by Maya Banks
“Come, I’ll introduce you,” Piers murmured.
They closed the distance, stopping a few feet from the two couples.
“Jewel, this is my oldest brother Chrysander and his wife, Marley. Their son, Dimitri, is with his nanny for the day.”
Jewel offered a tremulous smile. “I’m happy to meet you.”
Marley smiled, her blue eyes twinkling with friendliness. “We’re happy to meet you too, Jewel. Welcome to the family. I hope you’ll be happy. When are you due?”
Jewel blinked and then returned her smile. “I’m a little over five months along.”
“Hello, Jewel,” Chrysander said in his deep voice.
She swallowed and nodded her greeting to Piers’s oldest brother. Intimidating. How could anyone stand to be around the three of the Anetakis brothers at the same time?
Piers turned to the other couple. “This is my brother Theron and his wife, Bella.” Piers’s entire expression softened into a fond smile when he touched Bella’s arm. She smiled mischievously back at Piers and then looked up at Jewel.
“We’re both happy to meet you, Jewel,” Bella said. She nudged Theron with her elbow. “Aren’t we, Theron?”
“Of course, Bella mou,” he said in a teasing tone. It was as if all attempt to maintain a serious air went out the window when he looked at his wife. Then he turned his attention to Jewel. “Welcome to our family. I’m not sure whether to offer my congratulations or my condolences on marrying my brother.”
Jewel smiled at his attempt at humor, and Piers snorted.
“If you’re quite through insulting me, I’ll offer everyone a drink to celebrate the occasion. The minister should be here at any moment to perform the ceremony.”
The others watched her curiously as Piers left her side to collect a chilled bottle of champagne. He passed glasses to everyone and then popped the cork.
When he came to her, he handed her a glass of mineral water instead. She was touched by his thoughtfulness and smiled her thanks.
Chrysander cleared his throat, and Marley slipped her arm into his. “Our best wishes for a long and… happy marriage,” he added after a slight pause.
They raised their glasses in a toast, and for a moment, Jewel wished, oh how she wished that it was all real, and that this was her family and that she and Piers were in love and expecting their first child with all the joy of a happily married couple.
She dreamed of Christmas celebrations, birthdays and get-togethers just for the heck of it and a loud rambunctious family, loyal to a fault.
Tears pricked her eyelids as she bade goodbye to that dream and embraced her reality. She hastily gulped her water in an effort to regain control of her emotions.
Piers stood at her side and bent his head low to her ear. “What is it, yineka mou? What has upset you?”
“I’m fine,” she said, pasting on a bright smile.
The doorbell rang, and she jumped.
His fingers cupped her elbow, and he rubbed a thumb across her skin in a soothing manner. “It’s just the minister here to marry us. I’ll go let him in.”
She almost asked him not to go, but how silly was she to be worried about being left alone with his relatives? She chanced a glance at the two couples, standing so close, so lovingly together, and her heart ached all over again.
“Between you and Marley, Theron is going to get all the wrong ideas,” Bella said to Jewel.
“And how is this?” Theron demanded.
“All these babies and pregnant women,” she said mischievously. “I fully expect Theron to start hinting about knocking me up any day now.”
Jewel laughed, charmed by Bella’s easy humor and how relaxed she was around everyone. Clearly she wasn’t worried about her place in this family. No one seemed to mind her outrageous statement in the least.
Marley tried to stifle her laughter while Chrysander just groaned. Theron’s eyes took on a sensual light that almost made Jewel feel like a voyeur.
“Oh no, Bella mou. We have much practicing to do before we get you pregnant.”
“See, Jewel, it’s not so hard to train the Anetakis men,” she said cheekily. “Marley has whipped Chrysander into admirable shape, while I have turned Theron to my way of thinking. I can’t imagine you being any less successful with Piers.”
“Theron, keep your woman quiet,” Chrysander said mildly. “She’s inciting discontent among the female ranks.”
