Page 25 of Between the Lines

Theo’s gaze drifted to Luca’s mouth in unmistakable interest. “I don’t know whether that would be a good idea.”

“Neither do I,” Luca agreed, leaning in anyway, letting their breath mingle. “But I know it would be hot.”

“My dad—”

“Ain’t invited to the party.” Luca brushed their lips together, the lightest of touches. A question.

“I’m here to buy the Majestic.” Theo whispered the words into the steamy space between them, low and breathy. “If you think this will change my mind or distract me...”

“That’s not what this is about.” Luca crowded him against the garden railing, pressing up against his lean thighs, Theo’s belt buckle digging into his hip, and his body warm and welcoming. “This is about you and me—” he brushed his lips over Theo’s again “—and this moment right now.”

Theo gasped, a small intake of breath, and then surged forward to meet Luca’s mouth. Luca fucking loved it, messy and hungry and so freakin’eager. Theo’s lips tasted of burger and beer, his skin of sea salt and clean sweat, and when Luca pressed a kiss to the tender space beneath his ear, Theo shuddered. “You like that?” A soft growl was his only answer, so Luca kissed him there again, harder, sucking and nibbling until Theo’s head fell back with a clunk against the railing. Christ, he wasresponsive. Luca’s mind flooded with all the things he could do with him in a bed, the ways he could make him come apart. The ways they could come apart together. He went dizzy at the thought, desire scorching across the surface of his skin. “Fuck, Theo, I want you.”

Squirming until their lips met again, Theo pressed forward so hard Luca almost lost his balance. But Luca was taller and heavier and pushed back, pinning Theo against the railing again, smiling into the kiss, nipping at Theo’s lower lip until he groaned. Impatient, hot, and all over the place, Theo was so beautifully receptive and painfully raw it made Luca’s heart swell, filling up with a fierce protectiveness.

He crushed it back down, hard. That wasn’t what this was about: this was about heat, and want, andnow. Nothing more.

Reaching for Theo’s fly, Luca felt his eager hardness and grinned. “Well, hello—”

But Theo grabbed his wrist, holding him at bay. “Wait,” he gasped. “Luca, wait.”

He stilled. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Theo’s eyes closed, lower lip caught between his teeth. “No. Shit, sorry.”

Frowning, Luca pulled back so he could better see Theo’s face. He looked skittish, like a wild bird about to take flight, and when he opened his eyes they were dark as the night. Anxious. A sharp silvery feeling pierced Luca’s chest, somehow hurting and making him smile all at once. “Hey, relax, man, there’s no rush.” He put a reassuring hand on Theo’s shoulder, thumb grazing his collarbone. “You’re here for a couple of weeks, right?”

“Nine days,” Theo said tensely. “I’m here nine more days.”

Luca smiled, amused by the accuracy. “Sure. Nine days.” He was still touching Theo’s shoulder, still stroking the warm skin at the edge of his t-shirt. “You wanna take a raincheck tonight?”

Theo nodded. “Yes, thank you. Sometimes I get a little...” He let it trail off, and Luca didn’t pursue. It wasn’t his business, was it? “Maybe we could hang out some more, first?”

That rang a couple of alarm bells. First, Luca didn’t do relationships. Ever. Second, the idea of hanging out with Theo wasn’t as...unappealing as he’d have thought this morning. Which was troubling. He considered the issue, trying to square the circle. “How about this?” he countered. “We hang out, maybe fool around some while you’re here, and then we say goodbye when you head back to the city. No strings, no hurt feelings. No drama.”

Theo studied him. “No drama?”

“I’m not interested in any mushy stuff,” Luca explained. “You should know that from the start, okay? I don’t do relationships. It’s just not my thing. But if—” he twitched his eyebrows in invitation “—you want to have some fun, blow that Grant jerk out of your system and head back to the city with a spring in your step, then I’m your guy.”

Theo looked cautious. Interested, but cautious. “You’re talking about what? A summer...? Not a romance, but a fling?”

“Exactly, yeah.” Luca smiled. “A summer fling.”

The wariness in Theo’s eyes faded, replaced by something more thoughtful. “So we both know the score before we start?” He nodded to himself. “I like that. I like knowing where I stand.”

“Me, too.” Everything got messy when you weren’t on the same page, and Luca preferred to keep things simple. “Nine days of summer fun, and that’s all.”

Leaning back against the garden railing, Theo let his arms hang at his side. Hair and clothes disheveled, he looked both wanton and guileless when he smiled. “So what did you have in mind?”

What Luca had in mind was getting naked as soon as possible, but that probably wasn’t in the cards tonight. Theo was a complex man and Luca didn’t want to spook him—it wasn’t worth the risk with a whole nine days in play. So he just reached past Theo to push open the squeaky garden gate, leading him toward the Majestic. “You’re here to get to know New Milton, right?”

Theo followed, stepping out from the shadows of the trees into the moonlight. “New Milton and the Majestic, yes.” He ran his hands through his hair, smiling as he pushed unruly curls back from his face, and Luca felt a spike of anticipation. Yeah, this would be worth the wait.

“Then, how about I show you around tomorrow?” he said, walking backward through the dewy grass. “And we can see what happens. We’ve got nine days, after all. That’s all the time in the world.”

Chapter Ten

Theo lay in the center of his enormous bed, pillows crammed behind his head and the drapes opened wide like theatre curtains, framing a spectacular sunrise. Swags of cloud garlanded the paling blue sky, bellies set alight by the fiery sun breaching the horizon. A new day.

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