Just Breathe Trilogy Box Set (69 page)

“Why don’t you shower and I take Sadie out? I don’t doubt she’s dying to pee and is hungry,” he kindly offers.

“You sure?”

“Yes, beautiful,” he replies, stealing a kiss.

“Thank you.”

Joe delivers another long peek before leaving me. “Where does B.O.B. go?”

“Just leave him there on the counter, I’ll get him when I’m out,” I instruct.

Joe states moments later, “Found it.”

I cringe knowing he’s seen half the gang in the bag.

“Nice collection,” he mentions, practically scaring me when he opens the shower door.

“Thanks,” I reply.

“Take your time, we’ll be back in a few,” he mentions. Joe leans in for a kiss.

I offer my lips to his eagerly. “Thanks.”

Joe and Sadie make it back to my room just as I get the menstrual cup inside me. My heart beats a little faster at the sight of Joe. The morning shadow on his face, the way his tee shirt hugs his body and the light fragrance of sweat coming from him is positively intoxicating.

Before he leaves, Joe leans in with just his lips for a kiss. “I ordered you a little snack to tide you over until breakfast with my parents,” he mentions.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I reply.

“I know,” he says, kissing me again. “There’s clay on the table too.”

“Thanks.”

“I’m going. I’m going,” he states oddly.

“I know,” I answer.

With a sincere smile, Joe explains, “I’m talking to myself.”

“Why,” I laugh.

“Or else I won’t go,” he admits.

“Oh.”

Joe takes a deep, long breath in. “See you downstairs, beautiful.”

“See you,” I return.

With about two hours before meeting Joe’s parents, I drink my clay, finish getting dressed, pack a small bag with some extra clothes per Mrs. Covelli’s instructions that curiously left out exactly what we’re doing, catch up on work and eat the room service Joe ordered. Joe texts a few times, checking in — he claims. Around fifteen minutes before eight, Sadie and I make our way down to the hotel restaurant.

During the course of our meal, I find out that Mr. and Mrs. Covelli are early risers like Joe and myself, but they didn’t want to rush the two of us out of bed. Another odd statement from his parents that I wouldn’t expect — especially with the way they say it.

We end up taking a helicopter to the coast and Sadie fairs pretty well, thanks to Joe helping to mediate her anxiety — some of it stems from me. Apparently, Joe and his parents rented a sailboat for the late morning and into the afternoon for our first excursion day. Mrs. Covelli informs me that she and Mr. Covelli haven’t sailed for a year or two and her excitement to get back on the water is contagious.

When we arrive to the dock, my mouth gaps in astonishment. They said we were taking a sailboat, and my mind expected something of a decent size that would fit the four of us and Sadie easily, but would be handled by just Joe and his father since they both know how to sail. Instead, we’re greeted by an eight-person team that stands at attention at the top of a wood plank that is our ramp to board. The vessel isn’t a boat, it’s a ship. The masts for the four sails must be at least two hundred feet tall each.

Mr. Covelli escorts Mrs. Covelli first and then Joe assists me with Sadie close behind. One of the staff members ushers us to a sitting area that is on the front of the boat where refreshments wait for us. Once Mrs. Covelli, Sadie and I get seated, Joe and his father assist the team in final preparations for the vessel to embark on our trip. My eyes dart around the ship, wanting to see everything they do. The boat begins leaving the land behind and the crew, Mr. Covelli and Joe don’t hoist the sails up until we’re out in open water.

Joe takes me on a tour of the enormous contraption, pointing out more boat type things. A few words or phrases he mentions I remember from our trip to Hawaii, but the majority of it goes over my head, especially when we go below deck and my eyes fall upon the extravagant rooms. The interior living room is larger than my apartment kitchen, dining room and living room combined.

Walking up to the deck to meet up with Sadie and Joe’s parents, Joe gently tugs my arm in the opposite direction. “Over here,” he states.

“Your parents are over there?”

“I know.”

“Where are we going?” I nervously question.

“You’ll see,” Joe deviously replies.

Joe leads me inside a small upper area that has just over one hundred and eighty degrees of window view.

“Mr. Covelli,” a man standing in the center of the room says.

“Captain,” Joe replies.

“She’s all yours. Have fun,” the Captain encourages, taking one hand off the wheel and stepping aside.

I can’t help but laugh at hearing Joe being called Mr. Covelli. “You want me to watch you steer the boat?” I muse.

“Kind of,” he says with a grin. Joe takes my hand and tries to lead me closer.

My hand swats his away.

“Thank you, Captain,” Joe bids.

“You’re welcome, Mr. Covelli,” he replies. The Captain leaves without another word.

“The engines are electric,” Joe mentions, snatching my wrist and pulling me closer to him.

