Her Every Pleasure Part 44

"Oh, Gabriel-I'm happy to return the favor," she choked out. Then she hugged him to her with tender protectiveness, cradling his head against her bosom.

It was the best place on earth for him. He was right where he belonged-fully alive at last in her arms, his destiny still waiting to be born.

EPILOGUE.

T he whole Knight family had arrived in Kavros for the week-long feast that began with Sophia's coronation and proceeded on to the royal wedding. Since winter had now descended on England, nearly three months having pa.s.sed, no one was in a particular hurry to get back home.

They had waited just long enough to send word to Gabriel's favorite cousin, Lord Jack Knight and his wife, Eden, to arrive from the West Indies, but considering Sophia's pregnancy, it would not have been prudent to wait much longer than that.

Now they were married, the wedding bells having rung all over Kavros to celebrate their union. When the fishermen of Kavros had spread the word of Gabriel's heroism in leading the fight against the Order of the Scorpion-and how their tenacious princess had wept in despair, thinking she had lost him-the people of Kavros had embraced the Englishman as one of their own.

He had converted to the Greek Orthodox church, as required, and accepted the t.i.tle of Prince Consort to Sophia's Queen.

This, of course, raised eyebrows all over Europe-so much for Gabriel's distinction as the one nonscandalous member of the Knight family. Perhaps some people thought that he was an adventurer on the make, and that she had been duped by a schemer, but neither of them cared what anyone thought, for they were happy. Their future and that of Kavros was wonderfully bright.

The Order of the Scorpion had been destroyed. Their leader, Sheik Suleiman was dead, his bones pinned to the sea floor under a huge hunk of stone from the old fort that had crumbled away in the earthquake.

Though Ali Pasha had denied any involvement in the rebel Janissaries' scheme to overthrow Kavros, his overlord, Sultan Mahmud, was deeply displeased with the Terrible Turk and would be keeping a close eye on him for the foreseeable future.

Once the tide had turned, the changes needed on Kavros took place with startling speed. The money and resources promised by generous Britons at Sophia's Grecian Gala had arrived. Repairs were underway throughout the island chain.

With a great deal of patience and a little advice from Lord Griffith, Sophia managed to broker a truce between the warring factions who had been at each other's throats in recent years. She also held a joint meeting with the women from the feuding families to remind them of the important role they played in the home, and encouraged them to use their power to preserve peace among all parties for the good of their husbands and sons.

One of the first things she did as queen was to knight her loyal bodyguards-Timo, Yannis, Niko, Markos, and Kosta. It was her way of thanking them for their years of staunch service. For their part, the men had new concerns now that they had come home to Kavros. With a private nod from Sophia, they lent their support to the quietly growing efforts of patriots all over occupied Greece to begin to rise up against Ottoman rule. Again, Great Britain proved its friends.h.i.+p to her countrymen when the notorious English poet, Lord Byron, made the freedom of the Greeks a cause celebre and spoke of personally entering the fray.

Closer to home, the various members of the Knight family, while visiting Kavros, took an active part in improving life for the local citizens. Georgiana's wedding gift to Gabriel and Sophia was to found an Englishstyle academy for girls. Lizzie and her husband, Lord Strathmore, wanted to help by having all the antiquities catalogued and protected for posterity as best they could. Between the earthquakes and damages inflicted by the war, many of the remnants of ancient Greece on Kavros were in jeopardy. Strathmore arranged to have a crew of cla.s.sical scholars and antiquities experts brought in.

Indeed, these were exciting times for Kavros. The marriage of such a glamorous couple made it a place where all of European high society suddenly wanted to go.

Lord Alec Knight remarked in a rather offhand way, that it was a pity there was nowhere for the tourists to stay, and with a cavalier stroke of genius, he tossed out the notion that a Grand Hotel with a fine casino ought to be built so that visitors could sojourn in style; they could come for entertainment as well as to enjoy the fine climate. Hearing this, second-born Knight brother, Lord Jack, instantly seized upon the idea as an excellent investment opportunity, and began making arrangements at once to rent a stretch of beachfront land from the government. He and Robert went in on the project together-two brothers who once did not even speak to each other.

As for Gabriel's own brother, Derek's reaction to the outcome of all this was a sly sort of knowing amus.e.m.e.nt.

"That you should end up a prince, brother, does not surprise me at all," he had drawled, clapping Gabriel on his now royal back. "Hang me, you gave up all your money and rank and somehow ended up with a crown and country."

"Yes, but more important, I ended up with her," he had replied, nodding in Sophia's direction.

Derek had grinned at him. "Now you know."

As for Sophia, her new role as queen did not intimidate her half as much as she had feared it would, now that she had Gabriel to steady her and counsel her when she needed it. Life was so much nicer now that she did not worry anymore about people trying to kill her. No one seemed inclined to try these days, and with her husband on hand to protect her, those worries were long gone.

