Read Online Claiming The Prize by Nadja Notariani - Free Book Online Page A

share my life with, to
love and have my love returned.”
    Grace's heart swelled within her chest. She
could not find her voice, her throat too thick with emotion. Tears
of happiness filled her eyes, glistening in the glow of golden
light, and she reached to cover his arm with her hand. It was all
the encouragement Drago needed. Pulling her into his arms, he held
her, resting his chin on the top of her head. She wrapped her hands
around his waist, laying her cheek against his chest, the action
sliding the scarf down over her shoulders.
    “ Mas moje
srdee... you have my
heart , ” he
murmured into her hair.
    They stood together, neither speaking
for sweet moments, savoring the closeness of one another until
Drago's soft laughter broke the silence.
    “ We had better return to
the house or your father will question my honor.”
    Looking up into his face, a
rosy blush on her cheeks, Grace shared in his laughter. Seeing her
flushed so beautifully in his arms, Drago felt desire surge through
him. Lowering his head, he brushed her soft lips tenderly with his
and took her hand once again. As they left the barn, Grace's free
hand touched her lips, still warm and tingling from the contact. The gesture did not go unnoticed, and Drago realized that he had
been the first to kiss her, the knowledge impacting him deeply. His
time with her had led him to believe she had never been intimate
with a man, but he had not imagined that she was even innocent of a
first kiss. He would not bed her before they married, regardless,
having vowed to wait until marriage since returning to his faith
after wild younger days had left him devastated, but knowing he
would be the only man to touch her evoked a fierce protectiveness
within him he had never experienced before. Rubbing his thumb over
the back of her hand, they descended the path toward the house,
each happy to dwell on what had taken place.
    * * *
    Guy heard the door open, and he waited
to hear the tone of the conversation before entering the kitchen. When laughter reached his ears, he relaxed somewhat. His daughter
obviously returned the Slovak's interest, an interest he had
watched grow over the past months, but he had not been certain
Grace would accept any overture from a fighter who trained in his
gym.
    It was inevitable, he knew,
that one day she would find love, and it was good that she did. As
a father, he was both thankful and worried. He liked Drago, was
confident that the man was honest and hard working; he would not
expect his only daughter to choose otherwise. Still, he had hoped
she would not become involved with a fighter. It could be a
difficult life, and he wanted Grace to have a happy, peace-filled
existence. But she was his child, and therefore this life was a
part of her as much as her dark hair or her brown eyes. He hoped
she would not have her heart broken, now or in the
future.
    He had loved Grace's mother, truly. Elleni Sardopolis had entered his life during his rise through the
ranks of K-1 Kickboxing. She leveled him out, kept him focused on
what was important in life. They married and spent five happy years
together, and Grace had arrived in their third year of marriage to
great surprise as Elleni had been told she would never have a
child.
    When Grace was approaching
two years old, word had come that Elleni's mother was ill and
didn't have much time to live. Not wanting her mother to spend her
final days in a hospital, Elleni Antolini had made the trip to her
Toronto home to care for her. Guy never saw her again. She had
ignored the pain in her side, not wanting to leave her mother who
was close to death. When she collapsed, no one was there. Her
appendix had ruptured, filling her body with poison. She and her
mother were buried together a week later, leaving Guy alone to
raise their daughter. He had never remarried, content to rear Grace
and fight.
    Emotion welled in his chest at the
sight of his daughter, her cheeks glowing and eyes shining as she
poured the