The room was dark, the bed sheets cool as Sandra rolled over, finding and cuddling the empty pillow beside her. She reluctantly sat up, glancing at the clock on the bedside table. The red letters were dim but read two forty-one. She frowned slightly, looking around the darkness. Somehow, the sensation of not having Creighton next to her had filtered into her dreams, and she knew his absence had woken her even before she felt the emptiness beside her. It was as though some unknown force linked them, a tie that bound them together as tightly as his cuffs had held her to his bed.

Sandra looked around at the shadows of furniture to the light that shone softly beneath the door, adjoining the bedroom to his office. She slipped out of bed, pulled on the thick blue robe he gave her after they cleaned up from their last lovemaking session, and softly padded across the floor. She stood outside the room, listening to the soft voice behind the door, and knew he was speaking Italian. Nobody was talking back, so she was certain he was on the phone and felt guilty for attempting to intrude, but she could hear the exasperated sigh, and then silence.

Carefully, Sandra pushed the door open to avoid disturbing his conversation, seeing him sitting in his large leather chair, head back and eyes closed. He wore only a pair of jeans, no shirt to hide his handsome torso. His hair was tossed as though he had been running his hands through it. A laptop computer set open on the elegant desktop, along with a half-full glass of amber-colored liquid. Creighton glanced up as the door opened, then smiled at the woman standing in the shadows.

“Did I wake you?” he asked her softly as she walked into the room.

“No,” she assured him, watching as he shut the computer screen before pushing it aside. “Am I disturbing you?”

“Not at all. I was trying to catch up on some work.”

“How many languages do you speak?” she asked as she reached his desk, sitting on the corner.

“Four fluently. French, Italian, German and of course English, but I can understand a bit of Chinese, Japanese and Russian.”

“And do you always get upset when you speak Italian?”

“What an odd question,” he frowned. “Why would you ask me that?”

“Because I’ve heard you on the phone twice now, and each time you were speaking what I assume was Italian, and both times you were angry.” Creighton sighed again, turning his chair to face her.

“I’m sorry. I suppose I wasn’t aware of it.” He reached toward her and slid her across the short distance of the desk to sit in front of him, then began to caress her long legs from beneath the robe. “I have a business partner that I’ve been having issues with lately.”

“What sort of issues?”

“There’s a girl…just a girl, barely nineteen. Her father is a very influential man and thinks I walked out on her.”

“What do you mean walked out on her?” she asked, silently scolding herself.

She had no right to pry into his private life, but her subconscious reminded her that he had asked her to marry him, so in a way she did have a right.

“She’s a very sweet girl, spoiled rotten of course, but very pretty and very young. She was in her first year of university and since her father and I have had dealings for several years, he asked me to keep an eye on her. You know, make sure she was safe, wasn’t homesick, that sort of thing. She fell in love with an intern in my research and development department in Paris. He’s a smart kid, hardworking, and eager to make his internship a permanent position. All the girls in the office found him quite handsome, which made it easy for him to snag Aryana, but he’s far from being socially equal to her family. They arranged to meet each other on the sly. Either he would go to the home office, in England, and meet up with her there, or she would come here claiming to visit me. After a few months of sneaking around, she became pregnant. Her father learned she was pregnant from another colleague, who accidentally saw her at my office, and told him. He, in turn, assumed it was mine since she used me as her scapegoat for visiting Paris.”

“Oh, dear.” Sandra felt stupid, but she didn’t know what else to say.

“I’ve been trying to convince her to come clean with her father, but she’s afraid of what he might do. Now, it seems the old man has sent two of his boys to bring me back, to fess up to my indiscretions. I was hoping of getting Aryana to go to her father instead, but she’s disappeared somewhere in Paris. I think I know where she is, but I have to get to her before her father or his boys do.”

“Will he force you to marry her?”

“He will try, but it won’t work.”

“Is that why you asked me to marry you?” He looked into her eyes and frowned.

“Is that what you think? I’m using you to get out of a complicated situation?”

“It’s happened before.”

