Ten Brides for Ten Hot Guys

by Donna Fasano

  And now she’d just revealed a new facet to her personality. A dreamy girl longing to read love letters, and sobbing at the fateful ordeal of two wretched lovers. His heart squeezed with tenderness as he tried to analyze the gentle curl of her lips and the brightness of her gaze.

  How would she react if he sent her a letter? He almost scoffed. Love letters didn’t figure on his catalog of niceties to offer an attractive woman. But kisses and passion... Kookla mou, I can kiss you till you scream in passion. And Ashley loved his kisses, he thought with a sigh of relief as he brushed her forehead with his lips.

  But Ashley pulled away, waving a new letter. “Imagine, in this one, she reminds him that now she’s a married woman, planning to remain faithful to her vows. Even in thoughts. And she urges him to think of her as his best friend. No more mention of the past. Forget the happy moments and the sad tragedy. What an amazing woman. No wonder he loved her so much.”

  “You’re amazing too.”

  A pretty blush colored her cheeks. “Aww, thank you, Stefano.” She passed him the sheet of paper she was holding and chose another missive, one written by Yorgho. “Oh, and he accepted right away, saying, I can’t let you slip out of my life. If I can’t have you for wife or lover, you’ll be my dear friend. Your honor is safe, dearest Elena. Even in writing. Yorgho was a special Greek who gave unconditional love. There aren’t too many like him anymore.” She shook her head and kept reading.

  Stefano scowled, a muscle ticking at his jaw. In her opinion, he didn’t measure up to her grandfather. What would it take to become a special Greek for her?

  A sigh of exasperation escaped him. His companion didn’t even notice, too engrossed in her reading. He grabbed a different packet from the carry-on, one labeled 1980 to 1990, and skimmed the pages. Mr. Zanis had written about his daughter’s life, her wedding, the birth of Baby Ashley. Suddenly interested, Stefano concentrated on his reading. “What a jerk,” he later exclaimed.

  “Who, Grandpa?” Ashley raised a horrified gaze toward him.

  “No, your father. I’m sorry, I didn’t know he abandoned you and your mother when you were only four.”

  “We went to live in my grandfather’s big house, almost a mansion. When my mother remarried, Grandpa insisted I remain with him. Anyway, I didn’t want to live with my stepfather.”

  “You didn’t have an easy childhood.” Stefano studied her face. He’d been surrounded by a large, noisy, close-knit family, where every member loved each relative. How had Ashley managed to turn into the bright, balanced lawyer she was now, after growing up in a broken home?

  “But grandpa was always there for me. He made time to talk to me, explain what was good or bad. Even when I was only five, he treated me like a mature person.”

  By Zeus, his former enemy sounded like a paragon of virtues. No wonder Ashley had sharpened her claws to defend her dear grandfather.

  “I understand now why you love him so much.”

  An unbearable need to hold and protect her shook Stefano to the core. She sat next to him, lovely and so desirable in her green printed dress that hiked to mid-thigh. The little piece of cotton could be easily slipped off her pliant body. One of the straps slipped down her shoulder, tantalizing him. Lust stormed to his groin. Slowly, he leaned toward her. His lips parted, ready to close on her mouth.

  “Well, but you were a handful according to your Yaya.” Unaware of the tornado hitting his senses, Ashley kept reading, and smiled, and chuckled.

  Straightening, he held himself in check. His head felt heavy with indecision, guilt, apprehension. Yes, he could make love to her right here on this couch, make her scream in ecstasy. But did he have the right to play with her feelings?

  Ashley had been dwelling in his heart ever since he’d spotted her on the beach. He suppressed a tender smile at the picture of the shy redhead, glancing right and left before unclasping her bikini top.

  To think of it, he liked her here, in his heart, in his mind, next to him. And especially in his arms. Following his own trail of thoughts, he gently rubbed her arm.

  “Oh, Stefano, this is so funny.” With a bright smile, she waved another missive. “Your Yaya wrote that you jumped from one balcony to another to escape from the locked room where your father grounded you. Did you always try to get your own way? Ever since you were a kid?”

