Chapter Ten
Cassi
Ihad to walk away. I don’t know what kind of game he was playing or is playing or whatever but I want no part of it.
I can’t fucking believe he got me with the fake dead dad story.
Or I guess his dad really is dead, but the fabricated story was wild and had me feeling awful.
That’s like something I’d pull to prove a point and it has me feeling more than a little irritated.
We cruise for a little while before anchoring off in the middle of the sound.
My dad instantly takes his post as lead fisherman, at least that’s what I assume he refers to himself as in his head.
My mom and I are sipping champagne in two of the lounge chairs overlooking the deck while dad attempts to show Nico how to bait and cast a line.
I can’t help but watch Nico, he’s so focused, hanging onto every word my dad says like it’s the gospel.
He strikes me as the type of man who doesn’t do anything half ass and is determined to be the best in anything he attempts.
Unfortunately, for him, it’s looking like fishing isn’t one of his strengths.
It takes Nico three separate times before he finally releases the line properly, allowing his bait to sink down into the water.
My dad claps him on the shoulder in encouragement but the little wrinkle between Nico’s eyebrows tells me he’s more than frustrated with himself.
Nico reaches over to his right, grabbing two beers from the galvanized ice bin, passing one to my dad before they fall into conversation about Nico’s work.
I can’t quite make out every word he says, but I don’t need to.
Watching his mouth move is more than enough for me, it is a gorgeous fucking mouth.
I mean, I’m not really a fan of the asshole that’s attached to it but still.
He’s a pretty face to look at, with a wicked tongue, steady hands and a huge—
“Enjoying the view, Cass?” My mom asks.
I startle for a moment, like I’m snapping out of a daze as I look to her.
“Hm?”
She gives me a mischievous smirk that looks far too much like one that I deliver regularly. I’ve gotta say, I’m not sure I enjoy being on the receiving end of it, though.
“Your sister certainly has excellent taste. Nico is a…fine young man,” she says, giving me a knowing look.
I pretend to be unaffected by her words, despite me absolutely freaking the fuck out. I mean, it’s not like she knows anything. She’s just teasing me, attempting to be playful. Regardless, I want nothing to do with any of it.
“He’s easy on the eyes but that personality could use some work,” I say with a shrug before taking another sip of my champagne.
My mom’s brows furrow as she cocks her head to the side.
“How do you mean?”
Doing my best to avoid her gaze, I set down my drink as I stare out at the water.
“He’s just a little surly for my taste, serious. You have to admit, he’s kind of an asshole. I mean, look how hard he’s trying to impress you guys,” I say as gesture around us. “Does he really think money can cover up what he’s clearly lacking?”
“Wow, you seem to be really opinionated of someone you met only two days ago. I think you’re being a little harsh there sweetheart.”
I shrug my shoulders, wanting to be done with this conversation. Unfortunately, my mother doesn’t seem to share the same intention.
“He seems good for Carly. He has a good head on his shoulders, stable career. Probably spoils her a little more than she needs if I’m being honest,” she muses.
I snort in agreement to that. Yeah, maybe that’s actually a con. My sister definitely doesn’t need more people treating her like she’s god’s gift to the earth. She wears that badge proudly every day of her life without any help from anyone.
“They deserve each other,” I comment under my breath, not really intending for my mom to hear it. More of just a statement to the universe.
She doesn’t agree, though. To be fair, she doesn’t disagree either.
Instead, she quietly finishes her drink before standing and moving to my dad, plopping herself into his lap.
He holds her with one hand easily, somehow simultaneously manning a pole and a beer.
Name a more talented man to ever live, go ahead, I’ll wait.
Some people can’t stand parents that are still so in love with each other.
I personally have always found it deliriously romantic.
I mean, what could be better than being raised by the perfect example of true honest love?
Maybe the only downside to having parents who are so nauseatingly in love is that it is a consistent reminder of what you haven’t found yet.
Don’t get me wrong, I completely grasp the fact that I literally just turned twenty one. I have plenty of time to find my forever person. Is it so wrong to wish they’d come along already, though?
As if his ears were burning, my phone pings with a text message from Alec.
Alec: How was work, beautiful?
I smile at the screen before typing out my reply.
Me: Absolutely riveting. You?
Alec: We were slammed from the moment I clocked in to when I clocked out. You’d think people would want to get their overpriced mediocre meals elsewhere once in a while.
I let out a laugh at that.
Me: Hey, don’t hate on my favorite Italian restaurant. I was just starting to like you again.
Alec: When did you ever stop?
Smirking, I begin typing out my response when my phone is plucked out of my hands. My head whips up to locate the thief, and of course, I’m not at all surprised by the suspect. Nico’s eyes trace over the screen, that perma-scowl he wears so well firmly in place before he looks back to me.
“Stop flirting with your boyfriend and come spend time with your dad. He’s been trying to get your attention.”
I look up to see my dad gesturing towards him, another fishing pole at the ready, presumably for me. Standing to my feet, I reach for my phone as I speak.
“He’s my ex-boyfriend,” I clarify.
Nico pulls the phone just out of reach as he lowers his face just a half an inch closer to mine.
