15. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

It was a little bit nuts to do this. Will knew it, and Will didn't care.

It had been a really long afternoon—punctuated by a text message exchange with his mom that had made him briefly want to punch something—followed by an even longer evening.

Normally a day like that would've made him want to walk up the stairs to his room and fall face first into bed, but he'd known, even as busy and as crappy as things were, he had this to look forward to.

And he'd looked forward to it.

So much so that he'd actually had a spring in his step as he'd left Cherry's, Kate shaking her head in disbelief and muttering something about falling head over heels.

The thing was: as Will approached the Inn, spotting Enzo, leaning against the porch railing, he wasn't sure she was wrong.

It was nearly ten and already full dark, but it didn't matter. Will couldn't see anyone else; maybe it was the way Enzo looked so stunning in the moonlight, the shadows carving out his face like an old Italian painting.

Or maybe it was just Enzo.

"Hey," Will said. "I should—"

But before Will could suggest grabbing a sweatshirt—it could get chilly after they got out—or a God forbid, a towel—Enzo gave a dramatic hand wave to the items sitting on the porch swing next to him.

"Yes, I got you a towel, Mr. Overly Cautious," Enzo joked. "And I want you to know that you were not necessarily right before about the towel thing, but it was a cold walk home the other night, and I have a reputation to maintain, now."

"And you didn't before?"

Will came closer, then closer still, reaching out and tugging Enzo right into his arms.

"I did, but . . ." Enzo melted into him, like a popsicle left out in the sun.

Will kissed him then, because he couldn't stand here, looking at his gorgeous face anymore, and not kiss him.

Kissing him back with enthusiasm, Enzo groaned in the back of his throat.

If they kept going like this, they wouldn't make it past the property line of the Inn, and as much as Will craved Enzo, he craved more than the feeling of his hand on his dick.

"So, Honey Bunny , you ready for our swim?" Will asked, pulling back. It was amazing how much lighter he felt, when he shouldn't be feeling like this at all.

But he'd already miraculously shed all that guilt like a skin he didn't need anymore.

"I'm ready for something," Enzo muttered, taking a step back. "That was almost unfair. I say almost , 'cause it was real sweet, too. Just like you." He grinned, suddenly, and Will's heart beat even faster. He would never get used to the way this man looked. Never . He didn't even want to.

He wanted to feel this swoopy, butterflies-madly-fluttering-in-the-stomach, lavender haze way forever.

"Come on, then," Will said and took Enzo's hand and led him off the porch, towards the beach.

The waves were crashing along the coastline, loud in the silence, as they took the path through the dunes.

When they reached the strip of sand within easy reach of the water, Enzo stopped, depositing his bundle of towels on the ground and tugging his T-shirt up.

It was just as Will had imagined it, so many times, both long and fleeting thoughts all day. Enzo's skin, gleaming silver and gold under the light of the moon, the knowing look in his eyes as he tucked his fingers under his shorts and pulled them down, nothing underneath them.

Will felt the thrum of desire spike through him but ignored it, following Enzo's movements and shucking his own clothes.

Reaching out, Enzo set a palm against his chest, right where his heart was beating a hair too fast. "Rocco told me that you were hot," Enzo mused in a quiet voice. "But he was wrong."

Will laughed out loud. "Thanks? I think?"

"You're so much more than hot ." Enzo said this very seriously. "You're so sweet and kind and gorgeous. Like you glow with all this inner light. Hot's just a guy on Grindr who spends too much money on the gym and fake tanner. You're . . ." He glanced up, eyes full of wonder and something else that Will felt, but was still afraid to name. It was too soon. It was too unexpected.

Yet he felt it, too, all the same.

Will kissed him, then, because he couldn't say any of that.

It was too soon. Didn't change a goddamn thing, but that didn't mean it wasn't floating around inside him unspoken, anyway.

