'Oh Xanthus ___ I love you so much.' She flung her arms around him.

His mouth took hers hungrily. She kissed him zealously but then tore her mouth away. She wanted to be in control now. Roughly she pushed him down onto the pillow. Leaning down, she laved at his throat. Her mouth journeyed exploringly down his chest. Her teeth grazed one nipple. Tremors danced over his skin. He groaned loudly.

Her tongue went lower, following the straight line of fine hair to the V at his hip. The sounds of pleasure she made as her mouth cupped his erect shaft, echoed like a detonation in his ears. Her tongue laved the outer rim of him, tasting his substance. He tried to stop her before she ended things for him prematurely, but she was not finished, and resisted complainingly. She wanted more of him and took him deeper into her mouth.

Gripping her shoulders, he held his breath painfully. Sweat glistened on his forehead, his pelvis jerked precipitately. Her tongue and her lips skilfully measured him until he was growling her name wildly. Her nails scraped the flesh of his hips, her teeth nibbled excruciatingly on the velvet skin of his shaft. He was about to detonate, and so was she.

He hauled her up, hastily tossed her down. His eyes glazed with uncontrolled desire, he could barely hold on for another second. But he needed to kiss her, wanted her tongue in his mouth, wanted her arms around him, her legs wrapped around his thighs. He wanted every part of her in sync with him.

'Xanthus hurry! I want you now,' she begged.

He lifted his head, fumbled with the condom. His nerveless fingers could not tear at the foil. That had never happened previously. She helped him, ripping at the package, and hastily rolled the condom onto him, guiding him into her eager wetness. She sighed with heavenly pleasure when he thrust into the depths of her soul. She closed around him, lifting her hips and arching towards him, swaying with his momentum, never stopping. Thrusting with every thrust of his, her nails sunk into his shoulders, her ankles twisted around his as she screamed out when the first explosion rocked her and shattered around them. Only then did he allow his own release and joined in her aftershocks, before collapsing on her chest.

         'What are you doing in my kitchen?'

'Morning Yuri___' Haley answered awkwardly, tightening the belt of Xanthus' silk gown around her waist, thankful that she was not completely naked.

Xanthus had brought her straight to his place after the book-signing. He had toiletries, like brand new tooth brushes and things for guests, but not a gown. She'd probably find a few pairs of underwear and jeans of hers in his wardrobe if she looked, but it had been easier to just slip on his clean, fresh gown after she'd taken her shower.

'I __ wanted to make Xanthus some breakfast,' she answered.

'That's my job,' he replied, folding his arms, territorially.

Xanthus was starving and so was she. They hadn't had dinner the previous night and she wanted to prepare something quickly for him and herself. She reached for a juicy looking pork sausage and bit into it.

'Will you allow me, just this once to do your job?' She munched on the sausage. 'I'm almost done,' she smiled.

Yuri's eyes narrowed as he inspected her handiwork. She'd already had crispy bacon prepared in a casserole container. A plate was stacked with toasted bread. It was not burnt nor lightly done, but perfectly browned, the way his master enjoyed his toast. Another casserole held grilled sausages, they looked so good and juicy, his mouth watered. She was busy with the eggs.

'I'm glad he has his appetite again,' Yuri stared at her accusingly.

She stopped chewing, felt the constriction in her throat, looked away. She hadn't thought Xanthus' appetite had suffered because of their issues, even though her appetite had suffered enough for her to drop two dress sizes. Xanthus had demanded she put back the weight again when he's seen her naked body last night, though his instruction had been issued with a trace of remorse. It was at that moment, Xanthus chose to walk into the kitchen looking drop dead gorgeous in figure hugging denims and a Polo shirt unbuttoned. His musky cologne tinged her nostrils.

'Morning Yuri,' Xanthus announced with a smile.

'Kaliméra,' Yuri replied glumly.

Xanthus walked straight to Haley, wrapped his arms possessively around her waist. 'You said breakfast would take fifteen minutes, that was twenty five minutes ago,' he kissed her full on the mouth.

Her eyes darted uncomfortably to Yuri and back to Xanthus. She would have been finished, had it not been for Yuri's subtle interrogation.

'And I'm glad he's in a better mood,' Yuri jerked his head towards Xanthus. 'The doors and furniture have suffered untold abuse during this last month.'

Haley's eyes lifted to Xanthus' tenderly. She curved her arms around his neck. 'I'm going to marry him,' her eyes gazed into his lovingly,' 'so everything's going to be okay,' her eyes shifted to Yuri smilingly.

She caught the look of delight in Yuri's eyes before he quickly masked it.

'He's a good man. Make sure you take good care of him or you will have me to answer to,' Yuri threatened.

'Yes Yuri,' she smiled, and lifted her mouth to Xanthus and kissed him. At the corner of her eye she observed Yuri leave the kitchen.

'Starting with feeding me right now,' Xanthus pleaded.

