Joe turned around. ‘You okay?’
‘Yes.’ She nodded. ‘But watch where you’re going!’
He laughed, then turned back to the wheel and suddenly they sped up, bouncing over the water. Sophia let out a screech but it was swallowed up by the breeze, so Joe didn’t seem to notice. When they reached what seemed to be the middle of the lake, Joe slowed down then cut the engine.
The boat stopped and Joe got up. ‘How was that?’
Sophia nodded.
‘You all right?’
‘Yes.’
‘Your knuckles are white.’
She looked down and, sure enough, her knuckles were the colour of chalk where she was gripping the seat. ‘It’s fine,’ she said as she prised her fingers away from the leather. ‘I’m just fine.’
Joe came back and took the seat next to her. ‘Best way to see the lake.’
‘We went on the ferry yesterday but it was quite busy and obviously we didn’t stop like this.’
‘How’d you feel about going in?’
Sophia peered over the edge of the boat at the water. From this angle it was black, fathomless, daunting.
Then she looked up and met Joe’s eyes. And remembered her thoughts about not being afraid, about seizing the day and experiencing everything.
‘I’d love to. But you first.’
Joe nodded, then stood up. He pulled his t-shirt over his head and stepped out of his flip-flops. ‘I’ve got swimmers on under these, so don’t be alarmed.’ He grinned at her, then undid the fly of his chino shorts and slid them down his legs. He stood there for a moment, folding his t-shirt and shorts, which Sophia found quite endearing. But it also gave her the chance to take a peek at him and what she saw made her cheeks glow.
Joe’s chest and back were tanned. He had a dusting of golden hair over his pecs and his belly was flat and toned. He looked like he led an active lifestyle but wasn’t overly muscular like a bodybuilder, he was just right. Just nice. Just… hot.
‘Something wrong?’
‘What?’
‘You were staring at me like I had two heads.’
Sophia tore her eyes away and reached over to pick up her bag so she could hide her burning cheeks. ‘No I wasn’t.’
‘Oh… okay then.’ Sophia caught sight of his grin and knew she’d been caught.
She rummaged in her bag as if she was searching for something and she heard a splash. When she lifted her head, Joe was gone.
‘Joe?’
She stood up.
The boat wobbled and held out her hands to steady herself.
She couldn’t see him. Had he fallen in?
‘Joe?’
The surface of the water was inky black, its depths impenetrable. A few bubbles rose to the surface and popped.
‘Joe? Where are you?’ Her voice came out strangled now. What if he’d fallen in and was in trouble? What would she do? Should she grab the radio – if there was a radio – and yell Mayday like they did in the movies? Or was it SOS? What did you do in these circumstances? She should have checked all this with him before they left the harbour. Now he could be in danger and she was left stranded on the deck of the stupid speedboat without a clue what to do.
‘Woo-hoo!’
She turned suddenly to find Joe on the other side of the boat, shaking his head and sending droplets of water into the air. ‘The water is certainly refreshing.’
‘Oh my god, I thought you were dead. Or drowning. Or at least in trouble.’ She leaned on the side of the boat and shook her head at him. ‘You should have told me you were going to do that!’
He swam closer and took hold of the side of the boat, then lifted himself up. His hair was wet, his eyelashes glistened with tiny beads of water, and his skin shone in the sunlight. Sophia tried to think of something to say but her mind had gone completely blank.
‘Come on in. It’s gorgeous.’
Say something… anything… quickly!
She ran her eyes over his shoulders, over the fine blond hairs on his arms, then met his bright green gaze, and she knew that she couldn’t possibly refuse.
‘Yes… Of course. How could I possibly come all the way out here and not go in?’
‘The water’s so refreshing.’
‘I take it that you mean cold, right?’
He grinned and pushed a hand through his hair. ‘Once you’re in, it feels incredible.’
‘Right… uh… I’ll be there in a moment.’
