“I’m glad we stormed into each other’s lives.”
He smiled and lifted her face to his so he could kiss her again. How had he lived his life without this woman?
“So am I. And now we have all the time in the world to get to know each other.”
Ivy put her hand against his jaw. “Being with you tonight has been—has been—”
“Making love, you mean.”
Her heart lifted. “Making love with you, yes. It was—it was so wonderful…”
How he loved the sound of her voice. The feel of her in his arms. How he loved—how he loved—
“For me, too,” he said huskily. “I’ve never—I mean, you and I…” He cleared his throat, amazed at how difficult it was to say the next words but then, they were a kind of commitment, given all the women in his past. “What happened between us is…It was very special, glyka mou. I’ve never experienced anything like it before.”
Ivy’s face was solemn. “I’m glad because…” She touched the tip of her tongue to her lips. “Because this was—this is—it’s the very first time I ever—I ever—”
She was blushing. Amazing, that this beautiful, sophisticated woman would blush when she talked about having an orgasm.
Amazing, too, that his damnable ego took pleasure in the thought that he had done for her what no other lover had done.
“Your first orgasm,” he said softly, and smiled. “Part of me is sorry that’s been denied you but I have to admit, part of me is…What?”
“I’m not talking about having an orgasm.” Her voice was so soft he had to strain to hear it. “I’m talking about…” She swallowed. “You’re right,” she said, rushing the words together. “Something did happen to me, a long time ago. And because it did, I never took a lover until—until—”
The hurried words trailed off. Ivy tried to look away but Damian wouldn’t let her. He cupped her face, kissed her mouth, told her what honor she had brought him, by letting him be her first lover.
Then he rolled her gently on her back.
“And your only lover, for the rest of our lives.”
He kissed her. Caressed her. Touched her as if she were as fragile as a cobweb until she sobbed his name and showed him with her mouth, her hands, her body that she would not break…
Showed him, without words, what was in her heart.
Showed him that she had fallen deeply, forever in love.
They flew to Athens the next morning to see an obstetrician, who examined Ivy, looked over the records that Damian, ever in command, had somehow had transferred from her New York OB-GYN, smiled and said, neh, everything was fine.
Was she certain? asked Damian.
The doctor said she was.
Because, Damian said, he’d noticed things.
The doctor and Ivy both looked at him. “What things?” they said in unison.
Well, his Ivy didn’t eat as much as she should.
His Ivy? The phrase went straight to Ivy’s heart. She smiled and put her hand in his.
“My appetite’s just fine.”
“Yes, glyka mou, but you are eating for two.”
“Ms. Madison’s weight is right on target.”
Damian didn’t look convinced but he had another question. What about exercise? He had walked her all around Kolonaki Square only yesterday. Was it too much? Should he have permitted—