She loved him.
She loved him so much that seeing her now, seeing how damn beautiful she was, Stavros was no longer certain if it was the right thing to be back in her life.
But almost as if she had heard his thought, Willow looked up. Even without hearing any footsteps it was as if she had sensed him, her eyes finding him like they were always meant to see him.
And the moment she did, she started to cry.
Slowly, he made his way to her.
It was the longest damn walk in his life, simply because he felt that with every step he took, he was being selfish. He would be happy with her, but would she really be happy with him? After everything he had done?
He climbed the steps of the gazebo and stopped before her.
And it was almost as if she had heard him thinking again, or maybe their hearts shared all its secrets. Whatever the reason, she knew. She looked up at him, and crying, she asked him the one thing that made Stavros realize nothing would hurt him more than losing her.
“Stavros.” She reached for his face and sobbed harder at the feel of his skin against her palm. “What took you so long?”
No recriminations, no questions, nothing except the purest form of love.
Stavros sank to his knees. “Forgive me.”
She shook her head. “Nothing to forgive,” she whispered. “But you know now, don’t you?” Her voice caught. “I love you.”
The words washed over him, three words that swept away all the pain of the past and opened his world to the dreams he could now enjoy...with her.
She made him look at her, and her tears became endless when she found Stavros’ own face wet. “I love you, Stavros. I love you.”
He kissed her. “I love you.” It was the only thing he needed to say, the only thing she wanted to hear.
And everything was all right.
Epilogue
Three Months Later
It was the second day of their honeymoon, but they weren’t spending it anywhere but home. For Stavros and Willow Manolis, the perfect definition of a honeymoon was to be together and have the freedom to love each other.
Today, it was her turn to make him do whatever she wanted, which was why she was doubled over laughing so hard she couldn’t manage to keep her hand steady while holding the camcorder.
“Will you stop laughing and get this over with?” Stavros grated out.
She laughed harder.
In front of her, Stavros was dressed like a Korean pop star, his hair gel-styled to stand three inches up, his shirt one size too small, and his cropped pants a pretty shade of pink to match his wondrously stylish oxfords.
For today, she had requested him to act out a scene from her favorite K-drama. He was going to play a rich and powerful scion, who also happened to be arrogant and dumb.
“Okay, I’m going to start recording now...”
But she was laughing again.
Goddammit. The things he did for this woman...
He looked at Willow, and his chest tightened at the happiness on her face.
The things he did for this woman, he would do a thousand times again and again, just to have her smiling like that.
He loved her. She loved him. It was all that mattered...but it did not mean he was above revenge.
That night, it was Stavros’ turn to have his own fantasy acted out by Willow. He had asked her to wear a stewardess’ uniform then come out of their room blindfolded.
“You’re beginning to make me nervous,” she told him.
“Just relax, sweetheart. You know I’ll never do anything you don’t want.”
“That’s not making me any less nervous.” Willow tried to keep still as Stavros ushered her inside the car. It was a tense ten-minute ride, and when they arrived at their destination, Stavros carefully helped her out. After, he placed her hand on something hard and plastic.
He took her blindfold off.
She looked down. A wheeled suitcase? Were they going somewhere and she was to play his own personal stewardess?
She looked around her. They were in an...airport. A rather busy airport, with everyone doing their own thing, but strangely, no one was looking at them.
“Umm...” She cleared her throat. “You want me to be your own stewardess?”
“Not quite.”
It was a very vague answer, and the way Stavros was smirking at her only increased Willow’s nervousness. Damn Greek billionaires and their money. “I give up. What’s this about?”
In answer, Stavros gestured towards an airport shuttle and it immediately drove towards them. “After you, Mrs. Manolis. And yes, bring your suitcase.”
So she did and climbed up, grunting at the weight of her luggage. “You really had to make it realistic, didn’t you?”
Stavros only laughed but didn’t make any move to help her.
The shuttle was completely occupied. Normally people immediately parted at first sight of Stavros, either because they knew who he was or because he looked that scary. But this time, no one moved, forcing her to mumble ‘excuse me’ over and over until she made it to the back, where there was just one last vacant pole for her to hold on to.