“Only in your books, Sandra. Real-life doesn’t work that way. I asked you to marry me because I’m in love with you. If I needed your help saving me from a dangerous, angry father, I wouldn’t have suggested you think about my proposal. I could just as easily get you drunk, and when you awoke, you’d find yourself married. Isn’t that the sort of thing they do in your romance novels?” Sandra blushed, causing him to chuckle.

“I know I can straighten this all out, but I have to find the little nit first, and convince her to go to her father on her own. She hasn’t returned my calls in two days, but I know she’s with Daniel. He’s been staying at a flat his uncle owns in Paris. Until I can talk some sense into her, I have to stay two steps ahead of The Don’s boys.”

“The Don?” Sandra gasped. “Do you mean the girl is the daughter of a mafia king?” she whispered.

“I never said that, and I’d appreciate it if you never said it again either.”

“Are you in danger?” she asked him quietly.

“Not if I can get his daughter to confess,” he answered just as quietly.

“So, what do you have to do?” she asked in a hushed whisper. Creighton drew a deep breath and slowly released it, sliding his hands up her legs, moving the robe’s soft material aside. He leaned into her and gently kissed her knees one at a time, caressing her kneecap with the tip of his tongue.

“I have to find her,” he said frankly. “If I can’t get her to return my phone calls, I’ll have to go to Paris.”

He pushed her legs apart as he spoke, kissing a hot path along the inner flesh of her thighs, then stood up out of his chair to face her. He kissed her lips in a tender touch, filled with passion and promise. He removed the robe from around her and tossed it across the arm of his leather chair.

“Do you know how delicious you look sitting on my desk naked?” he asked her in a deep husky tone. “I want to make love to you, right here, right now. That way I’ll have wonderful memories to occupy my time during boring meetings.”

“Aren’t you afraid of someone coming in?” she gasped, listening to his deep chuckle.

“Nobody comes in here without my permission.”

“I came in.”

“You have my permission to go anywhere and do anything you like on this yacht. As my wife, everything I own will be half yours.” He carefully cupped her breasts in his warm hands, smiling seductively at her as they spoke.

“Shouldn’t we have a prenuptial agreement?”

“No,” he said firmly, looking back into her eyes. “If you leave me, you take everything I have of worth. You will take my heart and my soul, anything less than that is of no importance to me.” Sandra was taken by surprise at the intense expression in his eyes and found herself mesmerized by the dark depths. “I love you, Sandra. I have since I first laid eyes on you. Someday you’ll understand just how deeply my feelings for you run.”

“Have you always been a romantic?” she asked with an amused smile. He leaned closer to her, his eyes never leaving hers, brushing her lips very briefly with his.

“Don’t you mean a perverted romantic?” he asked her in a hushed whisper. Sandra didn’t speak, her throat went suddenly dry and her words wouldn’t form a full sentence inside her foggy mind. “I want to eat you until you scream, and then I’m going to make love to you on this very desk.” He lifted the sash to her robe and held it up in front of her eyes, smiling.

“I want you to lie back and brace your legs on the edge of the desk. I’m going to wrap this around you, just in case you squirm too far out of my reach.” Sandra blushed, bit her lower lip and giggled softly as he lowered her across the desk, helping her raise her knees so her feet braced the edge of the wooden top as he instructed. He slipped the sash of the robe around the upper thigh of one leg, and across her tummy to the other one. Once she was bound to his satisfaction, he smiled down at her, tugging the strap so she slid toward him and nearly off the desk.

“So beautiful,” he told her with a wicked grin, his hands running down her torso to the curls between her legs. He gently tugged at them with his fingers and chuckled as she gasped. “I have never had a woman with hair,” he said. “I think I like it.”

“My sister told me I should wax before I came here.” She blushed scarlet, wondering why she had just told him that.

“If you want it waxed, I can arrange it, I’ll even watch if you let me.”

“That’s…” she paused. She wasn’t sure what word she should use to describe his remark. He laughed at her embarrassment, slipping his long middle finger deep inside her vagina, his thumb rubbing the nub of her clitoris.

