Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Alexei had a video conference with his colleagues in the Blood and Thunder polo team booked for noon, so Amber and Alexei reluctantly, lingeringly, and loath to stop touching each other, parted company at ten.
So now she would shower and change into her crew uniform.
And possibly—probably—definitely, think about Alexei all day.
Once you’d tasted ice, there was no turning back.
Amber swung around to glance one last time through the door as it closed behind her.
And breathe. Complete with hard, tanned muscles glistening in the suds, and what looked like a day’s worth of stubble, Alexei was still lolling in his billionaire-sized bath in his billionaire-sized facilities “Plutocrat,” she flung over her shoulder as she let the door swing shut on his marble temple to everything that was way beyond her reach.
“Mouth,” he drawled contentedly as the door closed, sinking lower into the water.
“Yeah, and don’t you love it,” Amber murmured, smiling as she turned to go.
Pausing, she rested back against the door for a few moments to relive some incredible times from some utterly amazing hours. She hadn’t realized she could feel so close to someone or that sex could be so good. She had never dreamed she could experience such a wealth of feeling for anyone.
And that was dangerous, she thought as she straightened up. It was so easy to daydream when Alexei was in the frame. He might be amazing in every way, but she had to think of him as a one-off treat, a Christmas bonus. It was just too bad that her heart wanted so much more.
The friends she was starting to make on board were already busy in the galley. There was a lot to prepare when a billionaire yacht owner decided to give his staff the day off.
This would all be rich fodder for her article, Amber thought as she gazed around at what appeared to be organized chaos, though everyone seemed to be moving on prepared tracks and at the speed of light.
She had already decided that her first article would concentrate on shipboard life, and the next, whatever she could find out about the famous polo team when they reached Isla Celeste.
She would never kiss and tell—not that she could say much about Alexei’s private life, because, in spite of how close they’d become, he had very successfully kept her locked out of that part of his life, and what she had discovered would stay between them.
Trust was like a green shoot and easily trampled, and she had no intention of doing that.
She watched the head chef for a while, wielding his knife like a ninja warrior, and found herself wondering if he was yet another soldier in Alexei’s army.
Every man in the galley, now she looked around, could easily be warrior material.
Whatever else they were, Alexei’s team was highly professional and hugely loyal to Alexei.
It was soon clear how much they respected him, but they liked him and trusted him too.
“I can’t believe I’m supposed to be taking over from you for Christmas,” she told the chef, blanching at the sight of the insignia on his jacket that marked him out as a member of the elite Cha?ne des R?tisseurs.
“What are you like at speed training a novice, whose specialty is hot pot and cheese on toast?”
He reassured her with a grin. “Don’t worry. I’ll leave everything ready for you, with instructions as to how things work around here. And if you get stuck, I know caterers in every port.”
“I can’t thank you enough,” she said with a sigh of relief. “How long will it take to reach Isla Celeste once we set sail?”
“Are you eager to get there?”
Recognizing the voice, she spun around to see Alexei looking stunning in nothing more than a fresh pair of jeans and a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He was leaning back against the door watching her with a faintly amused look in his eyes.
“We’ll leave most of the crew in the Canary Islands,” he explained, pulling away from the wall. “A skeleton crew will take us the rest of the way to Isla Celeste, our home port.” Alexei paused before adding, “I’m here because I need you on deck right away, Ms. Smith.”
Everyone in the kitchen was suddenly too busy to look up.
“Of course, sir,” Amber said.
“Keep that up,” Alexei murmured as he held the door for her and she walked past him. “You can call me sir, and I might even ask you to salute me next time.”
“Don’t push it,” she warned.
“You look great in uniform, by the way.”
She gave him a look as Alexei stood back at the elevator, allowing her to enter before him. They stood facing each other in silence as the small cabin rose. The tension rose too. It was only when the doors finally opened that Amber realized how on edge she had become.
Alexei steered her in front of him onto the deck. “What do you think?” he asked as he turned her to face the view.
“Wow,” Amber breathed. The cliffs looming out of the sea as they sailed past were ivory, while the land beyond was emerald green. The sea was a tranquil aquamarine speckled with diamond light, and the sky was a cloudless cobalt blue.
“Beautiful, huh?’ Alexei murmured.
“You are a master of understatement.”
“Late lunch?” he suggested
“In my uniform?”
“You must be hungry. I know I am.”
She loved him even more for the dismissive gesture and the way his lips pressed down, as if whatever she wore was fine by him so long as they were together.
I love him?
Fantasies were one thing, but believing they were true was a short road to disaster.
The beautifully dressed dining table, glittering with silver and crystal, took her mind elsewhere for a while, if only because it reminded her how hungry she was. She hadn’t eaten for hours—and not properly for days. “I’m starving,” she admitted, her mouth watering as she looked at the food.
“I’m glad you agree it’s time to eat,” Alexei told her as he held her chair. “It’s important for you to keep your strength up.”
The look in his eyes was wicked, and she had to rejig her thoughts quickly when the waiter asked if she would like a glass of water as well as champagne.
“Are you comfortable on board?” Alexei asked, confining his questions to the mundane while there was crew about, she thought.
“My cabin’s got everything I need,” she confirmed. “It’s very comfortable, thank you.”
“I’m pleased to hear it, but you won’t be needing it for the rest of the trip.”
A sliver of ice coursed through her. It was time to forget romance and remember she was seated at a table with a ruthless man.
Seeing the alarm in her eyes, Alexei laughed and settled back in his chair. “You mustn’t believe everything you read about me.”
“I’ve seen you in action, remember?”
“You won’t be needing your cabin,” Alexei explained, “because this is now your suite. I hope you like it. This entire deck is your private preserve.”
“My…? That’s quite an upgrade from stewardess and occasional chef,” Amber observed, frowning.
Alexei shrugged. “Just accept that you passed the audition.”
“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 Thunder was due 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?