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Lana parked the scooter then made her way along the marina’s boardwalk. Around her, the light was dimming, the sky almost the same shade of gorgeous deep blue as the dress that clung to her body. The air was cool, calm, sweet. The ocean wonderfully calm. It was a beautiful evening, one of the most beautiful she’d yet seen on the island.
All that afternoon, she hadn’t been able to keep Alex from her mind. His voice, his eyes, his laughter ... all had accompanied her as she’d traveled around the island, then swirled in her mind when she’d lain on her bed and tried to rest ... It had been unsettling. Thrilling. Intoxicating. Then the news about her book had come ... It was all so much to take in.
Now, as she neared the place where the yachts were anchored, she felt her heart beginning to race, her body to grow a little weak. She took a breath, allowing herself to feel every emotion.
Suddenly, as if by magic, it was there before her. His yacht. A candle flickered on a table on the deck. On a stand beside the table stood a champagne cooler brimmed with ice, a bottle nestled within. Two places at the table had been perfectly laid, with large white plates, silver cutlery, crisply folded linen napkins.
And there, standing beside the table, wearing sand-colored chinos, a white open necked shirt and a smile that made her heart thump in her chest, was Alex.
He took her hand gently in his, helping her make the crossing onto the yacht.
“You look ... You look .... exquisite,” he stammered, unable to keep his eyes from her. The dress she wore deepened the wells of her eyes, made her tan look even more golden, hugged her form in ways he longed to. It brought out both her femininity, her mystery ... her power.
And yet, there was something still more, far more to it than the mere dress she wore. As he looked at her, Alex realized that her face glowed with a certainty of self more radiant than he had ever seen. Her shoulders were proud and burnished. Her whole aura spoke of a woman who knew herself, knew what she wanted, knew her power in the world. He was awed.
“Lana ...” he began. “Thank you for meeting me tonight. I wasn’t sure that you would.”
She smiled, looking into his eyes. They were so incredibly liquid, so exceptionally soulful. “This afternoon, I wasn’t sure I’d come either,” she said. “There’s been so much going on. So, so much has happened, Alex. My mind had just been spinning ... And yet, through it all, I knew what I had to do. That I had to come see you.”
He smiled warmly, letting the feeling of her presence flood into him, surround him. “I ... I made us dinner,” he said a little self-consciously. Perhaps we can take the yacht out into the bay? Then, we’ll eat out there, on the water, overlooking the island? Capri is incredibly beautiful at night. There are so many lights on the mountainside. The whole island glows.”
She nodded. “Yes. I’d love to see that.”
And so, he began to lower the sails.
For starters, Alex had prepared peach, mozzarella, basil and prosciutto salad. They sat opposite one another at the table on the deck, eating, talking, drinking crisp pinot grigio. She smiled as she ate. The food was delicious.
“You’ve been seeing the island?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yes. Just today I visited Anacapri. I saw the lighthouse. Walked the Phoenecian steps. I’ve been exploring every day. I must have seen most of the island by now.”
He smiled, nodded. God, she was beautiful, he thought. The light had dipped around them, fading to night. The yacht bobbed gently in the water. Before them, the whole of Capri rose twinkling from the water. He couldn’t imagine anyone else he’d rather be with, floating out there on the calm, shimmering sea.
“And ... I had a drink with your father this morning.”
Her words almost had him begin to splutter. “You ... What?”
A little laugh escaped her throat. “You didn’t know? It seems Giuseppe may be taking instructions from more than one member of the Marino family.”
Alex shook his head. How? He wondered. How had his father found out that Giuseppe was the conduit? The crucial link? He sat back in his chair, running his hands through his hair, marveling at his father’s ingenuity. “I’d say I’m shocked, but this is my father we’re talking about,” he said. “If I may ... what did he want to talk to you about?”
Lana tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Your father is an exceptional man, Alex. I’m sure you know that. He wanted to tell me ... well. It doesn’t really matter. But it was exactly what I needed to hear.”
Alex looked at her, a little confused. He wanted to press her for more information but didn’t dare to. He trusted his father absolutely. And, he realized, he trusted her, too. What they discussed was their business.
“He also showed me something ...” she continued. “Your design, Alex.” Her eyes lit. “It’s ... magnificent.”
Alex felt the heat coming to his face. “He showed you my ... design?” This was all becoming too much.
