"Ouch."
He blanched. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine. I know what you meant." I unfurled the perfectly pleated napkin and draped it across my lap. "Don't get me wrong. It's a little disconcerting to think of the disparity in our incomes in such real-world terms."
"But?" He waved off the crew members hovering nearby. "We'll let you know if we need anything."
"Yes, Mr. Novakovsky."
When they were gone, I answered Yuri. "But—I agreed to try to not let the money stuff bother me so I'm going to smile and pretend I'm not cringing inside at what it's costing you to help me."
Yuri leaned over and cupped the back of my neck. Holding my gaze, he asked, "What's the use of all this money if I can't do good things with it?"
"I'm not sure giving money to a cartel to ransom my father back is such a good thing," I whispered in embarrassment.
"Will it make you smile to see your father safe and sound?"
"Yes."
"Then I'd gladly spend ten times what this weekend is costing me to see you smile."
He meant every word of it—and I loved him for it. "Thank you."
He tapped his lips. "Kiss me and we'll call it even."
Happy to oblige, I leaned forward and pressed my mouth to his. "I love you."
With a teasing smile, he pushed the wispy ends of my hair behind my shoulder. "You're only saying that because you want me to hand over my credit card and unleash you on those high-end shops in Monte Carlo."
"You know me so well."
He teased his mouth across mine. "I'm not completely joking. I am taking you out for a shopping trip after lunch."
"What? Why?"
"Because I want to spoil you." He lifted one of the covered dishes and started to serve himself. "After last night, you deserve it."
I wasn't so sure about that but I wasn't about to argue with him. He derived immense pleasure from showering me with expensive, beautiful things and I rather enjoyed receiving them. Running my finger over the gold cuff adorning my wrist, I decided this was one of those compromises that I was happy to make for him.
Last night's terrifying experience had shown me that life was too short and too damn unpredictable to be constantly second-guessing everything. Yuri and I were going to have the occasional arguments and there were subjects we'd probably never agree upon—but that was simply part of being in a constantly evolving and growing relationship.
And he was worth it. God, he was so worth it.
"Eat. It's getting cold."
I selected portions from the yummiest looking dishes and sipped the crisp champagne. As I nibbled on some crispy bacon, I caught Yuri watching me. Feeling self-conscious, I dabbed at my mouth with a napkin. "What?"
Shaking his head, he leaned back in his chair to observe me better. "I'm simply thinking about how very perfect you look here."
"I don't know about perfect…"
"You are." He picked up his fork and tucked back into his breakfast. "You have no idea how many times I've been on this yacht—"
"With other women," I hazarded a guess.
He had the decency to look chagrined. "Yes—but it never felt like this. With you, this all feels…natural." He paused and seemed to be thinking of the perfect words to describe what he felt. "It all finally feels right."
I understood him perfectly. "I know this is going to sound sappy and overly romantic so don't laugh."
"Never," he promised with a tiny smile playing upon his lips.
"I honestly can't imagine going through this with anyone else. I finally understand why Erin and Ivan were bonded together so quickly. I know why Benny jumped in with both feet when it came to Dimitri."
"Yes. In fact, I suspect I owe Ivan an apology. I wasn't exactly easy on him when he told me he'd asked Erin to move in with him after knowing her for a month."
"It was five weeks."
He chuckled at my correction. "All right. Five weeks."
"And you made me move into your house after a late night taco truck dinner and a bowl of cereal!"
He grunted and stabbed a slice of melon with a fork. "It was a little more complicated than that."
Thinking of our wild week together, I nodded. "Just a little."
As we finished our lovely, private breakfast, I yawned. We'd left Houston around noon on Thursday but had arrived here on Friday morning. The time difference and the lack of good sleep over the last few days was starting to take its toll.
"Let's get you settled in so you can have a long nap," Yuri said as he led me across the public rooms of the yacht to the private corridors.
I rubbed his chest. "What about you?"
