Better latte than never, p.16
Better Latte Than Never, page 16
Something about those words sent a prickling sensation all down Enzo’s spine. He’d had this happen before. It meant something bad was going to happen. He’d had the same feeling right before the argument with his parents. He should have listened to the warning then.
Enzo shook it off. It had to be nerves about buying the right champagne. “All right, I’ll take it.”
He clutched the brown paper bag to his chest as he made his way to Finn’s place. Enzo rang the bell and waited, aware of how much he looked like a delivery guy and not someone who could live here. Finn had never said anything about it, how Enzo lived on the other side of town, renting a tiny house with a roommate, while Finn had actually purchased this exclusive townhouse right on the river.
Enzo could never even imagine being able to afford to live on the water.
But Finn never brought it up. He never pointed out the differences in where they lived or how much money he had. It didn’t seem to matter to him. Enzo loved that about him.
Finn opened the door with a smile. He’d changed since the cafe, into a pale blue t-shirt so worn it looked faded in different spots. He wore soft gray track pants with his bare toes sticking out. Enzo swallowed hard at the sight of those toes. There was something indecent about Finn being barefoot like that. Enzo wanted to peel back the layers and reveal what was underneath.
He entered, struck by a blast of air conditioning, a vivid contrast to the late June heat outside. “Congratulations.” He held out the brown bag and let his messenger bag drop by the front door. “As promised. Champagne.”
Finn took the bottle, pulled it out and grinned. “Oh, I love this stuff. They always seem to serve it at weddings.”
Enzo flushed. “The clerk at the store said it was good.”
Finn made his way across the floor, his feet making no sound on the polished wood. “I have fresh strawberries in the fridge. Let’s cut some up and put them in our glasses.”
“Oh, fancy,” Enzo teased, following him.
Finn stopped at the wet bar on the way, and how had Enzo not noticed that tucked in the back of the dining area? Maybe because they hadn’t spent a lot of time down here the last time Enzo visited. They’d barely made it out of the bedroom. Finn grabbed two champagne flutes and continued to the kitchen. He set the bottle on the table and opened the refrigerator.
While he grabbed the strawberries, Enzo took ownership of the bottle and set to work trying to open it. He hoped he didn’t do anything stupid like shoot the cork through a window.
Luckily the cap came off easily with a mild pop. The fizz of the bubbles sounded loud in the peaceful kitchen. Finn sliced up two strawberries and popped them in the flutes. Enzo poured the golden liquid on top.
“Toast?” Enzo took the glass that Finn handed to him.
Finn smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “To new beginnings?”
“And happy endings?” Enzo asked hopefully. He took a sip, and made a “huh” sound. The clerk had been right, this stuff tasted great despite the low price.
“Um. About that. Still didn’t write a happy ending.” Finn brought the glass to his lips.
Enzo found himself mesmerized by those lips, how dark they looked against the fragile glass. He lifted a hand, unable to stop himself. “Wait,” he said, fingers against Finn’s cheek. “I want to taste it from your lips.”
Finn let out a little moan that Enzo took as an invitation. He leaned forward, pressed their lips together and forced Finn to open to him. The champagne was sweet, but it couldn’t beat the taste of Finn, so strong and pure even over the bubbles.
Enzo pulled away before he dropped his glass and made a mess of the kitchen. He licked his lips and Finn’s eyes widened. “I want to pour this all over you and lick it off.”
“You can’t say things like that in my kitchen,” Finn protested.
“Then clearly we need to get out of the kitchen.”
Finn laughed and held out his free hand. Enzo took it and allowed himself to be led upstairs to the bedroom. He still had plenty of champagne in his glass. The fantasy, the image of having Finn spread out naked beneath him, with the glistening liquid dotting his body had Enzo going from mildly interested to ridiculously hard in less than a minute.
Fuck, what this man could do to him.
FINN ENJOYED THE WARMTH that flooded him, a combination of the champagne and Enzo’s presence. Desire stirred in his belly, a slow sleeping monster that awakened with each step up his staircase. God, he loved sex like this, when it had time to simmer, unlike the fast slapdash of “hurry up and get into bed” like their previous encounters.
