Chapter 11
"We're getting married on the Kostas Royale?" Leanne stared at him wide-eyed.
"Something like that." He told her with a grin. The night of the snowstorm that heralded the end of winter had been another eventful time for them. That was the night he made it official by putting a stunning emerald and diamond ring on her finger.
The celebration had come after, a party thrown by his family. She was beginning to let go of the hurt and pain of her mother not even contacting her. She had a family who had embraced her as their own.
"Aren't they supposed to be heading to Europe?"
"Not anymore. We will be flying to Miami to meet the ship there."
"I'm surprised you want me to travel."
"The doctors cleared you, and Dr. Henderson and a nurse will be accompanying us on the trip."
"You and your family don't do anything simple, do you?" She muttered dryly.
"Not a chance." He caught her around the waist, resting his hands possessively on her mound. "How are the babes?" he asked softly.
"Kicking up a storm and giving me indigestion."
He turned her to face him. "And how's my baby?"
"Feeling spoiled rotten. I meant to talk to you about the stuff that was delivered from Romano's. Did you buy out the entire store?" There was a slight annoyance at the end of the question. "Christos, you did not consult me."
"I happen to know how much you hate shopping." Taking her hand, he brought it to his lips, eyes twinkling. "I decided to save you the bother."
She tugged at her hand, but he only tightened his grip. "We're getting married in a few days. The least you can do is allow me to indulge you. I love doing it."
"You love having the control."
"Is that what you think, darling?" His expression turned sober. "That I want to control you?"
She was about to give him a flippant answer when she decided against it. He had shown her nothing but constant love and attention. It wasn't his fault that she was not used to any of it and should be grateful.
To his credit, he had left the naming of the babies to her, not even pressing her to follow the tradition of giving them Greek names, which she had ended up doing, much to his parents' delight, especially when she included their names as well.
"No." She sighed as she melted against him. "But I do wish you would start consulting me on things like shopping for the babies. I would have loved to have an input."
"This is just the beginning. Romano's has an excellent baby's and mothers' department. And I wasn't the one who did the majority of the shopping. All I did was give some ideas, and mother and the sisters ran with it." He rubbed his hands up and down her arms.
"You're going to have to be prepared to be overwhelmed. I happen to be the last of the Kostas sons to get married, and with the added excitement of being the first to be producing multiples, I'm asking you to bear with them."
"I sound ungrateful."
"No." He cupped her face between his palms. "You're not used to any of this, and I understand."
"I'm starting to learn." She sighed again. "I'm learning to cook."
He grinned. "I understand it's going great."
She cast him a look. "Liar. I'm lousy at it. I'm surprised Mary-Ann is still persevering. She has the patience of Job."
"She loves you." He corrected her. She felt a jolt at that. And knew it to be true. They loved her, all of them. The three men, Christos' brothers, called her sister. Petros and Mary-Ann called her daughter, and the three women were like sisters to her.
The nieces and nephews called her aunty. It was overwhelming and terrifying and wonderful all at the same time.
"Baby, are you all right?" A look of alarm covered his face as he saw her expression. "Is it the babes? What is it?"
"Nothing. I need to sit."
He quickly guided her over to one of the sleek chairs in the room designated for their daughter. Hunkering down in front of her, he took her hands, expression anxious.
"Do I need to call the doctor?"
"No." She shook her head, eyes blurry. "I just, you said Mary-Ann loved me."
A frown touched his brow. "She does. They all do."
"I never had that before." She clutched his fingers. "It's because of you. I have a family because of you. I never had one before." The weight on her chest was almost unbearable.
"I love you more for it. I don't know how to fully express my emotions. They're so many. It's--" Shaking her head, she gulped in several breaths and felt raw. "I don't know how to tell you."
His expression was unbelievably tender. "You just did." Rising, he sat and took her in his arms. "I cannot wait for you to be my wife."
Pressing her face against his chest, she breathed in his familiar scent. "I already think of you as my husband."
Emotions stormed through him like an erupting geyser, and for a minute, he was unable to speak.
Turning her face upward, he gazed at her with darkened green eyes, the naked passion evident. "That's the nicest thing you could have said to me. I adore you, darling."
