“Oh." Luka felt his brain struggle to catch up again. “Okay.”
Reno’s breath was hot against his cheek, and before pulling away, he made this delighted, small laugh and ran a finger, almost too light to feel, over Luka’s lower lip. Luka took in a long breath when Reno settled back against his side of the seatand peeked out the window as the car stopped in front of a large hotel in the circle drive.
Reno reached for his bag and rifled around in it before pulling out a hotel key. “This is yours. I don’t have one, so you don’t have to worry about me intruding. Unless you want me to. You are all checked in already, I’ve texted you the room number, and the hotel expect you, so no one will give you trouble. If you need food, or anything at all, just order it to the room.”
“I can’t afford?—”
“Shh, sweet boy.” Reno put the card in his hand. “You’re taken care of.”
Luka swallowed. The card in his hand was thick and heavy, unlike any hotel room key he’d felt before.
“If you say so,” he finally mumbled and put the card in his back pocket.
Cane got out of the car and went around to the trunk, and Luka put his hand on the door right as Reno said, “Wait.”
Luka turned to look at him and he could swear Reno almost looked nervous. His eyes were so wide, his usual easy smile replaced with a small frown.
“Can…" Reno looked down at where his hand rested on Luka’s. “Please?”
They locked eyes and after a moment, Reno’s flicked down to Luka’s lips. He waited until Luka gave a slight nod, and he let go of Luka’s hand in favor of winding his fingers into Luka’s hair and pulling him forward. When their lips met, Luka felt something in him crack and fall open. He let Reno have him, chasing him with his lips with a low groan for only for a moment before Reno pulled away with a sigh.
“Oh," Reno said, his eyes searching Luka’s face. “Sorry.” He swiped a finger against Luka’s lips and it came away pink and glossy. He smirked, a devious look in his eyes. “Makeup artist’s gonna kill me.”
“Good," Luka whispered, “you might deserve it.”
Reno laughed, sudden and bright, before gently pushing Luka away. “Go, go. I have a show to play and you have a comfortable bed to sleep in. I will see you tomorrow?”
“Yes.” Luka finally tore himself away and opened the door to get out, the chilly spring air shockingly sobering. He leaned down and looked at Reno for a moment, his slightly mussed hair, his smeared lip gloss, his pink cheeks. Luka just smiled at him, then made a low, appreciative hum in his throat before gently closing the door.
He thanked Cane, who had the decency to act like he had no idea what was going on in the back of the car. Luka took his bag from him and walked into the hotel.
The door opened for him and beyond it were tall, curved ceilings littered with an excessive amount of warm, glowing chandeliers. The bellman welcomed him by name and asked if he needed help with his bag. Luka refused the offer, only having his backpack with him, so the bellman pointed the way to the elevators and stepped out of Luka’s way.
The concierge counter was extremely long, designed to accommodate dozens of guests at the same time. It was presently almost empty, and no one minded as Luka walked across the lobby timidly, feet sinking into the plush, deep blue carpet. The walls were made of marble, and Luka wondered how old the hotel was. It was in the heart of Manhattan, but as soon as he left the lobby, the sound of the busy streets outside disappeared.
The elevator pinged its arrival and Luka scrambled to find his phone.
Reno
You're 831 – I will send a driver for you tomorrow when you are ready, is that okay?
Yes, thank you
I don't know how you look so handsome coming off an airplane. You should see me after a flight lol :) i'm a mess
I doubt that. Good luck tonight – I held it together in front of u but I am exhausted after the work week and travel
Sleep well, see you tomorrow <3
Luka pressed the number 8, picking it out from a shockingly large number of flights and felt the elevator whoosh up through the skyscraper of a hotel. He leaned against the stone wall and pressed two fingers to his lips, remembering the way Reno had kissed him only moments before.Tomorrow.
It really seemed like Reno wasn’t lying to him. He acted like he wanted Luka, wanted to keep him, maybe even take care of him. He looked at the ceiling of the elevator, seeing himself looking back in a mirror there and figured that Reno wouldn’t go through all this trouble to bring him here, put him up in a clearly expensive hotel, and dedicate his only free day left in the U.S.A. to entertain Luka—unless hemeant it.
It made something in his gut flip, half in shocked desire and half in suspicion. Nothing about this was slow, or sane, or normal. How could it be when dealing with someone like Reno? Luka felt the elevator come to a stop and the door slid to the side to show off a sophisticated but cozy-looking hallway beyond. Itwas far less intimidating than the lobby and Luka was grateful for it.
He followed the signs to his room— and was also pleased to find it had a standard door—then swiped the card to get inside.
The room was impressive, but not overly flashy. It had a separate suite for the bedroom and bathroom. Luka peeked through the curtains and found the view spectacular. The living room had a couch and a table next to the kitchenette, and on the table was a vase with a rose.
