freaks me out a bit.

I reply, “I feel like you’re just telling me what I want to hear even though I obviously like hearing what I want to hear.”

“You don’t believe me when I tell you how many other ways there are to feel good?” I look at him unconvinced as he continues, “Do you have any idea how it feels like to hold your hand? Having my dick sucked wouldn’t even come close.”

“Okay, Romeo. Holding my hand? Really ?”

“You think I’m joking, don’t you?”

“I don’t think you’re trying to mock me, but I mean, come on… that’s the hottest thing you could come up with?”

Luca tilts his head and replies, “The sexiest thing you can do is doing things that make you feel good, so yeah I’d say holding someone’s hand is pretty hot only if you really want to do it.”

I can’t say anything. Not when he reaches toward my hand and touches just the tips of my fingers with his. A tingle softly spreads down my body when he gently brushes about an inch down my fingers and then back up.

“Where do you feel that?” he asks seriously and then taunts, “ just in your hands?”

As my breath grows shakier, he takes the opportunity to trace the inside of my wrist when I almost moan, confused how I’m actually feeling pleasure like this. “What about here ?” he asks as he caresses over the same spot, now gently pressing against my pulse, teasing his fingers over the sensitive skin in a swirling motion.

Luca knows he’s proved his point when I spot the smug glint in his eyes through my half-shut ones. His fingers thankfully don’t leave my skin as he confidently says, “Can you do something for me?”

I nod without hesitation.

“Don’t ever try to please me in any way if it’s not what you want.”

I don’t know if I nod again. All I know is he removes his fingers from my wrist before leaning back, pretending like nothing just happened. “You were saying you like these potatoes?” he asks nonchalantly before taking a piece of potato in between his teeth, intentionally making sure to show his tongue as he opens his mouth.

My burning glare doesn’t leave his eyes, too flustered to respond, when he adds, “So do you have an embarrassing story from college that tops mine?”

At least this is enough to temporarily redirect my attention as I snort at the memories. “Pretty much any encounter with all my crushes, most of which didn’t even know I existed.”

Luca’s brows crease with so much disbelief that it makes me blush. “I don’t buy that for a second. I bet most of them liked you back. ”

“There’s no point in making me more delusional than I already am, Luca,” I say, but smile on the inside at his indirect compliment.

“Just because a guy doesn’t show you he notices you, trust me it doesn’t mean he’s not,” he says with a knowing glance.

And then suddenly I notice him looking at me with a daze in his eyes.

It’s so beguiling that my voice grows timid. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking how all those guys missed out.”

My heart flutters. “Missed out?”

“Yeah. You’ve told me so many stories about things you feel you missed out on. But every time I learn something new about you or notice a quality that only you have, this sort of presence that you carry, I’m dumbfounded at how any guy could have let you slip away like that.”

And there I am. Speechless again.

“You might think you missed out on experiences earlier. But every single one of your crushes missed out on you .”

Just when I think I’ve heard the most romantic remark from Luca, he manages to outdo himself. And now with cheeks that must be burning the brightest shade of red, I admit, “If that was your way of seducing me, I’m happy to confirm that it worked.”

“That was my way of telling you that you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he confesses as he brushes a strand of hair off my cheek.

I push my lips so quickly into his that he immediately groans against mine. I’ve never needed to feel his tongue more than I do right now. As I slip my tongue into his mouth, he takes it between his lips and returns the favor. A breathy moan escapes me when I feel him growing hard against me as we both unravel onto the floor. “I want you, Luca,” I murmur. “ Right now .”

And with that, he lifts me from the ground, surprising me yet again with his strength as he leads us back to his room that I already miss desperately.

As my back reaches his familiar sheets, the rest of my body groans when he moves his weight over me, grips my hips, and says, “You don’t know how bad I want you.”

Using all the restraint in me, I place a finger on his chest before he tries to lean in again. “Wait. I thought you only sleep with people who you’re in love with?” I ask the question almost without thinking. I’m not trying to get a love confession out of him. I just don’t want him to change his rules for me.

Luca tilts my chin up smugly and replies, “What makes you think I’m breaking that rule?”

No words could possibly suffice what that implication means to me.

Instead, I tug on his shirt, pulling him in with so much yearning and only pulling away again to unbutton it.

I’m so distracted by his hair that I’ve already managed to mess up pretty well as I tug on his buttons, wishing they’d come undone quicker.

