His heart did a swift kick.
“I was afraid you weren’t coming.” Her voice sounded husky.
That comment was another first for her. Never once in their marriage had she admitted that she looked forward to going to bed with him, not even with her eyes. Only under the shield of darkness could he coax her into his arms.
Tonight everything was different.
Those deep set orbs watching him glinted purple in the light. Combined with her sculptured mouth, the flush on her white skin and her silvery-blond hair fanned out on the pillow, he’d never seen a more beautiful woman.
It crucified him to think cancer might ever ravage her again.
“I won’t be long,” he said, before heading for the bathroom.
The sight of her had left his body trembling. His legs felt heavy as he stepped into the stall. He was scarcely aware of his physical surroundings. Maybe he was having a fantastic dream.
Afraid he would wake up from a dream and find himself alone, he finished his shower in record time. Though his hair was still moist after a brief toweling, he threw on a robe and emerged from the bathroom holding his breath.
When he saw she was still there, with a tantalizing smile curving her mouth, his lungs expelled the air trapped there. He saw no hesitation in her expression, only a radiant eagerness.
If it was a façade to prove she’d changed, it was a damn good one. Andreas discovered for the first time in his life he was nervous.
Anyone would think he was the feverish bride, anticipating the first night in her lover’s arms.
“No— Don’t—” she urged softly when he reached for the lamp switch. “I want to see you.”
Her words checked his movements, almost giving him a heart attack.
“When I woke up after my accident and saw you staring down at me, I thought you were the most beautiful man I’d ever laid eyes on.”
Andreas’s throat thickened.
“I didn’t know there was a man born who could look like you. I deliberately tried to keep from staring at you. Even after we were married I was afraid to look too long because I didn’t want you to think I was…begging you.”
“Begging me?” he whispered incredulously. “To do what?”
“To make love to me.”
He shook his dark head. “If I needed to be begged, I would never have proposed to you.”
Her lower lip trembled. “I—I wanted to believe that. But every time I looked at myself in the mirror, I wanted to die, because I could never be the fulfillment of any man’s dreams—let alone my husband’s.”
Dumbstruck, Andreas sank down at the side of the bed. “Then how do you explain my attraction to you?”
She stared up into his eyes, searching them. “There’s a basic kindness in you, Andreas. It runs very deep. You saw the accident that knocked me unconscious, a-and you saw my scar. I know how you honor valor, and realized you viewed me as some kind of heroine because I’d had a battle with cancer.”
He took a fierce breath. “So from that you deduced I felt so sorry for all you’d been through I asked you to be my wife?”
Her head moved from side to side on the pillow. “Not just that. I knew you were still mourning Maris’s death. The two of you were close all your lives. Your parents’ lives were shattered. I think your feelings of helplessness and despair had a lot to do with your reaching out to me. Like one of those dying children who’s granted their greatest wish. I believed you saw me as someone needing help.”
He swore under his breath.
“Earlier today Theo told me that when he first met me I reminded him of a fledgling bird who required protection.”
Theo be damned.
Andreas shot to his feet and started pacing. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “If that’s the way you perceived things, it’s a miracle our marriage lasted as long as it did.”
“I agree,” she murmured. “It’s one thing I’ve learned this past year. Even if it was the wrong perception, it was my reality at the time.”
His feet came to a standstill. “So what are you saying?”
She exhaled a tortured sigh. “I’m on a mission to discover the true reality of our lives. It means starting over from scratch, but I’m willing to do anything to make our marriage work, provided you are too.
“Please don’t get me wrong,” she cried before he could respond. “Before you tell me again that it’s pointless, let me admit up front that I’m the one to blame for our problems. When you tried to get me to open up, I froze. It’s no wonder you had to walk on eggshells around me. You’re a man with infinite patience. I took advantage of that remarkable trait and continued to behave like a spoiled, difficult child. The nicer and kinder you were to me, the worse I acted. You have no idea how I loathed myself.” Her voice shook.
“When you told me Theo had charged you with adultery, deep down inside I wanted to tell him it was my fault, that if he wanted revenge he should have come after me. I was the real culprit. Instead, I ran away like the coward I was. But I’ve had a year of psychiatric therapy to understand myself, and—”
“Therapy?”
“Yes. Don’t tell me that shocks you—not when we both know how badly I needed it.”
“I’m not shocked.” His voice grated.
She bit her lip. “Surprised, then.”
“If anything I’m amazed you would put yourself through that experience, considering you’ve had more surgery too.” Twelve months she’d deprived him of being there for her.
“Without the therapy I would never have decided to go in for reconstructive surgery. I think the doctor did a wonderful job. She told me only my husband would know for sure.”
Her humor awed him.
Her courage moved him to tears.
“Dominique—”
“I do believe my husband is speechless. I wonder if that’s good or bad.” She flashed him an impish smile, producing the dimple in her left cheek he hadn’t seen for a year.
“Come to bed.” She raised her soft, graceful arms toward him. “I’ve been waiting for this a long, long time.”
