The Billionaire's Runaway Bride (15 page)

Watching the two her father had sneered softly, though his voice was more respectful as he had ignored Grace “Indeed. You will always be welcome in our home” his look shifting to Grace “As will you” before taking his wife’s arm with the intention of mingling.

As they had moved away Grace had released a deep breath. She had not even been aware that she had held her breath during the exchange. Looking up into Alexos’ eyes she had smiled.

“Thank you” her voice full of sincerity as he had winked back down at her.

She had found herself enjoying the night, especially when her mother had managed to sidle away from her father, the two women slipping into a small corner so happy to finally see each other. While they had kept in contact mainly through email she had missed her mother and she was so happy at now being able to hug her and see for herself that she was well, though she felt, not happy.

“I am so sorry for upsetting you” she had whispered, her voice full of pain “I should not have done what I did, it was never my intention to hurt you”

To her surprise the other woman had shaken her head stopping her apologies

“No Grace…it is I who should be sorry. I should never have allowed him to try to push you into something you were not ready for. I am so proud of what you have achieved…so very, very proud” tears of pride in her eyes “can you ever forgive me?”

With a small whimper she had pulled her mother in for another hug, the love between them so strong. As they had broken apart, her mother had looked at her with a strange expression on her features.

“Seeing you like this Grace…I wish that I had been as strong and brave as you…but I wasn’t” her eyes hardening as she had looked over at her husband. “But I am going to be…I deserve to be happy”

Gasping Grace had looked deeply into her mother’s eyes “A…are you leaving him?” her hand flying to cover her mouth as her mother had nodded softly.

“I want my life back Grace…I want to enjoy life…I want to be brave like you. I want to look as happy as you”

Her mother had lifted her finger, looking at the ring she wore before flicking a look at Alexos. “He loves you…and I see such love for him in your eyes Grace…you do love him don’t you?”

Grace had given a small smile as she had admitted the truth “With everything in me mother. I always have I think…I just never realised it”

Ellana Leotta had given another tremulous smile “You have it all now Grace…you are a true inspiration to me, and I deserve to be happy too” Her eyes holding her daughter’s.

“Oh mum…you will be…you deserve to be…and I will always be here for you…always… whatever you need you only have to ask”

Nodding, her mother had gently patted her hand. “Well I hope that you and Alexos still feel that way when I need a place to stay for a bit”

Grace had swallowed the words that at the end of that month they would no longer be together, knowing instinctively that her mother needed to believe that all would be well.

“You will always have a home with me” her only comment.

That night as she had once more moved into her room, she was full of indecision. By the end of the month the two would once more go their own ways, could they maintain some form of believability for his father, and now her mother? Frowning softly the thoughts had played through her head as a gentle tap had broken her reverie.

Hearing her soft voice, Alexos had moved into the room.

“I thought you might need help removing that necklace” his voice full of laughter as she had looked back at him through the mirror a chuckle leaving her.

“You are so thoughtful” a seductive edge coming to her voice, as she had allowed him to undo the catch placing the wonderful jewellery back into the box with the bracelet, her look once more meeting his in the mirror.

“This dress is also difficult…do you think you could help there too?”

With a laugh he had slowly turned her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her “To hell with ‘propriety’…I didn’t sleep well last night, and I am staying here”

Grace smiling against his mouth, her tone full of laughter “Well …OK, if it is for your health”

His kiss had been gentle, so loving this thought tearing at Grace as she had slid her arms around his neck, his fingers sliding the zip down allowing the dress to drop to the floor. Pulling back from her his eyes had once more skirted down her body, a small groan leaving him as she stood with only a small thong.

“You are so beautiful Grace” his murmured words making her shiver, her fingers sliding down his chest, down his toned belly and grazing the front of his trousers. Her eyes had never once left his, feeling the rush of excitement as his eyes had closed with just the smallest touch of her hand against the straining hardness of him. With a masculine growl he had bent down, sweeping her into his arms and striding purposefully to the bed.

