Chapter 2 Cole
Two
Cole
I twirl the stem of my wineglass between my fingers, watching the way the ruby liquid catches the soft lighting. Anabel sips her wine, her soft lips pursed around the rim of the glass, and my balls give a pathetic little pulse.
I want her so much that I’m nearly out of my mind with it. I’d promised myself that on this trip, I was going to find the balls—ha—to tell her how I feel. To confess my feelings and see how the chips fall.
I don’t just want her. I love her. I love her sweetness and her warmth. I love how thoughtful and kind she is. She’s a loyal friend, selfless and…perfect. She’s fucking perfect.
And beautiful. Perfect and beautiful and…
It all tangles together in my chest, sitting there like a snarled knot of hope and fear and love and worry.
I keep thinking about the fountain. The way the water shimmered under the golden light, the way Anabel’s coin arced through the air before vanishing beneath the surface. The way the wind picked up out of nowhere, carrying that strange, sweet scent with it.
For a second, I let myself believe in it. In magic. In wishes coming true.
I wished for her. Of course I did. I wished for the courage to tell her how I feel. To tell her that I want to be more than her best friend. I want to love her the way she deserves. I want to give her everything, every piece of me.
Just thinking it makes my stomach turn sickly.
God, I’m such a fucking coward.
She’s been different since the fountain. Quiet. Distant. Her fingers keep twisting around the stem of her wineglass, her knuckles going white. She seems restless. On edge. It’s not normally like this between us. Usually, it’s all jokes and laughing and easy conversation.
Maybe I’m making it weird. I do have a talent for that.
“You okay?” I ask, because I can’t stand the silence anymore.
She startles, like she’d forgotten I was here. It honestly makes my heart sink a little. “Yeah. Just… thinking.”
“About the fountain?” I mean, if I’m turning it over in my mind, chances are she is, too.
Her lips part. She hesitates. “Yeah.”
I lean forward, elbows on the table. “What’d you wish for?” I’m desperate to know. Did she wish for me, the way I wished for her?
Would knowing that give me the guts to do something about how I feel?
Her fingers tighten around the glass, and she hoists an attempt at a playful smile onto her face. “I can’t tell you, or it won’t come true. Isn’t that like, the golden rule when it comes to wishes?”
“That’s just superstition,” I say, but my pulse is hammering. “What if I told you mine?”
She shakes her head. “Don’t. Then it won’t come true.”
Our eyes meet, and the air grows thick and warm between us. I rub a hand over the back of my neck and take a sip of my wine.
I’m desperately trying to think of something else to say when a man steps up to our little booth. At first, I think he’s a waiter, but as he moves into the light, I realize he’s not.
Christ, I can’t breathe.
He’s tall and broad, roped with muscle. His dark hair falls in loose waves, just long enough to run your fingers through, and his jaw looks like it belongs on one of the marble statues we saw at the Galleria Borghese.
But it’s his mouth that does me in. His lips are full and smirking, like he knows exactly what kind of thoughts are running through my head right now.
I have no idea how old he is. Maybe thirty-five?
He looks like he’s just stepped out of the pages of a magazine, in any case.
He’s wearing a crisp, white shirt, open at the collar just enough to show a swath of golden skin. My cock twitches, half-hard already, because fuck, I’ve never reacted to someone other than Anabel like this before. Not this fast, not this strong.
I have no idea who he is, or what he wants with us.
“Mind if I join you?” His voice is deep and polished, with only the faintest Italian accent. A tingle races down my spine at the sound of it.
Anabel and I exchange a look, and I can tell that she’s just as intrigued by this stranger as I am.
She blinks once, twice, then nods. I move to her side of the booth to make room, and as I slide in, my thigh presses against hers, making heat pool low in my gut.
She lets out this little laugh, breathless, and I know she’s just as thrown by this man as I am.
“Do we know you?” she asks, tilting her head.
His grin widens as he settles into the seat across from us, one arm extended casually along the back of the booth. “Not yet. But you will.”
And just like that, my pulse kicks up another notch.
I glance over at Anabel. Her cheeks are flushed, her lips parted just enough to make my brain short-circuit.
Oh. Oh.
She’s into him. And I’m…not jealous. Not even a little. Because I’m into him, too. A vivid image of Anabel riding this man flashes through my brain and my cock thickens.
That’s probably a little fucked up, given the amount of pining I do over her. But the cock wants what it wants, I guess.
“Um, I’m Anabel,” she says, pointing at herself. “And this is my friend Cole.”
The man nods, grinning. “Luca Valentino. Although some call me Cupid.”
I blink at him. Anabel does the same. My brain stutters, trying to process what he just said.
“You’re…Cupid,” I say, and I can’t keep the skepticism out of my voice. “Right. Sure.” This guy is either batshit crazy or some kind of scam artist who targets tourists. Maybe both.
He smirks, like he can read my thoughts. “I can see you don’t believe me. Perhaps a little demonstration?”
Before I can react, he lifts his hand and snaps his fingers.
Tiny, glowing hearts rise from our wine glasses, floating in the air like embers from a fire caught on a breeze. They drift toward us, and I watch, dumbfounded, as they land on my arm. Anabel gasps as one touches her wrist, and then—
Oh.
Oh, fuck.
