✧
Even though the cafe is decorated and ready to launch again next week, we still have to work through new ideas to make Chessman's inviting. I've already had loyalty cards designed and ordered to deliver on Monday, along with enquiring about local food sources so lunch meals can be purchased.
Luca is currently rummaging through the cupboards and attempting to come up with new creative drinks. We both agreed that the cafe should do a drink of the week and write it on a chalkboard to place outside the shop for people to see.
"So, I think we're definitely going to need to hire someone else," he comments as he stands from behind the counter and inspects two bottles of syrup. "Because if we're doing fancy drinks and food, I won't be able to do this on my own."
I lean back in my chair and nod. "I know, Luca. I don't expect you to run this place by yourself. I want you to be in one piece by the end of it, for my own sanity."
He tilts his head in my direction, clearly confused by my choice of words. I don't want to suggest all these new ideas and burn Luca out at the same time, it's going against everything we agreed at the start.
"We'll put an advertisement in the window," I nod at him. "After the new launch."
"Sounds good," he hums. "Do you think a white chocolate caramel mocha would be nice?"
I press my finger to my temple and stare back at Luca as he continues to read the back of the labels. My lips curl into a smile as I watch him, his eyes narrowing to try and read the tiny print of ingredients.
When I don't respond, he turns to me. "Yeah," I nod. "I mean, sweet drinks like that aren't my thing but I know someone is going to love that. Besides, winter is approaching and people kill for drinks that make them feel cosy."
Luca laughs gently and he grabs a notebook and scribbles the idea down.
"Why are you laughing?" I ask.
"I never thought the word cosy would come out of your mouth," he flicks those blue eyes to me and I suddenly feel hot from that stare. "Just makes me think of you being at home in a hoodie and tracksuit bottoms and that is weird."
It's my turn to laugh. He's thinking of what I look like at home? "You think I wear this suit everyday?" I quirk a brow.
A little smirk wanders its way onto his face. "I've never seen you take it off, the only exception being when we decorated. And of course, you didn't get comfy, you just took your damn shirt off."
"I had paint on me," I shake my head, lips in a permanent smile.
Luca rolls his eyes playfully. "Yeah, sure. Because no normal person would just wipe off the paint and get on with their day."
"I didn't hear you complaining," I lean further back into the chair, resting my arm on the back in a comfortable stance. "In fact, I'm pretty sure I heard your head hit the wall because you were too busy staring."
He waves his hands in front of his face, cheeks turning a soft shade of pink. "Why are we even discussing this?"
"Because you brought up how I wouldn't suit comfy clothes, then proceeded to tell me I took off my shirt."
"Right," he rasps and then turns away. "Well let's change the subject because I need more drinks to create."
I keep my eyes trained on the back of Luca's head, amused by how easily embarrassed he is. I don't care if he was staring, in fact I quite like the thought of it. Especially after his one-night stand or whatever the hell it was.
Seems that I still caught his eye, even if I might have done it on purpose.
Luca turns back to me when I don't respond immediately. We catch eyes and I offer him a smile. "What about something that isn't so sweet, a savory type of drink?"
"Is there such thing?" He laughs hesitantly. "I can't just drop a whole scotch egg in there."
My chest rumbles from a hearty laugh. "Maybe not a scotch egg but could experiment with other recipes, I'm sure there are some ideas online. Or make a drink that goes really well with other savory foods, like a scotch egg."
Luca presses a hand to his forehead, frown lines creasing his skin. "We're making scotch eggs now?"
We've been here for the last three hours and it's Saturday afternoon. Both of us need some time off and it's evident Luca is about to lose the plot. We can work this out later because right now, I'm worried for his sanity.
I fold away my notepad and my laptop and shove it into my bag. Luca is hunched over the counter, pen tapping the notepad as he runs through different ideas under his breath. I approach him and he glances up at me.
"Let's go celebrate," I state simply.
He blinks once, then twice. "What?"
"Tonight," I nod with confidence. "To celebrate our hard work."
I notice the way Luca stays silent for a few moments, his throat clenching as he examines my face. I'm not exactly sure what he's searching for but when he leans back, clearly not finding it, he clears his throat. "Really...? Where?" He sounds confused, slightly shocked.
"Dinner."
"Dinner?"
My lips push into a smile at this struggling conversation. "Yes, that's what I said."
"Sorry," Luca shakes his head and runs a hand through his hair before dropping it to his side drastically. "Me and you?"
I laugh gently and lean onto the counter, watching as those big blue eyes look up at me with surprise and concern. "Yes, Luca. What aren't you getting?"