“You are a wicked woman” his mouth smiling widely as he dropped her gently onto the bed, stepping back to throw off his own clothes, his movement frantic to remove the layers of clothing to be beside her once more. As he had finally stood naked, she had moved to her knees balancing on the edge of the bed, her small hand reaching out for the heat of him. Alexos had moaned softly as her hand had enveloped him, a tremor passing through his body. As she had leant forward, her small tongue flicking over the head of him he had shuddered, words of Greek leaving his mouth as his hands hand had gathered her hair pulling it from her lovely face.

Looking up at him, she had no idea how sensual she looked, her mouth kissing along the length of him, Alexos hardly able to breathe.

“Should I stop Alexos…should I stop being wicked?”

Her words making his mouth quirk, his head shaking

“No…never stop…never be anything less”

Her laugh reverberated around him as her small mouth had taken the tip of him, Alexos seeing stars with the intensity of the sensations. As her hand had pulled on him that soft mouth had slid further down his hardness, his hands gripping her head, hips moving against her with a will of their own. Completely unable to believe how quickly she was bringing him to the ultimate release he had groaned and in a voice full of pleading he had pulled back from her “Too much Grace…stop”

She had moved to take him into her hand, keeping up the onslaught on his body. As his head had fallen back, his hands had grown rigid through her hair and he had climaxed, panting and crying out her name his legs buckling as he had fallen on the bed beside her. Curling up beside him he had wrapped an arm around her shoulder Grace listening to the rapid way his heartbeat thudded against her, smiling gently.

“Wow…we make an amazing team you and I Miss Leotta” he had chuckled as she had purred softly beside him. After several minutes, he had turned, moving her gently onto her back, a sensual smile filling his face.

“You are not the only one who can be wicked…in fact …you are still an amateur, I on the other hand have been practicing”

With a chuckle she had ran her fingers down his sides, eyes flashing back at him

“Well I of course bow to your ….experience”

Alexos laughing as his mouth had descended to take hers. For what seemed like forever, he had teased and tantalised every part of her until he had moved over her, entering her in one long sure stroke, Grace crying his name as she had exploded into a thousand fragments of light before the darkness had flooded in behind, her body going limp at the intensity of her own release.

As she had clung to him, he had continued thrusting into her still-throbbing body until he too had cried out, once more experiencing the same mind-blowing release, collapsing heavily onto her, their breaths joining as they had both gasped in lungfuls of air, their slick sweating bodies cooling together.

Pulling the sheets over them both, Alexos had kissed her once more; his eyes full of such warmth, Grace lost the fight to stay awake as her eyes had fluttered shut as sleep had taken her, Alexos quickly joining her.

She had woken the next morning, light only just starting to fill the morning sky, to the sound of his quiet movements as he had pulled on his trousers and shirt, lifting his clothes as he had tiptoed to the door.

“And how many times have you snuck out of a woman’s bedroom in your life?” Alexos straightening as he had given her a broad smile.

“Not as many as you might think young lady” his voice full of fun as peeking out into the hall to ensure the coast was clear he had blown her a kiss slipping out of the room.

Grace had given a contented sigh falling back against the pillows, a dreamy smile on her lovely face. She was in love. Her mother was finally escaping the clutches of her father…all seemed so well with the world, with a blissful look on her face she had once more fallen asleep.

Several hours later, waking with the sunlight streaming through the window she had thrown back the covers, quickly jumping into her shower humming happily to herself. There seemed nothing that could ruin her day, everything was going so well. The image of Alexos had stilled her, pausing for a second as she had thought about him. The agreement they had was for her to stay with him for the month, but perhaps he might want to still see her, Grace feeling the rush of love for the man once more fill her.

His comments to her father last night had filled her with hope; hope that perhaps there might be more to what was happening between them than just revenge, for the first time daring to believe that perhaps she really could have it all. The perfect job, the perfect husband - the perfect life.

