✧

I haven't stopped thinking about what Declan did to me in his bedroom a few nights ago. The feeling of his fingers deep inside me whilst he stroked my cock lives in my head rent free. God, his demanding voice.

At this point I believe I'd let him do literally anything to me.

I've never come so hard in my life. I've never felt that euphoric before.

All my one-night stands with throwaway dates have been lazy, for your own pleasure, not your partner. I'm guilty as charged but I know Declan has me in the palm of his hand and I'm not even ashamed to admit it.

Declan works his way around my body. He doesn't rush, he doesn't beg for his turn.

He gets off on the idea of pleasuring me until I have nothing left to give.

We don't owe each other orgasms. He physically brought me to my limit until I had to tap out and I know he would have been there all night if that's what it took. He loves it just as much as I do. I felt his cock pressed up against my ass through the fabric of his trousers.

After I was covered in my own sweat, exhausted. I reached for his trousers but Declan was having none of it. Instead he collected me in his arms, took me to the shower and got me ready for bed.

I had wonderful dreams that night. Wonderful, wonderfu–

My hand that is pouring the milk into a cappuccino floods over my skin and I yelp at the boiling sensation. "Fuck, fuck," I hiss before running over to the sink. Aris is right beside me, taking my wrist in his hand to look at the damage.

"This is the third time this week," Aris shakes his head. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Heat invades my cheeks. "Yeah," I nod. "Sorry. Got a lot on my mind."

The cold water coats my burning skin and the sensation of the coolness allows me to take a slow breath. "Sorry? You don't need to apologise to me. I just want to make sure that you're okay, you keep daydreaming."

About Declan and his magical hands that bring me to orgasm after orgasm.

Now I'm smiling again. "Who is it?" Aris demands.

I sigh and glance at him, the freckles on his nose more prominent than the last time I saw him. "Declan," I admit.

His eyebrows wiggle suggestively. "Oh yeah?" he smiles. "You had a good night?"

"Like three days ago," I snort to myself and get back to making the cappuccinos without burning myself this time.

"That man is obsessed with you," Aris nods as he leans on the counter. "I think he wanted to kill me when he came in that day."

My entire body goes up in flames. "Yeah..." I trail off. "He's a little possessive but not in a bad way."

Aris holds up his hands in defence. "I'm not one to judge," he says with a small smile. "You're happy and it's good to see you happy."

I offer him a smile before placing the two mugs onto a tray and running them over to the table at the other end of the cafe. When I return Aris is standing in the corner near the backdoor, his hand clutched to his chest and tightly around the apron.

My brows dip as I attempt to look around to his expression but he's blocking me off. "Aris?" I say, my voice alarmed. "Everything okay?"

He's taking deep breaths, his throat exhaling with a rasp. "Yeah," he whimpers slowly.

"Are you sure?"

Aris waves me off but I don't move. "Just having a moment, I'm fine."

I chew on my lip because the intensity of his breathing doesn't sound healthy or normal and I have no idea what has triggered this. I retreat to the small fridge and grab a chilled bottle of water. "Here," I slide it around his body.

He glances up at me slowly, eyes bloodshot and his skin turning pale. "T-Thanks," he says weakly before taking the bottle and undoing the lid. He takes a sip and straightens his spine.

"Hey, why don't you take the rest of the shift off if you're not feeling okay? The cafe isn't busy and it's a Saturday. Go and relax."

"No," he heaves, taking a big breath. "I-I need the money."

I check the clock on the wall. "You only have an hour left, go home and I'll still pay you for that time. I promise."

Aris shakes his head. "No, that's not fair."

"And you won't go home unless I force you. Take the last hour off and I promise it'll be in your pay packet next week." I say, levelling my eyes with his. "I'm worried about you, Aris."

"I'll be fine," his voice wavers.

I shake my head once. "Please. Go home. Don't worry about the last hour, it's quiet anyway."

He stares at me for a moment, eyes flicking between mine slowly. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," I nod. "I'm positive."

