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  “No fair.” Nico kicked off his boxers. “You still have all your clothes on.”

  “Whatcha gonna do about that?” Luke waggled his eyebrows.

  Nico bent down as if to kiss Luke and shifted at the last second. He grabbed Luke’s cotton trunks and freed his leaking cock.

  He winked, dipped his head, and swallowed most of Luke’s considerable length.

  Luke slapped the mattress and clutched at the sheets. “Fuck!”

  Nico’s cock jumped at the debauched groan. He sealed his lips around Luke and rubbed the flat of his tongue over him. Luke squirmed, his breath hitching with indecipherable words. Curses, maybe. Nico loved how Luke watched him with dark eyes, how he trembled and bucked under Nico’s ministrations. Loved how Luke let go and gave in to his pleasure.

  Nico grabbed the base of Luke’s cock and pulled back until his lips slid off the head with a loud pop.

  Luke flopped back hard onto his pillow. “Christ, Nico!”

  “Like that, do you?” Nico locked his eyes on Luke’s as he swiped his tongue over the glans again. “Or should I stop?”

  “Don’t you dare.”

  Nico grinned and wrapped his lips around Luke’s dick.

  Luke was a bit too long for Nico to take him all in, at least from this position, but he managed to get far enough down that Luke’s pubes tickled his nose. Breathing deep, he took in the hot-as-fuck guy writhing under him. Like everything else about him, Luke’s scent drove Nico crazy. He could spend hours enjoying Luke’s body.

  He drew up until his teeth gently grazed the tip of Luke’s head, and then plunged down, tongue firmly on the underside of the shaft.

  “Nico!” The urgency in Luke’s voice had Nico wrapping a hand around his base for extra friction. “If you don’t . . . ah, fuck!”

  Luke thrust up as Nico pushed down and Luke frantically fucked his throat. His arms and legs flailed, and Nico squeezed one mound of his ass, pushing Luke deeper into him.

  “Fuck, I’m gonna come. I’m gonna . . . nhhh.”

  The first shot sprayed inside Nico’s mouth. He kept his mouth locked just below the head and used his fingers to extract the rest of his prize for a blowjob well done.

  When Luke stopped convulsing, Nico drew back slow, eliciting a hiss of breath. He sucked the last bit of come off his fingers before raking his eyes up Luke’s body until their eyes met.

  “That. Was. Incredible,” Luke said, with a satisfied smile. “You totally don’t need the practice.”

  Nico crawled up Luke’s body until their lips were inches apart. “You can never get too much practice doing that.”

  Luke

  Luke cupped the back of Nico’s head and pulled him in for a deep kiss. He tasted his own come, and that just made the kiss hotter. Holy hell, watching Nico go down on him like that . . . watching him lick his fingers—

  Nico groaned into the kiss, and Luke flipped him over.

  “I think I should get some practice, too.” He covered Nico’s mouth again, his still hard cock brushing over Nico’s.

  Christ, he never stayed hard this long. He was so horny, it was like he hadn’t just exploded in one of the best orgasms of his life. The things you do to me, Nico.

  Their lips parted, and they both hauled in lungfuls of air. Nico’s arousal-damp skin clamped against Luke’s, and Luke slithered down his amazing body.

  He kissed the head of Nico’s leaking cock.

  Nico had given him the best blowjob of his life, and while Luke might not be able to match him, he intended to try.

  Luke swiped a tongue over the underside of Nico’s cock, and Nico shivered.

  Emboldened, Luke licked around Nico’s head, greedily lapping the precome. He slid a finger under the shaft and swallowed as much as his mouth would allow. He mimicked Nico’s technique, using his tongue to increase the sensation. A deep moan rewarded his efforts.

  “God, that’s good! Oh yeah, keep doing that,” Nico said on a breathy moan.

  Nico clutched the sheets. His body tensed and thrust up. Luke used his free hand to hold Nico down, but as Luke moved faster, Nico thrashed under him like he’d been hit with electricity.

  “Can’t . . . gonna . . . Luuuuuuke!”

