Home to Hellas (The Challenge Series) (12 page)

He helped her to her feet and unhindered by the IV, she launched into his arms. The tears stayed at bay as her heart beat with his.

“I’m so glad to be home. I never want to leave again.”

“Good. We will stay together now and forever, as we should have from the start.” She nodded, his scent drowning out the hospital, his heartbeat louder than the noise. She was home.

Chapter Seventeen

One Year Later

Pitiful cries woke him from his doze. Dorian kicked away from his desk and ran his hand over his face. There was a reason most men had their children young and enjoyed their grandchildren at their leisure. Even if he had considered that before Jenn became pregnant, he would have set the thought aside. As he stepped into the family room where Jenn and Zoe lay with the babies between them, he thanked everything good he hadn’t known better.

He might miss sleep, but he loved his son and grandson more every day. On the sofa, watching on like a proud hen, his mother grinned.

“Here comes the man, on the run when the babes cry,” she said. “Your boys are exercising their lungs. Strong boys, very strong. My grandson, just like my son.”

“I don’t know, Ya Ya.” Zoe said, running her hand over Ladon’s blond head. “He resembles Jenn.”

His marriage to an American still brought a few comments from his mother, but they’d eased since Ladon’s birth. She knew well grandchildren came best from their happy mother’s laps and she went out of her way to make Jenn smile.

“My grandson could do worse than to take after his pretty mama,” his mother said, making him proud. “But I see my boy in his nose. You can’t hide such a nose.”

Jenn kissed the little one’s cheek before waving Dorian closer. “I agree with you, Berenike. Such a noble nose should be celebrated, and I’m proud my son takes after his father. Actually, I think these two boys resemble each other, what do you think?”

He couldn’t believe his blessings as he took in the sight of his wife and son beside his daughter and grandbaby. Apollo’s birth, six months before Ladon’s, had brought fresh life to the family. Ladon’s confirmed they were ready for the next generation. He was ready.

Dorian sat beside Jenn and rested his hand on her hip. She threaded her fingers with his. “I’m glad you could escape work. We were starting to miss you.”

He kissed her smiling mouth. “Missing me with so much company?”

“Your mother very sweetly offered to watch Ladon for a few hours. Can you take a little more time off?”

“Yes,” the older woman said, listening on shamelessly as ever. “Go with your wife. Zoe and I will watch the babies. We want more, and you aren’t getting any younger.”

From warning him away from her to encouraging more…. He didn’t need to understand his mother to love her. He stood and offered Jenn a hand.

“Shall we have dinner? Perhaps a walk on the beach?”

She shook her head and squeezed his fingers. “I had something else in mind.”

He followed her lead, waving to Zoe and the babies before chasing after Jenn, whose saunter showed every sway of her hips.

“Oh? What’s that, love?”

Her eyes sparkled with mischief when she peered over her shoulder. “I was tidying up the pool room, and you won’t believe the skimpy bikini I found in the drawer. Amazingly enough, it’s my size.”

He’d tucked it there the year before, when he’d wanted her more comfortable. They’d taken to swimming naked together after their marriage.

“Oh?”

“Yep, I thought you could strip it off of me.” She giggled. “But you’re going to have to catch me first.”

She shook his hand loose and ran.

With the sun on his shoulders as he passed a window, Dorian counted his blessings once again. Growing old could wait. He had a wife to play with.

~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~

When Stephanie Beck’s mother told her to quit whining about less than perfect stories and write her own neither of them could have guessed what would happen. Ten years later that advice has become a fulltime passion and occupation. With a wonderful husband and three beautiful children, the fulltime status makes for very long days, but she breaks up the romance and steamy scenes with knitting, walking, sewing and reading.

Please contact Stephanie at
[email protected]
or find out more about her additional works at
http://www.stephaniebeck.net

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