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Chapter Thirty-Four
- Noemi -
DANTE’S YACHT WAS MOREimpressive than the borrowed plane. TheMary Theresawas spacious, elegant, opulent, and understated all at the same time. The sleek grey and black tones were even a better match to the man himself. As soon as we stepped aboard after being greeted by the captain and crew, Dante looked like a totally different man. This was where he belonged. He owned the main cabin as soon as we walked in. Despite its spaciousness, he filled it with his power.
I had so many questions I wanted to ask him it was ridiculous. He didn’t own a private plane, but he owned a mega-yacht? Why did he keep it in Barbados? Why the hell hadn’t he told me we were in Barbados? What was the big secret? There was so much I wanted to know, but I had told him I would give him time to explain it to me and that’s what I intended to do.
As the morning passed, my shock over the last few hours’ events started to fade. Partly because I desperately wanted to put it behind me and partly because I was perfectly happy letting Dante worry about it. Especially once we set foot aboard theMary Theresa. I don’t know if it was Dante’s presence or the ambiance of the yacht itself, but I felt safe there. I didn’t feel the trepidation and reluctance I felt at the hotel. Maybe it was because I finally knew where I was? There were no more secret locations or blindfolds. It was just me, Dante, the open water... and the six or seven crew members I was introduced to when we boarded.
Dante introduced me to Captain Burrowes as Miss Petrafuso, and I smiled widely at him. I had a name this time. I wasn’t “guest” anymore.
We were handed mimosa’s and were told that we were still about an hour away from departing, since we arrived ahead of schedule. The steward took us to the deck where we were seated for breakfast while we waited for departure.
I worked hard at hiding my emotions, telling myself that I shouldn’t be so relaxed after everything that had happened, but the truth was that I loved it when Dante was in charge. Yes, I wanted to be a strong, independent woman, but not all the time. Not on mornings when I awoke to an intruder in my room. I was grateful for what Dante had done that morning, a little thing like saving my life, and it occurred to me that I hadn’t even thanked him. When he let me out of the bathroom and started issuing orders, I kept my mouth shut and did as he said. I was more than ready to leave the hotel even though I had a thousand unanswered questions. I believed him when he said he’d explain things to me. I had to. I had no other choice.
“Would you like some coffee or tea?” the steward, who was introduced as simply Joe, asked as Dante pulled out a chair for me.
“Coffee for both of us,” Dante answered without waiting for my reply.
I sat back in my chair and stared at him.
He quirked an eyebrow as Joe left to get our coffees. “You wanted something else?”
“No, coffee is perfect.” I couldn’t help but smile. I believed that he really thought he was doing the right thing by taking charge all. The. Time.
“The boat is beautiful,” I said when the silence started to linger.
“I’ll give you a full tour as soon as we set sail.” Dante said, keeping his eyes on the dock in front of where we sat. He was preoccupied but I wanted his attention.
He wasn’t dressed in his usual suit but was deceptively casual in khakis and a white button-down shirt. Even in vacation mode, Dante couldn’t hide his sculpted biceps and those delicious forearms. I had run my hands up and down them last night when we were in bed and as I reached for the muscled strength of his arm, I was reminded of how very much I wanted to be in bed with him again. Last night hadn’t been enough. I greedily looked forward to continuing the experience, but first, I had one thing I needed to say to him.
Dante’s arm stiffened under my touch, like he wasn’t used to such familiarity, but I didn’t let go. I ran my hand up to his shoulder then down again, feeling his muscles flex as my hand moved.
“I didn’t say anything earlier,” I began, “because I think I was still in shock over... everything. But I need to thank you, Dante, for what you did this morning. You saved my life.” A shudder passed through me as I finally said the words aloud, making myself face the reality of what had happened. “I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t stopped tho - that man.”
I almost slipped and revealed that I knew there was more than one man, but Dante didn’t seem to notice. He picked up my hand and my insides melted as he pressed the pads of my fingers to his lips. God, I loved it when he did that.
“Don’t think about it anymore,bambina. It’s done. The authorities have been alerted and I have been assured by hotel management that they will handle the investigation.” I felt his warm breath on my hand as his dark eyes held my gaze. “I don’t want you to let this bother you, though, I know you’re human and it will.” He leaned forward and grazed my mouth with his. “I’ll take care of you, baby girl. You have nothing to fear. I will do everything I can for the next nine days to help you forget.”
My mouth parted at the lustful determination in his eyes. For the first time, I fully intended to do exactly what Dante said without any trepidation.
“Promise?” I whispered hopefully.
“Te lo prometto,” he murmured against my lips. “I promise.”
***
“WERE YOU ABLE TO REACHyour brother?” Dante asked as we completed our tour of the yacht. There were more rooms than I had imagined there would be on such a vessel, each one as immaculate and elegant as the one we saw before it.
We ended the tour in the luxurious master suite, lined on both sides by a bank of windows and complete with its own stateroom. Dante had shown me three guest rooms, but he never indicated which room was mine, so I stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, gaga over its beautiful sleekness.
He crossed his legs and leaned against the door, waiting patiently for my answer.
“No. He didn’t answer. Like you said, the time difference. He was probably still sleeping. Will I be able to call him in a day or two?”
“I don’t see why not. We’ll be at sea for a few days then we’ll pull into port somewhere.”
“A port somewhere? More mysteries?” I teased him. My guard was down now that I had a full stomach and I felt... safe again.
