Read Online The Greek's Stolen Bride by Kate Hewitt - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kate Hewitt
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This ceremony would seem paltry in comparison. Just the two of them, the priest, and the lawyer and Lukas for witnesses. All strangers to Ariana.
Again, the guilt.
His unfocused gaze rested on a clump of agapanthus by the terrace wall and without thinking too much about what he was doing, he picked a few for a rather raggedy bouquet.
He heard Ariana's light footsteps on the stairs, and then the sound of the glass door sliding open.
"I'm ready."
He turned and held the flowers out to her. "Every bride needs a bouquet."
"Oh--" She blinked, and for a moment he thought she might cry. He shouldn't have given her the flowers, he realized. It made her think things. Expect things he had no intention of giving.
She took them, smiling shyly. "Thank you. They're very pretty."
"I just picked them from over there," he said gruffly, gesturing to the wall. He sounded surly now, and rather like an ass. "You look lovely," he said, his voice still gruff. "Shall we marry out here?"
She nodded, and within a few minutes they'd all assembled on the terrace. Theo gazed at Ariana out of the corner of his eye, saw how tense and yet composed she looked. She was, he thought not for the first time, an amazingly resilient and strong woman. He genuinely admired her for all she'd done and endured.
Admiration could be the basis for a marriage. A real marriage.
The priest began speaking, and Theo turned the thought over in his mind. What if he stayed married to Ariana? Why not? Mutual admiration and respect was a fine foundation for a marriage. A better foundation, perhaps, than passion or love, both which faded in time.
If he stayed married to her, he could have things he'd thought denied him. A companion. Children. A happiness he'd never considered searching for.
He just wouldn't love her.
Yet would she agree?
The priest placed a crown of ivy on Ariana's head, and then on his own. Linking her slender fingers with his, Theo walked slowly in a circle three times. He'd seen an Orthodox marriage ceremony before, but he'd obviously never participated in one. Never felt the gravity of what he was doing, the power of a promise.
Whether they liked it or not, whether they meant it or not, these vows were real. This marriage was real.
And Theo was beginning to think he wanted it to stay that way.
CHAPTER EIGHT
So it was done. Ariana lifted the crown of ivy off her head and stared at it in bemusement. She hadn't actually said a word, just nodded yes. In an Orthodox ceremony, a woman didn't speak. Yet she'd still agreed. Agreed to a promise, to a marriage. To a life.
That would end in six months.
Swallowing, she twirled the crown around her fingers. The lawyer and priest had both left, along with Theo's assistant Lukas who hadn't been anything like she'd expected. Tall and broad with a nose that had been clearly broken several times and a wicked-looking scar down one cheek, he was, Ariana guessed, a friend from Theo's street gang days.
She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Theo coming onto the terrace where they'd wed just an hour ago. Afterwards Theo had produced champagne and koufeta , the Jordan almonds that one ate at a wedding to symbolize both the sweet and bitter in life. Then everyone had gone, and now they were alone.
"All right?" Theo asked quietly and she nodded. Her throat felt tight and she didn't think she could manage many words. Theo took a step closer to her. "I know this wasn't the kind of wedding you were expecting."
"Thank God for that." Ariana turned to him with a smile. "I'd much prefer this to marrying Dion in a big spectacle of wedding with nothing my own choice or desire."
Theo searched her face, his eyes dark and gleaming with a sudden intensity. "And is this your choice, Ariana? Is this your desire?"
She swallowed, wanting to dissemble yet craving honesty. "I don't know," she whispered. "I know--I know this is just an arrangement."
"Arrangements don't have to bad."
"But soulless.'
"Not
This ceremony would seem paltry in comparison. Just the two of them, the priest, and the lawyer and Lukas for witnesses. All strangers to Ariana.
Again, the guilt.
His unfocused gaze rested on a clump of agapanthus by the terrace wall and without thinking too much about what he was doing, he picked a few for a rather raggedy bouquet.
He heard Ariana's light footsteps on the stairs, and then the sound of the glass door sliding open.
"I'm ready."
He turned and held the flowers out to her. "Every bride needs a bouquet."
"Oh--" She blinked, and for a moment he thought she might cry. He shouldn't have given her the flowers, he realized. It made her think things. Expect things he had no intention of giving.
She took them, smiling shyly. "Thank you. They're very pretty."
"I just picked them from over there," he said gruffly, gesturing to the wall. He sounded surly now, and rather like an ass. "You look lovely," he said, his voice still gruff. "Shall we marry out here?"
She nodded, and within a few minutes they'd all assembled on the terrace. Theo gazed at Ariana out of the corner of his eye, saw how tense and yet composed she looked. She was, he thought not for the first time, an amazingly resilient and strong woman. He genuinely admired her for all she'd done and endured.
Admiration could be the basis for a marriage. A real marriage.
The priest began speaking, and Theo turned the thought over in his mind. What if he stayed married to Ariana? Why not? Mutual admiration and respect was a fine foundation for a marriage. A better foundation, perhaps, than passion or love, both which faded in time.
If he stayed married to her, he could have things he'd thought denied him. A companion. Children. A happiness he'd never considered searching for.
He just wouldn't love her.
Yet would she agree?
The priest placed a crown of ivy on Ariana's head, and then on his own. Linking her slender fingers with his, Theo walked slowly in a circle three times. He'd seen an Orthodox marriage ceremony before, but he'd obviously never participated in one. Never felt the gravity of what he was doing, the power of a promise.
Whether they liked it or not, whether they meant it or not, these vows were real. This marriage was real.
And Theo was beginning to think he wanted it to stay that way.
CHAPTER EIGHT
So it was done. Ariana lifted the crown of ivy off her head and stared at it in bemusement. She hadn't actually said a word, just nodded yes. In an Orthodox ceremony, a woman didn't speak. Yet she'd still agreed. Agreed to a promise, to a marriage. To a life.
That would end in six months.
Swallowing, she twirled the crown around her fingers. The lawyer and priest had both left, along with Theo's assistant Lukas who hadn't been anything like she'd expected. Tall and broad with a nose that had been clearly broken several times and a wicked-looking scar down one cheek, he was, Ariana guessed, a friend from Theo's street gang days.
She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Theo coming onto the terrace where they'd wed just an hour ago. Afterwards Theo had produced champagne and koufeta , the Jordan almonds that one ate at a wedding to symbolize both the sweet and bitter in life. Then everyone had gone, and now they were alone.
"All right?" Theo asked quietly and she nodded. Her throat felt tight and she didn't think she could manage many words. Theo took a step closer to her. "I know this wasn't the kind of wedding you were expecting."
"Thank God for that." Ariana turned to him with a smile. "I'd much prefer this to marrying Dion in a big spectacle of wedding with nothing my own choice or desire."
Theo searched her face, his eyes dark and gleaming with a sudden intensity. "And is this your choice, Ariana? Is this your desire?"
She swallowed, wanting to dissemble yet craving honesty. "I don't know," she whispered. "I know--I know this is just an arrangement."
"Arrangements don't have to bad."
"But soulless.'
"Not
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