Page 80 of Deep In Love
I slip my hand out and move up his thigh to where I think the rest of his ink hides.
“And the one here? What about this one?”
My hand is inches away from his zipper, and I’m not oblivious to how he hardens, pressing against my back.
“Been checking me out?”
I swat his thigh, and his laughter worsens.
“It’s a quote from a poem I love. Those are my only two.”
“What are your favorite things?”
“You want to know them all?”
I nod, and he lists things he enjoys. Soccer. Crossword puzzles. Watermelon-flavored Chupa Chups. He talks and talks, and I listen, hanging off every word, memorizing every fact and story he shares. I’m greedy—a pirate hoarding its bounty.
He shares stories of his adventures with Oliver in Europe after they graduated from the University of Miami, and how he could live the rest of his life without ever stepping into another hostel.
“Oliver’s your best friend?”
His arms tighten around my shoulders. “Wouldn’t know what to do without him. He moved back to London right before I moved to Rhode Island. We don’t see each other as much as I’d like.”
“He and Amy are sleeping together,” I admit, not sure if he knows our best friends are keeping each other company.
“I know.” He sighs deeply, like the information hurts him. “He’s fond of her, but his obligations are complicated, and his family’s expectations are high.”
“What?”
“Oliver will never be able to follow his heart, not the way Amy follows hers.” His words linger between us, and a sadness washes over me for our friends. Mateo recognizes the energy shift and places a soft kiss on my temple. “They’ll be okay,” he assures me.
Bright white stars speckle the deep navy-blue sky. It’s shocking how clear the view is at sea. No light pollution to block the constellations or dull the glow of the moon. Out here, the universefeels expansive, never-ending, infinite, compared to my tiny world in Rhode Island.
Mateo holds me in his arms as we look up at the endless sky.
It would be daunting—how irrelevant we are in the scheme of the universe—if it wasn’t for the way he holds me, grounding me to earth.
“Is it a full moon tonight?” I ask.
“Why?” His breath is hot against my shoulder. “Did you want to try to curse me again?”
I smack his bicep. “I only did it thatone time, but no, if it’s a full moon I can charge my crystals.”
“Did you want to go get them? You could show me how to do it.”
“Really?” I perk up.
He chuckles, swiping my hair over one shoulder and placing a gentle kiss on the other.
“Teach me how to be a witch,” he murmurs against my skin.
Before he can change his mind, I fly across the deck toward our room. “You would be a warlock,” I correct, disappearing to gather my collection.
It’s only when I return and his face brightens as I sit beside him do I realize the nerves are gone, replaced with giddy excitement.
Chapter 24
Mateo
