As he returned from his thoughts to the present, he noticed that Rod was being led away by Mona and Scarlett was heading toward him.
“I was on my way to rescue you.” She laughed. “But Mona beat me to it.”
“We were just having a man-to-man conversation,” he said.
Scarlett kissed Mikeli on his lips. When she leaned away, she adjusted his bow tie. Her warm body in his arms ignited his desire. He inhaled her fresh scent, wondering how he was going to convince her to slip away with him for a few minutes.
“I must say, you clean up well,” she said.
“Thank you. You’re not too shabby yourself.”
She smiled and rested her hands on his chest. “I’m glad you’re here,” she admitted. “I was so nervous. I still am.”
He pulled her to him, and kissed her nose. “You’re amazing,” he whispered.
She smiled. Her eyes sparkled as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I’m amazing because of you,” Scarlett said.
Mikeli leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. His cock throbbed. Her father had been staying in her apartment while she stayed with Mikeli. It was difficult to be intimate with her when their bedrooms shared a wall.
Struck with inspiration, he released her. Mikeli took her hand and pulled her outside the gallery into the small hallway that led up to her apartment. When she realized what he was doing, she hesitated.
“But…”
Mikeli silenced her by backing her against a wall and pressing his lips against hers. Reaching for the material that covered Scarlett’s thighs, he scrunched up her skirt and held it above her waist. Her nimble fingers freed his hard cock while he tore the crotch of her panties.
In no time, he was shoving his cock inside of her. Scarlett’s warm pussy welcomed him, expanding to accommodate his thickness. Mikeli reached behind her and curved his hands around her ass to lift her slightly. The angle allowed the base of his cock to rest against her clit. Moaning, Scarlett gripped his shoulders. She tilted her face back, allowing him to press his lips against her throat.
“I’ll miss you,” Scarlett whispered. “Don’t forget about me.”
“I’ll never forget you.”
Mikeli’s heart clenched. He worried that Scarlett would be the one to forget about him. Would she? She was a beautiful woman and could have her pick of men. His thoughts led him back to the day at the cliff when she’d told him she grew bored with her last love. What if the absence made her feel the same about him? That couldn’t happen. He’d have to do something to make sure of that.
Scarlett’s moan brought him back to the task at hand. Her pussy clenched around his cock. The momentum of his hard thrusts slammed her back into the wall. Releasing her, Mikeli set Scarlett on her feet and moved her to the stairwell. She bent over, resting her hand one of the steps while he took her from behind. The opening of her pussy massaged the base of his cock. Groaning, he buried his face in the curve of her neck and tried to hold back his eruption.
“You’re gonna make me come before I want to,” he whispered against her ear. Then he pulled her earlobe between his lips and sucked on it.
“Not my fault.”
“Oh, it is, dear Scarlett.” His voice quivered. “If your pussy weren’t so…I’d be able to control my actions.”
“Don’t. Just fuck me.”
Mikeli leaned back. He held her hips steady while he rammed his cock deep in her core. Scarlett flinched, but soon arched into his hips. When her body stiffened, signaling her imminent release, so did his. The sound of their shared climax filled the combined space of the hallway. His sac clenched as his sperm rushed out of him and into her cavity.
“Damn,” he groaned.
Scarlett giggled. An approaching voice caused them to separate quickly. While straightening his clothing, Mikeli peeked around the corner. Two gallery patrons had lost their way, but were quickly ushered back inside by another guest. With a sigh of relief, Mikeli spun around and gathered Scarlett in his arms. Her smile faded.
“This is hard,” she whispered. “I don’t want to say good-bye to you. Even for a short time.”
“I understand. That’s why I don’t want you to drop me off at the airport.”
“I’m going to miss you.”
“I miss you already, Scarlett.”
Mikeli pulled her to his chest. He held her while her tears dotted the front of his shirt. Closing his eyes, he refused to let her see his. Since he was leaving, he had to be the strong one.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Two months later…
Brush Strokes was closed on this rainy Sunday. The dark mood outside matched the one that raged inside Scarlett. Her living room had also become her art studio. She started at the blank canvas in front of her. Inspiration had eluded her for the last hour. With a sigh, she tossed her brush in a tin can.
Scarlett wandered to her sofa and sat down. Her body ached. The pains might be from arranging the art on her galleries walls this morning. However, she suspected her aches were also caused by the new life that was growing inside of her. With tears in her eyes, she touched her belly through her black T-shirt. Outside her apartment window, the sun was setting over the village. It was dinnertime, but Scarlett was in no mood to eat. On nights like this, she particularly missed Mikeli. Though they had talked until the wee hours of this morning, she didn’t have the nerve to tell him she was pregnant. Three weeks after Mikeli left for America, she found out she was expecting.
