I turn away to hide that I’m catching my breath.
Nick’s a good guy and he’s made a shitty situation bearable –funeven – but two days ago, he was a stranger and after we both leave Capri, the chances I’ll run into him again are next to zero. And there’s no way I’d risk a two-year relationship for whatever’s going on between us. Besides, the guy’sengaged.
So, no more holding hands – or evenshakinghands. No more checking him out – especially when he’s not wearing a shirt. No more asking him for fashion advice or making flirty comments.
And no more friggingmoments. Steer clear of the moments!
* * *
Well, that didn’t last long.
The thing about anchoring off the coast of Capri on a fancy motorboat for a picnic lunch, sunbathing, and swimming is that it’sextremely difficultnot to notice that the person with you is shirtless and looks incredible in board shorts.
The lunch spread was delicious – panini caprese, frittata di pasta, cut melon, olives, and Caciotta, a local cheese – and I atewaymore than I should have. Nick might have to roll me off the boat onto the pier.
But thebestpart about lunch?
Nick kept his shirt on the entire time. I’d call that a win, except we’ve moved onto the sunbathing and swimming portion of the afternoon, and the shirt’s been tossed. And with it, so has my ability to hold up my end of the conversation without my gaze dipping to his chest. Or his arms. Or his ripped abs. Or the mat of hair across his pecs that tapers as it trails enticingly towards his waistband where it disappears.
He also has the V – those two muscles that point to his groin. Megan’s super into the V – the night we watchedMan of Steelat my place, we had to replay the scene when Henry Cavill steals clothes from the clotheslinefourtimes. She even freeze-framed it, jumping off the sofa and standing right next to the TV, crying, ‘Check out that V!’ I half-expected her to lick the screen.
At the time, I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about, but now…
Now I’ve turned into a V woman – way harder to resist when you experience one in the flesh.
And Megs would totally give me shit if I ever admitted it. Shelovesplaying the I-told-you-so card, but I’ll never tell her I’ve been thirsting after Nick – especially after saying I’d never cheat. I mean, technically I’m not, but I’m still pissed at myself. Zero willpower.
Thank god I can hide behind my sunglasses.
‘Hey, Delaney,’ says Nick, ‘top-up?’
Out of the corner of my eye, he’s holding up a bottle of prosecco, but looking directly at him will only fuel the fire, so I hold out my empty glass like Goldie Hawn inOverboard, and he fills it nearly to the brim.
‘Thanks,’ I say before taking a sip.
The skipper went below deck after lunch, possibly to have a nap, but more likely to give us privacy – thisisthe sort of tour couples would book for a romantic afternoon. Only, I want him to come back. Be a kind of chaperone.
Not that I’m going to launch myself at Nick or anything, but conversation has dried up now that it’s just the two of us.
‘So, I’ve been thinking…’ Nick starts, and I can’t do it – I can’tnotlook at him. It’s rude.
‘Mmm?’ I ask, turning towards him.
I fix my eyes on his face, drawing an invisible line between it and his body with its power to turn my insides to mush. Oh, who am I kidding? It’s not just his body – he’s handsome as hell, and I’ve turned into a walking talking tub of mashed potatoes.
‘Wouldn’t the Blue Grotto be an incredible film location?’ he asks, and it might be theonething he could say to snap me out of this lusty daze.
‘Yes!’ I reply, sitting up and sloshing prosecco down my front. ‘Shit.’ I rub my hand over my chest, then lick the prosecco off my fingers. Nick clears his throat. I glance over and he’s staring out to sea, an embarrassed smile on his face.
Okay, Delaney, so maybe don’t fondle your boobs, then slip your wet fingers into your mouth in front of the poor guy. He’s only human.
‘So, yeah,’ I say, forging ahead as if everything’s perfectly normal, ‘it’s kinda uncanny you said that – I thought the same thing.’
‘Really?’ he asks, angling his body towards me.
‘For sure. I mean, it’s so atmospheric, soevocative…’
‘Otherworldly,’ he adds.