AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I see…so no second thoughts? Demetrius has stopped his constant flirting and prodding?”
“Yes, which is wonderful as far as other people seeing is concerned but it worries me because you know he’s not like this Stefano. He doesn’t just give up. Even after you caught me that night, made me fully face who and what the situation was like, even after I stopped following him around and hanging onto his every word, he kept coming by and bothering me. It wasn’t until he left for college that he stopped.”
“Because he found a plethora of new victims, I know he’s plotting something, and I will make sure that whatever it is does not come to fruition. Two weeks…well, a week and five days, you’ll be my wife and he’ll be gone. You only have to put up with him here for four of them.”
“Sounds like heaven,” she sighed resting her forehead against his chin. He ran a hand up and down her back and she closed her eyes, “Keep doing that and you’ll put me to sleep.”
“Staying up too late working on the special project, weren’t you?”
“No, just a million thoughts running through my mind keeping me from sleeping.”
“What sort of thoughts?”
“That three months ago I hated you…but now, you’re not the total jerk I thought you were.”
“High praise coming from my reluctant fiancée, I’ve always had your best interest at heart Hailey. It may not have appeared that way to you, but it is the truth. I will always do what is best for you.”
“Including setting a wedding date when you originally promised that the engagement would only be for a few months?”
“Alright, so I didn’t anticipate just how much that our mothers would push for the wedding nor how much it would goad Kyra and Demetrius to attempt to use you against me. I won’t let that happen now any more than I was going to allow Demetrius to play you again.”
“My knight in shining armor? You don’t seem the type to me Stefano.”
“Perhaps not for others but you are and always have been different in my estimation. You did not realize that I have always been different with you because you were far too young when we met to understand. You have the kind of heart that is easily bruised and pulled at, enticed. Anyone watching you with the horses could see that. Kyra intuitively knew how soft you were and began to play you from the start. Demetrius picked up on it and added on his own hurt. I’ll keep them from doing any more damage than they already have.”
“We’ll see,” she stated giving him a light kiss before stepping away. “I know you must have a million things to handle because I have a stack of work to tackle if I’m going to be off for the next month. I suppose it’s lucky that my boss is so accommodating to my needs.”
“He truly is,pethi mou,” he said making her grin as he walked back to her door. “I will likely be working late tonight. Do you want to head over to Sunset tonight? Grandfather is still there keeping an eye on the deliveries coming in for the wedding.”
“I’ll just sleep at my apartment rather than having to drive nearly forty minutes into town in the morning.”
“Oh, didn’t your fiancée tell you the home office is set up and ready for you to use it?” he said at the doors. “Good thing your boss isn’t so distracted by your beauty, isn’t it?”
“It is,” she agreed. “I take it you’re all right with me testing out using it rather than coming in this week?”
“Yes, I’ll have Karl drive you to your apartment then take you home.”
“It’s not my home yet Stefano…” she teased meeting him in the doorway.
“It’s been yours from the moment I found it. Twelve days until it’s legally true but you know it’s home.”
“No, it’s our house…you’re my home,” she said spying Demetrius watching them intently. “Home is where the heart is and you have mine, long as I have you, I am home.”
“I love you,pethi mou,” Stefano said brushing the hair from her temple as he gave her a feather soft kiss earning whistles from some of the group in the room. “Temptress…twelve days.”
“As if I could forget,” she replied watching him walk to the exit with a smile before shutting her door to work.
At five, she packed a few files she’d need into her case and headed out to meet Karl. A quick stop at her apartment had her back in the car, relaxing for the drive to the house. Stefano was her home, but that home would be centered at the house she adored. Twelve days seemed like an eternity to her now. She wanted the wedding there and him as hers.
Hailey perked up when they moved up to the house, spying two gorgeous chestnuts running in the pasture and slid out to greet Theo with a kiss.
“What do you think of your wedding present sweet Hailey?” Theo asked seeing her smile as she gazed upon the horses. “I chose something you and Stefano could share together.”
“So it would seem,” she said laughing when he came out of the barn with her riding gear. “I thought you were working late?”
“Only way to ensure I could get here and keep the surprise as to why I was coming before you,” Stefano said giving her a gentle kiss. “What would you say to a ride before dinner, my love?”
“I say yes as long as Theo won’t mind being left alone so soon after I’ve gotten here,” she answered giving the older man a smile.
