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When it subsided, I kissed his lips.
“You’re amazing,” I whispered. “I feel so lucky I met you.”
He smiled, sweeping the hair back from my sweaty forehead. He planted a loving kiss on my lips, then trailed a few more down my neck and shoulder. He pulled me close to him, safe in his embrace.
“Ti adoro,” he whispered.
I adored him too.
Chapter 20
On the day we returned, everything was so busy I barely got to see Matteo. He had warned me ahead of time this would likely be the case. There were last-day checks he had to perform before he could leave the yacht in order to ensure it would be easily prepared for the next cruise.
There were docking checks in the kitchen, accounting for any food that could not be preserved for the next trip, a final clean of the kitchen, and payroll paperwork for all the kitchen staff. It broke my heart we wouldn’t be able to get a final goodbye in, but I knew it was all a part of his job.
He slept in my cabin with me the night before, and when he had to get to the kitchen early in the morning, we made love one final time and exchanged phone numbers so we could keep in touch.
His declaration of affection the night before had me feeling hopeful that he would want to continue our relationship, but I was mature enough to accept that sometimes words are just things spoken in the heat of the moment—and he was, after all, just a vacation fling. I waited until he left the room to sob, fearful the kiss we shared before he headed for the door would really be our last.
I spent the morning quietly packing my things up from my room and preparing for the drive home. Jessie had assured me she had a ride coming for her, and I was thankful. I didn’t want to have to see her, and I was looking forward to driving directly home and climbing into my own bed.
I put my suitcases and bags into the little wagon I’d bought in Montego Bay and pulled it carefully across the deck, waiting my turn to be checked off the boat. Once final checks were complete, I started the trek across the parking lot to finally head home.
“Veloce!” hollered from behind me. “Why are you always in such a hurry, my woman?”
I turned, smiling to see Matteo sprinting toward me, carrying a stack of trays. When he was finally standing in front of me, he gestured toward me with the stack. “These can be frozen!” he said. “I wrote instructions on each to reheat. You can take them home with you and enjoy them whenever—so you don’t forget about me!”
I waited for him to set the trays in the wagon, then leaned toward him, giving his lips a sweet kiss. “How could I ever forget you?” I asked. “Will you walk with me to my car?”
“Of course, I will,” he said, reaching for the wagon handle. “Let me help you.”
I passed him the handle of the wagon, and he pulled it for me, all the way to where I was parked. I opened the back, and he started picking up the trays and my luggage, stacking them neatly for the trip.
As I watched him, I started to cry.
“Why are you crying?” he asked, turning toward me, reaching out to pull me into a warm embrace. “There is no reason to cry right now.”
“I’m worried I won’t see you again,” I admitted, suddenly not caring how pathetic that might make me seem.
“You will!” he declared, cupping my face in his hands. He grinned at me, planting kisses all over my cheeks, forehead, and lips. “Stop crying, you silly thing!”
“When will I see you next?” I asked.
His expression changed as he considered the answer. His brow furrowed. He suddenly seemed pretty unsure himself.
“I have signed up for eight more cruises,” he said. “I really cannot say for sure. I will be here in town for a couple of weeks, though. We can see each other while I am here and in the time between trips.”
“Where are you staying?” I asked, knowing already he did not have a permanent home of his own.
“The captain is very good to me,” he said. “Do not worry. He has a place for me to stay. An AirBnB. You can come see me there!”
“Will you be very busy?” I asked. “Do you have plans while you’re here?”
“Nothing fun,” he chuckled. “You and I can sightsee. You can show me around. I just need to also do some interviews and hire someone to take over for Esme. It shouldn’t be hard. I’m sure I’ll find someone easily.”
I nodded, thoughtfully.
“We can do something tomorrow!” he said. “Where would you like to go tomorrow? Anything you want!”