“The word, my love, is perverted. I’ve already accepted that label, more when I’m with you than ever before.” He slid his forefinger into her alongside the other, smiling as she gasped. Creighton pulled the large leather chair forward and sat down, positioning himself between her legs.

“This is going to be the best memory I’ll ever have for this room,” he told her and leaned in to run his tongue along the crevice of her labia.

Sandra gasped, her hands trying to find something to hold onto, but he had moved everything out of reach, so all she could do was brace her hands on her thighs. He licked and teased her clitoris, his fingers moving in and out of her steadily until she began panting. He nipped the swollen bud, causing her to react out of instinct, pushing away from him. Creighton laughed, his hand wrapping around the sash holding her legs together and pulled her forward, biting her slightly harder as a silent warning to not move again.

Sandra moaned louder than before as he slipped one side of her labia into his mouth and sucked, his tongue caressing the imprisoned flesh. He released her lip and moved quickly to the opposite side, repeating his action until she lifted her hips with pent-up desire.

“More?” he asked, and she moaned. “Tell me,” he insisted, gently flipping her throbbing clitoris with his finger.

“Yes, more,” she growled in frustration and was rewarded for her admission with his tongue once again, this time much more urgent and slightly rougher than before. His fingers moved gently inside her, caressing and massaging the front wall of her vagina. The strange mixture of hard and gentle brought an end to her torment as waves of passion washed over her. Her hips rose to meet his mouth as she cried out to him. His actions continued at a slow steady pace, taking her further into the depths of her orgasm.

When she was certain she could bear no more, she felt him rise from the chair, lifting her legs high in the air by the sash as he pulled her closer to the edge of the desk. The sound of a zipper alerted her senses to the removal of his pants, moments before he pressed his erection into her, filling her quivering vagina with the full long shaft of his penis.

The movement of her legs in the air between them allowed her hips to thrust up, bringing him into her deeper. It was a sensation so decadent that she found herself tightening her Kegel muscles around him, listening to his unexpected response. He thrust harder into her and she moaned, feeling the heat as he spilled himself into her, tipping her over the edge again. Sandra cried out his name, her hips lifting higher as he pressed against her, taking him inside her so deeply she was certain she would split in two. A few moments passed before she opened her eyes to find the man leaning across her, the sash around her had been removed and her legs were braced around his neck, his mouth twisting in an amused smile.

“That was different,” he whispered, causing her to giggle slightly.

“That’s more than one memory for your boring meetings,” she teased, watching the brief glint of passion cross his eyes as he slapped his hand against her bottom, smiling brightly at the soft screech she supplied for his act.

“Come,” he ordered lifting her to a sitting position. “Bedtime. I think we could both do with a bit of sleep.”

Sandra giggled as she stood up, reaching for her robe, but not fast enough. Creighton snatched it out of her reach and shook his head.

“I want you to remain naked. It will help with waking you up in a few hours.”

“I don’t think I’m tired,” she said honestly.

“No? Well, I suppose we can play some more if you’d like. I’m sure we can find a lot more to keep ourselves occupied until we pass out from exhaustion.”

“Could I restrain you?” she asked him in a burst of courage, causing him to look at her in surprise.

“Only if you think you can use the cuffs?”

She smiled as they walked into the adjoining bedroom. Sandra hurried to the dresser where he had moved the toys from the night before, then retrieved the feline restraints and the mask. She turned to see him climb onto the bed, an amused grin on his handsome face. She slowly crawled up to sit astride his lap, feeling the heat and moisture of his pallid erection beneath her bare bottom.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked as she looked at the cuffs closer.

“It’s your turn to do as you’re told,” she told him, frowning as she tried to figure out the restraints. He took the cuff she held in her hand and lifted it, so she could see it.

“There’s a button on the side,” he showed her as he locked the cuff and pressed the small button. “It’s a safety measure so you can get loose if you need to, or you can use the key in the case.”

“So, I really wouldn’t have drowned?” He laughed as she took the cuff back and played with the button to familiarize herself with how it worked.

“I wouldn’t have let you drown, no matter what. You’re my life, Sandra, I don’t want to live without you, and I don’t think I could, even if I tried.”