His heart was palpitating right out of his chest. Slowly he removed his robe and slid on the mattress beside the siren who by some miracle was still his wife. “I want to look at you first.”
She wound her arms around his neck, then brushed her lips teasingly against his. “We have a year to catch up on. It may take the whole night.”
There’d always been passion in their lovemaking. But she’d never met him as an equal before. Not like this.
Andreas pulled her on top of him and chased her mouth until he caught it. Exciting laughter gurgled from her throat before they looked without fear or striving into each other’s eyes. Then they began moving and breathing as one.
Dominique awakened at dawn with a sense of well-being she’d never known in her life. Her arms automatically reached for the man who’d brought her ecstasy last night. When she couldn’t find him, she sat up and smoothed strands of hair from her face.
Over at the window, facing the ocean, she detected his tall, distinctive silhouette. In the faint light she barely discerned the outline of his striped robe.
Moving off the bed, she found one of the T-shirts from his drawer and drew it over her head. It fell to mid-thigh.
Quietly she padded across the room and slid her arms around his waist from behind. “Good morning,” she whispered, standing on tiptoe to kiss his nape where the black curls swirled. She adored his hair, which was thick and luxuriant. She adored him.
“Mmm. You smell so good,” she murmured, squeezing him hard. “You have your own male scent. If I could market it, I would call it ‘Strictly Andreas.’”
She didn’t know what she’d expected by way of response, but not the solemn-faced man who turned to her.
He kissed both her palms before letting her go. “I’m sorry if I wakened you.”
The most important thing she’d learned in therapy was to get everything out in the ope
n as soon as possible so there’d be no chance for misunderstandings to fester.
“You didn’t. I woke up on my own, eager to take my husband into my arms, but you weren’t there. Obviously something’s on your mind. Let’s talk about it.”
“Not right now.”
“Yes,” she insisted. “Right now.”
Lines darkened his face.
“This is how things started to go wrong for us the first time, Andreas. I’d hide and avoid…cut and run. You would hold back, go quiet, retreat. We can’t do that anymore. Tell me what’s troubling you, even if you’re afraid it will cause problems.”
It was growing lighter outside. She could see the tautness around his mouth, the shadows under his eyes that hadn’t been there during the night.
“You told me you’d seen the doctor right before you came to Greece.”
“That’s true.”
The tension emanating from him was fierce. “I take it you were referring to Dr. Canfield, the plastic surgeon?”
“Yes. She gave me a clean bill of health.”
He rubbed the back of his neck in a gesture that always signaled frustration. “What about your cancer specialist?”
“I saw Dr. Josephson too. So far I’m cancer-free.”
His eyes narrowed on her mouth. “You wouldn’t lie to me—”
Apparently the change in her had unearthed some demons he’d kept well hidden until now.
“Why would I do that? What purpose would it serve? As you know, I have to be tested once a month. From now on we’ll go to the doctor together and hear the results at the same time.”
Andreas took a shuddering breath. “Did Dr. Josephson suggest you have another mastectomy as a preventative measure?”
“No—” She shook her head in bewilderment. “He doesn’t think it’s necessary in my case.”
Andreas pursed his lips. “Maybe you should get a second opinion.”
“Then we will,” she said, wanting to appease him in any way she could. But by the anxious expression on his face her husband still wasn’t reassured.
“What else are you worried about?” If she wasn’t mistaken, he’d paled.
“Before our separation, I always took precautions.”
“True… So what happened last night?”
His hands suddenly grasped her shoulders. “You know what happened,” he groaned in self-abnegation. “I lost my head.”
“Imagine Andreas Stamatakis of all men doing something as wild and irresponsible as that—” She grinned up at him. “I think I’m going to take it as the most supreme compliment of my life that I had that kind of power over you last night.”
He gave her a shake, not realizing his strength. “This isn’t a joking matter, Dominique. What if I’ve made you pregnant?”
She sobered. “If you’re convinced our marriage isn’t going to last, then I understand your concern.”
“That’s not the point and you know it,” he muttered grimly. “I’m concerned about your health.”
“We had this conversation before we got married. Dr. Josephson said there was no reason why we couldn’t try for a baby. Cancer only affects about one in a thousand pregnancies.”
His fingers tightened on her warm skin. “I remember the statistics, but it’s you we’re talking about.”
“If you’re suggesting I take a ‘morning after’ pill, then I guess our marriage really is over, because I would never, ever harm my baby.”
His hands ran the length of her arms with restless urgency. “It might be the only option if it meant your life was in danger.”
Dominique had never known him to be afraid of anything, but it was raw fear she could hear in his voice.
When she’d asked him for thirty days to see if they could save their marriage, she never dreamed a destructive emotion like fear would head the list of obstacles he would have to overcome.
“I’m not going to die for a long time, Andreas. Last year the doctor’s main concern was that I was underweight. It can make conception more difficult. Right now I’m in perfect shape and I refuse to look for trouble when there isn’t any. But that’s only my perception, of course. You mentioned other issues we have to work through.”
