Queen of Ruin(Book three of the Immortals Series)
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE GREECE

"I can't wait to feel the sun on my skin again, baby. It seems like the rain hasn't let up in ages here." Fingering Rafik's curls, Tessa kissed his forehead as he snuggled closer to her breast. They spent every night pressed together skin to skin, and he felt like part of her body now.

She had a fire inside her always, and it was like sleeping by a cozy fireplace on a cold winter day all the time, and he found that he could no longer sleep without touching her. "And I especially can't wait to take a gander at you in nothing but a little pair of swim shorts on the beach."

Smiling with his eyes closed, he thought back to his childhood when he played outside in his bare feet with nothing but his pants on because it was always warm and sunny where he grew up. "Yes, I think it has rained every day since I came here all those years ago. The beach sounds like a welcome change. I haven't been in the water for a very long time, though. I'm not sure I'll remember how to swim at all."

Nuzzling her skin with his nose, he opened his eyes as he slowly circled her nipple with his fingertips.

As she patted his arm with her hand, she nudged him with her hip to push him out of bed. "We should be going. The hot Mediterranean sun is calling us."

Inhaling a deep breath through his nose, he slowly pushed himself up from the bed and stretched his arms over his head as she climbed out around him. "It's a funny thing. I'm usually the one chasing you from the bed."

"Yes, well, if you had a warm sunny beach in the basement, I'd be in a hurry to get my ass downstairs every day." Taking her bag of holding from the chair beside the bed, she untied the closure and twisted her lips as she started going through the contents inside. "I know I have a bathing suit in here somewhere."

As she removed things from her bag and place them on the bed, Rafik smirked and shook his head at all the junk. "My love, I believe they call this hoarding."

She shook her head as she reached deep inside and rooted around. "Un-un, even human women's bags are like this. Trust me."

When an old pink leather-bound book fell from the bag, she chuckled to herself, then set the bag down and picked up the book. "Hell's bells! What do we have here?"

Sitting on the bedside, she started flipping through the pages. "My Momma gave this to me the night of my birthday party. She said I was old enough for secrets but that I shouldn't ever trust anyone enough to tell them. That this was the only safe place for them."

Rafik slumped down on the bed beside her and peeked over her shoulder as he kissed it. "Do you trust me?"

She grinned as she kept reading and lifted her hand to touch his chin. "With my very soul."

"Would you look at this? Oh, I was such a silly little girl." Pointing to the words she wrote the night they met, she showed him. "I was so in love with you from the very beginning. Mrs. Tessa Idrissi."

Looking at the name written repeatedly in purple, sparkly ink, he traced them with his fingertips before putting his hand on his chest. "You were always mine. Weren't you?"

"You know it." She closed the book and set it in the drawer by the bedside. "I always will be."

After they had finished packing their things for the warmth of Greece's white beaches, he held the bedroom door open for her. Once he shut the door behind her, he took her hand and led her down the hallway. Walking down the stairs together, Rafik stopped at the bottom when he saw Delia coming from the parlor. "We're off for holiday, Delia."

Crossing her arms, she smiled at the honeymooning couple. "Have a good time. I'll see you both when you get back."

Skipping down the stairs to the gravel path outside, Tessa glanced over her shoulder at him and squeezed his hand before misting him away with her.

"What do you think?" Stepping out of the blackness inside their home in Greece, she wiped the moist fog from her skin and rubbed it off her hands.

Looking over the clean home with open windows allowing the sea breeze to pass through, Rafik smiled to himself and shook his head. "This is a lovely home, but it doesn't seem like you."

As the hot coastal air took her over, she took off the coat she put on as they left the castle and fanned her face. Motioning for Rafik to come with her, she walked through the long white drapes that blew around in the wind. "No, I suppose it isn't, but this is."

He crossed his arms as she wrapped her arm around his back, looking out over the blue water and sunny skies. "Isn't it just? I don't even have the words for it. Oh, heaven, I think."

Taking a deep breath of the warm sea air, he closed his eyes and slid his palms along the railing. "It reminds me of my homeland."

As she rubbed circles on his back, she tucked herself under his arm and snuggled into his side. "I could live like this forever, Rafik. I don't know if it will ever be alright to go back to Savannah, but this is a decent backup. Isn't it?" Biting his lip as he felt the hot sun on his face for the first time in longer than he could remember, he took a deep breath of the salty air. "Someday, Tessa, we will have this for our own. I swear to you."

Leaning into his chest, she put her hand on his belly and sighed. The closer they got and the more they were together, she thought about having a family of her own and a house like the one she lived in with her parents. "I'm going to hold you to that, Rafik."

