Before I finished the tour of the deck, Fabio showed up next to me with a glass filled with the champagne. Did they all think I was some kind of alcoholic, my only way of dealing with free time being binging on champagne?
“What would you like to do before we set sail? A tour of the rest of the yacht? Some sunbathing? Or maybe you’d like lunch?”
“I’d like to be left alone, if that’s not a problem.” I put my handbag down and headed toward the bow.
Fabio nodded and left me. I stayed on the deck, observing the sea, slowly downing my glass. Then I had another one, and one more, and so on until the bottle was empty. The hangover I was still suffering from started dissipating, but only because I was drunk again.
The Titan left port. As the land disappeared over the horizon, I could only think about how I regretted ever visiting Sicily. I dreamed of not meeting Massimo and not becoming his savior. I could have lived my normal life in my normal world instead of sitting here, caged like a bird.
“What the hell are you wearing this time?” I heard the familiar voice behind me. “You look like—”
I spun and nearly bumped into Massimo, who was standing right behind me, just like when we had first met. I was pretty tipsy already, and I stumbled, falling to the sofa.
“I look how I want and it’s none of your business,” I muttered. “You’ve left me without a word and you’re treating me like some doll you play with whenever you feel like it. But today that doll wants to be left alone.” I got up from the sofa clumsily, grabbed another bottle of champagne, and staggered toward the stern. The shoes I had on didn’t make walking any easier, and I realized how pathetic I must have looked. I kicked them off angrily.
The Man in Black followed me, calling out, but his voice failed to penetrate the buzz in my head from the alcohol. I didn’t know the ship, but I needed to escape him. I ran down the steps and… that was the last thing I remember.
CHAPTER 8
“Breathe,” I heard someone saying, as if through a wall. “Breathe, Laura. Can you hear me?” The voice was growing clearer by the moment.
I felt my stomach cramping and I threw up, coughing and spitting out something salty.
“Thank God! Can you hear me, baby girl?” Massimo asked, stroking my hair.
I managed to open my eyes and saw the Man in Black, hovering above me, soaking wet. He had his clothes on but had lost the shoes. I watched him, unable to say anything. There was a roar in my head and the sun was blinding me. Fabio passed us a towel and Massimo wrapped me in it and took me in his arms. He carried me across the yacht, through all the decks, until we reached a bedroom, where he put me down. I was still in shock, utterly clueless about what had happened. Massimo was drying my hair, looking at me with eyes filled with worry and anger in equal measure.
“What happened?” I croaked.
“You fell from the deck. Thank God we weren’t going faster and that you fell to the side of the boat. Still, you nearly drowned.” Massimo knelt by the bed. “Goddamn it, Laura, I feel like killing you myself now. At the same time, I’m so happy you’re alive.”
I touched his cheek.
“You saved me?”
“You were lucky I was close. I don’t even want to think what would have happened otherwise. Why are you being so stubborn? Why don’t you listen to me?” He sighed.
The alcohol was still buzzing in my head, and I could taste the salt water in my mouth.
“I’d like to take a shower now,” I muttered, and tried to push myself up.
The Man in Black didn’t let me. He grabbed me by the shoulder delicately.
“I can’t allow you to do it by yourself. Just five minutes ago you weren’t even breathing. If you need it so badly, I’ll wash you.”
I shot him a glance, exhausted, unable to refuse. Besides, he had already seen me naked. Not only seen, but also touched, so there wasn’t any part of my body that would still be unknown to him. I nodded slightly. For a moment, Massimo left, but when he reappeared, I could hear water running in the bathroom.
He took off his wet shirt, pants, and boxers. In normal circumstances that view would have worked me up, but not this time. Massimo took the towel I was rolled up in and gently took my top off, seemingly untouched by what he was seeing. He unbuttoned my shorts, discovering that I wasn’t wearing any underwear.
“You don’t have your panties on?”
“How astute of you.” I smiled. “I didn’t think we’d see each other.”
“How does that help?” His stare grew ice-cold. I decided to leave it at that.
He took me in his arms and carried me to the bathroom, just a couple of feet from the bed. A huge bathtub stood by the wall, partially filled with water now. Massimo stepped in, sat down, and leaned back, turning me around and setting me down between his legs with my head resting on his chest. First, he washed my body, not skipping a spot, and then went on to my hair. I was surprised at how delicate he could be. In the end, he took me out of the tub, covered me with a towel, and carried me back to the bed. With a button on a remote control, he made the shutters roll down the windows, shading the room. I immediately fell asleep.
I woke up terrified, gasping for air, panicking. Where was I? It took me a while to recall the events of the previous day. I got out of bed and turned the light on, revealing the impressive cabin. White, rounded sofas in the living room perfectly complemented the black floor. The interior was minimalistic and very masculine. Even the flowers in their vases perched on top of bright columns seemed somehow masculine.
Where was Massimo? Had he left me again? I put on a bathrobe over naked skin and went to the door. The corridors were wide and well lit. I had no idea where I was going. That’s what you get when you choose champagne over a tour of the yacht. The thought of alcohol made me wince. Finally, taking the steps up, I reached the deck I remembered. Despite only learning about what happened from Massimo’s story, I felt afraid. The deck was empty and dark—the glass floor was only illuminated by faint beams of light coming from the sparsely positioned floor lamps. I headed toward the semiroofed lounge, crossed it, and reached the bow.
“Sleep well?” I heard a voice from the darkness. I scanned my surroundings and there he was, the Man in Black, sitting in the Jacuzzi with both hands resting on the edge of the tub.
“I can see you’re feeling better. Care to join me?”
He tilted his head from side to side, as if trying to relax his neck muscles. Keeping his eyes on me, he took a sip of the amber liquor from his glass.
The Titan was anchored, and I could see the lights of land in the distance. The calm waves were gently sloshing against the side of the yacht.
“Where is everybody?” I asked.
“Where they are supposed to be, which is somewhere else,” Massimo said, and put the glass down. “Are you waiting for another invitation, Laura?”
His voice was serious, and his eyes reflected the light of the lamps illuminating the deck. Looking at him, I realized I had been missing him for the past few days.
I reached for the belt of the bathrobe, pulled at it, and allowed the robe to fall to the floor. Massimo watched in rapt attention, his jaw working rhythmically. Slowly I walked toward him and slid into the water, taking a place opposite him.