"I caught a nap on the flight. I'll be fine."
I studied him. "Are you sure? I can feel the stress radiating from you."
He nuzzled my ear. "You'll have to do something about that later."
I blushed. "Yes, I'm sure I can think of something."
"I'm confident you will."
We entered the spacious master suite. The view of the sea took my breath away. I hurried across the room to stand before the squeaky clean glass so I could take it all in and really enjoy it. "This is so beautiful, Yuri."
Coming up behind me, he embraced me and pressed his cheek to mine. "We'll go sailing in the summer. There are so many gorgeous ports of call I want to show you."
I wasn’t quite sure how we were going to make a vacation like that mesh with our work schedules—I assumed I'd be fully employed by the summer—but I trusted we'd find a way to make it gel. "I'd really like that."
"All of your bags have been unpacked. Tatiana, the head maid, will see to any of your needs. There's a card on the bedside table listing the crew member extensions."
A quiver of guilt shook me. "I shouldn't be enjoying this so much."
Yuri stepped in front of me. Hands on my shoulders, he frowned down at me. "Why would you say something like that?"
"My dad is being held hostage by a crazy drug lord and my cousin got his arm nearly ripped off by a dog the other night. They're both hoping they won't be next on the hit list of some cartel assassin—and me?" I gestured to the glittering blue sea. "I'm floating in the middle of the Mediterranean and enjoying the kind of luxurious life most people can only dream about, Yuri."
"I don’t particularly care what your cousin thinks of all this but your father? I'm sure your father would want you to enjoy what little pleasures you can find right now. He loves you and he wants you to be happy." Yuri dragged his fingertips down my cheek. "He knows we're doing everything we can to get him home."
"I know."
Yuri tipped my chin and traced his thumb across my lower lip. "When we have all of this ugliness behind us, we'll take your father with us on a long cruise of the Caribbean. How does that sound?"
"Like a lot of fun," I answered with a smile.
"Good. Then it's settled. Now you can enjoy this trip guilt-free."
I had to smile at the simplistic way he sometimes viewed things. It wouldn't be that easy to flip my guilt switch off but I appreciated his advice. I couldn't imagine my father being disappointed or resentful or angry with me about any of this.
"Did Derek fix your phone so you can receive and send calls from here?"
"Yes. I'm hopeless with the time change. When will I hear from my dad again?"
He glanced at his watch. "He calls around seven, yes? So that will be one o'clock in the afternoon here."
"Okay."
Yuri began plucking free the buttons lining the front of my blouse. "I want you to get comfortable and rest. Understood?"
"Yes." I glanced around the room in search of the closet where they'd probably stowed my things. "I should probably dig out my pajamas."
"No." He dragged my shirt off my shoulders and draped it over a nearby chair. "The images of you naked in my bed are the only things that will get me through my day in the office."
I worried about the pipeline deal. While we'd been flying to Paris, the news of the shooting had hit the press.
I wanted to apologize for the mess I'd dragged to his door but I recognized that it wasn’t going to help. He didn’t want an apology from me anyway. He'd made the perfectly clear.
Standing still, I let him undress me. He made sure to cup and squeeze and pinch every inch of plump flesh that interested him. I giggled as he swept me off my feet and put me to bed. Crawling over me, he grasped my wrists and dragged them over my head. I experienced the most deliciously illicit thrill at being held in place my by him.
He must have read it in my face because he quirked his head to the side. "How would you feel if I tied you up some night?"
I licked my lips. "Just tie me up? Nothing weird like spanking?"
He laughed softly. "I take it Benny's been telling you stories of Dimitri's dirty little penchants."
I squirmed uncomfortably. "She's told me a few things."
"Relax, Kitten. I'm not into that sort of thing. I wouldn't pass up the chance to tie you down and worship this sexy fucking body—but that's as far as I want to go."
The description of what he wanted to do to me left my mouth dry. "We should really try that soon."