Scarlett was scared, partly because she didn’t know how he’d react, and also because she didn’t want to distract him from his Olympic goals. She had to tell him something soon. This wasn’t something she could hide for much longer. Mikeli was planning to visit her next month. Her phone rang. Thinking it was Mikeli, her heart fluttered when she picked it up without looking at the caller ID.
“Hey, sweetie,” Veronica said. “Have you eaten?”
“No. I’m not really hungry.”
Veronica tsked her. “You’re eating for two, you know.”
“Yeah, but—”
“Come over to Ciao Bella, my treat.”
Scarlett frowned. She wasn’t up for being in public or for company. “I don’t think—”
“I understand your hesitation,” Veronica said gently, but her voice was stern. “But I’m not going to let you barricade yourself in your apartment. We love you and we are here for you. Don’t make me drag you across the street by your hair.”
Scarlett sighed. There was no arguing with Veronica. “Fine.”
“And wear something nice.”
Scarlett cringed as she hung up the phone. There was no turning back now. She slowly showered and changed into a white halter dress, styling her hair into a loose bun. As she bent to put on her white sandals, she glanced at her empty bed. Picking up the phone, she dialed Mikeli’s number but got his voice mail. Without leaving a message, she hung up and tried to gather her composure.
Her tears blurred her vision as she made her way out of the apartment and across the quiet village street to the restaurant. Veronica greeted her at the door. She immediately pulled Scarlett into a tight embrace.
“You look radiant,” Veronica said when she finally released Scarlett.
Scarlett tried her best to smile but failed. “Thanks.”
“Come. Some lobster scaloppini will make you feel better.”
As much as she loved Stephano’s meals, Scarlett doubted even that could make her feel better. Still, she allowed Veronica to pull her through the lobby into the dining area. Scarlett noticed the candles first. White tapered ones adorned the table in front of her. Pillar candles surrounded the table on stands. The table itself was covered with white fabric and set for two. Two?
Scarlett glanced down. That was when she saw the rose petals. The red leaves were scattered over the tiled floor. She looked to Veronica for confirmation, but her best friend was gone. In her place, leaning against the bar, was Mikeli.
She watched
him push off of the bar and walk toward her. He wore a white suit with a white shirt that was open at the collar and loafers. Mikeli still sported his goatee and mustache, though he had said just last night that he was going to shave it off to increase his wind resistance.
“My God,” he said, taking her hand. “You’re even more beautiful than I remembered.”
Scarlett wrapped her arms around his neck and covered his handsome face with kisses. Within seconds it began to register in her brain that he was here, in Rhodes. She pulled back and looked into his eyes.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I missed you.”
“Where were you last night when we talked?”
“In Athens,” he confessed.
Scarlett playfully tapped him on his shoulder. “You dirty rat! Why didn’t you tell me?”
Mikeli chuckled at her question. Releasing her, he walked toward a window and stared out into the darkness. Scarlett followed. She wanted to touch him but didn’t dare. Even though he’d felt real in her arms just moments ago, she feared this was all a dream.
“I thought it was what I wanted,” Mikeli began, his voice so low in octave, she had to move closer in order to hear him. “To be a professional athlete again. Win another Olympic medal.”
Scarlet frowned. “It’s not?”
He shook his head. “As soon as I got there, it didn’t feel right. I mean, Coach Reinhardt is an amazing trainer. But I realized my priorities aren’t the same as they once were.”
Mikeli turned to look at her. Scarlett’s breath caught in her throat. When she reached out and touched his biceps with her left hand, he covered her hand with his. She couldn’t tell if his hand was shaking or hers.
“What made you realize that?” she inquired. For Mikeli to give up his goal at the drop of a hat was not like him. She stiffened. Did he know about the baby?
“It was one morning,” he said. “I was brushing my teeth and you were in the doorway watching me. It was in that moment that I realized that I needed to be with you. Here. Tending my bar. Perhaps wearing my mayor hat once in a while.”
Scarlett smiled. “That sounds perfect.”
Mikeli frowned. “There’s only one problem.”
She swallowed hard. “What’s that?”
“This finger,” he said, stroking her left ring finger. “It’s empty. But I’ve got just the thing for it.”