“What if I say no to your proposal?” she asked, looking down into his passionate face.

“I’ll have to follow you to Kansas and make sure you get so sick of me, that you finally say yes. Either that, or I’ll just keep you here until each of the bedrooms on this yacht is filled with children, and you’re too old to say no. It’s your choice.”

“Let’s not talk about this right now,” she told him, trying to fight the sudden tears that sprang to her eyes. “I want to play.”

“Then let’s play, my love.”

He leaned forward kissing her lips passionately before leaning back on the bed, stretching his large muscular arms above his head so she could restrain him. She bit her bottom lip as she looked down at him. His expression was priceless. He smiled at her with such admiration and surprise, that she couldn’t help but giggle.

“Legs too?” she asked, and he shrugged his shoulders.

He was too large to be stretched out as tightly as she had been, but she was pleased with her first attempt at playing dominatrix.

“Can we still make love if you’re spread eagle like this?” she asked him, causing him to chuckle.

“The intriguing thing about being the domineering partner is that you’ll find a way to make it work.”

Her smile widened as she snapped the cuffs closed around his wrists and moved off him, stepping to the foot of the bed. She slid his long legs apart, fastening his ankles inside the cuffs and attached them to the footboard, before standing back, hands on her hips as she inspected her handiwork proudly.

“Now the mask,” she told him sitting down on the bed beside him, gently sliding the mask over his head and across his eyes. “Did Hayloft-Girl do this to you?” she asked once his eyes were covered.

“No, this is a first. I’m putting my trust and my body in your hands. Just be gentle.”

“I don’t think so,” she said with a wicked grin. “You aren’t gentle with me.”

“I am so,” he argued. “I give you exactly what you want and bring you pure pleasure.”

“Well, let’s see if I can do the same to you. Now, what toys should I try?” she asked, picking up the riding crop, biting her bottom lip as she turned back to him. “All you have to do is tell me to stop,” she assured him.

“And will you?”

“Probably not, but I may change my tactics.”

He laughed nervously, and she could see him physically bracing himself for whatever she had in mind.

Sandra smiled, slowly sliding the riding crop up the inside of his spread legs. She nearly laughed at the goosebumps that rose beneath the leather. She caressed his body with the tip, trying to gather her courage to use it the way he had used it on her. When she saw his erection begin to harden, she realized she had to at least give it a shot. Softly, she flicked the crop against his inner thigh, giggling as he gasped. Biting her lower lip, she did it again with the other leg and back to the first. She saw the skin she had struck begin to turn pink and frowned.

“Is that too hard?” she asked, and he smiled.

“No, it’s fine. Actually, it’s quite exciting.”

She suddenly felt braver and flicked the crop against the side of his hips, and up to his ribcage, across his firm muscular stomach. He moaned and gasped as she caressed it across the dark nipples hiding beneath the spattering of hair. Biting her lip again to gain courage, she gently flicked his chest, striking the crop against one small erect nipple. Creighton moaned, rolling his head back when she did it again. She laughed at his reaction, knowing exactly what he was feeling. The tip of the crop moved slowly up as she caressed his sternum, and back down to his navel, stopping just above the head of his penis, pulsating against his stomach.

“Try it,” he told her as if reading her mind. She gently flicked the crop against the side of his erection, and he groaned.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly, afraid she had hurt him until he shook his head.

“Don’t stop,” he whispered in a deep husky tone, his words giving her the courage to continue. She flicked the crop against the opposite side then the top, slowly sliding it down the length of him to his scrotum.

“Not there,” he told her, tensing under her actions. “There are certain parts of a man’s body that doesn’t like rough play.”

Sandra stopped and continued to caress the sack of skin lying between his legs until he relaxed, before quickly flicking the inside of his leg, right next to his scrotum. Creighton gasped and wiggled beneath her when she repeated her actions to the opposite side.

“You’re going to drive me completely mental,” he groaned, and she glanced up to see his erection throbbing upright in the air. She was amazed and fascinated at how easily it hardened, and her cheeks colored again. The knowledge of how it felt inside her echoed in her mind, causing the tingle to travel down to her naked, moist body. Laying the crop aside, she reached up, gently wrapping her fingers around him.

