While Theo never spent more than a night away from them unless he absolutely had to, he’d had to stay in Athens for a couple of days. Now, pulse skipping, Leah watched until he appeared around the corner from the helipad. His sleeves were rolled back and Leah’s stomach flipped in that funny way it did when she saw him again. Three years of marriage, of making love every night, hadn’t cured her helpless desire for him. Instead it had deepened and today the butterflies in her tummy were as skittish as that very first night they’d met. But as he moved across the terrace with that purposeful stride, it wasn’t only Leah who was captivated by his appearance.
‘Daddy!’
Laughing, he dropped his bag and crouched down as Petra ran towards him. Leah’s heart swelled as he scooped their toddler up and swung her into his embrace. Petra’s squeals of delight rang clear across the azure pool. Leah’s eyes filled. Her lovely little girl had a father who adored her and was so demonstrative about it. He was everything Leah had ever wanted and he gave everything she could ever have wished for to their child—total, unconditional love. He gave that to her too. They’d learned together.
Summer on the island was sheer bliss. Her little family spent long, lazy days here, enjoying the sea and the sun and sheer fun of being together. In the last couple of years, Dimitri’s health hadn’t just stabilised, he’d been reinvigorated thanks to Petra. The little girl filled all their hearts till they overflowed, forcing them to beat stronger still.
Her brother had visited and they’d defrosted him from the lab. He’d then returned—coming at least a couple of times a year, which was wonderful. They’d seen her parents on one of their trips to England but didn’t spend too much time with them. It hurt Leah less now she had too much else in her life to treasure.
With Theo’s encouragement Leah had pressed forward with the plans she’d begun while they’d been apart for those terrible few days. She now owned an online knitwear company, but, as she had no real need to turn a profit, she’d established it as a charitable enterprise. For every item purchased, a second item was donated to those in need—they’d made and given children’s jumpers, wool blankets, ballet crossovers for a dance school offering free classes in an underprivileged area in London... There were so many to help and she loved it. What was more, over a surprisingly short time she’d developed a really active online community who provided laughter and support for her venture. She’d begun selling her pattern designs and they’d become popular too so now she spent most of her work hours designing and knitting up samples...from beautiful baby shawls and cosy natural blankets to luxury silk sweaters and, of course, the original ultimate outrageous leg warmers. But right now, the thought of handling anything woollen seemed mad—she was hot inside and out from studying her too-stunning husband, waiting for the right moment to tell him her secret.
He called something to Dimitri and murmured something else to Petra, who smiled and ran back to her great-grandfather, who picked up the book again. Theo then casually grabbed his bag and turned towards Leah.
Finally.
Their gazes locked. Even from across the pool she sensed the heat flare within him, matching that which was building inside her. But she remained still as he slowly sauntered over to where she reclined in the shade. There was no denying it, right now she was living like some spoiled minor Greek goddess...and she loved it. He made her feel utterly adored. That familiar spark radiated from deep within her, igniting the need that always sat so close to her surface. He hadn’t released her gaze and now he smiled a slow wicked smile. Her heart raced even faster.
‘You’re pleased to see me, agape mou,’ he murmured.
She’d been counting down the hours more desperately than ever today. But she didn’t bother to reply, instead she leaned forward and lifted her face towards him. He slid his hand to the nape of her neck and drew closer. His kiss was leisurely and thorough to the point that her toes curled. Luscious, loving and yet not enough.
‘How was your day?’ He sat on the edge of her lounger and she shifted her legs to make more room for him.
‘Good,’ she breathed. It was even better now he was back and still had his hand resting on her shoulder. ‘Though I fell asleep this afternoon.’ She giggled. ‘Poor Petra was showing me her dancing skills but the music was dreamy and I just drifted away.’
‘Hmm. You’ve been tired lately.’ Something smouldered in his eyes.
A swirl of tension drew her closer. ‘You’ve noticed that?’ She licked her lips.
‘I’ve noticed a few other things as well.’ He traced a finger from her shoulder along the edge of her V-necked tee to rest at the top of her cleavage.
