Chapter 26
Chapter
Twenty-Six
MADDOX
Luca swallows hard when we pull up to the hotel, his hands wringing in his lap. “I… you want to eat at a hotel bar?”
Chuckling, I get out of the car and hand the valet my keys. Then I hurry around the hood and open the door for Luca.
We’ve driven about an hour and a half away from Evergreen to ensure no one will spot us out together.
I could have used the “working dinner” excuse since Luca is my TA, but I want to touch him and kiss him and make him smile while we’re out.
No one would be confused about what we were if they saw us.
What are Luca and I? We’d talked when this whole thing started and I told him we could only do physical. Which was… fine at the time. Now? My heart is invested. I’m not sure how far I’ve fallen for Luca, but it’s no longer just a physical thing.
My heart aches for him. And isn’t that fucking pitiful.
Threading my fingers through his, I pull him into the lobby of the hotel. Luca looks around, his mouth ajar as he checks out the marble walls and floors. The hotel is really nice, but that’s not what we’re here for.
I approach an elevator where a concierge is waiting, a wood podium in front of him with an open book atop it.
“Good evening,” he says, all smiles as he looks at me and Luca. “Welcome to Eye in the Sky. Do you have a reservation?”
I can feel Luca’s eyes on me as I say, “Yes. Two for Maddox Levine.”
The man nods, finds our reservation, and smiles at us again.
“Perfect. You will be dining on the roof, twenty-five stories high. Every thirty minutes, the restaurant will rotate to give you a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of the skyline. When you enter the elevator, you’ll see the button corresponding to the restaurant. Enjoy your meal, gentlemen.”
With my hand on the small of his back, I lead Luca to the elevator and whisper, “I hope you’re not afraid of heights.”
He’s giddy as we step inside, practically bouncing on his toes. “I don’t think so. I’ve never been up that high before.”
When we step off the elevator, a server waits for us, menus in hand. “Right this way, Mr. and Mr. Levine.”
My heart thumps at the title, and Luca looks up at me, eyes wide, but shining with an emotion that scares me. Still, I don’t correct the server as he leads us to our table and sets the menus in front of us.
Before he leaves, he checks his watch. “If you pay attention,” he says, and points to the window. “You’ll see the skyline shift as the restaurant spins.”
As he steps away, the restaurant moves and we’re treated to a brand new view.
“Wow,” Luca breathes, smiling so hard his cheeks are bright red. “This is gorgeous.”
While he’s enjoying the view, I only have eyes for him. He’s… lovely. From his brown hair mussed on his head from his nervous fingers, his dancing eyes, red cheeks, to his mouth tipped up in a wide, bright smile.
God, how did I ever think this would only be physical? I can’t let him go. No matter what bullshit I told myself, Luca was meant to be mine.
When the restaurant comes to a stop, Luca looks back at me, still grinning. “Amazing, right?”
“Yeah, it is,” I say. I couldn’t tell him shit about the view. It’s not why I’m here. I’m here to see Luca with his guard down, open in a way he can’t be with me anywhere near Evergreen.
He bites his lower lip, ducking his eyes as he blushes. “This is great. I… it’s perfect.”
“Let’s hope the food lives up to the hype of the view.”
Luca flicks his eyes up to me, looking more serious than I’ve ever seen him. “Even if it doesn’t, this is more than I could ever have dreamed of. It’s the best, because I’m with you.”
He couldn’t be more fucking perfect if he tried.
I reach across the table and take one of his hands into mine. “I take it you like your first date?”
“I do. It’s exactly what I’d wanted my first to be like.”
I hope he means that about every first we’ve shared. I’ve tried to make sure he wouldn’t live to regret giving me any of his firsts.
Smiling, I gesture toward his menu. “Order whatever you want. I’ve heard they have great desserts.”
Luca’s eyes light up as he looks over the menu. “I won’t have any room for dessert with all this food,” he says sullenly, though the smile on his face tells me he’s not really upset about it.
Still, I say, “Then let’s order dessert first.”