"Okay," he sighs before chewing on his lip. "I'll make up for the hour another time."

Aris moves around me slowly. "Honestly, don't worry about it. I'd rather you feel better than worry about any of that."

His lips curl into a weak smile. "Thanks, Luca. You're too kind to me."

"Treat your employees right and they'll give you the respect back," I say before clapping a hand over his shoulder gently. "Rest up and I'll see you next week."

"Okay," he nods before pulling off his apron and grabbing his coat and backpack. "Thank you. I'll see you later."

"Feel better," I call out to him before he leaves the cafe, the bell ringing on the way out.

The next thirty minutes practically fly by. I clean the cafe and take the last orders. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I see my mother's name flash across the screen and I click on the green button.

"Hey, mum," I say as I lock the phone between my ear and my shoulder as I place a few items in the dishwasher. "You okay?"

A sniffle ripples down the line and I straighten. "No," she exhales with a sob. "I've been let go."

"From what?"

"My job."

My chest crumbles to pieces at her words. "W-What?"

"They said that the company had to take some cuts, that my job had to go because they couldn't afford to keep me on. Now we have nothing, Luca. We've got to somehow come up with the rest of the mortgage and we're going to have nothing," her voice strains. "I don't know what to do."

I slump against the wall, my weight faltering. "W-We'll get through this, we always do."

My reassuring words don't even reassure myself. I'm talking out of my ass.

Hearing her pained voice makes me want to break down. It can't have actually come to this? She's right, we will end up with nothing but debt and I suddenly can't breathe.

"I think we've run out of luck, Luca," she whispers. "I don't think we can do anything else."

"Decl–"

"Don't even think about telling Declan!" She yells down the phone and I flinch. "He can't fix this, it's such a huge ask and he's already done so much for us. We would be taking the piss out of his money and I don't want to be that person."

My shoulders drop and I nod. "Okay."

"I'm going to speak to the finance advisor but I already know what they're going to say," she huffs out a sigh. "But better than not trying."

"I'm so sorry, mum," I say gently. "But you'll get another job, I promise you will."

The line is silent for a few moments. "Thanks for being optimistic, my boy. But I don't think we have much left for us."

Tears swell in my eyes. "We can't lose hope yet."

"Better to brace ourselves than be ignorant to what's right in front of us."

I gnaw on my bottom lip painfully. "I suppose," I rasp.

"I've got to go," she sniffles again. "I'm due a call with the financial advisor any moment."

"Okay, I'll see you later. I love you, mum."

She exhales a long breath. "You are the only good thing in my life, son. I love you too."

Then she ends the call. My head hands low and I allow a tear to slip down my cheek. Fuck. We're about to lose everything. Everything. My entire body shakes and I've never felt this empty and hollow in a long time.

I hear the bell ring behind me and I quickly push away my tears that coat my cheeks. My shoulders roll back and I turn to find Declan strolling towards me. He clocks my eyes and my expression instantly.

"What's the matter?" He asks.

"Nothing," I flash him a false smile.

Declan's brows furrow as he reaches the counter and cups my cheek. "You've been crying."

I shake my head. "No. I just–" I stammer. "I just–"

His eyes float down to my hands resting on the edge of the counter. "Shit, Luca. Your knuckles are red raw."

"Yeah, I burnt myself a moment ago," I murmur.

Declan exhales a breath and raises my hand to his lips. He kisses the skin once and then twice, I can't take my eyes off him. "You need to be more careful," he whispers along the tender skin.

"Yeah, I know," I nod and blink to make my eyes dry faster. "It was an accident."

He hums softly and then leans forward to press a kiss to my forehead. But inside I feel like I'm rotting with my lies. I want to tell him but I don't want to upset my mum further and besides she's right, he's done too much for us already.

"What are you doing tonight?" He asks, smoothing back my hair.

I close my eyes at the sweet gesture. "Nothing."

"Come to mine," he whispers. "Let me take care of you."

I'm seconds away from breaking down again. Look after me? I'll end up crying in his arms.

"Okay," I say because I've got no energy to say anything else.