Sophia took a deep breath, then slowly released it. Her heart was hammering against her ribcage now and her stomach made a funny grumbling noise.
It’s just nerves. It’ll pass.
She took hold of her top and lifted it a fraction. Joe was still holding onto the side of the boat, smiling at her. She turned slightly, then pulled the top over her head. When she turned back, he’d disappeared again and she heard splashing.
‘I’ll just take a swim around the boat!’ he called. ‘Give you a chance to get yourself sorted.’
‘Thanks…’ she squeaked.
She draped her top over the seat, then slid her trousers down her legs. In the sunlight, she looked really tanned. She had an olive skin tone anyway, but she only went this colour after she’d been in the sun for a few days. Perhaps it was the light out on the middle of the lake making her seem darker.
Standing there in her new bikini, she felt suddenly awkward and vulnerable. After all, how often did she strip down to what was essentially the same as underwear in front of someone? The last person to see her like this had been Kaisha, and that didn’t count. Before that it had been Lee. And it had been a long time since even he had seen her like this.
And now here she was on a boat in the middle of a lake with Joe.
Sod it!
She shrugged. What was the point in worrying? They were friends; he wouldn’t care what she looked like. And if he did, then he wasn’t a friend.
She moved over to the edge, hunching over to keep her balance.
And heard laughing.
‘What is it?’
‘You! You look like an old lady hobbling like that.’
‘You cheeky…’ She bit her lip as she saw that he was smiling. ‘I’ll have you know that this is a new bikini.’ She stood up straight and put her hands on her hips, then met his gaze, but the smile had dropped from his face and something else had replaced the laughter in his eyes. Something more serious that made heat rush from her core.
‘It’s a…’ He cleared his throat. ‘A very nice bikini, Sophia. I mean…’ He sighed. ‘You just… you’re… a lot of men would think you look stunning.’
Sophia frowned at him. A lot of men? What exactly did he mean by that? Other men might think she looked okay but he didn’t?
‘Thanks.’ What else could she say? ‘Now, how do I get in?’ She scanned around her, trying to locate an easier way of getting into the water.
‘You can dive in.’ Joe pointed at the edge. ‘Just put your foot up there, then spring into the water.’
‘Uh… Maybe not.’
‘Okay, or you can sit on the edge and just slide into the water.’
‘Right.’ Sophia lowered herself to the edge and cocked a leg over, then the other one. The boat rocked and her heart thudded. The water suddenly looked really far away.
‘Come on, it’s okay. I’ve got you.’ Joe swam closer and held up a hand.
Sophia took it, then pushed herself forwards and landed in the lake with a splash. Water covered her head and panic loomed but she resurfaced quickly, finding Joe had hold of her hands. She shook her head. ‘It’s freezing!’
‘You’ll get used to it. Are you all right now if I let go?’
She nodded, wanting to appear brave but not really wanting him to release her. They were both treading water and she realized that they were very close. His hands were large and strong and her own seemed lost within his grasp. Beneath the lake’s surface, his body seemed long and pale, while above it his shoulders were broad and tan
ned, his face open and friendly.
And so handsome…
‘That really is a very nice bikini. I meant what I said about you being stunning.’
She stared at him, words deserting her as something else tingled inside her, something that made her want to wrap her arms around his neck and hold him tight.
‘Shall we swim for a bit?’ Joe asked.
‘I’m not very good though.’
‘I’ll be with you.’
They swam a short distance from the boat and Sophia gazed around her at the vastness of the lake. Around its edges, towns rose up, from Malcesine with its castle on the rock, to Limone with its crowded streets, and further along was Brenzone. Behind the towns were the mountains, craggy, grey and dotted with greenery. Then there was the sky, bright blue with fluffy white clouds that sailed across it like puffs of smoke. The water lapped at her arms and chest, caressing her skin; cooling and soothing.