It's obvious he's nervous, anyone can see it. But I'm not sure why, we've spent weeks together and now he's turning all shy.
"Oh, nothing," he mumbles quietly. "I'm just surprised, that's all."
I could have told you that. I think in my head.
Nervous Luca is adorable, even I can admit that.
"So is that a yes?"
He looks apprehensive and then scratches the back of his head. "Uhhh," he sighs. "Money is a bit of an issue right now and I do–"
"I'm paying." I lean up from the counter and straighten out my shirt.
"What?"
"I said I'm paying. It's my treat."
His blue eyes widen. "I think I should be the one treating you, Declan."
"Then your company will be more than enough."
I'm sure I spot his lips as they tremble gently, the sight makes my stomach clench. "Okay," he nods after a few moments. "Where are we going?"
I drag my phone from my pocket. "I can make some arrangements whilst we drive back to yours, I'll give you a chance to change and get ready. Sound like a plan?"
"Uh, sure." He says after a few moments.
We pack our things away and head out to my car behind the shop. Luca climbs in beside me and rests his hands in his lap, picking at the skin around his fingers. I can't seem to stop watching but I lean over and cup his hands with mine, keeping my eyes on the road.
Luca twists his head to face me suddenly. "Stop," I tell him. "You don't need to be nervous."
"I'm not nervous."
I'm smiling at the road. "Uhhh huh."
He sighs and I reluctantly pull my hand away to change gear. "What should I wear?" He asks, his voice so quiet I could barely catch the words.
"Whatever you want," I respond as I turn down his road. "But I'm going to wear this."
Luca clasps his hands again and drags his eyes down my attire. "Alright, I'll be twenty minutes."
I nod in response. "Okay."
When he leaves I pull up my contacts and ring one of my favourite restaurants downtown. The food is unbelievable and the decor and service is above parr. I know Luca will love it, he probably has never been to a restaurant like it but I'll be pleased to give him the experience.
After making a quick reservation for forty minutes, I sit back and wait for Luca to get ready.
I spot the door opening and I get out of the car when Luca doesn't emerge immediately. I take off down the path to his house and I catch a glimpse of him standing in the mirror, giving himself a once over.
He's dressed in a cream long sleeved quarter zip and tucked into dark jeans and smart shoes. He's never seen me in comfy clothes, I've never seen him looking smart.
Luca turns to me when he notices I'm standing at the door. I look at him again, my eyes taking their time. His hair is still slightly damp from the shower but it looks good, those surfl-like curls hanging over his head and his blue eyes brighter than usual.
"Is this too much... too little?"
I'm not saying anything because I can't stop admiring him. He looks so damn good.
I can smell a waft of aftershave hit me. It's crisp and sharp and for some reason it makes my mouth water. My eyes drag back to his and he looks slightly anxious, hands clutching together again.
He attempts to move away, dropping his gaze from mine with disappointment. "I'll go change."
"No," my voice is rough. I lean forward to grip his wrist before he can take another step. "Don't. I like it."
Luca chews on his lip as he turns back to me. "You sure?"
I nod my head. "Positive. You look good. Really good."
His cheeks are still flushed from the shower, so his blush remains for a few minutes more. "Thanks," his shoulders rise.
"Come on," I beckon my head to the car. "We've got twenty minutes to get there."
Luca follows after me. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
✧
It's safe to say that Luca looks slightly overwhelmed with the restaurant I booked.
"How did you get a reservation last minute?" He leans closer to me and whispers against my cheek.
I smile at him over my shoulder. "I have connections."
"Of course."
We are shown to our table and we sit down opposite each other. He glances around, mostly paying attention to the people around us and what they're wearing. I already know he's over-thinking his clothing choice.
I take the menu between my hands, Luca eventually glances back to the table. His eyes scan across the table cloth and he studies the row of knives and forks beside his plate. He swallows hard and then opens the menu.
"Wine?" I suggest.
Luca hums. "Sure, whatever you want. I'm easy."
I order a bottle of white wine, something fruity yet crisp. When I glance up at Luca his hands are slightly shaking around the menu and I resist the urge to grab his hand to reassure him that everything is okay.
"Declan," he says quietly.
"Yeah?"
"I don't even know what any of this means."
He can't meet my eyes, he's embarrassed. "Don't worry," I reassure him. "I'm certain most people here don't either."
That's when his teeth dig into his lip, harsh enough to draw blood and I realise he's severely out of his depth. I clear my throat, attempting to drag his attention to me but he doesn't. He's fretting over the menu and I hate seeing him like this.
