you for telling me. You have no idea how much I love you.” Her eyes filled. “It was the perfect wedding, wasn’t it?”
“Almost as perfect as you. Thank God for Danae giving me her blessing. And thank God for Nassos for bringing us together. If I didn’t know better, I could believe he had an inkling that he might not be on this earth long. Every time I think about his letter to you and the deed to me, I get a prickling down my spine.”
“So do I,” she said in a shaken voice. “I—I can’t imagine life without you now.”
“Don’t try. I’m planning to love you all day and night for the rest of our lives, Kyria Manolis.”
She smiled and kissed him with fervor. “That’s right. I am Mrs. Manolis, and I want a baby with you as soon as possible. The next time we go to the paint store to pick out the color for the nursery, I plan to be the one that woman deals with, not you. I want blue.”
“I was thinking pink.”
They kissed again. “For once we disagree.”
“No. We’ll simply build another couple of rooms on the rear of the house. I’d like to call our first daughter Lysette, in honor of Nassos. He brought us together, my love.”
“That’s so sweet.” She covered his face with kisses. “Spoken like my unmatchable husband. I think our first boy should be Nikos Takis Manolis, in honor of your father and you!”
Takis’s low chuckle melted her bones before he rolled her over and began kissing her into oblivion.
Much later they were served another exquisite meal. After they were replete, Takis lay on his side so they could look into each other’s eyes. “I have an idea what we should do with the hotel in Heraklion.”
“So do I. We’ll keep it and run it together.”
“Yes, and whichever one of our children shows an interest in running it, we’ll let them have at it.”
She traced his lips with her finger. “What if one of them wants to change it in unorthodox ways? How will you feel about that?”
He took a deep breath. “One thing is for sure. All of us will talk everything out together so there can be no chance for misinterpretation that can lead to years of uncertainty.”
“Oh, I’m so glad you said that!” she cried. “No woman was ever so lucky. Come here, my husband, and let me love you like you’ve never been loved before. I might not let you out of this room for days.”
“I’m going to hold you to that promise, you beautiful creature.”
* * *
By the first of June the weather was actually hot in Florence, Italy. Lys had felt sick before they’d flown here and had welcomed the cool of Dimi’s villa.
Either her symptoms meant she was coming down with the flu, or... Was it possible she was pregnant this soon? Gemma had confided that she’d had similar symptoms when she realized she was carrying Vincenzo’s baby.
Before leaving for the church the next morning, Lys did a home pregnancy test. To her joy, it showed she was pregnant with Takis’s baby. But she didn’t want to tell him the news until after Dimi’s wedding.
The festivities leading up to the big day and exquisite marriage ceremony had worn her out and after they left for Dimi’s villa following the reception, she noticed the temperature hadn’t cooled down.
For the moment, she longed to lie down in their room until their flight home tomorrow. But once they were in the limo, Takis told the chauffeur to drive them to the airport. She turned to her husband in alarm. “I thought we weren’t leaving until tomorrow.”
He flashed her his mysterious smile. “Don’t worry. I made arrangements for our luggage to be put on the plane. We’re taking a little twenty-four-hour detour to Milan before we go home. After our honeymoon on the yacht several months ago, I wanted us to enjoy another one in Milan, but decided to save this surprise until after Dimi’s wedding.”
She hated to tell him she wasn’t feeling well and spoil his plans. “I—I didn’t realize you have work to do at the castello this trip,” her voice faltered. All she wanted was to get back to the villa and go to sleep in a cold room, but he’d been so wonderful to her, she couldn’t dampen his happiness right now. With Dimi’s marriage, he was on a high.
Takis kissed her. “This isn’t for work. Humor me, agape mou.”
She loved him so much she would do it if it killed her.
Two hours later when they pulled up to the front entrance parking, he kissed her awake. “Come on, sleepyhead. We’re here.”
She tried her best to cooperate as they walked up the endless stairs leading to the main entrance. He hurried them inside and down the hall to the rear of the castello, where she had to face a winding stone staircase.
Her head began to swim as they ascended the medieval tower, and positive she wouldn’t make it, she sagged against him.
“Are you all right? We’re almost there.”
“My darling husband—are you sure you don’t hope I’ll expire before we reach the top?”
The whole shadowy medieval stairway echoed with his laughter. “A few more minutes and all your fears will disappear.”
When she reached the fortress-like door, he opened it for her. “We’ve arrived where it will be my joy to wait upon my precious wife.”
Her heart kicked her ribs hard as they walked over the threshold and he led her toward the bedroom. The tower suite was a vision of ducal elegance dating back several centuries. The light through the stained-glass windows covered the room in thousands of different colors and nearly took her breath away.
“Takis?”
“Go ahead and lie down on the bed. I’ll be right back.”
It was heaven to take off her suit and just sink onto the bed. She had no strength at this point. A minute later she heard him call to her and she opened her eyes.
Lys didn’t know what to expect, but it wasn’t to see the prince of her dreams come to life before her eyes. He looked so magnificent in the white tunic, and in the dimly lit room, Takis’s eyes gleamed from his bronzed face.
In spite of how ill she felt, Lys’s heart began to beat in time with the desire that thrummed through her veins and she tried to sit up, but he sank down on the massive bed next to her.
“Don’t move. I want to look at my beautiful wife.”
“Takis—”
“Since the moment you became my wife, since the moment I met you, I knew that you were the one person I needed, the one person I loved. I swore on our wedding night that I’d love you forever. And I intend to show you just how seriously I take that oath. Come here to me, darling.”
But as he lowered his mouth to kiss her in frantic need, she had to turn away from him.
“Lys—are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” she cried gently. “It’s just that... I’m not feeling too good.”
He smoothed his hand against her cheek. “I had no idea you felt ill. You should have told me.”
“It’s been coming on for a couple of days. I didn’t want to say anything.”
“I’m sending for the doctor.” Anxiety had wiped the glow from his face and eyes. It reminded her of the way Vincenzo had looked at Gemma, who’d suffered serious morning sickness in the beginning of her pregnancy.
“No. It’s all right. I don’t need a doctor. I took a test.”
“A test?” Takis looked at her expectantly.
“We’re pregnant, darling, isn’t