Expectant Bride (18 page)

The past twenty-four hours had been hectic, Ellie acknowledged. Dio had thrown a huge party in London to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. Then they had flown out to the island and spent the day entertaining Dio's relatives, who had now all either gone to bed or travelled home again.

A whole year. Ellie could still hardly credit that she had been married to Dio for that long. And the magic had not only lasted but got stronger, she reflected, with glowing eyes and the slow, steady smile of a contented woman.

Working conditions in the maintenance department of Alexiakis International were now as good as they could get. Dio had never quite recovered from the sight of Ellie plugging in that floor-polisher and then fainting dead away. Ellie had had no trouble convincing him that the cleaning staff
deserved more generous remuneration for their rarely appreciated efforts.

Ellie returned to their bedroom to slide into a very sexy confection of gold satin, a special order fashioned along the lines of a flamenco dress. Setting off to the beach house, after having instructed a maid to deliver her surprise note to Dio, Ellie took with her the glossy magazine that gushingly described Helena Teriakos' wedding the previous week. She hadn't had a chance to finish reading the article yet.

The bridegroom was a blue-blooded aristocrat, with a title a yard long. Helena looked positively triumphant. However, it was rumoured that the non-attendance of the groom's powerful family signified their outrage at his choice of bride. On their terms it seemed that Helena was just
not
acceptable. Her family tree only went back a couple of generations, while theirs went back several centuries. But, studying the photo of the bridal couple, Ellie reckoned it would be a successful marriage. Helena's husband looked like Arctic Man, his cold blue eyes, tight mouth and rigid carriage.

Slinging the magazine aside with a smile, Ellie lit all the candles and switched off the lights. Then she began to dance to the music she had put on to accompany her display. This was her private anniversary present to Dio. She loved to surprise him. And when she caught the door opening out of the corner of her eye, she had to work really hard not to be drawn into looking directly at him.

When the music rose to a savage crescendo and ended, then she looked, and just burned beneath the sheer, glittering hunger and appreciation in Dio's stunning eyes.

‘You are just
so
easily impressed!' she teased.

Dio hauled her into his arms just like a caveman. She was shivering with excitement. Sensual anticipation ran like fire through her veins, leaving her weak as he slowly crushed her into the hard, muscular heat of his big powerful body. ‘So we're back where we started out—'

‘Plus Spiros.'

‘I never forget our son for a single moment…or the very beautiful, very sexy and wonderful woman who gave him to me,' Dio intoned with impressive intensity. ‘I think I love you even more now than I did a year ago.'

Ellie closed her arms round him tightly. ‘You make me so happy.'

‘That's what I'm here for…' Somewhat distracted by his need to seal his mouth hotly to hers while at the same time backing towards the bedroom, Dio finally contrived the feat and got them both as far as the bed. ‘And to give you
this
…before you dare to suggest that I rushed down here in the most uncool manner imaginable just because I could not wait to go to bed with you!'

Ellie gazed down at the exquisite diamond eternity ring he was now sliding onto her finger and she just melted back into him. ‘Oh, Dio…it's
gorgeous
.'

‘It's engraved with the date we first met.'

‘Gosh, you're getting so romantic!' Ellie sighed.

Dio looked exceedingly smug. ‘You may have set up the candles and the note, but I brought the champagne and had a rose put on the pillow.'

Ellie's eyes widened and her face fell. ‘You mean my note wasn't a surprise?'

Dio winced, registering the error of one-upmanship.

A slow, misty smile curved Ellie's generous mouth and she pushed Dio gently back against the pillows. ‘I just love you to death when you drop yourself in a big tactless hole,' she told him helplessly.

‘I don't quite follow that.' Dio surveyed her with adoring eyes that had a definite hint of bemused relief.

Ellie arranged herself sinuously round him, knowing he didn't understand. But that anxious look he had worn when he had feared that he had hurt her feelings just turned her
heart inside out. ‘Great minds think alike,' she whispered soothingly.

‘You are just amazing…' Dio curved her so close she could hardly breathe.

But then, at the moment, breathing was not half as important as the urgent need to seal their love in the most intimate way of all. Ellie meant to tell him just how amazing he was as well. But the electrifying combination of passion and joyous happiness now unleashed ensured that she didn't tell him until the following morning.