Marley elbowed him sharply, but her eyes were alight with amusement and love.
Piers walked back in with an elderly man, their heads turned in conversation. When the minister saw Jewel, he smiled and went forward, his hands outstretched.
“You must be the bride to be. You look lovely, my dear. Are you ready for the ceremony to begin?”
She swallowed and nodded, though her legs were trembling.
The minister introduced himself to the others, and after a few moments of polite conversation, Piers motioned that he was ready to begin.
It was all quite awkward, at least for Jewel. The rest acted as if this was the sort of ceremony they attended every day. Piers and Jewel stood in front of the minister while each couple flanked them.
Her throat tightened as she listened to Piers promise to love, honor and cherish her all the days of his life and until death do they part. And then it struck her square in the face that she wanted him to love her. Why? Did that mean she loved him? No, she didn’t. She couldn’t. She didn’t know how to love any more than she knew how to be loved. But it didn’t stop the yearning inside.
When the ceremony concluded, Piers brushed a perfunctory kiss across her lips and then stepped back to receive his brothers’ somewhat muted congratulations.
Chrysander insisted on taking them all out to eat afterward, and a limousine took all three couples into the heart of the city to an upscale restaurant that boasted delicious seafood.
She was hungry, but the idea that she was now married effectively put a damper on her appetite. She picked and pushed at her food until finally Piers took notice.
He picked up her hand, and the band he’d placed on her finger just hours before gleamed behind the diamond engagement ring in the low light.
“Are you ready to return home?” he whispered so the others wouldn’t hear. “I can send them on at any time.”
“They’re your family,” she protested. “I’ve no wish to cut short your visit.”
He laughed. “You’re very thoughtful, yineka mou, but I see them often, and if there is ever a time I can send them away, surely my wedding day is one of them? They would understand—having had their wedding nights not too long ago.”
She froze as his meaning became clear. Surely he wasn’t thinking that…no, he couldn’t, could he? He’d been present when her doctor said there was no reason she couldn’t indulge in lovemaking, but she’d assumed that Piers had taken it as the doctor thinking they were in a normal relationship. Did this mean he wanted to make love to her? To actually consummate the marriage?
His hand covered hers, idly stroking the tops of her fingers as he turned to the others and told them that he and Jewel were ready to go.
There were hugs, polite kisses and teasing goodbyes. Piers hugged each of his sisters-in-law, and she could tell that he regarded them with great affection. It was quite a change to the way he looked at her with so much distrust in those dark eyes.
And then they were on their way. Piers had left the limousine to the others and called for a car to pick them up. The ride home was quiet, and finally, unable to stand the tension, she turned her head in the darkness of the backseat only to see him staring at her, those dark eyes nearly invisible.
“What is bothering you, yineka mou?”
“Are you expecting a wedding night?” she blurted.
White teeth flashed as he smiled. It was a decidedly predatory smile, and it sent shivers down her spine.
“But of course. You’re my wife now. A wedding night usually does follow a wedding, does it not?”
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“I…I just wasn’t sure, I mean this isn’t a real marriage, and I didn’t think you wanted much to do with me.”
“Oh, I intend for it to be very real,” he said softly. “Just as I intend for you to spend tonight and every night in my bed.”
CHAPTER 10
All she had to do was say no. It wasn’t as if Piers would force her. Jewel stepped from the car, her hand in Piers’s as he pulled her to his side. A shiver overtook her when the night chill brushed her skin, and she unconsciously moved closer to his warmth.
The question was, did she want to tell him no? And what purpose would it serve except to make him further distrust her and her motives?
As soon as the thought materialized, she clenched her teeth in anger. If the only reason she could muster to go to bed with him was so that he’d trust her more then she needed a serious reality check, not to mention she needed a few more brain cells.
Admit it, you want him.
And there it was. She did. The one night they’d shared burned brightly in her memory. She was married to him, and she wanted him to love her. She wanted him to trust her, and neither could happen if she maintained the distance between them.
