Chapter 5
On Christmas morning, Lillith found a large orange box on her seat when she came to breakfast, and looked at John in surprise. She recognized the box, tied with brown ribbon. It was from Hermès, one of the stores they had visited the day before.
“What’s that?” she asked, puzzled.
“The crew said they heard sleigh bells last night, and footsteps on deck. They came out to look, but all they heard was a distant ‘Ho, Ho, Ho!’ and they saw lights in the sky. One of them said it looked like a sleigh, but he had too much tequila at the bar last night, so I don’t know how reliable the report is,” he said with a mischievous look, and she smiled.
“John, this trip is the biggest gift I’ve ever had. I don’t deserve a present too.”
“You deserve a whole lot more than a Christmas gift, Lillith.” She had been deprived all her life by her parents, and part of him wanted to make it up to her while another part was afraid to get in too deeply with her, even as a friend.
She was a nice girl, too trusting for her own good, and he didn’t want to take advantage of her, no matter how appealing she was.
He was almost forty years older, and she brought out all his protective instincts and a noble side of him, but reason told him that she deserved a man her own age.
If she were his daughter, he would have said as much.
But selfishly, since he wasn’t her father, he didn’t.
He liked how young and alive she made him feel.
Lillith opened the box cautiously, as though its contents would leap out at her.
She lifted the lid, and folded back the many layers of tissue paper, and there was a square shape in a beige cloth dust bag at the bottom of the box.
She pulled it out and her mouth opened when she removed the dust bag and saw the handbag she had admired at Hermès the day before.
It was a beautiful sleek black leather bag in their Kelly style, an Hermès classic, and she never thought she’d own one.
It was in a small size, in perfect proportion with her.
She gasped as she held it and looked at him.
He was smiling with pleasure. She was thrilled, and it made him happy watching her.
She was so appreciative she got up from her seat, took two steps toward him, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek like any loving daughter, a gesture he hadn’t had from his own daughter in years.
He’d never bought Gabby an Hermès Kelly bag, and she wouldn’t want one.
Gabby dressed plainly, in practical, moderately priced clothes for her work at the hospital in Aspen.
She didn’t like to show off, or let on that she had a rich father.
Many of her patients had modest incomes.
The tourists in Aspen were usually wealthy, but the locals weren’t.
Some had small jobs and could barely pay their rent.
Out of respect for them, Gabby didn’t wear expensive clothes, and she didn’t care about fashion anyway.
She lived in jeans and hiking boots when she wasn’t working or at her office, or Crocs and surgical scrubs at the hospital.
Lillith was stunned by the generosity of John’s gift, and the thoughtfulness of it.
“I think you were the guy in the sleigh last night,” she said to him.
“Absolutely not, I was sound asleep in my bed when they heard it. I think it was the real deal. You must have been a very good girl this year,” he teased her, and she stood up again and said she’d be back in a minute.
She came back a few minutes later with a flat square box and handed it to him.
“It’s just a thought to thank you for bringing me on this trip and making my Christmas so wonderful.
” She lived on her salary, and it wasn’t a big one.
The gift was from Bergdorf Goodman, a luxury department store in New York with high-priced items. He opened it and found four pocket scarves, in white, pink, navy, and red.
She had noticed that he wore them with his suits and blazers, and he smiled broadly when he saw them, and leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“I love them!” he said, and looked delighted.
Neither of them had gotten gifts from their families, although Isabelle had sent him two bottles of very fine Chateau Margaux wine from Bordeaux, for which he had thanked her.
She sent him wine every Christmas. And Lillith’s gift to him was a small token compared to his lavish bag from Hermès, but he had seen how much she liked it.
He had always been generous with Helen too, and had given her jewelry for her birthday and Christmas, all of which Gabby had inherited and would never wear in her simple mountain life.
She had never liked jewelry, unlike her mother, who had loved John’s gifts.
He and Helen had been well matched. He considered their daughter an anomaly. She was a stranger to him.
He and Lillith shared a relaxed breakfast in good spirits.
They lay in the sun afterward, and John glanced over at her several times.
She had her eyes closed, and was getting a nice tan in the Caribbean sunshine.
It wasn’t too hot at this time of year. They went swimming in the sea afterward, and got back to the platform to come onto the boat.
They sat side by side for a moment with their feet dangling to catch their breath.
They were alone, as the deckhand had gone to get something, and John put his arms around Lillith and kissed her, tenderly at first and then passionately, and they were both transported to another level of engagement.
It was a game changer. He was no longer the father figure in her life, he was a man who wanted her as the woman she was, and he was the man she wanted, regardless of their age difference or anything else.
They were both breathless when the deckhand came back with a stack of fresh towels for them, and they looked at each other with sheepish smiles.
They dried off and lay in the sun, and had lunch on deck, speaking in low tones so no one could hear them. As always, the stewards left them alone for privacy while they ate.
John told her he was falling in love with her, which hadn’t happened to him in more than forty years, with Helen.
He hadn’t expected this and neither had Lillith.
His invitation to come on the boat with him had seemed innocent, but she wasn’t entirely sure that it was, for either of them.
He was a sexy, powerful man, and she was a beautiful young woman.
And the combination had set off fireworks for both of them.
They agreed to take it slow and let things develop between them, a promise that lasted until after dinner that night.
When he kissed her good night in front of her cabin door, they were hit by a tidal wave of desire.
He stepped into the bedroom with her, gently pushing the door closed behind them, and their clothes were off in seconds, as they fell into bed and gave way to the emotions that swept over them.
It was soon for them, but they couldn’t resist any longer.
The attraction between them had sparked suddenly and taken off like wildfire.
They were both starving for affection and human contact.
He made her feel safe and protected. And for John, it had been child’s play to win her trust. She had been ripe for the plucking, and he couldn’t hold back.
He loved her vulnerability, her gentleness, and her courage.
She was a brave soul who had survived for a long time in adverse conditions.
The closeness they shared, and the heights of passion he led her to, were ample reward for them both.
—
Charlotte and Ben spent three hours on the interview on Christmas morning.
He had shared so much about his childhood and family history the night before, on a personal level, that most of her remaining questions were about his career and astounding success.
She asked him hard questions about his reputation for being tough, and he said he was both tough and fair.
He worked hard and expected others to do the same.
He drove himself to his limits. He had never shortchanged anyone or lied.
His deals were straightforward and his achievements undeniable.
He was at ease with her now, and spoke well.
He had given her an enormous wealth of information to draw from.
At noon, he stopped her and said they were done.
He said he had a treat for her, and she smiled.
Ben had already told his crew what he wanted, and he walked Charlotte to the rail to show her. She looked down several decks, and there was a tiny sailboat bobbing on the water, held fast by a single line. Sitting next to the mammoth motor yacht, it looked like a child’s toy in the bathtub.
“What’s that?” she asked, intrigued.
“My first love. When I was a kid, I dreamed of having a boat like that. I bought it a few years ago. I take it out when I want to have some fun and need a break. It’s easy to sail, although not as easy as you think. I usually take it out alone, but it can hold two people. Want to go for a sail?”
It was much less reassuring than the Karma, or his tenders and motorboats, but his love for the little boat shone in his eyes and she didn’t want to disappoint him.
He had given her great material for her article, and she could see that the little sailboat meant a lot to him.
She wanted to be a good sport and not seem like a coward.
“I’ll give you a life jacket. It’s the sweetest little boat.” She smiled at him again. He looked like a kid when he said it.