Chapter 10 #2
"We've had this discussion before. You have me.
I'm your family and so are the others. No one will think anything of it.
Lori had the same issue. She only had a drunken father who caused a scene, which was dealt with discreetly.
" He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip.
"I want the day to be perfect or as close to that as possible for you, for us.
Now, how about putting away that list and going for a walk? "
She looked pointedly at the snow coming down, but he merely grinned. "I have the strangest urge to build a snow man."
"You're mad."
"Let's be mad together." Rising, he pulled her up and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you."
*****
"This is crazy!" She shouted above the sudden whip of icy wind that sent the fat snowflakes whirling.
"But fun!" he shouted back with a grin. He loved to see her laughing and would do anything to bring it about.
"How about we finish up with this very masculine dude and go and have some hot chocolate.
" Propping his hands on his hips, he studied the snowman he had shaped and created with painstaking care.
"We should take pictures to show the family.
He kinda looks like Andreas. Just need the arrogant expression and they could be twins. "
His grin widened when her laughter pealed out, shattering the eerie silence.
"I was thinking he looks an awful lot like you. What happened to the usual fat snow guy with the protruding belly and beady eyes?" They had brought out a scarf and hat that were now decorating the sculpture.
"That's so yesterday." He patted one muscular arm and stared approvingly at the flat belly. "We've started our own trend. We should call it the snow mobster. Stick a gun in those hands and we're good to go."
She sent him a pained glance. "In case you're forgetting, you have nieces and nephews who sometimes come around for a visit."
"Ah yes." He tilted his head as if thinking about it. "No guns then. Perhaps a sword. He'd look dashing with a rapier." He pursed his lips as he stared at the bright red scarf she had draped around his neck. "Do you think it makes him look too girly?"
Biting back a grin, she adjusted the scarf. "I'm not doing this with you. The scarf stays."
"I bet he's embarrassed as hell to be wearing that shade of red."
"One, it's not a he. And two, what's wrong with the shade?"
"Too female. And yes, I'm being sexist." He came behind to wrap his arms around her thick waist. He had made certain she was wrapped from head to toe and sufficiently warm before they ventured outside.
When she confessed that this was her first time building a snowman, he had already suspected, one of the reasons he had insisted on it.
"It does look good." She murmured, leaning back and absorbing his warmth and strength. He had introduced her to so many things. The small pleasures of life that had slipped by her because of her childhood.
"Of course it does." They stayed there admiring their handiwork a few more minutes.
"It's time to go in darling."
She nodded, her gloved hands clasped on his. "Thank you." She whispered.
"You're most welcome." Turning her around, he dusted snow off her face and took her hands to make the journey back inside.
He helped her off with the layers, nudging her down on the entrance bench to take off her boots.
"Let's see to the fire." Taking her hand, he walked with her into the living room.
"I'll just add some more peat. Grab some blankets, will you? And a couple pillows."
"You're going to have to help me up when it's time for us to get up." She warned as she did as she was told.
"No problem." Rising, he dusted off his hands and stared at the flames leaping upwards.
"I'll be right back." He stopped just inside the doorway. "How about some cookies as well?"
"That sounds ideal." She nestled back on the pillows and stretched her hands towards the flames.
She was smart enough to know that life wasn't perfect, but this came close.
Somehow, despite her upbringing and determination to go through life alone, she had found a damn good man who loved her beyond reason.
She was pregnant, albeit with triplets, something she never contemplated, naturally, and about to get married.
Another something she never thought she would ever do.
"Chocolate cookies oozing with chocolates." His green eyes scanned her face. "Ms. Bailey is making sure you get your heart's desire." He lowered himself onto the blanket, skillfully avoiding spillage.
"She's finally warming up to me. Thanks.
" She wrapped her hands around the cup he handed her.
"I guess she's getting it that I have no intention of invading her territory.
Speaking of which." She sipped and closed her eyes in delight.
"Your mother and sisters are insisting that I learn to cook.
Mostly Greek and Irish meals. Says it's a tradition. " She blew on the steam.
"Do you want to?" He was seated in front of her, putting her legs over his. One hand held the cup, while the other massaged her insteps.