Determined to embrace her marriage without being a martyr, she slipped her fingers tighter through Piers’s and hurried alongside him into the house.
“I know today was hard for you, yineka mou. I hope it wasn’t too taxing for you and the baby.”
Had he changed his mind about making love to her? It sounded like he was offering an out. Or was he simply giving her the choice?
“I’m perfectly all right,” she said softly as they stepped into the foyer.
He turned, putting his hands gently on her upper arms. “Are you?”
She stared back, knowing what he was really asking. Slowly she nodded, her senses firing in rapid succession.
“Be sure, Jewel. Be very sure.”
Again she nodded, and before she could say or do anything else, he pulled her to him and covered her mouth hotly with his.
He swallowed her breath, took every bit of air and left her gasping for more. How was it he made her so weak? She sagged against him, clutching desperately at his shirt.
His tongue invaded her mouth, sliding sensuously over her lips and inside, tasting her and giving her his taste.
“Sweet,” he murmured. “So sweet. I want you, yineka mou. Say you want me too. Let me take you upstairs. I want to make love to you again.”
“Yes. Please, yes.” She gasped when he swung her into his arms. “Piers, no, I’m too heavy.”
“Do you doubt my strength?” he asked in amusement as he mounted the stairs.
“I’m huge,” she said in exasperation.
“You’re beautiful.”
He carried her through the doorway to the master bedroom and laid her carefully on the bed. With gentle fingers he slipped the thin straps over her shoulders and let them fall. He tugged farther until the dress eased over her sensitive breasts, the material scraping lightly at her nipples.
Farther and farther, it inched over her belly, then to her hips and finally down her legs. When it swirled around her ankles, he pulled it free and dropped it on the floor.
Sharp tingles raced up her legs when he rasped his palms back up to her hips where he tucked his thumbs underneath the lace of her panties. Then he lowered his mouth and pressed a kiss to her taut belly as he slid the underwear down and then free. Her legs parted in exquisite anticipation as his mouth traveled lower and lower still.
Cupping her behind, he gently spread her wider, and his tongue found her in a heated rush. She arched off the bed, twisting wildly as pleasure consumed her.
His mouth found her again and again, gentle and worshipping. It was hard to breathe, hard to think, hard to do anything but feel. Her orgasm built, and every muscle in her body tightened in response. Just when she knew she couldn’t bear it any longer, he pulled away, and she whimpered in protest.
“Shhh.” He murmured to her again in Greek, raining soft words over her skin as he moved up her body. How had he gotten his clothes off without her noticing?
Flesh against flesh, smooth, comforting, a balm to her reeling senses. His mouth closed around one taut nipple, sucking and tugging. One hand cupped her rounded middle, his fingers splayed possessively over their child. It was the first movement he’d made to actually acknowledge her presence, and she wondered if he even knew what he was doing.
“Open your legs for me, yineka mou. Welcome me inside.”
She could barely make herself respond. She shook and quivered as he settled between her thighs, his shaft nudging impatiently.
And then he was inside her in one smooth thrust. She cried out and gripped his shoulders, her nails digging deep.
“That’s it. Hold on to me. I’ve got you.”
Their lips fused, their tongues tangling wildly as their bodies met and retreated. Pressure built until she simply couldn’t bear it any longer. Her release exploded with the force of a hurricane.
He followed, surging into her, over and over, his husky groan filling her ears as he poured himself into her.
She closed her eyes, allowing sweet fuzzy bliss to encompass her, and when she gained awareness, it was to Piers’s arms wrapped tightly around her, her body tucked into his side.
His lips moved through her hair as his hand went to cup her backside in a possessive gesture. She melted bonelessly into him and sighed in contentment. The wispy hairs on his chest tickled her nose and whispered across her lips, but she didn’t move. She felt safe. More than that, she felt loved.