“Can we?” he asks, looking at me with those wide eyes I love so much.
Chuckling, I nod. “We’re adults, Luca. We can do what we want.”
He smiles, his face lighting up. “Then yes, please? Dessert first.”
When our server comes back, we order our dessert and tell him we’ll order dinner soon.
He brings it out a few minutes later and we share it, Luca smiling and blushing hard as he feeds me some brownie and ice cream over the table.
“I’ve never had ice cream this fresh,” Luca says, smiling around his spoon. “This is amazing.”
I take a bite for myself and relish seeing his happy face. “Why haven’t you gone on a date before?”
His smile drops and he sets his spoon down, biting his lower lip.
Shit, I didn’t want to upset him. I just want to get to know him and what made him the person he is. Maybe that wasn’t the right question for that.
I’ve been out of the dating game for so long that I don’t even know how to make date conversation.
Luca looks up at me, though he doesn’t look pissed that I put him on the spot. “I wasn’t very social in school. And… I don’t know, I’ve never been interested in anyone. Not until I met you.”
My insides warm as I look at him, that perpetual blush high on his cheeks. “And what makes me so special, huh?” I ask in a teasing voice that’s so unlike me it even surprises Luca.
He breathes a laugh. “I think it has a lot to do with your good looks, Professor.”
Our laughter radiates across the restaurant, making me feel light.
We order dinner, Luca grinning as he forks up some of my food from my plate. Weeks ago, he never would have reached for my food or cracked jokes or even said more than a few sentences without stumbling over his words.
I love this change in him, how out of his shell he’s become since we started this.
“What are your plans after grad school?” I ask as I watch him chew his food carefully.
“I want to be a therapist, maybe for a school or a crisis center. I really want to help people. So… psychology and social work, and I’ll see where I end up. A lot of kids aren’t lucky enough to have grandparents like mine, so…” He trails off with a small shrug.
I nod, impressed. He told me he was double majoring, which is already hard work. I’m not sure how he has time for two majors, TA duties, and hanging out with me. He must be exhausted. Maybe the second part of my date will help him.
“That’s admirable, Luca. I know you’ll do great with whatever you want to do in your future.”
“Can we not talk about school?” he asks. “We’re so far from Evergreen. I want to forget…” He looks around and drops his voice. “I want to forget that you’re a professor and I’m a student.”
“Do you not like some of the things we do at Evergreen while you’re my TA?” I ask, dropping my voice.
Luca shakes his head with a smile. “I love them.” He breathes his confession. “But let’s just be… people. Two people who want to be together, who can be together without anyone saying it’s wrong.”
“Anything you want.” I pause so we can eat our dinner for a few minutes. Then I ask, “Your dream vacation?”
“Oh gosh,” he says, sounding young. “Maybe a beach? Oh! I saw some pamphlets a few months back for a pretty beach in the Virgin Islands, on St. Thomas.”
“Is school the reason you haven’t gone on a vacation?”
“Oh no. I’ve been plenty of times with my grandparents growing up, but we never went to the coast. I’m… uh…” He looks a little embarrassed. “I’m afraid of sharks.”
He looks up at me like he thinks I’ll laugh, but it’s a valid concern. We would be swimming in the sharks’ home, after all.
“Would you like to go one day?”
“Yes. I think if I just dip my toes in, a shark wouldn’t hurt me, right?”
That gives me ideas for a graduation present.
I grew up poor, which taught me the value of a dollar. I’ve saved and invested over the years so I’d never have to live like that again—not knowing where my next meal would come from, not having electricity or running water sometimes.
Over the years, I’ve saved up a lot of money and could splurge on a vacation for Luca for a month or more and still have enough to live comfortably for at least a decade.
We finish up dinner, staying long enough for the restaurant to spin twice more. The last time it does, Luca drags me over to a window so we can watch the restaurant spin as I hold him close.
He sighs when we step inside the elevator. “That was perfect, Professor. The best first date ever. Thank you.”
