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Page 315

| "Here's to tonight," Ashton whispered, clinking his glass against hers. He took a long swallow while Sasha only sipped at hers, looking at him with passion-heavy lashes, her eyes darkening with emotions forced to remain hidden for now. |

| Two cabin boys came to their table and each placed a plate of food before them. "You have your choice of fruit," one of the cabin boys said, gesturing with a hand toward a mahogany sideboard that was piled high with mounds of peaches, pears, grapes, figs, bananas, plums, and great dripping pink wedges of watermelon. |

| Sasha and Ashton nodded without looking. Ashton filled their glasses with champagne again and they resumed sipping and gazing with wonder over the tips of the glasses. |

| Then Sasha giggled as the aroma of the food wafted upward, tantalizingly enticing. "If I don't eat now, I'm afraid I may embarrass you," she murmured, setting her glass down. |

| "Oh? And how could you ever embarrass me?" Ashton said. His lips tugged into an amused smile. "Unless you're thinking about turning yourself into that character named Spike while on this elegant paddlewheeler. I'd hate to explain why I'm sharing champagne and holding hands with someone named Spike." |

| Sasha giggled. She placed her hands on her stomach, already feeling the rumbling beginning. "No, you drongo," she teased. She glanced around her as her stomach erupted into a low, drawn-out growl. "Now do you see? My stomach, Ashton. I must eat before it growls again." |

| Ashton laughed, eyeing the platter of hare smoth- |

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