“I want you to sign those papers and get the hell out of my life. I want to never see you again.”
“I can’t,” he said, sounding almost regretful.
“I do hate you,” she said again, every inch of her desperately craving what he could give.
Only him. Always, only Stavros.
She closed her eyes to lock away the tears and touched her mouth to his.
Familiar and intense, the taste of him made her shiver violently, sent a jolt of electricity through her very veins. She continued kissing him softly until her heart was beating a loud tattoo against her chest, until tears blocked her throat again.
Until all she could touch, breathe and feel was him, until she could be sure that he was here, with her.
“I will never divorce you, Leah. I will never set you free.”
What new madness had he thought of now?
Rolling away from him, she began to slide off the bed. His hand on her ankle, Stavros pulled her back onto the sheets in a deft movement. Struggling to get free, she squealed. And gasped when he covered her body with his.
His weight pressed her into the bed, stealing her breath. Clutching her eyes closed, Leah fought the craving that burst within her belly like a fire. Her arms literally ached to hold him, her body on fire to be possessed by him.
“I have missed you so much, agape mou,” he said, shuddering harshly.
She felt his mouth probe hers softly, slowly, as if asking for permission. Holding her wrists at her head with one hand, he pressed little kisses on the seam of her lips, his warm breath drenching her.
In a needy, hoarse voice that unlocked every last fear in her, he punctured the kisses with words in Greek.
“Please, pethi mou. Let me in.” He swiped at her mouth with his tongue, his body pressing into hers. “I would drown if you would not let me kiss you, Leah, I would stop breathing if you gave up on me now. My life is no life without you in it. Until you brought it to me, I have not known love. Do not take it away now, Leah.”
And the tender gesture, the unvarnished love in his words undid her. Twining her arms around his neck, Leah gave in. He kissed her as if he were truly drowning, with desperate desire.
Lips scraped against teeth, limbs tangled, breathing was secondary as the fire between them consumed them.
“Tell me that I haven’t lost you already. Tell me that you will teach me how to love you, Leah. Theos, it is all I want.”
When she remained silent, he whispered, “I love you, Leah.”
The declaration rang around in the silence, and slowly Leah opened her eyes. The truth of it shone in his eyes, rendering him acutely vulnerable. It was a look she had never thought to see on Stavros’s face.
“You sent me away without a thought to me. I couldn’t believe how cruel you were, how much it hurt,” she said, her mouth trembling. “How easily you could break my heart, reject my love...”
“The news about Calista devastated me, I thought I could never love you like you need to be loved... I stomped on my own feelings, Leah.”
“But you do know, Stavros. You don’t say it in words, you won’t share your thoughts, but your actions...they speak so much. You are incredibly giving, caring, even if you drive me up the wall with your arrogance.”
He traced a finger over her mouth, such tenderness in his eyes that Leah couldn’t breathe. “I will never stop loving you, nor will I ever give you up. I—”
She ran shaking fingers over his brow, pushing back his hair. “When I’m with you, I’m unafraid. All I want is to take risk upon risk, all I want is to live and love you.”
“Then let’s do it, pethi mou.”
Burying her face in his neck, Leah nodded, her head dizzy with euphoria, fear beating a tattoo. He pushed them both off the bed and brought her to the edge of it. While she shivered all over from the intent on his face, he knelt in front of her.
Looked at her with such love in his eyes that fresh tears fell on her cheeks.
“Will you marry me again, Leah?” he asked against her lips. “Will you...choose to spend the rest of your life with me, pethi mou?”
Leah buried her mouth in his throat, swallowed the tightness in hers. “Yes, Stavros. I’ll marry you... Tomorrow, if you can arrange it.”