Downstairs Alexos and his father had been seated on the large sun deck, Alexos flashing her a wicked grin.

“Did you sleep well?” a seemingly innocent question as Grace had held back the need to laugh as she had nodded smiling at his father.

For the rest of the day they had enjoyed exploring his father’s Greek estate, Grace shaking her head to find out that he had only planned on staying there for a few days, his father needing to return to work the next day. Grace had watched as the two men had discussed business, she seeing how much of the workload Alexos was responsible for, realisation hitting her that while she had been working he had not been sunbathing.

Later at night after another sumptuous meal, Nikoli had pulled out pictures of Alexos as a child, Grace hearing stories of his childhood and looking at the images of his mother and father, Grace so aware of the warmth that had filled the older man as he had talked of his wife.

When Alexos had again snuck into her room she had lain beside him snuggled into his embrace, their hearts once more slowly resuming back to a normal beat, fingers entwined as he had held up her hand to admire the ring that flashed on her small finger.

“Alexos…can I ask you something?”

The nod and kiss on her forehead the answer as she had spoken so softly

“What happened to your mother?”

The long sigh had made her look up seeing the pain in his eyes.

“Sorry…I didn’t mean to upset you…it doesn’t matter” her eyes full of apology. Giving her a kiss he had looked ahead his mind full of the woman they were talking about.

“My mother was an amazing woman Grace. She was a journalist…covered most of the big stories”

His eyes full of pride “She was fearless, didn’t matter who it was, she went after the truth like a bloodhound. She didn’t care if she was dealing with beggars on the street or kings of foreign countries, to her all that mattered was the truth”

Smiling, Grace had enjoyed hearing the love in his voice hearing as he had paused, his tone becoming sombre, sadder.

“When I was 23 she was coming back from the middle-east and her plane crashed”

Groaning softy, Grace had turned “I’m so sorry Alexos…that must have been awful”

Dropping another kiss onto her head he had nodded softly.

“It was…but it destroyed my father…he was never the same. My parents used to live on the island, it was their main base. After she died he has never set foot on it again, it was almost as if he gave up the will to live” a weary sigh leaving him.

“I guess that the men in our family only fall in love once” a strange smile lighting his handsome face as he had turned her over and kissed her, the fires once more lighting between the two.

As he had again snuck out of her room, Grace had blown him a kiss, her whole face lighting up with radiant happiness, Alexos holding his breath at the need to return to her arms that had filled him. Curling up, pulling the pillow which still retained the scent of him to her, her mind played over his words ‘the men in our family only fall in love once’ wondering if he had meant anything by the comment, daring to hope that he had meant her.

With a small frown it had hit her that at no point even when they had been talking about marriage had he ever proclaimed any real affection for her, especially love, Grace frowning softly. She had been expected to be his wife, mother of his children and convenient companion at formal occasions, at no time had he ever proclaimed love. Gasping, her eyes had flown open with shock. If it wasn’t her he had been in love with then who was it, jealousy ripping through her, the memory of Angelica Fleur and her coincidental appearance suddenly seeming not so coincidental.

Six years ago he had wanted a wife, was that because the woman he loved was already married and it was easier to carry on a clandestine affair if he too was married? Now he had made it clear that he was only looking for someone to play his fiancée, was that because the woman he wanted to really marry was still not free, going through what he had called a ‘nasty divorce’? Groaning, this had caused her pain deep within, the thought tearing her apart.

The following morning she had discovered that Alexos had been called to an important meeting leaving Grace to spend the day with Nikoli, the two getting on so well as he had opened up to her, talking about the old days, Grace listening silently as he had talked. As they had sat together over lunch she had flicked a wary look at him.

“I appreciate that you have never said anything about what happened six years ago”, seeing the way the older man’s mouth had quirked, his look becoming a little harder