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When she simply stood by the table expectantly, Ariston finally sighed, doing his best to look put-upon, but not succeeding with any real potency.
“Come, this is your seat.” He pulled out the chair in front of the place setting with the gift.
“I thought maybe it was.”
“Smart aleck.”
“I like yineka mou better.”
“I do too,” he said in a strangely husky tone as he saw her seated.
She looked up, only to be caught by an intense azure gaze. No words passed between them for long moments as they maintained the electric eye contact.
Finally, he brushed his hand down her cheek. “Mine.”
“For a lifetime, or so the paper says.”
He nodded, not even cracking part of a smile at her attempt at humor. “So the paper says and this time, I will not let you go.”
She couldn’t help but believe him and that belief sent warmth unfurling through her heart.
“I’m not letting you go either,” she promised.
“Good.”
Once he’d found his own chair, she lifted the gift. “Am I to wait to open it?”
“I could say anticipation will make it all the better.”
“You could.” She tried to pretend it didn’t matter, but they both knew she had a weakness for presents.
Always had.
“But I will not. Please, open it now.”
She did so with alacrity, tearing at the heavyweight embossed paper, but wasn’t sure she understood what she found in the nicely wrapped box.
“This gallery is in New York, isn’t it?” She held up a set of glossy photos of a nice-looking small gallery that seemed to display an eclectic assortment of artwork. “Are we going to an opening?”
She grinned before he could answer. “I would love that. You know how much I enjoy galleries that don’t limit their pieces to one artistic genre.”
“I am sure we will attend many openings at this particular gallery. Look at the papers below the pictures.”
She lifted them out and unfolded what turned out to be an official-looking set of documents. “This is a deed,” she whispered.
“Yes.”
“In my name.”
“It is.”
“You bought me an art gallery?” She couldn’t quite believe that’s what all this meant. “In New York?”
“The first time you married me, you gave up your schooling. I cannot change that, though if you would like to enroll in the Art Institute of New York, I’ve had Jean confirm that your credits will transfer from the art institute you attended previously.”
“Really? I…. That’s great.” She didn’t know what else to say. She had no intention of going back to school, but she sensed that right now wasn’t the time to get into that.
“This time, you had to give up personally running your gallery and shop in Oregon, the life you had built for yourself there. If I said I was sorry, I would be lying, because I want you with me, but I prefer you be happy in your new life. Not merely content.”
“I see.” Well, she didn’t, not really, but it was amazing and wonderful and she would take it. She would so take it.
“You enjoyed running your gallery and shop on the coast. It is important you have something to occupy your passion for the arts in New York as well. You will have to have a proficient assistant manager as our life is not static and you will spend significant time away from New York though.”
He sounded almost apologetic for that fact, but she didn’t want him to be. This was amazing.
“That’s fabulous!” She jumped up and was around the table in record time.
“You’re wonderful!” Throwing herself into his lap, she kissed every inch of his face and neck that she could reach. “Thank you, Ariston. Thank you so much. I love it! This is the best gift anyone has ever given me. No one in my life has ever been so thoughtful.”
“I could hardly get you a rug to put in your studio. It would be covered in paint splatters in no time,” he said, sounding almost humble.
She knew better and she loved him for it. “You are the best husband ever.”
And light-years ahead of her father, who had been happy enough for her mother to paint, but who had always made it clear that her mother’s responsibilities as the wife to the owner of Dioletis Industries came first.
Ariston preened and grinned and then kissed her to within an inch of her life.
They didn’t get to dinner until later after all.
When the ship docked the next morning, Ariston and Chloe disembarked and took one of the Spiridakou limousines to his grandfather’s home outside Piraeus.
Takis had decided to make the most of his first trip to New York and had spent the first week of their trip allowing Chloe’s father to show him around the Big Apple. He’d been home a couple of days now and had evinced excitement at their coming visit, when they’d called from the ship a couple of days before.
