“Then come over on the bed and we’ll talk about it.”
“I’m afraid.”
“Of me?”
“Yes!”
“You’ve known me better than anyone else has ever known me.”
“That’s why I’m terrified!”
He laughed that deep, rich male laugh she loved before he picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. Then he rolled on his side next to her and kissed her mouth. “Even if the priest had an emergency, you need to know I didn’t kiss you the way I wanted to at the church because I knew if I did, I’d never stop.”
“Even if that’s not the truth, thank you for saying it.”
The sheen faded from his eyes. “What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing. I’m sorry.”
“You had a reason for saying that. Talk to me, Alexa.”
She took a deep breath. “You’ve been married. Today probably reminded you of your wedding to Raisa. I could understand why it was hard for you to kiss me at the altar.”
“You couldn’t be more wrong.” He sounded upset.
“Are you saying she’s never on your mind?”
“I’m saying that when I do think about her, it’s more to do with the crash I couldn’t prevent.”
“But it wasn’t your fault.”
“That’s true, but the guilt lingers.”
“Of course it does, and I’m sorry I brought her up. I guess I’m feeling terribly insecure. You have to understand this is all new to me.”
Nico raised up on his elbow. “Are you saying you never slept with those two men you almost married?”
“No. After what happened to me, I vowed I’d never sleep with a man unless we were married first. No matter what, I couldn’t risk the possibility of another pregnancy.”
He looked down at her, cradling her head in his hand. His gaze wandered over every feature. “I know Dimitra has brought you joy, but you’ve suffered too. We need each other,” he said against her mouth.
Suddenly this was the old Nico, kissing her as if it were life to him. They slowly gave each other kiss for kiss, savoring the taste and feel of each other. He might not be in love with her anymore and couldn’t say the words, but their hunger said the powerful physical attraction they felt hadn’t faded with time.
“I can’t believe you’re my wife and we’re married at last.” He kissed every part of her face and throat. “Our last night together on the cruiser was painful for me because I knew I’d be leaving you for a year. You don’t know how close I came to kidnapping you.”
“You don’t mean it.” She searched his eyes.
“I’m ashamed to say I had it all planned. Instead of going to work earlier that day, I loaded the cruiser with extra petrol and food for our getaway to Turkey. Once we arrived there I had contacts who would arrange for us to fly to South America undercover.”
“You’re kidding—” she cried. “Why didn’t you? I would have gone anywhere with you.”
“I know you would have. That’s how much I believed in your love. But after making love to you, guilt and reason held me back. You weren’t quite eighteen yet. If we’d been caught, I would have been sentenced in a court of law for disappearing with a minor and avoiding military service.
“Not even my family would have been able to protect me and I’d lose you forever while I went to prison. The thought of years of separation from you was anathema to me. At the last moment my sanity returned. I realized I would
have to wait a year for you in order to get what I wanted, but I knew it would be worth it.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Instead I’m the one who kept us apart for years.”