“So are you,” she said. She had no idea what he really wanted from her.
“Why are you home?” she asked at last. She missed him during the day, although she was really trying to find a way to stand on her own. But right now she just closed her eyes and sank deeper into his arms.
“Theo asked me to come,” he said, stroking her back.
“He misses you when you’re gone.”
“I miss him, too.”
She tipped her head back and saw the sincerity in his obsidian eyes. “Even though you aren’t sure he’s your son.”
“He’s a Theakis and I do love him.”
Though she’d wanted to hear him say that he believed Theo was his son, she didn’t push. “I’m glad for that. I couldn’t stay here if you didn’t treat him right.”
“Yet you’ll stay here and let my father treat you poorly?”
“That’s not fair. Your father is hard to deal with.”
“I know. Do you want to live somewhere else?”
“What do you mean, not at the compound?”
He shrugged. “I’ve taken you away from the life you knew. I want this place to be your home.”
Though it wasn’t yet home, a physical place that she felt comfortable in, she didn’t want to disrupt Theo’s life with another move so soon. “I don’t mind living here. Your father and I just have to sort things out. And I’ve talked to Theo’s school about volunteering there. I think I can make this work….”
“Don’t let him run you off,” Christos said, and she had a feeling he was talking about way more than the wedding.
“I won’t. I’m not going to let you do that to me, either.”
“Good.”
She smiled. “We’d better head down to lunch. Theo’s probably already eaten but he’ll expect to see you.”
She tried to rise but he tugged her back into his arms.
“Yes?”
“I know you wouldn’t betray me with Gui.”
She caught her breath as the words sank in. Was he saying he trusted her? Or was this just an olive branch? A tentative offering that they could use to build a life together.
She leaned down and kissed him. She wanted to tell him with words all she felt about him, but words were something that Christos didn’t trust from her. Actions, on the other hand, mightbe just what she needed to convince him that she was a woman worthy of being a Theakis bride.
Chapter Nine
His wedding day dawned cloudy and rainy. Not exactly a good omen, but then he’d never put much stock in things like fate. He controlled what happened around him with an iron fist and his own stubborn determination. Besides, the ceremony wasn’t until dusk and after a lifetime of watching the seas he knew that the skies would clear long before the ceremony started.
Too bad women weren’t easier to predict. Or, to be more specific, Ava. His focus had narrowed completely to her. His body was whacked out from wanting her so much. His emotions were a mess and he was caught somewhere between wanting to disappear into a job that could consume his life and walking away from being a Theakis to take Theo and Ava to some unnamed island.
He adjusted the tie at his throat, trying not to look at his reflection in the mirror. Ava had made a million and one small changes to her own life and he was well aware that he’d made none. He’d stood above her, superior in the knowledge that she’d betrayed him and should make amends. But now, coming to know her as he was, he suspected…
“Ready for the big day?” Tristan said, entering the room. He had a bottle of champagne in one hand and three glasses in the other. Gui was right behind him with a small digital camera.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Christos said. “I never thought I’d marry.”
“It’s not too late to change your mind,” Guillermo said. Gui was a confirmed bachelor who’d even tried to talk Tristan out of marrying his long-time love, Cecile.