Enzo pulled back a second later, eyes shining with mischief. "Race you to the water," he said, and then he was running, so quick, his legs flashing in the moonlight, and Will could only chase after him, laughing the whole way.

They crashed into the water, and it was cool, but not cold, refreshing in the best kind of way, and Will laughed, joy spilling out of him as he kicked his legs and swam out past the first few sets of waves.

Enzo was right there, laughing too, his eyes lit up. "I think I beat you," he teased as he floated close.

"Maybe you need a reminder that we're both winners," Will said, all faux seriousness.

"Do I?" Enzo grinned. "Then you'd better come over here and give it to me."

But before he could, Enzo was swimming over, determination in his gaze. He wrapped his limbs around Will, tucking a foot determinedly around his knee and pressing their bodies together.

"You didn't let me," Will murmured, tipping his head against Enzo's.

"I couldn't wait."

Will leaned in and kissed him again. And this time there was no reason to stop. Nothing but the stars above and the sea below, gently lapping at their skin.

Enzo's mouth, hot and wet against his own, and then his body, rubbing against Will's, the desire between them growing tougher to deny.

"Goddamn," Enzo breathed out, his breaths coming in ragged gasps when they finally broke apart, Will's mouth finding his neck, then drifting lower, to his collarbone.

Sucking a little hickey there, that would be hidden by his clothes, that only he would know was there.

"Remember the last time we did this?"

Will laughed. "I could hardly forget it. I think your naked body was permanently implanted in my brain. Every time I closed my eyes, I thought about you."

"It was kind of a stupid, reckless, insane thing to do."

"And it's not now?" Will raised an eyebrow. "It's full dark, now, Enzo."

"That's not why it was stupid, reckless, or insane. Getting naked with you was."

"Yeah." Will grinned. "It kinda was. We were playing with fire."

"And I enjoyed it too much to worry about getting burned."

Oh, they were in it now. Deep in the fire. And getting burned was the least of their worries. Enzo's dick was pressed hard and insistent against his stomach, and he was thrusting now, just little ones, rubbing it against Will's skin, like he couldn't even help himself.

Enzo tried to reach down, palm Will's dick, but their position and the slickness of the water helped a little, but it wasn't quite slick enough, and their skin kept catching.

"Come on," Enzo finally said, huffing in frustration, and he practically dragged Will out of the water, back to the towels. He flopped down and Will followed, bracketing his body with his own.

He wrapped a hand around Enzo's cock and gave it a stroke, just as Enzo reached for his. Their mouths met in a fury of a kiss, and it didn't take long at all for Will's orgasm to hit, Enzo shuddering beneath him only a moment later.

"Wow," Enzo breathed out, and Will rolled over, wet now with water and other fluids, onto his back.

"Yeah," he agreed.

Hands down, this was the most romantic night of his life. Romantic and sexy and fun. Every time he was with Enzo, it was everything , a unique combination that he hadn't ever found with anybody else.

"You know, our fake dates were fun. But nothing's better than this," Enzo said, a happy sigh accompanying his confession.

"Yeah," Will agreed. Then he glanced over, shooting Enzo a knowing look. "I'm honestly not sure how fake those were, really."

"Oh, so you liked me calling you Stud Muffin?" Enzo asked archly.

Will laughed. "I didn't hate it."

Reaching out and squeezing his bicep, Enzo said, "It felt true. Ridiculous, but also true, somehow."

That felt like the best explanation that Will could come up with, so he just lay back on the towels and stared up at the stars, quiet for a minute.

He hadn't intended to tell Enzo about the short conversation he'd had with his mom, hadn't wanted to drag that into this night and ruin its flawlessness. But he found himself saying, anyway, "My mom texted me today."

"Yeah?" Enzo rolled over and looked at him with concern. "Is everything okay?"

Was everything okay?

Was he okay?

He was frustrated, he was more than a little guilty, but he was holding firm. Will supposed that was the best he could do.