She nodded. “Yes. He said you’d submitted your work to him. And how exceptional it was. So ... I asked to see it. Alex, it’s ... nothing like I’ve ever seen before.”
He was confused, immensely so, and yet ... he couldn’t help but grin. To have the worth of his work recognized ... both by his father, and by her ... it was more than he could ask.
“Thank you, Lana,” he said. “I am proud of it. Truly.”
She smiled. “You should be.”
“But ... what about you?” he asked. “Have you been doing any more writing? I know you said you’d finished your novel? Are you working on anything else, now? Anything new?”
She swallowed, settling her nerves. “Actually, something’s happened ... with my book, Alex. Something ... wonderful.”
“What?” Alex’s eyebrows rose. “Tell me, Lana,” he said. Then he reconsidered. They’d cleaned their first plates, and put their knives and forks aside. “Wait. No. Tell me over the main course.” And he rose to clear the plates.
“What is this?” Lana asked, looking down at the dish, taking another bite. “It’s utterly delicious.”
“Acqua pazza,” said Alex. “I’m glad you like it. It’s a traditional Neapolitan way of poaching fish. It dates back to the Middle Ages, if I’m not mistaken. Local fishermen used to prepare it by poaching the day's catch in seawater.”
The delicious, simple seafood dish was flavored with olive oil and tomatoes. Tender clams ringed the plate, too, strewn with parsley.
“But now you must tell me,” said Alex. “Your book ... what’s happened?”
And so, between mouthfuls of the delicious dish, Lana explained. She told him how she’d submitted her inquiry just days before. How she hadn’t thought about it too much, just did it, because it felt so right. She explained how Heidi Smith was one of New York’s top agents ... and the one agent she really, really wanted. She said how this kind of thing never happened. How fortunate she was. How she couldn’t believe everything that was going on.
All the time, Alex’s smile had grown. “It’s wonderful news,” he said. “Just wonderful. What happens from here?”
“Well, once I sign with Heidi she’ll start work on finding a publisher.”
“And you’ll soon be a published writer,” Alex said, warmly. Inside, he was glowing with pride. Pride and happiness. He could see how much this meant to her.
“I ... I mean, it can sometimes take a while for an agent to find a publisher,” said Lana, trying to temper his enthusiasm. “But ... yes ... hopefully in a few months. I ... Heidi has suggested she and I meet when I’m back in New York. To talk over the contract.”
Alex felt his blood suddenly grow a little cold. Back in New York. That meant gone. On the other side of the world. Could he bear to have her out of his life? “When are you flying back?” he asked, his voice a little thin.
“I ... I canceled my flight back this morning,” she said. “So, not for a little while, yet. But, soon, I guess. I can only keep living in a fairytale for so long.”
He rose from his place at the table and walked to the ship’s prow. The island glowed before him. Soon, he too would have to leave this paradise and return to the real world. To Naples. To his job. Soon, he’d have to face his father’s decision. Soon, he’d have to adjust to a new course in life, whatever that was. And yet, did it matter? Or did something else matter far more?
In his mind, he knew what he had to do. His heart and soul sung their agreement.
“Lana,” he turned suddenly, finding that she had already risen. The breeze caught her hair, fluttering its ends. She smiled a little, her skin lit by the island’s ethereal glow. Standing before him, she looked like the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Without hesitation, he walked towards her, took her hands in his. “Lana,” he said, looking deeply into her eyes, “I wanted you to come here tonight so that I could tell you, again, how sorry I am. My head’s been so full these past weeks. So full of thoughts, ideas ... doubts. It’s blinded me, at times. Made me so confused. Confused and ... unable to see what’s really important. Unable to see what’s right in front of me. Or rather, who’s right in front of me.” He took a breath, his heart in his throat. But he was ready, ready, now, to tell her. And the consequences be damned. “Lana, my whole life ...” he began slowly, looking at the beautiful creature before him, “I’ve never felt this way. I’ve never felt, about anyone, the way I feel ... about you. I feel like I’m just waking up out of a long sleep. A long, dreamless sleep. And now, here you are as I’m just opening my eyes. Suddenly, the world has color. Suddenly it has texture. Meaning. Soul. Suddenly, I feel like I’m alive. Awake. Awake for the first time in a long time. Maybe the first time ever.” He could feel his soul sweeping out to her, tidally. He couldn’t stop it. Couldn't halt the magnetic draw. He looked at her parted lips, her gleaming eyes, her soft, tanned skin.