We're meant to be celebrating, relaxing. I don't want to see him stressed over some fancy words on thick paper.
"Do you want me to order for you?" I ask.
Luca nods instantly, finding the courage to look at me. "Please," he breathes out. "Sorry, I'm slightly mortified by this whole experience."
"Don't be," I offer him a smile as the waiter comes over to take our orders.
I think back to when I ordered food at the cafe, remembering what meat he enjoyed. So I play it safe and order him the chicken dish, no doubt that it'll be delicious. Once the menus have been taken, Luca takes a large sip of his wine.
"Thank you," he tells me. "I've never been somewhere like this before. I'm used to cheap pizzerias and house wine."
My chair shuffles forward and I shake my head. "You don't need to worry, I'm right here. This is to celebrate our hard work, we deserve it. Right?"
"R-Right," he nods.
I raise my glass and Luca does the same, we clink them in the middle. "To us and our hard work. We did it."
"Thanks to you," he says and drinks from his glass again. "I was there for moral support."
My eye drops into a soft wink. "The best moral support ever."
I fixate my gaze on Luca's face, from his eyes to his nose to his lips. Then I do it all again.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" He looks puzzled.
My teeth roll over my bottom lip as I rest my wine glass against my mouth before taking a tiny sip. Luca's chest moves faster than before and I can't take my eyes off him. His innocence, his nervousness. It's too much for me. Even when he's staring back at me with thankful eyes.
Ugh, god. My stomach flips. What on earth is up with me?
"Am I not allowed to look at you?" I quirk a brow.
Luca fidgets in his seat. "Depends what you're thinking about when you're doing it."
I know his response is meant to be completely innocent but for some reason, my mind takes a turn.
What am I thinking about? I'm thinking about how damn good he looks, especially when he drinks his wine and his throat clenches. I wasn't necessarily drawn to his appearance before but today, it's different.
I can't stop being sucked into those blue eyes, remembering the way his aftershave wafted into my face and he looked at me with a vulnerable gaze.
"I'm thinking about how good you look," I admit with a drop of seduction.
Seduction? I'm surprising myself now.
His mouth parts with shock. "Oh, I-I–" the words refuse to leave his lips.
I quirk the corner of my mouth upwards at his reaction. My arms press against the edge of the table and I lean closer. "Do I make you nervous, Luca?"
He looks at me like a deer caught in headlights. Fuck.
"Yes." He rasps.
I open my mouth to speak but our food is served and Luca ducks his head away from me. We both thank the waiter as they walk away, I grab my knife and fork whereas Luca stares down at his utensils with a deep frown.
"Luca," I say gently.
My voice startles him, he brushes his hand over the table cloth sending a knife and two forks cluttering to the floor. The noise is loud and people glance over to see what all the fuss is about.
Luca covers his face. "Oh god, oh god," he chants.
"It's alright," I say as I lean down to grab the fork at my foot.
A waiter makes his way to our table and collects the utensils that touched the floor, telling us he'll be back with more.
"I should have stayed home," he says, voice tensing. "I'm actually going to bury myself alive when we leave."
Before I know it, I've reached across the table and run my thumb over the back of his hand gently. Luca stares at the action and then cuts his eyes up at me. He's in surprise, I am too but I have to admit, this feels so damn natural. I give his fingers a gentle squeeze this time. They're cold but I wish to warm them up.
His lips part, forcing oxygen inside. I can tell because he's breathing louder and heavier than before because I can physically hear it.
"Please don't," I shake my head. "I really wouldn't want that."
"I'm sure you'd prefer it if I didn't embarrass you."
I tilt my head slowly, eyebrows dipping. "You could never embarrass me, Luca."
The waiter brings over Luca's silverware and I point to the ones that he should use, he flashes me a grateful smile before digging into his food. He hums with delight. "Wow, this is so nice," he says.
"I'm glad I picked the right thing," I say, cutting up my own food and placing it in my mouth.
As we finish off our plates and drink more wine, I visibly see Luca relax a little and it's a pleasure to see. He deserves some time off, to eat good food and drink delicious wine. God knows we both deserve it.
"I had fun this week," he admits, placing his knife and fork together on his plate.
I copy his actions when I'm done. "Me too, we make a good team."
"If you can call me your cheerleader, then yeah." He exhales a short laugh.
The waiter takes our plates and replaces them with a dessert menu. "Do you want something?" I ask Luca as he stares at it like it's the most interesting thing he's ever seen.
