The CEO's Unexpected Child(17)

Luca watched as the captain joined his crew in readying the ship for  departure. "Have you ever done something like this before?" he asked  Claire.

"No," she said as she looked out at the gray waters. "I'm really excited, though. Are we waiting for some other passengers?"

Luca shook his head and turned back to watch the crew untie the mooring  and start the engines. "No, it's only going to be us this morning. I  reserved it just for you and me."

Her eyes widened with surprise. "Just for us?" She looked around the ship. "That's crazy."

"I told you," Luca explained, "that I wanted to take you out today so  you could relax and enjoy yourself. Yes, I could take you to dinner or  to a day spa, but I wanted to do something different."

As the boat started to pull out of the marina, one of the crew brought  them a flannel blanket. "Have a seat on the bench up front for the best  views. Wrap up and I'll bring out some coffee and fresh baked cinnamon  rolls."

They took their seats, and Luca wrapped the blanket around them. He put  his arm around Claire's shoulders and pulled her to his side. She  snuggled happily against him, resting her head on his shoulder. It was  amazingly easy to be here with her like this. She seemed to fit  perfectly in the crook beneath his arm, as if she was meant to be there.                       
       
           



       

Taking a deep breath, he drew in the salty scent of the air as it  mingled with Claire's fragrance. Luca leaned in closer, pressing his  lips into the crown of her head with a sigh. Combined with the gentle  rocking of the ship, it was incredibly soothing.

After about ten minutes of quietly cutting through the calm seas, the  crewman brought them coffee and warm, gooey cinnamon rolls. They ate  quietly as they watched the sea around them. They were just finishing up  when one of the crew shouted, "Two o'clock!"

Luca and Claire both stood and turned in the direction he was pointing.  The sky was lighter now, burning away the early-morning fog. They could  just make out the spray of a whale surfacing in the distance, followed  by a dark hump rising out of the water. A few minutes later, they were  rewarded with a stunning sight as the humpback whale leaped from the  water and crashed back down in a spectacular splash.

Luca tried to focus on the amazing sight, but his gaze kept drifting  back to Claire. She was totally immersed in the moment, her lips parted  softly in unexpressed awe. This moment was memorable, but more so  because she was here with him.

Lifting the blanket, he wrapped it around himself, then Claire,  snuggling her back against his chest. She leaned into him, her eyes  never leaving the water. They stood like that for nearly an hour,  watching a pod of dolphins go by and one whale after the other surface.  They didn't spot an elusive right whale, but they saw a pair of fin  whales and a couple more humpbacks. The whales didn't breach again, but  he and Claire were entertained with displays of tail lobbing and  slapping of their pectoral fins on the water.

As the ship headed back to the marina, Claire turned in his arms to  face him. "That was incredible," she said. "It's the most beautiful  thing I've ever seen."

"They were amazing, but they weren't the most beautiful thing I've seen."

Claire snorted at him. "I'm sure being a billionaire has opened doors  to plenty of things more beautiful than this, but this is probably as  good as it gets for me. Second only to seeing Eva for the first time."

"My money has nothing to do with it," Luca argued. "In fact, most of  the things I see in my day-to-day life are quite tedious. At least until  I met you. You are by far the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Claire squirmed uncomfortably. "Luca..." she complained, but he wouldn't let her.

Luca pressed a finger to her lips and shook his head. "No. No arguing  with me. I know better what I've seen and what I think than you do,  thanks."

Her cheeks flushed pink and her eyes focused on his chest. "I'm sorry,"  she said. "I'm just not used to hearing things like that. It never  feels sincere to me."

"I know, you've told me that before, but you need to get used to it  because I'm not about to stop. I never say anything I don't mean,  tesorina, so accept a compliment for what it is. If I say you're  beautiful and I desire you above all else, I mean it."

Her mouth fell open again. Her gray eyes, so much like the water around them, met his. "You desire me?"

"I said it, didn't I?"

"I know." Claire bit at her lip, a line of concern forming between her  brows. "I just can't help but wonder if a physical relationship between  us is a bad idea."

"It probably is," Luca said with a laugh. "I told you I was honest, Claire, not smart."

* * *

"I don't know how I'm ever going to adjust to real life again."

Luca laughed at Claire as he unlocked the door of the house. "How's that?"

As though he didn't know what he'd done. "You've utterly spoiled me for  reality. You take me to this beautiful island and let me spend my days  listening to the waves and eating your amazing cooking. There's no alarm  clocks, no bills to pay, no calls to take..."

They stepped into the house, shut the door behind them and slipped out  of their coats. The cottage was dark and quiet, so Mia and Eva were  already asleep. Luca wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her  close to whisper in her ear. "And what's wrong with that? You deserve to  be spoiled."                       
       
           



       

Claire hesitated to respond as the heat of his touch burned through her  dress. Her body was pressed provocatively against his. She wasn't sure  if it was the physical contact or his seductive words, but suddenly the  chill of the night was gone. A heat built deep inside her, spreading  through her veins. She looked up at him, getting lost in his dark eyes.

"And then today..." she continued, pulling away and moving to the staircase.

"I thought you had a good time today," he said, following her upstairs.

"I had an excellent time today. The cruise and the whales were amazing.  Walking around Edgartown and Oak Bluff was so relaxing. And then our  meal at the Red Cat was some of the best food I've ever eaten."

Luca reached the top of the stairs and hesitated. An annoyed frown  pulled down the corners of his mouth. "Better than my cooking?"

She wasn't getting caught in that trap. There was no right answer to  that question. "They were completely different culinary styles. There's  no comparison and I refuse to try."

Luca approached her again. This time, when he wrapped his arms around  her waist, he held on tight enough for her to not escape so easily.  Claire didn't shy away from his touch. Instead, she let herself melt  into his body, each of her soft curves pressing into his hard muscles.  She wouldn't lie to herself and say that it didn't feel good to be held.

She was beginning to wonder if Jeff had ever held her like this. The  simple glide of Luca's hands over her back had more tenderness, yet more  intensity, than any man who had touched her before. She felt sexy and  alive with him, valued by him, and she hadn't felt that way in so long.

His dark eyes focused on her, making her wonder if he knew what she was  thinking. His fingertips pressed into the flesh at her hips, leaving no  doubt that he wanted her. They'd danced around this whole moment since  they'd arrived at the island. Luca had gone out of his way to charm her,  to reduce the stressors and barriers in her life that would keep her  from enjoying herself. Claire had fought it the whole trip, but she was  tired of fighting what she wanted. Now was her moment to indulge.

"Tell me, what is so bad about all of these things I've done for you today? Am I not allowed to treat you to a nice time?"

"You can do whatever you like. It's just hard to have a day like that  because I know this isn't what real life is like. Before too long, I'm  going to go back to Brooklyn and cook my own dinner again. There won't  be a beautiful beach out my window, and I won't wake up to the sound of  waves crashing on the rocks."

"You can have anything you want. You just have to ask, tesorina."

She wondered what he meant by that. Her mind instantly leaped ahead to a  life together, where he'd give her a beach house if that was what she  wanted. That, of course, was a ridiculous fantasy brought on by their  discussion on the boat and a little too much wine. He wasn't offering  anything but an optimistic point of view. She decided to focus on  something else instead, before she embarrassed herself. "Luca, what does  tesorina mean?"