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Juri

Luca didn’t make empty promises; he actually dragged me to training on Thursday.

I met Dario, who generously allowed me nearly two hours of unrestricted photography.

Witnessing Luca’s intense training regimen was eye-opening.

His dedication was evident as he effortlessly breezed through exercises that would have left me gasping for breath.

From skipping rope for ten minutes to pounding the punching bag, his focus was undeterred.

Even during sparring sessions, he maintained an impressive level of concentration, although his occasional smiles in my direction caught me off guard.

I took numerous photos of Luca and the other participants in the studio. Dario gave me full creative freedom, and he intended to obtain consent forms from the members I photographed before publishing their photos on the studio’s website.

The afternoon brought clear skies and sunlight streaming through the windows, providing the perfect opportunity to experiment with different techniques.

I seized the chance to explore concepts I had only read about in photography blogs.

I immortalized the interplay of light and dust particles in the air and experimented with long exposure shots near the ring, capturing the graceful movements of the fighters.

Before I knew it, time had flown by, and I was lost in the joy of artistic expression.

“Okay! Let’s go,” Luca announced behind me, and I turned around. Freshly showered, he grinned as he zipped up his jacket. “Or do you want to stay longer?”

“No,” I replied and laughed. “Of course not.”

“That’s good. Because Dario ordered me to eat something before work.”

After saying goodbye to his trainer, we went back home.

The weekend turned out to be much livelier than I had anticipated.

Luca not only convinced me to visit the zoo but also persuaded me to join him at the lake the following day.

By the end of each adventure, I found myself utterly drained, often nodding off on the couch while Luca remained engrossed in whatever movie we had started watching.

I slept a lot and noticed a shift in my sleep patterns in the past few days.

Maybe it was because of the sex that I had missed in the first few weeks here with Luca.

In any case, now that I was having sex again, I felt somehow much more relaxed than before.

But maybe it was also because of the drugs that I inevitably abstained from.

On Wednesday, I woke up again while the credits of a movie were rolling. Without moving, I lay there and watched Luca grab the remote and browse through the channel guide.

We spent the entire day together, and I cherished every moment with him. Not once did I think about my work, the many job applications, or drugs. Whether consciously or not, Luca was great at distracting me. Plus, in the last six days, I had made a lot of progress—and not just in photography.

I could already ascend a flight of stairs without feeling as though I would cough up my lungs afterward. I owed part of this progress to Luca, who, whenever we rode the elevator to the fourth floor, insisted we walk the final flight of stairs.

He’s nice , I thought, silently observing him. And cute too. I think I’ll somehow miss him when I’m not here anymore.

The fact that I would soon be moving out had never been mentioned. We both knew that day would come. Besides, I was sure Luca would be glad when I was gone.

In the past few days, I had tried my best to help out around the house. I even cooked once and cleaned up the kitchen.

Nevertheless … I’m sure he’ll be glad when I’m gone soon.

Too bad, really.

When I became aware of my thoughts, I sighed.

Damn, why am I even thinking about this?

Yet, deep down, I understood why. The guy had gotten under my skin. And that wasn’t good at all. What did I expect? Once I walked out of here, I returned to the life of a callboy. Ridiculous to even think about that.

At that moment, Luca turned his head and smiled at me. “Awake again, sleepyhead?”

I avoided melting because his smile was incredibly charming. Instead, I sat up and rubbed my face. We had had sex after every movie for the last few nights, but right now, I didn’t feel like it at all. “I’m going to bed,” I mumbled and disappeared into the bathroom.

However, the thought wouldn’t leave me alone. Yes, Luca had gotten under my skin, but at the same time, I hardly knew anything about him. Despite numerous interviews where I shared details of my life, he remained notably reticent.

Does that have to do with being bullied?

Or does he think I won’t be interested?

No. He dodges every question I ask. But I should be the one keeping quiet, shouldn’t I?

With the toothbrush in my mouth, I paused and stared at my reflection in the mirror.

How did he manage to make me talk so freely?

That sneaky …

I couldn’t find a word. Luca was just too kind, too helpful, accommodating, and caring for me to curse him.

