克里斯蒂安来接妮基回去。可他要怎么去呢？只要再看一眼菲奥娜都会使他再次热血沸腾。
“She'll be way too heavy for you to carry unless that shoulder's a lot better by now,” he said, attempting to reclaim his wriggling daughter, and finding he needed to slide an arm against Fiona's breasts to do so.
“你可能已经抱不动她了，除非你的肩膀现在已经好多了。”他试图抱回蠕动的女儿，这样做就有一只手臂得划过菲奥娜的胸部。
“Hold still, Nic!”he ordered.Nicky immediately grabbed for the scooped neckline of Fiona's red T-shirt and clung like a limpet.He disengaged her after a short tussle and a generous eyeful of pale flesh, which did nothing to deflate him.
“别动，妮可！”他以命令的口吻说道，妮基马上抓住菲奥娜红色T恤的圆领口，像个帽贝似的紧抱不放。和她扭打了一会儿终于使她松手了。满眼白花花的肉终究没有使他溃不成军。
“Sorry,” he grated.
“对不起。”他粗声粗气地说道。
“Nothing you haven't seen before.”
“你以前什么没见过。”
She's as chilly as a glacier.
她冷若冰山。
As he walked uncomfortably toward the baggage claim area, he cursed his stupidity.He could have managed Nicky on his own for a few days.Once Jan was in the hospice for the final time, they'd got by.Some help from just-returned Amy Houndsworth, an hour or two each day with Jen's nanny, Nicky napping in her special safety seat as he drove briefly to work to keep a handle on things…
他不爽地走向行李领取区，边走边骂自己太蠢了。他本可以自己带妮基几天的啊。以前简在临终关怀院的时候都能挺过去啊。艾米·杭兹华斯刚刚回来，她能帮上些忙。一天有一两个小时做珍的保姆。他开车去工作，好让一切尽在自己掌控之中，妮基则在车上她特别的安全椅上小睡。
At the Lodge it would be way easier than that.
住在旅馆的时候，这可就更容易了。
If he was honest with himself, this was all about Fiona, not Nicky.He'd been desperate to see her just once more before she was out of his reach in the Mediterranean—and in case some slight attraction for him might still linger in her heart.
如果他诚实地面对自己，那么这一切是因为菲奥娜，而并非妮基。自从菲奥娜从地中海离去，消失在他的视线后，他就极渴望再见她一面——万一他那微不足道的吸引力还在她心中占有一丝分量呢。
“Anyway—slinky dresses.I grabbed one of Jan's, just in case.”
“无论如何——好看的连衣裙，我抓起一件简的连衣裙，以防万一。”
“Er…oh, for dinner? He watched her clear green eyes widen in surprise.“It's that classy?”
“呃…哦，出席晚餐？”他看见她非常惊讶，清澈的绿眼睛睁得老大了，“那很豪华吗？”
“Pounamu Lodge expects a certain standard.”
“普纳姆旅店有一定标准的。”
“Does it indeed?”
“是吗？”
“Dinner's the high point of the day.A genuine degustation meal—eight entree-size courses.Wines specially chosen to match.No menu.Different every day of the year.”
“晚餐是当天的高潮。一顿真正的精选大餐——八道开胃小菜，特意搭配的葡萄酒，没有菜单。有别于一年中的任意一天。”
“Your idea?”
“你的主意吗？”
“Antoine's.But I select a lot of the wines.”
“安托万的，但很多葡萄酒是我挑的。”
“So talented.”
“太有才了。”
The corner of his mouth quirked.“Is it to be open warfare then?”he asked.
他嘴角抽搐，“是开战了吗？”他问到。
“No. Of course not, Christian.But you rub me up the wrong way sometimes.”
“不，当然不是，克里斯蒂安。但你有时会惹到我。”
“By being interested in wine? Oh,come on now Blondie,New Zealand produces some of the world's best these days.It's an exciting thing to be part of.”
