Page 28 of Leon

"Oh Anthony! You're such a drama queen."

"I prefer king." He grinned at Leon before sitting on the arm of her chair and kissing the top of her head.

Leon felt the yearning stirring inside him as he stared at them. The air of intimacy, the comfortable way they had around each other. Finishing his drink, he rose. "I have a meeting early in the morning."

"Let me see you out, darling."

"There's no need."

"I insist." Touching her husband's arm briefly, she rose and crossed to tuck her arm through his.

"You made some changes." He murmured as they passed through the narrow hallway.

"Yes." She glanced at the new moire silk wallpaper and the sconces on the wall. The entrance table had colors exploding from the colored glass she had bought at the bookstore. "Your wife has excellent taste."

"Pardon?" They stopped at the brilliant blue door, with the ornate antique etchings.

"I bought several things there. It's more than a bookstore."

"It is." A smile touched his lips and had her heart turning over. Stepping in front of him, she went on her toes and framed his face between her palms. "Go to her. Find a way to spend time with her, until a solution presents itself. Take her on a business trip or something."

The idea had some merit and brought hope tumbling through his heart. "I have a trip coming up." Lifting his hands, he curled his fingers around her wrists. "Remember the little cottage in Dublin?"

Her smile bloomed. "Of course. Mother used to love visiting. It belonged to her grandmother. Oh darling, that's perfect."

"I have some other businesses there as well. I will square up some things and clear my schedule."

She hugged him. "And you don't have to worry about the progress of the clinic. I will be keeping a close eye on it."

He dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Thanks. For everything."

"That's what sisters are for."

*****

"All's well with the world?" Coming up behind her, he took the brush and pulled it through the thick strands of her blonde hair. His eyes met hers through the mirror, a loving smile touching his lips. She looked her fill, sighing as he took his time and gently untangled the strands. His own hair, as black as ink and dense as the forest, was unruly, locks falling over his broad forehead. He was almost always distracted and messy. His mind was brilliant and his heart generous and loving. He was unlike the members of his family and often had two mismatched pairs of socks. But she loved him with everything inside her.

Reaching a hand for his, she clasped it. "For now. I love you."

His tawny gold eyes darkened. "That's handy, because I love you too."

"What my dad said..."

"Which part?"

She laughed at his wry expression. "The part about me being a proper wife and not settling down to give you children. We never talked..." She stopped when he put the brush away and turned her around. Hunkering at her knees, he took her hands, his expression intense. "When we first got married..." He shook his head. "When I begged you to marry me..."

"Anthony..."

He simply grinned at her. "We won't get into the semantics of how I pursued you, until you simply got tired of me and said yes." His grin widened when she poked him with her toes. "As I was saying, when we decided to tie the knot, we talked about a lot of things. We want to do this. One of the things I adore about you, my darling Lisa, is the fact that your heart is in the right place. We will know when the time is right for us to start a family." He linked their fingers. "I don't pay much mind to what your dad and my mother press on us."

She lifted a brow. "She's been pressing?"

He lifted a shoulder and gave her a sheepish look. "She thinks it's time to give her a grandchild and naturally, she blames the lack on you."

"Naturally." She murmured dryly.

He laughed. "Being her beloved child, I could not very well rid her of the idea and risk not being her shining star." Recognizing the glint in her eyes, he thought it wise to refrain from saying more. "But I digress," he continued mildly, wisely moving out of her reach. "My point is, darling, it's us. Just us. We're a team and I am not going to allow anyone else to join." He rose and scooped her into his arms.

---