time to come back, but it never would.
Once he’d carried everything to her bedroom, he told her he’d be on the phone in the lounge if she needed him. For the next little while Stephanie removed the tags from her purchases and put them away in the closet and dresser.
She checked her watch. It was going on five o’clock. By this time tomorrow they would have been married an hour already.
She supposed she should try on her wedding dress, but for the moment she was too tired, and she’d need a shower first. Emotional fatigue had set in. Maybe later, after she got ready for bed, she’d take it out of the plastic cover and see how it looked on her.
With a sigh she removed her jeans, which were too tight, and lay down on the bed for a minute. She turned on her side, while her hand went automatically to the little bulge, which was definitely getting bigger. Tears trickled out of the corners of her eyes.
“All this is for you, my darling. Are you a little Alex who will be impossibly handsome like your father and turn the head of every girl? Or are you a beautiful little Melitta with flashing black eyes and hair like your daddy? Maybe by my next appointment, or the next, I’ll know what to call you.”
CHAPTER SIX
W HEN IT GOT to be seven, Nikos hung up the phone with the florist who would bring some flowers to the church tomorrow. All he had left to do was buy a ring. He’d do it in the morning, after Yannis came on board and Nikos had done his exercises.
Now that he’d taken care of everything he could, he got up and walked down the corridor to Stephanie’s bedroom. He knocked, but couldn’t hear any noise. Since he would have noticed if she’d gone up on deck, he knocked again.
Was she sick? She’d eaten more at lunch than he’d expected. Though he was relieved to see she had an appetite, he worried. Being very quiet, he turned the handle and opened the door a crack.
What he saw made his heart fail. Stephanie had removed her jeans and left them on the floor where she’d stepped out of them. Could he hope it was because they were too tight?
She was out for the count, with her long gorgeous legs uncovered. Jet lag had caught up to her. Her gilt-blond hair splayed out on the pillow. He’d seen this sight before, when she hadn’t been wearing any clothes.
The memories came rushing back, increasing the ache for her that had never gone away. Before he lost control, he closed the door and went to the galley to fix himself a cup of coffee and throw a salad together. Anything to keep busy. When she awakened, he assumed she’d want some dinner.
Nikos had just added the feta cheese when she appeared in the doorway. He shot her a glance. She was wearing a new pair of jeans and one of the flowered print blouses she’d picked out, this one in aqua and white. He noticed that she’d brushed her hair. Beneath the light it shone a silvery-gold, and given those dazzling blue eyes of hers, he’d never seen a woman with such fabulous coloring.
“At last.”
“I didn’t mean to sleep so long.”
“You’re still catching up. Are you hungry?”
“I am, if you can believe it. I just took another pill to make sure I stay feeling good.”
“It seems to be working. Come all the way in and join me.”
He’d already set the galley table with fresh fruit and rolls, plus apple juice and water for her. After serving the salad, he poured himself coffee and sat down opposite her. She reached for the water first and drank a full glass before eating a roll.
“The hot weather this time of year will get to you if you don’t stay hydrated.”
“So I’ve noticed. I’ll start carrying a bottle around with me. Thank you for fixing dinner, but I hope you know I don’t expect to be waited on.”
“I enjoyed fixing our prenuptial meal.”
She ate some of her salad, then rested her fork on the plate. “Speaking of our wedding, I’d like to explain about today. I didn’t want to leave the impression that the white
Once he’d carried everything to her bedroom, he told her he’d be on the phone in the lounge if she needed him. For the next little while Stephanie removed the tags from her purchases and put them away in the closet and dresser.
She checked her watch. It was going on five o’clock. By this time tomorrow they would have been married an hour already.
She supposed she should try on her wedding dress, but for the moment she was too tired, and she’d need a shower first. Emotional fatigue had set in. Maybe later, after she got ready for bed, she’d take it out of the plastic cover and see how it looked on her.
With a sigh she removed her jeans, which were too tight, and lay down on the bed for a minute. She turned on her side, while her hand went automatically to the little bulge, which was definitely getting bigger. Tears trickled out of the corners of her eyes.
“All this is for you, my darling. Are you a little Alex who will be impossibly handsome like your father and turn the head of every girl? Or are you a beautiful little Melitta with flashing black eyes and hair like your daddy? Maybe by my next appointment, or the next, I’ll know what to call you.”
CHAPTER SIX
W HEN IT GOT to be seven, Nikos hung up the phone with the florist who would bring some flowers to the church tomorrow. All he had left to do was buy a ring. He’d do it in the morning, after Yannis came on board and Nikos had done his exercises.
Now that he’d taken care of everything he could, he got up and walked down the corridor to Stephanie’s bedroom. He knocked, but couldn’t hear any noise. Since he would have noticed if she’d gone up on deck, he knocked again.
Was she sick? She’d eaten more at lunch than he’d expected. Though he was relieved to see she had an appetite, he worried. Being very quiet, he turned the handle and opened the door a crack.
What he saw made his heart fail. Stephanie had removed her jeans and left them on the floor where she’d stepped out of them. Could he hope it was because they were too tight?
She was out for the count, with her long gorgeous legs uncovered. Jet lag had caught up to her. Her gilt-blond hair splayed out on the pillow. He’d seen this sight before, when she hadn’t been wearing any clothes.
The memories came rushing back, increasing the ache for her that had never gone away. Before he lost control, he closed the door and went to the galley to fix himself a cup of coffee and throw a salad together. Anything to keep busy. When she awakened, he assumed she’d want some dinner.
Nikos had just added the feta cheese when she appeared in the doorway. He shot her a glance. She was wearing a new pair of jeans and one of the flowered print blouses she’d picked out, this one in aqua and white. He noticed that she’d brushed her hair. Beneath the light it shone a silvery-gold, and given those dazzling blue eyes of hers, he’d never seen a woman with such fabulous coloring.
“At last.”
“I didn’t mean to sleep so long.”
“You’re still catching up. Are you hungry?”
“I am, if you can believe it. I just took another pill to make sure I stay feeling good.”
“It seems to be working. Come all the way in and join me.”
He’d already set the galley table with fresh fruit and rolls, plus apple juice and water for her. After serving the salad, he poured himself coffee and sat down opposite her. She reached for the water first and drank a full glass before eating a roll.
“The hot weather this time of year will get to you if you don’t stay hydrated.”
“So I’ve noticed. I’ll start carrying a bottle around with me. Thank you for fixing dinner, but I hope you know I don’t expect to be waited on.”
“I enjoyed fixing our prenuptial meal.”
She ate some of her salad, then rested her fork on the plate. “Speaking of our wedding, I’d like to explain about today. I didn’t want to leave the impression that the white
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