“就因为对葡萄酒感兴趣？”“哦，拜托，美人儿。目前新西兰生产的一些酒是世界上最好的了，这是多么令人兴奋的一件事啊。”
“Not the wine.Of course not the wine.”She ignored him and smiled across at Nicky as they walked along the bright impersonal terminal concourse.“Just by being you,” she muttered.
“不是葡萄酒，当然不是因为葡萄酒。”她忽略他，微笑着走到妮基身边，他们沿着明亮而平淡无奇的主楼大厅走去，“只因为你，”她喃喃道。
His lips twitched.Presumably she'd not intended him to hear that.
他嘴唇在抽搐。想来她并不想让他听见吧。
He heard her draw a deep breath, and saw the rise of the soft scarlet fabric.
他听到她深吸一口气，看到了柔软的猩红色织物的起伏。
“And what,” she asked, making an apparent effort to be more sociable,“is there to do at this place?”
“还有，”她问道，很明显她在努力使自己看上去很机智，“这地儿是干什么的呢？”
He ripped his gaze back up to hers.
他把目光拉回到她这儿。
“Horse-trekking.Quad-biking.It's an angler's paradise not far up-river.Nine hole golf course—we'll be extending that in a year or so.Swimming pools, indoor and outdoor.A couple of nice tennis courts.Sauna.Gym.Enough for you?”
“骑马探险，四轮车越野，不远处的上游河流是垂钓者的天堂，九洞高尔夫球场——我们将在一年左右时间拓展这些项目。室内和户外泳池，几个漂亮的网球场，桑拿，健身房。够了吗？”
“I brought some books to read while I watch Nic.”
“我带了一些书来，看着妮可的时候可以读读。”
His brow furrowed.“I'm not expecting you ‘on duty' every hour of the day, Fee.We're there to relax…to wind down a bit.After losing Jan, we both deserve a break.”
他皱起眉头，“我不指望你每天时时刻刻都忙于‘工作’，菲。我们来这儿是来放松的…，使自己平静下来的。自从简走后，我们都应该休息一下。”
She bowed her head in silent acknowledgement.“I was already having a break,” she muttered.
她默默地鞠了一躬表示认同和感谢。“我已经在休息了。”她喃喃道。
*
“You call that a cottage?”she asked as the big silver-grey Mercedes coasted slowly to a halt.
“你把那叫作乡间别墅么？”她问道，银灰色的大奔慢慢停下来。
Her imagined rustic timber effort was a miniature French-style masonry chateau.It sat creamily in the sun, backed by tall Pohutukawa trees, still with tufts of their feathery firecracker flowers in bloom.Black forged-iron railings edged the upstairs balconies.An expansive tiled terrace dotted with outdoor furniture faced the spectacular view.
她想象中的乡村木材别墅是微缩的法式砖石城堡。温柔地坐落在阳光下，背倚高大的新西兰圣诞树，树上开满了一簇簇似羽似爆竹的圣诞花。楼上阳台边缘是黑色铸铁栏杆。宽阔的带户外家具的瓷砖露台能够看到壮观的景致。
“We had it built to match the Lodge.”Christian pointed through a gap in the trees to a magnificent building partially visible in the distance.“It's rented out a lot of the time.Ideal for honeymooners or small private groups.The Lodge administers it.”
“它是作为旅馆的配套设施而建的。”克里斯蒂安指着树林中的一个空隙，从这里看过去，能看见远处一部分宏伟的建筑。“租出去很久了。是度蜜月或小型私人团体租住的理想佳处。由旅店管理着。”
“At an interesting price, I dare say.”
“我猜价格也很有趣吧。”
He grinned at that.His tanned skin showed off dangerously good teeth.Fiona's pulse increased its tempo.
他咧嘴笑了笑，晒成小麦色的皮肤映衬着一口漂亮的牙齿，相当危险。菲奥娜脉搏加速。
“It sleeps six.There's a daily rate, dinners included.”
“住六个人。这是日常量，含晚餐。”
“You wouldn't want six on a honeymoon,” she objected.
“你不会想度蜜月也是住六个人吧。”她反对道。
“Total privacy for two—and a choice of three huge beds.”
