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and directing his body to please both of them. She deserved the reward after giving him such a magnificent gift.
***
After a lunch of cheese, cold meats, and baguettes, Jason received a long-awaited phone call.
“Excellent! We’ll keep an eye out for them,” he said to the caller.
“What?” Gemma asked, wiping her fingers on her napkin.
“Sundeck.” He cocked his head upwards. “Come on.”
Gemma stood, as Jason had told her, by the railings and kept her eyes on the comings and goings of traffic around the marina. There were other opulent yachts to behold then the layers of buildings forming the vista of Monte Carlo. The tall apartment blocks, red tiled roofs, and the rock-faced mountains rising above the principality.
A limousine drew up near the jetty, and two familiar figures climbed out. Gemma couldn’t believe her eyes and whooped a cry of surprise. Hands to her mouth, she leapt up and down, waving frantically.
“John! Andrea! Up here!”
“Oh, my God, Jason. You planned this? You.... Oh, my God!” she shrieked at the pleasure of seeing her brother and his fiancée. She gave her husband an adoring smile of delight.
Jason leant on the railings, arms folded with a wide beaming grin. “An early wedding gift from us both. A weekend on a luxury yacht cruising down the coast of Italy ending at Naples.”
“I have to go and greet them.” She dashed to the stairwell.
“Don’t run. I don’t want you breaking your neck!” he called after her.
***
“John!” Gemma charged down the gangplank toward her brother and his fiancée.
“That yacht?” exclaimed John. “Surely for two people that’s a huge boat!” Quickly He flung his arms open and gave her a warm embrace. “Gemma. Wow! What can we say!” He grinned at her.
Andrea gave Gemma a small kiss on the cheek. “So good to be here.” She glanced at Gemma’s decorated hands.
“How did you get here?” asked Gemma.
“You don’t know?” said John.
“No. Jason didn’t even tell me you were coming. This is a total shock!”
“What an amazing journey. Private jet from London to Nice and then a helicopter ride to the heliport with a limo ready to pick us up.”
“Jet? I thought it was staying in Malaga. Why that crafty man. He’s had this planned for ages, hasn’t he?” Gemma shook her head in disbelief.
“He swore us to secrecy. Asked us to book a weekend off work and bring suitable clothing for a holiday on a yacht. It’s been so bloody hard keeping my mouth shut.” He laughed.
She tugged his sleeve. “Come on. You won’t believe the interior of this yacht. You’re going to think you’re on a floating palace.”
She showed them the main deck and all its facilities including the VIP compartment. Esteban had allocated them the best of the guest cabins. The chief steward arranged for their luggage to be brought on board and introduced them to a number of the key staff, including the captain.
“You’ve not seen it all yet. Follow me.” Gemma led them to the central stairwell and punched in the key code. “Jason and I have a whole deck to ourselves. The owner’s stateroom and salons.”
Reaching the deck, they spied Jason, who had being waiting patiently for their arrival, rising from one of the armchairs
“I’m gobsmacked.” John shook Jason’s hand. “I mean, when you mentioned a little cruise on your yacht, I had visions of a four berth.... Well, certainly not this!”
John let go of his brother-in-law’s hand, and Jason offered his cheek to Andrea for a brief kiss. Since arriving on the yacht, she had been virtually silent, overwhelmed with awe and incredulity.
“My pleasure, John. Andrea. It’s good to have you aboard. The crew will take good care of you,” said Jason pleasantly. He raised his hand, gesturing to somebody behind him.
