"Are you certain this is a good idea?"

Luca glanced sideways at me, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, and shook his head once. I had to pause for a second, my breath hitching at his seemingly insignificant action. His dark eyes caught the moonlight, making them look like deep, formidable pits of darkness that were somehow alluring to me.

"Brilliant," I muttered, settling back against the headrest.

Luca had insisted that we leave the team celebrations early and make the over three-hour drive to my estate. We were almost halfway through, driving in a calm silence that was a world apart from the infectious euphoria of the hotel lobby. One that had included a lot of alcohol, food, and way too much of Bennett. Who kept insisting I take photographs with him, and then slunk away the instant Luca appeared beside me.

I was still trying to see the logic behind the oddity.

We stopped in front of a gas station, and Luca gestured for me to wait. I sat still, fishing out my phone and looking at my mum's minute-by-minute analysis of the game. She had called me, sobbing loudly, with Eleanor shrieking and running around behind her to tell me how proud she was of me. I saw the sparkly ring on her finger, and the diamond bracelet below it. The engagement present I had given her after much deliberation.

I had reached the forty-fourth minute of her analysis when Luca reappeared, handing me the vending machine juice I usually drank and shutting the door behind him.

"Thank you," I said, piercing the straw into the carton and taking a long sip.

I reached for my hearing aids, taking them out slowly. Moisture had risen by forty-four percent, which not only meant that it was going to rain—possibly tonight—but also that the hearing aids were uncomfortable to wear.

'It might rain,' Luca mouthed as he turned the key in the ignition of the rented car. I nodded, gazing outside the window at the dark thicket of trees that passed by us. Twenty-eight minutes later, the rain picked up speed, turning vicious. The road in front of us became a white blur, and Luca parked the car on the side of a deserted road. I finished the last of my juice and placed the empty carton on the dashboard, glancing outside at the street. There were tall, thick trees on either side of us, sheets of water sliding off the road and onto the sides. No sign of any vehicles around.

Luca nudged me, and I turned to look at him. 'Have to wait,' he mouthed slowly, pointing to his wristwatch, which read eight-thirty. I nodded. The rain at this time of the season should stop in the next thirty minutes or so, or be low enough for us to be able to make the last hour of the journey. We weren't going to make it back in time tomorrow morning for the flight; that part was clear.

Luca nudged me again, and I watched as he signed while mouthing at the same time. He held both hands in front of his face with open, slightly curved fingers, then pushed his hands outward and forward.

I let out a breathless laugh and shook my head. "Are you aware you have been exclusively signing to me in ASL?"

His smile faltered, his face draining of colour, his mouth dropping open in a silent 'Oh.'

I giggled. "I appreciate that you try. However, I think you should know I converse in BSL."

'Shit,' he mouthed, slapping both hands on his face, his ears turning red. 'IDIOT,' he mouthed, pointing at himself.

I frowned at him. "You are not an idiot." And then, because I needed him to know that it was okay, because I needed him to know how much I appreciated his clumsy but honest efforts, I leaned in and kissed his cheek softly.

He froze for a second before his hand grabbed mine and he pulled me on top of him, his hands coming to rest on my waist so I was straddling him. One of his hands reached out to rest against my face, and I leaned into his warmth, shutting my eyes as he kissed me. I kissed him back fervently, scrunching the front of his sweatshirt and pulling him close. His shoulders stiffened for a second before his tongue met mine hotly, his hands trailing lower down my back and stroking my thighs. He placed both his hands on either side of my thighs, holding me in place, his teeth grazing my bottom lip and making me shudder in that familiar, weightless way that sent blood rushing to my head.

I let out a gasp into his mouth, entangling my fingers in his soft, curly hair. He moaned softly, the sound a vibration that reverberated in my chest. He broke the kiss, planting open-mouthed, wet kisses along my jaw and lower down my neck to the base of my throat. I threw my head back, the hazy grey of the car ceiling blurring in and out of focus as the heat in the car sweltered, his touch the only thing tethering me to reality.

He leaned back, gripping my chin and making me look at him. His hand hovered near my waistband with a question. I nodded eagerly, shifting so he could lower my trousers just enough.

