“I thought I was meeting you at the boat?” I ask, but my words are swallowed up when Asher snakes his hand around my neck and pulls me into a kiss. I don’t know what to do with my hands, but my mouth knows exactly where it needs to be.
When Asher finally pulls away he gives me a kiss on the nose. “I couldn’t wait any longer.”
If I had a mirror I’m sure I’d see dimples on my face.
Asher takes the note card from my hand, slides it into his back pocket and grabs my free hand. He guides me along the marina and I check out my date for the day. Leah would say he looks edible and I would agree. It’s not so much what he’s wearing but the way he wears it. His navy shorts showcase his strong legs and the polo he has on accentuates the broad shoulders and narrow waist.
“You’re wearing flip flops!” I say, completely surprised. “I thought you hated them.”
Asher flashes me a grin. “I’m doing a lot of things these days I thought I’d never do.”
We walk over to the dock area where the same boat Asher had the other day is waiting.
“Does Devon mind you taking his boats out all the time? Won’t you get in trouble?” I ask as I climb onto the boat. I turn around and Asher is looking at me like I have an orangutan sitting on my head. “What?”
He walks forward and kisses my lips. “Nothing. You’re cute.” Asher must catch my eye roll because he adds, “Don’t tell me you’re one of those girls who hates to be called cute?”
I cringe at the word. Saying a girl is cute is like saying she’s your little sister or some small thing that needs care. I much prefer being called bold, accomplished, or successful. Not cute.
I scrunch my nose at Asher and shake my head letting him know I am not a fan of the word cute.
He laughs. “You’re not helping your case.”
I lean my weight onto one foot and give him a stare-down. Asher stops laughing. His tongue skims his lip as he places his arms around my waist and pulls me back into him.
“I take it back. You’re not cute.” His eyes looking directly into mine. “You’re talented. You’re feisty. You’re mesmerizing. You’re captivating. And you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life.”
Yeah, those words will do.
With a soft kiss on my neck, he releases me, leaving me breathless and brimming. I set my rose down and watch him untie the boat from the dock. His shirt is clinging to him, showcasing the deep curvature of his muscles and the two divots at the bottom of his back.
I am staring at the perfection that is Asher when he turns around and stops, looking startled. “Wait. Where’s your sister?”
“She’s not coming.”
It must be the thing he wanted to hear because Asher gives me a smile the size of Ohio.
“Lucky boy,” he says, walking past me to start the engine while the boat drifts from the dock.
I take my place, standing in front of the chair I sat in last time. We’re not going fast at all so I choose to stand up and hold on to the panel in front of me. I love being on the island of Capri but not as much as I love looking at it. I know we have “mountains majesty” back home but this place is just surreal.
Asher grabs my arm and pulls me into the spot between his legs and drives holding on to me. This isn’t a lesson in driving like it was the other day. This time, it’s out of pure need to be next to me. I settle in as the boat skips over waves and sea spray mists around us.
The waves and wind in our ears make it hard to hear anything. That’s okay. I don’t need to hear anything. I have the intense feeling of Asher behind me, the smell of the sea and the sounds of ocean. I use the hymn of the motor humming and the sound of it muffling with each crash down on a wave as a down beat in my head. Soon a chord plays over that and I hear the sounds of my violin. The chords build up and I hear them playing out an amplifier, and then another violin joins in and then another until there is an electronic symphony in my head. It is exactly the sound I was working on before the accident.
Before I couldn’t play anymore.