"Yeah, I guess so. She's still pushing me to help them out with this store opening on Tybee."

"They haven't found anybody?"

"Oh, they found someone. And then they quit. My brother, Brewer, is even out there. And if you know Brewer, he's not the kind of guy who likes to get his hands dirty."

"Can't they manage with him, then?"

"Not well."

"So she pushed you again."

"Guilted me, more like. And it wasn't even untrue. I'm sure the stories she told me were true. I knew I should tell her I'd drop everything but . . ."

"If you do it this time, there will always be a next time," Enzo said softly. He reached out and took Will's hand and squeezed it. "I get it. I had to do that with mine, too. When I first went away to California, to art school, she expected I'd come home for every single break. A long weekend? She'd book me a plane ticket. I finally had to tell her I couldn't do it. I was trying to build a new life. She cried for days. I felt worse than I've ever felt in my whole life. It felt awful, but it was still the right thing to do."

"You telling me that?" Will asked. "It helps. It really does. I wasn't going to talk to you about it. At least not tonight. Honestly, thinking about going skinny dipping out here with you was the only thing that got me through the day. It was busy, and I was stressed, worrying about how to replace Rocco, just when I've got him on board, and then her texts and . . .it all faded away, the moment I stepped out to go meet you."

Understanding and empathy shone in Enzo's eyes. "You know what? I've never been here this long and not wanted to turn around and run away before. It's been what . . .three weeks?"

Will nodded.

"I can't say I haven't felt anything bad, because ugh , just today Rocco was telling me about his new opportunity, that coffee shop he's gonna buy, and he was saying how they knew the Moretti name even there, in this little podunk town in Illinois, and I thought, but I'm not part of that. I'll never be part of that. Before? That shit would've sent me into a funk for days. Maybe even weeks. But . . .I don't know . . .it's easier, now. With you."

"Maybe they don't know you because of your cooking or your meatballs or the way you can run like fifty businesses without barely blinking, like Luca, but they know you, Enzo. They know your name. It would've been easier to just be a Moretti like all the other Morettis—"

"If you've ever eaten my cooking, probably not," Enzo inserted wryly, but Will kept going.

"Yeah, maybe, but it would've still been easier. Instead you did something different, you forged out on your own and made your own kind of reputation for yourself. That's special. You're special."

"You're just saying that so I stick around more." Enzo's words were teasing, but his dark eyes were so serious.

"I want you too, yeah, but only if you want to. The moment this town makes you miserable, I'm gonna be the first one to push you out of it." And it might kill me, but I'd do it anyway, for you. 'Cause anyone like you deserves the best. Deserves their smile to always come that easily.

"Aw, trying to get rid of me already!"

Will laughed then and rolled over on top of him, ignoring Enzo's faux protests. "I never want to get rid of you," he said and kissed him.

Trudging back to the Inn should've sucked. It wasn't exactly cold outside—they were in the thick of June now, every day reaching at least ninety, with some insane percentage of humidity—but they were wet and a little clammy.

Still, Enzo thought if he could smile with Will like this , he could do it anytime.

"I'm really looking forward to that warm shower," Will groaned a little as he unlocked the door to his room.

He hadn't asked Enzo to accompany him, and Enzo hadn't offered, they'd just done it. Like it only made sense.

And Enzo was beginning to think that maybe it did.

"I kinda can't believe you're still staying in the Inn," Enzo said, depositing the wet, sandy towels in the corner and beginning to strip his clothes off again. Will had ducked into the bathroom to start the shower, and he could hear it.

It wasn't a very big shower, but Enzo still had every intention of sharing it with him—and he didn't think Will was gonna push him away.

"I know." Will's voice echoed through the small bathroom. "I keep saying to myself I need to find a place. But I never seem to have time."

"You should just move into my apartment over the garage with me." Enzo said it easily, casually, without even thinking about it.

But yes, when Will's expression turned shocked, okay, it was probably a bigger deal than he'd considered it to be.

