Over the next several days, more plans were put in place. Ries noticed that Stephanie and Nicolai seemed to be going out of their way to bring Damon’s attention to Ries’ contributions.
At first, it was comical to see his oldest brother squirm when Stephanie pressed for some sort of verbal recognition of Ries’ accomplishments. But as one day turned into three, Ries was now coming to realize that he should have been the one demanding that Damon treat him with respect and as an equal.
He understood that Damon might be finding it hard to reconcile the new Ries with the old, immature one who did nothing but party and create international headlines in the social sections.
But Ries was looking at the future now, and that meant he was ready to take up his responsibilities and stand up for himself.
The fact that Nicolai and Stephanie felt they needed to come to his rescue was mildly annoying – but understandable, in the face of his own failure to speak up. Finally, on the third day, he’d had enough.
“Damon, don’t you agree that it was very forward thinking of Ries to have the security system back in Cyprus upgraded before you and Nicolai return home?” Stephanie asked as they were seated at the luncheon table.
“I wasn’t aware the security system needed upgrading,” Damon replied dismissively.
“Oh, it did. Piotr and Chris spent many hours going over the system and making adjustments to it. Ries made sure it was scheduled to be completed before any of you set foot on the property again.”
Damon looked at Ries and then begrudgingly nodded. “Fine, it was a good idea. Thank you for thinking of it.”
That was an alien feeling. Damon, praising him. Thanking him for something. Ever since their parents passed away, leaving Ries the youngest child, he’d felt like he was merely underfoot.
Stephanie looked pleased with herself and while Ries liked her championing him in such a fashion, he knew he needed to stop her before she went too far.
“Stephanie, I’m sure Damon realizes all that I do for the family business. I appreciate that you want to hear him say so, but as we all know, Damon isn’t a very communicative sort.”
“Well, he should be,” she told him.
Damon grinned grudgingly at her and then nodded, “I will try to do better.”
Ries smiled, “That is all anyone can ask for.”
Later that evening, Ries made sure to thank Stephanie for her support, but encouraged her to leave Damon to him from now on. He and his oldest brother needed to come to an understanding that the past was simply that: the past.
“I just hate seeing him treat you like you aren’t capable of handling things,” she told him as they lay in bed.
“Damon has been handling things for a very long time. In the beginning, he was doing it by himself and as Nicolai, he relinquished some of the reins to him. By the time I got old enough to start handling parts of the business, he and Nicolai seemed to have it all under control. The few times I tried to help, Damon could only criticize my efforts, so I just quit trying.
“In his defense, he’s been watching me not try for a while now. After being criticized a few times, I simply stopped trying. It might take him some time to realize I’m trying to change.” Ries smiled at Stephanie, “And that I have some very effective help doing that.”
“You have changed,” Stephanie told him softly. She rolled over and propped her chin up on his chest.
“You aren’t the drunken playboy I first met. You’ve stepped up and taken charge of some pretty serious situations. Damon needs to give you the benefit of the doubt and stop looking for things to criticize.”
“I agree with you, but it’s in his nature. You cannot expect a leopard to change its spots. At least not quickly.”
“Well, I certainly hope he enjoys being alone. I can’t imagine any woman ever wanting to be around someone so serious all the time. Does he ever laugh?”
Ries pressed her head to his chest, “Sometimes, although I can’t remember when the last time was. I doubt he can either. Enough about my brother. You wore me out earlier and we both need our sleep.”
“Okay. I love you, Ries.”
“And I love you, Stephanie. S' agapó.”
Chapter 25
Several weeks later…
Ries and Stephanie had settled into a happy existence in Thessaloniki, finding their own villa where they weren’t constantly surrounded by the Moustakas family. Alexi and Leo had extended to them a long-term place to stay, but Ries had politely declined, wanting to recapture the early days when he’d had Stephanie to himself.
Stephanie still spent plenty of time with Gemma, Kassi, and Aimee, but never without her security detail in attendance. Ries had explained that he needed to know she was safe in order to concentrate on his own tasks, and she’d capitulated with a smile. A vast difference from before when he’d tried to control her movements to keep her safe. This way was much better for both of them. He knew where she was at all times and that she was being protected, but he discussed all of his concerns with her, and she was free to come and go without fear that he might object.
They had hired a housekeeper and as each day passed, Ries became more certain that Stephanie belonged in his life. Forever.
He was slowly learning all about her likes and dislikes, her dreams, her successes and her failures, and eventually he was able to piece together all of the romantic dreams she’d let go because she’d been too afraid of never realizing them.
His Stephanie was a romantic at heart and Ries found he wasn’t averse to providing her all of the romance she could handle.
This day, he had a monumental task ahead of him and he rose early in the morning and had a video chat with his brothers.
“Ries,” Nicolai greeted him, obviously just having returned from working out as he was covered in a sheen of sweat.
“Nicolai. Good morning. Damon, you look as if you’ve been up for hours.”
“I have been. To what do we owe the pleasure of this call so early?” Damon inquired.
