by Jennie Lucas
“On my way here. I finally tracked down your father’s old secretary to a convent in India. I have the proof that you—”
“I don’t need that anymore,” she said, and she gripped his hand as another contraction ripped through her. “All the proof I need is in your face. You’re here. You came. Please,” she panted, “never—leave me again.”
“I never will leave you,” he vowed, his dark eyes shining with tears.
She gasped, arching her back as another pain went through her.
“Oh my God, Eve,” he breathed. “You’re in labor.”
He leapt to his feet, shouting for help. “Kefalas, get the car! My wife is in labor!”
Talos drove her to London, exceeding all speed records to reach the private hospital in time. They were too late for anesthesia. She’d just barely settled into her private suite, and Dr. Bartlett had just rushed in to check on her, before their baby was born.
Talos held her close as their son came into the world, protecting them. And in the instant their newborn baby was placed in her exhausted arms, both their lives changed forever.
Talos kissed his wife’s sweaty forehead, then tenderly cradled them both in his arms. Their love was newly reborn in that single instant, brilliant and flashing like a comet illuminating the dark night, shining like a star that would always last.
EPILOGUE
“THEY’RE here!”
Four-year-old John was running up and down the hallways, screaming like a banshee when he heard the helicopter land on the other side of Mithridos. Eve smiled down at her son, even as she tried helplessly to hush him before he woke his two-year-old sister, who always got into everything when she was awake, or his six-month-old baby brother, who generally just sat on the floor and watched it all with his mouth open, drooling from his first tooth.
She’d meant to get dressed before the first guests arrived at their island, but she’d been so busy with the children that time had slipped away from her. Now, she realized to her horror that she was still wearing her white fluffy robe from the shower she’d taken twenty minutes ago. Pausing in the hallway, she glanced into the doorway of her bedroom.
Her ladylike party dress, white with delicate pink roses and twisting green leaves, a sweetheart neckline and a full skirt, was lying across the bed in wait for her.
As she stepped into the bedroom, she felt Talos come behind her, kissing her neck as he wrapped his strong arms around her waist.
“Are you ready for this?” he teased.
She turned around in his embrace, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his mouth. He hadn’t dressed for the party yet, either. She was equal parts amused and exasperated to see he hadn’t changed. He was still dressed in the casual clothes he had worn to take the children to the beach, shorts and a snug white T-shirt that revealed his muscular chest and legs and that always made her want to devour him whole.
Not a bad idea, surely, on their anniversary…?
She paused, looking up at him, her arms still around his neck. She saw the expression on his face suddenly change. With a wicked smile, he started to lower his mouth toward hers.
Then she heard little John knock something over downstairs, heard Annie cry, heard the baby start to wail as he was woken prematurely from his nap.
With a laugh, she gave her husband a wry look. “And our guests will arrive in about six minutes.”
His dark eyes gleamed at her. “So we have six minutes?”
“Talos!” she said with a laugh, knowing what he was thinking. “We should welcome our guests to our home!”
“The kids are downstairs,” he growled. “They can do it.”
“You’re incorrigible!” But still, she sighed with pleasure as he lowered his head to kiss her. They had a chaotic, crazy, artistic life full of friends and children and laughter, bright with color and warm with love. Exhausting, but oh, so happy. It was the life Eve had always dreamed of. Even on five hours sleep a night, she felt grateful every morning. She was lucky. Blessed.
After only one kiss, Talos drew back from her, his dark eyes twinkling. “I have a present for you. I wanted you to open it before the Navarres get here and the chaos really starts.”
“For our anniversary?” she said in surprise. She looked around the beautiful bedroom, with its enormous bed where they made love every night, overlooking their private island and the wide blue sea. Every inch of the villa had already all been decorated with white lilies and orange roses for their party. Their home had never looked more lush and gorgeous. And Talos’s four jets were flying in friends and family from all around the world to celebrate with a three-day, child-friendly party that was costing more than she liked to think about. “You’ve already given me so much. I couldn’t possibly want more.”
“Too bad. Open it.”
He handed her a black velvet box. She opened it with an intake of breath. Inside, she saw a beautiful diamond necklace with six hanging emerald-cut diamonds, each as big as her fingertip.
“Lovely,” she breathed, then looked up with chagrin. “But I didn’t get you anything!”
He lifted his eyebrow with a wicked grin. “That’s what you think.” He slowly stroked her earlobe to her chin, making her shiver. Clasping the diamond strand around her neck, he ran his hands over the six large diamonds, caressing the warmth of her bare collarbone. “This necklace represents our family. One diamond for each of our six children.”
“Six?” She frowned. “Have you been glugging ouzo? We have three children.”
With a dark gleam in his eyes, he lowered his head to kiss her, whispering, “So far.”
When the Navarre family came through the front door ten minutes later, they found only children to greet them, cheering and wiggling happily as the dog barked and danced around them amid a profusion of knockedover flower arrangements. Fragrant orange petals floated softly down through the air.
“They’ll be down in just a minute,” the nanny told them nervously.
But Lia and Roark glanced at each other and smiled.
They didn’t need any explanation.
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.
All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II B.V./S.à.r.l. The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior consent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
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First published in Great Britain 2009
Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited,
Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR
© Jennie Lucas 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4089-1851-7
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