  The hell with the letters. Wrong time to sink into the couch and make love. Throwing a jaundiced glance at the coffer, he clenched his fists. Sure enough, she’d accuse him of trying to get his own way.

  A staunch Greek, he believed in destiny. He lifted a packet written by Elena in one hand and a bunch of papers covered with Yorgho’s handwriting in the other. He stared at them while he brought the two packets against each other. Two lovers who believed in commitment. His whole family had hated Zanis for years because they thought the old man had dishonored and abandoned young Elena. While all the time, the man had loved her more than any woman would dream to be loved. As he loved Ashley, Stefano thought.

  By Zeus, had he said love?

  Love as in commitment and marriage?

  With a big sigh, he dropped the letters on the coffer and wrapped an arm around her back. She snuggled against him. Innocently comfortable and trusting.

  No, they couldn’t continue to play with love. Not him. He came from a family who deeply believed in honor and commitment.

  “Ashley.” His husky voice surprised him. She turned her head toward him and raised her eyebrows.

  “What’s wrong? You look strange.”

  He scowled, lowered his head. Help me, Yaya. His lips pursed to a straight line. He stared at the beautiful woman sitting so close to him.

  “Stefano, are you in pain?” She cupped his cheeks. “Tell me.”

  “Not in pain. In love.”

  “Pardon?”

  It was his turn to cradle her face. “I love you, my Ashley.” His grimace eased into a smile.

  “You lo...” Her hands dropped to her lap and her eyes widened with surprise and confusion. “Are you serious?”

  He nodded vigorously. “Very serious.” He grinned sheepishly. “I’ll tell you a secret. I didn’t think I would say this to a woman for a long time. Especially not the American lawyer who was determined to attack me.”

  “Oh, Stefano.” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, a tender kiss that turned passionate.

  He pulled her on his lap and invaded her mouth. His hands caressed her nape, stroked her back, and squeezed her buttocks and she squirmed against him.

  He knew it. God, he knew he wouldn’t be able to resist her. Why even try?

  ~*~

  Ashley pulled away to breathe. “Please, say it again. I want to be sure I’m not dreaming.”

  He chuckled. “Wait.” He moved her off his lap to the couch.

  Was he having second thoughts? A lump formed in her throat while she watched him sprint to the small room. Her fingers laced in her lap. Dear Lord, let him say it again. Frozen in place, unable to move or breathe, she pressed her knuckles. Let it be true.

  A few minutes later, he came back holding an envelope. “Open this letter.” He handed it to her.

  Anxiety burned her stomach. “What’s that?”

  Rocking on his heels, he shot her a bone-melting smile. “Just another letter you have to read.”

  She sucked in a big gulp of air and tore the side of the envelope to pull free a blue sheet with a new handwriting. Her eyes flew to the signature. Dimitri Stefano Alexios Kostapoulos. His whole complicated name. She glanced up from the letter. “What does it mean?”

  “Just read, please.”

  She did and her eyes filled with tears.

  My beloved Ashley,

  I LOVE YOU. Yes, I love you and I want to be your special Greek.

  Would you marry me and make me a very happy man?

  Dimitri Stefano Alexios Kostapoulos, who will always adore you.

  “Oh my God, oh my God. It’s true then.”

  “Ye
s, my love. I wanted you to have your own letter.”

  “I’ll keep it forever. Stefano, I love you so much.”

  “But you haven’t answered the question?”

  “The question?”

  “There’s a question waiting to be answered in this letter.”

  “Oh.” She chuckled and took a pen to write in capital letters:

  My dear Stefano,

  I LOVE YOU AND WILL MARRY YOU.

  Yours forever,

  Ashley Ann Sheppard

  He gathered her in his arms. “Ashley, my love, I have another question. More of an invitation. I want to take you out for dinner. On the Athena. What do you say?”

  “Yes, let’s go build more lovely memories.” She untangled herself from his arms and started rearranging the letters. “We need to clean up the mess we made.”

  “Not now. We have more urgent things to do.” He winked at her with that smile that had her heart fluttering. “Besides, it will take us a few more days to finish reading all the letters.”

