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Suddenly they reached clear water and picked up speed As the boat bu on the waves and out to the sea, spray landed on her bare arms and face and the hipped at her hair She looked at him but he stared stubbornly ahead, eyes fixed on the horizon
‘Where exactly are we going?’ she asked, as they rounded the bay and a huge white yacht came into view
He nodded ‘On that—where I’m pretty sure on’t be disturbed’
They pulled alongside and waited as the water impatiently slapped the sides of the boat and her sensitive nose picked up the scent of salty ocean ht, men appeared from nowhere—all of them poised, it seemed, to help her on board
‘OK, I’ve got this,’ barked Matteo, and they melted away ‘Ruby?’
She slid her hands into his as he helped her aboard hat seeentleness Then they walked up through one deck into another and right into the prow of the ship, where tiny lights were draped around the wooden railings and a single table was set for dinner for two
‘Oh!’ she gasped ‘Is this for us?’
Maids appeared with vases of white roses and domed silver platters
‘For you,’ he said, pulling out her chair as if it was no big deal ‘And just one ’
He reached out and pressed a button and the roof retracted, opening theh, and fro The distant sounds of the party ru breeze stirred the trails of bunting that clung prettily to the ropes
It was the most romantic scene she’d ever witnessed She had been prepared for denial, a fight, maybe even a pay-off, but she hadn’t been prepared for kindness or consideration or—romance?
Maybe it was Matteo’s way of softening her up, lulling her into giving in to his will She sat straight in her seat She wasn’t going to make any of this easy for him
‘OK We’re here now, and we’ve got a lot to talk about, but I suggest we take this slowly,’ he said, easing his large frarace that, even now, she found irresistibly alluring ‘I don’t want to rush into talking about things that are bigger than anything we’ve ever had to deal with before We’re going to take a little tiain—you know, build up some trust You OK with that?’