Ries took a breath and then lifted up the jeweler’s box so that they could see inside it. “I’m going to ask Stephanie to marry me.”
Nicolai grinned and cheered him on. “Way to go, brother. I like her and think the two of you make a wonderful couple. What do you say, Damon?”
“You’re sure about this?” Damon asked, his face not giving away anything he might be feeling.
Ries sighed, “I was hoping for your support but I see that even in this…”
“Now, wait a minute!” Damon exclaimed. “Look, I’m trying here. If Stephanie makes you happy and you really and truly love her, then I am all in support of you marrying her. I just don’t want to see you make a mistake.”
“He’s still in ‘big brother, I need to protect Ries’ mode,” Nicolai offered.
Ries nodded, “I realize that. But Damon, I’m old enough to fight my own battles now and while I appreciate your concern - they are my choices. And I choose Stephanie. She makes me a better man. She makes me want to conquer the world.”
Damon finally smiled, the most genuine smile Ries had seen in many years. “I know,” he said. “Even I’ve seen the change in you. If that is due in part to her presence in your life, I will personally perform your wedding ceremony.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Ries grinned. “However, I would like for you both to be there.”
“Have you asked her yet?” Damon asked, relaxing now and for the first time in years, acting like an older brother instead of Ries’ keeper.
“This afternoon. On the beach.”
“Think she’ll say yes?” Nicolai teased him.
“I think she will. Can you both come to the mainland this weekend?”
“Are you planning on having an engagement party?” Damon asked.
“No. I’m planning on having a wedding,” Ries replied.
“A wedding? Ries that’s only three days away,” Damon told him with an astonished shake of his head.
“If sh
e says yes and we both know we want to get married, I see no reason to wait. She doesn’t have any family or friends that would need to come here from the States, so why not get married right away?”
“She might have something to say about that,” Nicolai warned him.
“Well, if she does then of course, I’ll adjust. But I know Stephanie and I think she’ll be ecstatic to get married in short order.”
“Well, good luck and let us know how it goes,” Damon said, biting back more commentary with visible effort. “We’ll plan on flying over on Friday.”
“Good. I’ll see you then.”
Ries disconnected the call and then stared at the ring. It wasn’t the biggest diamond he’d been able to find, nor was it flashy and full of extra diamonds and bling. It was a simple solitaire - princess cut - that sparkled in the sunlight. Just like Stephanie.
He tucked it away in his pocket and then went to make sure everything else was prepared for their afternoon at the beach. He’d already had the security men make sure there wouldn’t be anyone offshore that might be able to photograph them, and since the stretch of beach attached to the villa was a private one.
He didn’t have to worry about sharing this special moment with anyone but the love of his life.
*****
Four hours later…
“Stephanie, you’re going to get burned if you stay in the water any longer,” Ries told her.
He was used to the Grecian sun, but Stephanie’s fair skin tended to burn unless she reapplied sunscreen every hour. It was already turning a faint pink and when she didn’t immediately stop looking for shells, he took matters into his own hands.
He swept her up into his arms, twirling them around, and carried her up to the blanket and large umbrella that had been set up for their picnic. He set her down and then handed her a towel for her hair.
“I love this place,” she told him as she dried her hair with the towel and then finger combed it into some sort of order. “Thank you for bringing me here today. I enjoy going to the beach with Gemma and the other women, but I’d much prefer to come to the beach with you.”
Ries smiled at her, enjoying the sight of her in the deep red bikini. The two triangles of fabric that made up the top, barely covered her ample breasts, and Ries knew from experience that a simple tug on the strings at her neck and across her back would have it falling off to reveal the treasures beneath.
The bikini bottom was a glorified thong that rode low on her hips and barely covered up things only his eyes should see. She was a goddess of perfection, even though she still didn’t think of herself in those terms. Ries was working on that.
“Phew! It’s hot today.”
“Yes, but not as hot as you are,” he teased her, trying to allay his nerves now that the moment was upon him. He reached into the pocket of his swim shorts, making sure he had the ring box, and then reached for her hand. “Take a walk with me.”
“Sure.” She held his hand and they began to walk toward the far end of the beach. There was a small cove at the end of the beach and Ries led her there and then pulled her up onto the rocks alongside him.
Stephanie was delighted with the view. “Why haven’t we come here before? This is going to become my new favorite place.”
“I hope for more than one reason,” Ries told her, getting down on one knee and then pulling her hand so that she would turn and see him.
He watched her eyes go wide as she began to suspect what was happening, and Ries knew he’d never seen anything so beautiful as Stephanie, with the wind blowing in her hair, the sun shining overhead, the turquoise sea behind her and fluffy white clouds on a blanket of blue sky above.
“Theé, eísai ómorfi.” Ries pulled the jeweler’s box from his pocket and held it out to her.
“Stephanie Harris, you are the light in the dark that points me in the right direction. Because of you, I’m becoming a man I can look in the mirror and be proud of. You have changed me for the better, and I can’t imagine this world without you in it.”