"This is suboptimal," I murmured as my knees struggled to make space in the cramped car.

He snorted, his shoulders shaking as he chuckled. I kissed him again, the loss of his mouth from mine agonizingly torturous.

I ground my hips against him, seeking out his intoxicating gasps. I remembered the way he had felt against my back yesterday; I remembered the way he had held me so close despite being so uncomfortable.

"Look at me," I muttered, placing my hands around his neck as our eyes met in scintillating heat. "Touch me," I whispered.

He nodded, his lips crashing into mine again, our mouths opening against each other. His scent—dark, warm cedar, and something else my brain couldn't quite place- somehow reaching straight to my head. It made me dizzy, my vision turning blurry as the heat between us rose in a crescendo. He placed his hand between us, stroking my bare thighs and leaving a trail of fire under his fingers.

'Suck,' he mouthed, placing his fingers near my chin, his eyes half-lidded when I obliged. I sucked wetly on his fingers, letting the saliva drip down between them as his chest heaved, his lips parted open. His hand enclosed around both of us, stroking slowly. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, breathing hard, his teeth grazing my skin till pleasant tingles traveled down my spine.

The chill outside disappeared into nothing as our breaths mingled, his movements slow and drawn out, the slick friction making fire burst in my belly. His thumb circled the aching tip as his tongue found the sensitive spot below my ear, making me gasp. I moaned softly, grinding between his closed fist, rubbing against him with a burning hunger.

"Luca..." I moaned helplessly against him, for once not caring how I sounded. How weird, or annoying, or shrill.

I felt the vibrations of his voice against my neck, even though I had no clue what he was saying. I was drowning in the overstimulation, but for once I did not want to resurface. I needed him to take charge, needed him to control the pace— knowing, feeling my coherence slipping away and condense on the foggy glass.

I pulled him close; it somehow still wasn't enough as his hand sped up. I leaned back, grabbed his other hand that was around my waist, and placed it on my throat.

A red flush crept up his face, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He tapped twice against my pulse, mouthing, 'On me, two taps. Stop.'

I nodded, having zero intention of using the safety gesture. I was in a vacuum; he was here with me. I would be okay.

I lifted my gaze up to give him access. He leaned in immediately, sucking hard on the flesh of my exposed throat as I let out a whimper. His fingers squeezed gently till the edges of my vision became hazy, my breath rising and falling rapidly, in sync with his. The interior of the car an infernal chamber of ecstasy as he pushed both of us towards paradise.

"Let me—" I choked out, "Let me see you."

He nodded once, his soft hair nuzzling my neck before he leaned back. His lips were glistening and swollen, parted as he gasped. His thumb stroking my hopelessly leaking tip, his hand tightening slightly around my neck as I let out another pathetic whimper.

'Come with me,' he breathed and I nodded, matching the movement of his hand with my hips. I could feel him stiffening under me, his shoulders going still, his breath coming out in shallow gasps before he shuddered, spilling hot and sticky between us. The sensation sent me over the edge as I followed, my entire body seizing in drunken pleasure.

He leaned his forehead against mine, our clammy skin rapidly cooling against each other as I realized the rain outside had lowered to a drizzle. He lifted my hand to his mouth, letting me watch as he licked it clean, his eyes never leaving mine. My breath caught in my throat, my legs like putty as I collapsed against him.

He murmured something against my head but I couldn't get myself to try to decipher it. I shut my eyes, breathing his comforting scent deeply. His warmth, his skin, his breath—a blissful, inebriated kaleidoscope.

I felt him use a cold wipe to clean us both up, discarding it somewhere behind me before he gave a breathless laugh. He grabbed the back of my neck, pulling me backward so he was facing me. "Rental—" he grinned, reminding me about the mess of the car we were in.

"I'll buy it," I whined, burying my face back into his chest as he laughed, the pleasant rumble traveling through me and warming me from the inside. I wanted to stay like this forever. Basking in his warmth. Feeling the pleasant hum of ecstasy under my skin as we remained entangled in our shared bliss.