Greek Doctor, Cinderella Bride

by Amy Andrews

  She raised her head and looked him directly in the eye. ‘I would never have left you like she did,’ she spat at him. ‘Never.’

  Alex saw the hard glitter in her gaze and the indignant rise of colour in her cheeks. He started to hope. His heart thumped a loud slow march in his chest. ‘So why are you leaving me now?’

  His husky voice growled at her, and she resented the hell out of his implication. He wasn’t ill or dying. He didn’t need her. That needled as well. ‘I’m leaving you because I love you, not because I don’t.’

  Unlike Sonya.

  There were a few moments of silence as her statement sank in. Isobella realised too late he’d goaded her into admitting the one thing she hadn’t wanted him to know. She was frozen for a moment, frantically trying to organise her brain to take back what she’d said.

  Alex couldn’t believe what he’d heard. She loved him? Dared he hope it was true? It was more than he had dreamed possible. ‘You love me?’

  His voice was a mere whisper, and she could see the confusion in his gaze. Was he already trying to think of ways to reject her? To let her down gently? He took a step towards her.

  ‘It’s okay, Alex,’ she said, holding out her hand to ward him off as her heart broke—irreparably this time. She felt shaky all over, the earlier tears threatening again. ‘I know you don’t do this type of thing. I swear I didn’t plan it or expect it. I know how you feel about relationships. I’ll be out of your hair as soon as Reg comes back, and then you can forget all about me and this highly—’ she sought around for a word ‘—distasteful conversation.’

  Alex took three more steps and covered the distance between them, his heart tripping madly in his chest now. She loved him. ‘Isobella,’ he whispered, lifting his hand to cup her cheek, ‘shut up.’ And he lowered his eager mouth to her startled one.

  Isobella felt a surge of desire blindside her as her lips clung to his of their own volition. She shouldn’t be doing this, but he tasted as she remembered, and she’d been so hungry for him. Would it be so wrong to indulge for a little while? Just to get her through the lonely years ahead?

  She ended the kiss with a fierce surge of passion. ‘No.’ She wrenched her mouth from his.

  Alex breathed hard, staring into the murky depths of her conflicted brown gaze. Her lips were moist from his attention and he wanted to be back there again, tasting her.

  ‘I won’t do this, Alex. I can’t. I need more than a casual affair. I won’t be just another fish to throw back when you’re done with me.’

  Alex smiled at her and rested his forehead against hers, trying to catch his breath and think. ‘Good. Because I don’t want you to go anywhere. I love you, Isobella. I want to marry you. I want you to be by my side for ever.’

  Isobella shut her eyes, revelling in the erotic rub of his husky voice and the warmth of his breath on her face before wrenching herself away from him again. ‘Don’t play with me, Alex.’

  Alex shook his head. ‘I’m not. I love you. I mean it. I didn’t realise it till I saw you again tonight, but it’s true. I’ve been kidding myself into thinking that I needed you near because you’re my top researcher. You needed to be brought out of your shell and I was just the man to do it. Thinking that I could eventually persuade you into having an affair with me. But I was lying to myself. I want more than that. I love you, Isobella. I want for ever. It’s that simple.’

  Simple? She gaped at him. How was for ever simple? He had to be joking. The prospect of marriage, of for ever, had never entered her ‘damaged goods’ mentality. ‘But…but how…? I mean what about…’ How could someone so perfect, so beautiful, want someone so broken?

  ‘Isobella.’ Alex kissed her lips softly. He placed a hand over hers, still clutching her gown at her throat, and tugged at it gently. She resisted, and he kissed her mouth deep and slow again. He felt her grip loosen, and this time her hand fell away. He pulled away from her mouth as he eased the gown open at the neck.

  Isobella felt the tears that had been threatening for a while well in her eyes as his mouth sought and found the scar at her neck. He kissed it tenderly. His hot tongue laving it lovingly.

  Alex looked up to find tears glistening on her lashes. ‘Hey,’ he crooned, kissing them away. ‘You’re so beautiful, Isobella. So. Very. Beautiful.’ He punctuated each word with a kiss. One to each eye, one on the tip of her little snub nose, and one on her upturned mouth.