She chuckled. 'Yes,' she kissed his cheek. 'Sit down and help yourself. Your eggs will take just a minute.' Haley poured him some coffee. As Xanthus piled his plate with everything else, she served him a portion of eggs and sat down opposite him. Haley waited until Xanthus had finished more than half his meal. He was swallowing the last of his coffee, when she spoke.

'You want to tell me about it,' Haley murmured reaching for his hand across the table.

He didn't pretend not understand her question. This was not the psychologist in her asking. This was the woman who loved him, the concern in her eyes was unmistakable. His eyes fell to the bruise on his knuckles that was just barely starting to heel, then he lifted sombre eyes to her.

'I know I told you I didn't know anything about love ___'

She slowly let out her breath, sipped from her coffee cup, and poured more into his cup.

'I lied. I did love you. I was in love with you for a very long time.'

He heard her gasp of surprise. He inhaled before continuing. 'But your penchant for freebies had me wondering if you only dated me for the same reasons the previous women in my life had relationships with me.'
The look in his eyes was downcast, as if he remembered how women used him previously. Funny thing was, it never mattered to him previously, because he didn't do clingy women, and he could walk away whenever he decided to, but when he started to date Haley...

His thumb absently ran over the bruise on his knuckles. 'And then the infamous Chapter Five episode felt like a slap in the face. I felt betrayed, humiliated, guttered.'

She was tempted to take a text book approach, but caught herself in time. Her eyes closed for a second. She laced her hands through his, nodded and urged him to continue.

'But now I know better,' he smiled and the sun shone again and she felt his love for her radiate in his eyes, till it enveloped her body and soul. He laughed throatily.
'I fully understand now, agápi mou, that you are an acknowledged and emancipated lady with a very healthy bank balance of your own.'

She smiled shyly. 'I'm delighted you know that Xanthus. I love you for___ you.'

His eyes held hers meaningfully, as he whispered. 'S 'agapó.'

She held her breath, her eyes misted. Somehow she knew it meant I love you.
'It's so beautiful the way you speak it,' she whispered. 'I will never tire of hearing you say it.'

'Good,' he smiled. 'And I demand you take lessons in Greek, so you can start saying lots of things to me.'

She laughed. Her eyes exuded her love for him. 'With pleasure,' she nodded. 'Now how about finishing your breakfast before Yuri acts on his threat.'

They finished their breakfast at leisure, then Xanthus took her hand and led her to the computer in his study. He sat down on his executive brown leather chair and pulled her onto his lap.

'What on earth are you up to?' She laughed.

'We're going to choose our honeymoon destination,' he answered.

'Oh Xanthus, I don't mind the destination,' she curved one arm around his neck.

'I want to take you somewhere, you've never been,' he smiled adoringly. 'Now choose,' he instructed.

'There are so many places I've never been to,' she inhaled heavily. 'How about you? Can you tell me where you've never been to?'

They argued, debated endlessly, until he conceded to her suggestion of a list of three places, each of them found interesting and eventually they had six destinations to research. He marvelled at her selflessness. Any other woman would have demanded to honeymoon at her destination of choice, yet Haley had reasoned with him that they should both come up with possible locations.

They researched and scanned popular honeymoon destinations. Xanthus had not been to the Maldives, or to Quebec in Canada. Haley had not been to Kyoto in Japan, or Kauai in Hawaii, Both had not been to St. Moritz, Switzerland or Koh Tao in Thailand.

Xanthus had seen the sparkle in her eyes, when they had viewed some of the scenic sites of St. Moritz, Switzerland, but he waited magnanimously for Haley to nominate a destination. Even though in his mind, he had the destination, he used his mobile device to scan other destinations, allowing Haley all the time to make a preferred choice as she repeatedly scanned one location to the next of the six, indecisively.

'You don't really have to decide today,' he rested his chin on her shoulder. 'We still have tomorrow, or the next day ... or the next,' he lips worried at her throat caressingly.

'I just can't decide, Xanthus,' she sighed, looking over her shoulder into his eyes. 'They all sound so magical and beautiful. Please, you pick the place.'

'All right. How about St. Moritz, Switzerland?' He smiled, as his lips teased hers.

Her eyes lit up expressively. 'Really? It kinda was my favourite of the six,' she confessed.

'Then we're in agreement. Switzerland it is,' he smiled, turning her around so she straddled him.

He dipped his palm through the gown and sighed pleasurably at the unrestricted access to her firmly rounded breasts. Her fingers slid under his shirt and raked over his muscular chest. His mouth took hungry possession of hers.

'I have to remove your shirt,' she whispered breathlessly, pulling it over his head. 'And you need to get out of those pants,' she demanded.

Hastily he got out of all his clothes and slowly peeled his gown off her body until she was as naked and he was.

'Will __ Yuri not come in here?' She asked with concern.

'He's gone for the day, now let me ravish you,' he demanded hungrily

                                                                               -   end chapter eighteen-