She shrugged. "I don't mind. I'll make a lousy student, but what the hell." She met his gaze. "And I guess when I learn enough, I'll be joining the rest on Sundays by cooking up a storm."
He shot her an amused glance. "Something like that. You don't want to be the only Kostas woman to be sitting with the men shooting the breeze while the others are in the kitchen where they belong."
He winced when she jabbed him in the groin.
"Careful darling." He muttered. "You don't want to damage the prize."
"Prize is it?"
"Yep." He had the good sense to hold onto her feet before she could do any more damage.
"And when we're finished with the refreshment, I'll be happy to show you how much of a prize it is."
"I think I'll pass." She told him dryly.
They continued the rest of the meal in silence, drawn to the flames leaping like a live thing in the hearth.
"What were you thinking about when I came back in? You looked a little pensive."
Pulling her gaze away from the hearth, she realized he had been watching her.
"I'm getting married."
"We're getting married. Having second thoughts?" he asked casually.
"Just thinking that if someone had said something like that to me a year or so ago, I would have laughed them to scorn. And now, here I am, pregnant and about to say, 'I do.'" She looked at him. "You never came close to proposing to anyone?"
"No. I had relationships before, one or two serious ones where I idly contemplated that it would lead to something permanent, but then it didn't pan out.
" He finished his beverage and put away the cup to concentrate on rubbing her legs.
"I always had my parents' marriage as well as my brothers' to use as a measuring stick and decided that I wanted what they had. Nothing less."
His voice rang with such conviction that it had her marveling.
"I was brought up in the church." It still pained her to talk about the long hours of sitting on a hard and unforgiving pew and required to sit still and take notes.
Ones that would be asked of her as soon as she got home.
"And I thought to myself often what kind of God would allow a little girl to go through such torment.
" She shrugged and shook her head when he started to reach for her.
"You don't want me to talk about my past."
"Not if it pains you to do so." He acknowledged grimly. Realizing that he had unconsciously tightened his fingers on her calves, he let go. "I don't need it rehashed."
She smiled at him. "I know. But transparency, remember?"
"Not if it opens those old wounds." His eyes glittered with suppressed anger. "It's not worth it."
"It's supposed to be cathartic." She pointed out.
"Is it?" Removing her feet carefully from his hold, he rose and went to the cabinet. Touching the button, he grabbed the bottle of scotch as soon as it appeared and poured a generous amount. "I would offer you some, but." He gestured towards her swollen belly.
"You're taking it personal."
"And I shouldn't?" he demanded as he took a swallow. "I happen to be in love with you. Loving someone means taking on the hurt and pain."
"You have no idea what that means to me.
" She told him quietly, trying to calm his anger.
"All I wanted to say was that I rebelled.
When I went to college, I decided to hell with all the rights and wrongs and what the Bible said about sex before marriage.
I picked someone. A nerdy guy from my sociology class and had sex with him.
It was lousy of course. He had no idea what he was doing.
There we were fumbling around in the dark and me thinking that God was going to strike me down right in the act. "
She paused. "Suffice it to say that it went to crap. We tried to salvage something from it by talking afterwards and seeing each other socially. Grabbing cups of coffee, having pizzas in our rooms and going for ice cream, but it was already doomed."
He quirked a brow at her and she could tell that his anger was waning. "Trying to make me jealous?"
Picking up her cup, she took a sip. "Of a nerdy geek, whose name I don't remember?" She countered lightly.
Swallowing the rest of the scotch, he put away the glass and crossed the room.
She watched as he lowered himself to the blanket and removed the tray.
Taking the cup from her, he moved it out of the way.
"I'm jealous of every moment I never spent with you.
I'm hurt by everything that brought you tears.
" His voice thickened as he took her hands in his.
"Am I making it clearer how much I'm in deep? "
She swallowed the lump in her throat as she moved into his arms.
"Yes." She whispered.
"I ache when you ache." He removed her sweater and tossed it aside. Then came her bra. "I bruise when you bruise." His thumbs flickered over her already rigid nipples.
"You're inside me, in my blood." He lowered her back on the pillows, his eyes on hers. "You're my heart and the soul of me."
He showed her in a very specific way.