Heat blooms across my forearm, spreading through my body like wildfire. My cock goes rock hard in an instant. I grip the edge of the table, my knuckles turning white, as a wave of dizzying arousal crashes over me.
Beside me, Anabel whimpers. Her thighs press together, her hips shifting restlessly in the booth. Her cheeks are flushed, her lips parted, and I can the outline of her nipples pressed against her shirt.
She looks so fucking delicious right now that I almost come in my pants.
I’m painfully hard, my erection straining against my zipper, and I know there’s no way to hide it.
My brain is short-circuiting, my body on fire with need.
Anabel glances down at my obvious erection and whimpers again, biting her lip.
My cock jumps and pulses in response, my balls pulled up tight and aching for release.
Luca watches us, his amber eyes dark with hungry amusement. “Were you expecting a diaper-wearing little cherub who goes around shooting arrows?” he asks, his voice low and teasing. “Sorry to disappoint.”
His gaze flicks between us, lingering on the way Anabel squirms in her seat, the way my fingers dig into the table. He licks his lips as he takes us in, and I swear I can feel the heat of his stare like a physical touch.
Anabel lets out a soft, needy sound, and my cock throbs in response. I shift in my seat, trying to ease the pressure, but it’s no use. I’m aching, desperate, and I have no idea what the hell is happening.
Luca leans back in the booth, his broad shoulders stretching the fabric of his shirt, and watches us with those molten amber eyes.
He smirks, slow and knowing. “Look at you,” he murmurs, his voice a sexy rumble. “So fucking beautiful, especially when you’re turned on.”
Anabel whimpers beside me, her thighs pressing together.
Her fingers twist in the fabric of her skirt, her breath coming in soft, needy little gasps.
I can see the flush creeping up her neck, the way her nipples press against the thin fabric of her top.
She’s so fucking gorgeous like this, all flushed and trembling, and I want to touch her so badly it hurts.
Luca’s gaze locks onto her, and his smile turns softer, almost reverent. “Anabel,” he says, his voice like honey. “You’re stunning. So soft. So warm. No wonder Cole can’t take his eyes off you.”
Her head whips around, her blue eyes wide and startled. She stares at me, her lips parted, and I can see the question in her gaze. Does he mean it? Do you really want me?
I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry. I want to tell her yes, of course I do, but the words stick in my throat. Apparently being painfully aroused hasn’t made me any more brave. But it doesn’t matter, because Luca doesn’t give me the chance to speak, anyway.
His gaze shifts to me, and his smirk deepens. “And you, Cole,” he says, his voice dropping even lower. “Fuck, look at you. So hard. So desperate.” He gestures at the obvious bulge in my pants, and I feel my face burn. “Anabel wants you just as much as you want her. Can’t you see it?”
I glance at her, and my breath freezes in my lungs. She’s staring at me with wide eyes, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her fingers twitch, like she’s fighting the urge to reach out and touch me. The knowledge that she wants me too sends a jolt of need straight to my cock.
I reach out blindly, my fingers brushing against hers under the table. She gasps softly, her hand turning to lace our fingers together. Her skin is warm, her grip tight, and I cling to her like she’s the only thing keeping me grounded.
Maybe because she is. In the insanity of this moment, her hand in mine is real.
Luca takes a slow sip of his wine, those amber eyes never leaving us. The glass looks delicate in his big hand, the dark liquid catching the light. He sets it down with a soft clink and leans forward, elbows on the table.
“Do you know why I’m here?” His gaze bounces back and forth between us.
Anabel and I shake our heads in unison. My fingers are still tangled with hers under the table, and I don’t ever want to let go.
Luca’s lips curve into that knowing smirk. “Because of your wishes.”
Anabel stiffens beside me. “Our wishes?”
“At the fountain. My fountain.” He tilts his head, watching us like we’re the most fascinating thing he’s ever seen. “You both wished for each other.” He sips his wine again and when his eyes meet mine, my cock throbs. “I couldn’t leave such tender wishes unanswered.”
My pulse hammers in my throat. She wished for me. Holy shit. Holy shit.
Anabel’s grip tightens on my hand, her breath hitching. She turns to me, her blue eyes wide, searching. “Cole…?”
I nod, my voice barely above a whisper. “I wished for you, Anabel. I wished for…the courage to tell you how I feel.”
Her lips part, her gaze softening, and for a second, the world narrows to just this, to her hand in mine, to the way she’s looking at me like I’m something precious. Like I’m hers.
Luca lets out a satisfied chuckle. “See? Even the gods can’t resist a love story this sweet.”
Anabel’s cheeks flush, but she doesn’t look away from me. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she says softly. “I wished for you, too.”
Her words hit me like fireworks, lighting me up from the inside with something hot and beautiful.
“You did?”
She nods, and I feel like I can’t breathe.
Luca’s eyes flick between us with slow, deliberate precision. His smirk fades, replaced by a soft, gentle smile that only emphasizes how handsome he is.
“You love each other.”
The words hang in the air, simple and undeniable.
Anabel squeezes my fingers, her breathing ragged. She doesn’t look away from me, her blue eyes so, so bright. “Yeah,” she whispers. “I do.”
My throat goes tight as my heart kicks wildly against my ribs. I nod, praying my voice doesn’t crack as I tell her the truth. “I love you.”