Illya's first thought was that he must keep Alexandra away from Napoleon at all costs. His second was to wonder what it would be like to make love to her himself. Not that the thought hadn't occurred to him before, but he'd always considered it well beyond the realm of possibility. Yet if Alexandra's mind was truly wondering the path it now seemed to be upon...
"Are we all ready to go now, then?" he asked.
Alexandra glanced around at her family, then smiled and nodded. "I believe we are."
It was only a short ride to the beach. A few other people were there, clumped into small groups, but it wasn't terribly crowded, which Illya was happy to see.
The five Romanov children whooped happily at the sight of the sun-drenched sand bordered by the clear water.
"They'd been cooped up inside for ever so long before," Alexandra told Illya. "None of us thought we'd ever see the sun again."
"Well, you are free to enjoy it to your heart's content now," Illya said tenderly. He ran toward the water himself, glancing back and grinning encouragement at Alexandra. With some slight hesitation, she followed him.
The two of them were enjoying riding the waves and feeling the sensation of the sun on their backs when they heard snickering and realized that some onlookers were laughing at Alexandra's swimsuit.
"Perhaps I should have dressed differently, after all," she said to Illya.
"We could take a break and walk along the shops along the boardwalk," Illya suggested. "They sell swimsuits there."
A few minutes later, Illya was standing in one of the aforementioned shops, waiting for Alexandra to emerge from the changing room. At last he saw the door open, and she cautiously stepped out.
Illya had to gasp at the sight of the former Tsarina in a modern-day swimsuit. It was white with red trim, its top accenting her cleavage in a very flattering way, and its cut at the bottom emphasizing the curve of her hips. Slightly annoyed at the sensation of his own swimsuit suddenly feeling tighter, Illya fastened a towel around his waist to hide the evidence of his arousal.
"I feel so exposed." Alexandra's voice was almost a whisper.
"It is very modest by today's standards, and you look absolutely lovely in it," Illya told her.
"I fear that God and my Nicky would disapprove."
"I believe that if there is a God, He would never want you to be ashamed of the beauty with which he has blessed you."
"Of course there's a God," Alexandra insisted resolutely. "And if He has given me beauty, I cannot help but conclude that it is for my husband's eyes alone."
"But your husband is not here anymore," Illya said gently. "And nothing about the swimsuit you have on now is inappropriate in the least. Your most intimate parts are properly concealed, as they should be."
Alexandra blushed a deep red. "I feel very uncomfortable discussing such matters with a man to whom I am not married." Her voice was so low that it was almost a whisper.
"I am sorry," said Illya. "I should have realized that what I just said would seem insensitive to you. However, I do find the swimsuit very attractive on you, and it would make me very happy if you bought it."
Alexandra looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled. "Very well. I shall."
Illya grinned happily.
Alexandra left the shop wearing the suit, and to her relief, her children seemed pleased rather than horrified when they saw her.
They frolicked in the waves some more, then ate the picnic lunch they'd packed, chatting as they did so.
"Anna has mentioned that she would like to meet your partner," Alexandra told Illya.
"I would be happy to introduce the two of them," Illya replied. "However, you must understand...Napoleon, while honorable by nature and a true gentleman, is also very much a man of the nineteen sixties. By that I mean that, to him, intimate relations are a normal part of the dating experience, and it is what he is accustomed to."
Alexandra's face darkened. "In that case, I shall discourage her interest."
"I am not implying that it would necessarily be a bad idea for them to meet," Illya said. "I only mean that Anna should be aware of that fact beforehand. As I said, Napoleon is a gentleman and would never pressure her into doing anything she would feel uncomfortable about."
A short time later, Illya returned the family to their home.
"Thank you very much for a highly enjoyable day," Alexandra said to him.
"It was my pleasure," he replied. "Would you like to join me for dinner tonight?"
"That sounds lovely!" Alexandra exclaimed.
"I'll mention to Napoleon that Anna would like to meet him as well," Illya said. "Perhaps we could set something up soon."
"That would be nice."
After debating whether or not he should kiss her good-bye, he finally allowed his lips to gently graze her cheek. She seemed pleased.
