As the sun gracefully descended over the Grand Canal, the scene exuded undeniable romance, yet comfort eluded Leah. Her black stiletto heels, stylish but impractical, threatened to twist her ankles with every step. The discomfort, however, paled in comparison to the constant awareness of men's lingering stares along the walkway. Thomas, acutely attuned to the attention she garnered, clung to her arm possessively, casting glares at any man who dared approach or gaze too intently. He resembled a protective lion, ready to defend and even eliminate any perceived threat to his female companion. Leah couldn't shake the vulnerability that enveloped her, feeling like a gazelle on the brink of being torn apart for some lion's dinner – the specific lion almost irrelevant in her anxious state. Casting a sidelong glance at Thomas, a strange fear gripped her, one she attributed to her lack of memory about him. Would she be afraid if she remembered him? The uncertainty lingered in her thoughts. Be
Once settled within the luxurious confines of their penthouse suite, Thomas promptly released Leah’s hand. Emerging from the bathroom a good ten minutes later, having diligently attended to her nightly dental regimen, he remained engrossed in his laptop work at the sleek desk positioned near the window, scarcely sparing her a glance. Through the window behind him, she observed the mesmerising spectacle of ferries crossing the Adriatic Sea, their twinkling lights resembling distant constellations.Awkwardly breaking the silence, she expressed gratitude for borrowing his pyjama top, her tone tinged with an uneasy laugh that resonated as nervous and somewhat goofy, even to her own ears. “I must have lost mine. There was nothing in my suitcase.”Casually, he dropped the bombshell, “You always slept in the nude.”Attempting to maintain composure, she swallowed, her gaze fixated on his profile, acutely aware of the bed looming behind her. “Well, um…”“You take the bed.” He rose, closing his
Thomas wished he could get her out of his system once and for all. Until he never wanted her again. Until the thought of bedding her was as disgusting as a flawless Baccarat crystal decanter of imported single malt Scotch.Turning off the water, he towelled himself dry. He pulled his clothes from the closet, where someone on his staff had neatly put them away. He stepped into his boxers and black pants, then stared at himself in the half-fogged mirror. He took a deep breath.No.He wouldn’t give in to lust.He wouldn’t be seduced by her again.Fiercely, he pushed aside the thought of Leah in his bed, her skin glowing with rough lovemaking and her eyes full of desire.He’d once planned to take her new fortune from her under threat of prosecuting her for theft and corporate espionage.But now…All he wanted was for their child to be safe and healthy in his arms. And Leah disappears from their lives forever after the baby is born.As he buttoned his sharply tailored white shirt, he glare
The sunlight streamed weakly through the palace windows, casting a pattern on the marble floor. Thomas admitted he initially doubted rumours about Leah’s beauty until they met. His intense gaze made her feel mesmerised. He resembled a pirate, ready to plunder, which startled her. He recalled seeing her in a red dress, determined to have her even if she was with his rival. He would've pursued her, even against the devil.As he came up the stairs toward her, she was unable to move. Unable to breathe.“You made me pursue you across Venice for a week before you finally surrendered and agreed to accompany me to Athens. Where I finally discovered to my surprise that you were a virgin.” He fixed his dark eyes on her, and a flash of heat coursed through her body. “For the first time in my life, I found myself wanting a woman more after I had bedded her, instead of less.”He bent his head toward her. She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.“The more I had of you,” he whispered, “the more I wanted
The sensation of kissing Leah was akin to plunging headfirst into the inferno of hell itself. Thomas thought. It ignited a blazing fire within him, a searing heat that coursed through his veins with an intensity that left him breathless. Thomas found himself unable to resist the primal urge to draw her closer, “Oh, Leah, my Leah,’ his hand instinctively finding its place on the back of her head, fingers entwining in the silken strands of her hair as he fervently deepened the kiss.For months, he had harboured a potent mixture of resentment and longing towards her, a tumultuous whirlwind of emotions that had consumed his every waking moment. And now, as their lips met in a fervent embrace, he was overwhelmed by a tidal wave of sensation unlike anything he had ever experienced before.Yet, as the kiss reached its zenith, Thomas couldn't help but feel a pang of disquiet gnawing at the edges of his consciousness. It wasn't just desire that fueled the intensity of the moment; it was Leah h
“But I understand,” Leah said with a sigh. “You don’t want to bother your friends on their anniversary.” She brightened. “Perhaps we could wait a few days, plan something here in Venice, and invite them.”“All right,” Thomas said through clenched teeth. He would lose this battle to win the war.“All right?” she repeated.“We’ll wed in Athens.”“Oh, thank you!” she cried, whirling around in his arms to embrace him. “You’re so good to me!”“I’ll get my car,” Roger said.“No.” Holding her in his arms, Thomas looked over her head at Roger. “My men will sort out your car. We’ll take my plane. There must be no delay.”“I understand.” Glancing between the two of them with an amused grin, his friend gave a snort. “I’ve felt that way myself, too.” He pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll tell Lia we’re on our way.”Leah had never expected, when she woke up that morning, that today would be her wedding day. Or that she would get married in a castle in Athens.The beautiful Lia Notthill, called Conte
