Losing Leah
Page 13
“Leah.” This time, he stretched to put his hand over hers, and she didn’t pull away. “I was so cruel to you that night.”
She nodded. “Yes, but you got the point across. I soon convinced myself that the silly crush I’d had on you that had turned to love was all in my imagination. I knew I loved you, and it took every ounce of strength and self-delusion to come to the point where I believed I didn’t anymore.”
His hand tightened on hers for just a second. “Are you still laboring under that delusion, agapi mou?”
For a moment, she couldn’t answer. Whatever she said would determine the future for both of them. Her distrust had faded away, and her love was as strong as ever. There was no reason not to be with him.
Instead of answering immediately, Leah got to her feet, lifting the contract he’d placed before her in her hands. As he watched, looking baffled, she took the stack to the shredder and dumped it in. “No, I’m not,” she said.
“What are you doing?”
She slid around the side of the desk to settle herself on his lap. “I’m giving you back your company. I don’t want it. I don’t want any of it.” Leah put her arms around his neck. “I just want you.” She brushed her lips against his, tasting and smelling the trace of spirits remaining. “S’agapo, agapi mou.”
His lips slowly formed a smile. “You have been studying, haven’t you?” At her nod, he said, “I love you too.”
She pressed her mouth to his, enjoying the sensation of being in her husband’s arms. For the first time in their relationship, she felt truly secure. Leah laid her head on his shoulder. “I don’t understand one thing.”
“What’s that?” he asked, as his hands roamed over her body.
She lightly slapped away his hand when he cupped her breast. “I’m trying to have a conversation here.”
“Talk quickly.” He tugged at the hem of her shirt and started fumbling with the buttons as he spoke.
“How did Maia get all the paperwork she brought to the house on Trini Island?”
Nikos paused, tilting his head as he considered the question. “She either paid someone to steal the forms, she stole them from the office herself, or she convinced my idiot assistant to give them to her.” He grimaced. “I would assume it was the idiot assistant.”
Leah giggled. “What will you do to him?”
“I should fire him, but I’m feeling generous.” He pushed open her shirt to tackle her bra. “I will demote the idiot to a valet in the parking garage.”
She put her hand over his to stop his fumbling. “Let me help.” To her surprise, Nikos took her left hand, examining it closely. “Is something wrong?”
“Marry me.”
With a light chuckle, she said, “You’ve had more to drink that I thought. We are married, love.”
Nikos waved a hand. “I mean in a real ceremony, with our friends and family.” He kissed the back of her hand. “I want to mark the change in our relationship. I want you to be my wife completely.”
Leah tugged her hand away gently, cupping his cheek. “I’d love to marry you.” She shifted to press her lips to his before dropping her hands to his lap, to tug at the belt. “Provided you give me a preview of the wedding night.”
Nikos changed position to allow her freer access. “For you, Leah mou, I would do anything.”
Epilogue
The day of the wedding was bright and surprisingly warm, without a hint of clouds in the sky. Being late October, Leah had wondered if it was wise to hold the ceremony outdoors, but Nikos had insisted she have the wedding she wanted. There had been an indoor backup plan, but it was unnecessary.
They exchanged vows as myriad guests watched. If any thought they it strange they were renewing their vows after only three years, they hadn’t said so. When Nikos kissed her, it was profoundly different than the other kisses they had shared. She had been married to him for three years, but now, she truly felt like his wife.
As they lined up to greet the guests, Leah glanced at the new wedding set on her finger. The other one had been exquisite and expensive, but Nikos had confessed his assistant—not the idiot one—had selected the set before their hasty marriage. This set, much more to her liking, had been selected by her husband personally.
Feeling warm inside, Leah did her best to get through the rest of the afternoon. She was thankful for their friends, and thrilled to have a real wedding, but she was impatient to have Nikos alone. She was looking forward to their “wedding night”, but she also had another reason for the impatience.
It was several hours later before they slipped away from the reception at the hotel and went up to their honeymoon suite. Leah squealed with surprise when he swept her into his arms to carry her over the threshold—a tradition he hadn’t bothered with the first time.
With Nikos’s assistance, she shed the heavy and complicated wedding gown, and he removed his wedding finery. The Jacuzzi-for-two in the huge marble bathroom beckoned, and they settled into it. As he adjusted the controls, Leah said, “Don’t turn up the temperature too high, love.”
Nikos grinned. “We will provide our own heat?”
Leah smiled. “No doubt, but that isn’t the reason.”
He leaned back, tucking his arms around her and pulling her down onto his lap. The light hair on his chest tickled her back. “What is your reason?” Nikos cupped her breast, lightly thumbing her nipple as he asked.
She winced slightly. “I read it wasn’t safe… for the baby.”
His hand froze, and he seemed to have stopped breathing. “Baby?”
Leah nodded, turning her neck so she could see his face. “I’m pregnant.”
He cupped her stomach. “How far along?”
“About ten weeks.” Leah laid her hand over his. “I think we might have conceived the night you proposed.”
He nodded. “Ah, yes. The night when we didn’t even make it to our room.”
With a giggle, she said, “We didn’t even make it to the nearest sofa, Nikos.”
Nikos paled. “We have made love many times since. I could have hurt you, or the baby.”
She shook her head. “I talked to Dr. Anderson when I found out. She assured me it was perfectly safe to make love, even with my history. As much as I wanted to surprise you with the news on our wedding night, I wouldn’t have put our baby in danger.”
He nodded. “I know.” His eyes narrowed. “How long have you known, agapi mou?”
“About four weeks.” Leah couldn’t help feeling a little sheepish. “It almost killed me to wait to tell you.” She had wanted to wait until the wedding night, but she’d had another reason as well. Dr. Anderson had assured her once she saw the heartbeat, there was a less than five percent chance of miscarrying. The little heart had fluttered away at her ultrasound last week.
“You deserve a sound spanking for not telling me sooner,” he said with a growl.
She grinned. “Promises, promises.”
His expression turned serious. “I will keep every promise I make to you, Leah.”
With a solemn nod, she said, “I know, Nikos. I trust you completely.” She had no hesitation at uttering the words. Nikos had proven his love and trustworthiness in a thousand tiny ways, and a few major ones—like taking her with him when he had gone to Maia’s hotel to confront her. The scene had been ugly, but they hadn’t heard a word from the other woman since that night.
“S’agapo, Leah.”
“Ke ego s’agapo, Nikos.” She turned in the water to face him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “Forever.”
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Epilogue
ing Leah