  Isobella didn’t know what to say. She believed him. His honesty was like a beacon blazing from his cerulean eyes. ‘Not as beautiful as Sonya,’ she said wistfully.

  Alex stilled. ‘You have more beauty, more sincerity in your little finger, than Sonya possesses in her entire body. She did me the biggest favour the day she walked away. I must thank her for that.’

  ‘You could have thanked her yesterday.’

  Alex frowned.

  ‘I rang. She answered.’

  The hang-up? That had been Isobella? Was she…was she jealous? Alex smiled. ‘I was negotiating a finance deal with MediCorp to continue the dermonecrosis research.’

  ‘Ah.’

  Alex tipped her chin, so she was looking at him and not at the knot of his tie. ‘I don’t want her, Isobella. I only want you. I’ll only ever want you. Do you believe me?’

  She gave a small nod.

  ‘That doesn’t look very convincing.’

  Isobella shrugged. ‘Why? Why do you want me? Over her? Over anyone else you could have? I’m totally messed up. I h…hate my scars. I can barely look at myself in the mirror. Hell, Alex, I don’t even know if I can have babies.’

  Alex shrugged, knowing that their relationship would have its challenges. ‘We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.’

  Isobella felt tears sting her eyes. ‘I bet you Sonya can give you babies. Lots of little Greek babies, with golden skin and chubby cheeks.’

  Alex chuckled. The jealousy in her voice was like music to his ears. ‘I don’t want Sonya’s babies.’

  ‘Well, you should—because you probably won’t be having any with me.’

  Alex sighed and placed his forehead against hers. ‘Isobella.’

  ‘No, Alex. No,’ she said, partially moving out of his embrace. ‘This is serious. I’ve seen you with kids. You’re good. It’s obvious you adore your nieces and nephews. You’re a natural father.’

  He shrugged. ‘We’ll adopt.’

  Isobella shook her head. ‘Face it, Alex, with my scars and my questionable fertility I’m…I’m…damaged goods.’

  Alex’s hand tightened around her waist. She might look like a fully-fledged swan tonight, but she still had an ugly duckling psyche he needed to break through. ‘So am I. Do my scars turn you off? I hate my damaged voice too. Should I stop talking? Lock myself away? Become mute?’

  Isobella started. To never hear the rub of his voice again would be a sin against nature. ‘You…you don’t like your voice?’ she asked incredulously.

  Alex shook his head. ‘It’s soft and scratchy. I used to have a voice that could freeze an intern at fifty paces. Now just raising it hurts. Why?’ he asked, looking at her shaking her head at him as if he was talking utter drivel. ‘Do you?’

  Isobella gave a half-laugh, not quite able to believe that Alex had any insecurities, or that she was about to admit what she was about to admit. ‘Oh, my Lord. All you have to do is open your mouth and I practically come on the spot.’

  Alex blinked, momentarily shocked by her bald statement. And then he laughed. And kissed her hard on the mouth. He pulled away, winging one eyebrow. ‘Really?’

  Her head spun from the kiss as his sexy voice rumbled around her and her toes curled. Drat the man. Advantage Alex. ‘Yes.’ She blushed. ‘Really.’

  ‘Man, I can’t wait to put that one to the test.’

  She saw his look as he realized the power she had handed him on a platter and knew she was doomed. ‘Seriously, Alex—’

  Alex sighed and pulled back from her slightly. He reached out for t
he tie of her gown. ‘May I?’

  Isobella hesitated. She placed a hand over his.

  ‘Please, Isobella. It’ll be okay. I promise.’

  She saw the sincerity shining from his eyes. He was asking her to trust him. Maybe it was time to take a leap of faith. Her hand fell away.

  Alex felt his heart swell with love and pride. He knew what this was costing her. He pulled the tie and the belt came undone, the edges of her gown loosening. He knelt before her, his gaze never leaving her face as he slowly parted the material.

  His hands came into contact with the warm skin of her abdomen and a gasp fell from her throat.

  ‘It’s okay,’ he murmured, his eyes never leaving her face. He smoothed his hands over the flat planes of her stomach, resting them at the curve of her waist

  He slowly looked away from her face, his gaze travelling down until he could see the purple marks branding her skin. He pressed a kiss to her stomach, just above her navel, and felt her muscles undulate beneath his lips, her hand burrow into his hair.

