Page 23 of The Tycoon's Diamond Demand

Jens jerked his thumb at the superyacht. ‘We are, but on theDaydreamer. We’ll be the only guests on board, so we’ll get to decide where we are going, and for how long.’

A yacht? All to themselves? She sent a longing look to the vessel next door as her heart dropped to her toes. ‘Oh.’

If they were lovers, and happy about being together, it would be wonderful to walk onto the sleek yacht hand in hand, looking forward to each other’s company and to being alone as they took in the stunning scenery all around them.

But they weren’t. Jens held her career in his hands, and she couldn’t, mustn’t forget that they were sliding into a marriage neither of them wanted all because Jens couldn’t forgive and forget.

You could stop it, right now. If you just admitted that Maja Hagen is M J Slater, this would all go away. The reviews are in, you’ve established your credentials, and you have a major exhibition under your belt. Nobody could accuse you of trading on your father’s famous name.

Maja bit the inside of her lip. She couldn’t. Not yet. Maybe not ever. It was the one thing untainted or touched by a past that haunted her. She wasn’t ready to give that up.

Maja held the strap of her camera bag, her fingers itching to capture the sleek lines of the boat, the white paintwork a dazzling contrast to the cerulean-blue sea.

‘It looks amazing, Jens,’ she reluctantly admitted.

‘You haven’t been on board yet,’ he replied, sounding amused.

‘No, but I did a photo shoot on a similar yacht a few years back and I know what to expect. Thank you for hiring her—’

A strange look crossed his face and Maja frowned. Wait...

‘You didhireher, right?’

Jens tried to guide her to the yacht, but she planted her feet and waited for him to turn his attention back to her. ‘Jens...what did you do?’ she asked, lifting her eyebrows. She thought she knew but she wanted him to say it.

He scratched the side of his neck. ‘My assistant couldn’t find a private charter at such late notice and I’m not in the mood to be pleasant to strangers, so...’ His words trailed off.

‘Youboughtit?’

His powerful shoulders rose and fell. ‘It’s berthed here but the owner rarely used it. But she doesn’t like to hire it out. I asked, she said no. So I offered to buy it and she said yes.’

Maja lifted her boot and ran it down the back of her calf as she took in his words. He made it sound so simple, but this yacht had to be worth more than ten million pounds, and he’d started negotiations no more than an hour ago. The man didn’t let the grass grow under his feet...

Or whatever the seafaring equivalent of that saying was.

He sent a quizzical look at the boat. ‘So, I now own a yacht.’ He looked a bit puzzled at the thought and Maja’s heart tumbled around her chest.

He placed a hand on her arm and squeezed. ‘And she’s a beauty. Shall we go and see what I bought, Maja?’

TheDaydreamerwas as luxurious as Maja expected but a great deal more spacious. The living-room area was impressive, panelled in expensive wood and dotted with cream-coloured seating, looking like a lounge out of a glamorous show house. The yacht also boasted a smaller den with a large screen to watch movies and a spectacular kitchen with all the mod cons. She followed the yacht’s captain down to the master cabin and sighed at the huge king-sized bed covered with sparkling white linen. The en suite bathroom held his-and-hers sinks, a bath, a power shower and a separate toilet.

She very much approved. How could she not?

Jens and the captain left to explore the engine room and she looked around, thoroughly impressed. There was a hot tub on board, but she hadn’t brought a swimming costume with her. Maybe she could quickly pop into Ålesund and buy one; she wanted to sit in the warm bubbles of the hot tub while drinking a glass of wine and watching the light bounce off the mountains and the fjord.

She wanted to sit in it with Jens, to admire his broad chest, what she knew was a ridged stomach, and his wide, muscled shoulders. Spirals of heat warmed her belly. Why was she still so attracted to him? Maja pulled open the nearest cupboard door and blinked at the array of dresses hanging in the space, tags still attached. These had to belong to the previous owner, left here so she didn’t need to worry about packing. Her father had been the same—he’d kept duplicate items of clothing at his Olso and Bergen apartments, at their house in Svolvær, and in storage at various hotels around the world. Maja rolled her eyes. It wasn’t hard to pack a bag or to get your staff to pack one for you.

Curious, she opened another cupboard and saw a couple of shirts. There were also dresses, capri pants, stylish, colourful clothing and all with their tags intact. Maja squinted at a tag, and noticed the clothes were designer and that they’d yet to be worn. Pulling open a drawer, she saw a pile of panties and bras, in various shades of the rainbow and styles. In another drawer, she found swimming costumes, including a black and white one-piece with high-cut legs and brightly patterned bikinis. She winced at the price. Wow. How could something with so little fabric cost so much?

She heard footsteps on the steps. Jens stopped halfway down the stairs, looked at the scarlet bikini in her hand, and raised one eyebrow. ‘I approve. It’s a great colour.’

‘It’s not mine. The wardrobe is stocked with clothes.’ Maja placed the bikini back in the cupboard drawer and closed the door. ‘So, are you happy with your purchase?’

‘I am. I’m going to come back at some point and do a proper inspection.’

He was the CEO of a multibillion-dollar empire, and she knew time was a commodity in short supply. ‘Do you still have your captain’s licence?’

Maja wasn’t surprised when he nodded. The sea was in his blood.

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