10. Ethan

Chapter 10

Ethan

We spent the next two days in new relationship bliss. If we weren't exploring different places that Clara wanted to see in Positano or the surrounding towns, we were lounging on my boat. And if we weren't doing either of those two things, we were making love. I don't think there's a place on my boat that we haven't christened.

I'm head over heels for this woman and I don't know what I'll do if I don't figure out how to spend the rest of our lives together. I've given up trying to find my next big thing. I don't need one. I want to spend my time traveling, making love to Clara, having babies with her when she's ready, and being the best dad to those babies. When she's ready to have children, she's going to want to be in Star Mountain with her family, but I believe she would like to experience life outside of their small town before that happens, based on the way she talks about her dreams. She's afraid to let her family down. She doesn't want to let them treat her like the baby of the family, she wants to be their equal, but she thinks the only way to do that is to have a "grown-up job" at St. James C & D. I haven't met her brothers in person, although I feel like I know them through all the stories she has told me. I think she's already their equal and that going her own way and doing what she wants to do will be the thing that makes them see her that way.

Today is her last day in Positano. She's supposed to travel to Naples and spend the rest of her trip there. I've already made arrangements to dock in Naples and my crew is ready to sail that way when the time comes. There's no way I'm staying here when she's somewhere else.

I plan to ask her to stay on the boat instead of at her hotel. She's been spending her nights in my bed anyway, but still goes to the hotel to pack a bag each day. Plus, we've been having breakfast there so her brothers see the charges. I get it, but I want her with me every minute.

"I'm back," Clara shouts as she gets back on the boat after hitting the spa at her hotel.

"You know I would have come and picked you up." I kiss her upturned face. She's only been gone for a few hours and I missed her like crazy.

"I know, but I wanted the fresh air and didn't want to bother you." She carries her bag of fresh clothes to my room.

"Did you have fun?" Her family surprised her with a massage, manicure, pedicure, and blowout today. Clara had been excited when she left.

"Of course, who doesn't have fun getting pampered? I did a few extra services and charged them to my room. Want to know what one was?"

The sexy smile on her face lets me know that this is probably for me, so I nod enthusiastically.

"I got my downtown waxed," she says with the cutest blush.

"Downtown?"

"I don't know what I'm supposed to call it. That's what we call it at home. I'm not gonna use sex words when we aren't having sex. That's just…awkward." Her blush gets redder, and I laugh.

"I can't wait to see it," I tell her with a wiggle of my eyebrows.

"Well, you have to wait a while," she replies smugly. "What do you want to do this afternoon?"

I want to know what she means by awhile. How long do I have to wait to make love to her? But, in my quest to not come across as a total asshole, I ask her if she wants to go to an art museum. It's something she mentioned in passing but was interested enough in that she looked up the hours and location on her phone. I've learned in our short time together that if she googles information, she has a higher level of interest in something.

"That would be so much fun. Can we go to La Scalinatella for dinner?" She looks up at me with those gorgeous eyes that drew me to her the first time I saw her.

"You know I can't say no to you. We can do whatever you want, angel."

She dances around me and stops in front of me to wrap her arms around my body. I hold her close to me and place a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"Hey, I want to ask you something."

She turns her head to the side but doesn't move it from my chest. "Ask me anything, darling."

"When we get to Naples, will you stay with me on the boat instead of staying in the hotel?" My shoulders tense, and under her cheek my heart beats faster, waiting for her to reply.

"I want to," she whispers.

"I know, and I also know you worry about your brothers finding out about us, but Clara, you're an adult and you're allowed to make adult decisions. This gift they gave you is amazing, but your plans have changed a little bit. It's okay for your plans to change." I mean more than just her vacation plans and from the look she's giving me, she's getting my double meaning.

"It must seem childish to you that I don't want to upset them. Even though they frustrate me, I love them. I don't want to stress them out or make them worry. I think that would be childish."

I pull her tighter against me. "I understand and I don't think you're childish. I'm being selfish. I just want you with me all the time and don't want to share you with a fancy hotel room."

She smiles. "You know I'll spend most of the time here with you. I just don't want to disappoint them in any way."

"Okay, but I have one more question and you can tell me no on this one too. Will you sail to Naples with me instead of taking the car?"

"Now that, I will do. I wasn't looking forward to being apart from you. I know the boat takes longer and that you have to go in some nautical direction. I can check in a day late and it won't be a big deal. I just need let the hotel know and they probably won't alert Wilder, even though he made the reservation."

"Sounds like a plan."

I hate that she thinks she needs to do all of that. I want her to stand up for herself like she does with me. I guess it's different when it's family.