Page 44 of Her Secret Heir
“It’s almost time,” Maria said, entering the room. She held a small wrapped box in one hand. Theo was behind her, looking adorable in his tux.
“Mama, I just had a champagne toast withBabaand I didn’t like it.”
“That’s okay.”
“The photographer is going to come in here in a minute to start taking photos,” Maria said. “Theo, come over here and let me comb your hair.” She turned to Ava. “This is for you.”
She handed her the gift-wrapped box and then stepped away. Ava glanced down at the card, which simply stated her name in Christos’s bold handwriting.
“I’ll give you a minute to yourself,” Laurette said, and joined Augustina and Sheri.
She unwrapped the box slowly. It was made of hardwood and inlaid with gold. The design on the top of the box was the Theakis family seal, something she’d seen many times over the last few weeks.
She opened the box and the fresh scent of cedar assailed her. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Then she opened them and looked inside. There was an embossed notecard. She lifted it out and read it quickly.
All Theakis are of the sea and here’s something to to remind you that now you are a Theakis, too.
She set the card aside and pulled out the velvet jeweler’s bag beneath it. She loosened the tie at the top of the bag and pulled out the necklace inside. It was a beautiful diamond-and-sapphire encrusted choker with a platinum anchor dangling from it. There were matching earrings and a bracelet inside as well.
She caught her breath staring at them.
“Babasaid these remind him of your eyes,” Theo said, touching one of the sapphires.
She looked at her son and the women in the room and knew she was taking the right step. More than the jewels, Christos’s words convinced her that, despite the fact that this wasn’t her kind of wedding, she wasn’t lying to herself. Marrying Christos was the right thing to do.
With the sunsetting behind them, they repeated their vows on the terrace of the Theakis compound overlooking the Aegean Sea. Christos kissed Ava at the end of the ceremony with raw possessiveness, stamping his claim on her mouth to go along with the ring on her left hand that showed the world she was his.
Flashbulbs went off during the kiss and Christos felt a sense of impending doom. He’d invited several celebrity photographers, including one who would be doing a story on the wedding for one of the Sabina Group’s magazines. But the public spotlight wasn’t always kind, especially to Ava and him.
The flashbulbs brought back the anger he’d felt when the tabloids had broken the story of Ava’s affair with Stavros.
He lifted his head and wrapped his arm around Ava’s waist as they walked back down the aisle between their family and friends.
“Christos?”
“Hmm?”
“Why are you acting so…”
He glanced down at Ava. He couldn’t begin to figure out what he felt, but he knewhappywas too tame a word for it. He banished the thought of the past as he looked at her. Knew the only way he was going to find any semblance of peace was to stayfocused on Ava and Theo and the future he was slowly carving out for himself.
He arched one eyebrow at her. “So…?”
“Possessive, I guess. I’m yours now,” she said.
There was a note in her voice that he couldn’t place and he didn’t try. “About damn time.”
“Do you mean that?”
“Moro mou, I’m not indecisive about anything especially if it involves you or Theo.”
She hugged him tightly to her, standing on tiptoe and kissing him. “This is one of the happiest days of my life. I can’t believe we’re married.”
“Well, believe it. You are my wife.”
She blinked back tears, then rubbed her nose and tried to turn away. “Oh no. My makeup is going to be ruined.”
Christos had no idea how to stop her tears. Didn’t understand where she’d gone in her head to start crying, so he did the only thing he could think of. He took her face in his hands and kissed her. Not with the raw masculinity that he’d used to brand her in front of his friends and family earlier. But with all the pent-up and unrevealed emotions that were coursing through him.