He took the time to stop on the landing to kiss Enzo, sweet tender kisses that tasted of strawberry and champagne. Enzo moaned, and tried to deepen the kiss, but Finn danced away. He had a destination in mind.
Enzo smiled and followed. His eyes sparkled with desire, and Finn could only imagine what creative delights he had in store for Finn. He had to admit his sex life had never been so interesting and inventive. Turned out, he needed to find a man fifteen years younger than him.
Finn pushed open the door to his bedroom. He’d put on clean sheets earlier, after sending off his manuscript to Angie. He’d hoped for this, although Finn never expected or demanded. Every moment with Enzo was a gift, and he’d treat it as such.
He put his glass down safely on the end table, and Enzo did the same, before grabbing Finn around the waist and tumbling him onto the bed. “Those toes,” Enzo muttered, which made absolutely no sense. “I’ve wanted to unwrap you since I walked in the door.”
Finn loved how Enzo manhandled him. He only had a few inches of height on Finn, although Finn was broader around the shoulders. Still, for a moment he could relax, flat on his back, as Enzo slowly stripped him of all his clothing. Considering he wasn’t wearing much more than his comfy hanging around clothes, it didn’t take long.
That left him naked on the bed, with Enzo fully-clothed above him, hair sticking out in wild tufts, his cheeks flushed, and his eyes sparkling. Before Finn could protest this turn of events, Enzo grabbed one of the flutes of champagne.
Oh. He’d been serious, before.
Enzo didn’t dump the whole thing on Finn’s chest, thankfully. He stuck his fingers in the flute and sprinkled droplets down Finn’s belly. His cock twitched, and Finn resisted the urge to adjust himself. No, he wanted to enjoy this, wherever it landed. Enzo came up with the sliver of strawberry from the bottom of the glass. He pressed it against Finn’s lips.
Finn darted out his tongue, swiping it against Enzo’s fingers as he took in the sweet morsel, mixed with the salt of Enzo’s skin. He’d never tasted a finer fruit.
Enzo followed with his lips, kissing Finn so deep. Finn was sure he got some of that strawberry too. Finn closed his eyes, and did nothing more than feel, his entire body pressed into the soft sheets beneath him, Enzo’s lips caressing him, mouthing down his jaw, then tracing a path along his chest, lapping up all the little drops of champagne.
Finn sucked in his belly, almost laughing from the feather light touches. Then Enzo went lower, sweet nibbles below his belly button, but not where Finn needed him. Enzo bypassed Finn’s cock, nibbling along his inner thighs, until Finn thought he’d explode from wanting. He bucked his hips.
“Impatient, aren’t you?” Enzo looked up, his voice husky.
Finn lifted a hand, and then let it drop to the bed. Enzo seemed so far away, out of reach, even though he was right there. “To be fair, you are teasing me relentlessly.”
Enzo laughed, his breath hot against Finn’s dick. He stood, and for a moment, Finn thought he’d walked away. But he only took a gulp of the remaining champagne before leaving the flute on the end table. Then, he bent down and engulfed Finn’s cock in his warm, wet, bubbly mouth.
Finn dug his fingers into the bed covers as his hips arched up of their own volition. Oh, how could this feel so good? It was more than Enzo sucking him; it was the kinkiness of the champagne, the feeling like they were doing something dirty, and oh so hot.
He opened his eyes and looked down, at Enzo framed between his legs. Enzo looked up and met his gaze, his lips smiling as they worked Finn’s cock. Fingers fluttered up Finn’s thighs, and brushed against his opening.
Enzo pulled off. “This, okay?” he pressed gently.
Finn was so turned on he’d have said yes to anything. But this in particular, he’d been looking forward to for a long time. “Supplies. Top drawer. Be quick.”
“Yes, sir,” Enzo said with a laugh. He darted away again, leaving Finn bereft and cold, and oh so hard.
But he returned with lube and a string of condoms.
“You’re wearing too many clothes,” Finn complained, reaching down to palm his dick. He didn’t want to go off too soon.
“Should I take them off slowly?” Enzo tugged the bottom of his t-shirt. “And then fold them neatly?”