"You're serious," Will said.

"Well, yeah," Enzo replied. He approached where Will was leaning against the doorjamb to the bathroom. "I mean it. I don't know how this works, between us, exactly. I know I'm booked out through the next year. But I get breaks in between jobs, you know? I don't come back here for them, because I never had a reason to, before now. I can't say it'll be easy, but . . ."

"Easier than saying this isn't anything," Will continued solemnly. His big hand cradled Enzo's cheek. "Because it's something."

Enzo nodded. That was easier and perhaps a little more cowardly than saying, I'm beginning to think it's everything , but there'd be time for that, later. "And if I'm not home most of the time anyway, you might as well use it. I know Giana won't mind. And when I am home, I fully intend to not let you leave my sight," he said.

Will made a face. "You don't know you're gonna feel that way."

"Yeah, I do." I already feel that way now.

"Okay, well, I'll think about it."

"Just say yes." Enzo knew he was pushing and probably employing more persuasive powers than he should, pressing his naked, still damp body against Will's. "I know you want to. I know you're . . ." Enzo swallowed hard. "As crazy about me as I am about you."

The way Will's blue eyes went hazy and soft as he tipped his head down towards Enzo's told the whole story. The only story that mattered.

Without answering, he reached down and took Enzo's hand, pulling him into the hot steam of the shower, pressing him against the cool tile wall and kissing him firmly, leaving him gasping.

"I thought . . .I thought we were supposed to be getting clean," Enzo said as Will's hand trailed down his chest to his half-hard cock.

"Oh, we are. And then we're gonna get dirty all over again."

"I hope that's a promise," Enzo said, and Will grinned.

"Oh, Honey Bunny, it's a guarantee. "

He made good on it too. The shower took longer than it probably should have, because they couldn't stop kissing and every time they managed to wash something, one or both of them got distracted by the feel of their hands on the other.

By the time they were done, toweling off, Enzo's heart was beating irregularly, his cock as hard as it had ever been in his life, and he had zero compunction about walking Will right over to the bed and pushing him onto it.

"Now," he said breathlessly, "you're gonna finger me open and then I'm gonna ride this." He reached and trailed his fingertips down Will's hard length, making him groan in the back of his throat. "You want that?"

"I'm dying for it," Will said, and his gaze—flayed open and honest, full of unmistakable desire—made it clear that he meant it.

"Good," Enzo said and dropped his towel. "I'm on PrEP. So no need for a condom."

Will nodded. "Me too. Come 'ere, then," Will said in a low voice. He reached for the drawer next to the bed and pulled out lube, wetting two of those big, calloused fingers. Those hands were capable of everything: taking care of business and scooping up the most delicious ice cream, and also capable of making his man scream.

Enzo keened when he slid those fingers against him, swirling around the sensitive edges of his hole.

But as desperate as Will's face had proved he was, he took his time. Being careful, considerate. Shallowing thrusting only one finger in for a freaking eternity, making Enzo squirm on his lap and beg him to get on with it.

"I'm gonna fuck you when I'm good and ready," Will said firmly. "When you're good and ready."

"I'm ready right now," Enzo whined as another finger finally slid along the first. He tried to thrust them, but when he did, Will just shook his head and held them inside him. Not moving. Not letting him move.

"I'm only gonna get to do this for the first time once, " Will said, "and this has been a pretty magical night, so . . .I'm gonna make it as good as I can."

"It's pretty amazing right now," Enzo huffed.

"Only pretty amazing huh?"

Will twisted his fingers and crooked them and Enzo nearly screamed as the pleasure soared through him. "Oh yeah, there, there, there ." Then Will began to thrust them in earnest, Enzo's fingernails digging into his shoulders, trying to muffle his wails into his neck.

Mostly unsuccessfully.

Joy was going to hate them, forever. But maybe if she came and knocked on his door a third time, that would finally be the thing that convinced Will to move into his place.

