Page 30 of Between the Lines

“Do you want to—?”

“Yes.”

“Thank fuck,” Luca slipped his fingers beneath the band of his shorts, pushing them down over his strong thighs and kicking them away into the sand.

Theo’s heart pounded like a drum, breath coming short as Luca stepped closer, naked and hard, his cock as glorious as the rest of him. Luca kissed him again, lightly this time, his hands skimming sparks along Theo’s ribs to his hips, his breathing as fast as Theo’s. “Let’s lose these,” he murmured, and slipped his fingers under the waistband of Theo’s shorts. “Can I?”

When he nodded, Luca’s fingers slid under the waistband and he started peeling Theo’s shorts down his legs, kneeling on the grass at his feet. Theo went dizzy, had to grab Luca’s shoulder for balance as Luca pressed a kiss against his thigh. “You’ve got a bruise,” he murmured, lips soft against the place where Theo had bashed his leg on the bench that first day in New Milton. And something about Luca’s tender touch, his soothing kiss, pierced Theo’s heart. God, what Luca was doing to him. Eyes closed against a rush of bittersweet emotion, he felt Luca’s fingers skim over his hips again and back down his thighs. He didn’t touch Theo’s cock, although when he moved his head his damp hair brushed against its side and Theo gasped.

Luca smiled into his skin. “Step out of your shorts,” he said, tugging the sodden fabric away and dumping them with his own. Theo didn’t know whether to feel patronized or charmed. Mostly, he felt incredibly aroused.

With the same fluid movement as before, Luca got back to his feet. “Lie down with me?” He took Theo’s hand, tugging him down onto the blanket—leading him into deep water once more. They were in the shade, but the fabric felt warm against Theo’s back as if the sun had kissed it and turned away.

Luca stretched out at his side, his cock lying heavy against Theo’s thigh. “Hey?” Luca put a hand to Theo’s face, turning it toward him, looked him in the eye and...and yes, Theo saw something there. Warmth. A smile dancing in those silver eyes that made him feel skittish and happy. “Can I suck you?” Luca asked. “I want to.”

Theo’s breath caught in his throat, roughened with desire. “Yes...” It came out unsteadily. “Yes. I—It’s been a while.” In fact, there’d been nobody since Grant Daly. “I might not last long.”

“Then I’ll make it good,” Luca murmured and leaned in to kiss him. Theo met him hungrily, pulling him closer. He wanted to feel him everywhere. His weight, his heat. He wanted it all in case he never had it again. His heart cramped at the thought, but he pushed the feeling aside, concentrated on Luca’s mouth against his throat, his jaw—fuck yes rightthere—and ground himself up against Luca’s taut belly, wanting, wanting, wanting.

“Shhh,” Luca murmured against his shoulder, a slow hand running down his back. “Easy, there’s no rush.”

“Sorry.” Shit.

“Hey.” Luca drew back. “Screw sorry, man. Never apologize.”

“I’m not very good at—”

“Bullshit.” He bent his head, pressed his mouth against Theo’s chest, pausing to lick the line of his collarbone, sighing in appreciation. “You’re impatient is what you are.” He slid lower and flicked his tongue over a nipple. Theo flailed, one arm crashing onto the blanket, the other into the grass. Luca hummed his pleasure and did it again. “So fucking eager,” he said, breathing the words into Theo’s skin as he moved lower, over his ribs, kissing the soft flesh of his belly. His hipbone. The top of his thigh. “So hot.”

“Jesus,” Theo gasped, hips thrusting eagerly, looking for friction. “Come on...”

Luca looked up with a smile, lips gleaming and pale eyes all pupil. Black with desire. “You want something?” he asked, light and teasing.

“No, no. I’m fine. Fuckingfine.”

Luca laughed and licked a hot line from the base of Theo’s balls to the tip of his cock.

“Bloodyhell!” Helplessly, his hips jackknifed up off the blanket.

Luca lifted an eyebrow. “So you don’t want that, then?”

“Fuck you.”

Luca laughed, a hot puff of breath against his cock. “Hope so.” And then his hot, laughing mouth was on him, swallowing him down, hands braced on Theo’s hips to keep him still.

It was the most incredible sensation: the heat and pressure, the soft blanket, the hot sand under his feet, Luca’s weight pinning his legs, the blinding tension building and building. He fisted his fingers into his hair to keep from thrashing around. But he wasn’t going to last. “Fuck, I’m gonna—”

And then Luca’s tongue swiped at the little nub of pleasure beneath the head of his cock and Theo was gone, back arching as he came with a shout they probably heard back in New Milton. But Luca didn’t stop, he kept sucking and licking until Theo was dizzy, arms and legs boneless, mind short-circuited. He was breathing so hard all he could hear was the rasp of air in his throat, all he could feel was his ecstatic body, and beneath the glorious rush of pleasure something deeper and warmer and infinitely tender. Something risky.

Eventually, Luca’s attention drifted up to Theo’s belly, trailing kisses along his hips to his ribs, his chest, his throat. Hard, hungry kisses, a touch of teeth and low, pleading moans, his cock still a hard line against Theo’s leg. Theo wanted to return the favor but his arms felt so heavy he could hardly move them and when Luca kissed his mouth, tasting musky and hot, Theo could only groan in pleasure.

“So hot,” Luca growled, shifting closer, and when Theo opened his eyes again he saw Luca working himself with slow, deliberate intent, his eyes fixed on Theo’s. “I’m so fucking turned on right now.”

Luca’s honesty left Theo breathless. Needing to touch him, to connect somehow, he lifted a clumsy hand and twined his fingers with Luca’s around the silky hardness of his cock. Luca groaned, eyes fluttering shut. Christ, but he felt good, hot and slick beneath his palm. In a rough whisper, Theo said, “This okay?”

“Yeah.” Luca’s voice went deep, urgent as his hand moved faster.“Fuck, yeah.”

In the dappled sunlight, his skin glowed bronze, flushed with desire and a glistening sheen of sweat. Magnificent. Every inch the demigod Theo had first encountered, only kinder, funnier, sweeter. Another troubling swell of emotion rose in his chest—desire, yes, but fonder. More affectionate. He pushed it aside, fixed his eyes on their joined hands, on the taut lines of Luca’s limbs as he strained for release, and felt his own sated body stir as if they were one. “God,Luca.”

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