She shut her eyes and said it. ‘I love you.’ It was a breath of air, no more than that.
And then he folded her to him properly, wrapping his arms around her and she laid her head against his chest. At home. At rest.
‘Nikos.’ She breathed his name, resting against him. For a long, long while he simply held her. Then, easing back her head, he gazed down at her. Everything she could ever dream of was in his eyes.
And then in his lips.
EPILOGUE
IT WAS THE second wedding on Sospiris in as many months, and even more lavish than Tina’s had been. She and Sam were both there, and this time it was Tina’s turn to cry buckets—but she had come well prepared, as well prepared as Nikos’s mother and Cousin Eupheme, with handkerchiefs to spare. Ari gazed bemused at them, and tugged his grandmother’s sleeve.
‘But it’s a happy day, Ya-ya,’ he explained to her. ‘Auntie Annie’s going to live here for ever and ever now. And sleep in Uncle Nikki’s bed, just like in Paris. And I can wake them up—but not too early, Uncle Nikki says.’
Sophia Theakis laughed and stroked his head. Her cousin turned to her. ‘It took them such a time, Sophia,’ she sighed.
Nikos’ mother nodded. ‘The young are so blind, Eupheme. But it was obvious right from the first moment I saw them together that dear Ann, with not a mercenary bone in her body, would be ideal for Nikos. Spoilt by female adoration, he needed a good dose of animosity to challenge him. And, of course,’ she added dryly, ‘to be made to win her.’
‘Oh, the sparks flew between the pair of them—they certainly flew.’ Her cousin nodded.
‘So much that they were blinding themselves to what was happening! When I saw them waltzing at Tina’s wedding I thought they were seeing sense at last. But even that wasn’t quite enough. I had to pack them off to Paris together.’
‘Ah, Paris…’ Eupheme sighed romantically.
‘Indeed—and then the idiotic boy came back here alone. Goodness knows what he said or did to drive her away. But he obviously mismanaged the whole thing! So—’ she sighed heavily ‘—I had to think of something else. It was as plain as day that Ann hadn’t told him about the orphanage to commemorate my adored Andreas and Ari’s poor dead mother, and I thought perhaps it was that that had come between them. It dawned on me that Nikki was bound to notice if I made a large donation myself, and it would send him back to her to find out why. Thank heavens it finally worked!’
‘Yes,’ said her cousin dryly, ‘or you’d have had to develop a sudden urge to visit South Africa, Sophia…’
‘I’m sure they have some very good cardiologists there,’ replied Nikos’s mother, even more dryly. ‘And the climate would be excellent for my health too…’
They laughed together, and then the music was swelling, and Nikos and Ann were walking down between the congregation. Her hand was being held so tightly she doubted there could be any blood left in her fingers—but what did she care for that when her whole heart was singing, her eyes shining like stars? She turned her head to look at Nikos, and he gazed down at her, love in his eyes.
‘My most beautiful bride,’ he said.
‘My irresistible husband,’ she answered.
He dropped a swift kiss upon her mouth. ‘That’s the right answer,’ he told her. ‘Never leave me, Ann, and I will love you for ever!’
She laughed up at him. ‘Oh, well, then you’ve got me for life, Nikos Theakis!’
Long dark lashes swept over glinting eyes. ‘That’s the right answer too,’ he said. ‘And you have me, my own love, for all our lives together—and beyond—into eternity itself.’
Her breath caught, she was breathless with happiness, and then they were stepping out into the sunshine, man and wife, and Ari was running up to them.
Nikos scooped him up with a hug.
‘Uncle Nikki.’ Ari beamed, then turned to hold out his arms to his uncle’s bride. ‘Auntie Annie,’ he said. She bent to kiss him heartily. ‘And me,’ he said. Satisfaction was in his voice.
‘Family,’ said Nikos.
And they were.