I wasn't sure if the time Mitchell spent with me on our road trip traumatized him because I could've sworn, I saw a tinge of fear in his eyes as he stared at me. I figured he was being dramatic because even though we did some crazy things, in the end, the most fun he had in his adult life was with me... even if he refused to accept it.
"Well," I began, "how do you feel about a little cardio and getting me wet?"
Mitchell's brows knitted together, "Don't get me wrong, I'm more than ready for that but I have a feeling this has nothing to do with what it sounds like."
"Oh, but it does," I eagerly nodded my head like an excited kid.
Mitchell studied my features for a moment as he stood in a pensive state, "If I didn't know you, I'd believe that."
"Spit it out, what do you want?"
"I thought you'd appreciate it if I swallow," I smirked at him.
"Mila," Mitchell gave me a look that said he was not kidding around.
"Fine," I sighed, "While we were touring around, I saw some people kayaking and it looked fun so, maybe we could..."
"Kayaking?" Mitchell repeated, "You and I on a rather constricted boat, working together to get it to move?"
"Yeah," I grinned.
Mitchell pursed his lips, humorlessly smiled, and removed his shades, "I want you to think about this for a moment," he paused and it appeared as if he held back laughter, "Do you think we'd be able to cooperate as a team?"
I nodded, "Of course, it's like sex, except you'll be stroking something else that's wet."
Mitchell looked at me with a tinge of disgust, "Your choice of words still blows my mind."
"And to correct you, when we have sex, you actually listen to me... very obediently," he added cockily.
"Obediently you say," I raised a brow.
"Am I wrong?"
"Maybe that needs to change," I mused.
Mitchell stared at with a small smirk and the tone he used when he spoke sounded as if it was a challenge, "Try that."
What the hell does that mean? And why is the way he's looking at me turn me on? Forget it, Mila, focus on the subject at hand. Kayaking.
"Oh, come on," I gripped his arm and looked up at him doe-eyed, "Why are you overthinking? It looks like so much fun!"
"It is, but I can see us arguing over something stupid and we don't exactly have a great track record of arguing near water," he replied.
Mitchell did have a point, on two occasions we fell into the water because we were too controlled by our egos to stand down from a silly argument.
"If you don't want to accompany me, it's fine, I'll just do it by myself," I stated.
"You know I'm not going to let that happen," he responded and I grinned knowingly.
"Alright," Mitchell gave in and gestured to my outfit, "But you can't go kayaking dressed in a..." his eyes traveled down and then up again, "In a pants suit... onesie thing."
I furrowed my brows at what he just called my outfit, "It's a jumpsuit."
"Whatever it is, you can't kayak with that," Mitchell responded.
"I'm wearing underwear underneath this, no train smash," I pointed out.
Mitchell shot me a stern look and snorted, "Not a chance in hell of that happening."
I pursed my lips, Mitchell did have a point, I wasn't keen on stripping down to lingerie on a public beach. "You're right, but the yacht is just a walk away, we can get changed in five minutes."
Mitchell huffed softly, "Have you ever been kayaking?"
I shook my head in response, "Have you?"
Mitchell nodded, "Once or twice and it's not as easy as it looks. I've never been on a tandem kayak though so I don't know how well this is going to go."
I smiled widely, "Is that a yes?"
"Can I ever say no to you?" He replied with a sigh.
I smiled widely and kissed him quickly on the lips, "One of the reasons I love you."
Our yacht really was just a walk away and when we reached, I bolted to the bedroom to get changed. The weather was relatively warm so I put on a black, halter strap bathing suit that had a little crochet detail just below the bustline.
I applied sunscreen and grabbed a hat once I was done and met Mitchell on the sundeck where he waited for me. He sat without a shirt and plain navy swim trunks around his waist, he also donned a cap on his head as he scrolled through his phone on the couch.
"All done," I announced and when he looked up, he grabbed the opportunity to check me out.
Mitchell stood up and I placed the back of my one palm over my forehead and the other hand went to my hip when I struck a little pose for him, "Like it?"
Mitchell's eyes drank in my appearance once more and I took the time to openly check out his amazing physique.