“Oh, God, Sandra, yes,” he moaned.

She slowly began stroking him, exploring the length and firmness of his penis with her fingers. Sandra felt powerful, control was hers and she relished the ability to explore his body without interruption, embarrassment, or hesitation. Never had she seen a man naked before him, and she was quite happy with the sight in front of her. She didn’t know if he was average or not, in her mind he was magnificent. Adonis incarnated.

“I’m not going to last much longer,” he assured her, and she released him from her grip.

“I will decide when you can cum, not you.”

She moved to the dresser again and replaced the crop, turning around and leaning against the drawers, admiring the work of art that lay before her eyes, spots of pink from her playing lay across his tanned body.

“Stay here,” she told him. “Don’t go anywhere.”

“Very funny,” he said with a smile, repeating her words from earlier.

Sandra left the room and hurried to the kitchen, suddenly aware that she was completely naked, and they were not alone on the ship. She quietly looked in the fridge and found it stocked with juices, fruit, eggs, milk, and a loaf of bread. Opening the small freezer on top, she found bacon, sausage, ham, ice, and frozen potatoes. Smiling, she retrieved the fruit, quickly cutting a cantaloupe in fourths. She took one and diced it into small bite-size pieces and placed the squares in a bowl then poured two glasses of orange juice. On the counter were two trays under glass domes, one with pastries and the other with croissants. She retrieved a croissant and hurried back to the bedroom, locking the door behind her.

Creighton was still lying on the bed restrained at his wrists and ankles. His erection had softened and lay lax against his thigh.

“I thought you’d forgotten about me,” he grumbled with a hint of an amusement in his deep tone.

“Never,” she assured him and sat cross-legged next to him on the bed, setting the bowl between them, then put the glasses on the bedside table. “Hungry?” she asked.

“What did you have in mind?”

Sandra picked up a piece of cantaloupe and pressed it against his lips. He opened his mouth and she popped it in, taking a piece for herself as she watched him chew.

“Good?” she asked, and he nodded.

“I can’t believe you went to the kitchen, completely starkers with the crew on board.”

“I forgot, but I didn’t see anyone. I think it’s still too early for most people to be awake.”

“I should hope so, or we may embarrass the hell out of my staff with your screams of passion.”

“More?” she asked as he opened his mouth.

Sandra pulled the end off the croissant and slipped it between her lips, before tearing off a small piece and giving it to him. She looked at the glasses of juice. She had no idea how to give this to him. He had used strawberries to feed her champagne, but she hadn’t brought the strawberries from the fridge in with her.

“I have juice, but I don’t know how to feed it to you,” she said in a soft pout.

“I don’t need any. Just more fruit please.” She continued to supply him with the pieces of cantaloupe until he moved his head aside. “Enough, thank you,” he told her, and she quickly moved the bowl aside and stood up.

“What now?” he asked her, causing her to frown.

Sandra looked at the assortment of toys and decided not to use them, unsure how, or if, they could be used on a man. Instead, she took the bottle of warming gel. Eatable warming gel, the label read giving her a wild, wicked idea. She crawled up on the bed between his spread legs and gently dripped the gel across his softened penis. Placing it in her hands, she began to massage him firmly and he quickly hardened in her grip. Sandra was amazed that he could appear so small when he wasn’t excited and so large when he was.

Slowly, she traced her tongue along the side of his erection. The gel tasted like cherries, a little tart, but still good and she continued to caress him with her mouth, her lips kissing the length of him as her tongue caressed the veins pulsing beneath the surface. He moaned as she stroked him, moving her hand to the back and lifting his scrotum. She massaged the sac softly, her mouth warmed by the gel moved over his erection, and she smiled as his moan deepened. Sliding the tip of his penis between her lips, she began to suck, causing his hips to rise off the bed. With a deep breath, she slipped the length of him into her mouth and down her throat.

“Sandra, please,” he moaned. “I need you.”