His eyes widen and he shakes his head. "Oh no, I was just having a look."
"If you want something, Luca, I want you to have it."
I can hear him suck in a sharp breath. "I mean, the golden hazelnut bombe sounds absolutely incredible."
"Then let's get it," I shut the menu simply.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course."
Luca licks his lips slowly. "Thank you."
I order and then chat as we wait for Luca's dessert. He's rambling, telling me a story from his childhood. It amuses me how easily he becomes nervous, his endless rambling is a sign of that. I've only been on the receiving end once or twice but I somewhat enjoy it.
I like listening to him talk.
"Here you are sir," the waiter places down his dessert that looks like something from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. Even my insides are burning with jealousy.
"Thank you," he says gratefully before turning to me. "You want some?"
I shake my head. "It's all yours."
"Sorry for going off on a tangent," he says, picking up the spoon.
"I don't mind," I admit. "It's nice when you talk about yourself so freely."
Luca picks up the piping hot chocolate and pours it over the bombe, it melts and I love the way his eyes light up with hunger and intrigue. I also love the way he scoops some up on a spoon and brings it to his lips, humming in pleasure when it hits his taste buds.
"Wow," he moans quietly. "This is better than..."
"Better than what?"
"Sex." He blurts.
My mouth curls to the side. "Really?" I muse.
"Uh huhhh," he nods before dipping the spoon back into his mouth, chocolate drizzling all over his lips.
I lean forward and press my hand to my mouth, running it across my thumb across my bottom lip gently. "Then you must be having some awful sex."
Luca's eyes snap to mine within a second and I'm sure I can hear both of our hearts beating outside of our chests. I can't help myself. Yet speaking to him like this doesn't feel wrong, it feels liberating.
And I want to keep doing it.
"Maybe you're right," he says, voice a lot raspier than before. "I haven't lived."
When Luca finishes his dessert and we empty the bottle of wine, I call for the bill. I hear Luca clear his throat as I open up the leather pocket and glance at the cost of this evening.
"I could pitch in for the meal, I know I said I don't have much money and I really don't but I can scrape together someth–"
I shake my head once. "It's my treat, I said so. No need to pay for anything."
His eyes soften, pupils dilating slightly. "Are you sure? I feel bad."
"I said we should go out and you deserve it."
"Thank you," he flashes me a grateful smile that speaks a thousand different words. "It was lovely, I had a really nice time."
"Me too."
We stand from the table and I let him go first as we walk through the restaurant and down the dark mirrored interior with mood lighting and classical music.
I stare at the back of Luca's head as we turn down an empty corridor to reach the exit. Images of his lips flash in my mind and I can't stop thinking about the way his tongue extended to lick off the dessert. I wonder if he still tastes like chocolate.
My core clenches and I exhale a small groan.
I tighten my jaw and step forward, reaching for Luca's wrist. If I do this then maybe it'll answer some questions, confirm a few things that I've been unsure on. I don't know if this is a good idea but I can't stop myself, I have to know.
I have to know what he tastes like.
When I tug on his wrist gently, Luca pauses and turns to me. Before he even has the chance to ask me what's wrong, I take his face between my hands and back him into the mirrored wall.
He blinks rapidly, those blue eyes warping into shock and satisfaction.
I smile as I lean down and press my lips to his. We're both surprised, that's obvious.
But when I coax his mouth open, and I slide my tongue into his mouth–my suspicions are correct. He still tastes like chocolate but the taste of him is more intoxicating. I press my body into his, flattening his back against the wall.
He whimpers into my mouth and I tilt his face even higher, allowing me to kiss him deeper, harder. Fuck.
My head spins and I struggle to stabilise myself because I don't want to stop. Not when his hands close around my wrists and attempt to pull me closer. We both want this, we both crave this.
With one last brush of my tongue against his, I pull away for a breath but I remain close. Close enough that my lashes almost brush his cheek when I look down at his flushed skin.
We're both attempting to catch our breaths and Luca's eyes are so dilated that I can barely see the blue in them. I flick my eyes down to his lips, wanting to kiss him more but deciding to refrain.
I thought it would clear some things up–which it has–but it's only made me more confused.
Luca is my business partner. Now I've gone and kissed him.
And we both fucking loved it.
✧
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Author's Note
AHHHHH THEY FINALLY KISSED🥰🥰🥰
I'm so glad Declan made the move, everything with the dinner was adorable. Telling Luca he must be having awful sex, hehe wonder who's going to change that😅😏
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