In a Heartbeat (Heartbeat #1) (22 page)

“OK. How about, why am I allowed on your boat and nobody else is?”

He put the drink on the floor and looked at her with such intensity that she felt the urge to cover herself with something. It was as if he was staring right into her soul.

“This boat is the only thing of value I have left of my father’s. He loved it with all his heart, and I feel it would be disrespectful to him to bring just anyone in here.”

“But that’s Beppe, not
just
anyone.”

Max shrugged. “I don’t know. It doesn’t feel right. In time it’s become my personal space. It feels ... intimate to bring someone else here.”

The way he said the word ‘intimate’ sent shivers of pleasure through Stella’s body. She decided to drop it. It was perfectly clear what bringing her here meant, even if Max hadn’t said so in words.

“So boys’ night out, eh?” she asked, completely changing the tone and direction of the conversation.

“Yeah. There’s something going on between him and my sister. She’s pissing him off and he has to blow off some steam, which usually involves taking a girl back to his place.”

“I’ve noticed the way they are around each other. But you said it was normal, when I asked you.”

“They’ve always had a weird relationship, but now it’s different. They had a fight, because Gia fancies her boss and he kissed her. Beppe went nuts on her, and since that whole song fiasco she hasn’t spoken to him.”

So that was why Gia had left the other night, after Beppe had sung Lenny Kravitz’s ‘If you can’t say no’.

“Speaking of weird, Lisa’s been acting strangely as well lately. She ditched me today to go and ‘run an errand’,” Stella made quotation marks with her fingers. “She refused to say where or with whom. And she’s been having terrible mood swings. You know anything about that?”

“No. She hasn’t told me anything.”

“We have to find out what’s going on, because she’s driving me insane.”

Max nodded in agreement and they started tidying up the deck.

“I think we should go back. I have to be in the bar at seven.”

Max started the boat and Stella, after putting her dress back on, sat next to him. The sun was already starting to go down and, combined with the wind from the moving boat, she felt chilly. Remembering she hadn’t thought of taking a cardigan, she hugged herself, trying to get warmer.

“Hey, are you cold?” Max asked.

“A little bit.”

“Here.” He rummaged through his bag and took out his hoodie. After she put it on, he brought his arm around her shoulders and hugged her next to him.

At that precise moment in time, on a boat in the middle of the sea, in Max’s arms, Stella felt truly happy.

Chapter Seventeen

“You wanna come to the bar tonight?” Max asked as he parked his car in front of Lisa’s house. Stella wanted to go, because she wanted to spend time with him, but at the same time she felt they needed to spend more time apart. It was getting insane – since she’d arrived they’d spent almost every waking hour together.

“No, I think I’ll pass tonight.”

“Why?”

“Because ...” she said, hoping he’d come to the same conclusion as her and she wouldn’t have to elaborate. However, he continued to stare at her with a question in his eyes. “We’ve just spent the whole afternoon alone on a boat, Max. Aren’t you sick of me by now?”

“No.” That was all he said. And he continued to glare at her as if expecting her to change her mind.

“I’m not coming. I have a date with my mom on Skype. And besides, I need to give you some time to miss me.” She winked at him and, kissing his cheek goodbye, hopped out of the car. Max waited for her to get inside before he drove off.

Stella arrived inside to find an empty house. She’d never had any problem being on her own. On the contrary, she often preferred it. Back in London it was just her and Helen in the big house; her mum rarely invited friends over – not that she had many. Stella didn’t have that many friends either. She’d never bothered to get to know people better in order to earn the right to call them friends. Sure, she got along with everyone at school, went out with them, had a laugh, but never really let anyone in. She’d even had a couple of boyfriends, if several months of dating could be considered as having a boyfriend.

That was until she was first diagnosed with cancer. After that, she’d closed off completely. Lisa’s emails and occasional phone calls had been the only source of friendship she’d left in her life.

Being here in Italy, in Lisa’s home, felt completely different. There was something about this place that made Stella crave to have other people around her. The very thought of spending all evening alone in the house unnerved her, while back home she would have welcomed it as a chance to watch a movie or read a book, undisturbed.

Climbing up the stairs, Stella tried to banish her thoughts, because the last thing she needed right now was to spoil her mood. One negative thought would lead to another and before she knew it, she’d be on the floor, shaking and crying, remembering how fucked up her life was. She’d been there too many times and she refused to let it happen right here, in this perfect place where she’d come to escape and find happiness, even temporarily.

Besides, Stella wanted to look good for her mother. They hadn’t spoken for a few days and Helen needed to see that she was happy.

Changing out of her dress into shorts and a tank top, she switched on her laptop. The screen lit up and while waiting for it to connect to the internet, Stella went downstairs and made herself a cup of camomile tea. Going back upstairs and sitting cross-legged on the bed, Stella checked her watch. It was seven o’clock. She still had about an hour until her mum would be online.

To pass the time, she started browsing aimlessly online, watching videos on Youtube and organising her shelves on Goodreads, when her phone beeped.

Max: What are you doing?

Stella: Why? You miss me yet? *wink*

Max: Hell, yeah. Get your butt over here.

Stella: Can’t. Still haven’t talked to my mum.

Max: After?

Stella: Max ... I’m already in my PJs. I’d rather stay in.

Max: PJs? And what does it look like exactly? *wink*

Stella smiled. She loved it when Max flirted with her, even though she’d told him to stop. But they were texting now; it wasn’t in person. It was just a bit of fun. Right?

Stella: Shorts that barely cover my ass and a tank top that barely covers... anything.

Max: I’ll be there in 10.

Stella: Nooo, I was kidding. It’s baggy sweats. Totally unsexy, I swear.

Max: Too late. Image is already in my head.