  ‘I know you hate them,’ he whispered against her skin, rubbing his nose, his mouth against the scars, kissing them lightly, laving them with his tongue as he had done her neck. ‘But I love them—all of them.’ He looked up at her. ‘Because they brought you to me.’

  Isobella felt more tears brim in her eyes, and she whimpered at the sensation of his mouth and the rumble of his voice against her stomach.

  ‘I don’t care if they mean we can’t conceive. We’ll take it one step at a time and we’ll do what we have to do. Okay?’ He looked up at her.

  She nodded, her vision completely blurred, a lump choking her throat, making words impossible.

  Alex turned his attention back to her belly, rubbing his cheek against the soft skin there. ‘I would give anything to be able to go back to that day and stop what happened. Not because of these—’ he stopped and kissed her stomach reverently ‘—but because the thought of you going through that experience, that pain, makes me physically ill.’

  ‘Oh, Alex,’ she murmured.

  ‘These are a part of you. Part of who you are. And I wouldn’t erase them even if I could. Let me show you. Let me spend my life showing you how much I worship your body. You helped me see that not all women are Sonyas. Helped me see that the love of one woman is far superior than the fancy of many. Let me help you see what a beautiful woman you still are.’

  Isobella couldn’t believe what she was hearing. The man she loved, loved her back. Accepted her, warts and all. Scarred, screwed-up and potentially infertile. What was she waiting for? Wasn’t he the one she’d given up hope was even out there? The one who could see the swan beneath the duckling? The one she had never truly believed existed?

  She swallowed against the ball of emotion choking her throat. ‘Okay.’

  Alex’s lips stilled against her stomach as her voice reached him. He looked up. ‘Really?’

  She nodded through her tears. ‘Really.’

  He rose, his hands still holding firm around her bare midriff. He looked down into her face and stroked his thumb across her lips. He felt his loins stir as she whimpered, and followed his thumb with his lips. The stir became a leap as their tongues meshed.

  ‘You don’t really want to go out to dinner, do you?’ he murmured some time later, coming up for air, his lips against her temple.

  ‘I don’t care if I never eat again,’ she whispered.

  Alex chuckled. ‘Wow. It must be love.’

  Isobella grinned at him and yanked his head down to prove it to him again and again.

  EPILOGUE

  THE sea lapped the shore of Piccolo Island in gentle licks as Isobella and Alex stood facing each other. The sun set in a blaze of gilded oranges behind them. Isobella wore a simple white sleeveless slip dress that hugged her figure with a plunging V-neckline. The hem fluttered around her bare ankles and the wet sand felt cool beneath her unshod feet.

  Alex wore a white shirt, unbuttoned and flapping in the gentle sea breeze. It matched his white trousers. He also had bare feet.

  ‘Do you take this woman to be your wife? To love her and take care of her all the days of your life?’

  ‘I do. I absolutely do.’

  Isobella grinned up at him, remembering how he had used those exact words to convince her how sexy she was on the plane. His unshaven face sported a scratchy three-day growth to match the erotic scratch of his voice, and the wind blew his hair across his head, tousling it in reckless abandon.

  ‘And do you take this man to be your husband? To love him and take care of him all the days of your life?’

  Alex waited for her words, still blown away that Isobella was his and willing to spend for ever with him. The red hibiscus in her hair complemented her dark toffee eyes and glorious high cheekbones.

  ‘I do,’ she whispered. ‘I absolutely do.’

  The celebrant smiled at them. ‘Then, by the power vested in me, I declare you married. You may kiss.’

  Isobella tossed away the posy of flowers she’d purchased at Temora and leapt into Alex’s arms, locking her ankles around his waist and settling against the two strong arms that supported her bottom.

  ‘Mrs Zaphirides,’ he murmured, looking up at the excitement and love in her eyes.

  ‘Mr Zaphirides.’ She grinned, twining her arms around his neck and lowering her head for a kiss to seal their union.

  Their first kiss as a married couple.

  The first of many.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-3494-3

  GREEK DOCTOR, CINDERELLA BRIDE

  First North American Publication 2009

  Copyright © 2009 by Amy Andrews

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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