He chuckles with a cocky grin, watching me struggle. So when he moves in to kiss me again, I take it upon myself to slip away from his reach before placing my index finger against his lips.

This was worth it just for the pout on his face alone. “Remember what I told you about patience?” I taunt.

Luca scans the room obliviously as he plays with the ends of my hair. “I don’t quite recall…”

Suddenly a new sense of power fills my body. I feel different. Less fearful. More confident. More in control .

Marveling at the hold I suddenly have on him, I push my weight off his sheets as he follows me toward the edge of his bed like a lost puppy.

I try not to get too cocky as I stifle in my amusement, while slowly moving in between his legs.

As my fingers run down his bare chest, he looks down at my hands with increasingly darker eyes. “No one’s touched me the way that you do,” he says before he proceeds to slowly pull my dress up over my head. Then he looks up at me with his face almost pressed against my stomach.

It’s as if his words along with his mesmerizing gaze immediately make me forget how I wanted to tease him back. There’s no logic that can explain how my body arches toward him the second his hands move around my back as he loosens the strings of my bikini top until the pastel yellow fabric falls to the floor.

He knows he won.

And he’s making sure I know it as well as he moves his fingers to the back of my ear. He teases the sensitive spot before his thumb effortlessly traces along my jawline until he rests his hand right below my chin just to look at me. Before my breathing even has a chance to adjust, his fingers slowly trace down the middle of my neck, making sure I feel every single vibration of his touch.

Goosebumps immediately cascade down my body as my moan extends into a longing whimper. Every second I barely open my eyes, I catch a glimpse of his lust-filled expression as he continues to revel at my body. It’s as if I’m the canvas that he’s painting. With every inch his hands reach, he replaces the touch with his lips, making my body press even closer to him. The warmth of his mouth in contrast to my cold skin is only adding to the pressure that’s aching between my legs .

Luca must sense it too when he takes it upon himself to lift me off him and flip us around.

My impatience continues to heighten with his satisfying weight pressed over mine. To the point where I tug down his pants so hastily that I also remove his boxers at the same time. I gasp, even more than last time, when I clock how hard he is.

Luca bites down on his bottom lip, most likely at my glaring look of arousal. His smirk then grows more playful as he loosens the strings of my bikini bottoms. He unties the fabric so carefully yet throws it so aimlessly behind his shoulders, now making my chest erupt with laughter.

But when our silliness fades, Luca’s posture, expression, and voice all turn a bit more serious as he looks into my eyes thoughtfully. “If anything hurts, just tell me, and I’ll stop.”

I nod and kiss his cheek. “I will.”

His warm grin is quickly replaced with the desire that’s painted across his face as he starts placing a trail of soft kisses from my neck down to my stomach without even touching my breasts.

At this point I’m more than aware that he knows exactly what I want, and that’s precisely why he’s prolonging himself from giving it to me.

And it’s a pretty foolproof tactic when I gasp as one of his hands finally reaches over my breast, teasing it until he caresses all the way to the hard center. As my back arches against his sheets, he continues his skill while now slipping my other nipple into his lips. The throbbing between my legs is met with yet another extended whimper from my lips.

If this was it, I’d already be past the point of crumbling. But he just has to keep showing how many ways he can make my eyes roll back even further, when his lips now start to suck on my nipple before his tongue twirls around it slowly. As he softly pinches my other one between his fingers, a louder moan escapes my lips, noting how I’ve never really felt much pleasure with my breasts before.

Of course he finds the perfect moment to tease me. “So you were saying you’re ticklish ?”

I roll my eyes but then sigh deeply as he continues. “Luca, your fucking mouth …”

“What about it?” he asks so casually. When another moan leaves my lips, he laughs against my skin, and the vibration makes me lift my hips up slightly. “You know, you’re not looking too patient right now…” He kisses back up my neck, making sure to use his tongue before he’s eye level with me again. “ Where do you want my mouth?”

“On my pussy.” I can’t believe I just said that. I’ve never said it before. I’ve thought about it. But never dared to say it out loud. It’s the first thing that came to my head though, and all of a sudden, I feel like a different person. Less tame. More myself.

Luca, being the man that he is, doesn’t draw attention to it, and instead leaves a trail of kisses all the way down to my hipbone before positioning his face between my legs. He glances down for a second before looking up and into my eyes. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” he says, the words melting right through me before he turns his focus back to where I want it to be.

My breathing is already failing me when he starts kissing my inner thighs. I wrap my legs involuntarily around his face at the striking sensation, not understanding how he manages to make parts of my skin that I never thought I’d feel any pleasure in feel like they’re quite literally on fire.