I press the button for our floor, then crowd him against the wall, my hands on either side of his head. “It’s not over yet, little lamb.” Then I kiss him, moaning as I taste him for the first time since he got into my car all those hours ago.
Luca holds on to my biceps, kissing me back as he whimpers into my mouth. I press my hips into his, feeling his hard cock brushing against me.
But the rest of the date won’t be sex. That’s not what this is about.
When the elevator dings, I take Luca’s hand and drag him out of the lift.
After I find the room I’m looking for, I pull out my phone and unlock the door from the app the hotel provided—an option I appreciate so I didn’t have to grab the key from the front desk and give away this part of the date to Luca.
“What’s this?” he asks, pasting himself to my body.
“The rest of your date,” I say as I open the door wide.
Luca’s gasp makes me smile as he steps further into the room.
I called ahead and had the front desk decorate the room. It’s cliché, but Luca deserves a nice ending to his first date, so they littered the floor and bed with rose petals. There’s champagne on the nightstand, as well as a few bottles of massage oil.
Stepping up behind Luca, I wrap an arm around his waist and kiss the back of his neck. “Is this okay?”
“Okay?” he squeaks, then whirls around to me. “This is… this is amazing. I never thought I’d have something like this.” He wraps his arms around my neck, hugging me hard.
I chuckle, then kiss his cheek. “Come on. Get naked for me.” His smile widens, but I shake my head. “No, not for that. I feel like you don’t relax enough. Let me help.”
Luca grins as he strips off his clothes, not timid and shy like he used to be, but sure in himself and how much he knows I love his body.
When he’s naked, I direct him to lie on the bed while I take off my shirt and pants. I don’t plan to do more than relax him, but the oil will mess up my clothes.
He watches me with heated eyes and my cock lengthens. I almost want to tell him I’ll give him my dick for the rest of the night, but his comfort comes before my lust for him.
After I adjust my cock in my boxer briefs, I roll him onto his stomach and straddle his back, careful not to put all my weight on him. Reaching over to the nightstand, I grab the oil and drizzle some into my palms.
“You okay?” I ask as I place my hands on his back, applying pressure to his muscles to rub the kinks out. He has so many knots, like he lives in a state of perpetual stress.
“Yeah,” he sighs, slowly relaxing. “I’ve never had a massage before.”
“Glad I could change that.”
Luca moans softly as I knead his muscles, the heated oil working with me.
“I like this,” he whispers with another sigh.
“The massage?”
“No,” he shakes his head. “Being with you. On a date. I like seeing you outside of school. You’re… different.”
“Different how?” I bend to kiss his neck, making him shiver.
“You’re relaxed.” He peeks open an eye, a soft smile on his face. “You even made a joke.”
Smiling as well, I say, “I make jokes all the time. I’m funny.”
“You are. Really funny.” Sarcasm drips from his tone and I tickle him, making him yelp a giggle.
“I am funny.” I take him into my arms, kissing him deeply. “I only joke with you. I’ve never been able to drop my guard around anyone since Seb. But with you,” I say, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. “I can be who I want to be… who I used to be. You make me… better.”
He places a gentle hand on my face, thumbing over my cheek.
“You do the same for me. I don’t feel like some awkward kid when I’m with you.
” He pauses, looking up in thought. “Well, I’m still awkward, but I don’t feel bad about it.
I never thought I’d find someone like you.
I definitely never thought someone like you could be interested in someone like… well… me. I’m just Luca, you know?”
“And I enjoy Just Luca.” He scowls adorably and I kiss his nose, making him giggle again.
“That right there.” I rub across his cheek, trailing a finger to his lips where he’s still smiling.
“That happiness, that innocence. I love it. You make me feel like I did something right in my life to earn you.”
Sounding choked up, Luca whispers, “Ditto, Professor.”
I kiss him then, slowly and languidly, until he’s liquid in my arms. Then I hold him close until he falls asleep.
I smile as his warm breaths drift over my chest, glad he enjoyed our date.
The first of many.