And, looking at her now, he knew he’d never be able to deny her anything. Her turquoise eyes, a mixture of sea and sky, smiled at him as he lifted her veil. She wore a white shift that made her look like a medieval maiden.
Her engagement ring, a four-carat diamond in an antique gold setting, sparkled from her finger. He’d given it to her two nights ago. She’d tried to refuse it until she’d realized that he’d found the original stone from her great-grandmother’s wedding ring. Now it was one of her greatest treasures.
The way she’d thanked him had made him forget all about the cast on his wrist. Remembering that night, and every night since they’d returned from Russia, still made his body feel hot from the inside out. He could hardly wait to give Anna her honeymoon present—Rostov Palace, which he’d bought from Sinistyn’s confiscated estates. Sinistyn didn’t need it anymore, as he’d be living out his days in a Russian prison.
Nikos glanced around him at family and friends and the sea and the bright blue sky. Justice. Another thing he’d thought existed only in fairytales, along with love and happy endings.
He’d not only held his wedding in his parents’ hometown, but, at Anna’s urging, he’d invited his father’s family—Eudocia Dounas and her three daughters—to the wedding. To his surprise they’d all come, bringing their husbands and children. He now had a family. Siblings, nieces, nephews. He didn’t know them yet, but he would.
Near his family sat Anna’s mother who, in another wedding-day miracle, was not only on her best behavior, but had pinched his cheek and declared it was “about time” the two were married. Anna had spent last night talking to her sister, barring Nikos from her bedroom because it was “bad luck” for him to see her. Now, Natalie was bouncing Misha on her knee while she watched the wedding, smiling through her tears. And he could see his son’s two new top teeth in his smile as he watched his parents wed.#p#分页标题#e#
It was a day for families to join together.
All right, he’d admit it. It wasn’t just Anna who’d wanted this kind of wedding. He had wanted it as well. In some way he’d wanted this all his life.
Family.
Home.
Love.
As Anna said the words that made her his wife her voice was sweet and true. He barely remembered repeating the words himself, but he must have done so since before he knew it the priest was speaking in accented English, declaring them husband and wife, and he was kissing the bride. Over the sound of the crashing surf he heard their family and friends behind them burst into applause, and a noisy cheer from Cooper. But as he kissed her, holding her tightly in his arms, all he could feel was the pounding of his heart against hers.
She pulled back, caressing his face as she grinned up at him through tears. “See?” she whispered. “Wasn’t that better than having Elvis marry us?”
Hiding a grin, he looked down at her solemnly. “I’m yours to command now, Mrs. Stavrakis.”
“Mine to command?” She paused, pretending to consider her options, and then leaned forward to whisper in his ear. “In that case, my first order is that you take me to bed.”
“Leaving our guests to start the reception?”
She gave him a wicked smile. “They won’t miss us.”
“They won’t even notice,” he agreed with a grin. He picked her up in his arms and, to the delighted gasps of the crowd, he turned to carry her back to his villa.
“Ah, Anna. I can tell I’m going to have a hard life with you,” he observed with a sigh, and he kissed her with all his heart.