“两个人能够完全不受打扰——并且有三个大床可供选择。”
Why were there sudden butterflies in her stomach?
为什么她忐忑了起来？
Christian unloaded her bags from the luxurious car.
克里斯蒂安从豪车上取下她的包。
“The ocean view or the morning sun?”he asked, waving her in once he'd opened the door.He picked a protesting Nicky up to stop her wandering away.
“海景房还是朝阳房？”他问道，一开门就朝她挥手致意。他抱起了反抗的妮基，以免她走丢了。
Fiona prowled, peering into each of the rooms, acutely conscious of his tall quiet presence.Hand-loomed rugs softened the tiled floors, and exquisite quilts dressed each bed.She ran her fingers over the soft patchwork surface of one.
菲奥娜徘徊着，看了看每个房间，敏锐地意识到高大的他就安静地站在自己身边。地板上铺着柔软的手工纺织地毯，每张床上都放置着精美的被子。她的手指轻柔地抚过这些物件。
“Local crafts—all for sale.”Christian pointed down to a discreet price tag attached to the corner of a flat-weave pure wool rug in misty grays and mauves.
“当地的手工艺品——都廉价出售。”克里斯蒂安指着一个素雅的雾灰和淡紫相间的平纹编织的纯羊毛地毯一角的价签说道。
She laughed at that.“You know how to make money.”
她笑了起来，“你知道如何赚钱。”
“Jan's idea—and a good one.She thought guests might like a souvenir of a memorable time.The quilters and weavers were her friends.The painters, too.And there's still some of her pottery here.”
“简的主意——好主意。她认为客人可能会喜欢一件难忘的纪念品。绗缝和编织者们都是她的朋友。画家也是，这儿还有一些她的陶器呢。”
He fell silent as Jan's memory intruded between them yet again.
当简再次侵入他们的记忆，他沉默了。
“The ocean view,” Fiona said, making the only decision possible.She had to stay clear of him somehow.The downstairs bedroom opened out onto the huge terrace.Christian would be well out of her way upstairs in the master suite.
“海景，”菲奥娜说道，做出唯一可能的决定。她不得不以某种方式和他保持距离。楼下的卧室连接着巨大的露台。克里斯蒂安会在楼上的主人套房里好好待着，不碍她什么事儿。
He sat Nicky on her bed while he retrieved her bags from the entrance lobby and hefted them onto the luggage shelf.
他把妮基放到她床上，从入口大厅把她的包包拿进来，并把它们放在行李架上。
“I'll unpack,” she said.“And see if I've anything smart enough for this lovely place.”
“我自己来整理行李，”她说，“看看我在这个可爱的地方脑瓜是否够用。”
She was absorbed in doing this when he reappeared with a slippery chocolate-brown dress draped over his arm.
当他再次出现时手里搭着一件滑溜的巧克力棕的裙子，她完全被吸引住了。
“Just in case.”
“以防万一。”
Fiona held it up by its jeweled straps and frowned.“Jan bought this for your last wedding anniversary.I helped her choose it.I couldn't possibly wear it.”
菲奥娜举起它饰有宝石的皮带，皱着眉头，“简为了你们最后一个结婚纪念日特意买的，我帮她挑的，我不可能穿它。”
He shrugged his big shoulders.“Whatever.Sadly, she won't need it again.Have it anyway.Wear it on your ship.I'll buy you a couple at the Lodge's boutique if you like.”
他耸了耸他的大肩。“无论如何，很遗憾，她不再需要它了。不管怎样，穿上它。如果你喜欢的话我会在旅馆时装店再给你买一些裙子的。”
She shot him a disbelieving look.“A boutique—way out in the country?”
她不信任地看了看他，一个眼神杀。“时装店——在很远的乡下？”
“Absolutely.Antoine's wife owns ‘Marielle's' in the city.She is Marielle.She set up a branch here as well.Our ladies like to have something beautiful to wear to dinner.Their gentlemen—not always their own husbands, I might add—are very generous spenders.”
