I smiled, thanked him, then took a large swig. The bubbles tickled my throat, and I had to fight back a cough.
His chilly hand rubbed my exposed back, trying to soothe me. “You okay, Sash?”
I nodded, gently wiping below my eye. “Went down the wrong pipe.”
Dimitri smiled at me with his perfect, straight, white teeth.
Nothing. No quickening pulse, no fluttering in my stomach. Just nothing.
I pressed myself into his body, and he reacted immediately, wrapping me in his arms as he had done a hundred times before. Lowering his head, he placed a light kiss on the corner of my mouth. I pressed my hands to his shoulders to get more leverage, determined to enjoy the night.
“Sasha.”
At the sound of his voice, panic seized my chest. Waiting a beat, I slowly pulled back from the kiss, trying to gain some composure. Looping one arm with Dimitri’s, I forced a smile onto my face. “Luca, nice to see you.” Gesturing to Dimitri, I made introductions. The two men shook hands, neither particularly pleased.
“We actually know each other, don’t we, Moretti?”
“Oh, I know you, Chronis.” Luca’s glare barely softened when he looked at me. “Can I have a word?”
Dimitri laughed. “You know what, man? I need to make my rounds. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”He kissed my cheek and strolled away, leaving me with a fuming Luca.
“So—” He abruptly cut me off and pulled me by the elbow into a backroom of the gallery. Slamming the door, Luca spun on me. He looked positively deranged.
“What do you want to talk about, Luca?” I sat down on a tall crate, trying to keep my expression neutral. Inside, I was a mess. Seeing Luca had me all twisted up, and I worried that my dud of a date hurt what little we had built.
Luca paced the small space before stopping right in front of me. When his hands found mine, I released the breath I was holding.Touching was good. Touching meant he didn’t hate me.
“Why are you here, and what are you doing with Dimitri Chronis?”
“Sammie’s a college friend, and I had a plus one. I asked you first, but you were busy. Remember?”
His hands tightened around mine. “I do, but if I’dknown this is where you needed a plus one, I would’ve said yes. I needed to be here tonight, but we could have come together.”
As if on cue, a bite-sized brunette came crashing through the door. “There you are. I need you out there, Luca.”Her eyes widened when she saw us so close, holding hands. “Oh. Sorry. I’ll be out front.”
And then she was gone.
“I have a million things I want to say, but I really do need to be out there.”Luca’s jaw ticked as he eyed the door.
I tried to drop his hands, but his grip tightened. “It’s fine. Just go. I need to get back to Dimitri.”
Without warning, he pulled me into his body, his lips crushing mine. Every ounce of our frustration and anger poured into that kiss. I bit his lip so hard I tasted iron. Luca answered by digging his fingers into my fleshy hips.
The moment demanded more. I wanted more.
Dragging my hand down his body, I gripped his hardening member. A low groan sounded from the back of his throat as I worked him over his pants until they became too tight. I swallowed the sound with my kisses, thrilled that he was losing control.
I pulled away from him, and he started to complain until my hands hit his belt, tugging his hips to me. Making quick work of the buckle, I unbuttoned his slacks. Pushing his pants and boxers down, I caught sight of my primary target.
It’d been too long, old friend.
I licked my palm before wrapping my hand around his hot, hard length. As I stroked him,I couldn’t pull my eyes away. The way Luca thrust his hips created an ache in me. I needed more than was wise in the back room of a crowded gallery.
Twisting my hand, I kissed the long column of his neck as his head fell back. He twitched under my fingers, his chest rapidly rising and falling. Kneeling, I took him into my mouth. The moan that fell from his mouth sent a shot of heat between my thighs, making me squeeze them together to get some relief. I could have come just from the noises he made. They were so raw, so guttural, and unlike the polished businessman Luca presented himself as. Humming around him, I couldn’t get enough of the salty taste of his skin and the weight of his cock on my tongue.
Luca was big, so I took his shaft in as deep as possible, using my hand on the rest, so every inch was touched. My tongue swirled,and I hallowed my cheeks,giving him no time to adjust.
It wasn’t long until he was pulling my hair back. “Fuck. I’m going to come.”His husky words sent a shiver of delight down my spine. I winked at him and continued to suck the life out of him. A moment later,he came deep in my throat. Not leaving a drop, I cleaned him up with my tongue. Luca’s glassy eyes watched me intently as I tucked him back in his pants and gingerly wiped the corners of my mouth.