Encircling her lower back, he drew her gently towards him. He could see a tiny, fluttering pulse in her throat, could feel her breath against his chest, short and sharp. It was too much.
“Lana, I ...” But his words fell away. Gently, he pressed his mouth to hers, shutting his eyes as her warm, moist lips touched his and opened. Instantly, he was lost. Overcome.
As they kissed, their bodies seemed to melt into one another. Soul answered soul. All thoughts began to melt away.
“Alex, I ... I think I’m only just realizing how much I’ve missed you,” Lana whispered, drawing back. Her voice was trembling a little. “I ...” Inside, her heart was tumbling, her mind whirling. Never, never had she felt anything like this.
“Shhh,” he said, caressing her skin gently. “Perhaps we’ve talked enough for now.” He looked deeply into her eyes. He was a man outside of time. A man waking from a thousand years’ sleep. Never, ever had he felt a want, a need, like this.
As he held her, Lana felt his strength, the deep want coursing through his body. And yet, behind the passion, the fire, understanding ran like cool water, deep and pure. Instantly, her heart flowed out towards him.
“I’ll stop,” he whispered, his mouth at her throat, “if you want me to.”
She shut her eyes slowly, letting herself feel every sensation. She was trembling slightly. She shook her head vaguely. “No,” she whispered. “I don’t want you to stop.”
Soon, down in the cabin, he was undressing her, kissing every inch of skin. “Lana, you’re ... perfect,” he stammered, looking at her body. Awed, he let his fingers slide down over the skin of her neck, between her full breasts, and down over her perfect, lightly muscled stomach. Her form was womanly, athletic, delicate. A narrow waist flared out to round, beautiful hips. The fall of her breasts was that of two perfect teardrops. Drawing her to him, he kissed the tender skin of her neck, her breasts, her stomach. He let his hands caress her, enfold her, memorize her perfect form. Slipping a hand slowly between her legs, he felt her shudder a little.
“Now you,” she whispered, smiling, beginning to unbutton his shirt, unhook his belt.
And all the while, the yacht bobbed quietly on the water, amid an ocean of stars.
When Lana awoke, it was early morning. Soft light filtered gently into the cabin.
Alex was lying quietly at her side on the bed. She let her eyes travel over his body, his chest, his sleeping face.
Watching him lying asleep next to her, Lana felt her heart go out to him, felt her soul mingled with his. Who was this man who fate had led into her life? Who was this person whose very being seemed to answer the call of her own?
As though sensing her gaze, Alex stirred, then opened his eyes slowly.
He looked at her for a moment, as if not quite believing she was there. “Good morning,” he whispered, bringing the back of his hand up softly against her cheek, immense tenderness in his eyes.
She stretched against him, her heart light, free, whole. “Good morning,” she smiled.
He pressed his lips lightly against hers and stroked her cheek once more. With just the sight of her, just a few murmured words, Alex could feel himself wanting her, again. It scared him a little how deeply, how intensely he felt about her. Scared him how he thought he might want her, and only her, forever.
They ate breakfast together on the deck, brioche with melting butter and scrambled eggs. With it, Alex made a pot of espresso and served freshly squeezed orange juice over big hunks of ice.
Lana took a bite of the breakfast, then a sip from the steaming cup. She winced. “Italians like their coffee strong,” she said.
Alex laughed. “I guess we do.”
“American coffee pales by comparison.”
“I remember it,” he said, smiling. “Not my favorite.” He took a bite of breakfast and looked out over the island.
From the previous night right up to then, he had been mesmerized, transported. And yet now, in the clear dawn light, he knew there was something he needed to tell her. It was only right. And yet, what he had to say threatened to break the spell between them.
He felt the words on the tip of his tongue. Lana, I need to go back to Naples. Work calls me. I have responsibilities ... Meetings I need to run ... I have a life, elsewhere.
And yet he simply couldn’t bring himself to say it.
His family was due to leave that evening, by ferry, back to the Italian mainland. He was scheduled to take the yacht across that evening, or, at the latest, the following morning.