Stella: You’ll just have to take care of that image yourself, ’cos my mom’s calling. Bye x

When Stella clicked on the green button flashing on her computer screen, she couldn’t help but grin.

“Hi, Mum!” Stella waved as her mother’s face came into view.

“Hi, sweetheart. You look happy.”

“Yeah, I know,” she said, thinking that she hadn’t laughed, or even smiled, that much before she’d met Max. It must be weird for her mum to see her like this. “You look great, Mum.”

“Thanks, honey. The girls at work pestered me to go to a spa with them last weekend. I guess it shows.”

“You went to a spa?” Stella was beyond surprised. Her mum never did anything like that. Helen was a beautiful woman, even though she didn’t give her appearance much thought. Maybe their separation was good for both of them.

Since it had been just the two of them alone for so long, they’d grown very close to each other and shared everything. Stella missed her mum and really wanted to talk to her about Max, about Lisa’s weird mood swings, about how afraid she was that this was all a bubble full of fairy dust and sooner rather than later it would burst.

“I believe that everything happens for a reason. People come into our lives for a reason; nothing is a coincidence,” Helen finally said, after she’d listened to Stella get everything off her chest. “I know you don’t want to get hurt, darling, but sometimes we have to take risks and explore the possibilities presented in front of us. Remember that film with Jim Carey, ‘Yes man’?”

“Yeah?”

“Try and be more like him. Say ‘yes’ to things you wouldn’t usually agree to.”

“You know, that’s terrible advice coming from a mother to her daughter!”

Helen laughed. “Probably. But I know what kind of a daughter I’ve raised. And I trust you.”

They talked for about two hours. Helen told Stella about her phone conversations with Niki and how happy she was that her former best friend had finally decided to reach out to her. Neither of them wanted to hang up, but in the end Stella saw her mum trying to stiffen a yawn for the third time running, so they said their goodbyes.

Stella went down to the kitchen to grab something to eat, just as Niki came through the front door. Lisa still wasn’t home, which was weird – she never worked that late in the gallery. Stella tried to call her, but her phone went straight to voicemail. Her aunt didn’t find it strange, though; she said the signal in the gallery wasn’t that good and she’d probably got held up. Lisa was a good girl – she never went out late alone or got drunk or disappeared without calling, and that gave her mother a reason to trust her implicitly.

They had dinner together and Stella offered to do the dishes, since Niki looked exhausted. She thanked her and headed straight for her bedroom.

By the time Stella got back to her room, it was almost eleven. Picking up her phone to try calling Lisa again, she saw she had a missed call from Max.

“Hey, what’s up? You called?”

“Yeah. We have a problem.” He sounded concerned. “Lisa’s here.”

“Here where? At the bar?”

“Yeah.” Stella couldn’t believe this. Her cousin ditched her today, then went off to work, supposedly, and was now out partying without her. It was so unlike her.

“Is she alone?” Stella asked, thinking that maybe Lisa had got a date and that’s why she hadn’t invited her along.

“Not anymore,” said Max, his voice grim and sounding a little angry.

“Max, just tell me what the hell is going on.”

“She came in here about an hour ago. I didn’t call you because I thought you knew and maybe you were coming too. She barely talked to me and started ordering shots. When I tried to get her to ease up, she barked at me to back off and went crazy on the dance floor. Now she’s got that sleazebag all over her.”

“Oh, God. I’m coming right over.”

“No. You stay home. I’ll take care of it.”

“Max, your shift’s not over. How exactly are you going to take care of this? I’ll come and drag her ass home if I have to.”

“No, Stella. I don’t want you out alone that late. I’ll handle it.”

“Max ...” Stella really didn’t like his over-protective tone and was ready to argue some more, or even slam the phone down and get over there, when he interrupted her.

“Please, Stella. Just stay there. I can’t deal with Lisa and worry about you out alone at night.” His voice was gentle, yet commanding.

Despite herself, Stella agreed.

It was past midnight when Max called her to come to the door, because he didn’t want to ring the bell and wake Niki. He had Lisa in his arms and she was passed out. Stella’s reaction must have been close to horrified, because he immediately said,

“It’s OK. She passed out in the car. She’s going to be majorly hung over tomorrow, but otherwise she’s fine.”

Stella nodded and they took her to her bedroom, taking off her shoes and covering her with the blanket.

Coming back to the living room, Max sat down on the sofa and Stella sat next to him.

“What’s going on with her, Max? This is so unlike her.”

“I know.” He put his arm on the sofa’s back and his fingers brushed Stella’s shoulder. She shivered, suddenly feeling very cold. His body was so warm and inviting next to hers that on an impulse she snuggled into him. Without missing a beat, his arm came tighter around her and his fingers started making circles on her upper arm.

“We have to talk to her. Make her confess what’s been bothering her,” said Stella, and felt Max nodding his head.

“You weren’t kidding about the PJs after all,” he said, putting his cheek on top of her head. She hadn’t even realised she was wearing just her shorts and the top she slept in, she’d been so worried about Lisa. Stiffening in his arms, Stella wondered how to reply. “Hey, relax. I don’t bite,” he said, feeling her uneasiness, and tightened his embrace reassuringly around her.

Too bad
, she thought.
I think I might like it.

Then she immediately scolded herself for thinking that.

Stella craned her neck to look at Max’s face. He raised his head from hers and looked down at her. His lips were so close that he had only to dip his head down two inches and they’d touch hers. Feeling her looking at his mouth, Max bit his lower lip and his eyes clouded with desire, his eyelids hooding them. He released his lip from his teeth and it had bright red bite marks on it.

Stella swallowed slowly, her heart rate picking up as she remembered what those lips tasted like. Bells started ringing in her head as she unsuccessfully tried to pull away and everything around her blurred. There was just Max and her, his hazel eyes glazed with heat and his lips so inviting and close.