"Love," Mitchell smirked, grabbed me by the waist, and pressed a firm kiss over my lips.
When he pulled away, I placed my hands on his chest and looked up into his bright eyes, "I'm gonna need you to put on a shirt."
Mitchell raised an amused brow, "Oh?"
I nodded and even though the only reason I wanted him to wear a shirt was so I wouldn't be distracted by him and focus on kayaking, I still said, "Can't have anyone staring at my man's boobs."
Mitchell gave me a look he always wore when I said something he didn't expect, "I don't have... never mind, I'll grab a shirt."
I raised my brows, "No arguments?"
"My name isn't Mila," he replied, tapped my nose, and walked off.
Within two minutes Mitchell was back and as he approached me; I admired the way his muscles flexed as he casually pulled a tank top over his head.
I was equally excited and nervous as I took in the bright blue ocean I stood before, I took in a breath and Mitchell was back with a lifejacket in his hand. He already wore his and he scrutinized me for a moment, "Having second thoughts? We can always bail."
I shook my head, "We already paid."
"Doesn't matter, if you don't want to do this, we don't have to."
"I'm good, it looks like lots of fun," I smiled.
"Alright then, open your arms," Mitchell said and helped me wear the jacket, "Just remember to not fight me when I tell you to do something."
I rolled my eyes at how dramatic he was, "I'm not a rebel."
"Debatable," he murmured as he strapped the lifejacket in place.
We got water shoes because Mitchell said it was advisable to wear them when kayaking but I thought it was the little germaphobe in him that spoke. There were about ten other people who were going on the tour, as well as a group leader and local guide who donned a camera around his neck.
"The sea looks pretty calm," I murmured as I took in the small waves and water ripples.
"You don't." Mitchell pointed out and when I turned, he stared at me with concern, "Are you sure you're okay?"
I nodded, "Perfecto."
There was a time being in any type of voluminous water such as a pool or ocean scared the life out of me, it wasn't just because I couldn't swim but also because I had PTSD from almost drowning as a kid. Mitchell, however, gave me swimming lessons and helped me fight the fear but Leo was the one who concluded those lessons and taught me how to swim.
"Do you have enough sunscreen on?" Mitchell asked.
"Yes, Daddy," I rolled my eyes, "Anything else?"
Mitchell pulled his face in discomfort, "Yes, don't call me that."
"Then don't act like a daddy," I retorted, and the look of dismay mixed with disgust made me laugh.
After a quick safety talk from the leader, we set off to get into our kayak. It appeared a lot bigger from up close, the orange-colored canoe-shaped boat was made of hard plastic yet appeared very light. The kayak was well equipped with grab loops, adjustable seats, a knee and thigh brace, and even a compass.
"Get in the front," Mitchell instructed.
"I thought you enjoyed topping because it gives you more control," I teased with a wink.
Mitchell deeply sighed, "Position doesn't matter, I have more control either way but, in this case, it's advisable for me to sit in the back because I have more upper arm strength and can guide you."
"Hmm, I'm going to remember this tonight," I winked.
Mitchell shot me a look, "Just get in."
The kayak sat at the shore, waves brushed over my water shoes while Mitchell steadied the kayak and I hopped in. I adjusted the seat so I had enough legroom and Mitchell helped pull the spray skirt over the cockpit coaming.
"You're quite knowledgeable about this," I mused as he moved the front and worked the loops.
"I told you," he replied as he buckled me in, "I've done this a couple of times before."
I playfully purred, "It's so sexy when you know stuff."
Mitchell ignored my generous compliment and asked, "You good?"
I lifted a finger, "Just one thing," I offered him my cheek, "a little confidence boost?"
Mitchell heartily smiled at me and pressed his lips on my cheek. Before he could leave, he gripped my chin and turned my face more into his focus, and pressed his lips lovingly over mine. He pulled away and I admired the dimples on his cheeks when he grinned, "A bonus... for me."
Mitchell got in behind and I held onto my paddle and waited until he was locked in and ready to leave.
"I'm about to enter, you're good there?" Mitchell asked.