Yes, he realized, he could drag it out with her. Or maybe, deny it was a better word. Not tell her until the last moment. Pretend they had all the time in the world. But it felt ... wrong. Deceptive. He couldn’t bear the thought of what her expression might be when he pulled the rug out from under her late that afternoon, saying he was soon to set sail. “Lana,” he began, “there’s something ... something I need to tell you.”
A cold hand settled on her heart. “What is it Alex?” she asked.
“Lana ... I’ve been so happy here, with you,” he began, his sea-green eyes catching the early morning light. “These past days have been something the likes of which I’ve never experienced. In truth, something I never thought I could experience. It’s just that now ...” he ran a hand through his hair.
“... Just what?”
“Well, I’m due to leave Capri this evening. Or tomorrow morning, at the very latest. I need to go back to Naples. It’s a busy time of year for the company. It’s hard. I wish there was some way around it. But ... I have to head back.”
The news felt like ice in her chest. But she had thought ... she sighed. No, she didn’t know what she had thought. Or did she? Perhaps she deliberately hadn’t asked Alex about his plans, wanting to stay in the fantasy world just a little longer. Had she even hoped perhaps, that by delaying her flight home a few days, they could spend more time together? She looked out at the water. Her heart sank in her chest. It wasn’t to be. Soon, she’d be alone on the beautiful island. No Tom, though that didn’t matter. And no Alex, either.
Alex saw the disappointment in her face. He felt terrible. Awful. Hollow. And more than that, he knew he didn’t want to go, either. Didn’t want the magic to end. He knew that once he set sail, this miraculous, marvelous time in his life would come to a close. How would he cope? What would he do?
He saw a world where he lived in Naples and she lived in New York. Two linked-up souls, separated by oceans, continents. Could he allow it to happen? Could he bear it, if it did?
He sighed, looking at her. She was beautiful, radiant, wearing a shirt of his that was too long for her in the sleeves. How could he let her go?
They spent most of the day together. At first sailing, then exploring the last few corners of the island. But something had come between them. There was a weight. And neither of them could deny it.
As he pulled the XL into the marina’s parking lot that evening, Alex felt a knot in his chest. What was he going to do? But more than that: what was she going to do? With each passing hour they’d spent together that day, he’d realized more and more about the situation Lana herself faced. She had no home to go back to in New York. She’d made it clear she would be moving out immediately. Yes, she could stay with her mother for a while, but that would be a last resort. She was, in essence, homeless. Well, he thought, homeless unless ...
“Lana,” he turned to her in the passenger seat. He took her hand in his. “Lana, I’ve been thinking.” His eyes pierced hers. “I want you to come back with me to Naples. I want you to come and live with me. I know it might sound crazy .... But the idea of losing you. Here. Like this. I don’t think I can bear it.”
Her heart tightened. She had never, never expected. Never even thought ... But something held her back. “Alex,” she said, her voice soft and tender. “I ... I can’t believe what you’re asking me to do. For all we’ve been through, you hardly know me. And now ...”
“I know everything I need to know Lana,” he said, simply. “I know everything that matters. And I want you to come back to Naples with me.”
How badly she wanted to be with Alex. How deeply she wanted to be around him, hear his laugh, his voice, every day. Watch him work at his designs, lost in his own creative flow, forgetting the world around him. How badly she wanted him to make love to her when and how he wanted. To feel his body close to hers. To get lost in his eyes, his aura, his spirit ...
And yet ... she couldn’t do it.
Couldn’t do it now.
She had a whole life back in New York. Friends, work, not to mention everything she owned. All her things were still at Tom’s. There were matters she needed to sort out. Like moving out, once and for all. Things she needed to clear away. She needed to find a place of her own ... get her life in order.
“Alex ... I ... I would say yes,” she said, her voice catching a little, “but ...”
“But you’re saying no ...” he whispered.
“Alex ... it’s just not the right time,” she said, gazing at him. “There are things I need to sort out back in New York. Responsibilities I need to own up to. If I came with you now, I would be happy, so happy ... but I’d feel like I was running. Running from something that would eventually catch up with me.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t think I could live like that. I need to find my own way. I’ll spend a few days more here on the island. Then ... I must go back to New York.”
Her words dug into his soul, hollowing him out. “I ... I ... I don’t know what to say,” he said, shaking his head, looking out at the ocean. “This isn’t the end. It can’t be,” he murmured. “I won’t allow it to be.”