They’d arrived in London early the previous day. The jet lag had been rough on them both, so he’d taken her on a quick drive around the city and they’d had a classic tea before checking into their hotel. Today they’d tried the tea at their hotel before coming to the auction. They were eating their way through London.

“I just love the idea of having afternoon tea,” she continued. “That’s usually when I get peckish, so it’s perfect. A scone and tea is preferable to the soda and candy bar I typically end up eating. I don’t know why Americans don’t have teatime. It makes us seem so uncivilized, somehow.”

“I just spent two hundred and twenty thousand dollars on a diamond-and-pearl tiara from the nineteenth century. That seems pretty civilized to me.”

Amelia shook her head and tugged him down the street. “Maybe if you wore the tiara while having tea.”

Tyler laughed, following her. Looking the way she did today, he’d follow her anywhere. She was wearing a stunning cobalt-blue wool jacket that came down past her knees to keep her warm. The bright color popped against her fair skin and fiery red hair. Combined with the pregnancy, she was damn near glowing. Beneath her coat, she was wearing a more muted dress with a gray-and-blue geometric design. She’d paired the outfit with sapphire earrings he’d sent her for Christmas the year before. Seeing how radiant the color was on her, Tyler regretted passing up a brilliant sapphire choker that had been auctioned off earlier that afternoon.

“Where are we headed?” he asked when they’d traveled several blocks away from Sotheby’s and in the opposite direction of their hotel.

“You’re going to take me for a ride on the London Eye.”

“I am?” The giant Ferris wheel overlooking the Thames hadn’t been in Tyler’s plans at all, but he didn’t mind going. He’d never ridden it. His past trips to London had been focused on jewels and finding a good chip shop. “I thought we were going to dinner after the auction.”

“We will, but I’m not hungry yet after that big tea. We’ll eat after you take me on the Eye.”

“Okay,” Tyler relented, raising his hand to hail a cab. It was probably a good night to ride the Eye anyway. London had remarkably clear skies for this time of year, so they’d have a nice view. By the time they got there, it would just be sunset, when the sky would glow orange and the lights of the city would start to illuminate. It would actually be a great romantic opportunity if not for the herd of other tourists in the capsule with them.

Of course, he could fix that. She wanted the big romantic gestures, right?

After climbing into a cab, Tyler pulled out his phone and found the number of the agency that handled special events on the Eye. By the time they reached the busy plaza and long, winding queue, he’d arranged for a private go-around.

The London Eye was massive, dominating the landscape along the river. It seemed ridiculous to call the large white structure with its space-age pods a Ferris wheel, but he supposed that was what it was.

As they approached the VIP entrance he’d been directed to, a small woman with short brown hair and an immaculate black suit greeted them. “Mr. Dixon? I’m Mary, your personal London Eye hostess. We have your private capsule waiting for you.”

Amelia looked at him with surprise lighting her eyes. She’d obviously gotten too used to tuning out his phone conversations, assuming they were all about work. She hadn’t paid a bit of attention to the intentionally vague yet still decipherable discussion he’d had with the Eye offices. He hadn’t been trying to make it a surprise, but he was pleased to see she hadn’t anticipated it.

“A private capsule?” she asked with a wide grin. “Really?”

Tyler smiled and gestured for her to go ahead of him and follow behind Mary. They bypassed the hundreds of people lined up and were escorted onto the next available capsule.

“Your three-hundred-and-sixty-degree maps are on the bench. Enjoy the ride,” Mary said before the capsule was closed and locked.

“Off we go,” Tyler said as the glass bubble moved up and away from the platform. He followed Amelia to the far side of the car overlooking the Thames. The sun was just setting, and the blazing orange-and-red sky illuminated the boats traveling up and down the river and the cars crossing the bridges beside them. The Parliament building, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey beyond it glowed brightly in the evening light. Turning to look the opposite direction, he recognized other famous buildings, like the Gherkin and the Shard, against the skyline.

It was an amazing view at any time of day, but Tyler was certain he’d hit the jackpot tonight. Not only was it the perfect time, but he had a beautiful woman there with him. She had been resistant to coming on this trip at first, especially since he’d planned it as a surprise and gone around her, as she’d put it, but she’d really warmed up to the idea. He’d been to London enough that he didn’t get the surge of excitement when he saw one of the famous landmarks. With Amelia here, he was experiencing the city anew. It made him want to take her with him everywhere he went, and if he couldn’t do that, he’d rather stay at home and send one of his employees instead.

Amelia’s back was to him as she gazed out at the panorama before them. Her red hair was pulled up today, revealing the long line of her neck. He wanted to lean in to her and place a kiss against her sensitive skin. He wanted to hear her gasp with surprise and moan softly as the sensations he coaxed from her rushed through her body.

Stepping up behind Amelia, he leaned in and grasped the railings on each side of her. He rested his chin on her shoulder, breathing in the scent of her.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

“You’re beautiful,” Tyler countered, and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned back against him, sighing with contentment as their tiny bubble rose higher and higher around the wheel. The view was spectacular, but the longer they spent pressed against each other, the less interested Tyler was in the landscape.

He swept a stray strand of red hair out of the way and pressed his lips to her skin. Amelia gasped and tilted her head to the side to give him better access. He moved across her throat, teasing her with his lips, teeth and tongue. She held still, only her rapid draws of breath giving away her building arousal. His desire for her was harder to disguise. The minute he touched her, the blood rushed to his extremities and he was overwhelmed by the throbbing need to possess his wife.

His wife. Funny how he’d come to think of her that way in only a few short weeks. He’d gotten used to spending the evenings with her, watching her cook and testing her new recipes. He liked falling asleep with her in his arms and waking up to her grumpy morning face. Tyler needed Amelia to fall in love with him. He couldn’t bear to lose all this in a week’s time.

Just as they crested the top of the Eye, he slipped a hand beneath her coat and cupped one large breast. He could feel the nipple form into a hard peak beneath his touch, straining through the fabric to reach him. Amelia arched her back as he stroked her flesh, pressing her round backside into the firm heat of his desire.

Tyler groaned aloud, the sound echoing in the capsule. He was overcome by the driving need to touch her, bury himself in her and lose all rational thought in loving her. But damned if they weren’t four hundred feet in the air, enclosed in a clear bubble with tourists on both sides of them and a closed-circuit camera recording their every movement. It was the most seemingly private yet agonizingly public scenario he could’ve possibly put them in.

Amelia turned in his arms to face him as they started descending back toward the ground. She slipped her arms around his neck, lacing her fingers together at the nape. She did look beautiful today. And this was an amazingly romantic moment. And yet he couldn’t stop from voicing the concerns that had been plaguing him for over a week. They had to get past this.