From the very moment Thomas laid eyes on Leah, resplendent in her wedding gown, radiating a captivating blend of sweetness and innocence with her shy yet elated smile, a seismic shift reverberated through the depths of his soul, stirring dormant emotions and igniting a fervent longing within him.Leah adorned herself in a simple yet elegant cream-coloured wedding dress, a stark contrast to the opulence often associated with such occasions. Her dark locks peeked out from beneath a delicate veil, framing her features with a soft halo of ethereal beauty, while she cradled flame-coloured roses in her unadorned hands, their vibrant hues a striking juxtaposition against her understated attire. There was an undeniable purity and authenticity about her, devoid of any pretence or artifice, her beauty emanating from within like a beacon of light amidst a world shrouded in darkness.As Thomas leaned in to bestow a fleeting kiss upon her lips, a tumultuous whirlwind of emotions consumed him, his
Almost an hour. Leah glanced over at her new husband, who was still sitting at his desk, staring at his laptop screen with hard eyes.Maybe Thomas has work to do, she tried to tell herself. Urgent, unavoidable work that he was desperate to finish so they could properly enjoy their honeymoon.But she wasn’t completely comforted by her explanation. Not when he’d turned so cold and unresponsive from the moment he’d become her husband.It was almost as if he were angry at her. But that didn’t make sense. Hadn’t he come to Chicago, desperate to find her? Hadn’t he proposed marriage when he found out she was pregnant with his child? Hadn’t he spent days passionately, tenderly convincing her to marry him?She’d finally agreed to be his wife. They’d had a romantic, perfect wedding. So why was he suddenly acting like a man who despised the thought of her existence?She rubbed her head wearily, causing more tendrils to tumble from her chignon. It didn’t make sense. Was her confusion caused by h
Thomas drove her to the city, exceeding all speed records to reach the private hospital in time. They were too late for anaesthesia. She’d just barely settled into her private suite, and Dr. Bartlett had just rushed in to check on her, before their baby was born.Thomas held her close as their son came into the world, protecting them. And in the instant their newborn baby was placed in her exhausted arms, both their lives changed forever.Thomas kissed his wife’s sweaty forehead, then tenderly cradled them both in his arms. Their love was newly reborn in that single instant, brilliant and flashing like a comet illuminating the dark night, shining like a star that would always last.*****Mommy….mommy, they’re here!”Four-year-old John was running up and down the hallways, screaming like a banshee when he heard the helicopter land on the other side of the island. Leah smiled down at her son, even as she tried helplessly to hush him before he woke his two-year-old sister, who always got
Leah knelt, brushing the earth off the grey marble angel before placing half the daisies on her grave. “I’m going to have his baby any day now. And I forced him to promise to stay away from us.” She gave a harsh laugh. “I guess I never thought he’d stay so true to his word. Perhaps he’s not the liar I thought.” She wiped the tears that left cold tracks down her cheeks, chilling beneath the brisk spring wind as she said softly, “What should I do?”Her father’s grave was silent. Leah heard only the sigh of the wind through the trees as she stared down at the words on the gravestone.No. Her throat suddenly hurt. Sometimes love and passion can be equally joined, like a mutual fire. She’d felt it.The desire between Leah and Thomas had been explosive. She’d been so lucky, and she hadn’t even known it. For all her adult life, she’d been focused on the wrong thing. On revenge. On regaining a memory that had ultimately caused her nothing but grief.A bitter laugh stuck in her throat.Hearing
“No!” Leah jerked away from him. “Don’t touch me!” She turned away, heading for the door, desperate to get out of the bedroom, away from the soft, mussed sheets that were still warm from the tender passion of their bodies, away from the scent of him that still clung to her. Away from the happiness of the innocent, explosive joy she’d experienced moments before.“I don’t blame you,” he said quietly behind her, causing her to halt. “When I found out you were Justin De Nero's stepsister, I already knew I was falling in love with you. So I brought you here to the island.” He took a deep breath. “I thought if I kept you safe and hidden from the world, you wouldn’t remember. I prayed you never would.”She whirled around with a gasp, and the breath suddenly knocked out of her.“To punish me?” she said, wanting to cry. She lifted her chin. “To claim your victory?”Thomas bowed his head. “To be your husband,” he whispered. “To love you for the rest of my life.”His words crept into her soul li
