Page 86 of Cherry on Top

“Come on, then,” Will said and took Enzo’s hand and led him off the porch, towards the beach.

The waves were crashing along the coastline, loud in the silence, as they took the path through the dunes.

When they reached the strip of sand within easy reach of the water, Enzo stopped, depositing his bundle of towels on the ground and tugging his T-shirt up.

It was just as Will had imagined it, so many times, both long and fleeting thoughts all day. Enzo’s skin, gleaming silver and gold under the light of the moon, the knowing look in his eyes as he tucked his fingers under his shorts and pulled them down, nothing underneath them.

Will felt the thrum of desire spike through him but ignored it, following Enzo’s movements and shucking his own clothes.

Reaching out, Enzo set a palm against his chest, right where his heart was beating a hair too fast. “Rocco told me that you were hot,” Enzo mused in a quiet voice. “But he was wrong.”

Will laughed out loud. “Thanks? I think?”

“You’re so much more than hot.” Enzo said this very seriously. “You’re so sweet and kind and gorgeous. Like you glow with all this inner light. Hot’s just a guy on Grindr who spends too much money on the gym and fake tanner. You’re . . .” He glanced up, eyes full of wonder and something else that Will felt, but was still afraid to name. It was too soon. It was too unexpected.

Yet he felt it, too, all the same.

Will kissed him, then, because he couldn’t say any of that.

It was too soon. Didn’t change a goddamn thing, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t floating around inside him unspoken, anyway.

Enzo pulled back a second later, eyes shining with mischief. “Race you to the water,” he said, and then he was running, so quick, his legs flashing in the moonlight, and Will could only chase after him, laughing the whole way.

They crashed into the water, and it was cool, but not cold, refreshing in the best kind of way, and Will laughed, joy spilling out of him as he kicked his legs and swam out past the first few sets of waves.

Enzo was right there, laughing too, his eyes lit up. “I think I beat you,” he teased as he floated close.

“Maybe you need a reminder that we’re both winners,” Will said, all faux seriousness.

“Do I?” Enzo grinned. “Then you’d better come over here and give it to me.”

But before he could, Enzo was swimming over, determination in his gaze. He wrapped his limbs around Will, tucking a foot determinedly around his knee and pressing their bodies together.

“You didn’t let me,” Will murmured, tipping his head against Enzo’s.

“I couldn’t wait.”

Will leaned in and kissed him again. And this time there was no reason to stop. Nothing but the stars above and the sea below, gently lapping at their skin.

Enzo’s mouth, hot and wet against his own, and then his body, rubbing against Will’s, the desire between them growing tougher to deny.

“Goddamn,” Enzo breathed out, his breaths coming in ragged gasps when they finally broke apart, Will’s mouth finding his neck, then drifting lower, to his collarbone.

Sucking a little hickey there, that would be hidden by his clothes, that only he would know was there.

“Remember the last time we did this?”

Will laughed. “I could hardly forget it. I think your naked body was permanently implanted in my brain. Every time I closed my eyes, I thought about you.”

“It was kind of a stupid, reckless, insane thing to do.”

“And it’s not now?” Will raised an eyebrow. “It’s full dark, now, Enzo.”

“That’s not why it was stupid, reckless, or insane. Getting naked with you was.”

“Yeah.” Will grinned. “It kinda was. We were playing with fire.”

“And I enjoyed it too much to worry about getting burned.”

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