Page 114 of The Italian Obsession

“This way.” Enrico leads me down the boardwalk. Unable to help it, I link my arm through his. A smile crosses his face.

We walk up a private jetty. I frown and stop on the spot. “That’s your boat?” I ask him.

“Yes.” He continues toward it. “Come, Olivia.”

It’s huge, white, and I count the floors by the rows of windows. One, two, three, four… five. It’s a five-fucking-story boat.

Are you serious?

There are five staff waiting at the boarding gate to welcome us aboard, and Rico shakes their hand as he boards.

“Please meet Olivia,” he tells them. “Dote on her this weekend.”

The captain smiles and nods. “Yes, sir.” He turns and shakes my hand. I feel like the Queen or something, and like slipping into the sea with embarrassment. I go along the line and shake everyone’s hand as Rico leads me onto the boat… yacht… whatever the hell this thing is.

He turns back to them. “We would like privacy all weekend.” The captain nods. “Yes, sir, of course.”

The deck is made of beautiful, light timber, and huge deck chairs face out to the ocean. The entire level is glass, and when we get to the doors, I stop still again.

What the fuck?

There’s a grand living area filled with big luxurious couches and a mini grand piano. The carpet is a gorgeous coffee color, and chandeliers hang wherever possible. I look over to the stairs’ golden balustrade, and I see a glass elevator sitting to the right of it.

An elevator? On a boat?

Are you freaking kidding me?

“Come, Olivia,” Rico says casually, holding his hand out for me. “We will put our bags in our room.” He begins to walk up the stairs.

“There’s a bedroom?” I whisper as I stop on the bottom step.

I look out of the huge glass windows to see the twinkling city lights dancing on the water.

Rico smiles down at me. “There are eight.”

“Eight bedrooms?” I squeak. “Are you kidding me?”

He chuckles and comes back down the stairs to grab my hand.

“This way.”

He leads me up two sets of stairs before he opens up a huge set of black doors. My mouth falls open. It’s the main bedroom suite. There’s a huge king bed in the center, and the room is made entirely of glass on all sides with the most breathtaking views over Monte Carlo. I look out onto the deck below to see a full-sized swimming pool there with a bar and lounge chairs… what the actual fuck?

“A pool?” I gasp.

Rico laughs. “A pool.”

I walk into the bathroom to find a huge sunken spa bath in the center, the walls and floors are all white marble.

“Holy shit. This is unbelievable. Who knew that boats looked like this?” My eyes find his.

He walks over, closes the bedroom door, and then flicks the lock. “Alone at last.” Like a predator, he steps toward me, and my stomach dances with nerves.

“I like your boat,” I breathe.

“I like you.” He bends to lick the length of my neck, and he bites my ear. Goose bumps scatter up my arms. “Now you can have a shower.” He takes off his suit jacket and throws it onto the chair.

I close my eyes. The heat from his tongue steals my ability to think. He leads me into the bathroom and turns the shower on. Steam begins to fill the room, and in one swift movement, he lifts my dress over my head.