When the cafe closes, we leave and Declan opens the passenger door for me. I flash him a small smile of gratitude before sliding in. I won't be great company tonight but personally I don't want to be sobbing into my pillow.

At least tonight I know I'll be cuddled up next to the one person who makes me feel like life isn't so bad. He's given me so much, shown me so much. I'll never take him for granted.

We order pizza and sit on the sofa watching a movie. Declan keeps sneaking glances at me because it's obvious I'm being quieter than usual but he doesn't push. Instead he holds my hand, kisses my temple and lets me snuggle into him.

At ten o'clock I'm practically a living zombie. We agree on an early night, I barely get myself up to his bedroom before collapsing onto his soft, delicious bed. We tuck ourselves beneath the sheets and I lay my head on Declan's naked chest, listening to his heart thump.

But no matter how tired I am, I toss and I turn. I can't sleep for the life of me.

Hour by hour ticks by.

Declan's even breathing floats through the room and I glance at him, jealous that he's sleeping comfortably. My hand rests against his chest and I adore the smoothness of his skin beneath my palm.

My jaw aches as I twist away from him.

Suddenly a thought rushes to my brain. Did I lock up the cafe? We leave money in the cafe sometimes when we don't have time to take it to the bank. But now I can't remember if I locked the door. I was too distracted when Declan came to check on me.

Fuck.

I stare up at the ceiling. I don't think I did.

Zero recollection of placing the key in the lock and twisting it.

"Fuck," I murmur under my breath and swipe the covers from my body.

I scavenge around the floor for my clothes in the dark, trying my hardest not to wake Declan. I have to go and check before I lose even more money and we need it more than ever right now.

Fuck sake. Why can't I remember? Because I wasn't thinking.

My foot slides into my trousers and I almost stumble into the wall but I stabilise myself with my hand before I collapse into it. But Declan stirs from his sleep anyway, he's a light sleeper–I've noticed that.

"Luca," his deep voice groans through the room. "What are you doing?"

I sigh and run a hand down my face before pulling my trousers around my waist and doing them up. "I-I don't know if I shut the doors to the cafe. I need to check. There is money there and I can't leave it open the entire weekend."

Declan pushes himself up and I see the silhouette of his body. He taps his phone. "Luca," he rasps again. "It's two in the morning."

"I need to check," my voice wobbles and I tell myself to keep my tears inside my head.

"Let me take you," Declan says heavily before swiping the covers from his body.

I shake my head. "I'll go. It's fine."

"Don't be stupid," he snaps and I flinch. "I'm taking you. It's the middle of the night and you don't have a car."

My tongue runs along my bottom lip as I breathe. "I was going to order an Uber."

Declan is already shoving a t-shirt over his naked chest and slipping into some tracksuit bottoms. "Well you're not anymore, let's go."

Guilt swarms my chest and I follow him out to the car, clutching the cafe keys in my hand. It doesn't take long to get there at this time and when we pull up outside, I rush up the steps and press on the door to find it locked.

That's when relief fills my body but then I feel so awful. I rest my head against the door, fighting those tears again. I will not crack, I will not crack.

Declan's driver door opens and I hear footsteps behind me before he wraps me up in his arms and I instantly feel at home. "Come on," he kisses the top of my head. "Let's get you to bed."

I don't fight.

We drive home in silence and when we reach Declan's house, I walk up the stairs and fall head first into his bed. He collects me in his arms and presses our chests flush to one another.

"I-I'm sorry," I whisper, nuzzling my head into his neck. A rouge tear escapes my eye.

"Sleep," he orders me. "I'll be right here when you wake up."

This time when my eyes close, I magically drift off into a beautiful, well needed sleep.

✧

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Author's Note

Uhhhh oh. What did you guys think about this chapter?👉🏼

I hate Luca keeping things from Declan😭

Also, what do you think is going on with Aris?

Declan is so caring and I am so happy Luca finally got to find his man that would do absolutely ANYTHING for him. BRB crying🥺🥰

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