“I beg your pardon?”
Ignoring her outrage, he continued smoothly, “The swimming pool over there is yours, and all the staterooms on this part of the deck are yours too.You might want to go and rifle through your dressing room to find something suitable to wear to eat for lunch with a billionaire.”
“A chastity belt?”Amber suggested acidly.
“I’d only have to waste time unlocking it.And whatever you choose to wear, put on a bikini underneath.I’ve ordered the captain to heave to after lunch so we can go swimming offshore.”
“In the sea?”
“Unless you’ve perfected a way of swimming on land I don’t know about.”
She glanced at the crystal pool.
“So boring, don’t you think?”Alexei murmured.
Lunch was delicious,and later in her dressing room Amber found a few choice items of clothing, which she rifled through like a fashionista at a sample sale.Then it occurred to her that some previous girlfriend might have left them behind, and she drew her hands back quickly.A note she’d missed explained everything.Alexei had bought them for her.
Dressed in a daring bikini, she plunged into the sea with delight.The swim was so refreshing and so much fun, and Alexei was the best companion ever—
And she had to stop right there, Amber told herself firmly.This was not the start of a romance with a man who made her heart sing.This was a steamy affair with no rules, unless she made them.However she felt about Alexei, as far as Alexei was concerned, she was just another notch on his exquisitely fashioned headboard.
She was glad she’d thought like that when they got back to the boat and they parted to go to their own quarters, because half an hour later she heard Alexei’s helicopter take off, and he hadn’t even bothered to say good-bye.He hadn’t said anything at all.
And why would he?
Russian Thunderwasdue to dock in the Canary Islands, where it was summer all year round.Amber enjoyed what was loosely called “access all areas” on the vessel, but in actual terms, this referred to the public areas of the ship and her own quarters.A detailed map had been provided to her, along with a provisioning budget equal to the annual GDP of a small country.She would be responsible for ensuring that Alexei’s superyacht was always billionaire-ready, even in his absence, and who knew how long that would be?She had kept herself busy while he’d been away, checking inventory in each of the twelve lavish staterooms, making sure they were superyacht clean and fully stocked with every possible amenity for any guests Alexei might choose to invite on board…
Female guests?
And if he did invite a woman on board, what business was it of hers?Realistically, she was a stewardess, stand-in chef, and lay-down, as and when required, fuck buddy.There was no point in pretending that he had any serious intentions toward her, and no guarantees when it came to making her part of his team.
They moored offshore when they reached the largest of the Canary Islands, and the crew was taken off the ship in rubber ribs with high-powered engines.The head chef was one of the last to leave.“You should take a swim,” he advised as he prepared to disembark.“It’s quite safe here—in every respect,” he added significantly, reminding her of the dangers she’d faced in Monte Carlo.“The waters are safe and clean and quite warm.Make the most of the time to yourself while you can,” he suggested.
Why not?She thanked him for leaving everything ready for her and waved him off.It was a beautifully warm day, and the clear blue sea was tempting.She just had to wait for a delivery of some things she had ordered for Christmas, and then she intended to take the chef’s advice.
There werea few rowing boats bobbing about, but apart from that, there was just Amber, the sea, and the warm sun overhead.Rolling over onto her back, she relaxed, floating on the water and allowing her body to be gently buffeted by the waves.
The next thing she knew, something touched her, and she was thrashing and choking as she tried to escape—
“I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Alexei drawled.
“You failed,” she exclaimed, still badly shaken.
He caught her close.
“What?Are you going to drown me now?”she demanded as she tried to catch her breath.“Could you please announce your arrival next time you want to surprise me in the sea?”
“With a fanfare of trumpets?”he suggested, but there was concern in his eyes.
“Just let me know when you’re coming back next time, okay?”
“You know me better than that Amber, but I missed you,” he admitted before she could take him to task on his first comment.“You shouldn’t be swimming on your own,” he added, drawing her close until she could feel every hot and hard inch of him.
Alexei wanted her.Yeah, right.No doubt he’d missed the great sex while he’d been away.There was a yawning gulf between great sex and a lasting relationship, and it would be wrong to mistake one for the other.But as he started teasing her with almost-kisses, his mouth was warm and persuasive, and whispered words in his own language sealed the spell.He tasted so good, so warm, so familiar, and she wanted him.Pressed up close like this, she couldn’t be angry that he’d been away.She could only be pleased that he was back.
“Better now?”he murmured, holding her at arm’s length so he could stare into her eyes.
She shrugged, playing it cool, but she felt like a Catherine wheel, throwing off sparks of happiness in every direction just because he was back.
