and furniture, as well as the fabulous, famous sapphires.
‘Do I get to see your etchings too?’ she asked lightly.
‘No etchings. Erotic hangings,’ Tadj informed her. ‘No joke,’ he assured Lucy when she looked at him in surprise. ‘So, I hope you’re not easily shocked.’
‘Me? No,’ she said on a throat turned suddenly dry.
‘Extremely erotic hangings,’ Tadj teased, seeing her discomfort.
‘I’m not entirely unaware of the workings of the human body.’
He laughed. ‘These aren’t so much workings, as the most outlandish contortions.’
Lucy gave him one of her ‘so you think I’m dumb’ looks. ‘Well, it sounds like a very special room.’
‘Sarcastic,’ he commented, smiling faintly.
‘Curious,’ she said honestly. And then she frowned. ‘But it doesn’t sound much like a room for lingering in.’
‘You might change your mind.’
‘I doubt it.’
This was a deck reserved for very special guests, Lucy thought as a security guard, having recognised Tadj, stood back to let them through. The corridor was as luxurious as everywhere else on the ship, with plush carpets, pristine ivory walls, decorated with fascinating objets d’art, all shown to best advantage by discreet lighting. Plump upholstered seating invited a pause at convenient intervals—goodness knew what went on there, Lucy thought, but Tadj wasn’t interested in lagging behind to explain, and curiosity propelled her forward. For some crazy reason, she trusted him. With no real foundation, that was reckless maybe, but she had a good feeling about him that she couldn’t explain.
Even so, it was better not to take any chances, she thought as he stopped outside the most stunning golden door. ‘Five minutes and I’m out of here,’ she warned in a teasing tone to soften the information.
Seemingly unconcerned, he shrugged.
‘I’m impressed,’ Lucy admitted as she stood back to admire the door’s intricate ornamentation.
‘Wait until you see inside,’ Tadj advised. Opening the door, he invited her to enter the Golden Chamber.
Having overdosed on luxury for the past hour or so, Lucy was complacent, thinking she was ready for anything, but her first sight of the unique room stunned her into silence. It was so bling, she wasn’t sure if she liked it or not. But, ‘Wow,’ she exclaimed as she stared around. Her feet sank into a carpet that was deep, sapphire-blue, while every surface, wall, ceiling, and piece of furniture was composed of solid gold. She guessed the ornaments would be the same, and these were studded with glowing blue sapphires, and were quite obviously precious artefacts from some ancient time.
‘I’m not sure about the elevator music,’ she teased Tadj, turning to face him and raise a brow at the strings playing softly in the background.
He laughed. ‘Me neither. I guess it’s supposed to improve the ambience.’
‘It smells good, anyway,’ Lucy conceded. Incense was burning in golden salvers, and, closing her eyes, she drew deep on the exotic scent.
‘Time to look at the shocking hangings,’ she said matter-of-factly, opening her eyes. She stared around, but her gaze always returned to Tadj. He was more interesting than the erotic hangings, though she did have a few questions for him.
‘Is that pose even possible?’ she asked, tipping her head to one side. ‘I had no idea human bodies were even capable of doing that.’ She wasn’t easily shocked, just perplexed.
Smiling his unreadable smile, Tadj made no answer. Opening a second, heavily ornamented door, he revealed another glittering golden stateroom, one so large it easily accommodated several glittering crystal chandeliers.
To swing from? Lucy wondered.
‘You’re laughing,’ Tadj commented with interest. ‘Don’t you like it?’
‘Sensory overload,’ Lucy explained. ‘Otherwise, I actually feel quite humble to be invited here to see what must be one of the hidden wonders of the world.’
‘I’m glad you think so,’ he said with a touch of humour in his tone.
She wasn’t only thinking about that, but fantasising about Tadj lowering her slowly down on top of the thick, soft wool rug they were currently standing on.
‘This is my topic,’ she reminded him. ‘The display of important historical works of art falls well within my field of interest.’
‘Then, I’m glad I brought you here,’ he said.
Propping a hip against a console table that appeared to be made of solid gold, Tadj folded his arms and stared at her. ‘You’re hard to read,’ he said. ‘Tell me more about yourself...’
‘Am I?’ she said, ignoring the question. The connection between them was stronger than ever, and more than ever she wanted to stay and chat, but the atmosphere inside this room was just too seductive. ‘I can’t stay too long at the party,’ she said in a reminder to them both, ‘and I want to make the most of it,’ she added, moving towards the door. ‘I have responsibilities.’
‘As do I,’ Tadj assured her.
Stalemate. Several tense seconds ticked by, while Lucy gazed out at the brilliantly lit marina, where the bustle of ordinary life carried on in what seemed like a million miles from where they were standing. She’d be back there soon enough. She certainly wouldn’t remain on board when Sapphire slipped its moorings.
‘Penny for them?’ Tadj prompted.
Turning, she lifted her chin so she could stare him in the eyes. ‘I’m just taking everything in—you...me...this,’ she admitted, glancing around. ‘Very soon the Sapphire will sail, and you’ll sail with it.’
‘Will you miss me?’ he teased.
‘No,’ she lied. The time had come to examine her feelings, and decide whether to stay, or go.
He sensed the change in Lucy. From pure enjoyment and wonder, she had paused to consider her feelings, and where she fitted into this scenario. Her decision was typical Lucy, in that it both pleased and surprised him.
‘I want you,’ she whispered with a shrug of her slender shoulders.
Her candour fired his hunger as nothing else could. Slowly drawing her towards him, he kissed her neck, before brushing her lips teasingly with his. Turning in his arms, she rested back against his chest, so he kissed her again and felt her tremble. Innocence demanded a measured response, and for once in his life he wasn’t sure he was in full command of his control.
‘Isn’t this beautiful?’ she murmured, staring out of the floor-to-ceiling balcony window, to where the soft pop of gunpowder heralded the sight of fireworks bursting into vivid flame.
His answer was to rasp his stubble very lightly across her neck. The rush of light across the night sky seemed