"I'm not wet yet but do your thing, I'm so ready, baby," I said in a voice that was too sultry for what the question really meant.
"Why must you make everything sexual?" Mitchell murmured and with the help of his paddle, he got the kayak in the water.
The kayak wobbled a little as we got deeper into the ocean, my stomach churned as I took in the ocean that awaited me in front. It was certainly beautiful but also very intimidating.
"We're going to paddle from left to right, I'm going to try and keep up with your pace so we can stroke through the water in unison," Mitchell explained.
"Stroke... unison," I mused.
"Mila," Mitchell scolded, "Focus. You don't want to capsize the kayak."
"Use your paddle," Mitchell instructed.
"So authoritative..." I cooed, "Stop or you'll turn me on."
"Mila," he warned and I rolled my eyes at how dramatic he was.
I held the paddle in my hand and said, "Ooh, it's like a Bo staff only these have blades," I swung it from left to right, "When I was eight, I said on career day that I wanted to be a ninja."
"You really are a five-year-old sometimes," Mitchell murmured.
"You should remember that when you give me cunnilingus on the yacht tonight," I cheekily retorted.
"Give you what?" Mitchell chocked out.
"Cunnilingus, when you go down and lick my –"
"I know what it is," Mitchell quickly cut me off. "Next stop, Vatican City to purify that mind and mouth," he added to himself which made me laugh.
"What?" I said, "You can't say it but can indulge?"
"I'm going to ignore your filthy words." Mitchell replied, "Concentrate and get that mind out of the gutter."
I did as Mitchell instructed and paddled from the left side to the right and let out a gasp as the boat wobbled and gave off the impression it would tip over. A little water splashed over my face and a warm breeze caressed my skin as the smell of the ocean lingered around my nostrils.
"Hey, smile," I quickly said to Mitchell when the guy with the camera directed the lens towards us. I wasn't sure if Mitchell smiled but I flashed a wide, teeth-on-display smile.
As I paddled through the waves, it took a lot more arm strength than I imagined, "I'm going to be so sore tomorrow."
Mitchell shook his head, "I've lost count of the number of times you've made this activity sound dirty."
"Oh, get your head out the gutter, I meant that in the clean sense." I playfully scolded him.
Mitchell chuckled, "Whatever you say but if your arms hurt, you can relax, I can take control from back here."
He makes this way too easy for me.
I opened my mouth to respond with another inappropriate remark but Mitchells stopped me. "Don't say anything sexual."
"Fine." I huffed and instead sang, "Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily life is but a dream."
"Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily life is but a dream."
"Row, row –"
"Mila," I heard the restraint in his tone, "I love you but please stop singing that."
"Alright, any other requests?" I asked.
"Yes, a song called just breathe and let's listen to the sounds of mother nature, hmm?" he replied.
"Have you forgotten what I said on our road trip?" I asked, "Trips are about singing, dancing, and making memories."
Mitchell deeply sighed, "This isn't a road trip."
"Eh, semantics, land or sea, splish splash," I dismissed his prior statement, "The objective is to have fun."
"Maybe you'd like if I changed the lyrics a little? Make it a little less childish." I suggested.
"No, I –"
Before he could complete his sentence I already began, "Row, row, row your boat gently down my peach, if you feel a twitch, don't forget to shriek."
"Or do you want the remixed, dirty version?" I asked.
"That wasn't the dirty version?"
"Rock, rock, rock your lollipop into my candy shop, faster to and fro, this way... mmm," I moaned for a second and continued, "that way, over cloud nine here we go!"
"Shut shut shut that mouth before I shove said lollipop down your throat, deeper, harder, swallow like a good girl, and over cloud nine, you'll go." Mitchell hit back with his version and to say I was shocked would've been an understatement.
"Mitchell Mason Clarke!" I gasped with amusement, "You're even dirtier than me!"
"I mean it, shut up before you ruin nursery rhymes and my childhood forever," he grumbled while I laughed.
The sun warmed my skin as we followed the group and paddled through the water. The ocean waves were strong but thankfully it was calm, the boat tilted to one side at times and I let out a small yelp when we had to turn. Mitchell laughed at me and I showed him the finger over my shoulder which made him laugh more but eventually, he apologized and checked if I was alright.
