A Tale of Two Cousins (A Papaioannou Novel Book 3) Read online

  “Why do you look so odd?” I asked, noting immediately when his gaze skittered away to his laptop.

  “Odd? First you say I’m the handsomest man you’ve ever seen—which is patently untrue, since you’ve seen my cousins—and now you think me odd?” He tsked and chucked Valentino under the chin. “And to think the honeymoon is over before it’s even begun.”

  Valentino purred, and gently patted his hand before standing, his shepherd’s crook tail bobbing while he marched off to go monitor the fish tank in the atrium.

  “Don’t give me that,” I said, shaking a fig at him. “You’re up to something. What is it, Dmitri?”

  “Perhaps I’m just madly in love with my wife,” he said, suddenly scooping me up against his chest and nuzzling my neck with exaggerated noises of delight.

  I giggled, and pulled his shirt out of his pants.

  “Or perhaps I’m smitten with the thought that I have my very own princess to ravish each night,” he continued, his fingers sliding under my T-shirt to cup breasts that immediately demanded to be removed from the confines of my bra and placed against his palms.

  I nipped his earlobe and wiggled suggestively against him.

  “Then again, it may be that I have a present for you, and I know you’re going to kick up a hell of a fuss even though it’s fully my right to give you a wedding present.”

  “You gave me one,” I said, biting his shoulder even as I stripped the shirt off that glorious chest. I spread my fingers across his pectorals, marveling that he was mine until the end of our days. “You gave me the Feodorovna necklace.”

  “Ah, but that was only part of the wedding present. What I have for you is a honeymoon present.” His breath was hot on the spot on my neck that made my knees go weak. “One you are very much going to want.”

  “Oh, I certainly do want it,” I said, boldly stroking the front of his fly. He was getting very bulgy there, and I started thinking several wicked thoughts, one involving silk scarves and massage oil, when suddenly he shifted to the side and brought out from the cupboard a familiar leather case.

  “Let’s get the argument over quickly, so I can ravish you as you deserve,” he said, his lovely green eyes positively glowing with love.

  I stared openmouthed at the case for a moment, then up to him. “You didn’t.”

  “I did.”

  I blinked a couple of times and touched the top of the battered leather case. “But—”

  “Princess,” he said, pulling me back against his chest, giving me a swift kiss. “You didn’t think I was going to let you give away your birthright, did you?”

  “But I gave it to Beck. Chris and I both did.”

  “Yes, and can I say that your brother is almost as stubborn as you are about receiving gifts? He put up a hell of a fight, saying he’d repay me for the order a little bit at a time, but I told him if he did, he couldn’t ever babysit for us when we needed some time away from our children.”

  I gawked at him, wondering if my brain had snapped under the strain of all his delicious maleness. “We don’t have any children.”

  “Not yet, we don’t, but the day is young,” he said, waggling his eyebrows.

  I shook my head, unable to respond to his obvious teasing. “You bought the tiara and order? You bought them? Just ... bought them? Dmitri, that must have cost—”

  “A lot,” he said, then kissed me again, swung me up in his arms, and turned to start toward his bedroom. “But it’s worth every cent to know it’s back where it belongs. Now, my fair little serene one, about this honeymoon we have yet to take ...”

  A week later Dmitri came home to find me standing in front of the aquarium, watching the fish swim back and forth, little flashes of their color intriguing Valentino, who was tucked against my side.

  I didn’t see them. I didn’t even realize I was standing there staring at them until my view was blocked by a familiar gorgeous Greek man. “Thyra? Are you all right?”

  “What? Oh, yes, I’m fine. I just ... I was just thinking. ... Sorry, I didn’t realize you’d come in. How was work?”

  He took Valentino from my arms, gave his ears a little rub, then set him on the ground before leading me upstairs to the big deck that had the glorious view of the Acropolis. His voice rumbled around me in a manner that provided me with more happiness than I could ever express.

  “Thyra?”

  Once again I became aware he’d been talking and I hadn’t heard a word. “Sorry?”

  He gave me a piercing look, then turned me so I faced him, his thumb warm as it brushed a strand of hair from my cheek. “What’s wrong, Princess? You look like your best friend has died.”

  I stared at him, my mind whirling, wanting to ask him, but not wanting to take any decisions away from him.

  “How much do you like Greece?” The words were out before my brain could authorize them.

  He looked about as stupefied as I felt. “How much do I like it? The country in general, or Athens, or the Mediterranean?”

  “Would you consider spending time away from here?” I asked, waving a hand behind me.

