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‘I would indeed.’
They both turned to find Theo Kouropoulos watching them with benign amusement.
‘So is this marriage fake or real?’
Zander looked at Lauranne and she smiled, everything in her heart shining from her eyes. ‘It’s real. Very real.’
Zander pulled her back to him with a groan of all-male satisfaction, dropping a fleeting kiss on her mouth.
Kouropoulos gave a grunt of approval. ‘In that case the island is yours.’
Lauranne gave a gasp of astonishment and a delighted smile spread over her face. ‘Really?’
‘Really.’ He looked at Zander, a keen expression in his eyes. ‘I knew about your promise to your grandmother and I knew that you weren’t in a position to fulfil it for many years while you were building up the business so I, too, made a promise. I promised your father before he died that I would sell it to no one but you.’
Zander looked stunned. ‘You spoke to my father about it?’ His voice was hoarse and Kouropoulos shrugged.
‘He felt very bad about what had happened and he wanted to make sure that one day the island would be restored to its rightful owner. He had faith in you. He knew you’d rescue his business and build it into something to be proud of.’
Zander closed his eyes briefly. ‘All these years you’ve refused to sell—’
‘Because I made a promise to your father.’ Kouropoulos nodded, a satisfied expression on his face. ‘I was waiting for you to come to me. You took your time.’
‘Because you’d always refused to sell. But I kept an eye on the business and I could see that you were struggling. I was waiting for you to finally admit that you needed help.’ Zander stared at him. ‘And all this stuff about my image—’
‘Your father felt extraordinarily guilty that he’d ruined your trust in women. He wanted to see you in a loving relationship.’ Kouropoulos smiled. ‘Call me an interfering old man, but I thought I’d try a bit of manipulation and, by some sort of miracle and a whole lot of luck, it worked. If I needed evidence that the two of you really love each other, I just had it. The island is yours, Volakis. Welcome home, Zander.’
And with that he turned and walked back up the beach without a backward glance, leaving them alone together.
For several minutes Zander didn’t speak and Lauranne knew that he was battling with his emotions. So was she.
‘What a lovely man.’ Her voice was choked and Zander nodded, his expression thoughtful.
‘He almost allowed himself to get into financial difficulties and I could never understand why.’
‘Your father wanted to make it up to you,’ she said softly and he nodded, his voice rough with emotion.
‘I know that now.’
‘I’m so pleased.’ She lifted a hand and touched his face. ‘So what will you do with the island?’
He turned and smiled down at her, everything he felt reflected in his eyes. ‘Exactly what I told Kouropoulos. I want it for my wife and family. We’re going to make babies, agape mou, and this is going to be their home.’
* * *
Exactly a year later Tom was a guest at a housewarming party on Blue Cove Island.
‘House?’ he grumbled, staring at the beautiful whitewashed villa in amazement. ‘You call that a house? It’s a mansion.’
‘It’s my home,’ Lauranne said softly, still unable to believe that she actually lived in this beautiful place.
Builders and decorators had worked overtime to complete the villa so that the couple could move in as soon as possible.
‘So he’s treating you OK, then,’ Tom said dryly and Lauranne glanced across to where Zander stood, her eyes misty with love.
‘Better than OK,’ she said softly. ‘He’s wonderful.’
Tom gave a grunt. ‘He finally seems to be behaving himself, I’ll give you that. Being with you seems to have mellowed him. He lets me talk to you now without setting the dogs on me.’