Thomas pulled off the soft pink cotton dress with its innocent eyelet lace. Removing his own black T-shirt and jeans, he dropped them to the floor. His eyes greedily drank in the vision of Leah in her translucent white bra and panties.Looking into her eyes, he finally spoke the words that had long ago been written across his heart.“I love you, Leah.”She sucked in her breath, her gaze searching his. Wanting to believe. Needing to believe.Then he kissed her.Her lips seared him to the core. With every beat of his heart, he loved her. And all he wanted to do was make his vow of a month ago true; he wanted to spend the rest of his life kissing her.She moved beneath him on the white blanket of the bed. Above him, he could hear the soft whir of the ceiling fan, hear the cry of the morning birds outside, and feel the soft breeze against his naked body.He touched her naked skin, bronzed from so many days spent outside. He stroked her body all over, worshipping her with his fingertips, wi
After she had slept, he reached his breaking point. Getting up from the bed, he gazed through the open French doors onto the terrace, where the gentle breeze swirled the curtains. He observed the full moonlight dancing on the black waves of the Aegean, resembling lost spirits ensnared in invisible webs to the earth.He had believed he could shield them here, far from the world's reach. He was mistaken. To protect his family, he could never again be intimate with his wife, not even a kiss. For if he did, she would remember everything, and he would lose her.Thomas was consumed by pain, his breath catching in his chest. He stole one final glance at his pregnant wife, peacefully sleeping in their bed. He cherished her beauty, even as he agonized over the tear stains on her face. As the pink hues of sunrise began to fill the room, he clenched his fists and left her to sleep alone.How had it all gone so wrong?A month later, Leah remained baffled. She resided in a breathtaking Greek villa
“Two?” Thomas pouted.“Six?” she countered good-naturedly.He looked down at her, his dark eyes smiling. “We can compromise. Three.”“All right.” She leaned against him with a contented sigh. “I’m so happy here,” she confessed. “I never want to leave.”He flashed her a grin. “Then we won’t.”“Just what do you have in mind?” she teased. “A honeymoon that never ends?”He bent to kiss her lightly, tenderly on the lips. “Exactly.”He went to the white granite table, removing the two lunch plates from the tray. He set them out with silverware and linen napkins. He brought the two glasses of sparkling water to the lounge chairs and handed one to her.He held up his glass. “To the most beautiful woman in the world.”Flushing with pleasure, she clinked the glass against his. “To the most wonderful man in the world,” she said softly. “Thank you for telling me the truth. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for putting it all behind us and bringing me home.”His dark brows creased, and he look
Thomas was blown away by her openness and vulnerability. Leah had accepted blame for a betrayal she could not even remember. She’d chosen to believe him. To trust him when all he’d done was lie to her, trick her, and punish her. It was enough to bring any man to his knees.Thomas started to walk toward her, but he’d gone only a few steps before the phone in his hand rang. He saw his lead investigator’s number and answered. “That was fast.”“I can tell you about your wife’s father right now, Mr. Alexander.” Barr paused. “Do the names Chase Johnson and Justin De Nero mean anything to you?”Thomas’s entire body went hot, then turned to ice.He was only dimly aware of the ebb and flow of people around him as his hand clenched around the phone.“Johnson and Justin De Nero?” he repeated in a strangled voice.“The owner of Johnson Inc. is the best friend of Leah’s stepbrother, Justin De Nero. They are close friends... very close friends.”Thomas’s heart pounded in his throat. He saw black bi
“And so I’ve been waiting for you to remember. Every place I’ve taken you, every memory I’ve hoped to reignite, was so you could tell me why.” Suddenly, she understood everything. “Not just that,” she whispered. “You wanted to punish me. It’s what you’ve wanted since the day you found me in London. You wanted revenge—” “Justice,” he corrected coldly. “But when you found out I was pregnant, that changed everything, didn’t it?” She gave a choked laugh, then covered her mouth with an intake of breath. “You felt you had to marry me because I was pregnant with your baby. You never loved me. All you wanted was to hurt me.” “I spent months trying to find you before you resurfaced at your father’s funeral. You’re a wealthy woman, Leah, so you couldn’t have betrayed me for money. So you must have done it out of love. You’re in love with Jake Skinner. It’s the only explanation.” She thought of the playboy with his bleached-white smile and shook her head. “I could never love him.” “Then wh
Cradled in Thomas’s strong arms, beneath the soft dawn spilling from the windows, Leah hadn’t wanted to wake up. She’d pressed her head against his naked chest, relishing the feel of his warm skin laced with dark hair.His body was so much larger than her own. Snuggled against him in the enormous bed, she’d felt protected. Safe. Loved. There was so much about him that she still didn’t understand. But still, she was falling in love with him all over again.Drowsy and content, she’d listened to the beat of his heart against her cheek. The beat grew louder, like the sound of heavy footsteps stomping in unison against a hard stone floor. Step. Step. Step.She felt suddenly cold as she looked at the blurry faces around her. Her father’s sobbing face came into sharp focus. She clung to Leah, wailing as they watched her mother’s and sister-in-law's coffins pass out of the church on the shoulders of old men. Leah clutched her father’s hands in her own, suddenly terrified that her mother’s and