Taking her hand, Mikeli held it while he dropped to his knees. He pulled a small white box from his pants pocket. Scarlett gasped.
“Mikeli…”
“Scarlett. The moment I saw you in this very room, I knew you were going to change my life. And you have, for the better. I can’t imagine spending another day without you by my side. Will you marry me?”
A lump had formed in Scarlett’s throat. She couldn’t speak, so she nodded her answer. Mikeli let go of her hand to open the box and remove the ring. His hand trembled as he slid it on her finger. Scarlett tilted her hand toward the light. The ring was her favorite stone, a ruby, surrounded by diamonds. Suddenly, Scarlett found her voice and screamed.
“I’m pregnant!”
The smile disappeared from Mikeli’s face. He slowly climbed to his feet. Holding her at arm’s length, he simply stared at her. Oh. Shit. Scarlett began to panic. This wasn’t the way she’d wanted to tell him, but she couldn’t take the words back now.
“What?” Mikeli asked.
“I’m pregnant. You’re gonna be a father.”
Mikeli scooped her up into his arms and spun her around in a circle.
“This is incredible news!”
“Are you happy?” Scarlett asked. “I mean, really?”
Mikeli stopped spinning. He looked into her eyes for a long time before hoisting her onto his shoulder and leaving the restaurant.
“Let me show you how happy I am.”
EPILOGUE
Four months later…
The couple decided to knock out the wall between their two apartments to create a large four-bedroom home above their businesses. In the meantime, they were staying in the newly built Welcome Inn. While the inn was owned by Stephano, it was being run by his brother Sergio.
Around nine p.m., Scarlett was stretched out on the sofa in the one-bedroom suite. An oscillating fan was pointed directly at her, but it still wasn’t enough air to keep her cool. The air conditioner had broken down a few weeks after they moved in, and she was miserable. Unseasonably hot temperatures had plagued the village for the last three nights. Normally she could get by with just the windows open, but not this evening.
The baby shifted from the left side of her belly to the right. She closed her eyes. While they didn’t know what they were expecting, Scarlett’s intuition told her she was having a girl. Scarlett smiled when the baby settled against her arm.
“I still like Maria,” Mikeli shouted from the small kitchen area.
Opening her eyes, Scarlett wrinkled her nose. “It’s pretty, but she doesn’t feel like a Maria.”
Mikeli returned, carrying a mug of his special nightcap. This one didn’t contain alcohol. Even though the drink was warm, she craved the drink each night and couldn’t sleep without it. Neither could the baby. After handing her the mug, he sat beside her. Reaching out his hand, he tenderly stroked her belly. Because she didn’t want to everyone to be staring at her belly as she walked down the aisle, they’d had a civil ceremony in Athens but were planning a larger wedding after the baby arrived.
“Are you sure it’s a girl? What if you’re wrong?” he asked.
“I’m the one who’s been carrying her around for the past six months. I know. And your mother agrees with me.”
Chuckling, he kissed her temple. “In that case… How about Juliet?”
“No. Too ordinary.”
Mikeli sighed. “Fine. You pick.”
Scarlett sipped her drink. “I had a dream the other night. In it, she said her name was Wrynn.”
“I like it. But my vote is for Isabella.”
Smiling despite herself, Scarlett rolled her eyes. She looked down at her mug and realized something was missing. When she looked up, Mikeli was shaking the can of whipped cream. His hazel eyes flashed a devious glance in her direction. He stood up and extended a hand her way.
“The cherries are already on the nightstand,” he teased her.
Scarlett took his hand. Mikeli pulled her to her feet and guided her to the queen-sized bed.
R.W.
To read more about the characters connected to this book, check out the following stories:
Midnight Muse by R.W. Shannon (Grace and Evander)
Designing Hearts by R. W. Shannon (Veronica and Stephano)
R.W. SHANNON
R.W. Shannon is a native of the East Coast but spent six years in the desert before returning to her place of birth. She became a librarian so that she can walk around with her nose in a book without ridicule and also for the free books. When she’s not belly dancing or getting another tattoo, she can be found in the kitchen of her mother’s house until she gets her own.
A member of Romance Writers’ Association and Passionate Ink, she is always at work on another project. In addition to Beautiful Trouble Publishing, her books can be found at Cobblestone Press and Phaze Books.
Please check out her website rwshannonbooks.net for more information or email her at
[email protected].
Table of Contents
Title page
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
EPILOGUE
R.W. SHANNON
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Brush Strokes Page 4
