Part Twenty-One
His face revealed no emotion as he extended a hand to assist her from the launch. “Good morning,” he greeted her austerely.
“Good morning.”
Together they traveled the short distance to Wyndemere. The hand that rested lightly upon the small of her back was the only physical contact between them.
“I am glad you came.”
She paused just inside the entrance to Wyndemere and turned to smile at him. “Of course I –”
The urgent press of his mouth against hers curtailed any further speech. Strong arms wrapped about her and crushed her against his taut, muscled form. When there was no longer any breath to be found, he reluctantly broke off the kiss.
“Last night was most unpleasant,” Stefan Cassadine murmured against his fiancée's lips. “My bed was quite empty without you.”
Faith Ward laughed tremulously. Stefan's passionate greeting left her weak in the knees. “I take it that you missed me?”
“I begin to regret the impulse that had me arrange today's excursion about the island.” His eyes were dark with passion. “This day should have been spent together in the privacy of my suite.” Stefan gave her a sensual little half-smile. “In the comfort of my bed.”
“Mmmm…” Faith purred, sending vibrations through her fiancé that he felt all the way to his toes. “You, me and a little package of something special that I ordered a few days before we flew to Greece.”
“Indeed?”
Faith read the determined glint in Stefan's eyes. “No,” she laughed, “I'm not telling you. You will just have to wait and see.”
“Bozhe moi!” he cursed softly in Russian. “You should not tease me so, my love.”
“ I am not the one who planned this little information-finding junket,” Faith reminded him playfully. “ You were determined to uncover the new Princess' secrets. So now you have to suffer the consequences for the attention paid another woman.”
“Ah…” Stefan smiled. “You intend, then, to be a jealous bride?”
“Not jealous, dear heart. I prefer to consider myself…possessive.” Faith smoothed the short hairs of her fiancé's goatee. “I have to protect you from your fascination with beautiful women and dark secrets.”
Stefan grew serious. “I have begun to wonder just whose secrets keep Alexandra bound to my brother's side.” He took Faith's hand in his own and headed down toward the stables. “My sources in Europe all seem to point toward Alexandra's father as the most likely cause for this marriage. My mother's influence notwithstanding, this alliance is thought to be typical of Stefano DiMera's mode of operation.”
“If all that is true, what do you hope to learn from Alexandra?”
“I need to know just how willing a participant Alexandra was in this arrangement.” Faith felt Stefan's hand tighten gently about her own. “No innocent person deserves a punishment such as Stavros.”