“What are you doing?” I question, not liking our proximity with so many windows around us.

“I want you to help me,” he reveals, guiding my hands to take over.

“What?” My hands snap back.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let go,” he assures. Joe tenderly takes each of my hands, kissing and then lowering them to the wheel, placing his hands on top of mine. “I promise.”

Sweat gathers quickly in my palms and my heart races loud enough in my chest that I can feel it pounding in my ears. Even with the warmth and comfort of Joe’s behind me, my body can’t stop shaking.

“You’re doing great,” Joe comments.

My gaze stays forward, bouncing between the horizon of the ocean and the sky above. The anxiety in my body begins to subside as the gentle rocking of the large mass under my feet lulls my nerves. Peace begins to surround my mind and body with the quiet stillness of everything.

“There you go,” Joe encourages.

“You’re standing a little close,” I redirect him.

Joe’s face has been along side mine for I’m not sure how long and I know that there is a good chance we can be seen.

“If you want me to help, I need to stay close,” he counters.

“You don’t need to be close enough for my ass to feel your erection,” I jab. “Put it away.”

“That’s kind of hard,” he replies uncomfortably.

“I know it’s hard. It’s poking me,” I rebut.

Joe laughs, catching my interpretation of his words.

“No,” he chuckles. “It’s hard not to have an erection being so close to you.”

“That’s not my challenge. I offered in the shower,” I remind. “You turned it down.”

“I know,” he huffs into my ear. “I thought masturbation would have sufficed.”

A grin smears across my face. The ease and comfort at the way he shared that he had to take care of himself impresses me.

Joe and I stand in silence as we steer the boat further out into the dark water. He instructs me to pay attention to a screen to my left and let him know when the coordinates hit a certain number. When I share the results, Joe announces some kind of sailing jargon over an intercom and a few seconds later I see the staff popping up from below, taking specific positions. Joe gives a command and I watch in amazement as the crew manages to get all of the sails lowered with ease.

Once the anchor is dropped, Joe and I join his parents, having more refreshments before lunch is served. Our conversations are light and fun, and Joe recounts to his parents how well I did guiding the boat. I blush, not liking his story telling, only because my thoughts drift back to his cock rubbing against my rear and how turned on I was, especially when he told me that he masturbated after pleasuring me.

Sadie suddenly starts barking and heads to the edge of the boat. I call after her, but she doesn’t listen, forcing me to get up. It’s not like Sadie to not respond to a command. Bending down to grab her collar, I’m unable to get her to move.

“We’ve got visitors,” Joe declares, coming up behind us. “Good eyes, Sadie.”

“What are you talking about?” I inquire.

“Whales,” Joe identifies, “And, it looks like they’re headed right for us.”

My hand quickly releases Sadie’s collar and I stand up to look in the direction that Joe is facing. “Where?”

“Right there.” Joe points, reaching his arm over my shoulder to give me a better line of sight.

“You’re right, Joseph,” Mr. Covelli confirms.

My head turns to look at him. An uncomfortable feeling rushes inside me with how close Joe is to me right in front of his parents.

“Here, Emma,” Mr. Covelli offers, handing me the small binoculars he is using.

I have trouble seeing, not sure how to use them.

“Here,” Joe assists, steadying me and gently nudging my cheek in the proper direction.

“Wow!” I gasp.

“How many do you see, Emma?” Mrs. Covelli asks.

“I think . . . three, but I’m not sure,” I comment, then offer her the binoculars.

“I think you’re correct,” Mrs. Covelli confirms. “And, they are indeed headed our way.”

The boat gently bounces in the small, infrequent waves as the four of us stare in awe. The wind is practically none existent, making the entire moment completely surreal. Mr. Covelli confirms that they’re grey whales as they get closer.

Sadie continues to bark off and on, even when the whales are about a hundred meters out.

The sound of something splashing in the water next to the boat draws my attention. “Sadie,” I yell, dumbfounded by the fact that she jumped into the cold water. “Sadie, get back here.”

“Dog overboard,” I hear one of the crew members shout.

“Sadie,” I scold as she proceeds to swim out to the massive creatures who are getting larger by the second.

“She should be alright,” Mrs. Covelli consoles. “Duke did that to us once. Remember, Joseph?”

Laughing, Joe agrees, “Yes.”

“Didn’t you jump in after him too?” checks Mr. Covelli.

“And, Anthony and Thomas,” Joe adds.

“The whales swam right up next to all three of them,” Mrs. Covelli explains. “They were in the water together for at least thirty minutes. Wouldn’t you say, John?”

“At least, my love. They were popsicles when they got out, but the water there was not near as cold as it is here,” Mr. Covelli comments.

