He touched the left indicator to take the turn for the private road leading to the exclusive and very pricey neighborhood.
"Georgios is thirty-four. I guess the parents decided to take a two year break there. His wife is Lilly, sweet and serene and a former model. They have two children as well. Ophelia is three and the baby Theo is only one. And you already know about mother. Her name is Mary-Ann, the matriarch and powerhouse of the family. And of course, dad. Petros. A gentle bear."
He stopped outside the wide arched driveway of the manor and shut the engine off.
"Why are we stopping?"
Her hands were balled into fists again and her heart was pounding. She hated feeling afraid.
Taking his hands off the wheel, he turned sideways so he could face her. Taking her hands in his, he peeled her fingers from her palms and smoothed them out.
"They're supportive."
His eyes stayed on hers.
"Loud, yes, and tend to turn everything into one big argument. But that's our way. We're part Greek and part Irish and part American. It makes for a very combustible combination."
He linked their fingers as if trying to infuse some calm inside her.
"They will love you because I do."
He shook his head when she opened her mouth.
"You're going to have to learn to accept that I'm in love with you and stop fighting it. It's just going to piss me off."
He grinned at the sparkle of temper in her eyes, and decided that was a far better look for her.
"They are intrusive, because they care a lot. As I'm the baby of the brothers and am the only one without a wife, they are focused on me. Annoying, yes, but I've learned to live with it."
Lifting their joined hands, he kissed her knuckles, eyes steady on hers.
"That said, you're the most important person in my life. I will be here for you. They will never harm you. Yes, they might say things out of turn, but they don't mean it in any bad way. I'm here baby and that's where I'm going to stay."
When he started to draw her towards him, she shook her head.
"Don't kiss me."
His words and her shaky composure was more than she could handle.
"Why not?"
She took a breath.
"Because I'm going to be facing your family and I want all my faculties working. Whenever you kiss me, touch me, I-"
She shook her head again as if baffled.
"I cannot seem to function."
His grin widened and made her want to punch him.
He correctly interpreted her expression and held on to her hands.
"I might also add that if they see one mark on me that's not supposed to be there, they'll call for blood."
Her eyes gleamed and she had to fight the urge to grin.
"I just might take my chances."
