Doukas by Demetra Georgiou

Chapter 21

 

Minutes tick away as we dance to soft and melodious music, caught up in a moment just for us.

“Let’s go, baby. I want to hold you in my arms with nothing between us.”

“Yes, please.”

We exit the ballroom, and after some walking, Doukas takes a turn to the right, leading us to an elevator.

Soon enough, I recognize my surroundings once more as we head to Doukas’s rooms. When he ushers me to his bedroom, I’m taken aback at the sight before me. This isn’t the same room I left a few hours ago. The place is full of candles inside small white lanterns. A bottle of champagne is chilling on a bucket on the coffee table.

“You were so sure I’d say yes, weren’t you?”

Doukas chuckles. “Nothing is certain where you’re concerned, Ria. That’s why I didn’t ask.”

“But I said yes, anyway,” I remind him.

“That you did, but even if you hadn’t, I’d go for plan B.”

I laugh, lacing my fingers at his neck. “Plan B?”

“I was going to get you drunk. You didn’t stand a chance, baby.”

He’s so right.

A shudder ripples through me the moment his lips find my neck, and I clutch his jacket. But it isn’t enough. Soon I’m looking for his mouth. At some point, Doukas breaks our kiss and bends down to pick me up. I can’t stop looking into his eyes as he takes us to his bedroom and places me gently on the bed.

He leisurely removes his tuxedo jacket and loosens the bow tie, but he’s taking too long, and I can’t have that. I kneel on the bed and start unbuttoning his shirt, leaving his hands free to find the side zipper of my dress. Since I opted for something with built-in support, I didn’t have much need for a bra. Judging by Doukas’s fiery gaze, I made the right choice.

Before my hands can reach for his trousers, he lowers me on the bed, with my dress not even past my waist. Keeping up with his kisses is impossible, but when I feel his mouth on my breast, I let out a sigh.

“I love you, Doukas.”

Doukas groans, rearing back for just a second to remove my dress and his trousers before covering me with his body. “My Ria…my love…and soon to be my wife. Mine.”

I feel overwhelmed, and his words don’t help. He gently parts my thighs and slowly enters me. Looking into this man’s eyes is my safe place, and I want to stay safe in his arms for the rest of my life.

I love him, and he loves me back. There’s nothing better than being in the arms of this man who seems to worship every fiber of my being.

“I love you,” he murmurs as he kisses me softly, and the veracity of his statement consumes me.

I can’t stop touching him, urging him to be close to me, and when I feel him coming, something sparks inside me. I fall once again, screaming his name.

It takes us several minutes to settle. Lying content in his arms, I hug him, afraid that if I blink, he’ll be gone.

“I’m thinking next Saturday,” Doukas says after a while.

“What’s next Saturday?” I ask perplexed.

Doukas lifts my ring hand and kisses it softly. “Our wedding, of course.”

“Doukas, be serious. We need at least a year to organize such an event, not a week.”

“We can get the license on Monday. I have a list of wedding planners. Also, my family has built a small church outside Athens. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s exceptionally beautiful and—most importantly—secure.”

“Why rush things? Where would we live? What about my taverna? I just got it off the ground. I can’t leave just yet.”

“We’ll live here. As for the taverna, keep it or sell it if you want. It’s not like you’ll ever need to worry about the money again.”

I rear back, unable to believe that those words left his mouth.

“Yeah, you’re right. Because all I ever wanted in life was to land a rich husband to look after me. You know what? Forget it,” I huff and move out of bed.

I don’t know why I even entertained the idea of him leaving me alone to brood in peace. Before I disentangle myself from the sheets, he’s in front of me.

“Forget what, Ria?” he asks, blocking my path.

“Leave me alone,” I say as I try to sidestep him. “Did you ever for a moment consider what I might want? I’m not going to marry someone who dictates everything in my life. My house and my taverna mean something to me, and you just dismissed them both. It’s my wedding, don’t you think that perhaps I’d like to experience everything?”

“All I ever think about is you. This is my wedding too, and I can’t wait for it to happen. Your house isn’t secure, and I can’t constantly live with the fear that something might happen to you, and I won’t be there,” he answers, furrowing his brow. “As for the taverna, I’m not very keen on the place, especially after what’s happened to you.”

“Good to know how highly you think of my life and work, Doukas. You’re the last person who should speak about a hazardous occupation and lifestyle,” I seethe and move towards the bathroom, but the absurdity of everything bubbles up in me.

I turn around, but he’s already coming to me. “Never walk away from me, Ria. Never,” he growls.

The last thing I want is to end this wonderful night with an argument, but here it is.