“You sure about that?” his deep voice husks, almost like it’s his attempt at a whisper.
My eyes pause on his, that rich chocolate color practically drowning me before I swallow roughly.
“It wouldn’t be your business even if I wasn’t,” I say before snatching my phone from his meaty paws as I make my way over to my dad.
“Let’s do some fishing, pops.”
After hours of fishing I caught four blue gill, my dad caught six and one huge bass and Nico caught approximately nothing.
Despite his frustrations and ever changing ‘technique’ the fish wanted nothing to do with him.
I bet they could sense his shit personality from down there and said no fucking thanks.
Now we are heading back to the docks, a cooler stocked with fish and a smile on my dad’s face that he couldn’t wipe away if he tried. He loves being on the water, I swear if he could retire and live on a house boat, he would. I think him and mom would both really like that actually.
Some of my favorite childhood memories are fishing with my dad.
Carly came sometimes but each time she did she ruined it with her whining.
She didn’t like the outdoors, the cold or anything outside of shopping, really.
God, would you listen to me? I make her sound like a high maintenance vapid bitch.
…but I mean, if the shoe fits.
Mom and dad wandered inside the boat a little bit ago, though calling this mammoth a boat is honestly an insult. We could be out here for days and I don’t think we could see every room on this thing. Okay, that’s a complete exaggeration but you get my point.
I wandered around for a bit before I came to the bow. The breeze is gentle but constant, blowing my hair behind my shoulders as the sun begins to dip into the water for the night.
“Why do you insist on tempting fate?” Nico asks
I look over my shoulder to see him glaring at me, arms crossed while maintaining a healthy distance from the railing.
“Why do you insist on being such a coward?”
He scoffs at that but doesn’t say more, and I don’t feel the need to fill up the empty space with useless words. So, instead, I focus back on the sunset. My hands that have been gripping the railing loosen as I throw my arms out by my sides in the wind.
“You’re being reckless,” he warns.
I shake my head and smile to the sky, loving the feel of the ocean breeze through my hair.
“This is the part where you’re supposed to reassure me that I’m flying.”
“I’m not going to recreate a scene from a movie about a horrific watercraft accident.”
Spinning around to face him, I frown.
“You really do have a stick up your ass, you know that, right?”
He doesn’t respond, just continues staring at me with that impatient scowl. Before I can think better of it, a wicked thought crosses my mind and I rest my hands onto the railing once more before lifting myself up to sit on it.
“Would you catch me if I fell, Nico? Would you put that grumpy asshole schtick to the side in order to save m—”
My words are cut off as we hit a rough wake, the whole ship dipping to accommodate for a moment. Before I even start to lose my grip, he’s there, closing the distance between us in a flash before scooping me into his arms and plastering me to his chest.
Instinctively, I wrap my legs around his torso and hold onto him tighter than what is probably needed. My heart is jack hammering inside my chest as I take several deep breaths before slowly pulling back to see him.
He’s already looking at me, a wild look in his eyes as he looks me over from head to toe like he is expecting to find an injury or something.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his low voice rumbling through his chest and practically into mine.
“Yeah,” I rasp.
“I told you that you were being reckless,” he says, though his words hold no heat and his eyes hold no judgment.
I can’t quite name the look on his face. It’s just…intense, and something in me never wants to look away.
“You did,” I agree,
“You could have gotten hurt,” he says, his arms tightening around me almost instinctually as he speaks.
Swallowing roughly, I nod my head in response before chewing on the inside of my lower lip. An action he notices immediately. Nico’s deep brown eyes snap down to my lips, a lustful look filling his features as his own part just slightly.
“You can put me down now, I’m safe,” I say carefully.
Nico stares at my mouth for another moment before he blinks once and slowly lowers me to my feet. I won’t deny that I take my time unwinding my arms from around his neck before I look up at him.
“Thanks.”
He nods but doesn’t speak, his intense gaze holding true.
As bad as it would be, I want to push the limits, see how reacts, how I would react.
The tension between us is palpable, even when we’re arguing, it’s always there.
It’s like the forbidden fruit dangling in front of one another, and with each resistance, a guarantee that the fruit sweetens with each time.
I can practically taste it and based on the way he’s wetting his lips, I’d say he is right there with me.
Knowing that if I act on my impulses, we will be fucking bare ass right here on the bow with my parents and the crew to witness, I take a step back and force a laugh.
“Are you painfully aware of all the rope that is within reach around us or is that just me?” I joke, hoping to ease the tension.
As if my words snap him out of whatever kind of trance he was in, his surly frown returns as his eyebrows furrow.
“What?”
“Rope. We’re on a boat, you teased me about being a rope bunny. I teased you about being a rigger. I’m easing the sexual tension with a joke, get it?”
Nico takes a moment to respond before he tersely shakes his head.
“There is no tension.”
Before I can respond, he storms off, and I don’t bother to stop him because honestly, I’m not able to take a full breath until he is finally out of my vicinity.
He can lie to himself all he wants, there is tension, and if he doesn’t get the fuck back to Boston, and fast, well.
I don’t know what’s going to happen. Whatever it is, though, I can only imagine it’s going to be horrible.
And satisfying.
Definitely satisfying.