She clung to his shoulders, holding on to him, and he realized this was what he wanted. Like the symbol on the necklace he’d given her, he wanted to be her anchor when the seas of life got stormy and she didn’t have anything or anyone else to cling to.
He lifted his mouth. Her eye makeup was safe, but her lipstick was completely obliterated. Her lips were soft and pink from his kisses, slightly swollen, and he couldn’t wait to get to their room.
She touched her fingers to her lips. He stared down into her eyes, let his gaze drift lower over the long length of her neck to the choker he’d given her. It looked perfect there. He skimmedhis finger around her neck, tracing the seam where skin met diamonds and sapphires. He ended with a touch of the silvery anchor.
“You have the prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen,” he said. “They remind me of the sea.” The truth was, he lost a little bit of himself each time he looked into her eyes. They were wide and held depths that he was only beginning to realize she had. This time around, their relationship was so much stronger, he thought. And though he’d never admit it to a soul, he thought that Ava had been very wise to insist they not sleep together until they were married.
She flushed a little. “I like your eyes, too.”
“We’re married now,” he said as their bridal party joined them on the steps of the main house.
He noticed that Tristan and Sheri were standing off to one side. Tristan’s body language wasn’t all that hard to read as he leaned over his surprisingly interesting secretary. He was definitely attracted to her. Sheri said something and Tristan’s laughter echoed in the air. Christos couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Tristan that relaxed with a woman.
“Yes, we are.”
He hugged her close as a photographer bustled around arranging the group for the shot. Christos brushed his lips over Ava’s ear. “I can’t wait for our wedding night.”
She swiveled her hips against his and then reached up with one hand, wrapping it around his neck, drawing his head forward. She kissed him with the same possessiveness he’d shown earlier in front of their wedding guests. “Me, neither.”
Tristan clapped him on the back. “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Theakis! Are you sure you know what you are getting into, Ava?”
“Yes, Tristan, I’m sure. Christos is the man I’ve always dreamed of marrying.”
Ava was drawn away by the women to fix her makeup before the photographer started taking more pictures, and her words lingered.
“A woman’s dreams are fragile things,” Tristan said.
So were a man’s, if the ghosts in Tristan’s eyes were any indication. “Are you all right?”
“Fine. I’m happy for you. You’ve been alone too long.”
“I’ve never been alone,” Christos said. He’d made it a point to ensure he always had a lovely woman on his arm or in his life.
“My mistake. I like Ava.”
“I do, too,” Gui said, coming up behind them. “And this little monkey.”
Gui lifted Theo up on his shoulder and Christos felt blessed for the first time ever, not only by the friends he had in his life but by being a Theakis. With Theo by his side, he didn’t feel that he was second best, and when he glanced down and saw his father smiling while he chatted with one of the Theakis relatives, he realized that he felt almost at peace.
He scowled. He didn’t trust the feeling and from the past knew it couldn’t last. Not for the first time, he resented the fact that he had to plan for a future that was as stormy as the seas during a hurricane. But at the same time, his reality was that, whenever he got this feeling of rightness…something bad was waiting around the corner.
“Christos?” Gui had been watching his friend’s expression.
“Yes?”
“You okay, man?”
“I’ve fulfilled my destiny as a Theakis. Of course I’m okay.”
Gui gave him an odd look, but Christos turned away and chatted with some business associates, faking an enthusiasm he no longer felt.
Chapter Ten
“Oh, Christos, this is so romantic. I didn’t think you’d do anything like this.”
Christos hadn’t thought he would, either, but Tristan’s comment that morning about how women dreamed of their wedding day had made him think about their wedding night and making it into a romantic fantasy. It had taken less than twenty minutes on the phone to get everything as he wished it to be.
“After all the trouble you went through planning our wedding, it was the least I could do.”
