Page 58 of All at Once

IF THERE’S ONE THING I’VE learned about myself on this trip, it’s how much more deprived I am of physical activity than I previously thought.

While Luca and Enrique make their way to climb up the third hill we’ve come across so far, Sofia and I struggle to catch our breath.

To my extreme delight, I recognize the starting point of our hike shortly after, preparing to celebrate as if I’ve just won the gold at the fucking Olympics.

Enrique goes to fill up his water bottle, and I declare to Luca through my heavy panting, “I have a feeling this will be the best smoothie I’ve ever had.”

He nods while taking a sip from his Hydro Flask, the flex of his Adam’s apple blinding me more than the sun. Then he closes his eyes slowly, before pouring some of the ice-cold water onto his hair.

I swallow the small lump that’s now formed in the back of my throat, trying not to gasp. Though, it’s hard not to, while his toned chest continues to expand through deep, shaky breaths.

I feel my nipples tighten through my tank top when the sweat gathering down his torso glides past his hipbone.

When Luca opens his eyes again, I immediately blink a few times, pretending like I wasn’t just rudely glaring at his skin. “I wouldn’t be thinking about it just yet,” he says. “We still have two more miles.”

My jaw drops. “You must be joking.”

“How did you know?” he says, feigning a look of surprise. “Here, I have your smoothie in my pocket.” He pretends to rummage around his pocket before walking away.

Refraining from rolling my eyes, I notice Sofia and Enrique get a head start, now groaning that we are in fact continuing. I quickly walk over to reach Luca again and say, “That felt like a few miles already though, no?”

“That was just a circle,” he points out.

“A verylongcircle…”

“You meandiameter,” he corrects smugly.

“No I mean—” I pause before flipping him off, while also taking the chance to walk past him.

Of course he catches up to me in no time. “That was pretty good. Have you been rehearsing?” he teases.

I glare at him as he continues to walk ahead of me with this pleased look on his face for successfully managing to piss me off yet again.

I wasn’t planning on taking my shirt off. But it’s basically a thousand degrees right now, so without hesitation, I lift up my tank top, before placing it underneath the elastic band of my sports bra.

If Luca looks over at me, he does it so quickly that I barely get a glimpse of it. Yet I sense that he did by the way his posture seems to have straightened up all of a sudden.

The thought sends more shivers down my warm spine, trying my best to not look as parched as I feel, while we walk along the trail for the second time.

As if it’s not already difficult to breathe, Enrique finally walks up to me.

It’s hard not to look just as mesmerized by Luca’s toned back, though.

It’s not my fault that he’s also walking right in front of me.

I’m sure that being in close proximity with two men that I’m physically attracted to wouldn’t feel as beguiling if they also weren’tbothcovered in sweat.

And now the first thought that pops into my head is Luca’s advice from last night.

This is my chance to make the first move.Ormake a complete fool of myself. The latter is probably what the situation’s leaning toward. But I’ll never know if I never try.

When I notice some of Enrique’s hair’s sticking up slightly, I find the perfect excuse to channel my inner charm (or something like that).

Taking my borderline trembling hands, I brush the side of his hair when my eyes meet his. “Here,” I say.

Here? Really?I couldn’t have thought of something better to say thanthat?

My charm somehow gets evenlesscharming, the moment his almond shaped eyes flicker to my lips. “You have really fluffy hair,” I confess, now with wide eyes.

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