‘It’s beautiful,’ she told him gently, grey eyes silver bright with love and understanding because she had gradually come to see that having his own family meant everything to Apollo. He had longed to have a loving family when he was a child and had been sadly disillusioned by his father’s disastrous remarriages. Creating his own family as an adult had given him a kind of rebirth, allowing him to grow into the man he might have become had he had a less dysfunctional childhood.
‘No, you’re the jewel who outshines every setting,’ Apollo insisted, claiming her soft mouth in a hungry, demanding kiss that sent little shivers quivering through her. He pinned her to the bed, gazing down at her with unashamed satisfaction. ‘Do you think Vito and Holly are aiming for a football team in the kid department?’ he asked curiously.
‘I wouldn’t be surprised,’ she said with a grin. ‘But it’ll be a year or two before I want another one. Tobias and Sofia are exhausting.’
‘Almost as demanding as their mother,’ Apollo groaned, intercepting the fingers running along a lean, muscular thigh and carrying her tiny hand to a rather more responsive area. ‘But I love that about you.’
Pixie looked up into glittering green enticement fringed by black. ‘I love you, Apollo.’
‘Isn’t that fortunate? Because I’m keeping you for ever,’ he admitted thickly.
And later when their guests had arrived and every room seemed to be awash with overexcited exploring children and equally excited dogs, the adults settled down with drinks and snacks and Pixie curled comfortably up beneath Apollo’s protective arm and admired the sparkling lanterns glowing on the Christmas tree. It promised to be another wonderful Christmas and she was sincerely grateful for the happy ending she had found with the man she loved.