blond hair gleaming in the light of an overhead spot. His black shirt and jeans emphasized his lean muscular frame. He straightened up and ambled over.
“Hello,” he said, looking at her intently with those icy blue eyes.
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach and for a second or two she forgot to breathe.
“I have to get back. My husband will wonder where I am.”
Dimitri nodded and extended his hand.
“I take you. I know a shortcut.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think—”
He raised his eyebrows and inclined his head to the left.
Ruby turned. Ethan and Emily were walking up the promenade, but they hadn’t seen her yet. She turned back to Dimitri.
“Let’s go.”
She followed as Dimitri hurried to the next corner and then along a corridor. He turned once and then again and she hustled to keep up. They walked down two flights of stairs, into another corridor and down another flight. Then a new corridor, this one lined with stateroom doors. When he stopped, Ruby looked behind. How was this a shortcut?
Dimitri slid a card key into a stateroom lock and held the door for her. “Come in,” he said, gesturing to the darkened interior.
Her face flushed hot and she shook her head.
“I’m not going in there,” she said, smiling despite herself. Cheeky bastard. She checked the corridor in both directions. At least no one had seen her yet.
Across the hall, music spilled out as a door opened.
“Oh, come on, girl,” a woman said. “The damn casino will be closed by the time we get there.”
Dimitri raised his eyebrows.
Dammit. Ruby ducked under his arm and into the stateroom. He closed the door and they faced each other in the entrance hall, so close together that his bay rum aftershave wafted over her. From the hall outside came laughter and more voices. It sounded like a party.
With a smile, Dimitri ran his hand along her shoulder and down her upper arm, pulled her to him, and bent his head.
Ruby reached around him with her free arm and flipped on the light switch. Pulling her other arm away, she took a step back and gave him a stern look.
“I’m leaving the minute those people are gone.”
Dimitri walked into the stateroom and threw his jacket across a chair. Pulling a champagne bottle from an ice bucket on the bureau, he popped the cork with a practiced gesture and filled two glasses. Holding a glass out to her, he nodded at the twin beds.
“Sit. Take a load off.”
“Take a load off?”
“Is American expression, no?”
Ruby giggled and shook her head, accepting the champagne. She tried to remember how many drinks she’d ordered at the blackjack table. This was a bad idea. With a slight shrug, she sat on the nearest bed, crossed her legs, and eyed the open jar of caviar beside the ice bucket. Talk about advance planning.
“Do you do this every night?” she asked, sipping champagne and glancing around for a place to rest the glass.
Dimitri took the glass from her hand, placed it on the nightstand, and sat on the other bed, facing her. He leaned closer.
“I never do this,” he said in a low voice, his eyes locked with hers.
Clearing her throat, she looked away.
“I meant the caviar.” She pointed at the jar. “It’s expensive.”
His eyes flashed.
“You think I have no money?”
“No, no, I’m sure you have money—”
“Okay,” he broke in, grinning. “Truthfully, I have friend in the kitchen.” He spooned caviar on a toast triangle and held it out to her. “Is good. Russian.”
Ruby took the toast and nibbled at it, glancing at the door.
“Do you have a lot of friends here, Dimitri? I mean, how did you come to work on a cruise ship?”
“I was working in a bar in Moscow when my friend told me about the cruise ship.”
“How did you become a gymnast?”
“When I was seven, my parents took me to a special training camp. Good opportunity.”
“Seven? Did you see them often after that?”
He shrugged.
“Were you happy?”
“Yes.” He looked away.
“Hello,” he said, looking at her intently with those icy blue eyes.
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach and for a second or two she forgot to breathe.
“I have to get back. My husband will wonder where I am.”
Dimitri nodded and extended his hand.
“I take you. I know a shortcut.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think—”
He raised his eyebrows and inclined his head to the left.
Ruby turned. Ethan and Emily were walking up the promenade, but they hadn’t seen her yet. She turned back to Dimitri.
“Let’s go.”
She followed as Dimitri hurried to the next corner and then along a corridor. He turned once and then again and she hustled to keep up. They walked down two flights of stairs, into another corridor and down another flight. Then a new corridor, this one lined with stateroom doors. When he stopped, Ruby looked behind. How was this a shortcut?
Dimitri slid a card key into a stateroom lock and held the door for her. “Come in,” he said, gesturing to the darkened interior.
Her face flushed hot and she shook her head.
“I’m not going in there,” she said, smiling despite herself. Cheeky bastard. She checked the corridor in both directions. At least no one had seen her yet.
Across the hall, music spilled out as a door opened.
“Oh, come on, girl,” a woman said. “The damn casino will be closed by the time we get there.”
Dimitri raised his eyebrows.
Dammit. Ruby ducked under his arm and into the stateroom. He closed the door and they faced each other in the entrance hall, so close together that his bay rum aftershave wafted over her. From the hall outside came laughter and more voices. It sounded like a party.
With a smile, Dimitri ran his hand along her shoulder and down her upper arm, pulled her to him, and bent his head.
Ruby reached around him with her free arm and flipped on the light switch. Pulling her other arm away, she took a step back and gave him a stern look.
“I’m leaving the minute those people are gone.”
Dimitri walked into the stateroom and threw his jacket across a chair. Pulling a champagne bottle from an ice bucket on the bureau, he popped the cork with a practiced gesture and filled two glasses. Holding a glass out to her, he nodded at the twin beds.
“Sit. Take a load off.”
“Take a load off?”
“Is American expression, no?”
Ruby giggled and shook her head, accepting the champagne. She tried to remember how many drinks she’d ordered at the blackjack table. This was a bad idea. With a slight shrug, she sat on the nearest bed, crossed her legs, and eyed the open jar of caviar beside the ice bucket. Talk about advance planning.
“Do you do this every night?” she asked, sipping champagne and glancing around for a place to rest the glass.
Dimitri took the glass from her hand, placed it on the nightstand, and sat on the other bed, facing her. He leaned closer.
“I never do this,” he said in a low voice, his eyes locked with hers.
Clearing her throat, she looked away.
“I meant the caviar.” She pointed at the jar. “It’s expensive.”
His eyes flashed.
“You think I have no money?”
“No, no, I’m sure you have money—”
“Okay,” he broke in, grinning. “Truthfully, I have friend in the kitchen.” He spooned caviar on a toast triangle and held it out to her. “Is good. Russian.”
Ruby took the toast and nibbled at it, glancing at the door.
“Do you have a lot of friends here, Dimitri? I mean, how did you come to work on a cruise ship?”
“I was working in a bar in Moscow when my friend told me about the cruise ship.”
“How did you become a gymnast?”
“When I was seven, my parents took me to a special training camp. Good opportunity.”
“Seven? Did you see them often after that?”
He shrugged.
“Were you happy?”
“Yes.” He looked away.
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