Adonis in Athens - Page 74

“Tom, enough!” Seth stood up and glared at the younger man. “She doesn’t love you and she’s married to someone else. Now stop this nonsense!”

“She’s spent more time in my bed than his!” he roared, reaching around Mick as though he could get to Paige that way. “She’s mine, damn you! Mine!”

Before Apollo could react, Thespina rose from her seat like a whirling dervish in black. With her small sequined handbag swinging wildly, she approached Tom amidst a torrent of Greek that Paige was almost glad she didn’t understand. She swatted at him repeatedly, cursing a blue streak that had Paige’s family frowning in amusement and Apollo’s unable to contain their laughter. With Mick’s continued assistance, Thespina prodded Tom out the door until no one could see them anymore.

“I love your grandmother,” Paige whispered to Apollo, though tears had begun to spill from her eyes.

“Don’t cry, koukla mou,” he whispered back, his fingers brushing them away. “Think of how funny this will be 20 years from now.”

“Most fun I’ve had at a wedding in years!” the pappas whispered, discreetly winking at her. “This isn’t your fault. Now, dry your eyes—I have a blessing to perform!”

“Should someone get Yaya?” Apollo asked, glancing over his shoulder.

“I’ve got her,” Mick called out, coming back in the room with the older woman holding on to his arm as though she was royalty.

“As I was saying,” the priest continued as though nothing had happened, “we’re celebrating the reaffirmation of Apollo and Paige’s vows…”

Fifteen minutes later, Paige breathed a sigh of relief when Apollo pressed his lips to hers and the room filled with cheers. Laughing and smiling, all thoughts of Tom long gone, Paige felt a kind of happiness she’d never experienced before. As memories of their first wedding ran through her mind like a kaleidoscope of disconnected videos, she focused on the handsome, loving man at her side.

“Welcome to the family,” Maria said with a smile, hugging her tightly.

“Thank you.” Paige hugged her back. “I’m so sorry my ex-boyfriend almost ruined everything.”

“Ruined?” Maria’s eyes twinkled. “This is the most fun my mother-in-law has had in a decade! Did you see her attack him?”

Paige snickered. “It’s pretty funny…now! I almost died of embarrassment as it was happening!”

“Forget it!” Maria waved a hand. “He’s a ksekoliaris!”

Paige just grinned. “I think so too!”

Dinner was set out—a huge mishmash of Greek and American food served buffet style—and the 40 guests attacked it with gusto. Paige and Apollo hung back, watching their friends and family celebrate. His fingers stroked the skin of her forearm, the gentle touch causing gooseflesh to break out. They sat close together, thighs rubbing as they enjoyed the feeling of actually being married. The ceremony had somehow changed their perception and suddenly everything felt so much more real, more intense and even more intimate.

“Today has been a good day,” he said softly.

“It’s wonderful,” she nodded. “And I remembered…” She cut off, almost embarrassed.

“Remembered what?” He turned to her in surprise.

“Our first wedding. Not all of it, but enough bits and pieces to create the visual in my mind’s eye.”

“I remember what you were wearing,” he admitted. “Some sexy red top and these really high heels…”

She grinned. “What else do you remember?”

“I remember the wedding night…” he murmured, nibbling the back of her ear. “I remember the nights before the wedding too.”

“I’ll bet you do!” She closed her eyes against the way his touch affected her, letting it flood her senses, a veritable blanket of comfort coupled with the deep-seated feeling of everything being just right.

“How long until we get the wedding night do-over?”

“Not long.” She nudged him. “But definitely not until after I eat! It smells wonderful!”

Eating wasn’t in the cards for her just yet, as Mick clanged a fork against the rim of a glass to get everyone’s attention.

“As the best man,” he spoke loudly, “I’m supposed to make a speech. I know everyone is enjoying the wonderful meal that’s making my stomach growl, so I’ll keep it short. First, I want to congratulate my best friend and his beautiful bride—I’m glad you guys decided to have a ceremony because I was kind of ticked off that I missed the first one!”

Laughter rumbled through the room as he continued. “The year they met, Apollo was determined to go to Vegas for spring break, and I was headed for the Bahamas. It was the first time in four years we didn’t spend spring break together, but he wanted to see Vegas before he went back to Greece so off he went. Next thing I know he’s pining away for some girl, telling me he might have married her…I thought he was crazy, and to be honest, I basically ignored him because—who gets married and doesn’t remember or find out for sure?!” He turned to glare at Apollo and Paige, who were chuckling along with everyone else. “Three years later I get this phone call—he really did marry her, she’d come to Greece to divorce him but he was falling in love with her. I got my butt on a plane to Greece as fast as I could because I had to meet this girl—and she left the day I got there. I really didn’t know what to think, but my friend asked me to come with him to the States to get his wife back…so what’s a guy to do? I put my butt back on a plane, this time to Vegas.” He glanced at Paige and smiled.