The surrounding view was simply spectacular, the rich colors of blue, green, white, and brown of mother nature were too beautiful for words. We paddled further into the ocean and the water below was so clear and clean that certain fish could be seen from the surface.
The tour was only for an hour and surprisingly Mitchell and I made a good team, he was very good at paddling and I listened to everything he had to say without any arguments. We paddled our way to Portofino Park which was rich with wildlife, dolphins were spotted and I got a little too excited when I saw them swim by. There were many different kinds of birds around as well and the local guide went on to point out the different names of the birds.
It was beautiful and even though I took a few breaks from paddling, I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. The afternoon sun slowly faded as we made our way back to shore.
"Hey!" I exclaimed as we paddled back, "I just remembered a song."
"If you start singing row your boat again, I'm swimming back to shore!"
Instead of answering him, I cleared my throat and sang whatever little words I knew, "I found my love in Portofino..."
"You're just making this up now," Mitchell mused and I shook my head.
"I found my love in Portofino," I sang again, "Quei baci più non scorderò."
"Non è più triste il mio cammino, a Portofino I found my love." I sang and hoped I got the lyrics correct.
"There's actually a song like that?" Mitchell sounded amused.
"Leo's mom is obsessed with Italian singer Andrea Bocelli, his music almost always used to blast throughout the house. I just recalled this song, it's catchy and has a sexy tune."
"Interesting." Mitchell mused.
"Yeah, if you're nice to me, I'll give you a lap dance to the song," I teased.
I felt his cool fingertips over my bare arm when he gently caressed over my skin, "I'm always nice to you."
"Sure," I scoffed.
"I also find it interesting that the person who sings 'the dog's say goodnight' to a classic, English song can get the lyrics of an Italian song correct."
"How do you know it's correct?" I replied, "Although, I weirdly catch onto foreign lyrics easier than English. I suppose there are a few wires crossed in my brain."
"Few?" Mitchell scorned.
I ignored him and carried on singing, "I found my love in Portofino, perché nei..." I trailed off when something caught my eye.
"Mitchell," I said with an alarmed tone edged in my voice.
"What is it?" he immediately responded with concern.
I stopped paddling, lifted my hand, and pointed at something that was a good few feet away but appeared a lot closer. I could've imagined but it looked a lot like a shark's fin. "Please tell me you don't see that."
Mitchell took a long moment before he replied and by his cool tone and word choice, I knew he saw it too, "Mila, don't panic."
"How can I not panic where there's a freaking shark approaching?!" I exclaimed.
"Mila," Mitchell calmly began and placed his hand on my arm, "I highly doubt it's a shark. Spotting sharks on the Italian Riviera or anywhere in the Mediterranean is pretty rare."
"But it's possible right?" I asked as I paddled at a quicker pace.
"Well, I mean, it's not common but –" Mitchell hesitated.
"Yes or no, Bitchell?" I snapped.
"Yes."
I shrugged his hand off, "Get your hand off me and paddle faster before we're Jabberjaw's dinner!"
Suddenly, the sun was too hot and my skin prickled as panic set into the pit of my stomach, I was scared, no terrified. My heart raced and I didn't keep my eyes off the tip of a grey fin I spotted as I hurriedly paddled.
"Mila, slow down," Mitchell said but I didn't care, nor did I care that we weren't in sync with our paddling.
"Stop talking and paddle," I insisted and hated that the rest of the kayaks weren't in a hearing distance because we paddled a little slower than them.
The kayak wobbled but I didn't take note, I had one objective in mind and that was to get the hell away from the approaching shark.
"Stop, Mila!" Mitchell scolded, "You're going the wrong direction!"
"Could you stop lecturing me and just paddle or do you want to die?" I panicked.
"I am almost certain it's not a shark and it's pretty far," Mitchell coolly explained.
"Ugh," I groaned under my breath, "Save your lecture! I'll just have to get us to shore myself."
I paddled even faster and didn't care that my arms burned, the kayak was the furthest from steady but it moved at a quicker pace.