He opened the box and then met her eyes, hoping she could see the love he had for her in his gaze. “I love you, and I want to wake up next to you each and every morning for the rest of our lives. Will you do me the honor of agreeing to be my wife?”
Stephanie was crying by this time and she knelt in front of him, nodding her head as he pulled the ring from the velvet lining and slid it onto her finger. She threw herself in his arms then, almost knocking them both off of the rock, but Ries steadied them and hugged her close before kissing her passionately.
Ries got to his feet and helped her down off the rock. Once they were back on the white sand beach, he swept her up into his arms and carried her back toward the blanket, kissing her the entire way. He set her down on the blanket, but when she tried to pull him down to the blanket, her intentions obvious, Ries shook his head and backed away.
“No, I want us to wait.”
“Wait?” Stephanie asked, looking at him curiously.
“Call me old-fashioned, but I want us to wait so that our wedding night is one we will never, ever forget.”
“Okay,” she agreed with him and Ries could tell she was very puzzled by his request.
“How about we go for another swim?” he suggested, not wanting to test his resolve by remaining within easy touching distance of her delectable body.
“Sure. I’ll need some more sunscreen, though.”
Ries gritted his teeth but nodded and dutifully applied it. His fingers itched to untie her suit, but he held firm, his resolve for a quick wedding becoming more of a necessity now. He led her toward the water and then held her hand while they waded in the surf.
After several minutes, he pulled her to face him and asked, “So, I was thinking Saturday might be a nice day to get married.”
“Saturday weddings are nice.”
Ries smiled and then clarified his statement. “This Saturday.”
Stephanie’s mouth opened on the words, but no sound came out on the first try. “You want to get married in three days?”
“Exactly. My brothers are coming over Friday to be here for it.”
“Ries, we can’t get married in three days.”
“Why not? You want to marry me. I want to marry you. And believe me, keeping my hands off of you for three days is going to test my self-control to the edge of reason.”
Stephanie looked at him and then burst into laughter. “You’re the one who decided we shouldn’t mess around now.”
“And I intend to stick to that, but you have to marry me Saturday.”
Stephanie turned and pressed her chest against his own, “I’ll marry you any day of the week and twice on Sunday.”
“Good. I spoke with Gemma and Aimee this morning. They are taking care of all the details and have requested you join them tomorrow morning to pick out your wedding dress.”
He kissed her and then, needing to cool them both off, he swept her up into his arms and carried her out into the ocean. He tossed her into the air before diving beneath the waves himself. They cavorted in the water until her skin was once again turning pink, and then they returned to the villa.
After showering separately, Ries escorted Stephanie over to the Moustakas estate to share her news. The women were happy for her and insisted she sit with them and detail her dream wedding.
It was almost ten o’clock that night before they returned to their own home, but Stephanie couldn’t stop smiling and Ries couldn’t wait until she bore his last name.
Stephanie was his, and he couldn’t wait to let the rest of the world know that.
Chapter 26
Three days later…
“And do you Stephanie Harris, take Ries Kafatos, to love and cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, to be your beloved husband?” the priest asked.
“I do,” Stephanie told him, her voice ringing out loud and clear for their guests. There weren’t many, just family, the Moustakas cousins and their wives, and the few
friends and associates who had helped them get to this point. Behind them, the sun was setting over the Mediterranean, setting the sky on fire.
“Ries and Stephanie, in as much as you have both declared your love for one another before these witnesses, I am privileged to declare you husband and wife. May the gods be with you on your journey through this life.”
Ries smiled down into her eyes and Stephanie was amazed at how full her heart felt. She could see the promise in his eyes, as well as the unremitting lust that three days abstinence had wrought. She herself was so in tune with him that just the touch of his hand on hers had her heart racing and her body warming.
Ries bent to kiss her and she whispered against his lips, “How long do we have to stay at the reception?”
“Just a few minutes and then I’m taking you away on our honeymoon. I intend to have my way with you. Over and over again.”
“Yes, please,” Stephanie told him as he kissed her, dipping her backwards over his arms to the delighted cheers and claps of their guests.
He stood her back up and Damon and Nicolai were both there to congratulate them. Everyone was cheerful.
The Moustakas wives had insisted on taking over the planning of her entire ceremony. Stephanie had told them about the wedding she’d always envisioned for herself, and they hadn’t let her down. Every single item had been there, down to the blooming lilacs she held in her bouquet.
Stephanie smiled and exchanged hugs with her new group of friends, accepting their well-wishes and realizing that not only had she gained a family with Ries, but she’d gained a life she’d never have been able to imagine in her wildest dreams.
It was the perfect life and for her, and for the first time in her adult life, she wasn’t worried about how she was going to pay the rent or when someone was finally going to realize she had a brain and didn’t mind using it.
With Gemma’s help, she was going to begin working with the Greek Ministry of Historical Artifacts after her honeymoon on a part-time basis. Her degree was finally going to be put to use helping to educate the public about their culture, and she couldn’t wait. For Stephanie, it was no longer about the money, but about using the knowledge she had and her love of artifacts.
Protected By Him (The Greek Brothers Book 4) Page 15