Taking deep breaths, I try to keep my temper in check, but I don’t think I’m going to be that successful. “Nothing gives you the right to tell me what to do. Not now. Not ever,” I say with a voice so calm that it’s almost unrecognizable. “I’m going to have a shower, and I don’t want you with me.”

Without waiting for an answer, I rush inside the bathroom, ready to wash everything away. Angrily I remove the tears that I never realized have fallen down my cheeks. As I present my face to the mirror, I’m distracted by the ring on my finger. How has everything turned so bad so fast?

It’s like all of a sudden, he’s a completely different person! Demanding instead of conversing, announcing instead of mentioning. I’m not going to accept any of it. I simply won’t. If we start this early on with the concessions, it’ll never stop, and it’s not in my nature to just bow my head.

Still, this ring only minutes ago held so much promise. I want to know exactly what is going on in his thick head, and I will have my answers. I remove the ring and put it on the vanity. It’ll be such a shame if I ruin it.

The water is somewhat calming as it trickles down my naked body. It’s the first time I’m having a shower in here without him, and I don’t like it.

When I finally venture out of the bathroom, Doukas is nowhere in sight, so I head for the closet. I want nothing more than to go to my house and think clearly, but I don’t have my car here.

The moment I step foot into the walk-in closet, I see Doukas’s naked backside as he stands in the middle of the room.

I freeze, not sure what to do next.

“You were wearing this the first time I saw you,” he murmurs and slowly turns around. He’s holding a necklace with a four-leaf clover. My dad had given me that when I graduated high school, and it’s one of my most cherished possessions. “I kept looking at it and thought how jealous I was of an inanimate object that touched your bare skin when I couldn’t.”

“Doukas I—”

“I only want to marry you as soon as possible. I want to start a family with you, and I need to know you’re safe. We can live in your house if that’s what you desire, as long as we’re together. We’ll have to up the security, though.”

His monotone voice is so alien to me that it takes away any reassurance coming out of his mouth.

“I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

“We can wait if that’s what you wish.”

I don’t know what to say. I still haven’t recovered from this emotional turmoil. In a matter of seconds, I went from extreme happiness to utter desolation, and I’m still reeling.

“Let’s wait,” I say, even though it’s not a suggestion. “I want to marry you, but then you went around calling all the shots. You know the score with me and my hang-ups.”

“I'd give you the fucking world if I could,” he growls, taking a step closer to me. All he has to do is reach out and touch me, but his hands remain glued to his side. “Do you need me to apologize for wanting to give you everything? I won’t because, for me, that’s what being in love means. Should I apologize for needing you safe? I won’t. Not when you, and possibly my child, are at stake.”

At the mention of the potential pregnancy, the temperature rises in my body. My hand strikes out before I have the chance to control it.

“I’m not pregnant!” I scream, failing to control my emotions.

How dare he bring that up? How can he be so insensitive as to mention my major fuck-up? It’s been by pure luck that I’m not pregnant, and I’d like to keep it that way.

“How do you know?”

“I just do,” I yell again and feel my voice clog from the ferocity of my outburst.

I sidestep him and go further into the closet to get the hell out of here. This is going nowhere. I locate my small case and move towards it, but I never have the chance to grasp it.

Doukas pulls me up and cups my nape, bringing me to him. I pound my fist on his chest, but he shakes his head, moving me closer to his mouth. Our lips are a breath away.

“Would it be so terrible if you had my child?”

His lips find mine, and step-by-step, he backs me into the wall.

“It’s going to happen, Ria. You promised to be mine, and I’m going to hold you to it. I don’t know why you keep bringing up obstacles, but I won’t lose you.”

“I love you, Doukas,” I admit, staring him straight in his eyes. “And I will love you for millions of tomorrows, but we have to draw some boundaries—”

My words are drowned out by the humming of his throat and the intensity of his kisses. I clutch his biceps, afraid that he might leave me, and I’ll disintegrate on the spot.

“There’s nothing beyond you, Ria,” he murmurs, kissing my cheek. “You’re mine as I’m yours.”

Raising my hands, I lace them behind his head, my nails digging into his skin as I grasp onto him. Doukas doesn’t seem to mind. He never does. Picking me up, he moves to a humongous armchair and sits down with me astride him. Surprisingly enough, my towel is still intact, and the fact only registers when Doukas is throwing it on the floor. For all our little repartee, he’s been brazenly naked, and now it seems rather convenient.

I don’t wait for him to take over, I don’t have the patience. Touching his shoulder for support, I lower myself onto his hardness.

“Fuck,” I hiss the moment he’s fully sheathed.

