‘I’m sure I will,’ she murmured.
‘I’d come back in, but I’m going to find Lori,’ Cliff said. ‘She’ll really get a thrill.’
Sierra barely heard him, because now Flynn was staring at her again, and this time he held the look.
Their eyes locked, and in those few seconds she knew that everything was about to change.
She still loved him, there was no doubt about it.
Chapter Sixty
Eddie March was livid that Hammond had failed to call him back. He was in the middle of handling a major crisis, and the Senator could not be bothered to pick up a satellite phone — or whatever there was on the yacht he was so busy cruising on.
The Byrne family were getting even more restless, and to top everything off, Hammond’s fifteen-year-old illegitimate daughter, Radical, had been thrown out of her Swiss boarding school, and was on her way back to New York.
Radical was a nightmare, and Eddie was in no mood to deal with her too. The Byrnes were enough work. Keeping them from going public was getting increasingly difficult. He’d even offered them money until he could sort things out. ‘We do not want money,’ Martin Byrne had informed him with a steely glare. ‘We want to hear the Senator’s side of the story.’
He tried calling the yacht again, and this time he was told that the Senator was unreachable.
‘Where is he that he’s so unreachable?’ Eddie demanded.
‘Exploring the ocean,’ the First Officer replied. ‘I will certainly see that he gets your message.’
Exploring the ocean indeed! While he, Eddie March, was shovelling the shit. It wasn’t right. If he didn’t get a call back soon, he was telling the Byrnes to do what they liked.
Hammond had created a mess, and it was up to him to deal with it.
Chapter Sixty-One
The underwater paradise was so peaceful that Sierra forgot about everything and managed to lose herself in the array of marine life. She was fully occupied marvelling at the vivid colours and incredible shapes of the numerous fish, although she was fully aware that Flynn was in the ocean with her — and that made everything perfect.
When they finally surfaced, he reached out for her hand, and as they touched, the electricity between them was startling. They bobbed in the water facing each other.
‘You okay?’ he asked, wishing she would open up to him.
‘I will be,’ she replied softly.
‘We need to talk some more.’
‘I know,’ she murmured. It felt blissful, being near him.
Another intense look.
The spell was broken when Cliff jumped into the sea with Lori, and the two of them swam over to join Flynn and Sierra.
‘Found her!’ Cliff crowed. ‘Now I’m gonna show her the wonders that lurk below.’
‘Boasting about your crown jewels again,’ Lori quipped, treading water beside him, her red hair piled on top of her head.
‘Funny girl,’ Cliff replied, and they smiled warmly at each other.
Lori was delighted. Things were definitely looking up.
Sierra moved away from the group and swam towards the yacht. She couldn’t avoid Hammond any longer. It was time to decide how they would handle the situation. No more threats. No more cowering. With or without Flynn, she had made up her mind that once this trip was over, she would free herself of Hammond forever.
‘I told Flynn to have his girlfriend lay off asking you for money,’ Bianca said, snuggling close to Aleksandr as they lay out by their private lap pool. It was after lunch, and they’d left their guests to their own devices.
Aleksandr pushed her away and sat up. ‘You did what?’ he said, raising his heavy eyebrows. Bianca was interfering with something that didn’t concern her and it annoyed him.
‘I simply told him to get Xuan to stop bugging you,’ Bianca said. ‘It was getting to be too much.’
‘Too much for whom?’ Aleksandr asked, his tone sharp.
‘Well, for me actually,’ Bianca answered, narrowing her green eyes. ‘This trip is supposed to be all about you and me, and every time I turn around, there’s Little Miss Do-Gooder bugging you for money for another of her precious causes. I can’t take it.’
‘You shouldn’t have done that,’ Aleksandr said, his face darkening. ‘It is not for you to decide who I speak to, or what we speak about.’
Bianca frowned. ‘Excuse me?’ she said haughtily.
‘You heard me,’ Aleksandr said, getting up and walking inside.
Furiously, Bianca leaped to her feet and followed him. ‘What is it with you and that girl?’ she demanded. ‘Do you want to fuck her? ’Cause if you do, just tell me an’ I’ll make out with Flynn. He’s quite the hunk, in case you hadn’t noticed.’
Aleksandr stared her down, his eyes cold and disapproving. ‘What is wrong with you?’ he said at last. ‘Are you so insecure that because I talk to another woman you think I want to be with her? What kind of nonsense is that? I do what pleases me, Bianca, and never forget it.’
Bianca scowled. Her plan of getting Xuan to leave Aleksandr alone was failing dismally.
Luca and Taye decided to organize a Jet-Ski contest. Later in the afternoon they rounded up everyone who wished to participate.
‘Girls against dudes,’ Luca suggested with a cheeky grin. ‘Where’s Bianca?’
‘I’m here,’ she said, joining them. She was not prepared to spend the afternoon with Aleksandr. It was about time he realized he couldn’t talk to her in such a dismissive way. He’d called her insecure and that didn’t fly.
‘You can head the girls’ team,’ Luca said to Bianca. ‘An’ Taye — you up for playin’ Captain?’
‘Are you kiddin’ me?’ Taye said, running a hand over his shaved head. ‘It’s my job, so get ready — ’cause I’m gonna kick everyone’s arse.’
Soon the crew had assembled a fleet of Jet Skis — and they were off.
Lori raced Ashley and to Lori’s surprise she actually won. Then Bianca went up against Xuan — and to Bianca’s extreme annoyance, Xuan beat her.
After that it was the guys’ turn. Luca and Cliff raced — and Luca was the winner. Then it was Flynn and Taye — a hard battle until Flynn ruled triumphant.
Everyone threw themselves into it, except Aleksandr who wasn’t present, Jeromy, who hovered on the sidelines looking thoroughly bored, and the Pattersons who were not around.
Guy helped the proceedings move forward even though he was humiliated beyond belief. At least he still had his job, no thanks to Jeromy Milton-Gold.
Guy couldn’t even glance in the English man’s direction. He hated him with a deep intensity and was starting to think about how he might get his revenge. Surely there had to be a way?
The final race was between Luca and Xuan. When Xuan lost, Bianca could hardly conceal her delight.
