Chapter 4 #2
He shouldn’t be here. Brad sighed before yanking open the door to the coffee shop.
Instantly the scent of fresh coffee hit him and Brad breathed deep.
The entire crew of the Surf City Fire Department met up before the early morning shift started.
Brad was hopefully arriving before the rest of the crew.
He needed to talk to Luca. Without the nosy-ass friends close by to overhear him and Luca. They needed to talk.
Striding into the shop, Brad shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
The barista, Dawson, glanced up at his entrance.
Brad didn’t see Luca. Maybe he wasn’t even working this morning. In fact, Brad should have thought this out better. Luca had made the semifinals of the surfing competition.
Dawson’s face turned red as he looked at Brad.
Brad paused. While Dawson wasn’t the most talkative person that Brad had ever met, he didn’t normally look at Brad like he had two heads. There was no way that Luca had told the other man what had happened between him. Had he?
Dawson dropped his gaze to the counter before shifting nervously from side to side.
Or maybe Luca had.
Brad needed to know either way. He rolled his shoulders back before he walked to the counter. “Morning.”
“Good morning,” Dawson replied quietly.
Yep, Dawson still didn’t look at him.
“Uh, is Luca here?” Brad asked.
Dawson shook his head. “He’s upstairs. At home.”
Figured. Brad was disappointed but it wasn’t Dawson’s fault. “Oh. Okay.”
“You could go up?”
It came out more as a question than an invitation. “Are you sure?”
Dawson shrugged. “He should be leaving soon. You can still catch him.”
Brad checked his watch. He had arrived early for a reason. “Okay. Thanks.” He took a step back. “Uh, could you not mention that I was here?”
Dawson glanced up briefly before he dropped his eyes again. “Sure.”
“Thanks, man.” Brad smacked the counter then turned. He hurried from the shop, ignoring the rest of the patrons. At least the patrons inside weren’t anyone that Brad knew. Or would rat him out to the rest of the crew.
He took the stairs two at a time until he was standing in front of Luca’s apartment door. Brad was a little jealous at Luca living so close to his work and not far from the university.
The house that Brad rented a room in with four other guys was on the opposite side of the city from the fire department.
When the tourists had started arriving, it added traffic and congestion to Brad’s daily commute.
Annoying and unnecessary. It was the only negative about the city that Brad had found.
The housing was expensive and hard to come by.
Brad had lucked into the room that he rented so he couldn’t complain too much. It was something he could afford. Most of the houses were way out of Brad’s price range. Or so rundown that they needed to be condemned.
He lifted his hand to knock when the door was pulled open and Luca stood there, staring at him. Luca had a backpack over one shoulder and his surfboard by his side. “Brad? What are you doing here?”
What was he doing there? Good question. It seemed like a good idea when Brad had left his house that morning. He had some explaining to do. Claiming not to be a Daddy then messing around with someone who identified as a little made Brad the biggest asshole in the world.
Brad wasn’t being fair to Luca. Which meant he needed to apologize again.
The day before, Brad had barely managed to get his hand out of Luca’s shorts as several laughing surfers had entered the tent.
It had been awkward as they both pretended that they hadn’t been doing anything close to what they had been doing.
Even Luca had been without his usual sassy remarks as they separated.
Before Brad could explain or ask Luca if he was okay, Luca’s name had been called. It had been time for Luca to get back into the competition. Luca had patted Brad’s stomach before quietly thanking him for the stress reducer.
Brad had stared after him. Much like he was currently doing now.
“Dude. Hello, Brad.” Luca frowned at him. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” Brad responded. He had to ignore how damn good Luca looked in his shorts. His package framed perfectly, making Brad’s mouth water. “I came to talk to you.”
“Talk,” Luca repeated. He lifted his brows. “Why?”
“Why?” What kind of question was that? Wasn’t it obvious?
Luca shrugged. “Yes. Why?”
Frustration filled him. He snapped before thinking about the words.
“Maybe because I can’t stop thinking about you.
Or the fact that we’ve now hooked up three times and I still don’t even have your damn phone number.
I couldn’t call you this morning and had to go into the coffee shop looking for you. ”
“You want my phone number?” Luca asked. He dropped his backpack then set the surfboard carefully against the wall. “You planning on calling me up for a date or something?”
Brad threw his hands up in the air. “You drive me crazy.”
Luca smirked. “That’s pretty obvious.” He leaned against the doorjamb. “Although I’m beginning to wonder if that might not have been an issue before I even met you.”
Okay, the boy was being a brat. That wasn’t really a surprise.