"Mila, stop," Mitchell gripped my arm firmly, "Panicking won't help."
I shrugged him off and in the process, the paddle left the water surface and flung backward.
"The fuck!" Mitchell cursed, "Do you want to kill me?"
"Sorry, did I hit you?" I muttered and began paddling again.
"Almost!" he exclaimed. "Take in a deep breath and let me handle this."
"No way! You're too calm!" I countered and while I paddled my body moved from left to right.
"That's the idea!" Mitchell bit back.
"Shut up and let me paddle or I'll throw you in the ocean!" I snapped at him.
"For fuck's sake, do not argue with me right now!" Mitchell used the same tone as me, "Calm down and I'll get us to shore in one piece."
"Bitch-" I was cut off when with one swift movement because of my vigorous paddling and body movement the kayak tipped over.
"Mi..." Mitchell's voice blurred out and was replaced with the sound of gushing water in my ears.
Out of instinct I held my breath and was grateful for the sprayskirt that kept me in the boat but the problem was, I couldn't tip the kayak over again and was left upside down in the water. My lungs felt constricted and I couldn't breathe as panic set in, my mind raced in thoughts of the little girl who once almost drowned and with that the fear of a shark somewhere nearby made my heart erratic.
My eyes were wide open and I spotted Mitchell swim out of the cockpit, he put up his hand and told me to wait. I didn't acknowledge him, panic and anxiety made me throw my arms around and I tried to get out of the kayak so I could reach the surface.
Mitchell furiously shook his head, frowned at me, and put up his hand in a gesture for me to wait. I didn't pay attention; all I knew was that I needed air and needed it urgently.
I reached for the coaming the sprayskirt was safely tucked into but before I could even grip it, my lungs breathed in precious oxygen and the kayak was back on the surface. I panted and basked in all the air I could as I brushed the wet strands of hair off my face.
Mitchell held onto the kayak but was still in the water, he looked pissed but also concerned. "Are you alright?"
I took in a deep breath and exhaled to control my erratic heart, "I'm okay."
Mitchell stared at me with a clenched jaw, "You never listen to me!"
I took in another breath, "Just get us out of here."
Mitchell's gaze softened and he reached for my hand, he caressed over my knuckles and stared into my eyes, "Are you sure you're okay?"
I swallowed and nodded, "Yes, I'm fine," I looked ahead and the fin was almost out of sight, "Please get in before Don Lino comes after your shrimp."
Mitchell's brows furrowed, "Huh?"
"Shark Tale. You know the little shrimp Don Lino forces Lenny to eat and..." I trailed off when Mitchell looked at me as if I was insane. I sighed, "Get in, no one's going to taste your shrimp before I do."
Mitchell shook his head, "Welcome back, Milo."
Mitchell easily got back in and this time around, I listened and allowed him to paddle us to shore. Thankfully, it wasn't very long at all and the presumed shark was no longer in sight. I remained silent and just soaked in the sun, Mitchell asked if I was alright until he was convinced – which was when we reached the shore.
Mitchell got out before me and after a little assistance from him, he offered me a hand and I was set free from the kayak. I was almost dry thanks to the sun but my hair was still damp, I ran my fingers through it and stretched my legs.
"Well, that was a lot of fun," I grinned at Mitchell, "and you thought we wouldn't cooperate."
Mitchell looked at me in dismay, "Everything went smoothly until the shark fiasco."
"I am almost certain it was a shark," I defended myself.
"Shark?" Another voice spoke before Mitchell could and we turned our attention to the short man who was the kayak instructor.
"There are no sharks, you saw a Mola Mola," he grinned, "They are harmless sunfish. We have spotted him a few times this last week."
Well, now I feel like an ass.
"Are you sure?" I asked and ignored the look Mitchell gave me.
"Si," the friendly man replied, "Shark sightings are very rare here."
"I hope you had fun, I even saw the attempted Eskimo roll," he chuckled, "Nice try, you almost had it."
Mitchell scoffed under his breath, "Eskimo roll."
"If you wish to purchase pictures, you can at the admin office down there," the instructor pointed to the little building a few feet away.
