He pulled away from the curb.
“How was flying solo?” I asked Faye.
“Weird,” she answered. “Good weird. People still stared, but no one hovered. I got my own coffee. I walked to my gate without anyone blocking anyone who got too close.”
“You weren’t scared?” Dylan inquired.
“Not even a little,” she replied. “My dad and my detail hate this. They only signed off after we reviewed every rule and every backup plan they could think of.”
“They want to make sure you’re safe,” I affirmed.
“I know. They have the villa info, ferry schedule, and all my flight details. They don’t like that I’m here without them, but they couldn’t really argue with a week off.”
“No one will be in the bushes watching the house?” I joked.
“They’d better not,” she answered.
“That’s the important part,” Dylan said. “I don’t need an audience.”
She snorted. “Pretty sure none of us does.”
The taxi droppedus off near the ferry. We paid, grabbed our bags, and joined the line heading up the ramp. The air smelled of salt and fuel, and a few kids ran in circles around their parents. No cameras were pointed at us, no agents lurked at Faye’s shoulder.
It was just the three of us.
We found a spot on a bench along the side. Faye, of course, ended up sitting between us.
She let out a slow breath and tipped her head back, soaking up the sun. “This is so nice.”
“Yeah, it is.” I squeezed her knee. “It’s weird not having to hide with you, though.”
“But in a good way,” Dylan chimed in.
“For sure.” I nodded.
“You two still planning to stay naked most of the time?”
“Yes,” we both answered.
Her mouth curved. “And besides that, any plans?”
“Pool,” Dylan said. “I want to live in that pool.”
“Pool and the beach,” I added. “The listing said it’s a coral beach with shallow spots. I want to see if we can snorkel right off it.”
“There’s snorkel gear at the house,” Faye informed us. “I saw pictures online of a whole wall of gear in the laundry room.”
“Good. Then that’s one day locked in.” I looked out over the crystal-blue water.
“I want a full lazy day,” she decided. “No leaving the villa. Just swimming, tanning, food, naps, no shoes, no real clothes.”
“Deal.” I nodded. “We should probably be responsible tonight, though. Check in, hit the pool, then find food and stock the kitchen.”
“Tacos first,” Dylan cut in. “Then we can pretend to be adults at a grocery store.”
“I’m fine with tacos,” she said. “There’s a place on the water that looked good. We can eat there, then grab stuff for breakfast and snacks.”
“Sounds good. At least one day, we should take a hike. Nothing wild. Just something with a view,” I suggested.
