Lured into Love (Blossom in Winter #2) - Melanie Martins Page 0,145

command as he puts the plate on the nightstand beside me. Then he gives me a quick peck on the cheek. “Don’t you dare not eat.” And he leaves the bedroom.

While I wanted to spend the entire day sleeping, or at least taking a long nap, to avoid this terrible motion sickness, my online classes have taken all day long, throwing such a wish out the window. Even with the medicine I took, the imbalance has been very strong, especially during the afternoon, as it seems we are crossing a tumultuous part of the Atlantic. Jeez, I can’t imagine how the European explorers managed to sail on their caravels for months and survive. Fortunately, by the evening, the sea has finally calmed down, so we take the opportunity to have dinner in the dining room rather than in bed like we did the past two nights. This time, though, I decide to dress a bit more fancy. And by fancy, I mean wearing a summer dress instead of a pair of jeans. Once I’m ready, I realize I have been wearing the plug for more time than instructed, so I take it out before heading to the dining room. I wasn’t expecting the dining table to be so formally set, like in a proper fine-dining restaurant. I also notice the bossa nova song playing through the speakers and the gold-colored lights coming from the crystal chandelier, all doing wonders to create an intimate atmosphere. It reminds me a bit of our dinner in Rome, but with a view of the ocean. Although, as I look out the windows, it’s too dark to see anything outside.

“Oh, Miss Van Gatt dropped the comfy jeans tonight?”

I turn around and see Alex, always so perfectly dressed, sporting a slim white shirt and dark blue pants.

“Ah, yes, well, now we are finally inaugurating the dining room.”

Standing still in front of me, Alex reaches down and takes my hand before pulling me to him. I feel his other hand slide behind my back, and as he starts slowly pacing back and forth, I know in that moment that we are about to dance and sway to the sensual beat of this Brazilian melody. Memories from our evening in Rio start running through my mind as I recall everything we’ve gone through to finally get to where we are now.

“Remember that dinner when Diana was singing?”

His totally random question confuses me. “Um, yes…”

“I’m the one who suggested to your dad to hire her.”

My eyes widen in surprise at his revelation. “Oh, really? Wow, that makes more sense now.”

“I wanted to make sure you’d have a good evening.” Then Alex spins me around for the sake of spinning, and I’m all here for it. As our eyes lock again, he asks, “Would you like her to sing at our wedding too?”

“Yesss,” I hiss just as fast. “And this time, my favorite song won’t be ruined thinking you’re leaving.”

His lips curve up, a sparkle twinkling in his eyes. “I promise, this time I’m not going anywhere.” The conviction in his voice makes me smile in return. Then, as I glance over his shoulder, I find the steward waiting for us with our starters in his hands. Alex follows the direction of my stare, and after seeing him, we stop dancing and go back to the table.

Normally, one of stewards pulls out my chair for me to sit, but Alex is in the mood to do it tonight.

As the steward puts my plate in front of me, he says, “For the starter, we have a crispy tofu with marinated zucchini and cucumber gel.” My face lights up at the harmonious colors and varying textures of the dish. I’m pretty sure Alex would’ve preferred anything but tofu, but his efforts to enjoy vegan food is really a big turn-on for me. “Enjoy.” And the steward leaves us by ourselves.

As I cut a portion of the crispy tofu, my eyes lift discreetly toward him, and I can’t resist watching Alex be entertained by his plate. When I think how he comes from a family of hunters, it truly amazes me what he has done for me.

“Thanks for doing this,” I tell him.

His gaze comes up to meet mine. “Doing what?”

“This. Like, I know if you were having dinner with someone else, you’d be eating fish, lobster, or something from the sea, but you are eating tofu…”

Letting out a quick laugh, he knows exactly how true this is. “I don’t mind eating something