“Fuck, no,” Finn sputtered to Enzo’s laughter.
If there was a contest for taking off clothes, Enzo would have won first place. He shed his shirt and jeans with record speed, leaving Finn with a perfect view of creamy skin. Finn drank his fill, memorizing the planes of Enzo’s abdomen, the tiny freckles along his hips, the dusky rose of his nipples, and the perfect length of his cock. He’d have to savor this for as long as he could.
Enzo got to his knees again, where he belonged, between Finn’s spread thighs, where he proved his fingers were just as talented as his mouth. Finn was being taken apart from the inside, and he wanted every moment of it.
The only problem was that time was passing too fast. Enzo prepped him, slowly and carefully, but it happened in a blink of an eye. Finn rolled onto his belly, feeling too old to perform the gymnastics necessary to be taken on his back, and then Enzo’s fingers were on his hips, branding him with ten little indentations as Enzo pressed inside.
The world narrowed to nothing but this bedroom, with the sound of the a/c ticking to life, Enzo’s breath warm on the back of his neck, and his body filled, impossibly so, with Enzo’s cock. Finn closed his eyes and let out a sound, something between a cry and a moan. Yes, it hurt, but the pain he welcomed, for the pleasure to follow.
“You all right?” Enzo asked, voice tight and choked off. He must be aching to move.
“Always,” Finn gasped.
Enzo took that as permission and started to thrust, at first tentative little strokes, but as Finn pressed back against him, he started to go faster and bolder. Finn tried to hold on to this too, burning into his memory how Enzo felt inside him, how he filled him perfectly, how he sounded as he groaned above Finn.
“You can come,” Finn gasped, unable to catch his breath.
“You,” Enzo said, words failing him as they always seemed to when he and Finn had sex. One hand reached around for Finn’s cock, and it was burning hot against Finn’s sensitive skin.
Finn’s orgasm started in his balls, a swirling thing that he tried to hold back. No, too soon, too soon. But he couldn’t stop the inevitable.
The world disappeared, whiting out to nothing but pure pleasure that flowed through him. Finn shouted, hands digging into the sheets, desperate for a purchase he couldn’t find.
“Hold on,” Enzo warned him, before he started to truly pound into Finn. Finn shuddered, too sensitive everywhere, but it didn’t take long before Enzo cried out and stilled. He collapsed onto Finn’s back for the briefest of moments.
Finn tried to remember this too, the weight of Enzo on him, their sweaty flesh sticking together. He’d take the good parts and the not so good, including the wet spot.
“One sec.” Enzo detangled himself.
Finn rolled over. He should get out of bed, clean himself up. But he didn’t want to move. He wanted to watch Enzo, perfectly illuminated by the light in the hallway. If he moved, this moment would be over, and he didn’t want it to end just yet.
Enzo stretched, elongating his body as he shifted. He gestured with his head toward the en suite. “Shower together?”
Finn tried to smile, even though he felt his heart shattering. One more memory, please, one more. “Yes, please.”
Chapter 21
For the past three months, Enzo had gotten used to dodging boxes and stepping over packing material as Nat tucked away her life. Pictures had come off walls, leaving behind holes or naked, solitary nails. Plates and silverware started to disappear from the kitchen. But today, his voice echoed in empty rooms, all of those boxes now gone.
Today was moving day.
When Nat had broken the news, July had sounded so far away. That wasn’t until the summer. He had plenty of time to worry. But instead of wasting his time worrying, these last few months had been the most exhilarating and exasperating time of his entire life, and he had Finn to thank for that. It all had happened too fast, and here Enzo was, about to say good-bye to his best friend.
“Sorry about the TV.” Nat emerged from her bedroom with a duffle bag over one shoulder and dragging a wheeled suitcase behind her. Gina followed, carrying a laundry basket filled with towels.
“Well, it was your TV.” Enzo struggled to smile. He wanted to play it off, like everything was okay. This would be a normal thing, saying good-bye to Nat, not coming home to her. He didn’t give a damn about the TV. He swallowed hard to keep all those emotions where they belonged—in his belly, not in his mouth. He tried to joke. “At least I still have the blender.”