Then my chest tightens. The soft heat of his breath grazes along my skin. Inching closer and closer. Before he stops short at my pussy that’s aching at this point. As soon as his tongue presses against me, my eyes immediately close. But it’s not like yesterday. This time his entire focus is here. It’s like he’s proving a point.

A very fucking important one at that.

I can just tell that he’s going to take his time when he starts with a barely there lick against my inner lips as he presses his tongue into me slightly before tracing his tongue all the way back up to the hood of my clit. He doesn’t pull it up just yet and instead catches me off guard when he kisses around it as if he’s kissing my mouth, my neck immediately arching from how stunningly good this feels.

I thought he would start with my clit, but he hasn’t even touched it until—

I feel his index finger lift my hood to the side, giving him full access to my clit now. My eyes shut the moment he presses his tongue completely over it, licking not too slowly. Not too quickly. But agonizingly perfectly . I’m about to scream because even though I don’t feel my orgasm yet, I feel it building in a way I haven’t experienced before.

I can’t even describe how this feels. I’ve read about it. Heard about it. But none of it quite matches this feeling. It’s like my entire body feels each wave of pleasure hit me in an instant. And the more my body squirms, the deeper his fingers grip onto my hips, ironically eliciting louder moans from my lips.

“How are you doing this so well?” I whimper.

When he smiles against me without stopping, the vibration somehow turns even stronger.

The sensation is so intense that my moan is probably the loudest it’s ever been, even louder than I expect it to be, when it briefly snaps me out of how good this feels.

It feels freeing though, like a scream you have to let out or you’ll collapse .

Yet I still blurt out through my panting, “I’m sorry if that was too loud.”

When he stops, my entire body screams at me for saying anything.

Luca looks up briefly from the same position that he’s been in from the start with a serious glare in his eyes. “ Never apologize for how much noise you make.”

I nod, now worried if he lost his momentum.

I’ll never doubt him again, when he finds the same rhythm in about 10 seconds. My hands tug hard on his hair, feeling myself growing closer.

He keeps his wicked pace as he starts to suck on my now swollen clit, with enough precision to hit each nerve he’s touching. Every flick, every dip, every sensation he’s creating is intentional . To make sure I don’t leave this bed without a memory that will linger in my mind for decades to come.

As if all of this isn’t enough, I look down at him and shudder when I see the smuggest expression I’ve ever seen on his face. His eyes are locked on mine while his tongue keeps tracing patterns against me that I didn’t even know existed . Another blissful gasp from my lips. When my neck falls to the side, his voice startles me.

“Eyes on me, sweetheart,” Luca says so softly that it makes my back arch from his soon to be ruined sheets. I grind against his mouth to which I feel a gentle graze of his tooth as he presses me even deeper against his mouth. It’s then when he lifts my hips up with one of his hands, and with the other I feel his long middle finger slide right in me with ease.

“Fuuuuck,” I gasp as my eyes tighten. A crescendo of pleasure hits me rather than the more intense waves I’ve felt thus far .

His finger feels nothing like mine. And now I remember how he strummed the guitar the other night, and somehow the movements are mimicking that perfectly .

Of course Luca takes it upon himself to lift his tongue off my clit for a second just to ask, “Do you like that?”

“What do you think?” I say as my neck tilts up while I’m pulling onto his already disheveled hair. I probably look insane right now, but I don’t even care.

Seeing the way he smirks before he buries his face back into me almost makes the brief interruption worth it. As he adds his index finger inside me slowly, a deeper moan falls from my lips at the slightly bigger stretch.

Thinking this is the peak of how his fingers can possibly feel inside me, I quite literally scream when I feel both fingers curl upwards hitting a spot I’ve always wondered about. The sensation combined with how he’s working my clit is actually unfathomable .

Luca feels my body shift the same moment I do. “I want to feel you come for me, love,” he encourages. “And don’t hold back .”

He doesn’t need to say that twice.

Floating in pure bliss and ecstasy, I let out a deep extended moan as the orgasm ripples through me. “Mmmm.” Then lingers a few seconds more as I watch Luca clean up my mess with his mouth with nothing but satisfaction on his face.

Before he can even take his fingers out of me, I growl and mock at the same time, “So at what point are you going to get inside me?”

He almost snorts. “I don’t know.” After shifting his weight devastatingly close he adds haughtily, “I don’t think you’re ready yet… ”