Page 21 of Troubled Skies (Blue Skies #3)
It took Adrian a moment to realize that he was looking at all the clothing he had liked at the boutique. Everything had been hung up as if Adrian were moving in for the journey to the Maldives and occupied the space to the left of Ren’s clothing which had also been unpacked and hung up as well.
“You said you had them send my favorite outfit to the ship,” Adrian said.
“Oui. And I did. I just neglected to say that I had them send everything else as well.” Ren grinned at him, obviously pleased with what he’d done and completely oblivious to Adrian’s disbelief and growing discomfort.
“I didn’t ask you to do any of this.”
“Non, you did not, and that is why I wanted to do it.”
Adrian shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
Ren sat on the chair in the corner of the closet— Who has furniture in their closet? On a yacht, no less? Adrian asked himself—and leaned toward Adrian. “So many people ask me to buy things for them.” Ren shrugged. “Clothing, jewelry, meals in expensive restaurants—”
“All of which you’ve done for me,” Adrian interjected. “Except the jewelry.”
“Well…” Ren gestured toward a set of drawers.
“What did you do?” Adrian opened the top one to find a long, slim box inside. He took it out, opened it, and gasped at the string of black pearls. “I cannot believe you did this. You need to send it all back.”
“But why? Do you not like the clothes?”
“I like the clothes, but it’s too much.” He waved the jewelry box at Ren. “You’ve spent too much money on me.”
“Pfft.” Ren waved a hand in the air. “So, I order one less suit for myself next season. Or forgo another pair of Louboutins. It is worth it to see your smile and know I have made you happy.”
“This is insane. I can’t accept all of this.”
“Of course, you can. It will make me happy to think of you wearing these clothes even if I am not there to see it.” Ren stood and crossed the space to stand in front of Adrian.
He took the box from Adrian’s hands and put it back in the drawer.
“You did not ask me for anything, poussin, not even when your suitcase failed to arrive in Ibiza. You did not expect me to do anything for you. So many people do, and I simply thought how nice it would be to do something unexpected for someone else. For you. But if this does not please you, I will send it all back.”
“Good,” Adrian said. “I appreciate what you wanted to do.” He narrowed his eyes at Ren. “Sort of.”
“How so, sort of?” Ren mimicked Adrian’s flattened American inflection, which made Adrian smile. He had become enamored of Ren’s continental speech, the subtle mix of European accents that made him sound worldly and sophisticated to Adrian’s ear.
“I appreciate that you wanted to do this for me, but one outfit would have been fine. This,” Adrian waved his hand at the outfits hanging from the clothing rack, “this is too much. I mean, I appreciate it, but it’s too much, Ren. I can’t accept any of it.”
For a moment, Adrian thought Ren was going to argue with him, was going to insist Adrian accept all the clothing and the pearls. He was prepared to stand his ground, but Ren stared into his eyes, the tension between them changing subtly as Ren’s features softened.
“I understand, Adrian, and I am sorry if I displeased you.”
“You didn’t displease me, it’s just that I don’t need you to do all of this.” Ren nodded, and Adrian wrapped his arms around Ren’s waist. “But thank you. It’s been a long time since someone did something this extraordinary for me.”
“And that is a shame, poussin. I should think you would have a line of men wanting to do extraordinary things for you.”
Adrian snorted at the idea. “Hardly, honey. There are no men at home waiting outside my door to buy me pretty things.”
“Which is good to know, mon cher.” He kissed Adrian lightly on the lips. “But if we do not hurry and get ready for dinner, Rachel will chop us into bits and feed us to the fish. Will you allow me to choose for you, poussin?”
“Please.”
Adrian wasn’t surprised when Ren chose the Armani suit with no shirt, just as he’d had Adrian try it on in the store.
As Adrian began to change, he realized they’d neglected one important article of clothing on their shopping spree.
He only had one pair of underwear, the pair he’d been wearing while traveling.
He assumed it was currently in the laundry with the rest of the clothing that had been gathered from the pool.
“Then you will have to go without,” Ren said after Adrian brought this to his attention. “And I will have to behave all through dinner while imagining you sitting next to me bare beneath your clothing.”
Adrian smirked at him. “What if I don’t want you to behave?”
Ren groaned. “You are a temptress, poussin,” he said.
When they walked into what Ren assured him was the smaller of the Belle’s two dining rooms, Adrian chose to believe him even though the table sat at least a dozen.
At the moment, though, the table was set for two and decorated with candles and flowers.
As striking as the table was, Adrian couldn’t keep his eyes off Ren who was dressed in a beautiful, tailored suit cut perfectly for his trim frame.
He caught sight of them in a mirror and almost didn’t recognize himself.
The Armani suit fit him better than anything he had ever worn, and the pearls around his neck were stunning.
Adrian raised his hand to touch them, checking to be sure what he saw was actually real.
