Page 47 of Disciplined: His Forbidden Crush

Rafael cleared his throat, trying to maintain his stoic façade. “Do you really enjoy places like this?” he asked, glancing around the club.

“Absolutely,” Summer replied without hesitation. “In here, I can dance however I want, be who I want, and nobody judges me. Well, no one important. Everyone who matters doesn’t mind, and anyone who minds doesn’t matter.”

Rafael nodded, taking in Summer’s words. “Have you enjoyed your last night of freedom?” he asked cautiously.

Summer bit his lip, his eyes flickering with emotion. “Yes, but the night isn’t over yet.” He took another sip of his cocktail before setting it on the bar. “Where do you want to go next?”

“Wherever you want,” Rafael offered.

Summer looked into Rafael’s eyes for a long moment. Something shifted between them, the long tendrils of desire curling into them and binding them together. Summer leaned in to brush his lips against Rafael’s ear, his hand hot on Rafael’s chest. “Take me home,” he whispered, the implication clear as day.

Rafael nodded slowly, feeling anticipation coil with him. “Yes.”

***

The car’s engine hummed softly as Rafael drove through the neon-lit streets, feeling the pulse of the city as traffic moved around them. Summer sat beside him, unusually silent, his hair cascading over his shoulders like a waterfall of fire. It caught in the streetlights, burning bright.

Rafael glanced at him, remembering the tender goodbyes shared between Summer, Coco, and Lila at the club. Their hugs were tight, their kisses on each other’s cheeks lingering, as though they knew this was a final farewell. He could feel the weight of his responsibility press down upon him as he realized how much Summer would miss his friends back in Colombia.

“Are you okay?” Rafael asked, his voice rough with concern.

Summer blinked and looked at him, a small smile playing on his lips. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just...thinking.”

“About what?”

“Nothing important,” Summer lied, and Rafael knew it was a lie but didn’t press the issue.

A pang of guilt stabbed at his heart, knowing he was tearing Summer away from the life he’d built here, the freedom and friendships he had found. But there was no turning back now.

Pulling up to the apartment building, the silence that followed them felt heavier, charged with tension and unspoken emotions. Rafael led the way up the stairs, his thoughts focused on the fact that this would be their last night here, in this sanctuary Summer had created for himself, that Rafael had invaded and turned against him.

Once inside, before Rafael could flick on the light switch, Summer turned to him in the dark, reaching out and taking Rafael’s rough hand in his own. He leaned in close, his breath warm against Rafael’s cheek, and whispered, “Rafael, make love to me.”

Rafael’s heart clenched at the vulnerability in Summer’s voice, so delicate and raw. He caught Summer against him, pressing his lips to the delicate curve of Summer’s jaw, and then the tender skin of his neck.

“Rafael,” Summer whispered, leaning into the embrace, and Rafael felt again a pang of regret for forcing him to leave this life behind. But now was not the time for regrets; he had to give Summer everything he could before that time ran out.

He began to undress Summer with care, unwrapping a precious gift. Summer’s clothes dropped like leaves until he was naked, cast in shadow. Rafael couldn’t help but drink in the sight of him, his breath hitching as he took in every inch of Summer’s pale, beautiful form. With steady hands, he then stripped away his own clothes, feeling the weight of the world come away with them. Naked, they were just two men, and all they had to do was be honest with one another.

“Please,” Summer whispered, reaching out to touch Rafael’s chest, his green eyes dark and hungry.

Rafael pulled Summer against him, their bodies coming together naturally. He kissed Summer slowly, deeply, savoring the taste of him as he tried to ignore the growing lump in his throat and the storm of emotions brewing within. This was for Summer, to show him how much he meant to Rafael, even if words would never be enough.

Their mouths met again and again as Rafael guided Summer across the apartment. Each kiss felt like a desperate plea for something more, a way to express the unspeakable feelings that threatened to overwhelm him.

“Rafael,” Summer breathed against his lips as they finally reached the bedroom, and Rafael felt the word run through him like warm honey. The bedside lamp was on, lighting the planes of Summer’s face. Rafael thought he was the most beautiful man in the world.

He laid Summer down on the bed, the soft lamplight casting a warm glow on his naked body. He took a moment to drink in the sight of Summer, so beautiful it made Rafael’s heart ache. Summer’s crooked smile, the one that seemed to hold a secret, played at the corner of his lips as he bit them gently, inviting Rafael closer.

The dark hollows of Summer’s clavicle and ribs drew Rafael’s attention, accentuating the elegant curve of his body, making him appear both delicate and undeniably strong. As if touching something sacred, Rafael’s fingertips grazed across Summer’s skin, tracing the lines of his body with reverence.

“My God, how beautiful you are,” Rafael murmured, his voice rough with emotion. Summer’s eyes fluttered closed, and he tilted his head back, baring his throat. Unable to resist, Rafael pressed his lips to it, feeling the pulse beneath his skin. He kissed along the smooth line of Summer’s collarbone, tasting the salt of his sweat.

He continued downward, his lips finding Summer’s nipples and teasing them with gentle licks before grazing them lightly with his teeth. Summer let out a soft gasp, arching his back into the touch. The sound stirred a deep, primal urge in Rafael, something he’d never allowed himself to indulge before.

He kissed his way down Summer’s belly, pausing to nip gently at his hip. Rafael murmured sweet nothings in Spanish, his breath hot against Summer’s skin. “Qué lindo,” he whispered, and, “precioso,” the words slipping from his lips like a prayer.

Rafael inhaled the scent of Summer’s skin, the deliciously musky aroma filling his senses as he licked and kissed his way along his body. It was intoxicating, a taste that seemed to encompass everything he’d ever desired, and everything he’d been denying himself for so long.

---