The Marakaios Baby (The Marakaios Brides 2)

A few glanced askance at her baby bump, but she suspected that most had already heard and come to terms with the new, unexpected addition to the Marakaios family. As Leo’s wife, she was accepted by the people unequivocally, and it made her both relieved and grateful.

She felt even more so when Leo held his flute of champagne aloft and proposed a toast. ‘To my lovely bride, Margo,’ he said, his clear, deep voice carrying throughout the whole villa. ‘May you welcome her and come to love her as I do.’

Margo smiled and raised her own glass of sparkling water, but his words caused a jolt of shock to run through her. Love her. He didn’t, of course. She knew that. And yet for the first time she wondered what it would feel like if he did. If she loved him. If they had a proper marriage—real and deep and lasting.

A moot question, of course, because even if she wanted to risk her heart by loving Leo there was no guarantee that he would love her back. There were no guarantees at all—which was why it was better this way. They’d reached a level of amicability that was pleasant without being dangerous. She shouldn’t want or seek more.

By the end of the evening her feet, in the black suede stilettos she’d had brought from Paris, were starting to ache, and she was definitely starting to wilt. Leo seemed to notice the exact moment she felt ready to call it a night, for in one swift movement he came to her side, putting his arm around her waist.

‘You look tired. Why don’t we retire?’

‘I don’t want to seem rude...’

‘Greeks love a party. They will stay here till dawn unless I kick them out.’

Her mouth twitched in a smile and she let herself lean slightly into Leo’s arm. Not enough for him to notice, or for it to matter. Just enough to feel the heavy, comforting security of it. To feel safe.

‘So, are you going to boot them to the door?’

‘I’ll leave that to the staff. I’m going to come upstairs with you.’

And even though she knew he didn’t mean it in that way, she still felt a shivery thrill run through her.

To her surprise, Leo didn’t leave her at her bedroom door as he usually did at night, but came into the room behind her. Margo hadn’t expected that, and she’d already started to undo her hair—the pins had been sticking into her skull all evening.

Suddenly self-conscious, she lowered her arms—and then froze at the sound of Leo’s husky voice.

‘Don’t stop.’

In an aching rush she remembered how he’d told her he liked to watch her unpin her hair. It felt even more intimate, even more erotic, now that she knew he liked it. Slowly, her heart starting to thud, she reached up and took the pins out of her hair one by one.

Leo didn’t say anything, but she could hear him breathing...feel the very air between them tauten. The pins now removed, she gave her head a little shake and her hair came tumbling down her shoulders, all the way to her waist.

Leo gazed at her, his eyes blazing, and Margo stared back, every sense in her straining, her heart thudding hard.

‘Margo...’

She heard a world of yearning in his voice and it made her tremble. She pressed a hand to her middle to stay the nerves that leapt like fish in her belly—and then realised they weren’t nerves at all.

‘Oh...’

‘What?’ Leo came towards her quickly, his voice sharp with concern. ‘What is it?’

‘I think...’ Margo pressed her hand against her bump, a smile dawning across her face. ‘I think I felt the baby kick.’

‘You did?’ Leo sounded incredulous, amazed, as if he’d never heard of such a thing.

Margo let out a little laugh as she felt that same insistent pulse of life. ‘Yes! I just felt it again!’ She looked up at him, beaming, as amazed as he was. ‘It feels so funny. There’s actually a person inside me!’

He laughed then, and so did she, and then he reached out a hand—before staying it. ‘May I?’ he asked.

Margo nodded. She reached for his hand, pressing it to her bump, her hand on top of his. ‘Wait,’ she whispered, and they both stood there, still and transfixed, barely breathing.

It seemed an age, but then finally it came again: that funny little inward thump.

Leo let out an incredulous laugh. ‘Theos, I felt it! I really felt it.’

She looked up at him, still beaming, but the wide smile slid right off her face as she saw Leo’s own joyful incredulity turn into something else. Something sensual.

The breath rushed from her lungs as he reached out one hand and slid it through her hair so his fingers curved around the nape of neck, warm and sure and seeking. He drew her slowly towards him and she came, one palm resting flat against his chest so she could feel the thud of his heart, as insistent as her own.