“Nico—” She laughed. “Now I know you’re back to normal I need to tell our daughter she doesn’t have to worry. Be good while I go get her.”
“Don’t leave me yet. I need another kiss.”
“So do I, my love.” She kissed him one more time before leaving his room.
Less than a minute passed before Dimitra appeared. “Baba—” She leaned over to hug him carefully. “I’m so thankful you and Mama are married. I love you more than you will ever know.”
“You took the words out of my mouth.”
Life didn’t get better than this.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THOUGH THEY’D FLOWN to Sarti on Thursday, it was Nico who drove them down to his private beach in the estate car on Friday. Another glorious, hot July day greeted them.
Other than a few bruises on his right upper arm and thigh, you would never have known he’d escaped death in a car crash. There was a little cut at the corner of his right eyebrow, and another one on his right earlobe, but those would fade.
Nico was still Alexa’s fantasy. In fact she would love to hire a sculptor who would create a statue of him, but no work of art could ever match the wonder of him in the flesh. She told him that as they ran out in the turquoise water. Farther on it turned a deeper blue.
“A statue of me?” He laughed his head off. Another wonderful quality of his was the fact that he wasn’t in love with himself. No other man had more reason to think otherwise. Not Nico. He was perfect.
“Yes. I’ll have it erected in the backyard and go out to look at you while you’re at work.”
He’d gone out deeper and was treading water while she swam to him. “How about we have a statue of you erected and put in the front yard. Everyone who comes to your grandfather’s house will see the exotic mermaid and fall madly in love with her.”
“I’m afraid I don’t look like I did at seventeen and can’t stand the scrutiny.”
He flashed her a devilish smile. “I happen to think you’re more breathtaking than ever and can’t wait to see you pregnant. It’s a sight I’ve been waiting for since you told me Dimitra was our daughter. Wouldn’t it be something if the two of you ended up expecting babies at the same time?”
“I don’t wish that on her yet. They’re still young.”
They circled each other. “I don’t know, Alexa. After the way I’ve seen our lives turn out so far, I’ve stopped thinking about what we should or shouldn’t do. Life is a gift and we need to welcome it.”
“You’re right, darling. She and Kristos have found each other, and their wedding day will be here soon enough. Imagine if you become a father and a grandfather at the same time.”
“I have been thinking about it. Our papoú will be a great-great-grandfather.”
For Nico to call her grandfather our papoú meant their world had come full circle and they were a family in every sense of the word. She loved Nico so much she did a somersault and wrapped her arms around his hips, pulling him under the water.
They played like children, relishing in the joy of being together. After a time Nico got serious. He carried her out of the water to the beach and lowered her to one of his big beach towels laid out on the fine sand.
His dark eyes burned with desire. “I’m going to make love to you, my wife, right under a blazing sun.”
She smiled at him. “What took you so long? I’ve been waiting for you to fulfill the promise you made me before your accident.”
“You mean about making up for the time we had to spend apart? I hope you’re ready.”
“Is there any question I’m not?” She rolled over on top of him and began kissing every feature of his handsome face. He kissed her back. For the next little while they forgot everything except loving each other into oblivion.
“I wanted to do this the first day we met nineteen years ago,” she admitted later when the sun was in a different part of the sky. “I hated it that people were around so we couldn’t swim back to the beach and kiss each other for as long as we wanted. It was all I could think about.”
He pulled her next to him. “After we met, you were all I ever thought about. My father kept asking me what was wrong and accused me of wandering around in a daze at work. I was literally useless during those three weeks, waiting to get off work to be with you. I didn’t know love could be like that.”
“Neither did I,” she cried. “It frightened me because I knew you were going to leave. There were nights after you left me at the Gatakis’ when I wanted to die. That’s how I felt last Sunday night when you told me you’d be gone for several days. It brought back the past and I didn’t sleep. Can’t you tell me about it now? How come Giannina knew about your accident before I did?”
“I’ll tell you everything after we drive back up to the villa. We’re going to look like lobsters if we don’t get out of this sun. You could be pregnant already and don’t need any complications because I was too selfish keeping you out here.”
She got to her feet. “You haven’t kept me out here. I’ve dreamed of being out here with you and am your willing slave.”