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“Please tell me you did not say it like that,” Hailey gasped, her cheeks reddening making his heart bloom with love for her even more.
“No, I did not say it in those exact terms but the general idea of it. She, Grandfather, and your parents will be stopping by to move the presents into the house and remove the last decorations. I let them know we would be leaving around twelve-thirty if they wanted to see us off. I believe they are all quite anxious to know that you are well and fully pleased with the wedding, the desire to wait, and the wedding night itself.”
She buried her face into his neck knowing her cheeks were redder than normal, but she couldn’t help it. She loved him and though her parents and his mother knew that all of them knowing about how pleased she was, seemed foreign to her.
“Your parents are neither puritans nor prudes my darling. They will not be asking for details, simply looking to see that you are smiling and have the look of a woman who has been loved well by her husband.”
“Is that why you made love to me last night?” she asked her breathing slowing as she waited for his answer.
“No, I made love to you last night because I wanted to love you my darling. I was not entirely honest with you when I said we would pretend to be engaged to ensure Demetrius left you alone. I found myself wildly attracted to you and hoped that given time you would desire me also,” he said testing this admission to see how she would respond to the rest.
“I see…and did you not argue about setting a wedding date because of my comment that I decided to wait until marriage to give myself to someone?” she asked as her heart beat faster.
“I realized my error the moment our mothers heard we were engaged. My error that they would ever accept a split between us—that is the only error in this whole ruse,” he said not wanting to see the slight look of pain that hit her ever again. “I hoped that you would see that we could create something special here together and that if I gave you what you wished for, anything you wish for, then you might be happy enough to stay. I would never, and will never, allow Demetrius to hurt you. You are far too important to me, too special to me to risk your unhappiness. Had we allowed Olympia and Xavier to fall in love as they have and sent Demetrius away, ending our relationship, Demetrius would return to try and tempt you.”
“I do not want Demetrius near me Stefano, you know that. I would not have changed my mind about him.”
“I know that my darling, but Demetrius would not have cared that you were unversed in the ways of making love. He would have taken what he wanted, anyway he could. I would never allow that to happen to you, you are too sweet for that sort of horror.”
“And did you have any intentions of not coming to my bed last night?” she asked as her heart swelled hearing his sweet words. What she wouldn’t do to hear more from him.
“No, the last few weeks I could think of little more than trying to please you, make you desire me as much as I desire you. I swore that you could not kiss me so passionately if you did not feel the slightest desire for me, but I would never have pushed you into it.”
“Which is why you were so angry with me last night when I brought up the ‘pretense’?”
“I wanted nothing more than to make love to you, felt that if my phone had not gone off that it would have come naturally, and your words cut me deep. I allowed my anger to get the best of me and I hurt you,” he said lifting her wrist from the towel to inspect the two slight marks where his fingers had pressed firmly into her skin.
“I felt so foolish when you started to walk away from me. I wanted to ask you to stay but…”
“But you did not know how much I wanted you, desired to hold you close to me and love you. I promise you will never wonder again, never fear me. There can be no annulment any longer my darling. You know that…”
“And our parents do not look upon divorce fondly,” she said meeting his gaze. “I am happy here Stefano. It is everything I could possibly want, is it not? You are not the evil, heartless man I made you into to ease my humiliation of that regretful night.”
“Not when it comes to you my sweet Hailey,” he agreed caressing her cheek. “Then you will stay? No talk of divorce or separations?”
“One condition,” she stated giving him a smile.
“What is thatagape mou?”
“You give me children. I couldn’t imagine a life without them Stefano.”
“We may have already started on that last night my darling,” he teased kissing her forehead gently. “I will gladly give you a child Hailey. I’ve discovered that since we’ve spoken of them and after seeing your gift for me last evening…I have returned to that place where a family of my own would be the greatest treasure.”
“Well then, perhaps we should work at it a bit more?” she mused as her eyes sparkled with happiness. “As your grandfather said, you aren’t getting any younger.”
“I am still plenty virile enough to give you as many children as you desire,” he whispered against her ear. “I am only thirty-six my darling. There are men well into their seventies still having them, and as you are just twenty-four, I see no fear that we shall have plenty for our mothers to spoil. I have also told you repeatedly that I am not going to make love to you again until tonight. I am your husband, and you will learn to listen to me,yineka mou.”
“There’s my demanding Greek husband,” she teased earning a kiss that filled her heart with more hope that one day he would love her as she loved him.
Stefano did not want to move from where they were, but he wanted Hailey to have a honeymoon that she would never forget. It would be their only one, their only first honeymoon at least. He planned to take her on plenty of anniversary trips once her heart was his. He had competent employees, people he trusted to ensure the company continued as he wished while he spoiled his wife and eventual children.
He sent her to dress at noon then walked her downstairs with the gentlest of holds hearing the bell ring at twenty after. He smiled as he opened the door and found four expectant faces behind it wanting to see Hailey.
“Well go ahead and tell them how much you hate me…how big of a mistake it was to marry me,” he said as they went into the salon and gave Hailey hugs.
“Grandfather will you smack that husband of mine upside the head for me for being cheeky?” Hailey questioned bringing a smile and sheen of tears to the man’s eyes before doing as she requested making her laugh.
“What did I tell you about treating her right?” Theo stated pointing a weathered finger at his grandson. “Now you get over there and beg an apology from her.”