He laughed harder and kissed me long and hard and deep. "You little vixen! You're trying to keep me away from my business meetings."
I wrapped my thighs around his waist and tugged him down against me. "I wouldn't dare do such a sneaky, underhanded thing."
Yuri captured my mouth in a sensual kiss. His tongue swiped mine a few times. Sucking my lower lip, he nibbled it gently and left me vibrating with lust. "Later," he promised. "But right now I really do have to take care of business matters."
I smiled up at him and let my legs slide back to the mattress. "If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know."
He moved off of me and tugged the thin sheet over me. "Would you mind looking over some of the materials my PR team is putting together? I know that energy and environmental concerns are outside your area of expertise but you have good instincts."
"Sure. Of course. I'm sure your team has it under control but I'd like the chance to get to know your business better. It would be nice to have a better grasp on the issues you're facing when we sit down at the dinner table every night."
"See?" He said with a pleased grin. "Now you're talking as if we really are partners."
Rolling on my side, I watched Yuri leave the room. The giddy smile tugging at the corners of my lips couldn't be suppressed. I hoped this was one partnership that never ended.
* * *
Later that evening, I reclined on a comfortable chaise lounge stationed in the secluded and totally private balcony off the master suite. The sliding door between the two spaces was wide open. Yuri had already slipped into his pajama bottoms for the night but paced back and forth as he chatted on the phone with Niels. I hadn't met this elusive Danish friend yet but he seemed to be one hell of a guy for putting this mini-poker tournament together for Yuri.
After an afternoon of shopping and the most delicious dinner at one of the top restaurants in the world, I wanted nothing more than to prop up my tired, aching feet and enjoy the gentle sea breeze. A stack of the public relations materials and the prospectus for the pipeline sat on my lap. The lamp next to me provided enough illumination to read through the detailed information provided.
Reading through the spiral-bound reports, I spotted Yuri's notes in the margins and on the actual copy. It was clear that he was extremely hands-on and had very strong opinions when it came to the business. It also became clear to me how many levels of management and acquisition there were between Yuri and the rest of his workforce. Even so, the firm ran as one well-oiled machine.
"Has that bored you to sleep yet?" Yuri had a smile in his voice as he came out onto the deck.
"Not quite," I said and shifted the stack to the small table near me. My lustful gaze roamed his sexy chest. Shirtless and awash in the warm glow from the lamp, he looked so damn hot. "I'm very impressed with the organizational setup you have. If I ever start my own company, you'll have to give me pointers."
"If?" He turned to face me and leaned back against the high railing. The position exposed the corrugated plank of his finely-toned abdomen. "Is there any doubt that you won't be going into business on your own or with Ty?"
I shrugged and pulled my knees toward my chest. "I'll have to see what he has to offer at our rescheduled meeting."
"How did he take that?"
I snorted indelicately. "He made sure to send me some rather melodramatic texts earlier after I posted pics of us shopping together. I let him know that he's not in your league and if he wants a minute of my time he has to up his game."
Yuri chuckled. "I'm sure he found that amusing."
I thought of the colorful text he'd sent me. "Sure. We'll go with amusing."
"Do you think you can work with him? And be honest with yourself, Lena. There's nothing worse than being in business with someone who grates on your nerves and tries your patience."
"Honestly, I really like Ty. I think he can be difficult at times but the same can be said for me." Dropping my gaze in embarrassment, I confessed, "The bouncers at 716 called me the Dragon Lady."
Yuri's belly laugh got my attention. Head thrown back, he practically guffawed at that embarrassing tidbit. "Dragon Lady, huh?"
Rolling my eyes, I fought the urge to smack him with one of the thicker reports. "So I could be a little testy at times."
"Testy?"
I thought of the first few run-ins I'd had with Yuri, before we'd been friends and when he'd totally offended me. "Yes, I guess you have seen me at my worst."
"Sexiest," he clarified. "You have no idea how sexy you are when you cross your arms and tap that foot."
I gawked at him. "You're joking."
