When Christakos Meets His Match(84)

                She took a deep shaky breath. ‘Alexio...’

                ‘Yes...?’

                ‘I love you too...even though you really hurt me. I fell for you when we first met and I never stopped. I’m still falling. Every time I look at you. I told myself I hated you...but I couldn’t.’

                Alexio’s hands tightened around her and his gaze grew suspiciously bright. ‘You love me?’

                Sidonie wanted to take a snapshot of this moment. Alexio Christakos, multi-billionaire and playboy. Arrogance and confidence personified. Eyes shining with tears, doubting her word.

                She reached up to touch his face, feeling the spiky prickle of his stubble. He was a different man from the one who had so coolly laid out his plan that morning. He’d been hiding all this emotion. Suppressing it.

                ‘Of course I love you. I love you so much that I’m terrified I love you more than you love me.’

                Alexio just looked at her for a long moment and shook his head, smiling a little ruefully. ‘Not possible, I’m afraid. You’re getting the full force of years and years of repressed loving and then some more...’

                He reached into his pocket for something, and pulled out a small black box. Sidonie looked down at it and back up.

                Alexio looked nervous again. ‘Sid... Sidonie...’

                ‘No...’ she said urgently, and then, more shyly, ‘I like it when you call me that... I just... I was angry...’

                She could see the pain in his eyes at that and she touched his jaw. Alexio dragged his gaze away and opened the box. Sidonie looked down and gasped when she saw a stunning heart-shaped diamond ring glittering up at her. Alexio took the ring out of the box. He took her left hand in his and looked at her so deeply that he took her breath away and made fresh tears well.

                Looking endearingly unlike himself, palpably nervous, he asked, ‘Will you marry me, Sidonie Fitzgerald?’

                The tears overflowed and fell. Sidonie couldn’t speak. She was too overcome.

                Suddenly Alexio disappeared again, down towards her bump, and she heard him say, ‘Belle, I’ve just asked—’

                Alexio yelped when Sidonie grabbed his hair and pulled him back up.

                ‘Yes!’ She looked at him. ‘Yes...’ she said again, framing his face with her hands. ‘I’ll marry you, Alexio.’

                Alexio kissed the palm of her hand and then took it in his again, to slide the ring onto her finger. ‘I had a jeweller meet me at the plane and I picked that one out because it reminded me of your pure heart...but I can change it...’

                Sidonie shook her head, looking at the ring glinting at her. ‘No..’ She felt more tears coming after what he’d just said. ‘I love it...and it’s really glittery.’

                Alexio pulled her in close. ‘I’ll give you glittery things for the rest of our lives...’

                Sidonie stiffened and pulled back, making Alexio frown.

                ‘No... I don’t want anything from you, Alexio... I mean it. I know you say you trust me, but I don’t want you to ever doubt that I want nothing from you except you. I won’t marry you until I can sign something that says I’m not after you for your money.’