  Taking her hand, he urged her to the door. “I’ll ask Mikhali to have a gardener clean the yard today. Careful about the thorns.”

  At the gate, Stefano stopped and opened the mailbox. “There is another letter. I’ve never bothered to check after Yaya’s death.” He extracted a blue envelope. They both glanced at the handwriting.

  “It’s from Grandpa. His last letter. That’s so sad.”

  “Then don’t open it now. I don’t want you crying when we’re supposed to be happy. Just put it in your purse for tomorrow.” He held the door of his Ferrari for her.

  Ashley shoved the envelope in her purse, determined not to let anything cloud her perfect time on the Athena.

  Stefano called Mikhali, gave him a few orders, and then drove away. “I thought we were going to the harbor.” She recognized the downtown of Mykonos and the Kostapoulos building.

  “I need to stop by my apartment for a minute.” He parked against the curb, brushed her lips with a kiss, and slid out of his car. “One little minute to pick up something.”

  She wished he’d invited her to come upstairs. God, how she wanted to visit the place where he lived, and learn more about his tastes. But hadn’t he said that he practically lived on his yacht? Strange. Maybe he simply wanted to change? In that case she’d ask him to stop by her hotel for a minute too. She chuckled. It would take her more time than that to change.

  “I’m back. I hope I didn’t make you wait long.” He was still wearing his brown pants and the beige button down shirt he favored at the office. “Off we go. Directly to the Athena,” he added with a devilish smile that made her blush. Forget changing dresses. Ashley checked the green printed cotton slip-on she was wearing with a quick glance. With its straps and short hem, it was perfect for a boat outing.

  The Ferrari smoothly took the road again. Ashley closed her eyes, savoring the moment, wondering if it could get better.

  “In a moment we’ll be at the harbor,” Stefano said, his tone as tender and pleased as if he’d take her to the moon and back.

  “I can’t wait for our next cruise.”

  “We won’t go far. Just have dinner and...relax on the deck, under the stars.”

  Relax? Her pulse racing, she anticipated a new type of relaxation in his arms. “Lovely.”

  Mikhali waited for them aboard a little motor boat. Both men helped her into the tender and boarded after her. Mikhali revved the engine at full speed until they came close to the Athena. Stefano jumped aboard first and pulled her up. The sailor tied the little boat to the side of the yacht and joined them on board.

  “Mikhali, take us to Agios Ioannis.” Turning toward Ashley, he explained, “We passed it the first time you cruised on the Athena.” He ushered her to the upper deck.

  The late afternoon sun bathed the sky in hues of pink, orange, and mauve. “I’m glad we’ll watch the sunset from the yacht. It was beautiful last time.”

  “I’ll make sure it’s even more beautiful this time.” He gave her a strange smile, and walked to the side bar, where his steward had set glasses and a few bottles. “Let’s have an ouzo.” He filled a drink for her and another for him. “Yia mas.” He clanked his glass against hers.

  “Cheers. I mean yia mas.”

  “Much better. I’m surprised your grandfather never taught you Greek.” He sipped his ouzo, but his gaze never wavered from her face.

  “Grandpa tried. I can manage a few sentences. But my mother and grandmother did their best to discourage him.”

  “Greek didn’t meet their approval, right? My family, too, hated anything that came with an American label. I put up a fight to convince my father to let me study at Harvard.”

  “You’ve never mentioned your parents. Are they...” She hesitated, afraid to continue.

  “They live in Athens. My father retired from his construction business a few years ago. He’d like to come back to Mykonos, but my mother wants to be close to my sisters. In summer, they spend a month in a resort, on one of the beaches.”

  “Your sisters?” Good God, she’d agreed to marry him, but she didn’t know much about him, beyond what she read in Elena’s letters. “How many sisters?”

  “Three. Don’t worry, my kookla. I’ll introduce you to the whole family soon.”

  “How big a family? As big as the one in the movie, My Big, Fat Greek Wedding?” She chuckled, and hoped he didn’t hear her heartbeat bang against her ribs.

  “Bigger.” He burst out laughing at her horrified expression.

