Page 11

Luca continued to try damn hard to be good, but it proved difficult because Noe was fun to tease.

Take now, for instance. They lingered over dinner in the back corner of a restaurant, with the limited privacy of dim lighting. Luca’s hand had snuck over to Noe’s partway through dessert and had stayed there. Something about toying with Noe’s fingers made the younger man a little tongue-tied and blushy, which Luca found fascinating.

He’d never had this effect on anyone before. He’d never seen someone react with such obvious interest. It made him want to do other things just to see what reaction they would garner.

Funny how he hadn’t thought of himself as a tease up until he’d met Noe. The man had brought it out of him.

A week of dating had brought out other feelings as well. Feelings he hadn’t expected. Before, physical intimacy with another person had only been about sexual relief, nothing else. Yet here he’d spent a week doing nothing but holding hands, embracing, and kissing, and he’d enjoyed every second of it—especially the kissing. Before Noe, Luca had kissed people and found it nice, but nothing exciting or arousing. Now, he’d become a kissing addict. He loved putting his lips on Noe’s fair skin. How could he not when Noe reacted so happily with every touch?

Kissing him on the lips had brought nothing but pure pleasure, and Luca loved every second of it.

Which made him wonder, would sex be any different?

Somehow, he didn’t think it would. Well, actually, he suspected it would be even better than kissing. An interesting thought for a man who had never looked at another man with lust before. Luca had sat on the thought for two whole days, turning it over in his mind, before deciding what to do next. He also had to wonder if he perhaps was attracted to men after all? At the very least, he enjoyed pleasing Noe, his partner’s pleasure becoming his own. Either way, he felt confident he could take a step forward.

Now, if Noe was game for it, he’d like to try.

“Noe?”

“Hmm?”

“I’d like to carry this date on a little longer. Let’s pick up snacks and alcohol and perhaps go back to your room?”

Noe immediately straightened, a brilliant smile taking over his face. “I’d love that. Let’s go before the shops close.”

“All right.” Luca left money on the table to settle their bill and then led the way out of the restaurant.

Noe slipped a hand into his the second they hit the road. It was a habit of theirs now, and it pleased Luca. There was comfort in the gesture, but also affection—an affection he’d never known before.

Truthfully speaking, he felt like Noe was the person he’d been looking for this whole time. Every hour he spent with this man reinforced the perception. Practically speaking, Noe was everything Luca needed.

But if he were to speak on a personal level, Noe might be everything Luca wanted as well. Luca had rarely experienced an easy companionship such as theirs in his life. To tease and be teased was a pleasure. Noe was so open, too, never saying one thing and acting another way. Luca had never been forced into a position where he’d had to wonder what the man had truly meant, or what he might be hiding. It wasn’t a struggle to be around him, like it was with some of his family.

Luca was honestly on the cusp of proposing. He had only one question stopping him—one vital question that had to be answered first.

Was he what Noe needed?

He couldn’t selfishly take without giving. It was wrong to do that to Noe. Wrong to do that to both of them.

Noe had already told him he wanted intimacy in a marriage. Luca wanted to give him that, too. Part of him felt sure sex with Noe would be every bit as pleasurable as he imagined. It felt irresponsible to assume so, though. He wanted to test it first.

Well, and Luca was very curious. He practically itched to lay hands on the man, which said something, how his desire had slowly built over the past several days. It was definitely time to try sex, in his opinion.

Hopefully Noe was of the same opinion.

Noe bumped his arm gently. “Deep in thought?”

“Hm? Oh, yes. Let’s get snacks first, though. I’ll tell you once we’re in your room.”

Curiosity filled Noe’s face, but he simply said, “All right.”

They stopped off first at the corner store for karintō, a deep-fried sweet bread Luca was admittedly addicted to. Noe liked kaki no tane, small rice crackers mixed with peanuts. They were a little on the spicy side, which Noe liked. They paired well with beer, too.

Then another stop at the neighboring store for ale and cider. This particular store catered to their western visitors by offering imported alcohol, which meant it was a favorite place for them to both buy from. Shiirein food was delicious, but sometimes you needed a taste of home.

With purchases in hand, they walked the remaining short distance to Noe’s room at the ryokan. Luca felt anticipation building in the pit of his stomach—to the point he was nearly antsy with it. He mentally chastised himself to calm down. Noe might not be up for sex tonight. Luca wasn’t going to build himself up to a height only to be disappointed. It would ruin the mood and put pressure on Noe, which wasn’t what Luca wanted to do here.

Noe opened the door for him, and Luca put the purchases down on the table, then immediately doffed his coat and hung it on a peg before sitting down. He didn’t even try to open anything, though. Talk first.

Dammit, his giddy anticipation was back. Luca could barely sit still under the feeling.

Perhaps it was because he’d thought so much about this. It had led to Luca imagining things, and then he’d dreamed of doing those things to Noe last night.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Calm down and stop acting like a horny teenager with your first crush.

Harder to do than he anticipated.

Noe joined him at the table, head canted in question. His brows were quirked up, eyes studying Luca’s face. “Something you want to talk about?”

“Do I look that antsy?”

“You do, yes.”

Well this cat was definitely out of the bag. Luca gave up on the subtle approach and went for something more direct.

“Noe, we talked a bit before, I mean before we started dating, about how I wasn’t sure how comfortable I’d be with full intimacy.”

Noe abruptly went very, very still. His lips parted slightly and he gave a slow dip of his head. “We did. And?”

“I want to preface this by saying I don’t want to pressure you into anything.”

Noe lifted his head to the heavens as if praying for patience. “Like you’ve ever pressured me into anything.”

Fair point. Luca had made an effort not to. “I just don’t want you to agree to anything with the thought of being obligated or doing it for my sake. All right?”

“I hear you, Luca, but I know you wouldn’t demand anything of me. Now, what exactly are you asking?”

“I want to try sex.” He held his breath and watched Noe’s expression carefully.

The way the man’s jaw dropped, you’d have thought this request came out of nowhere.

“I don’t know how far we can take things, how comfortable I’ll be in every aspect of it,” Luca said. “But Sho explained how everything worked, and nothing sounded off-putting to me. Quite the reverse, really. So, um, I suppose I’m asking, would you be willing to have sex with me tonight?”