Page 65 of Cherry on Top

“Yes,” Luca said firmly. “You’re a Moretti, but I care about you not only because of that. Because you’re Enzo.”

It was maybe the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him. And it meant even more because it was coming from Luca, who was notoriously close-lipped when it came to his emotions.

“Thanks, uh . . .I didn’t expect that.”

“And I’m sorry for that,” Luca said firmly. “Now, if you want that reservation, then I’ll make sure you get it.”

“Really?”

Luca returned to his meatballs, and the moment between them technically ended, but Enzo had a feeling the warmth of it would fire him for a long time to come. “Really.”

“I can’t believe you actually got us into Luca and Oliver’s place,” Will said, shyly glancing over at Enzo as they walked past the park. He looked really pleased, his hand squeezing around Enzo’s.

Enzo had never felt any particular desire to hold hands with anyone. But doing it with Will was nice. So nice he might want to do it even if they weren’t parading by where half the town could see them.

It was a cool-ish evening, and Enzo thought they’d passed all the biggest gossips in Indigo Bay—except his mother, of course.

“Luca and Oliver love you. You provide them with ice cream for some of their desserts. You don’t think they’d have gotten you in, if you’d asked?”

“Yeah, but the Lowcountry Bistro is . . .” Will waved his free hand around. “You know. Romantic. Meant for two. And uh . . .before you, I didn’t have two. I only had me.”

“You could’ve taken Kate,” Enzo suggested with a sly grin.

“Then it definitely wouldn’t have been romantic.”

“Guess you were just waiting for me, then.” Enzo paused, grinning. “Stud Muffin.”

Will laughed.

“Guess I was. The food though, it was so good. Different than what I expected, but delicious.”

“Luca would never tolerate less. Oliver, either.” It had been amazing, but that was exactly what Enzo had expected of his cousin and his husband. And they’d given them a nice private table. When Luca had shown them to it, the gleam in his eyes had told Enzo that this was entirely on purpose.

He’d given Enzo exactly what he wanted, deep down—privacy—but not what he’d claimed to need—a public display of their date.

“True. I’m still impressed.” Will shot him another one of those fond, affectionate looks that Enzo was beginning to realize weren’t fake in the least. “And you made it happen.”

“All I had to do was ask,” Enzo said modestly.

They turned the corner and they were already at the Inn. How had that passed so quickly? Enzo had deliberately been walking slowly. Knowing how he wanted the date to end. Also knowing how it should end. Will had drawn the line, and Enzo wasn’t going to cross it, unless he invited him to.

“But you asked,” Will said, squeezing his hand again. “How are we going to play this?” he asked, gesturing towards the screen porch. There were Giana and Joy again, sitting on one of the swings, chatting.

But as soon as they saw them, they clammed up, staring at Enzo and Will as they approached the porch stairs.

Great.

“I . . .I’m not sure,” Enzo said. He wanted to kiss Will, but he did not want to kiss Will if he wasn’t as into it as he was, and he did not want to kiss him just to convince his mother and Joy that they were wild about each other.

“I have an idea.” Will turned to him, voice and expression equally earnest. “Come upstairs with me.”

“What?” Enzo asked flatly, even as his whole body thrilled at the thought of it.

“It’s our second date. You look . . .” Will sounded flustered now. “You look like that. And you got us a table at the Bistro. I would not let you go home alone.”

Enzo understood what he was saying. He’d not have wanted to go home alone, either. If this was real, he’d have been trying hard to win an invitation to Will’s bed.

“I . . .uh . . .same,” Enzo agreed.

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