"The feeling is completely mutual." She smiled through her tears. "Would it be awkward or weird if we made love right here?"
His eyes grew wide, and his lips trembled with laughter. "I'm sure our daughter would understand."
"Then let's do it." She whispered, her arms going around his neck.
*****
The rush of excitement surrounded them. The week flew by with a swiftness that defied description. She wasn't allowed to do anything much and felt as if she was in the way most of the time.
She wasn't even allowed to pack her own stuff. That had been left to the women. She and Christos had spent the last night before the journey on the private jet to meet the ship at port.
It had been a night filled with excitement, with the children reluctant to go to bed.
Now they were on board the luxurious cruise ship, with mostly family filling every crevice and corner. She had been introduced to so many people; the faces had started to blend into one another.
The Greek side of the family had the beautiful olive skin and dark eyes of their European origins and spoke a combination of English and rapid Greek. The Irish were distinctive with their red or blonde hair and green eyes. The women with their enviable peaches and cream complexions.
Surprisingly, they all seemed to get along well.
After several minutes of trying to make sense of the chaos, she learned to tune out the voices. For the first time, she was happy to use her pregnancy as an excuse to go to their cabin.
"You didn't have to accompany me." She told Christos as he shut the door firmly.
"Are you kidding?" He led her over to the bed near the porthole and took off her shoes. "I was about to suggest that it's time you had a lie down." He grinned up at her as he slid off her shoes. "I felt a headache coming on."
"I would think you're used to all the noise and confusion."
"I am." He massaged her insteps as usual. "But sometimes it can get to be too much. Mother thrives on it."
"I noticed she was in her element. Your grandfather, the one responsible for this--" She patted her bump. "Expressed how very proud of me he was for carrying on the tradition. He kissed me right on the mouth. I think I even felt tongue."
Christos' smile widened. "I should have warned you about Papa Stavros and his brother. They're complete lechers."
"You mean--"
"Hmm." He rose to sit next to her. "They're the typical Greek who believe in spreading the love around. If you'd stayed any longer, they would try and get a hand under your dress." He laughed at the shocked look on her face.
"You're--that's not--What!!!"
"They both tried to get mother into bed. On the day of her wedding."
She shook her head as she stared at him. "You're making that up."
"Hand to God."
"That's nasty."
He grinned at her term. "Not to them. They mean no harm."
"They're married."
"Their wives put up with their roving eyes."
"I would have cut off their dicks a long time ago."
"Ouch. Thank God, I'm not like that."
She lifted a brow at him. "You'd better be grateful. If I even dream that you're looking at another woman with the intention of--"
"No need for warnings, darling. I'm completely yours."
And she knew it. Without a doubt, she knew he would always be faithful to her. It humbled her.
"You should get some rest." He murmured, thumbs moving over her satiny cheeks. "The family have quite a lot planned for the seven days."
"I cannot believe you guys did all this." She shook her head in amazement. "Imagine me getting married on a cruise ship."
Hiding a smile at the surprise in store for her, he gathered her close. "It seemed like the right thing to do."
She eased back to stare at him. "Why? Because I work on one?"
"Now you own several."
"I don't, you do. I signed a prenup, remember?"
"Which, if you had taken the time to read, you'd have discovered that there's another tradition in the family." He was exhilarated to be apprising her of it. "It stipulates in the document that when you marry into this family, you're automatically part owner of the cruise lines."
"What?" The stunned look on her face was priceless. "I'm sorry, what?"
He grinned at her flabbergasted expression. "I told you to read the fine prints, darling."
"Who does that?" Shaking her head as if to get rid of the fog, she continued to stare at him. "I'm part owner? What does that mean?"
"It means that you get to pick one of the ships and get to run it as you deem fit. Lori, Lilly, and Grace all have the same agreement. The olives are a different matter altogether."
She swallowed the lump that had lodged in her throat. "I own a ship?"
"Among other things." He placed a hand on her belly and jolted when he felt movements. "When you start having children, there's the part where each child gets an investment, a trust fund starting at two million dollars."
"Oh God. Oh God. I can't--Oh God." Turning, she buried her face on his shoulder. "I'm going to throw up."
"Let's get you to--"
"No." She clung to him. "It's too much. I don't deserve this. I don't deserve any of it."