Hearing the feet slapping against the floor, Tessa glanced back over his arm and then turned her way out of it. "Mr. and Mrs. Idrissi. How good of you to join us." Picking her up into his arms, Haldir hugged her tight, then set her down and wrapped his hands around her arms. "How's everything coming along in England?" As Rafik came behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder, she put her hand over it. "It's going well, I think, but I guess you'll have to ask the good Minister here."

Save the brief words Haldir spoke to him on the balcony that night, he'd never met him, so he held his hand out to the old Viking. "I assure you Tessa is as talented as she is beautiful. My honor, sir. I've heard many stories about you." Halted throaty chuckles came from his mouth as he shook Rafik's hand. "Yes, I bet you did. Welcome to Greece, son."

Crossing his arms, he motioned to the balcony on the other side of the house that overlooked the cliffs. "We're over here. Your brother is in quite the mood. He's been missing you a little more than he cares to admit. To be honest, he's been a bit of a wet blanket."

Rafik laid his coat on the back of the sofa then claimed Tessa's hand as they followed Haldir through the home. "Sounds like he needs to get laid."

Walking barefoot across the marble floor, Haldir peered back at her. "Trust me, that isn't the problem. We've been out every night just about. He's used to looking after you, and now he's a bit lost, so be nice to him."

When they came to the doorway, Teddy was waiting at the table. He wore a loose, white linen shirt with the first few buttons opened, and his hair was a bit shaggy as his curls bounced around in the wind. The afternoon sun reflected off his wire-framed sunglasses and highlighted the dark stubble on his chin. Tessa grinned to herself because he seemed a bit messy, and she figured Haldir must be right.

Although Teddy often chastised Tessa for her vanity, being expertly groomed and dapper obsessed him. He just wanted it to appear naturally so. She leaned down to kiss his cheek. "Why, don't you look relaxed, you handsome devil." He squeezed her hand and closed his eyes while her curly hair tickled his cheek when she kissed him. "Do I?" Leaning across the table, he held his hand out to Rafik. "So good to see you again."

After shaking his hand, Rafik pulled out a chair for Tessa and waited for her to sit. Taking the chair beside her, he scooted a little closer. "I hope we're not intruding on you both."

With his favorite alcohol of the moment in his hand, Haldir swirled the ice around and pushed out his lips. "Nah. The bachelor life wears a bit thin sometimes."

As she pulled her hair up to keep it from smacking her in the face from the wind, Tessa narrowed her eyes and wrinkled her nose. "Since when?"

Haldir smiled and rubbed his chin through his beard as he motioned Teddy's way. He was always up for a lady or two, but Teddy was cramping his style. "I guess we're just missing our third a little." Teddy sighed hard enough for everyone to notice as he gazed out over the horizon, and Tessa rolled her eyes away to Haldir. "So, anyway, what have you been up to since I left?"

As he shrugged his shoulders, he pushed his blonde hair back on his head. "Just the usual."

"So, you should probably tell her." Pushing himself back in his chair, Teddy lifted his chin to his sister.

Glancing back and forth between them, she raised her brows and flicked her finger at them. "Tell me what? Do I have another husband out there I don't know about?"

Haldir smirked at her and shook his head before he set his drink down. He was going to wait until they were ready to leave again, but Teddy was more than a little irritated with him. "I'm going on a little trip for a while to the Realm." Her head snapped back in surprise, and she chuckled to herself. "Well, that is something." Glancing at Teddy, she understood his mood all of a sudden. The three of them were thick as thieves for most of their lives, and now they were suddenly leaving him alone. "Is there some reason you have to go now?"

His face drew together as he reached up and scratched his head. "It won't be for long. I got some folks that I got to help cross over. A month or two max."

Turning back to her brother, she reached out her hand and touched his fingers. "Well, why don't you come back to England with me? We got the apartment, and I'm sure as hell Minister Tyson would just love to see your face every day." Everything inside him begged him to take her up on the offer, but he shook his head as he bit his lip. "No, hun-un. The last thing you two need is me hanging out in your love nest. I'll be fine."

Rafik leaned forward and placed his hand on Tessa's arm as he spoke to him. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have Tessa at all. You being nearby isn't a burden on us. We would be happy for you to be there." As he glanced between the two other men, he hugged Tessa closer to his chest. "As I told her, you are all the family we have. We should be close."

Relaxing into his arms, she shrugged then rested her head against his chest. "Winter's coming, anyway. You'll be seeing me more than you want to soon enough."