‘I don’t think that’s true.’
‘Of course it is—’
‘How did I know where to find you?’ he interrupted. ‘When I came to London after you walked into the bank, how did I find you?’
‘You...used your magical too-much-money powers to track down my address.’
‘Yes, that’s exactly what I did. But do you know when I did that?’
‘After I called into the office...’
‘No. I had my team put together a report on you the day I returned to Greece. The day after we spent the night together.’
She stared at him. Right after that? ‘But you didn’t do anything with it.’
He swallowed. ‘I dreamed of you. But I thought I was doing the right thing for both of us.’
‘Because I’m not—’
‘Because I have this stupid terror inside that I couldn’t get past. Not until you came back and lit up my world. Until you then left and I realised how horrendous life is without you. How much I want and need you in it because I love you. I’m so sorry I’ve hurt you and that I let you go. I never should have done that. Have I ruined this completely, Leah?’
She was reeling inside. She had to take this chance; she had to have a playful moment. ‘Not completely.’
He suddenly smiled.
‘Keep talking.’ Her heart pounded but she couldn’t stop a little laugh of disbelief and delight escaping. ‘Just keep talking.’
‘Come home with me.’ That old assurance sounded in his voice again.
‘Why?’ She needed more, she needed to hear it again and again. But she cupped his face in her hands as he asked.
‘Because I love you. I miss you. I want you. I need you,’ he confessed, leaning closer as he too struggled to breathe. ‘Everything I never thought I’d say. Never thought I’d feel. I want it all with you, Leah.’
His gaze blazed with such intimate intensity and truth she almost couldn’t bear it.
‘Theo—’
He kissed her—as if he couldn’t resist any more. As if he’d run out of words and only action was left to convince her, as if he couldn’t get enough of her, as if she were the most precious thing in the world, breathlessly, brokenly. His whole body shook against hers, as if he was trying to go gently, but the strength of his need kept slipping through resulting in a soul-breaking, star-bursting kiss that she wanted never to end.
‘Don’t let go of me.’ Tears sprang to her eyes again. ‘Please don’t ever let go of me.’
‘Never. Never again. I’m so sorry.’
She was home in his arms. His grip on her tightened and he kissed her again. Everything was unleashed now—uncontrollable, unstoppable—the need to touch, to possess, to connect was too strong. Hands swept—clutching, touching, taking.
‘I missed you,’ he growled raggedly. ‘Missed you so much.’
She trembled as he pinned her, kissing her, caressing every inch as if he desperately needed to rediscover her every secret. Every want.
But then he slowed as he gently stroked her belly. ‘This scares me.’ He glanced up, hot, raw honesty tumbling from him. ‘But it brought you back into my life and for that I will always adore it.’ He kissed that soft curve and looked up at her again, vulnerability visible in the sheen of his eyes. ‘I’m going to need your help. I don’t know how to be a husband...as for a father...’
‘We’ll figure it out together,’ she promised him, her throat so tight she could hardly speak.
‘Make do with what we have?’ A half-smile broke his strain.
She nodded and curled herself about him, holding him where she needed him—with her, sealed along every inch. ‘Together, we have everything.’
They had such ecstasy. And it was so sublime she actually laughed as he claimed her—her joy was too intense to be contained. He smiled back—she loved his smile. Loved him. Loved this with him.
And then she couldn’t laugh any more, she couldn’t speak. She—like he—could only show. In every kiss, every caress, there was total love.
Later, cuddled close, she never wanted either of them to move again. But Theo wriggled; reaching down to the floor, he scooped up his jeans and got something out of the pocket before lying back beside her. He put the small box he’d retrieved on her stomach and then took her hand and slid the diamond ring from her finger.
‘What are you doing?’ she asked, but she couldn’t move in case that other little box slipped off her skin.
He held the diamond in his hand for a moment before placing it on the bedside table. ‘I’ve regretted giving you this ring from the moment I did.’ He shot her a smile at her barely stifled gasp of dismay. ‘I thought if I kept everything impersonal, I could keep you at a distance. But you were already under my skin. I didn’t choose that diamond. I didn’t want to think about what you might like. I didn’t want to think of you at all. But it was all I ended up doing. The more I wanted to hold you away, the more you flooded me—filling all those dark, empty corners, Leah.’ He picked up the box on her stomach. ‘I spent the last week thinking about everything I’d do differently and this is the smallest of the things that I can do differently. I chose this one—your favourite colour...not so secret any more.’ His smile was a touch self-conscious.
The ruby was so richly coloured it was almost crimson. Flanked by square-cut diamonds, it was sensual and striking and her eyes burned with its beauty. She shook her head as the tears threatened again.
‘You don’t like it?’ He actually looked anxious. ‘We can change it. You can choose—’
‘No.’ She put her fingers on his lips, half laughing, half crying. ‘It’s beautiful, I love it.’
Not only because it was stunning, but because of what it signified. He wanted to please her. But that in itself made her panic again. ‘But you know you don’t have to give me things. I don’t want you feeling like you have to please me...’ She breathed shakily. ‘You’ve spent so long trying to please, trying to be perfect just in case—’
‘And you haven’t?’ He cupped her jaw. ‘You do things for people, Leah. For everyone—your friends, family... You did things for me too—you wore those heels and drove me mad. But this is different. It’s not only to please you, but me too. Because I love you like I’ve never loved anyone. I never knew it was possible. And it’s scary and wonderful and I just want to give you everything.’
‘The only everything I need is you. Just you.’
He leaned over her, mischief sparkling in his gaze. ‘So you don’t want the ring?’
She hesitated, loving his flash of humour. And she slowly smiled. ‘Maybe we should just see how it looks.’
He pushed the ring down her finger until it nestled next to the weddi
ng band and they both laughed. He looked into her eyes. ‘Perfect.’
She nodded. ‘Want to know what else would be perfect right now?’
‘Oh, I already do.’ His hands slid to where they were so sweetly welcome. ‘Mine to have and hold.’
‘For ever.’ She’d never felt as content and secure and as loved.
‘I never want to spend another night apart from you.’ He trailed his fingers up and down her arm. ‘We need to speak to Dimitri,’ he said with a smile in his voice. ‘He and I talked.’
‘Really?’
‘You were right. He’d guessed some, I told him more. He was sad but he was mostly concerned about me. And you.’ He suddenly smiled. ‘You’re like this hot marshmallow, fitting perfectly between us to forge us into a real family. You’ve made us both melt. You’re like the sweetest glue...’
‘You think I’m a hot marshmallow?’ She chuckled, but inside she was the one melting.
‘So hot.’ He nodded. ‘And he’ll be thrilled to see you come home with me.’
‘We’ll come back here often though, won’t we?’
He sent her a look of total triumph and pleasure. ‘You really like it?’
‘You were right. Not prison. Paradise.’ She looked at him, overwhelmed with emotion to see him looking so happy. That he felt as deeply for her? ‘I love you so much it hurts.’
‘I don’t want it to hurt, Leah.’ He swiftly kissed her, his arms tightening like bars around her. She was imprisoned in the paradise that was his love.
Perfect, profound peace settled deep into her heart. ‘I think, as long you’re holding me, it won’t.’
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Three years later
LEAH WATCHED THE helicopter descending over the island and put her sketchbook down. She’d not made much progress on her latest design today, too distracted waiting for this—Theo’s return. There was a shriek from the other side of the pool where her daughter, Petra, had been dangling her feet in the water while her great-grandfather, Dimitri, read to her. Petra too knew what the helicopter meant.