“We’ll be able to fish her out Miss,” a female staff member assures.

“Thank you,” I graciously acknowledge, worried by the thought of Sadie being in there too long.

When the whales reach Sadie, Joe starts taking pictures for me since I’ve been video tapping not long after finding out that the giant, herbivore mammals won’t hurt Sadie. There are actually four whales, not three, two of which are smaller who appear to have been born this year, and they repeatedly swim in circles around our boat and Sadie. Before the whales move on, back to their migratory path, we fish Sadie out of the sea and wrap her in blankets. Joe finds a hair dryer below and Sadie lounges as she’s pampered by the heat and attention.

An hour later, our ship turns around and heads back to land. We take a short stroll on the beach, but Sadie lags behind, obviously tired from the frolic with her new friends. The five of us find a nearby restaurant just off the sand to dine for the evening.

When Mr. and Mrs. Covelli excuse themselves for a moment, I text Maggie, Jared and Nathan, sending along a small clip of Sadie’s afternoon romp. Within less than a minute, I have the three of them on the phone asking questions. Jared suggests that we use some of the footage from Sadie’s adventure for the website, which might add a nice boost to the numbers.

For several hours, my companions and I sit — eating, drinking and chatting about a variety of topics. Mrs. Covelli shares a bunch of stories about Joe and his brothers and I can’t help but laugh at the ones that are funny.

Returning to the hotel, Mr. and Mrs. Covelli immediately turn in for the night with it being almost ten-thirty after our helicopter ride back from the coast. Sadie has trouble walking due to her swim in the cold ocean, so Joe carries her up to my room just down the hall from his. As I’m getting my room key out, I stop a few feet from my door when I realize that Joe isn’t right behind me.

“What are you doing?” I question, watching him shift Sadie.

“Nothing,” he rebuts.

The click of a door being unlocked catches my ear.

“Joseph,” I state sternly.

He laughs, pushing the door open. My feet spring to move and I’m able to stop the door from shutting.

“Joseph,” I repeat, a little more authoritatively once inside his room.

“Shhh,” he shushes, walking toward me. “She’s tired.”

“What do you think you’re doing?” I ask with a clenched jaw.

A devilish grin emerges on his face. “Stay,” he requests, pulling me into the room further.

“You promised not to ask,” I remind.

Joe steps toward me, reaching for my hips. I pull away, but he’s faster than I anticipate.

“I promised not to ask to stay in your room,” he counters.

My mouth opens to rebut, but I close it immediately, understanding the game he’s playing. “Come on Sadie,” I sweetly call.

Sadie doesn’t lift her head to look.

“Sadie. Come on girl,” I hail.

She lets out a sigh and remains still.

My eyes are drawn to Joe when I hear him laugh. Without a word, I turn on my heels and leave Joe’s room. I don’t bother turning around when I hear him calling my name. There’s a light knock on my door just as my back rests on it, but I ignore it. My phone rings, giving away my location in the room.

“Emma,” Joe calls from behind the door. “I know you’re there.”

I switch the phone to silent and head into the bathroom.

Spending at least ten minutes under the hot running water, my body is finally warmed up enough to start moving to wash. Memories of this morning reappear in my head, prompting me to get B.O.B. and Master P. After climbing into my pajamas, I grab my iPad and start going over emails for business. My phone vibrates several times, letting me know that Joe is still calling or texting.

By almost midnight, I’m laying wide awake in bed, unable to sleep without Sadie. I debate for at least ten minutes with myself about going over to Joe’s room. Convinced that I’ll be able to get Sadie to follow, I grab my phone and room key and head down the hallway. Right as I get to Joe’s door, my phone beeps with a text message that has a photo. My lip curls up a little seeing a picture of Joe and Sadie snuggled together.

“There you are,” Joe greets.

My attention snaps up. How did I not hear the door open?

“Well at least I know you like the picture,” he comments.

I do my best to wipe away my smile while trying to peer into his room. Joe steps aside, opening the door wider for me to enter. I take two deliberate steps forward, causing my feet to just breach the edge of the doorway. “Sadie,” I call, hoping that she’ll respond.

Two seconds later, I’m in Joe’s arms and the sound of the door shutting is heard behind me. Joe presses his lips forwards, searching for a kiss, but my head turns in opposition.

“I didn’t say that I’m joining you,” I remark, trying to sound mad and slip out from his embrace.

Joe surrounds my body with his arms, snatching a kiss before I get the chance to respond. I pretend to fight for a second or two before parting my lips to greet him better.

“Hi,” he sweetly greets after a lengthy kiss.

“Hi,” I return flatly.

“Am I in trouble?” he asks with a devious look.

“Yes,” I confirm, eyeing him.