He watched their reflection as Ren pulled Adrian’s chair out for him, and the way they looked together took his breath away.
As soon as Ren took his seat, he held out his hand for Adrian, and Adrian obliged. Ren raised it to his lips and placed a soft kiss on the back of Adrian’s hand. Adrian nearly swooned.
“I am so happy to have you here with me, mon cher,” he said after he laid both their hands on the table but didn’t let go.
“I’m happy to be with you, too,” Adrian said, loving the smile that lit up Ren’s face.
“Welcome, gentleman,” Sylvie said as she stepped into the dining room followed by another young woman.
Both of them carried trays, Sylvie’s with champagne flutes and the other woman’s with a platter of oysters.
“Chef will be up shortly to let you know what she has prepared for you this evening, but she wants to start off with a cocktail and an amuse-bouche.” Sylvie placed a flute in front of each of them.
“This is a virgin hibiscus royale.” She gestured to her companion who placed the platter she was carrying between them.
“And chef has prepared fresh oysters served three ways: with caviar, a classic mignonette, and a yuzu-saki granita. Please, enjoy.”
“Thank you, Sylvie,” Ren said before he picked up his drink and held it out toward Adrian. “To you, poussin. You have made this a far more pleasant experience than I anticipated.”
Adrian tipped his glass against Ren’s. “You have made this a far more pleasant experience for me, too,” he said. “I’m not sure I could have gotten myself onto the plane from Heathrow without you.”
“Ah, but you were upset with me, so I cannot take credit for it.” He sipped his drink and wrinkled his nose. “Thank God, you are intoxicating enough to distract me from the lack of champagne.”
Laughing, Adrian lifted one of the oysters from its bed of ice, tipped it into his mouth, and gave a surprised “oh” at the burst of citrus as the granita melted on his tongue. “That’s delicious,” he said.
Ren took one of the oysters with caviar and followed suit.
“Do you think Rachel is suggesting anything?” Adrian asked and nodded at the platter. “By serving us oysters?”
“Very likely,” Ren said. “She is like the annoying older sister I did not ask for but have come to adore even if her sense of humor is obnoxious.”
As if she’d overheard, Rachel smirked at them when she came to tell them the menu, pretty much confirming Adrian’s suspicions that she had prepared the oysters as an…
enhancement for their evening. Instead of feeling uncomfortable at the innuendo, Adrian found himself looking forward to having Ren all to himself again.
Not that the food wasn’t delicious. It was quite possibly the best meal Adrian had ever eaten.
The oysters were followed by a golden lobster bisque and burrata and heirloom tomato salad, and a main course of butter-poached lobster tails served with caviar-topped asparagus and truffle mashed potatoes.
Though the food was excellent, Adrian found himself increasingly distracted by Ren sitting next to him.
He was aware of every movement Ren made, every sound, the elegant curve of his fingers as he ate, Ren’s subtle masculine scent mixed with a lovely citrus cologne, the candlelight gilding Ren’s skin, cutting shadows beneath his cheeks that only heightened the man’s rakish beauty.
When Adrian moaned around a sinfully rich morsal of lobster Ren offered from his fork, Ren’s features seemed to sharpen, his focus riveted on Adrian’s lips. And when Ren drew his thumb across Adrian’s lips, Adrian couldn’t help but suck it into his mouth and tease at it with his tongue.
“You are playing with fire, mon cher.”
Ren’s voice was low, husky, a sensuous breath that barely touched Adrian’s skin but aroused him all the same.
Under the table, Adrian was hard, his cock pressing against the zipper of his pants, the subtle friction a reminder that he wore nothing beneath them, the heat in Ren’s eyes a vivid promise of what lay ahead this evening.
A shiver of anticipation ran through Adrian’s body as he leaned closer and whispered, “I hope so.”
“Chef has prepared a raspberry and white chocolate mille-feuille for dessert accompanied by chocolate-dipped strawberries. Would you like it in the dining room or on the deck?” Sylvie asked as her assistant cleared their plates.
Ren looked at Adrian. “What do you think?”
Adrian turned his gaze to Ren and waited as the tension between them simmered. “I’ll let you decide,” Adrian said.
“We’ll have dessert in the cabin,” Ren said without taking his focus off of Adrian.
“Very good, sirs. Any coffee?”
“Non. Just dessert, s’il vous pla?t.”
Sylvie nodded as Ren rose from his seat, his hand out to help Adrian stand. As soon as the chief stew exited the dining room, Ren pulled Adrian against him and kissed him so thoroughly, Adrian all but melted.
“If you keep doing that,” Adrian murmured as they parted, “I won’t make it to the cabin.”
Ren nodded toward the table with a wink. “I happen to know this is a very sturdy surface.”
Adrian feigned shock and shook his head. “Not on a first date. I’m not that kind of a boy.”
“So, I have hope for tomorrow night then?” Laughing, Ren took his hand. “Poussin, you are a constant delight.”