* * *
Jewel awoke the next morning to Piers sitting on the side of the bed holding a tray with breakfast and a single long-stemmed rose. He had only a pair of silk pajama bottoms on, and her gaze was drawn to his muscled chest, a chest she’d slept on for most of the night.
“Good morning,” he said. “Are you hungry?”
“Starved,” she admitted as she sat up in bed.
Then she realized she was still nude, and she yanked at the sheet, a hot flush surging up her neck and to her cheeks.
Piers caught her hand, stopping the sheet from its upward climb. “Don’t be shy with me. I’ve seen and tasted every inch of your sweet body.”
She slowly uncurled her fingers and relaxed her tense shoulders. He leaned in and kissed her long and slow, his lips exploring hers. This fantasy he spun allured her, drew her in and surrounded her in its firm grip.
A night of making love, breakfast in bed, tender kisses and gentle words. If only it were all real.
Was he playing with her? Toying with her emotions? How could he act with such caring when he thought she was a liar and a manipulator?
“I’d give a lot of pennies for your thoughts right now.”
She blinked and looked up to see him staring intently at her. No, he didn’t really want to know what she was thinking. It would put the frown he so often wore right back on his face, and right now, she enjoyed the odd tenderness in the dark depths of his gaze.
“I’m thinking this is a nice way to wake up,” she said with a smile.
He rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip and then trailed his fingers over her cheek, pushing back the wayward strands of her hair.
“Eat your breakfast. Your appointment is in two hours.”
An appointment she’d forgotten in the aftermath of her wedding. She was scheduled for a sonogram as part of her pre-op workup. Afterward, she’d have more blood drawn and talk to the scheduling clerk about when she would be admitted to the hospital.
He placed the tray over her legs then handed her the utensils. “I’m going to go shower and shave. I have a few calls to make, and then I’ll drive you to your appointment.”
She glanced at his lean jaw, shadowed by the night’s growth. Unable to resist, she lifted fingers to touch the hard edge of his chin and brushed the tips over the rough surface. His eyes closed as he leaned into her palm.
“Thank you.”
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br /> He pulled away. “You’re welcome. I’ll leave you to eat now.”
She watched as he walked away, his long stride eating up the floor. Despite the fact she had a delicious meal in front of her, her thoughts were of Piers in the shower, water sluicing over his muscled body. If she were daring, she’d go join him, but she had to admit, she had reservations about approaching him. So far, she’d allowed him to make the moves. It gave her an opportunity to study him and to figure out more about this man who’d upended her life.
Again she looked down at the sparkling diamond on her third finger. The weight was odd. She hadn’t grown used to it yet, but she was fascinated by the sight and also by the meaning. In many ways it was a stamp of possession. She belonged to someone.
Realizing she’d spent too much time daydreaming, she hurriedly ate. After showering and dressing, she ventured downstairs where she found Piers in his study on the phone.
When he looked up and saw her standing at the door, he held up one finger to signal he’d be just a minute and then turned back to the phone.
Not wanting to intrude, she retreated back to the living room to wait. He wasn’t long. He was tucking his phone into his pocket when he strode into the living room.
“I’ve arranged for a chef for the time we’re here. He’ll arrive this afternoon in time to prepare tonight’s dinner.”
“You didn’t really need to do that. I was only teasing.”
“On the contrary. It was an excellent idea. You certainly don’t need to be on your feet cooking, and if it was left to me, I’m afraid you’d grow tired of my limited culinary repertoire.”
“You’re shamelessly spoiling me,” she protested, though it sounded weak even to her.
He half-smiled, something flickering in his eyes. It was that same look he always seemed to wear around her. “That’s the idea.” He looked down at his watch. “Are you ready? We ought to leave now in case traffic is bad.”
She nodded and rose from her perch on the couch.
When they arrived for her appointment, Piers surprised her by staying at her side every step of the way. She’d imagined that he might sit in the waiting room, but he went back and listened with concentration to everything the nurse and the doctor had to say.