  Nico shot into Luke’s hungry mouth, then fired off several quick bursts. Luke didn’t release his cock until Nico’s body unclenched and he relaxed back onto the mattress. With a slow sucking motion, he gradually raised his head until only the tip touched his lips. After a gentle kiss, Luke swallowed and looked up.

  Nico’s eyes were closed, and his chest rose and fell in rapid succession.

  Luke blanketed Nico’s body with his and rested his head next to Nico’s ear.

  “Definitely can’t get too much practice doing that.”

  Arms wrapped around his back, and Luke relaxed onto Nico’s tight body. Enjoying the after-sex contact, he closed his eyes.

  Coury: You had sex with Nico?!?

  Luke: Don’t make it sound incestuous! It just happened.

  Coury: Sex doesn’t, ‘just happen.’ Are things really weird now?

  Luke: Not sure, Nico got up early.

  Coury: Things are weird.

  Luke dropped his phone on the bed and sighed. Were they? Maybe, or maybe they were good. Nico had said he had a lot to do today.

  “Hi, Rocco.” Nico’s voice trailed from the other room.

  At least Nico hadn’t run out of the apartment. And what was that smell? Coffee! Luke stretched and tossed back the sheet.

  “Sorry, I can’t today.”

  Nico had thrown his shirt and shorts somewhere. God, that had been hot. Remembering his clothes coming off sent a rush of blood to his cock.

  “I’m sorry Vito is sick, but my family is coming soon, and I need to get ready for them.”

  Focus. Luke needed to speak to Nico before he ran off for the day. His shirt was by his side of the bed and his shorts were . . . in the corner near the bathroom? Nico must’ve been in a hurry to get rid of them.

  Luke snagged his boxers on the way to pee.

  “No, I can’t work tomorrow either. Sorry.”

  Good for Nico. They were taking advantage of him, asking him to work for a pittance so they could stay home. He flushed the toilet and swished some mouthwash for a second.

  “. . . like a plan. I’ll see you Monday.” Something hit the counter hard. Luke hoped Nico hadn’t broken his phone. “Ugh!”

  Nico was pouring coffee when Luke left the bedroom. He looked up and smiled. A real one. “Hey. Sorry if I woke you.”

  “You didn’t,” Luke assured him, and Nico handed him a cup. “Thanks.”

  “I got up to use the bathroom and saw a missed call from Esposito’s.” He took a sip and leaned back on the counter. “I tried to be quiet, but I guess not.”

  “Nah, you were good. I was up when you called.” Luke’s cup of java called to him. Another of Nico’s good qualities: he made excellent coffee. “Let me guess, they wanted you to come in today.”

  “Heard that, did you?” He glanced down at his feet. “I’m not sure if I should be angry or flattered. Unfortunately, that’s one of the downsides of running a small business: when someone calls out, the owner has to cover.”

  “Are you speaking from experience?”

  “No and yes. We’re much bigger than Esposito’s. There are usually enough people working that if someone calls out, they can generally get by. But sometimes my parents had to go in.” He rolled his eyes. “Or they sent me.”

  They laughed for a moment, and an uneasy silence followed. Luke took another sip and let his cup linger. How to approach the elephant in the room? “So, last night . . .”

  Nico smiled wildly and shrugged. “Yeah. I had fun.”

  Fun. Something about the blasé way Nico said it had Luke’s gut falling to his feet. “Um, me too. So we’re okay?”

  “Why wouldn’t we be?” Nico’s smile vanished. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m great. It’s just, I don’t want it to come
between us. You know, now that we crossed that line.”

  Nico looked at the wall. “Nothing has changed. It was just some fun, right?”

  That word again. “Right. Fun.”

  “If this weirds you out, I can sleep on the couch until the mattress gets here.” Nico continued avoiding Luke’s gaze.

  “I’m not weirded out if you’re not.”

  “Nope, I’m good too.”

  If he was good, why not look at him? “What time do we head out to dinner with your family?”

  “Mom said she’ll call when they leave.” He finished his coffee. “Knowing my parents, they’ll probably swing by here first. Too curious for their own good.”

  “Oh, okay. Cool.” He moved closer and rubbed Nico’s arm. “Thanks for making the coffee. I’ll miss this when we go back to school.”

  “I’ll come by every morning at seven with your coffee.”