"No." He crossed the deck and nudged my thigh with his bare foot. "Move over."
I happily slid to the side of the wide, low chaise lounge so he could join me. When he was resting on his back, I curled up against him. "Is everything set for tomorrow night?"
"Yes." He threaded his fingers through my hair in that soothing way I'd come to love. "Niels has already spoken to the rest of the gang—Archer, Misha, and Tari—so they're fully apprised of the situation at hand and the necessity of me getting back that painting."
"Why can't you make an offer on it?"
"Niels already tried. He even tried again with an anonymous buyer but Jerry—the man who has the painting in his possession—knows the painting is hot. He doesn't want the wrong kind of attention right now."
"So what's the plan?"
"In a lucky coincidence, Jerry has been asking to join our poker games for years. Niels offered him a spot but only if he buys-in with the painting."
I thought of all the ways this setup could go wrong. "How good are you at poker?"
"I'm not as good as Mikhail or Tari but I'm all right."
"What if you lose?"
"It doesn't matter. As long as Jerry doesn't win—and he won't—the painting will end up in my hands tomorrow night."
"You sound very confident."
"I refuse to go into that game feeling anything less."
That was one strategy for keeping his head in the right place. "Are all of your friends already in town?"
"I saw a helicopter flying out to Misha's yacht a while ago. Tari came with him apparently. Archer and Niels are at a hotel in Monte Carlo. They invited us to a party they're having but I declined."
"Because of me?"
"No." He rubbed my back. "Because I'm tired and because I don't think you'd like the kinds of parties those two throw."
My curiosity wouldn't let me rest. "Um…what kind of party is that?"
He hesitated. "Let's just say those two are deeply into a certain lifestyle that involves a lot of leather and collars and riding crops."
Pushing up on my palms, I stared down at him. "No way! You have super kinky friends?"
He laughed. "These two make Dimitri's restraint fantasies seem like child's play." r />
"Wow." I started to put my head back down on his chest but another thought gripped me. Holding his gaze, I asked, "Have you ever been to one of their parties?"
He reluctantly nodded. "Once, seven or eight years ago, I went to the private club the pair owns in London. It was an eye-opening experience."
Feeling fluttery with excitement, I drew my initials on his bare chest. "Did you like what you saw?"
"Some of it aroused me but most of it was too far outside my comfort zone to make feel anything but distaste. I had my ass beat enough as a child to associate only pain and suffering with canes and paddles and whips. It does nothing for me."
I sensed he didn't want to take a trip down memory lane to his childhood in that rotten orphanage so I let that comment go. Instead, I focused on the part that interested me most. Walking my fingers down his tummy, I asked, "What did you see that aroused you?"
As if reading my mind, he shifted his hips. "Niels showed me to a private room. It had one of those one-way mirrors like you see on cop shows. You know, for interrogation rooms? I could see the group in the room but they couldn't see me."
My heart started to race as he described the risqué scene. I swept my hand over the tented fabric rising higher and higher just below his navel. "What were they doing?"
"There were four of them. Three men and a woman," he clarified. "They'd set up this kinky interrogation-themed fantasy. By the looks of it, the woman was supposed to be a hooker. The men were police officers. They were making damn good use of their cuffs."
I slipped my hand into his pajama bottoms and encountered his hot, naked skin. My fingertips brushed the steely heat of his erection. "Tell me more."
His breath hitched in his throat as I grasped his cock and stroked him slowly. "It was the first and only time I'd ever seen a real woman take more than one man. Not a porn star, you understand. It was—intense."
I let my hand move lower and cupped his heavy sac. Not sure I'd like the answer, I asked the question that had me a little worried. "Is that something you want to try in real life?"
His chuckle rumbled through his chest and into my cheek. "No. I think that there are some fantasies that are best left in that realm." Reaching down, he covered my hand with his. "I think I'd probably end up in jail if I had to watch another man touching you." He paused. "Unless you wanted to—"