"You want a third?" Will asked and Enzo was about to say no , no way, I want your cock, now , when he gave it to him anyway, Enzo's body stretching around it in an easy slide.

Will's other hand, latched around his thigh, slid around his waist and toyed with Enzo's cock. Enzo groaned. "You could come just like this, couldn't you?" he asked in wonder.

He began to thrust more urgently. Enzo bit his lip, hard. He didn't know if it was Will's astonished awe or the look in his eyes or the fingers moving inside him so goddamn perfectly, but suddenly, he was right on the edge.

"Yeah," Enzo said. "And I don't wanna. So come on . Lie back. Let me make you feel good."

Will gave a few last lazy thrusts and then finally removed his hand, slicking up his cock with the remaining lube on them.

"Come on, then," he said, a desperate twinkle in his eyes. "It's all yours."

Even with taking his time, Will's cock was still big, an inescapable intrusion as he began to sink down onto it.

Enzo hung onto his shoulders and onto the way Will's mouth dropped open in astonished surprise, his eyes fluttering shut with the pleasure of it.

Then he was bottoming out, his thighs hitting Will's, and he took a second to get used to it, to let that little bit of pain melt away until all he felt was pure bliss as he rose up and sank down again.

"Fuck you feel . . ." Will trailed off, his hands clamped onto Enzo's skin, one on his ass, one on his waist.

Enzo agreed. But didn't think he could trust any words that were about to come babbling out of his mouth, his brain-to- mouth filter completely fucking destroyed by how good it felt, and so he kissed him.

Poured everything he felt into the kiss, letting his lips say it all for him as he continued to bounce up and down on Will's lap, Will starting to thrust upwards.

Enzo groaned into the kiss as his cock brushed Will's abs, and he angled his body just enough to do it on every thrust, until he was pretty sure he was going to fly apart, just from that little bit of friction, and how Will's cock was hitting every single glorious spot inside him, like it had been made for him, to make him feel this good.

"I'm gonna—" Will broke off, murmuring against Enzo's lips, and then he gave one last thrust and he was coming hard, warmth flooding Enzo's body and that was the last little bit he needed to fall off the edge himself.

He swore and sank into his orgasm, clenching hard around Will's cock, loving how he could feel every twitch, every bit of his pleasure.

For a long moment, neither of them moved. Neither of them said a word.

They just gazed at each other. It felt momentous, like something between them that had been shifting from the first time Will had pressed his lips to Enzo's, settled finally into place.

Will reached up and stroked Enzo's cheek. "You're amazing," he said.

There was so much truth and completely unvarnished honesty in his blue eyes it was hard not to look away. But Enzo didn't. He forced himself to sit there and just look.

To understand that Will had meant every word he'd said earlier. That he'd never seen him as a lesser Moretti. To Will, he was the greatest Moretti.

If anything was ever going to convince him to come home, as frequently as he could, it was that look. That truth.

"You're not half bad yourself," Enzo said.

"That what I have to look forward to, when you swing into town?" Will teased. " Not half bad and you riding my cock like you were born to do it?"

"Yes," Enzo said.

He wasn't sure it was a good trade-off. He was afraid it wasn't. But he also knew he'd do everything in his power to guarantee it was.

"Alright, then," Will said lightly and helped Enzo slide off, grabbing his towel off the floor to help him do a cursory clean-up.

When Enzo finished in the bathroom and came back out, Will was spread out, still naked, on the bed, a quiet smile on his face. "I sent Joy an email, one I think she'll be very glad to receive," he said, as Enzo tucked himself into his side. Suddenly exhausted. It had been a long day. A glorious one, but long .

"Yeah?"

"I'll move my stuff out in a few days. You sure about this?" Will didn't look particularly apprehensive when he asked. Like he was sure. He just wanted Enzo to be sure.

"I've never been surer of anything in my whole life," Enzo said.