She felt so alive, as if her mind was opening after being closed down for so long; it was as if her body was experiencing a transition and coming to life in ways she’d only read about.
She leaned back and let the water cover her hair, fill her ears and silence the world around her.
Peaceful. Beautiful. Relaxing.
When she straightened up, Joe was close by, still treading water and apparently lost in his own thoughts.
‘It is the best way to see the lake. You were right.’
He nodded. ‘I’ve swum in the lake before but never this far out. It was on my bucket list though.’
‘And now you’ve done it.’
‘Have to try everything once, right? Well… within reason.’
‘Oh absolutely. Everything, especially adventures, should be done within reason.’
How far could she go with Joe… within reason?
‘Right, I think I’ll get out before I turn into a prune. You coming?’
‘Sure.’
Sophia watched as Joe grabbed the side of the boat, then hoisted himself up in one swift movement. He swung his legs over the edge then reappeared with a towel wrapped around his waist.
Sophia swam closer, then reached up. She could just about curl her fingers over the edge. She gripped it, then tried to spring from the water as she’d seen Joe do, but nothing happened. She tried again. But she was still in the water and her wet fingers were sliding off the edge.
She peered along the side of the boat but there was nowhere lower to grab hold.
What am I going to do?
‘You okay there, Sophia?’ Joe asked, leaning over.
‘Yes, yes. Fine thanks. Just enjoying the water.’ She pushed back from the side then swam around the front of the speedboat. But she couldn’t see anywhere easier to hoist herself up.
I’m stuck in the water.
She swam back along the side.
There was a splash in the water behind her and she froze.
‘What was that?’
‘What?’ Joe paused in towelling his hair.
‘That splash.’
‘Probably just the water lapping against the boat or perhaps it was a fish?’ He didn’t sound that certain.
Sophia’s mind was flooded with images of the fish she’d seen in the castle museum. There were lots of fish in this lake. Some of them quite small but some of them… rather… large!
‘Joe?’ Her voice emerged as a croak. ‘I… uh… I can’t seem to pull myself up.’ She tried again just to demonstrate her inability to pull herself out of the water. ‘Weak upper arms.’
This was not how she’d wanted Joe to see her.
‘No problem, I can give you a hand.’ He threw his towel behind him, then leaned over and reached out to her. She took his hand and tried to pull herself up but she just couldn’t get high enough.
There was another splash behind her but this time it was closer.
She pulled her legs against her chest and glanced around. What if something was coming for her? She could be dragged beneath the surface and never seen again.
‘Let me get hold of your arms and I can pull you up.’
‘Right.’
She held her arms out, and cycled frantically with her legs to stay afloat, trying to ignore the urge to scream that was building in her chest. Joe pulled but she slid right out of his grasp and cold water filled her mouth and covered her eyes.
‘Ah!’ emerged as she resurfaced.
‘Sophia, I’m so sorry. You just slipped right out of my hands.’ Joe stared at his palm before wiping them on his shorts. ‘Are you wearing moisturiser?’
‘Yes. Oh, damn, yes. I forgot about that. Suncream, actually. I covered myself before I left Nonna’s. Joe, what am I going to do?’ She peered around, hoping that she wouldn’t spot some terror from the deep heading straight for her.
He chewed his bottom lip for a moment and Sophia battled the urge to shout at him. It was his fault for bringing her out here. His stupid idea to come swimming and more fool her for being stupidly vain and thinking it would be a good idea to get into the water. If she’d only trusted her gut instinct and stayed on deck then she’d be safely enjoying the sunshine and not about to be mauled to death by a giant prehistoric fish with razor-sharp teeth. And what would Nonna think? Poor Nonna… And now the truth might never be told about Aunt Maria and her mother, and Sophia would end up as one of those stories splashed across the tabloids. She could see the headline now:
British woman eaten alive in Italian lake
Or
Guzzled alive in Lake Garda
The news reporter on the BBC would announce her death with a solemn tone and a serious face. Loose Women might run a feature about tourists who die on holidays, then have a phone-in. She would become a statistic for Pointless.