She noticed that his near-drowning that day at Agnos had affected him in a rather peculiar way. Ever since he had come back from his second brush with death, he wore a mysterious, knowing, little smile that both intrigued and perplexed her. He seemed to know something she did not.

The cobalt sparkle that she had glimpsed only occasionally in his eyes before that day was now there all the time. He seemed settled and at peace now, but of course, Gabriel was a man who needed to be needed. He found such fulfillment in his new life on Kavros because it wasn't just Sophia, but her people, who looked to him for wisdom and protection. She was not surprised at how easily he glided into his new role as her co-ruler.

A born leader, he had no trouble taking charge whenever he was needed, but he never made her feel as though he would encroach upon her authority as queen.

Each day, they went about their royal duties, but every evening without fail, they got away from it all by taking a slow, private stroll along the beach, much as they had at Perpignan, when Sophia had attempted to propose to him. This simple shared ritual gave them time to be just a man and a woman together, like they had been at the beginning, in Gabriel's farmhouse.

That was what she needed more than anything. These simple moments, serenaded by the lulling surf with her love by her side, kept her grounded and true to herself. Gabriel was her rock, and she, well, she kept his life interesting.

Barefoot in the sand, they walked off down the beach, hand in hand in the glowing light of sunset, soaking in the enchantment of each other's company, and laughing as they argued over what to name their child....

By Gaelen Foley.

Published by Ballantine Books.

THE PIRATE PRINCE.

PRINCESS.

PRINCE CHARMING.

THE DUKE.

LORD OF FIRE.

LORD OF ICE.

LADY OF DESIRE.

DEVIL TAKES A BRIDE.

ONE NIGHT OF SIN.

HIS WICKED KISS.

HER ONLY DESIRE.

HER SECRET FANTASY.

HER EVERY PLEASURE.

PRAISE FOR GAELEN FOLEY.

Her Secret Fantasy.

"Foley makes fantasies come alive as she explores a world of high adventure and grand pa.s.sions. Skilled at crafting intricate plotlines flowing with intrigue, s.e.xual tension, and little-known historical details, Foley weaves a spell around her readers."

-Romantic Times, Top Pick (four and a half stars).

"There are some romance authors whose novels pretty much guarantee a good old-fas.h.i.+oned, joyful read. One such author is Gaelen Foley, whose new Spice series novel, Her Secret Fantasy, delivers a wonderfully pleasurable reading experience.... Her Secret Fantasy is delightful-a smooth, s.e.xy read.... Foley's storytelling is so even and consistently entertaining-and her lovers so warm and attractive-that it's easy to get lost in the romance. And that's the best gift a writer of happily-ever-after love stories can give her readers."

-myLifetime.com.

"Her Secret Fantasy is steamy and intriguing. Derek and Lily s.h.i.+ne. The chemistry is explosive between them, and Gaelen Foley is a true master at creating London in the early 1800's. Her Secret Fantasy promises a scintillating adventure."

-romancejunkies.com.

Her Only Desire.

a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller!

"Foley deftly adds an intriguing measure of exotic India to her usual cla.s.sic Regency historical mix in the first of what promises to be an exceptionally entertaining and s.e.xy new Spice trilogy."

-Booklist.

"Foley's signature blend of wild escapades and steamy love scenes keeps her readers.h.i.+p enthralled. Moving to sultry, exotic India, Foley fills her latest with historical color and cultural details, then adds suspense, pa.s.sion, and hold-your-breath adventures."

-Romantic Times, Top Pick!!

"[A]n extraordinarily rich tapestry of events and emotions. You'll find humor and warmth amid the intrigue and danger and a relations.h.i.+p that manages to combine the sensual with the romantic. The plotting and dialogue are excellent, the characters vibrantly alive.... You can't go wrong with anything written by Gaelen Foley."

-Romance Reviews Today.

His Wicked Kiss.

a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller!

"Foley maintains the delicious tension between Jack and Eden throughout; that, along with the mystery of Jack's past, propels the novel to an exciting conclusion."

-Publishers Weekly.

"This is adventure romance at its best, a mix of Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean that stirs you and leaves you sighing with satisfaction."

-Romantic Times.

"Always fabulous."

-JULIA QUINN.

One Night of Sin.

"Delectably entertaining, lusciously sensual...an irresistible author skilled at blending pa.s.sion and intrigue."

-Booklist "One Night of Sin is pure perfection."

-The Historical Romance Club.

"A compelling romance."

-thebestreviews.com.

Devil Takes a Bride.

"With its wonderfully complicated, unforgettable characters, sharp wit, and a riveting plot rife with menacing danger and sizzling pa.s.sion, Foley's latest Knight Miscellany historical Regency is simply superb."

-Booklist.

"A truly sensual romance, possessing depth of plot and character."

-Publishers Weekly.

"Complex and engaging characters...intense emotions and great depth of poignancy enthrall from beginning to end."

-Romantic Times, Top Pick, (four and a half stars), winner of the KISS Hero Award Her Every Pleasure is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fict.i.tiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

end.