Should she be quite so happy about that?Wasn’t this slipping deeper into his life everything she’d vowed not to do?But could she stop herself, even had she wanted to?Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes and knew the answer to that was a definite no.
“Happy Christmas!”she called out as she backed into Alexei’s stateroom with a tray.
“What’s this?”he asked, opening one eye.
“Room service?”
“Excellent,” he murmured, raising himself up in bed to view her dressed in a skimpy robe.
Putting the tray down on the side, she sat cross-legged on the bed in front of him.
“Presents?”he exclaimed, frowning as he weighed up the contents of the tray.
“Only little things,” she explained.
“You didn’t tell me you’d bought presents.”
“But these don’t count, because they’re only small.Well, aren’t you going to open them?You can’t expect Santa Claus to bring the reindeer all the way out here only for you to ignore his lovely gifts.”
“You bought these for me?”
“Yes.”She shook the gaudy red stocking.“Take a look.”
“Mints?”Alexei’s frown deepened as he brought out the packet of mints.
“For your polo ponies?Come on—hurry up.”
He hummed as he reached inside again.“Glow corks?”Angling his chin, he stared at her in bemusement.
“So you can find your vodka in the dark,” Amber explained.
“Excellent.”Nodding, he concealed a smile as he put the glow corks to one side.“I take it they form a set with the light-up ice cubes?”The next thing out of the stocking.
“Belt and braces?”Amber agreed solemnly.
“Build my own yacht?”Alexei queried, finding it even harder to smother a smile as he brought out the next small gift.
“It’s always good to have a spare,” Amber assured him.
“And last, but not least…” He delved inside.
“The billionaire bath duck,” she announced as he brought it out.“You do love your bath,” she observed, “and this duck is a billionaire by day and a vigilante crime fighter by night, as you can tell from his uniform—”
Reaching for her wrist, he caught her close.“You do know I haven’t got you anything else, don’t you?”
“Mouse is enough.I don’t want anything else.”
“Of course you do,” he argued.“You need a good man—someone who appreciates you and who can give you all the little things you need.”
“I don’t need little things,” she assured him with a steady look and an attempt at humor, but there was hurt behind her eyes.
The day rolled out like the most perfect Christmas Day, if they could just forget that it was a moment in time and not forever, Amber thought.They swam and they sunbathed and ate all the lovely food the chef had prepared for them, and then they made love as if there was no end in sight and only endless, perfect now.
It was suppertime when perfect got tarnished.
They had decided to dress for dinner and were loading the trolley in the galley before taking it onto the deck, where the beautifully set dining table was waiting for them.Alexei had chosen her dress, a slim column of silver silk.He looked like a film star in exquisitely tailored taupe linen pants and blue shirt.He’d just wheeled the food trolley onto the deck, when he remembered something.
“I almost forgot to give you this,” he said as he plunged a hand into his top pocket.