Somehow, just that simple sentence did things to her insides, and she stopped tormenting him with her mouth, crawling up to straddle his hips. She gently slid the tip of him into her, moaning as he pressed further up, his hips rising to meet her. Sandra hadn’t realized how wet she had become with the teasing as the heat of the gel and the firmness of his penis filled her.

Sitting down across him, she began gyrating her hips, taking him into her deeper, causing her to moan nearly as loud as he did. Leaning back, she braced herself against his legs as she had earlier, riding him like a horse. His penis hardened, growing firmer inside her. She knew it was only a matter of seconds before they both exploded, and she felt the sudden urge to experience it together. Moving her hips up and down across him, she began to stroke him with her body, until she was dizzy.

“Touch yourself,” he ordered in a soft growl. “Play with your clit, my love. Make yourself cum on me.”

Sandra didn’t hesitate, she quickly reached between her legs and touched the swollen bud and moaned, lifting over him at a rapid rate. Then it happened, her climax was deep and urgent, and she barely registered his own release as he growled out her name. She sat across him fully, her hips circling across him as she took his orgasm, continuing to bathe him with her own. It was such an overwhelming sensation, that she felt she would never get her fill, but within a few moments, she dropped to his chest panting, his heart pounding beneath her cheek as they struggled to regain their composure.

“I could get used to this,” she said softly, turning her head to kiss his chest.

“The orgasm or the bondage?” he asked with a soft chuckle.

“Both,” she smiled and quickly drifted to sleep, feeling the warmth of his embrace wrap around her.

The sun shone through the bedroom windows with a promise of another warm day ahead. Sandra awoke to find herself snuggled beside her lover, and she sighed as she moved a little closer to him, her back against his chest. This was a feeling she was quickly becoming used to, and one she wasn’t certain she would be able to live without. She found herself wondering what her life would be like once she returned to Kansas. Would she be able to leave this incredible man behind her, and go back to be the same invisible woman she had always been? She sighed, shifting her mind to a more pleasant thought. Wondering what wicked, and surely naughty ideas, he had planned for their day.

“A penny for your thoughts,” he asked, nuzzling her hair with his nose. Sandra giggled softly, wiggling closer to him.

“I was just wondering what kind of evil ideas you had in store for us today.”

“Evil? I was thinking fun, pleasurable, erotic, maybe a little perverted, but never evil.” Sandra giggled again, rolling over and laying her head across his outstretched arm.

“Sounds interesting, what did you have in mind, specifically?”

“Well, you did promise me the remainder of your holiday, so I thought we could start it out by bringing your things here from the hotel, but first I’d like to take you to Monaco.”

“Why Monaco?” she asked with a frown.

“It’s a great place to shop and the sights are memorable. Besides, I promised Sabrina I’d pick up a dress she is having made.” Sandra giggled.

“So now I know why you want me to marry you. You can’t handle going shopping for women’s clothes alone. What if I asked you to buy me some tampons and hair curlers, would you do it?” Creighton smiled, tightening his arm around her and pulling her nose-to-nose against him.

“I would buy you tampons, hair curlers, and lipstick if you so desire as long as I can watch you use them.”

“That’s gross,” she giggled again, accepting the warm kiss he offered her.

“There is nothing gross about your body. In fact, I could spend the rest of my life slowly getting to know it, over, and over again.” Sandra laughed happily, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him close.

“If you want to go to Monaco, I need a change of clothes. I can’t keep wearing the same pair of panties day after day.”

“Not to worry,” he told her. “Abigail’s already washed your clothes, so they are at least clean. We can pick up an outfit in Monaco if you’d like, but I have to get Sabrina’s dress before noon so I can get it shipped to her.”

“What’s the rush?” Sandra frowned.

“Sabrina is a fashion designer in the making, and she needs the dress for her final grade in order to graduate. I promised I’d pick it up for her, and I’ve arranged to have my company jet deliver it to her in time to present it to her instructors.”

“Again, misuse of company property,” she teased, receiving a gentle slap on her bottom in response.

