“You know I will”
Pulling back from him she had looked down at her hand, biting her lip softly before pulling the gold ring from her finger. Placing it gently into his hand she had given him a small tremulous smile, his eyes crinkling with a return one.
“I guess it’s time for you to have this back”
Closing his hand over the small band Daryle had nodded#p#分页标题#e#
“I guess it is” another strange look passing between the two.
Watching the exchange Alexos had smiled, knowing that she had truly put something behind her, the hope rising within him that perhaps it was because she saw a different future for herself.
As the car had arrived for Daryle the two had moved to the helicopter, the loud burring of the blades making it impossible to talk for the short journey. As they had entered the villa he had insisted on her returning to bed, Grace chuckling with dancing eyes.
“Please Alexos…I am just out of the hospital…control yourself”
His lips twitching with humour “You know exactly what I mean young lady” Grace moving to the living room flicking him a smile. With a small sigh he had followed her.
“Can I get you a drink?”
Grace shook her head slowly, a strange expression on her face as she had taken a seat. Pausing almost nervously he had helped himself to whiskey, quickly taking a large gulp before moving to sit beside her, the two watching each other warily. Alexos was the first to speak his voice holding a small tortured note to it.
“I’m sorry Grace…sorry for what I said to you - I didn’t mean a word of it” bleakness filling the darkness of his eyes “If you knew how much I have regretted those words. I’ve left messages for you, tried calling…I have been going out of my mind”
She had moved her hand to place it gently on his “I had to go Alexos, I had to” her voice softening “but I wanted to come back…if you would have let me”
The smile that had lit his face had made her grin back “God I’ve been such a fool” his groan making her stroke his cheek so lovingly.
“Daryle told me what happened six years ago…I had no idea” covering her hand with his he had pulled it to his mouth to kiss it
“I would have encouraged you to go to university Grace…I would have wanted you to be happy…do you know why?”
Grace shaking her head, biting her lips softly “No…”
Alexos moving his hand to cup her cheeks as he had leant in to kiss her so tenderly
“Because I love you…because I have always loved you”
Pulling back from her he had seen the tears rising to her lids; her lips start to tremble, unease filling him as she had given a small choked half-laugh, a smile spreading over her lovely features.
“Y…you do?” her voice incredulous as he had nodded back.
“My father always told me that he fell in love with my mother the moment he met her” softness in his eyes “I thought that was fanciful…and then I met you” chuckling he had looked more sheepish
“Do you remember the first dive we shared?” Grace nodding softly, her eyes huge as she had listened to him
“I remember getting out of the water and looking at you, and I knew. I knew instantly that I was in love with you…my Grace…so shy, so sweet…yet so prepared to chase sharks”
A another sob had left her lips as her eyes had shone, glistening with happy tears, before a shadow had crossed her features, her look becoming unsure.
“What about Angelica?” she had asked in a small voice, looking tentatively at him seeing the bafflement on his
“What about her?” confusion filling his face as he had looked at her “You think there is something between the two of us?”
Grace looked uncomfortably back at him “You were with her the night you came home late to your father’s…I smelt her perfume…and you didn’t want me to stay”
His sigh had been pained as Grace had bit her lip
“Yes…I saw her…but I hadn’t planned it Grace”
She looked back at him warily
“Angelica and I used to date…you knew that, but when I wouldn’t marry her she ran off and married Anton instead”
Shrugging softly he had given her a rueful smile.
“To be honest I was relieved…she had become a bit much. But recently she had started to just appear in places I was, and that is what happened the other day. When she saw you I think that she panicked. Apparently she thought that she and I could make a go of it” a harder look in his eyes
“I tried to be friendly, tried making it clear I was not interested but somehow I don’t think she got the message” His hand taking hers “That night she phoned me crying and begging for help. I went over to her place because she sounded so desperate…big mistake, she was waiting half naked, proclaiming love for me”