Nine Lives - Danielle Steel Page 0,58

cynical look. “That’s a high price to pay. You’ve earned all this with blood money. Your blood. Like in Barcelona. I hate to see you doing that.” But she knew she couldn’t stop him and didn’t try. His dangerous pursuits were part of him. Although he didn’t look it, he was still wild.

They sat in the comfortable chairs on deck and he put a blanket around her as they watched the fireworks. He glanced at his watch just before midnight. “It’s almost here,” he said with a smile, “a new year. I hope it’s a good one for you, Maggie. I hope you get everything you want. You deserve it.”

“You too.” She smiled at him, and she wished him to stay alive for a long time, but didn’t say it.

Two minutes later, on the stroke of midnight, with silvery fireworks exploding in showers of what looked like diamonds above them, he kissed her as he had in London, and this time she didn’t stop him. It was too comfortable and too tender being with him to keep resisting their feelings for each other. And she didn’t feel guilty about Brad now, which made a difference. She was here, in the moment, with Paul, and it felt right being together, however long it lasted, or didn’t. They didn’t want anything from each other, except to share this time. They weren’t hurting anybody. And if the risks he took became too much for her, she knew she would leave him, and he knew it too. It was the unspoken agreement between them. She had made her peace with who he was, and thought she could live with it.

She kissed him then, and they stayed on deck for a long time, nestled under the blanket, until the fireworks stopped, and their kisses continued.

“Happy new year, Maggie,” he whispered to her. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Please try to stay alive for me this year. It’s all I want from you,” she whispered. And then she quietly followed him down to his cabin, where they celebrated a new year, and a new chapter of their lives together. For now, it felt like the right one.

Chapter 10

On New Year’s Day, they sailed away from Saint Barth’s, to stop at some of the other islands. She nestled next to Paul as they sat on one of the comfortable couches, and he pulled her a little closer to him. They both knew what had happened and what it meant. There was no one they needed to share it with.

“When am I going to meet Aden?” he asked, wanting to include him in their circle and not leave him out. “Why don’t the two of you come on the boat in the South of France this summer?”

“He’s planning to travel in Europe with friends in June.”

“That’s perfect. Come on the boat in July. Or you could come in June and Aden can join us in July.” She liked the idea. She knew Aden would be ecstatic to meet Paul Gilmore, but she wasn’t sure how he would react to her being involved with him romantically, and if he would view it as a betrayal of his father. She had to tell him about Paul first. “What about you?” Paul asked her. “How long can you stay now?”

“Since I haven’t figured out a job for myself yet, I’m free until Aden comes home for spring break in March. What about you? Do you have to be somewhere?”

“In theory I’m still recuperating.” He laughed. “The doctors in Spain told me to take it easy for four months. Not likely. I have meetings in London and Zurich at the end of the month, and a race in February. I have to be in shape by then. I’ll start training in a few weeks,” he said, looking relaxed. “Why don’t you stay, if you want to, until the end of the month, and then come to London with me? You can stay as long as you want.”

“When are you racing?” She wanted to leave before that. She didn’t want to see it. And he knew better than to insist she be there. He knew how she felt about it.

“Mid-February in England, France in May, Italy in September. I have a race in China next year, and one in Australia.”

“I think I’ll miss those too.” She smiled at him. Maybe not having to see him risk his life would work for them. Until the day that the worst happened. She