“I have full access to everything my company owns,” he told her, pulling her beneath him and pinning her to the mattress. “But I don’t want to talk about that right now. I have other pressing issues I wish to discuss with you.”

“Why, Mr. Ashford, are you trying to make me a culprit to your perverted schemes?” Creighton laughed, leaning into her, rubbing her nose with his.

“Damn right I am,” he assured her, his mouth claiming hers in a hot assault, his tongue battling against hers, causing her to moan deep in her throat.

Creighton caressed her with his hard shaft until she began to wiggle beneath him, and then smoothly pressed the tip of his penis against her moist opening, slipping easily into her, matching her moan with one of his own.

Their bodies began to pick up a rhythm that they both knew well, working in unison with the other, moving perfectly together as though synchronized with long hours of choreography. Their mouths continued to worship the other while their bodies made magical memories, spiraling them toward the gates of Eden and far beyond the boundaries of heaven, tipping them into a pool of endless passion. As they became consumed with desire, their souls reached out and touched the other, joining to form one union.

Sandra moaned deeply, feeling cherished as no one had ever made her feel before, and tears sprang to her eyes, her body answered his demand for release, joining with him in a whirlwind of lust and love vaster than time or space. As she began to relax beneath him, she realized without hesitation that they were one. She had found and joined her soul with a mate that would last an eternity, and she would never again question the hand of destiny. For it was fate that had brought them together. That much she was certain of.

Creighton leaned up on his elbows, his breath a menagerie of pants, his skin moist with sweat. He looked into her eyes and smiled, gently brushing her tears aside and kissing her lips in the tenderest touch she had ever felt.

“I love you,” he whispered, and she caught her breath knowing they had just made love, real love, for the first time.

“I love you,” she told him, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly, holding him to her heart.

Sandra sat next to Creighton in a late model black Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster convertible. The soft sounds of Kenny G echoed from the speakers, the warm sun shone through the open roof against her face and shoulders. Her hair hung loose, blowing freely in the breeze from the drive, the sights serene and breathtaking.

The yacht had anchored in Nice where Creighton met with a delivery boy who brought the car to him. They drove along the middle coast road, he told her was known as Moyenne Corniche, or Highway 7, passing through Ezevillage and Grande Corniche. Creighton told her they would stop in Fontvieille for lunch before going into Monaco to meet with his sister’s seamstress. Sandra felt relaxed and happier than she ever remembered feeling. France was a marvelous place and she could easily envision herself coming back here.

“What are you thinking?” he asked her over the sounds of the saxophone from the stereo and the wind from the drive.

“I was thinking about how beautiful France is,” she told him honestly. “I think I’m going to plan another trip here.”

“How about a honeymoon?” he asked her with an enthusiastic, childlike grin.

“I haven’t agreed to anything yet, remember? After all, we’ve only known each other for five days.”

“You know me better than most of my own family,” he said with a warm chuckle. “And I know everything there is to know about you.”

“Like what? You don’t know anything except what I’ve told you.”

“I know more than you think I do. But there will be plenty of time for telling secrets. Right now, we need to think about lunch. I’m starving. What do you feel like eating?”

“Surprise me,” she told him. “Just no insects or uncooked meat.”

Creighton laughed as he pulled the car off the main highway and onto the road that took them into the recreation district of Fontvieille. He drove along the streets to a café overlooking the port. She sighed as he pulled into the parking and stepped out for the valet to come around to open her door.

“Where are we?” she asked, standing out of the car.

“Constantine’s,” he told her with a wide smile. “Italian.”

“You are determined to make me fat, aren’t you?”

“I would never make you fat. Besides, I know how to help you work off the extra calories.”

He smiled at her blush as they walked into the restaurant and to the Maître d’ who greeted them. He said his name, and the man immediately snapped his fingers for the waiter, who appeared and took them to their table on the covered balcony.

“Does everyone do what you say when you snap your fingers?” she asked once the waiter had taken their drink order and hurried away.

“One of the benefits of money,” he told her proudly. “I work hard for it and people know I’m worth the extra effort. I pay well for the added attention.” Sandra was silent for several moments as she pretended to look at the menu, unable to read a single syllable.