  “In the apartment?” His eyebrows rose. “Did Iakovos tell you I was looking at a house near his island?”

  “No.” I stared at him, this man I loved so much, and who filled my life with such joy. “He didn’t. Dmitri—”

  “This isn’t about the tiara, is it? Thyra, I told you that it was my choice to buy it. There was no guilt involved. It belongs to you. It should be with you. And later, it will belong to our children, should we be blessed with them. So, you don’t need to—”

  I took a deep breath and let the words that had been dying to be blurted out for the last two hours do just that. “The prime minister of Beck contacted me. She said the government called a special meeting to discuss some facets of Kardom’s business practices that had come to light when two of the ministers were asked to step down due to irregularities, and they want me to be crown princess. The prime minister said that they realize now that Kardom’s claims were false, and now they investigated you and your cousins, and said that you have no history of predatory practices, and if I want the job, I can have it. It will mean living in Beck part of the year, and there won’t be much of a living allowance, although they said we can have the summer palace if we do it up, because it’s been used as a youth hostel for the last forty-five years, but the prime minister said she didn’t think it would be a problem for us to split our time between Beck and Greece, and holy hellballs, Dmitri, they want me! They really want me! We’re going to be a crown princess!”

  He laughed when I whooped, spinning me around as I laughed and cried and tried to talk and kiss him all at the same time, the look in his olive-green eyes so warm that a little skitter of excitement rippled through me. Dear God, how I loved the man. “So long as you’re always my princess, I don’t mind sharing you with others. Now, tell me everything the prime minister said.”

  I did. It took an hour; then he made me go over the good parts again—how they kicked out a couple of the ministers and Kardom—before we made plans.

  “Iakovos has been talking about setting up a European office. I’m sure he won’t have an issue with us spending half the year in Beck,” Dmitri mused, his big voice rumbling in his chest, beneath where I lay draped. “I think I’ll keep this apartment, though. It’s handy, and we can pop back when we like. And speaking of that, your cousin’s hearing has been moved back a couple of weeks.”

  I stopped nibbling on his collarbone, and pushed myself back. “She’s going to fight the assault charges?”

  “Did you think she’d do anything else?” he asked, his hands gentle where they stroked my back.

  I sighed. “No. But it’s still not going to be pleasant once the press finds out.”

  “There’s nothing they can say that will affect us. Now, I feel like we should celebrate this truly excellent news of yours. How about we rent a boat and sail along the coastline?”

  I flinched at the mention
of that. “I think it’s going to take a while before I get on a boat again.”

  “Even though the repairs to my boat are covered by the insurance?” He shook his head. “And here I am, wanting badly to take you sailing ... ah well. Perhaps my next princess will be more amenable. ...”

  TO: HARRY

  Pictures attached of ceremony. Dmitri bought Valentino a little crown-shaped hat to wear. Chris almost had heart attack when the prime minister (in the red dress) tried on the tiara and went walking around with it on, but he managed to convince Dmitri to stuff it safely back into the bank. Summer palace is run-down, and filled with foxes, two badgers, and one very elderly cow. Valentino loves the place, and has bonded with the cow. Think we’re going to have to keep her. We’re staying in a hotel until the summer palace gets Wi-Fi, and the non-cow animals have been moved to a wildlife park on the border. We should be back in Greece next month for a few days to see you all and baby Atreo. Much love to everyone.

  FROM: HARRY

  Iakovos just got a text from Dmitri saying you just made him Margrave of Sonderburg-Beck, and we have to call him “my lord” now. Do you have any idea how he’s going to hold that over Yacky and Theo’s respective heads?

  TO: HARRY

  ☺

  NOTE TO READERS

  My lovely one! I hope you enjoyed reading this book, which I handcrafted from the finest artisanal words just for you. If you are one of the folks who likes to review books, I'd love it if you posted a review for it on your favorite book spot. If you aren't a reviewing type, fear not, I will cherish you regardless.

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  And finally, if you enjoyed this book and want to find out more about others, my website has first chapters available for all the books. You can dip into them all for a brief, sweet taste.

  Best,

  Katie

  ABOUT KATIE

  For as long as she can remember, Katie MacAlister has loved reading. Growing up in a family where a weekly visit to the library was a given, Katie spent much of her time with her nose buried in a book.

  Two years after she started writing novels, Katie sold her first romance, Noble Intentions. More than fifty books later, her novels have been translated into numerous languages, been recorded as audiobooks, received several awards, and have been regulars on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. Katie lives in the Pacific Northwest with two dogs, and can often be found lurking around online.

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