Nat chuckled, and did he imagine brittleness to her laughter? Or was it because she knew the blender didn’t work? “Hey, Gina, could you give us a second?”
“Sure.” Gina stopped to kiss Nat on the cheek before moving past them. “See you soon, Enzo.”
He nodded at her. It wasn’t Gina’s fault. This was a good thing for both of them, a fantastic next step in their relationship.
Nat dropped her luggage and ran over to give him a hug. Enzo stumbled backward with the force of it. He patted her gently on the back. “I’m going to miss living with you,” she sniffed and, to his horror, Enzo realized she was crying.
God, here he was thinking about how he felt, and Enzo never considered Nat might have doubts. “No, no, no tears. You know this is the best thing for you and Gina. Plus, you won’t have to commute two hours to work anymore.” He rubbed the back of her head, doing his best to get her to stop.
“Yeah, but no more fresh pastries from Aunt Rosa’s either. Or impromptu movie nights. Or dancing at the club.” She pulled away and wiped at her eyes.
“No more Saturday mornings where you are so wiped out from the week that you can barely get out of bed,” Enzo reminded her. He reached over to the couch, where he’d placed a small brown wrapped canvas. There hadn’t been time to do something bigger, plus he wasn’t sure what kind of space they had at their new apartment. “I painted this for you.”
Nat took the package from him and unwrapped the paper carefully. She bit her lip and her eyes filled. Damn it, and he’d just managed to get her to stop crying.
He’d painted a picture of her and him together, this house behind them, familiar with its red brick and navy front door. It had come from a photograph, a snapshot from the first day they moved in together. Enzo had added his personal touch, giving the paint texture to make it come alive.
“It’s gorgeous. I’m definitely hanging it up in our living room.”
Enzo flushed and ducked his head. “You don’t have to do that.”
Nat carefully re-wrapped the painting as best as she could. “When you’re famous, I’ll tell everyone I own an Enzo LoBianco original.”
He laughed. That was still the dream, but one he knew he was farther away from achieving every day. Plus, he might not have much time to work on his art. Enzo fidgeted and stuck his hands in his pockets to keep himself from moving. “I have some news for you.”
“Good news?”
Enzo nodded. “Your boss called me this morning to offer me the job.”
He’d nearly hung up on him. Who called his phone? Other than Finn. Most of the people Enzo knew either texted or hit him up on social media. Calls with an unknown number tended to be spam trying to sell him an extended warranty on a car he didn’t own.
Nat squealed and hugged him again, the painting thumping him on the back. “Sorry, sorry.” She pulled away and patted the painting gently. “That’s awesome. I can’t wait to see you every day at work! When do you start?”
That was the thing. “I told him I needed to think about it.”
She stilled. “What?”
Enzo couldn’t look at her. He started to pace the living room. “All the same reasons I had for not taking a job in the city in the first place. Working on my art! And you know what happened to my aunt, with the sprained wrist. They’ve really needed me to help out at the cafe.”
“Her wrist will heal,” Nat said. Enzo risked a glance over at her and realized her eyes were burning—instead of tears this time they were on fire with anger. “And you told me that Lydia really stepped up. She’s an adult now.”
“Yeah, I know, but...” He still got angry when he thought about it, about that asshole threatening his aunt. If Finn hadn’t been there...
“This is about Finn, isn’t it?”
Nat had narrowed in on his thoughts so thoroughly his head snapped up, eyes wide with shock. She really did know him too well. “What do you mean?”
“I mean whatever half-assed idea you got in your head that makes you think you can’t leave this town because he’s here.” She crossed her arms over her chest and straight up glared at him. “That’s not how relationships work.”
Enzo sighed and plopped down on the couch. “I’m not even sure we have a relationship. He’s never said anything...”
“But you’re factoring him into your decision making.” Nat sat next to him. “Enzo, do you want the job? That’s the only thing that matters.”
“That’s not quite true.” He had a lot to consider. His family and the cafe for one. And yes, Finn, too. He had feelings for Finn, complicated ones, and he didn’t want to fuck off for New York without figuring out what they could be. And there was still his art to think of. Enzo couldn’t give that up.