“没错，安托万的妻子在城里有自己的”玛瑞勒的店”。她叫玛瑞勒，她也在这里设了一家分店。女士们喜欢在晚宴上穿着漂亮的服饰。绅士们——我可能会加一句，不总是她们的丈夫——是非常慷慨的消费者。”
His suggestive grin brought some joyful life to his face and turned him into a different man.Fiona tried to recall the last time she'd seen him looking so relaxed.Almost two years, she decided.Before Jan had been diagnosed with her cancer, and when six-month-old Nicky was giving them great happiness.How cruel life could be.
他脸上露出引人联想的愉悦的笑容，这使他一下子变成了另一个男人。菲奥娜试图回忆起她最后一次看到他看起来如此轻松的样子。大概两年前了吧。在简被诊断患有癌症之前，那时才半岁的妮基给他们带来了巨大的幸福。生活多么残酷啊。
Instead of leaving as she'd expected, Christian threw himself down on the bed to tickle and tease Nic while Fiona hung her selection of casual garments in the roomy wardrobe.
克里斯蒂安并没有像她预料那样离开而是躺在床上逗弄妮可，挠她痒痒，而菲奥娜在宽敞的衣橱里挂上了她的休闲装。
“Only one skirt,” she said, holding up the short bright blue linen number she'd bought the day of the haircut.
“只有一条裙子，”她说着拿起她在理发那天买的亮蓝色亚麻短裙。
“Not quite the thing for our dining room,” he agreed.“Come on, let's get this little girl fed and we'll see what's good at Marielle's.”
“对我们的餐厅来讲可不够，”他同意道，“来吧，让我们喂小姑娘吃饭吧，然后我们就去看玛瑞勒店里有啥好东西。”
“It'll be far too late,” she objected.
“太晚了，”她反对。
“Fiona, this is Pounamu Lodge.Our guests can have whatever they want, twenty-four hours a day.”
“菲奥娜，这是普纳姆旅店。我们的客人可以全天候得到他们想要的任何东西。”
Thirty minutes later he opened the cottage door, beeped the car unlocked, then gathered up Nicky and the bag of baby supplies.Once Fiona was seated in the car, he lowered his daughter into her arms.
三十分钟后，他打开了小屋门，遥控打开车锁，抱着妮基和一包婴儿用品。菲奥娜一坐进车里，他就把女儿放到她怀里了。
“Okay? Not too heavy for a couple of minutes?”
“行吗？抱几分钟也不是很重？”
“You're fine, aren't you Nic?”
“很好，是不是呀妮可？”
Nic rewarded her by cuddling close.
妮可紧紧抱着她。
“Antoine's young cousin is going to earn some pocket money babysitting tonight.”
“安托万的表弟今晚临时照看她，赚些零用钱。”
“Then you hardly need me here at all?”
“那你不需要我留在这儿啰？”
“I need you, Blondie.You don't know how much.”His dark eyes held hers.And slow drugging heat began to flood her belly as he closed the door.
“我需要你，美人儿。你不知道我有多需要你。”他的黑眼眸直视着她。当他关上门时，一股药物般的温热慢慢吞噬了她。
“But you said you wanted to cool things down,” she remonstrated after he'd rounded the Mercedes and settled into the driver's seat.
“但是你说你想冷静下来。”他绕过奔驰坐到司机的座位后，她抗议道。
“I lied.”His eyes were fathomless pools.“I didn't know I was lying at the time, but I knew it straight off once I saw you again.”He pulled his door closed with a quiet ‘thunk' and fired up the engine.
“我说谎了，”他的眼睛如水池般神秘莫测，“我当时不知道我在说谎，但当我再次看到你时，我就知道自己撒谎了。”他安静地关好车门，发动引擎。
“No Christian,” she protested.“You're not playing fair.”
“不克里斯蒂安，”她抗议道，“你这不公平。”
“I'm not playing at all.”
“我本来就没开玩笑。”
She sat there, holding his child; wretchedly aware in every cell of her body that she wanted him almost more than life itself.