Her already oversensitive breasts tightened even more beneath his blatant inspection.
‘Maybe with all this time on the island, I’m getting lazy.’ She grabbed his hand to stop him teasing, but held it close to her chest. Her heart thudded harder.
‘Maybe.’ He cocked his head and sounded disbelieving, but his smile deepened.
‘Too many late nights working on my new design?’ she offered, but she sounded too breathless to pull it off properly and she had to look away from him and stifle her giggle.
‘Maybe, but then, the last few nights you’ve been going to bed earlier than usual.’ He bent closer. ‘So maybe there’s another reason.’
‘Low iron?’ She peeped a look at him from under her lashes.
He flicked his eyebrows, heightening that sinfully amused look. ‘It’s not that, Leah...’
She bit her lip, trying to hold back her giveaway laughter. ‘What do you think it is?’
He chuckled delightedly. ‘Perhaps I know you better than you know yourself.’
‘You think...?’
He opened his bag and pulled out a box. ‘You want to prove me right?’ He presented the home pregnancy test to her.
Leah laughed and took the box from him with her thumb and index finger, only to swivel and drop it to the ground with a flourish.
‘I don’t need to, because I did one early this morning.’ She couldn’t hold back her joy and she leaned forward, threw her arms around his neck and all but sobbed, ‘I’m pregnant!’
‘I knew it,’ he growled, swiftly seizing her by the waist and pulling her right onto his lap.
‘At the same time as me, thank you very much,’ she said with a squeak but tightened her hold back on him.
He kissed her again.
It was only when the gurgling laughter from their daughter across the pool impinged that he pulled back. Leah rested her forehead against his and looked into his brilliant eyes, unable to stop smiling. The love she felt for him? The connection they had?
‘Leah,’ he murmured.
She heard the depth in his voice, saw it in his eyes—he felt it the same.
‘What you’ve done for Dimitri and me? The gift that is Petra, and now this baby?’ He looked so happy. ‘You’ve given me everything. Now I know how to love, how to be loved...and I love you.’
She leaned closer, resting against him—with him—so beautifully content.
* * *
Captivated by The Greek’s One-Night Heir? You won’t be able to resist these other stories by Natalie Anderson!
The King’s Captive Virgin
Awakening His Innocent Cinderella
Pregnant by the Commanding Greek
The Innocent’s Emergency Wedding
Available now
Keep reading for an excerpt from Cinderella’s Royal Seduction by Dani Collins.
WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK FROM
Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.
Welcome to the glamorous lives of royals and billionaires, where passion knows no bounds. Be swept into a world of luxury, wealth and exotic locations.
8 NEW BOOKS AVAILABLE EVERY MONTH!
Cinderella’s Royal Sedu
ction
by Dani Collins
PROLOGUE
JUST ONCE, CASSIOPEIA BRODEUR wished she could be given enough time to sit and think before having to react to whatever catastrophe her stepmother, Maude, had set in motion.
She really wished that when she’d been fifteen and thinking she was welcoming her stepsisters into her family, she hadn’t told them her friends called her Sopi.
“Soapy?” Nanette and Fernanda spoke English as their fourth language, but they’d heard the pun and laughed hysterically.
Seven years later, all of Sopi’s childhood friends, including the ones who’d given her the nickname when they’d been in grade school, had moved on to university and world travel, interesting jobs and serious relationships and cities.
While Sopi was still here in Lonely Lake, scrubbing up after her spoiled stepfamily and the guests of the hotel and spa that bore her name.
Why couldn’t Maude and the girls shove off back to Europe and quit destroying what was left of her life? They certainly made no effort to hide their disdain for this “backwater village” in the remote wilderness of the Canadian Rockies.
Oh, right, they had run through all of Sopi’s father’s money and had nowhere left to turn. Yet they seemed determined to drive this place into ruin, too.
“All the reservations?” Sopi repeated with disbelief. “You canceled all of March?”
“Yes.”
“On purpose?”