Chapter 42
Axel
The water from our dual showerheads rained down on us as we stood under the spray, holding on to one another.
The minute we walked through the door, this was where Luca headed.
His arms were draped over my shoulders as he tipped his head back under the spray, tilting it side to side.
I watched his face as he breathed deeply, waiting to see if his cough would return.
The extra day and some respiratory treatments helped him immensely.
As if he could feel me watching him, Luca opened his warm brown eyes and smiled.
“I love you,” I said, leaning in to kiss him.
Reaching between us, he grasped our erections. Skin to skin in the most intimate way, a shiver raced through me as my need for him grew. Our tongues swirled as he slowly swept his thumb across my tip. I pulled back, but he only tightened his grip. “Don’t you want this?”
I bit my lip. “I do. But you just got out of the hospital.”
Soft kisses landed on my throat as he worked his way up to my ear. “You read the discharge instructions. Twice. Out loud. There was nothing about abstaining from sex.”
He was right, but I frowned. “Are you sure?”
Luca bit my earlobe, sending a bolt of electricity through me. “You’re not in charge today. I am. So, stand there and let me have my way with my fiancée.” His words reached into my chest and tightened around my heart. He knew how to get me to comply. And he was mine.
Luca nudged me against the wall and leaned in, chest to chest. I wrapped my hand around his.
We were leaking like two men starved of the one he loved.
Fisting his left hand in my wet hair, he pulled my mouth to his as we stroked ourselves together with his right, his thumb circling the head.
More shivers erupted over my body as I fought the urge to take over.
This was his moment, so I removed my hand and gripped his hair.
He groaned and stroked faster as he brought us both to climax.
Resting his forehead on mine, we breathed together until the high passed. I pulled him close as he dropped his head to my shoulder. “We get to do this for the rest of our lives,” he whispered.
My heart was bursting with happiness. “Yes, we do, love.”
After we actually showered, Luca stepped out with the towel wrapped around his waist. “I need to borrow some sweats and a T-shirt,” he said.
“Check the closet,” I said, toweling off.
I followed him to my closet, where he stopped in the middle of the floor. His head swiveled from side to side as he took in what I’d done. “Are those…all my clothes?”
I put my hands on his shoulders and squeezed gently. Kissing his ear, I confirmed what he was looking at. “Yes. I had John and Caden pack them up and bring them over. Jenna let them in and hung them up for you. She didn’t want you to stress yourself with unpacking.”
He turned to look at me. I waited for him to go back to self-defense mode, to scold me for taking the liberty to move him in. But he surprised me yet again. “Thank you, babe. I appreciate you doing that.”
I scratched my chin. “You’re not mad that I had them pack up your personal things?”
“Not if you’re not upset with them seeing my dildo collection.”
I growled as he laughed. “I’m teasing you.” Luca wrapped his arms around my waist, then kissed my chest over my heart. “Two days ago, I probably would have been furious. My life has some perspective now. You need control, and I need you.”
God, I loved him. “I wish I could take you to bed right now and show you how much I love you.”
“What’s stopping you?”
I kissed his cheek. “The guys wanted to come to the hospital, but I asked them to wait until we got home. With the schedule, it had to be today. They helped me out…”
Luca’s smile stopped me. “I want to see them. I need to thank everyone.” He stepped away and walked into the closet. Pulling out some clothes, he came back and dropped them on the bed.
My eyes narrowed. “What do you know?”
He grinned up at me as he slipped into his jeans. “Jenna texted me last night to make sure it was okay to visit. I would never say no to them. I’m on the WAG list, remember?”
My face split into a grin. “They’re gonna need to change the spelling to WHAG.”
“I’ll let you tell her. They’ll be here at three.”
I raised a brow as I went to get my clothes. “Happily.”
When we were dressed, we had some time before they were to arrive. “There’s something else I want to discuss with you.”
“Yeah? What’s left?” he teased.
We’d spent hours at the hospital talking. But I’d intentionally waited for this topic until we were home. He might shoot me down, but as soon as we were married, it would be a moot point. “I want you to quit your job.”
Luca’s eyes widened as he crossed his arms over his chest. Here we go. “Excuse me? I just finished my degree, Axel. Do you have any idea how long…”
I kissed him to shut him up. I had the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
“Let me try again.” I took his hands. “I want to fund your Capstone project. When the accident happened and all those people were displaced, it just made it more prevalent. Where would they have gone if we hadn’t made the Covington available?
We need emergency services for those who might fall between the cracks, as you put it.
It would mean you leave your job to give it the attention it needs.
You’d have to assume the role of director of the foundation we create.
You and Caden can set it up to maximize its reach.
I’ll fund it in partnership with HBC, the Covington, and Kennerly Capital.
I’m sure my father and siblings are going to want to help. Maybe even some of the team.”
Luca blinked at me like he did when I proposed. “I’m not sure I heard you correctly.”
I grinned. “You did, love.”
He stared at me again, processing what I’d said. “You want to make my project a reality?”
“I do. I think you could help a lot more people than you do now. You can grow it however you like. It would be yours.”
The smile that broke out over his face was breathtaking. “I would love to do that! I’d need to put in my notice. And say goodbye to my people.”
“You can see them more. No boundaries except for the ones you set, Mr. Director.”
Luca flew into my arms. “If I didn’t already love you, this would have done it.”
I held him close and breathed him in. “I loved you the moment I laid my eyes on you.”
He pulled back to look at me. “I think maybe I started falling the minute you called my name in the alley.”
“We should get married there. In the alley,” I teased. But that gave me another idea.
“I will marry you anywhere, just not by the dumpsters.”
He didn’t know what he’d just agreed to.