Would it be easier to just let the fish drag her under and breathe the lake in quickly or should she fight like they did in Jaws? What was it that you were meant to do? Hook your fingers in its eyes or shove a hand down its throat to make it sick? Could you make a fish sick or was that a fairy-tale she’d read?
‘Sophia?’
‘Yes?’
‘Are you all right? I said your name four times then.’ Joe’s handsome face was shadowy now as the sun was behind him.
‘No, I’m scared.’
‘Don’t be scared. Swim round to the rear of the boat by the propeller. It’s lower there. I’ll be able to get a better hold of you.’
‘Okay.’ She sniffed. ‘But what if the engine comes on? I could be sliced apart. Turned into fishfood!’
‘I’ve taken the key out so there’s no danger of that. Come on.’
She swam around to the back of the boat, her arms and legs almost refusing to cooperate so she ended up doing a ridiculous doggy-paddle, then eased her way around the propeller. Joe was already there.
‘Let me get hold of both your hands then, when I say three, I want you to push up out of the water.’
‘Okay.’
‘Ready?’
She nodded.
‘One… Two… Three…’
Sophia pulled on his hands as he leaned backwards and she flew up into the air. But the motion Joe had used to lift them propelled them both backwards and, as they landed, Sophia bumped her knee on the back of a seat and her stomach on Joe’s hip.
The boat rocked for a moment and she wheezed, trying to catch her breath.
Then all was still as she remained slumped on top of him. Her heart seemed to have found a new rhythm, one that had nothing to do with fear and she was acutely conscious of Joe’s hard body beneath hers. If she’d moved, just a fraction to the right, she was sure she’d have put them both in a very compromising position indeed. And the strange thing was that her struggle was not with embarrassment at that idea but with her body. Because her body was willing her to straddle him and her lips were telling her to press them to his.
‘Sophia?’ Joe had his hands on her head and was gently lifting it. ‘You’re safe now.’
She swallowed hard, wondering what he�
��d think if he had any idea what was running through her head.
‘Thanks.’ Every part of her seemed to be shaking.
‘We seem to have a habit of getting into scrapes together, don’t we?’
‘You do seem to make me more accident prone.’
‘Sorry.’
He helped her up, then sat next to her in the cramped floor space.
‘It’s all right. I’ll live.’
He was so close and he looked so good with his naked torso and messy, damp hair.
Sophia realized that she wanted him. Like she had never wanted a man before.
‘You will but I’m not so sure about your tan.’ He pointed at her legs where she looked as though she’d been splashed with gravy browning.
‘What the hell is that?’ Desire faded as she eyed her limbs.
‘Fake tan?’ Joe suggested.
‘No, I never wear the stuff. Can’t stand the sme…’ Sophia thought back to that morning and the strange aroma of biscuits and curry that had emanated from her skin after she’d moisturised. ‘Blame my sister-in-law. She told me it was a good sun cream and I believed her.’
‘Didn’t you read the bottle?’
‘Yes. It said it had protection factor twenty-five and produced a golden tan.’ She grabbed her bag and retrieved the bottle.
‘Instant golden tan.’ Joe pointed at the label. He took the bottle, then read the back. ‘It says it gives an instant colour so you can apply it evenly… then… do not get wet for four hours following application.’
Sophia stood up and peered down at herself and, sure enough, her entire body was as streaky as her legs.
‘What if this doesn’t wash off properly?’
‘It’ll fade?’ He shrugged but she could see that he was trying not to laugh.
‘Joe, it’s not funny.’
‘I know, I know. Look, what can I do to make it up to you? To make you feel better?’
Sophia sank onto the seat and pondered his question.
‘I have an idea but I don’t know if you have the guts to do it.’
‘Try me!’
Love at the Italian Lake Page 11