He smiled at me. "Miss Cruz."
His respectful reply surprised me. He seemed so different from the mental image I'd created of him from the different stories I'd been told. I noticed the gang tattoo from some of his pictures had been covered with angel wings. The collar of his polo shirt hid most of it but the very tips of the wings peeked over the top. Apparently he was making a conscious effort to leave that old, dangerous life of his behind.
Even though I wanted to talk to him, I sensed this wasn't the time. Later I would track him down, but, right now, Yuri seemed intent on showing me some more of his yacht. The mindboggling tour left me reeling. The sleek, modern design elements gave the boat a five-star hotel feel.
"What is it?" Yuri asked as we took our seats in the private dining area overlooking the beautiful, calm sea. A champagne breakfast awaited us.
"I just realized it probably costs more to fill up this boat with fuel for one trip than I made in, like, an entire year."
He seemed to be mentally calculating the costs. "It's probably closer to two years."
"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."