她抱着孩子坐在那儿，浑身上下哪儿哪儿都觉得难受，她想要他比起想要生命本身多得多了。
“Nor am I,”she managed.“I don't play games.I can't play games with you.You're my brother-in-law, for heaven's sake.”She glanced down to Nicky.
“我也没啊，”她控制着自己的情绪，“我不开玩笑，我不能和你闹着玩。看在上帝的份儿上，你是我姐夫。”她低头看了看妮基。
“Ex brother-in-law,”he said very softly.Fiona wondered if she was even meant to hear that.She bent and kissed Nicky's fair hair, and cast about for anything that might distract her from the heat of being so close to him again.
“前任姐夫，”他轻声说道。菲奥娜在想她是否想听到这样的话。她弯腰吻了妮基浅色的头发，并尽一切力量压制住自己内心想要再次靠近他的波动。
*
Twenty minutes later, she stood in the elegant cabernet and gold fitting room of the boutique, inspecting herself in the long gilt framed mirror.Christian had introduced her as ‘Jan's sister'.Marielle's assistant had not raised either of her carefully plucked eyebrows.
二十分钟后，她就到时装店了，站在优雅的装饰成金色和红色的试衣间里，站在长长的镀金镜前照镜子了。克里斯蒂安曾经介绍过她是“简的妹妹”，玛瑞勒的助手并没有皱起她那精心修整的眉毛。
“How does it look?”His husky query surprised Fiona out of her reverie.
“看起来怎么样？”他沙哑的询问声使菲奥娜从自己的遐想中惊醒过来。
“Wonderful,” she called back.
“非常好，”她回答道。
“Come and show me.”
“出来给我瞧瞧。”
Skin prickling, she stepped out of the little room, smoothing her hands down over the silky turquoise fabric.There was nothing particularly outrageous in the shape of the narrow-strapped dress, but the bias cut clung to her body, and the iridescent peacock feather embroidery over the bodice blazed under the lights like emeralds and sapphires.
她从试衣间走出来，皮肤感觉刺痛，用手抚平柔滑的青绿色面料。这件紧身连衣裙形状没有什么特别怪里怪气的地方，但由于斜裁使得裙子紧贴着身体，色彩斑斓的孔雀羽刺绣在胸前闪闪发光，像极了祖母绿和蓝宝石。
Christian rose from the leather chair and surveyed her through sleepy half-closed eyes.“Dynamite.”He rotated a finger to indicate she should turn and show him the back.Fiona swiveled.
克里斯蒂安从皮椅上站起来，惺忪半倦的眼打量着她。“惊艳”。他伸出一根手指一转，示意她转过身来看看。菲奥娜便转了过去。
“Yes, definitely that one,” he confirmed, eyes sliding with appreciation over her bare shoulders.“How's the red?”
“对，就是这件，”他非常肯定，目光落在她裸露的肩膀上，“这件红色怎么样？”
“Too brazen altogether,” she said with a nervous laugh.“It's a dress for a really scarlet woman.”
“太风骚了，”她紧张地笑着说，“这简直就是妓女的裙子嘛。”
“I'd still like to see you in it.”He held her gaze implacably, and a little shiver ran from her scalp to her toes, despite the warmth of the evening.
“我还是想看看你穿上它。”他瞪大眼睛，凝视着她。尽管是夜很温暖，但她浑身一阵战栗。
“No Christian—it's not the sort of thing I'd ever wear.”
“不克里斯蒂安——这不是我的风格。”
“Indulge me,”he suggested.She stood there hesitating, very much not wanting him to see her in the other dress.
“迁就我一下吧，”他建议道。她站在那里犹豫不决，不想让他看到自己穿上另一件衣服。
“It makes me feel naked,” she murmured.Despite its long sleeves and high neckline, the red dress showed off every curve and hollow of her body.She'd felt as though she'd been sprayed with scarlet paint.
“就跟没穿衣服似的。”她咕哝道。尽管它有长袖和高领口，但红裙子的曲线和镂空彰显出她身材。她觉得自己好像被喷上了猩红色的油漆。
“Indulge me, Fiona,” he repeated.
“迁就我一次吧，菲奥娜。”他重复道
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