Damn it …

But a relationship is definitely out of the question .

Shaking my head, I continued brushing my teeth. The fact that I was even thinking about it was proof that I had become way too soft. We’re having fun together, that’s all. Besides, in my line of work, love doesn’t belong.

Huh?

Love?

Now you’ve really lost it, I thought and spat out. I had never been in love. I didn’t expect that I ever would be. Besides, the chance of someone falling in love with me was close to zero.

You’re nothing! Useless! That’s what I had been hearing from my father for years.

I had to admit that in the past few days here with Luca, I had found a kind of peace that I hadn’t known before. It was nice to have him around. Just knowing he was there, sitting outside on the sofa, gave me a good feeling.

In disbelief, I leaned forward and washed my face. When I looked in the mirror, I felt like a stranger. It suddenly dawned on me that every additional day I stayed here meant more time with Luca. I didn't want to leave; I wanted to savor it for as long as possible. After all, Luca was good for me.

In his own, somehow reserved way, he had created a safe space for me here.

I was fully aware that he still saw me as his muse.

I didn’t even ask about his concept anymore.

He kept setting up the phone to record our conversations.

Over time, I distanced myself more and more from my work.

Day by day, it became easier for me to talk about it.

Besides, it meant to me that Luca hadn’t figured out his concept yet.

Which somehow surprised me, considering I had seen how focused he was during training.

I was convinced that if he could apply the focus he had in martial arts to the film, he would have a solid concept within thirty minutes. It couldn’t be that hard.

***

“Dario sends his thanks.”

With the laptop on my lap, I sat on the couch and glanced over my shoulder. Luca had just walked in the door and hung up his wet jacket. Then he ran his fingers through his damp hair.

So sexy.

“So much for the weather,” he said, letting the training bag fall behind the sofa onto the floor. “And what are you up to?”

I hadn’t expected him to be back so early. In fact, I had just logged into a sex chat to see what was going on there. Of course, there was always something going on. It was easy money. But before Luca saw what I was up to, I closed the screen and smiled. “Nothing important.”

He leaned over the backrest and planted a kiss on me. His hand tenderly slid over my shoulder. It felt so natural, so routine, and yet we both paused at the same time. Luca jerked his head back a few inches, and a crease formed between his brows.

“I-I’m sorry … That …”

My pulse went from zero to a hundred. I felt Luca’s warm breath on my lips. And the wonderful, sensual moment seemed to stretch on forever, as if time stood still.

“I didn’t think at all,” he admitted with a smile. “But I have to confess … There’s a reason behind that. It’s been driving me crazy, but for days now, there’s been a persistent thought swirling around in my head …”

I couldn’t help but grin. Luca was cute. He had caught me off guard with that kiss, but I liked how he had approached me so unexpectedly.

Since last Wednesday, when I first started thinking about love, he had managed to disrupt my focus with trivial things. And what just happened made my heart race wildly. I swallowed and tried to play it cool. I bit my lip and toyed with the piercing.

“What thought?” I dared to ask.

I wasn’t sure if he was capable of putting his thoughts into clear words. When we woke up together in my bed on Sunday morning, he had also appeared to stall. When I asked him about his fantasies, he had hidden under the covers without answering my question and gave me a blowjob.

This is no longer a normal affair.

And now a mischievous grin spread across Luca’s face. “I’d like to fuck you. I mean, top you.”

His words sent a rush of heat through me, and I swallowed hard. He remained so close, gently nudging me with his nose before resting his forehead against mine.

“I don’t want to pressure you. I know your rules and I respect your boundaries. You turn me on, and I just shake these fantasies of … really pounding you.”

His words left me momentarily speechless, my brain scrambling to process them.

He?

Me?

Finally, I managed to turn my head away.

Yes, my rule. The truth was, I wanted it too. I yearned for him to screw me hard. Despite having sex with Luca, even satisfying sex, it had been nearly three weeks since Hector had …

All the more reason to let Luca do it.

I want to feel him inside me.

His hand was still on my shoulder, and he was still leaning over the back of the sofa. When I turned my head back, we were as close as before. My breath caught as I searched for the right words.

“I could make an exception.”