“That’s blackmail,” her grandmother said, her eyes narrowing behind her rimless lenses.
“Yes,” Edwina said.“It doesn’t feel nice, does it?Right, what do I need to do to help with lunch?”
Her mother stood and hugged her while her father shook hands with Mikhail.
The rest of the afternoon was smooth sailing, although Edwina caught her grandmother’s glare several times.Edwina scowled right back, and her grandmother looked away first.
Later that night, Edwina lay in bed with Mikhail’s arms wrapped around her.
“Thank you for your support, Mikhail.”
“Always,” he said, tugging on a strand of her hair.“I love you.”
“You are my heart mate.We’re lucky everything turned out all right,” Edwina murmured.
“Not luck.Fate.”
Edwina chuckled.“That too.”She reached up to kiss her mate, and their kiss and the resulting lovemaking lasted for a long, very satisfying time.
Epilogue
Abrightorangeandwhite fish streaked past, so close to her nose that Edwina gasped.Excitement and wonder filled her, and she rolled her body in the water, searching for Mikhail.He swam easily behind her, his gaze almost as blue as the Bora Bora Sea, even through the snorkel mask.
A flash of movement to her right snared her attention, and Mikhail halted beside her, pointing to the coral reef.Two leopard rays swam over the top of the reef, their rippling progress like a ballet, so graceful were the spotted pair.
After a week of swimming, snorkeling, and lazing around their over-water bungalow, she should be used to the stunning beauty of the island, but seeing the fish in their natural habitat and watching the glorious sunsets above the mountains never failed to stun her.
Mikhael tapped her on the shoulder, and she surfaced, treading water, and letting the small waves nudge her toward the shore.
“Are you hungry?”Mikhail asked.
“Famished,” she said with a grin.“Did you see the angelfish?And the clownfish that almost collided with my nose.I don’t know which of us was more surprised.And the starfish.They’re such pretty colors.I’m a little sad about leaving tomorrow, although I’m looking forward to our stopover in New York.”
Mikhail’s mouth twitched.“You’ve mentioned this a time or two.”
“Thank you for this awesome holiday.”
Mikhail drew Edwina close for a kiss, and his lips lingered, tasting of salt and the ocean.“Spending time with you—my darling wife—is reward enough.It was you that kept me going through the Bridget situation when I wanted to wring her neck.”
“Charming.”
“That is not a word I’d ever associate with Bridget Smirnoff,” Mikhail said drily.“Now if you’d mentioned barracuda…”
Edwina grinned.“Do you want to go ashore for a meal at the restaurant, or have something delivered to our bungalow?”
“I’ve made plans for our last dinner.”He tapped her nose before lifting her onto the stairs that led from the water to their thatched bungalow.“Secret plans.This afternoon I’d like to relax and watch the water.The guy who delivered our breakfast told me he’d seen a pod of dolphins close to the lagoon.”
Edwina released a happy sigh.“I love the sea.Don’t get me wrong.I love the forests and mountains too, because it means we can shift and run in privacy, but it’s fun seeing the fish and birds, falling asleep to the wave’s music, and waking to that incredible view.And that bathtub.It is amazing.”
“We could order a tub for two at home.”
Edwina laughed.“We’d never get our work done.Your shower is enough of a distraction.”
“Our shower.”
Edwina reached for Mikhail’s hand and threaded their fingers together.“Ourshower is the best.I’m craving a French baguette with ham, cheese, and tomato.How does that sound?”
“Perfect with a cold beer.”
