Authors: Jan Bowles
Bowles, Jan - Love Slave to the Sicilian Billionaire [Guilty Pleasures 4] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) (20 page)
His soul mate and the woman he would love to the end of time.
Epilogue
The honeymoon: Calatabiano, San Marco Beach, Sicily, 6.30 p.m.
Ella plucked the white rose she’d just been admiring in the hotel garden, and lifted it to her nose. She smiled. Uniquely perfumed by the hot summer sun and salty air, it smelled wonderful. Just like Sicily itself. She raised her head and stared down the steps toward the beach. Max was a few hundred yards away, strolling easily in the clear, shallow waters of the Ionian Sea as it rolled gently in. With the wind whipping through his hair he looked wonderful. Ella sighed. She loved him with all her heart.
Quickly, she ran down the short flight of stone steps, kicked off her sandals, and crossed the sandy beach to join him. Leaning against his body, she linked her arm through his.
Max smiled, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Happy?” he asked.
“Happy and sad, Max. Happy that we’re finally married, but sad we return to the States tomorrow. I’ve had such a wonderful time. I don’t want it to end.”
Married just three weeks ago, they’d spent their entire honeymoon on the beautiful island of Sicily. Max’s birthplace had turned out to be a real treasure. They’d stayed in a wonderful Baroque-style castle in Calatabiano. The large, opulent hotel boasted wonderful turrets and ornate luxury, and came with a picturesque garden that contained all the plants that Max cultivated in his inner courtyard back home. Every night they would dine in style, under fabulous crystal chandeliers.
“Don’t be sad, I promise you, we will return here every year, Ella.”
“Really?”
He playfully touched her nose. “Firstly, to celebrate our wedding anniversary, and secondly, to give my mother time with our children.”
Ella’s heart soared. “Your mother is a wonderful lady.” They’d hit it off immediately.
“She adores you, Ella. You can do no wrong in her eyes.”
“Good, I’m glad. I love her as though she were my own mother.” They strolled further along the beach, hand in hand, watching the sun slowly dip below the horizon in a stain of bright crimson and yellow. Mount Etna rose high and majestic behind them, brooding and silent. The dark sandy beach was a beautiful and permanent reminder of its awe-inspiring volcanic power.
A smile spread on her lips. “Children. I like the sound of that, Max.”
Max immediately stopped walking, and turned to her. He stared into her eyes and slowly caressed his fingers down the side of her face. “Me, too, Ella. Nothing would give me more pleasure than seeing you pregnant with our child.”
“Oh, Max, you say the loveliest things.”
“That’s because I love you.”
A sense of calm overwhelmed her. The right man had come from the most tragic of circumstances. “I love you, too, Max. I always will.”
He pulled her into his arms. “To know you wear my mark brings me such peace, too. It joins us together forever.”
“I feel so complete with your mark tattooed on me.” Ella touched her hip where Max’s initials had been inked into her skin. It was the exact same design as the one he wore. Each intricately woven letter bound them together like nothing else could. They might be married in the eyes of the law, and wear gold bands on their fingers, but it was the tattoo that truly emphasized the binding commitment they shared.
Ella handed the rose she held to Max. “Please accept this rose as a sign of my submission.” She knelt in front of him, and lowered her head out of love and respect.
Max tenderly held it in his hand, then stroked the delicate bud with his fingers. “I accept this rose as a sign of your submission.” His deep voice filled her with comfort. He cupped her chin and angled her face to his. Her heart sang with joy at the love she saw there. “Ella, to me you are like the fragile petals of this rose. You have many layers that I will delicately peel away, one by one. Come.” He pulled her upright and began leading her back to the hotel. “I’m sure they will take us a lifetime to discover.”
THE END
WWW.JANBOWLES.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
At present Jan Bowles lives with her husband in an old farmhouse in Lincolnshire, England, UK.
She would like to think that she’s a free spirit, having lived in various parts of the UK and Europe. When she was younger she lived in Los Angeles, and traveled by car across the entire length of Route 66 to Chicago and then finally linked the journey to New York. It was an experience that Jan has never forgotten.
Jan has an inquiring mind, and will often muse about events having an everlasting effect on the human psyche. There is always a reason why people act the way they do. You just have to look below the surface. She hopes to bring these ideas to her writing.
When she’s not writing Jan likes to paint large landscapes and sweeping vistas. She loves walking, and there’s nothing more she’d rather do than stand on the top of a hill with the wind blowing through her hair, and yep, if it’s raining that’s all the better. Jan says there’s nothing like nature to make one feel truly alive.
Also by Jan Bowles
Siren Classic: Guilty Pleasures 1:
In Debt to the Dom
Everlasting Classic: Guilty Pleasures 2:
Bought for the Billionaire’s Bed
Everlasting Classic: Guilty Pleasures 3:
Tamed by the Dom
For all other titles, please visit
http://www.bookstrand.com/jan-bowles
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
