"I thought it was too good to be true, that it was just something that would fade. I never believed in any of it. Until you." She smiled through her tears. "You love me. I tried to do everything I could to chase you away, but you stayed. Oh God!" She closed her eyes and felt the tears drifting down her cheeks.
"You stayed."
"I stayed." His voice was thick with emotions. "I always will. I'm going to show you how loved you are." He promised. Bending, he pressed his lips over her closed lids, tasting her tears. "You will never have to question whether or not you are. You will always know that I love you more than my own life."
"Look at me darling." He urged shakily. When her eyelids flickered open, he wiped the tears with his thumbs. "I'm here, naked and open before you. There will always be transparencybetween us. I see only you. As long as I live, you're the only woman for me. No one else. As long as I have breath in my body. Do you believe me, my love?"
"Yes." She whispered. "Yes."
"Good." He gathered her close, as the tears soaked his chest. After, he made love to her, gentle whisper soft, intensely powerful love that left them both shaken to the core.
*****
The idea came to him while he was talking to her as they were exploring their feelings. He had told her he wanted to take care of her and he did. He was going to do everything in his power to make sure she had an excellent life. Money was no problem.
He intended to shower her with all of it.
And he knew just where to start. Feeling her stir against him, he dipped his head to stare at her features in the light from the moon filtering through the shades. His heart swelled so much, it felt as if it was about to burst from his chest.
He would get his sisters on board and find out exactly what type of wedding she wanted. No expenses spared.
Chapter 10
"This looks and sounds like an intervention." Leanne stared at each woman in turn, an amused look on her face.
Things had taken a turn. Ever since that night when she had that blow out with Christos and subsequently admitting that she loved him, there was a different feel to their relationship. They were more open and had gotten closer. He had finally agreed that he could trust her enough to take care of herself and the babies she was carrying. His one concession was that she stayed off her feet as much as possible.
"Let Ms. Bailey do her job. She's been well compensated for just that." And he called to check on her. Frequently. Making sure she ate and took her meds.
It was frustrating and strange. She was so used to taking care of herself that it felt weird that she had someone looking out for her. And wonderful.
He was not the only one. His entire family would just drop in or call. Especially the women.
She was heading into her fifth month now and was cautiously optimistic about the pregnancy. And her babies were moving and breathing. She was having a set of twins and a single. Twoboys and a girl. The news had sent everyone into a celebratory mode.
"It is." Lori told her with a grin as she opened the fat book titled 'The Kostas' weddings.'
"So, mother started the tradition and we continued." She opened the folder to the first page. There were handwritten notes in a precise script and signed Mary-Ann McLellan soon to be Mary-Ann Kostas.
Sliding forward, Leanne studied the notes.
"You wrote down every detail. From the time Petros proposed." She turned the pages. "Until the very day of the wedding."
Mary-Ann smiled fondly, eyes dreamy. "I was in my early twenties and knew the minute I saw him that he was going to be mine." Pressing a hand to her chest where her heart was beating a little unsteadily, she reminisced. "He came to the village where I lived with his parents. They were there for a vacation and I was just leaving the chapel when I saw this handsome dark haired man strolling by. My heart skipped several beats, and I was never the same. I started the book."
Leanne lifted a brow. "Right then and there?"
The older woman laughed softly. "As soon as I went home. I told my sister that I met the man I was going to marry. No one believed me."
"Did he have a say in it?"
Mary-Ann waved a delicate hand. "None at all. We got married in that same chapel before their vacation ended. It was a simple ceremony."
"How long were they there for?"
"Two weeks." Mary-Ann admitted with a laugh. "It was a whirlwind romance."
"Mine was a bit different." Taking over, Lori skipped the pages. "I had my issues and was certain Andreas would never marry someone like me."