“What’s the matter?” he asked after a moment.

“If I ask you a question, would you tell me the truth?” she asked with a steady gaze, locking his eyes to hers.

“I have never lied to you and I never will.”

“When you said it’s your company, you honestly meant your company, didn’t you?” Creighton drew a deep breath and smiled.

“I own the company, yes. Does that bother you?” Sandra drew a deep breath and frowned. Did it bother her?

“I don’t know,” she said after a few moments. “I don’t know if I like the idea of dating someone who has an endless supply of cash.”

“It’s not endless,” he assured her. “Once my company started making money, I decided to pay myself a monthly salary, albeit a very handsome one. I pay taxes, invest in a retirement plan and a savings account, I buy stocks and bonds and plan for my future. You know, all the normal stuff.”

“I can’t imagine you doing anything normal,” she assured him.

“I’m a very normal guy, it’s just that I have a nice bank account.” They sat silent for a few moments as she absorbed what he was telling her. “Look, when I made my first hundred thousand, I was still in school. I used it to pay off my parents’ mortgage on the farm and reinvested it in my company. The next hundred thousand I used to buy a car and more inventory for my business. By the time I graduated, I had a flat in London with all the toys and niceties one would need to live comfortably. After that, spending money became sort of boring, so I just started banking it. My plan now is to buy a farm in Yorkshire, marry you, and raise a family, maybe get a dog or two to chase the kids.”

The waiter’s arrival put a halt to their conversation, making the tension that was building between them grow slightly thicker. Creighton ordered their lunches, speaking in French to the man and waited as he set their drinks in front of them, irritated at the obvious attention he paid to Sandra, not to mention the flirtatious smile he offered her. Once he walked away, Creighton cleared his throat.

“I really don’t like that,” he said softly, causing her to look at him strangely.

“What?”

“I don’t like other men staring at you. It bothers the hell out of me.”

“They weren’t looking at me. They were looking at me with you. There’s a difference.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” It was his turn to look at her strangely.

“They look at me, wondering how someone as plain as I am could get a man as handsome and rich as you. I’m sure there are many ideas passing through their minds.”

“Are you daft, girl?” he asked, causing her to look up into his eyes in surprise. “Have you ever looked in a mirror? You are the most beautiful woman in this place, and far more intelligent than any ten put together. You are absolutely stunning. You have a knockout body and a killer smile. You have an aura about you that radiates innocence, honesty, and purity that is both alluring and intriguing to anyone who looks at you.” Sandra sat silently staring at the man, not knowing what to say.

“You really don’t see it, do you?” he asked after a moment, reaching for her hand and lifting it to his lips. “Sandra, you are breathtaking, intelligent, kind, loving, and gentle and I am the luckiest man in the world for having you in my life. I could lose everything I own tomorrow, but as long as I have you by my side, I will never be poor.” Sandra’s eyes filled with tears as she looked at him and he smiled, resting his palm against her cheek.

“I love you, Sandra,” he said softly. “This morning when we made love, I felt like our souls touched. We became one. I know in my heart that you are my soulmate and I will never stop loving you.”

The tears spilled onto her cheeks unchecked and he leaned across the table, kissing her lips tenderly for several long moments. It wasn’t until that moment that she realized the restaurant was nearly filled with patrons, who had suddenly become quiet watching them. As Creighton released her lips, his hand reached for hers and lifted it up for her to see.

Somewhere between his confession to her and his kiss he had slipped a white gold diamond and sapphire ring onto her left hand, causing her to gasp. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The diamond was at least five karats, surrounded by a circle of small sapphires with a second circle of small diamonds. It glistened with the light from the sun and she suddenly felt warm and strangely happy.

Sandra looked into the dark blue eyes that watched her, her tears flowing freely down her cheeks. She couldn’t help but wrap her arms around his neck as the customers broke into a round of applause and cheers. Creighton pulled her onto his lap and hugged her against him tightly. At that moment in time, there was nothing that could come between them. Sandra knew he was right. They were soulmates, and she had a feeling she was about to embark on the most incredible adventure of a lifetime.