Page 135 of Capri

There goes all the air in my lungs. I suck in a sharp breath, my back still toward her and close my eyes, giving myself a moment to prepare.

Prepare to see her again. Toreallysee her again in all her beauty. But I also need to be headstrong and forward. Find out why she’s here and carry on with my day, ignoring her.

Not sure if that’s humanly possible for me, given she’s my whole damn heartbeat, but I’ll try.

I turn carefully, not showing her too much of my emotional distress, and walk in her direction. Thankfully, my sunglasses shield my perusal of her, because goddamn.

It’s like seeing her with a new set of eyes.

Capri is beautiful in every way that counts. But she knew what she was doing boarding my yacht inthat.

And by that, I mean a barely-there thong bikini. Her hair is layered in tousled curls, just how I like it, with thin brown sunglasses on her face.

It’s not until I get closer that she lifts them. I can see the heat radiating off her stare. She’s missed me too. The way she licks her lips slightly gives it away.

But I have to be strong. She hurt me, and I can’t give into her just because she showed up here looking like sex on wheels.

Tempting.

“What are you doing here, Capri?” I ask her, trying not to sound rude but enough to demand an explanation.

“I was in the mood for some exploring. Can’t you see?” She grins, waving her arm out beside her.

“Exploring?” I question. “This is a private booking. How did you get on here?”

“I know a guy who knows a guy.” Her smirk tells me everything I need to know.

Only one name comes to mind. “Romeo,” I state, realizing why the asshole assigned me to this job. “There isn’t another couple on board, is there?” I can’t control my visible frustration. She doesn’t seem fazed by it, though.

Capri shakes her head. “Nope. Just us and the great blue seas.”

“Great,” I say, causing her to frown. I hold my hand up. “I…I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just…”

“You weren’t expecting me,” she says bluntly.

I shake my head, my tone becoming more solemn. “No, I wasn’t.” I pin my eyes to her bright blues and ask her the question I’m dying to know, “Why are you really here, Capri? It’s good to see you but I have to say, I’m really confused. It’s been two months.”

Capri slides off her lounger and stands in front of me. I can smell her from here. Lavender mixed with the vanilla scent of her sunscreen.

Fuck. It’s been so long since my arms have held her.

“Two months and three days, to be specific.”

I smirk. “But who’s counting?”

“I am,” she says in all seriousness. “I’ve never lost count. Not even when I tried.”

My stomach drops and I feel the pain of our separation all over again. It’s like ripping a Band-Aid off, revealing a fresh wound underneath. Never healed, only masked on the outside.

I run my hand through my hair, tugging at the roots. I feel exhausted. These past two months without Capri have felt like an eternity. I just don’t know if I’m ready to talk to her.

I need to find a way to put some space between us until I can get my thoughts together.

I don’t respond to her admission. I can’t. Instead, I tell her the most scripted thing I could possibly say, “Okay, well, have a good time. Antonio is around if you need anything at all.”

* * *

Since I’m now learningit’s just me and Capri on the yacht, I will be locking myself in my cabin, keeping myself chained with no access to the outside.

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