7. Capri
7
CAPRI
“Ladies, welcome to the Blue Grottos, Capri’s most heavily populated area for tourists, and for good reason,” Romeo tells us as the yacht anchors to a stop just outside the natural sea cave.
“How is this real?” Collie asks in amazement.
“It’s stunning,” I say, feeling the weight of Jones coming up behind me and grabbing a hold of the railing.
“Wait till you see the inside,” he whispers in my ear. “It’s unlike anything you’ll ever experience.”
Excitement roars through me. This is what I wanted from this trip—adventure and distraction.
I should start saying ‘fuck the itinerary’ and follow Collie more often.
“We get to swim through it?” I ask Jones, practically leaping from where I’m standing, causing him to teeter slightly.
Catching his balance, he throws his head back and laughs, “I’m assuming you don’t want to just stand here and look at it, right?”
“Hell no. I want in.”
His brows rise, perverting my comment. “Man-child,” I say.
He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, an act I’ve noticed he favors, and kisses my forehead softly. “Then what are you waiting for, woman? Go for it.”
My smile is wide and full of anticipation.
I search for Collie and find her stripped back down in her bikini, staring at me in question. She smiles softly, but I know her well enough to know there’s a hidden meaning behind it.
“Be right back,” I tell Jones before heading toward my sister.
“What’s that look for?” I ask her playfully, coming up beside her.
Collie shrugs. “You and Jones hit it off pretty fast.”
I pause, trying to figure out where she’s going with this. “Yeah, and? We met yesterday, remember?”
She nods, sending me a reassuring smile. “I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it, Capri. I just hope you’re being careful. I want more than anything for you to have fun and say yes to new things, but I also think you should guard your heart.”
“I am. We’re just having fun,” I tell her honestly.
“Great. You should have fun. Fuck him on every square inch of this yacht for all I care, but protect your feelings. You love so big, Capri, and I’d hate to see you get hurt in the end. You’ve been through too much already.”
My heart sinks. I know Collie is right. These are all things I’ve thought of. But for some reason, Jones makes me forget why I shouldn’t and only focus on why I should .
I’m letting go and enjoying what I want for a change, even if it’s only for a little while.
Unshackling the bullshit that’s weighed me down for years.
“I love you, Cols,” I say, bringing her in for a hug. “I’ll be careful. And if for some reason I need saving, I promise to tell you, okay?”
She nods. “I can’t believe this is our life right now.”
“It feels surreal, right?”
“Feels like a dream,” Collie whispers. “Luca is cute.”
I jerk my head toward her. “Luca? I thought you were into Romeo?”
She laughs. “No. Not my type.”
I giggle. “He’s exactly your type, Collie.”
“Maybe,” she says. “Maybe that’s the problem.”
Collie is wild at heart. Her lack of settling has led to many open-ended relationships that have never moved past the bedroom. I want more for her than that.
But she has to figure it out for herself.
Before I can respond, Romeo and Luca run toward us, Romeo grabbing Collie and Luca grabbing me, throwing us over their shoulders and charging into the clear blue water.
We submerge into ice-cold bliss. The water is so clear I can see stingrays and jellyfish swarming the abyss. Colorful fish lap around our feet—it’s breathtaking.
Jolting across the water’s surface, my eyes search for Jones, having still been on the yacht while we were kidnapped. I find him large and in charge, standing on the boat’s bow, arms crossed, with a big smile on his face and staring right at me.
“Come on, Captain. The waters nice,” I say, splashing in his direction.
My eyes trace over his massive frame. Jones is tall and made of stone. You’d never guess his age by the looks of him. The ridges of abs on his stomach are cut to perfection, leading to the deepest V below his board shorts, the perfect contrast against his tan skin. A small dusting of dark hair on his chest shows he’s seasoned and mature.
But it’s his wide smile that causes my girly parts to skyrocket. It’s a smile you feel bone deep. Beneath the masses of other feelings, his smile infiltrates the joyful feelings.
It makes me want to smile more—to bury myself in his optimism.
It’s contagious.
“Be careful what you ask for,” Jones chuckles before sprinting into the water.
“Less bark, more bite,” I call at the sound of his cannonball.
Strong arms find me underwater and pull me into him sweetly. “I’ll show you bite.”
Favorite things can be temporary, no matter which way we get them. In this case, I’ll take happiness however it comes.
And I now have a new favorite thing.
The jury is still out on if it’s a place…or a person.