Nothing she said seemed to make any difference. Talking only proved to increase his tension. The situation required some serious action.
“I’ve forgotten this is only day two of our temporary reconciliation,” she said with a little smile. “According to your calculations, everything’s supposed to fall apart today. If that’s the case, why don’t we go back to bed and make the most of the hours we have left?”
“Be serious,” he whispered in a tortured breath.
“I’m being very serious,” she claimed with mock severity. Backing away from him, she got under the covers to remove her T-shirt. Then she wadded it up and threw it at him.
It hit him smack in the chest.
His sudden bark of laughter was the most gratifying sound she’d heard in a long time. Before the next beat of her heart he’d reached her, and had pinned her back against the pillows. Their mouths were only a centimeter apart.
She gazed with daring into his fiery black eyes. “You move fast for an old man. Do you know that?”
“Old?” he growled. “I’ll show you old.”
Three hours later, Dominique surfaced first. Carefully she untangled herself from the strong arms and legs twined around her. Andreas had made love to her with primitive need. Now his Greek god-like body needed sleep.
Though she was still on fire for her exhausted husband, she disciplined herself not to waken him. Hopefully the American breakfast she planned to serve him in bed would bring him back to her.
He rarely ate breakfast. Just coffee, sometimes a roll. He made up for it at his other meals. But not today.
After a quick shower, she put on a sundress, then fastened her hair in a ponytail. As she darted through the villa to the kitchen Eleni caught up to her.
“You need something?”
Dominique shook her head. “No, thank you. I’m going to fix us some breakfast.”
“I’ll call Anna.”
“That’s all right. I want to do this for my husband.”
“You’re sure?”
Clearly Eleni didn’t know what to make of the situation. Andreas’s staff had always waited on him. It was Dominique’s fault she’d never asserted herself or interfered with the routine. But all that was about to change, starting now.
“Would you be kind enough to show me where everything is? I want to make him a big meal. He’s lost weight, don’t you think?”
To her relief, the other woman nodded with a smile. “It’s good for him you’ve come back.”
Ah, Eleni…I needed to hear that.
They worked together like two conspirators. And before long she carried a tray to the master suite. To her delight, Andreas’s eyes opened when she approached the bed.
“I come bearing gifts. Sit up and I shall serve you, my lord.”
His white smile was more dazzling because of the shadow from his beard. After he’d done her bidding, she set the tray across his lap.
“I didn’t know Anna could cook food like this—”
“Not Anna—me!”
His surprised gaze swerved to her face.
“Don’t worry. I cleared it with Eleni, so no one’s feelings would be hurt.”
She puffed up a couple of pillows next to him, then climbed on the bed and reached for her own plate. After tucking in, it thrilled her to watch him devour his pile of French toast and scrambled eggs with equal relish. He drank his orange juice never once stopping for breath.
“How odd,” she remarked while she sipped her juice. “Eleni was under the impression you didn’t have a big appetite anymore. I have to say I don’t see anything wrong with it. In fact for an old man you’ve surprised me in quite a few ways I wasn’t expecting.”
He cast her a sidelong glance. “For a child bride you’ve managed to pull off several su
rprises yourself.”
“Maybe we should take you to the doctor and get your heart checked out. Just in case.”
“You little minx.”
Suddenly everything was thrust away. She let out a yelp of laughter as he rolled her up in his arms. They were both out of breath.
“Thank you for breakfast. It was almost as delicious as you are.”
The corner of her mouth curved upward. “You think I’m delicious?”
His low chuckle drove her mad with excitement.
“How do you say that in Greek?”
“Ask me later,” he murmured against her lips. “Right now I have more important things to do.”
“Careful of the tray!”
Her warning came too late. The sound of plates and glasses crashing on the tiles made her wince.
“No—” she cried, holding him down. “I’ve got sandals on. One step and you could cut yourself.”
“Leave it!” he demanded, preventing her from sliding off the bed. “The staff will take care of it.”
“They shouldn’t have to deal with something that’s our fault.”
“It’s what I pay them for.”
“To do regular work, yes—”
“The occasional accident is regular work to them.”
They’d had this argument before.
“I’m sorry.” She molded her palms to his cheeks. “I didn’t grow up with staff around. My first instinct is to do everything myself.” She studied his gleaming black eyes. “I love doing things for you, but not if it means upsetting you and your world.”
His chest rose and fell visibly. “Let’s get something straight. I like my wife looking after me. When we’re—”
The ringing of the house phone prevented him from finishing what he was about to say.
“That’s probably Eleni. She wouldn’t disturb us if it weren’t important.” Still holding Dominique close, he reached for the receiver by the lamp to speak to his housekeeper.
The conversation was brief. His dark brows knit together. She knew something was wrong.
Andreas hadn’t anticipated his reunion with Dominique would sweep him away to a place where he wanted to stay with her forever, far from everyone and everything. She’d brought him ecstasy on a brand new level. He felt reborn.
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