Page 27 of The Tycoon's Diamond Demand

He’d felt safe with her. And that was the biggest compliment he could pay anyone. She was still the only person who always did what she said and who’d never let him down. He couldn’t imagine her on this vessel, in his house in Bergen. She’d be bemused by his wealth, definitely unimpressed.

Jens flipped his sunglasses onto his face as he watched Maja chugging over to him, the jet ski idling just enough to keep her moving forward. Man, she drove like a granny, and it made him smile.

She slowly braked and eventually, about three years later, drifted over to him, her eyes sparkling as she faced him.

‘That was so much fun! Exhilarating!’

He grinned at her and folded his arms to keep from curling his hand around her neck and pulling her in for a kiss. ‘You didn’t go fast enough to hit exhilarating. I doubt you went faster than a geriatric on sleeping tablets.’

She wrinkled her nose at him, and he grinned, feeling light-hearted and relaxed. If he pulled her onto his jet ski and draped her legs over his, they could make love right here, right now. The thought hit him out of nowhere.

You’re not going to make love to Maja, remember? That would complicate everything.

His brain got it, but the rest of his body wasn’t interested in being sensible.

‘I was being cautious,’ Maja responded, pulling him back to reality. ‘It’s my first time on a jet ski. I didn’t want to fall off!’

Because he liked the spark in her green and gold eyes, he flicked the toggle of her life jacket. ‘That’s what life jackets are for.’

‘The water, in case you didn’t notice, is freezing! Not all of us have ice in our veins, Nilsen!’

Jens frowned. Was that what she thought? That he had ice in his veins? He considered her words and reluctantly admitted she wasn’t far off the mark. For more than a decade, he’d operated in a state of suspended animation, not allowing his blood to heat, finding little amusement in anyone or anything.

He was ruthless, cold and hard, but he got the job done.

Maja laid a hand on his forearms and squeezed. Her eyes, when he looked into them, flashed with remorse. ‘That came out wrong, Jens, I didn’t mean to criticise you. I was only referring to your insane tendency to swim in cold water.’

She looked sincere and that might be true, but there was no escaping the reality of who he was. Circumstances and choices, his and others, had forced him to eschew emotion and shut down. It worked for him, he’d built a mammoth business and had power and influence.

But Maja dropping back into his life had him second-guessing himself.

It was a beautiful morning. The hot sun bounced off the blue water and a white-tailed eagle flew in lazy circles high above his head. This was a very rare day off and he didn’t want to spoil it by arguing with Maja. He simply wanted to be a guy on a jet ski in the company of a pretty woman, taking in the outstanding scenery. Their issues could wait and, for as long as he was on the yacht, he would shove all thoughts of revenge to the back of his mind. He was allowed to step away for a few hours, maybe even a day, wasn’t he?

Before he could talk himself out of his decision, he lifted his finger to his lips and released a piercing whistle. The deckhand immediately responded by walking to the railing.

‘Sir?’ he called.

‘Maja and I are going for a spin up the coast. Do you feel like a swim, Lars? If not, we’ll pootle over to you,’ he said. ‘We might get there next year but we’ll get there.’

‘It’ll be quicker if I swim over,’ Lars replied, grinning.

‘Oh, ha-ha!’ Maja muttered, rolling her eyes.

Lars whipped off his shirt, dived into the water and Jens noticed Maja’s shudder. The kid was a fish, he noticed, impressed by his strong stroke. As Lars swam over to them, Jens helped Maja onto his jet ski, telling his lower body to behave when her thighs gripped the outside of his thighs. Her arms encircled his waist, and she rested her chin on his shoulder. ‘Not too fast, Jens,’ she warned him.

That would be a problem as he had only two speeds: fast and very fast.

‘I won’t flip this beast over,’ he told her as Lars reached her jet ski and hauled himself up. Jens gunned the accelerator and pulled away. Maja chose that exact moment to let go of her grip on his waist, and she flew off the jet ski and plopped into the water.

She bobbed on the surface, her hair hanging in rats’ tails down her face. He slowed down as he did a wide turn and puttered over to her, cutting the engine when he came close. Maja glared at him and launched an impressive stream of water at his face. ‘You said I wouldn’t fall off!’

In fairness, he’d said he wouldn’t flip the jet ski, not that she wouldn’t fall off. But Jens, because he was too smart to say that to a blue-lipped Maja, reached down, grabbed her by the wrist and easily hauled her onto the jet ski. ‘I suppose you want to go back and jump into a warm shower?’ he asked, disappointed in advance. The sun was hot, and she’d dry off in no time, but he knew Maja wasn’t a fan of being cold.

Instead of agreeing with him, she manoeuvred her leg over the side of the jet ski, snuggled in behind him and wrapped her arms around her waist, her grip anaconda tight. ‘Now you can go. I’d tell you to go slow but that’s not in your nature but, word of warning, if I go off again, you’re coming too.’

He grinned. Was he having fun? Maybe. It had been so long he’d forgotten what that felt like.

Maja swirled the cognac around in her balloon glass, burying her nose in the glass and inhaling its base notes of maple, molasses and nuts. After another spectacular dinner, perfectly cooked Wagyu steaks andfrites, Jens dismissed his staff, and they made their way to the aft deck to enjoy the royal-blue and bright pink sunset. Maja sank down onto the wide cushions, stretching out her legs. She was happy, tired and very relaxed. By silent agreement, she and Jens ignored their upcoming wedding, their shared past, and any other contentious subjects. They’d laughed a little, smiled a lot, simply enjoying the stunning day, the six-star service by the yacht crew and the amazing scenery.

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