  Nico might be joking, but the thought of not seeing him every morning bothered Luke. “Or I could come to your room. That way it won’t get cold.”

  “That’s so practical.”

  Practical. That was Luke, all right. He shrugged it off. “I guess we should clean this place up for your parents. What’s first on our list?”

  “Our list?” Nico shook his head. “Coming to dinner is all you need to do. I’ll take care of cleaning.”

  “Fuhgeddaboudit. I live here too. I’ll help.”

  “Fuhgeddaboudit? Really?”

  What? “Did I use it wrong?”

  “Nope. It was perfect. I just never heard you say that before.”

  “I pick up a few things here and there.” Like how wildly you kiss when I squeeze your ass. Okay, bad idea to go there. Luke nodded toward their room. “We should shower before we clean the bathroom.”

  “Together?” Nico wiggled his eyebrows.

  Oh, God. How hot would that be? “Seriously?”

  “Sadly, no. We’d never get any work done.” He pouted. “Rain check?”

  “Sure,” Luke said with a wink, “but don’t think I won’t use it.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Luke

  Nico’s family didn’t like Elliott’s parents.

  Especially Nonno, who scowled and muttered at his food.

  Elliott’s father had clearly researched Amato’s bakery. His prying questions about sales and profits were met with polite deflections until Elisa elbowed Elliott, and Elliott asked his father to stop talking business.

  The conversation turned to their boat, vacation house, trips, and stock portfolio.

  Luke felt uncomfortable on the Amatos behalf and embarrassed for Elliott and Elisa.

  He stirred in his chair, foot knocking into Nico’s next to him. He stopped himself from murmuring an apology. Why say sorry when you weren’t?

  In fact, why move it back at all?

  Nico’s gaze shot to his, brown eyes glittering with a smile.

  Luke rubbed Nico’s foot, and Nico tentatively pressed back. He took a sip of wine and missed his mouth, spilling a drop onto his purple sports jacket. Again, Nico had dressed up for the occasion, and again Luke couldn’t help noticing how much more comfortable Nico seemed. Like the clothes or the color boosted his confidence. It was almost too much—the confidence, that was. Nico was sexy enough as it was—

  Luke swallowed hard, staring at Nico dabbing his jacket with a napkin.

  Nonna muttered into his ear, and Nico rolled his eyes.

  “What did Nonna say to you?” Luke asked, smoothing a kink in Nico’s lapel.

  Nico leaned toward him, keeping his voice low. His breath hit Luke over the bridge of his nose, eliciting a shiver. “She said they were uncouth. You don’t talk about money at dinner. Especially with people you just met.”

  “Your poor dad. He’s taken the brunt of it.”

  “He’s also the most patient.”

  “So, Nico,” Mrs. Randall said loudly, catching everyone’s attention. “I’ve never seen such a shiny purple sports coat before. Certainly not here in our club.”

  Nico stiffened, his gaze darted to Luke, and his checks flushed. Nonna hissed in Italian.

  “Excuse me?” Mrs. Randall said indignantly.

  Luke narrowed his eyes on the woman. How dare she speak to Nico like that? “She said no one who comes here looks half as good as Nico does.” Luke slid his fingers over the back of Nico’s and interlocked them. “Nico looks amazing.”

  All eyes swiveled to him and Nico. Luke didn’t care what they thought of his outburst. No way he’d sit there and let Nico take that shit. Nico rocked his outfit. So damn handsome.

  Elisa beamed at him, and Nico squeezed his fingers around Luke’s and squared his shoulders.

  “A bit of color helps to brighten people’s day.” He gave Mrs. Randall his fake smile. “I promise to wear a staid and boring black tux to the wedding.”

  “Only because you couldn’t find one in purple, boo.” Elisa’s joke elicited a nervous laugh from Elliott. “But I’m sure you can find a cummerbund that gives you a hint of color.”

  The mood didn’t improve much. Elisa and Elliott tried their best to keep things light, but it was a wasted effort. Nico refilled his wineglass every time it got low. When he reached for the bottle again, Luke grabbed his hand. “Let’s go for a walk?”

