Page 84 of Cherry on Top

Enzo scoffed at Rocco’s back as he walked away.

Yeah, Will was hot. So hot it was a freaking miracle he hadn’t kissed him on that first date. But it was so much more than Will being hot. That was what told him that no matter how tough it was to figure out how they were going to do this, he was worth it.

After finishing his lunch, Enzo took his time getting back to work.

Really, he’d already accomplished more than he’d intended to today, and he could admit the only reason he was headed back was to clean up a bit and to pop into Cherry’s and see Will.

He skirted the edges of the sidewalks, keeping to the shade. When he made it to Cherry’s, he ran a hand through his hair, gave it up for a lost cause, and stepped inside.

Will was at the counter helping someone—a mother with two young kids—but he glanced up and their eyes met. He tipped his head, indicating that Enzo could take a seat.

He did, sprawling out in the corner on the bench in one of the booths.

A few minutes and two ice cream cones and a confection that was coffee and ice cream blended up together that made the mother perk right up, Will made his way over to where Enzo sat.

“Hey,” he said, reaching out and resting a hand on Enzo’s shoulder.

There was a smear of chocolate on his arm, mirroring the paint streaking Enzo’s, and not for the first time he thought, in so many ways, we’re so alike.

“Hey.” Enzo thought he could just sit here, basking in Will’s gaze, in his touch, forever. They didn’t even need to talk. He didn’t need to say, I worked my ass off today, but what kind of work it was—because Will understood.

Every morning when he unlocked the door to Cherry’s was like when Enzo picked up a brush.

“Thanks for the water,” Enzo added. Because he had been out to see him, and Enzo had clearly been in too deep to even notice. He hoped Will wouldn’t be pissed. He wouldn’t be the first one to resent that sometimes Enzo lost himself in his art.

The warm look in his blue eyes told the whole story. He not only wasn’t mad, he understood.

“You looked completely absorbed so I left you alone. But it was so hot I didn’t want you to give yourself heat stroke . . .” Will trailed off.

“I was in a zone, for sure,” Enzo agreed. “I got so much more done of Eliza than I anticipated. Sometimes you just understand, and it’s a struggle to get the paint on the surface as fast as the ideas come.”

Will smiled. “Well, she turned out incredible. Her face . . .I didn’t think there’d be so much detail, so much emotion, in her, but you captured it, and well . . .” He flushed. “You know just how good you are.”

“Yeah, but you’re always free to tell me, baby,” Enzo joked, nudging him with his shoulder. “It is a hot one, today. I’m probably done, except for some clean-up. But I stopped by to ask if you want to cool down with me later.”

Will raised an eyebrow. “Is that what we’re doing?”

It wasn’t how Enzo would’ve described it either. But he’d been talking about something else. Well, sort of something else. “Skinny dipping. In the ocean. After you’re off.” He grinned. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”

Will leaned down. “I can’t,” he admitted quietly, with a fire in his gaze. “Not after last night.”

“Then come with me,” Enzo said. But it was more, wasn’t it? He was pleading. Nearly begging.

When was the last time he’d ever needed a man so much?

Never. That was when.

But he could sense Will hesitating. “It’ll be late . . .I want to, but yeah it’ll be late. It won’t be a dusk swim, but a full night swim.”

Sure, Enzo knew why he was saying it. Was it safe? Not exactly.

But taking the physical risk felt like nothing when he thought about the way he was risking his heart.

“But I’ll have my big strong man there to protect me,” Enzo teased. “My very own Stud Muffin.”

Will smiled, the brightness breaking over his face like he couldn’t even restrain it anymore. “You’re ridiculous,” he said, squeezing his shoulder again. It sounded exactly like You’re amazing. Or maybe, You’re unbelievable.

Or maybe even, You’re so sexy, I can’t wait to have my way with you.

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