Chapter Thirty-One Ella
Chapter Thirty-One
Ella
It’s not often I find myself lost for words. But it’s happening right now.
I stare at the yacht, my mind scrambling to make sense of what I’m seeing. After a long moment, I turn to Tiero. He’s been watching me carefully.
He finally breaks the silence. “I bought this boat a few years ago. Going out to sea helps me relax. Helps me think.”
“So you didn’t name this boat yesterday?” I ask, only half-joking. He wouldn’t go that far with his wooing, would he?
He laughs softly. “No, angel. It had this name when I bought it.”
Wow.
What are the chances?
I tilt my head back and stare at the bold letters spelling out ELLA.
Is this some kind of sign? The universe nudging me forward?
My heart pounds as I step onboard, gripping the railing.
The three-person crew greets us.
“Ella, this is Giuseppe, our skipper. Mario, our cook. And Rocco, deckhand and steward.”
Our skipper. Our cook.
I suppose he means ours for the day.
Turning to them, Tiero says evenly, “I want total privacy. I’ll call you if we need anything.”
Total privacy.
I know exactly what that means, and a blush spreads across my face.
The crew nods and disappears inside while Tiero leads me up the staircase to the upper deck.
The display of wealth hits differently out here. Obviously, I knew he had money. The Ferrari. The restaurants. The security detail.
Why does his boat throw me into a spin?
As we reach the top, I pause to take in the space. Daybeds arranged in a U-shape, oversized pillows, polished wood gleaming in the sun.
“Wow,” I breathe. “This is incredible.”
The coffee table catches my eye. A three-pronged spear is inlaid beneath a thick glass top.
Laughing, I say, “Knowing you, I assume that’s Poseidon’s actual trident?”
“The god of the sea would never part with his weapon,” he replies, amused. “But it’s a faithful replica. And in Italy, we call him Neptune.”
“I know, I know.” I raise my hands in mock surrender. “My mistake.”
Tiero leans down and kisses the top of my head. “Good girl,” he teases.
“This is a Trident yacht,” he adds. “The table came with it. I’m told it’s a one-off because this boat was the first one of its kind.”
There’s something boyish about the pride in his voice.
I smile to myself.
Boys and their toys.
“When I was a kid, I had this recurring dream where Neptune rose out of the water, trident in hand, walking toward me,” Tiero says.
“Oh? Was it a nightmare? In most pictures I’ve seen, he looks pretty menacing.”
“No. He wasn’t scary in my dream.” A faint smile touches his mouth. “Maybe that’s why I love being out at sea. Don’t laugh, but this table was one of the reasons I bought this boat.”
“So the name wasn’t the deciding factor?” I tease.
“It would have been,” he says evenly, “if I’d known about you.”
Oh, what a charmer.
I’m sure a line like that works on plenty of women.
As I stand by the rail, the engine rumbles to life. Two of Tiero’s men untie the thick ropes and toss them onto the deck, where Rocco coils them neatly.
Tiero steps up beside me, watching the crew work. He gives a small nod to the security guard still on the dock. The guard answers with a thumbs-up.
What was that about?
“Where are we heading?” I ask as the yacht pulls free and glides into open water.
“If we had more time,” he says, “and you didn’t need to be back for dinner, I’d take you to the Aeolian Islands. They’re volcanic. Since you liked Mount Etna, I thought you might want to see Stromboli. But we can do that another time.”
Another time.
I don’t comment on that.
I wish we could. But our time is limited.
Maybe I should plan a trip to the volcano on my own in the next few days. Tiero will have work eventually. He can’t always be playing tour guide.
After spending time on Mount Etna, I want to see Stromboli. But only from a safe distance.
It’s one of the most active volcanoes in the world, erupting almost continuously for the past two thousand years. That’s hard to wrap my head around.
I make a mental note to look up tours tonight.
We’re clear of the marina now, no other boats crowding us, and the skipper increases speed. The vast blue stretches ahead, sunlight scattering across the surface like liquid gold.
It’s magical.
“You’ve told me what we’d do without time restrictions. But what’s the actual plan?”
A grin spreads across his face, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “I thought we might spend the day relaxing on the water.”
Relaxing. With no destination.
I bite down on my lip to hide my smile.
Tiero steps up behind me, placing his hands on either side of mine on the railing, boxing me in with his body.