Wanting to put Luca over his knee. Yeah.
That wasn’t how Brad normally operated. Well not without consent and an established boundary talk.
Which he wouldn’t be doing because Brad wasn’t a Daddy anymore.
He was finished with that part of his life.
He had to be. Brad couldn’t go through that pain ever again. He pressed his lips together.
Luca held up a hand. “Let me guess. You’re here to talk to me.”
Brad nodded. He had said that, right? Yes, yes, he had.
“I’ll save you the trouble,” Luca told him. “It can’t happen again. You like me as a friend but you’re not looking for anything permanent right now. You’re not a Daddy anymore. You’d also appreciate it if I didn’t tell anyone about what has been going on between us.”
He found himself scowling at Luca as he spoke.
“How’d I do? Did that pretty much cover everything?” Luca asked. “Because I have places to be.”
It had. All the words Brad had practiced on his drive over sounded wrong coming from Luca’s mouth. And hearing them made Brad’s stomach ache. They needed to be said except now Brad didn’t want them out there.
Luca cleared his throat. “Hello?”
“Can I kiss you?”
“Can you…do what now?”
Brad knew his eyes had to be huge as he wanted to slap a hand over his mouth. He hadn’t meant for that to come out. The part of him that couldn’t stop obsessing over Luca was taking control of his mouth. His brain was out of service, allowing his body to rule.
Pushing off the doorjamb, Luca straightened. Instead of looking angry, confusion crossed over Luca’s features. Brad could work with that.
“I want to kiss you,” Brad confessed quietly. “I want to press my lips to yours and taste you. I want to be mouth to mouth with you. Need it.
“Uh, okay.” Luca was looking at him like Brad had lost his mind.
Maybe Brad had, because he shuffled forward. “Okay? Is that a yes?”
Luca shook his head.
“Oh.” Brad dropped his shoulders.
“Jeez, don’t look like that,” Luca complained.
“Like what?” Brad questioned. He wasn’t looking at Luca like anything. Was he?
“Like I just kicked your puppy,” Luca returned.
“But I really want to kiss you,” Brad confessed. Luca’s lips were shining like he’d applied something to them earlier. Was it flavored?
“Brad,” Luca drawled. “What are you doing here. Really? Because I don’t think it was to get a morning kiss.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Brad shrugged. “You weren’t wrong.”
Luca stared at him.
“About what you said. What you said I was going to say.”
“That made more sense than it should have.” Luca sighed.
“But I don’t want to say them,” Brad continued. “I know I should. I was prepared to.”
“Brad.” Luca shook his head. “I’m not into games.” He flopped a wrist toward him. “Or whatever it is your doing.”
“I’m not into games either,” Brad said. He just couldn’t help himself. Being drawn to Luca was messing everything up. His plan didn’t include the dark-haired brat.
“You could’ve fooled me,” Luca quipped.
Brad took a step back. “You’re right.” And he was an asshole. Maybe not on purpose but Brad couldn’t keep stringing Luca along. It wasn’t fair.
“Now where are you going?” Luca asked.
“I should go.” Brad pointed behind him. “I’ll leave you alone. And I do hope that we can be friends.”
Reaching out, Luca fisted the front of Brad’s official Surf City Fire Department polo shirt and yanked Brad forward. Their chests bumped before Luca wrapped his arms around Brad’s waist. “What if I want that kiss now?”
“I…” Now Luca was playing with him. That was fair. And being held close, smelling that same coconut scent as the day before, feeling Luca’s body pressed against his, Brad’s cock was as confused as his mind but ready to join the party. “Now you’re messing with me.”
“Perhaps,” Luca breathed against Brad’s lips.
Brad opened his mouth to…say something but Luca surged forward. Their mouths met and Brad groaned when Luca swiped his tongue over Brad’s. Electricity surged down his spine and around to his cock.
Luca dug his fingers into the small of Brad’s back.
Brad was confused, a little lost, and horny as hell. He grabbed Luca’s ass, lifting the boy to his tiptoes as they continued to rub their tongues together.
Wrapping one leg around Brad’s waist, Luca gave a massive thrust.
“Fuck yes.” Brad peppered kisses from Luca’s mouth and down his neck.
He could feel the boy’s cock as hard as his own.
Carefully, with one hand still palming Luca’s ass and the other holding Luca’s leg up, Brad shuffled them farther inside the apartment.
Because of course this started in the open doorway where anyone could see them.
What the hell was wrong with Brad that he kept allowing that to happen?
He backed Luca into the arm of the couch then pulled away slowly.
Luca blinked up at him, panting and shaking.