  “Sorry,” she hastened to say. “I didn’t mean—”

  “It’s okay. You’ll meet them soon enough. My older sisters Olympia and Catherina married wonderful men that my mother introduced them to.”

  “You mean they agreed to arranged marriage? I didn’t know marriages of convenience still existed here,” she added with a grimace.

  Stefano burst out laughing. “Don’t look so distressed. My sisters knew their pretenders since a young age, and were delighted with Mama’s choices for them. They are both very happy. Olympia has three kids, two teenage boys and a sweet nine-year old girl. Catherina has adorable twin girls and one toddler boy. Maria is a doctor. She’s engaged to a young man she met two years ago.”

  “Wow. Your mother had her hands full with so many kids. Three girls and one boy.”

  “Two boys. I have a younger brother, Filipo, who’s determined to stay a bachelor, although our mother is introducing him to a new right girl every month. She gave up on me.” He added with a chuckle.

  Good God, would they accept an American among them? The granddaughter of their former enemy?

  “Maybe we should think carefully before rushing into—”

  A passionate kiss silenced her protest and befuddled her mind. When she was able to breathe again, he nuzzled her throat. “My kookla, I love you. Don’t think about anything else. I’ll take care of my family and the details.”

  “But—”

  “Come here next to the railing. It’s almost sunset. As soon as the sun dips under water, make a wish.”

  He held her in his arms while they eagerly watched the ball of fire sink at the horizon. “Now,” Stefano ordered.

  She closed her eyes. “Please, make it true. I want my special Greek.”

  Her special Greek released her. Immediately anxious, she spun toward him. Shoving his hand into his pocket, he brought out a small velvet box and opened it.

  “Oh my God.” Her hand flew to her throat as she stared at the blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds. “It’s so beautiful with its antique setting.”

  “Ashley, my love, this is the ring my grandfather gave Yaya, after ten years of marriage. I want you to wear it until we choose your engagement diamond.” He slipped the gorgeous ring on her left finger.

  “Tell me I’m not dreaming, please.” She contemplated the ring on her finger.

  “You’re not dreaming, my darling. But we can start dreaming together.” Stefano bowed over her hand and kisse
d her fingers. “I love you.” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she locked her lips to his.

  Could kisses improve with time and practice? Definitely. Although ten days ago, she’d thought Stefano’s kisses deserved a special rating. “Love you,” she whispered when his lips glided to her jaw and neck.

  “Love you,” he groaned back. “Always.” He scooped her into his arms. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she didn’t even protest.

  Above them, the sky had turned into a palette of flames that matched the riot in their hearts. “Oh Stefano, what a beautiful sunset.”

  “The most beautiful I’ve ever watched,” he said, gazing in her eyes.

  Chapter 12

  “Sweetheart.” Stefano carefully cradled Ashley as he climbed down the stairwell to his room. “We’re supposed to have dinner, but our food can wait in the warmer. We can’t. We’ve been waiting long enough, right?”

  “Right.” She offered him a lovely smile and trailed kisses along his throat.

  “Glad we have only a few stairs.” He twisted to open the doorknob of his room without dropping her and set her in the middle of the bed. “You recognize this room?”

  “Umm.” She hung onto his neck and dragged him down next to her to unbutton his shirt. “You were impatient to come here, my handsome Greek. Don’t waste time now.”

  How he loved her passion, her eagerness. “Darling, your wishes are my command, especially when they match mine.”

  With a big laugh, he slipped her straps down her arms and slid the dress all the way to her legs. She wriggled out of it and tugged at his belt. “I can’t do it,” she complained, pulling at the leather.

  “Allow me.” He undid the clasp to remove his belt while she unzipped his pants, her fingers brushing his erection. “Easy, my love. I want to make it slow and perfect.”

  “How about fast and perfect?” She panted, her hands skating inside his slip.

  “Ah. Easy.” But he frantically tore off her thong in his haste to rid her of any barrier.

  Her fingers wrapped around his shaft, moving relentlessly. Unable to cope with her sweet torture, he bent over her and buried his face between her legs, his lips and tongue tormenting her inner folds at the same rhythm her hands stroked his manhood.