My stomach flutters, my pulse beating harder beneath my ribs.
His aftershave mingles with the salty air, making an intoxicating blend. We stay like this for a long moment, neither of us speaking.
He presses a soft kiss to the top of my head.
“Have a seat, princess. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll get us a drink.”
He disappears below deck, and it dawns on me that I haven’t even seen the inside of this floating palace yet.
When he returns, he’s carrying two glasses of wine.
And he’s shirtless.
I swallow.
This is the first time I’m seeing him fully bare from the waist up, and I can’t look away.
I knew he was built from the few touches I stole, but I wasn’t prepared for this.
The hard lines of his chest. The defined ridges of muscle beneath sun-warmed skin.
Holy shit.
This man is hot. And apparently all mine for the taking.
My gaze drifts lower, and my mouth goes dry.
“Princess,” he murmurs, handing me my glass, a predatory smirk playing on his lips that makes my knees wobble.
“Th-thank you,” I manage, sounding like someone who’s never seen a bare chest before.
To be fair, I haven’t seen one like this.
My fingers itch to touch him.
The closeness of his body is wreaking havoc on mine. Every nerve ending hums. Heat spreads through me as if I’ve been standing in direct sun for hours.
He notices.
Of course he does.
He steps closer. “I like the way you’re looking at me, cuore mio,” he says, his voice dropping.
Cuore. From what little Italian I learned, I’m pretty sure it means heart.
He’s calling me my heart.
My insides soften.
I wish it meant what it sounds like.
Parched, I lift the wineglass to my lips to avoid his gaze and take a quick sip.
I taste nothing.
The tingling in my chest spreads through my entire body. Taking a deep breath, I force myself to lift my gaze… and meet blazing fire in his eyes.
The magnetic pull always swirling between us is stronger than ever, making everything else fall away.
With my ex-boyfriends, my mind never shut up. I never fully let go. Truth be told, I’ve never lost my head over anyone.
But I think today might be the day.
Tiero takes the wineglass from my hand and sets it aside, placing his own next to it.
He turns back to me with a slow, deliberate smile, and my thoughts scatter.
Closing the distance, he pulls me against his bare chest, and fire unfurls through my body.
Fuck.
And he hasn’t even touched me yet.
My nipples tighten painfully against the thin fabric of my bikini top beneath my dress. But they’re not the only thing reacting.
Tiero’s hard cock presses against my abdomen. The ache between my thighs deepens.
More bruising for Dr. Agosti to take care of. The thought makes me giggle.
“Why are you laughing, cuore mio?”
I glance away, suddenly shy. “It’s nothing. I… I laugh when I’m nervous.”
His hands rise to cradle my face, thumbs stroking over my cheeks with surprising gentleness.
God, that feels good.
I bite my lip to stop the moan building in my throat.
His eyes lock on the mark my teeth leave behind. He brushes the spot with his thumb once I release it, my breath turning shaky.
“Don’t be nervous,” he murmurs before lowering his mouth to mine in a slow, deliberate kiss.
I melt into him, hungry for more.
Too soon, he pulls back.
His eyes are dark. Focused. Almost black.
He waits until I’m fully caught in his gaze before speaking in a low, husky voice.
“You know this is going to happen today, don’t you?”
I go still.
The air seems to thicken.
Holy hell.
At his words, the muscles low in my belly tighten.
How does he turn me on with a single question?
I nod.
There’s no need to ask what he means. I know exactly what’s about to happen.
After last night, I want this.
I crave it.
Tiero rewards me with a slow, devastating smile before lowering his head. His lips claim mine in a kiss that leaves me breathless and reaching for more.
His gaze burns into me before I close my eyes and surrender to the feel of his mouth trailing down my neck.
“I need you, angel.”
The raw urgency in his voice mirrors the ache pulsing between my thighs.
He presses his chest into me, and I bury my face against his warm skin, trying to steady my breathing.
It’s pointless.
All I inhale is him.
He tips my chin up again, forcing me to meet the dark intensity in his eyes. Desire storms there, but beneath it, something softer flickers.
My breath catches.
He brushes a kiss to my forehead, then traces a path down the bridge of my nose before finding my mouth again.
“I’ve been waiting so long for this,” he murmurs. “I’m going to make you feel so good.”
I don’t doubt him for a second.