He smiled once more and walked off. I chewed on my lip and stared up at Mitchell from under my lashes.
He shook his head, "I'm not in the habit of saying this but... I told you so."
"I was just being cautious alright, sue me," I defended my actions. "By the way, what the hell is an Eskimo roll?"
"Righting a capsize, it's meant to be cool," Mitchell replied, "What you did was not cool."
"Fine, sorry," I mumbled in a small voice and took a step closer, "I just didn't want you to get eaten."
Mitchell gave me a look, "Sure." He gestured to the PFD, "Put down the paddle and let's get this off you."
With the paddle in my hand, I looked up at him with a suggestive grin, "Or we can have one Ninja fight before we leave."
"I'm going to regret this but what?" Mitchell asked as if I just spoke to him in a foreign language.
I grasped the paddle with both hands and did a ridiculous ninja pose, "One fight and we can leave."
Mitchell took a step back, scratched the corner of his lip, and looked at me as if I was insane, "Not gonna happen."
I rolled my eyes and tossed the paddle on the ground, "You're so boring."
"No, I'm an adult," he stepped closer to me and undid the strap and buckle of my lifejacket. He removed it, tapped my nose, and asked, "Do you want pictures?"
It was my turn to look at him as if he were speaking a foreign language, "Do you even need to ask?"
Mitchell set himself free of his life jacket, ran his fingers through his damp hair, and said, "Okay, I'll be right back." He was about to walk off but stopped and looked at me, "Try not to injure yourself with the equipment."
I narrowed my eyes at him, "I'm not five."
With a chuckle, he turned on his heel and left. While Mitchell ran off to purchase pictures, I decided to return our life jackets and paddles.
"Stupid Bitchell doesn't want to spar with me," I murmured under my breath as I glanced at the paddle I dropped on the sand. I rolled my eyes at how boring he was, he refused to playfully spar and stopped me from living out my childhood dream of being a ninja.
I bent to pick up the paddle and just as my fingers rolled around the stick, I felt a hand on my waist. Out of instinct, I immediately spun around with the paddle in my hand, and in the process, the blade of the paddle knocked Mitchell right in the crotch.
My jaw dropped, eyes widened and I tossed the paddle on the sand when Mitchell groaned out in pain and fell to his knees on the ground.
"Fuck!" Mitchell groaned. His face was red with pain and his hand covered over his crotch.
"Oh shit, I kayaked you in the nuts," I mumbled and immediately ran to his aid.
"I'm so sorry," I hesitated for a moment before I placed my hand on his shoulder.
Mitchell ground his teeth and shut his eyes; I must've hit him pretty hard. I rubbed over his arms and felt awfully guilty. "I'm sorry, are you okay?" I sheepishly muttered.
Mitchell looked up at me through angry eyes, "What do you think?"
I bit onto my lip, apologized to him once more, and lowered my gaze to his crotch, "I'm sorry, Junior."
Mitchell snapped his angry gaze at me and I put up a hand defensively, "Sorry," I mumbled before I asked seriously, "Are you going to be okay?"
"I'll live," Mitchell said with a strained voice from pain, "Not so sure about our future kids."
Hold up, our future what now?
I froze at his words; he was in a lot of pain so he might've not realized what he said but did he just refer to his future kids as ours? I wasn't sure how to react to his statement so I pushed aside my thoughts and reached for him.
"Can you stand?" I asked, "I can help if you want."
Mitchell deeply sighed, "I'll be fine."
I pursed my lips and the look of pain on his face subsided a smidge, "I guess it's just me and my fingers tonight."
Mitchell deeply frowned and asked in a snappy tone, "What?!"
I glanced at his crotch and then up at him, "You're kinda out of order for the night, no?"
Mitchell glared icily at me and said between gritted teeth, "Mila!"
I chuckled and pulled him to my midriff. I hugged him and kissed the top of his head, "I'm really sorry," I kissed him once more, "I was just trying to make light of the situation but I promise I'll take care of you."
Mitchell's chest raised and sunk when he deeply sighed, "I can't believe you got me there...again."