Katie nodded. She knew how that felt. ‘What happened between you?’ she whispered. ‘What happened in your marriage that made you feel like that?’
For a moment she didn’t think Alexi was going to answer her. ‘You mean apart from the fact that she had an abortion without telling me?’ He shrugged, and Katie knew he was trying to play things down, but she could see the pain in his eyes now. ‘She didn’t even tell me she was pregnant. Just booked herself into some clinic and told me she was away on a photo shoot.’
Suddenly Katie remembered his anger when she’d told him she was pregnant—remembered that look in his eye when he thought she’d been hiding it from him—and everything started to fall into place.
‘Alexi, I’m sorry—and I got it so wrong, didn’t I, when I accused you of never wanting children.’
‘It’s not your fault, I should have told you.’ Alexi shrugged. ‘It’s just not something I wanted to talk about to anyone.’
‘I can understand that,’ she said softly. ‘And the gossips made a kind of Chinese-whispers thing out of it and got it the wrong way around.’
‘Better than them knowing the truth,’ Alexi murmured. ‘I tried to understand her reasons, Katie—I really did,’ he grated unevenly. ‘And I forgave her. It is a woman’s prerogative—it was her decision ultimately—but the fact that she couldn’t even talk about it to me …’ He shook his head. ‘Apparently she had been offered a modelling contract that would launch her into the big time. And it was all she ever wanted.’
There was silence between them for a moment. ‘Anyway, we put it behind us and carried on,’ Alexi said with a sigh. ‘I still wanted so much to make the marriage work, and I understood her need for a career. But there came a point where I realised I just couldn’t go on.’ His eyes met with hers. ‘Because it seemed Andrea would do anything to get that career—and that included sleeping with anyone to further it.’
Katie saw the flare of fierce anger in his eyes, but also the pain, and she understood suddenly his reluctance to love again—to put his heart on the line. Understood his pride and the walls he had built around himself.
‘Alexi, I’m so sorry—I didn’t realize.’
‘How could you, when I couldn’t even mention her name without reinforcing the need inside me to keep emotions under tight control?’ He shook his head and then his eyes softened as he looked at her. ‘And all the time I had someone like you in my life—someone gentle and loving, someone who’d been through so much herself and would even put her life on hold just for her child’s happiness.’
‘Alexi, I—’
‘No, let me say this, Katie—I realise you didn’t want to marry me, but please—please let me try to make this work. Let me try to make things right, and even—God forbid that we lose this child—please don’t let it break us apart. Because I couldn’t bear that—I really couldn’t.’
‘Alexi, I have to tell you something.’ She wiped the tears away from her face and looked at him through shimmering eyes. ‘I’m not as altruistic as you seem to think.’
‘You’re not?’ He looked at her doubtfully as if he didn’t believe a word of that, and she smiled.
‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘I married you because I was expecting our child. But most of all, I married you because I loved you. I’ve always loved you.’
For a moment he looked at her as if he could hardly believe what she was saying to him.
‘You’re not feeling trapped?’
‘Oh, Alexi, I just wanted you to feel the same way. It was tearing me apart, loving you so much and thinking that those feelings would never be returned.’
Suddenly she found herself wrapped in his arms, held tightly. ‘Katie, forgive me … I love you so much.’
He turned his head and kissed her, and for a moment Katie just clung to him, kissing him with every ounce of love and passion in her soul.
‘Tell me again,’ she whispered as he pulled back. ‘Tell me how much you love me.’
‘Let me see …’ He smiled playfully. ‘Only to the sun and back … and maybe once around again.’
EPILOGUE
THE snow was thick on the ground and frozen icicles shimmered from the trees in the orchard. Greece had never known such a cold winter. But soon it would be spring, with the promise of the long, hot days ahead.
There was so much to look forward to, Katie thought as she turned away from the window with a smile; so much she had to be thankful for. For a moment her eyes moved around the room, taking in the log fire and the people who were talking and laughing. Her family.
Sometimes she couldn’t believe how lucky she was. Especially when she looked over and caught Alexi’s eye and he smiled at her, that special smile that he reserved only for her.
Then her eyes drifted down to the child that he held in his arms, and her heart felt like it would just burst with happiness.
She walked across towards them now. ‘I don’t know what this surprise is that you have planned for me,’ she said, reaching to kiss him. ‘But, really, you will have to stop buying me presents and spoiling me. I couldn’t be any happier, Alexi—I don’t need anything else.’
Alexi smiled back at her. ‘But I know there is one thing that will make this day perfect—so keep looking out of the window and you will see that I’m right.’
Katie’s eyes moved down to their son. Theon Philip Alexander Demetri was due to be christened at three-thirty this afternoon. She didn’t think the day could be any more perfect.
She still couldn’t believe that life could feel this good—that she had been so lucky. It had been a very difficult pregnancy, and she’d had to have a lot of bed rest. But Alexi had helped her through it, and with his love and support she’d gone on to deliver their fine, healthy little boy. Katie’s eyes shimmered with love as her eyes drifted down over the little cherub, so perfect in a white christening robe that had been handed down through the Demetri family for two generations.
‘In fact, life is so perfect it almost scares me,’ she whispered softly. ‘All that’s missing, of course, is my sister …’
She trailed away as she heard a car pulling up outside. Then she looked up at Alexi. ‘You didn’t …?’ she asked breathlessly.
He nodded. ‘We couldn’t have the christening without Lucy, could we? She’s a very important godmother.’
‘Alexi, I love you so much.’ She flung her arms around him, and for a moment the three of them were held close.
‘And I love you, Katie.’ Alexi murmured the words and crushed his lips against hers. ‘More than words could ever say.’
Greek Boss,
Dream Proposal
Barbara McMahon
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