  Nico’s defiant glare was dispelled by Nonna patting his arm. She whispered to her grandson, and Nico’s face lit with a smile. He kissed her cheek and pushed his chair back. “If you’ll excuse us for a bit. We’re going to get some air.”

  As soon as they reached the aisle, Luke reached for Nico’s hand. He felt a gentle squeeze as their fingers laced together.

  Several people in the club stared at them. Most smiled, but not all. One woman hissed disgust. And another man made a puking gesture.

  Luke barely refrained from flipping him off, and he yanked Nico back when he shifted in the man’s direction.

  He spotted a tall table with two stools in the bar area and headed to them. Nico shimmied onto the seat across from Luke.

  “Oh my, it’s so much fresher in here.” Nico took an exaggerated breath, throwing his arms out in the process. “You can practically smell farmland.”

  Luke bit back a smile. “That’s so original. I’ve never heard that before.”

  Nico’s face lit up in horror, and he settled his hand on top of Luke’s. “You worked on a farm. I didn’t mean to insult you. I was just, you know . . .” His left hand swooshed around.

  “Just being Nico?” He used his free hand to rub Nico’s. The contact scattered goose bumps up his arm. “Good thing I like you.”

  Nico swept the compliment aside, frowning. Like maybe he didn’t trust it. “If we’re not here for dairy air, why did you want to leave?”

  “You looked like you needed a break.”

  “Because I was drinking so much?” A note of defiance shaded Nico’s voice.

  “It’s not that you’re drinking, it’s why you’re drinking. Every time Mrs. Randall said something, you reached for your wine.”

  “I feel sorry for Elisa. She’s got to deal with them.” Nico grimaced. “Didn’t you wonder why my parents never met them? I mean, they’ve been dating two years and are getting married in a month.”

  “This is the first time they’ve met? I thought only your grandparents hadn’t met them.”

  “Nope. My parents hadn’t either.” Nico looked toward the main restaurant. “Elliott is a bit impressed by money, but even he recognizes they’re . . . they’re . . .”

  “Uncouth?” Luke tilted his head and smiled.

  “Right, let’s go with that.”

  Luke snickered. “That isn’t what Nonna said, is it?”

  “Omertà.” Nico put his fingers by his lips and pretended to turn a lock.

  “O mare ta?”

  “Omertà. You don’t snitch on your family. It’s Sicilian and generally refers to the mafia. You don’t talk to the cops, and the family takes care of your family if you go to ja
il.” He looked Luke in the eye, cocking his head to one side as if trying to figure something out. “Thank you for standing up for me. Um, before.”

  “I meant every word. You look fantastic.”

  Nico dragged his gaze away and bit his lip. He pinched the jacket fabric. “I might have worn it to test something.”

  “Test what?”

  Nico’s Adam’s apple jutted.

  A waitress came by, interrupting them. Luke sighed and ordered two glasses of white wine. Nico arched a brow and mouthed “Two?”

  “One for you. Like I said, it wasn’t that you were drinking, it was why you were drinking. Now, what were you trying to test?”

  Nico waved it off. “I just wore it to get a reaction.” He paused. “Mrs. Randall certainly pulled through.”

  “So what did Nonna say when Mrs. Randall dissed your jacket? I’m sure it wasn’t how handsome you look.”

  “Ahh, so the wine is to get me drunk so I’ll violate the code of silence?”

  “Will it work?”

  Nico laughed. “Basically she said if someone didn’t put that woman in her place, she’d do it herself.” Nico blushed. “And then you swept in.”

  “I like this knight-in-shining-armor story you’re telling.”

  Nico snorted just as the waitress returned with their drinks.

  Luke told her to put it on the Randall’s tab.

  Nico snickered softly after she left. “They’ll probably fuss about that.”

  “So? They invited us to dinner at their club.” Luke raised his glass. “Besides, did you hear them talk about how much money they have?”

  “Who didn’t?”

  Luke sipped. “Now get back to that story you were telling. With the handsome knight saving the evening.”

  “Handsome?” Nico squished his nose. “Hmm.”

  Luke playfully kicked Nico’s foot, and Nico threw his head back in a laugh. “All right, all right. He was pretty damn handsome.”