“Well, that was quick. You take one look at me and you give me a passing grade. I thought I’d at least have to do some multiple choice questions.”
“This is your lucky day,” she said. “I got some overwhelmingly positive feedback about you and on the strength of that I’ve decided to let you loose.”
“Perfect,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Now we can make the arrangements for our next date. Wear jeans or shorts.”
“Trousers again? Where to this time? On another of your yachts?”
“No, a sailboat.”
“A sailboat?” Asia’s eyes widened in horror. “I don’t want to go on a sailboat. What if it capsizes?”
“You can swim, can’t you?”
“Yes, but that’s besides the point.”
“Okay, since you're the guest you can have a choice,” Rico said. “Sailboat or motorboat? Which do you prefer?”
“Motorboat. As long as we don’t go too far from shore.”
“Motorboat it is, then,” Rico conceded, “although I can’t fulfill your second request about not going too far from shore.”
“Why not?” Asia asked, a twinge of worry creeping into her mind.
“Because I want to take you to my private island on the outskirts of the Bahamas.”
“I…don’t think I like the sound of that.” What did he think she was? Crazy?
“Don’t worry about it now,” he said gently. “We’ll talk about it when I pick you up Sunday morning at seven, okay? I’d like to get an early start.”
What part of no did this man not understand? Before she could refresh his memory that she was in disagreement he said something which silenced her, at least for the moment.
“Relax, Asia. You’ll be in good hands. Just imagine that your whole body is heavy. Relax and breathe.” Then he gave her a mischievous grin.
Oh, no. The man had turned autogenic expert, giving her a taste of her own medicine. Under the circumstances the only thing she could do was laugh.
CHAPTER SIX
On Sunday morning Asia was up with the rising sun. She was actually looking forward to spending the day with Rico. Now that their professional relationship was over she could let her hair down. Literally. Today she would forget the bun and let her hair fall loose around her shoulders. He’d said she should relax and she planned to.
Now if only she could control those rebellious butterflies that refused to settle down. She wasn’t even sure why they were there. Was it because she was scared of going on a motorboat or because she was scared to be with Rico? Or both? She inhaled a deep breath then let it out slowly. Then she closed her eyes in a brief moment of relaxation. She might as well practice what she preached.
When Rico arrived at seven o’clock she was ready. She’d dressed in jeans and a halter top blouse but she’d thrown a light jacket into her tote bag, just in case. She remembered how chilly the sea air had been that evening on the yacht so this time she wasn’t taking any chances.
Today there was no Hummer limousine to startle the neighbors. Rico was driving a Mercedes Benz convertible sports car which immediately put her in a good mood. She’d hated the pomp and glamour of the limousine but this car was just right.
As soon as she’d hopped into the passenger seat they set off for the sea shore. The wind whipped through her hair, sending it streaming behind like an ebony scarf, making her feel so carefree she could not help laughing and holding her hands up to catch the wind.
It was a perfect day. As they walked along the dock toward the boat the early morning sun warmed her shoulders and arms but the breeze from the ocean tempered the rays of the sun just enough that she was comfortable. Cottony clouds floated by, soft-white and fluffy against the brilliant blue of the sky.
On a day like today how could she be afraid of a boat? The ocean was like a placid aquamarine bedspread, so calm and comforting. She’d been silly to want to stay on shore when there was so much blue sea to explore.
And to visit Rico’s private island - that would be something. She was looking forward to it.
“Tu es prete, mademoiselle?” Rico held out his hand to her.
“Pardon me?” She didn’t speak French and couldn’t even begin to make a wild guess at what he’d just said.
“Are you ready, miss?” He gave her a smile and a bow of the head, his attitude one of such deference that she couldn’t help smiling as a wicked thought ran through her mind. Rico Megalos serving someone? With his huge ego and all that money, never in a million years.
“Certainly, monsieur,” she said with a smile and took his hand. She was enjoying this game they were playing. Enrico Megalos, at your service. That was his self-appointed role for the day and she was loving it.
Rico helped her climb into the motorboat and she soon realized that it was not half as scary as she’d thought. It was much smaller than the yacht, of course, but at almost thirty feet in length it was long enough for her to feel safe and secure.
Her captain for the day hopped in beside her and slipped behind the wheel. In baseball cap, polo shirt and baggy jeans he looked even younger than his twenty-five years. The wide grin on his face added to his youthful appearance. She could hardly believe this was the same man she'd met so many weeks before, the one who’d had his face screwed into a permanent scowl. She liked the new Rico Megalos.
“I packed a picnic basket.” He turned and reached behind to lift the lid off what looked like a low storage cabinet. Inside was tucked a basket, bottles of wine, bottles of water and a wide-brimmed straw hat. There was even a bottle of sunscreen.
“You’ll need these,” Rico said and reached for the hat which he promptly plopped down on her head. “As much as I love your hair I’m going to have to hide it. I’m here to serve and protect, and sunburn is not an option.”
Asia had to smile when she heard him use what must be his favorite phrase. He’d found yet another thing that was ‘not an option’.