In this position, he’s so deep inside me, and my body tries to grip every inch of him. Cupping my waist, he presses his mouth to mine, but he doesn’t kiss me for long. His mouth trails down until he finds his favorite spot on my throat. All the while, I’m trying to keep a steady pace, but it’s not easy. Little by little, Doukas lowers my torso, and he doesn’t stop until I’m solely kept upright by his strong hands.

That’s when he begins pumping into me in earnest. I try to roll my hips for some friction, and the sensation is so potent that I could easily lose my mind. My throat feels clogged even though I haven’t heard myself screaming. Not when the buzzing in my ears is so loud.

“Come my wife-to-be,” he says, and I scream his name with as much force as I’m capable of.

Tremors rake my body, and I feel dizzy as Doukas brings me upright again, keeping me close. He roars as he empties himself, his thick member pulsating inside me. I collapse on his naked chest, trying to get my bearings and allowing the erratic beating of his heart to lull me into its rhythm.

“Where’s your ring?” Doukas asks as he lifts my hand to his mouth.

I wriggle my fingers, but there’s no ring.

“I think I left it in the bathroom,” I say, trying to get up, but he doesn’t let me go.

Doukas lets out a dramatic sigh. “What am I going to do with you?”

“Don’t you think you’re overreacting?” I ask when he finally stands, taking me with him.

Taking long strides, he leads us to the bathroom and ushers me inside the shower. I’m still adjusting the temperature when he comes in front of me with the ring in hand.

“I always intended to marry, but I thought it’d be for tactical reasons. I never anticipated being with someone relatively clueless to our world. Ever since I first saw you, I finally have something to look forward to, knowing that one lifetime with you won’t be enough?”

Unable to give him a proper answer, I only nod, hoping to ease some of his turmoil. His features relax when he puts the ring on my finger.

“So, in answer to your question, Ria, no. I’m not overreacting. I never thought I’d find you, and I’ll do whatever it takes and then some to keep you.”

 

 

Throughout the years, I’ve hosted many events in my taverna. Up until today, I honestly thought I’d seen it all.

“Since it’ll be in June, we can have ice cream, too,” Harmonia suggests.

“Good thinking,” Alcaeus agrees before turning to the man standing next to him. “Well, we’re definitely going to have the first five desserts we tasted. Please prepare some ice cream selections as well.”

“Enough,” Doukas growls. “It’s Ria’s and my wedding. We will decide on the fucking desserts, centerpieces, and all other shit available.”

“Who’s stopping you?” Alcaeus asks and gives his sister a mouthful of his crème. “We only came here for an extra opinion.” The head of the Lords reassures me, and I smile at him.

I have a sneaky suspicion that Doukas is all riled up because he’s afraid I’m going to be offended, but he doesn’t get it. Being an only child, I never experienced that kind of connection, and I want to bask in it.

Ever since we announced our imminent nuptials, which didn’t come as much of a surprise to the Tremes siblings, they all took it upon themselves to make this wedding happen. It’s been four days after our engagement, and we’ve already started with the wedding preparations. I’m going to be Mrs. Doukas Tremes on his birthday, June the twenty-fourth.

The morning after our big fight, Doukas bridged the topic of the date again.

 

Lying spent on his chest, I try to keep myself awake because I want to cook breakfast for everyone.

“My birthday’s in June,” Doukas says out of the blue, kissing the top of my head.

“Okay,” I say, kissing the middle of his chest before resting my chin on it. “Are we exchanging information? Because if we are, my birthday is in April.”

Doukas nods, and I want to roll my eyes. “I know. I was thinking about what I want for my birthday this year.”

“What do you want for your birthday this year?”

“To marry you.”

The trouble with this man is that he doesn’t rest until he’s found a solution to everything. He wanted us to marry in a week, and I wanted a year. Perhaps I can meet him halfway.

Smiling at him, I lean closer for a quick kiss. “It’s a date, Doukas.”

 

“Have you decided where you’re going to stay?” Icarus asks after he’s secured the last piece of the pie I never got to taste.

“Not yet,” I answer. “I like my house, but Doukas doesn’t think it’s safe, and I’d have to agree.”

“Do you want to build our own house?” Doukas asks in a low voice.

I whip my head towards him, surprised. “What do you mean?”

Considering how close the siblings are, I thought their house was their base and source of power. I was under the impression that having our own place wasn’t in the cards.

“We all have a piece of adjoining land next to the great house. We can use it to build something mine and yours.”

Given how strongly I always felt about the house, I’m surprised at how excited I am at the prospect of building something that will belong to us both.

I leap into his arms. “I’ll sell the house,” I announce, thinking that I have to contribute in some way.

Doukas’s arms close tightly around me. “There’s no need. You never know. Someone might want to live there one day.”