"Woah," I say completely stunned as I step out of the bathroom.

Michael runs his hands down his suit, pulling it straight to smooth out the wrinkles. "Do you like it?"

"I," pause, "take it off."

His eyes snap up to mine instantly. "Does it not look good? It fits perfect which I find odd. Do you just have extra suits lying around?"

"No, I asked Henry to go buy you clothes, I wasn't expecting a suit but wow," I exhale.

"Wow what," he says gruffly. "If I look like a fool than I'm not going wear it."

"No!" I shout and run towards him, planting my hands on his chest. "I love it, love as in I'm thinking of ten different ways on how to get to get you out of it. Hell please wear suits all the time." I bite my lip. "Actually don't because I don't know if I would be able to handle myself."

Michael finally smiles and he wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. "Well why don't you take it off now? We don't have to go to that dinner do we?"

"The spoiled princess Alexandria would skip it and piss off her entire family but I'm Alex now, I have to go. I want them to see who I've become."

"You're my Alex now," he corrects before reaching down and kissing my lips. "You know," he mumbles, "this height difference is going to break my neck one day."

"Yeah but I like being so much smaller than you." I kiss his chest. "You're like my giant knight and I know I'm safe when I'm in your arms."

"I've saved you once Alex and I will keep saving you as long as you will let me."

...

"Princess!"

"Uncle Marco," I yell, running into his arms as soon as I see him in the dining room.

Not too long ago I stepped into this same room with the same people, minus Michael, but I was a completely different person. If Michael could have seen me than I'm sure he would have probably punched me himself. I wish he would have, hell I wish I could do it myself.

"My sons tell me that you brought back a lumberjack," Marco asks with one brow raised.

"Well your sons are dumb asses who need a reality check," I mutter.

"Hey!" Enzo cries out.

"Maybe we should send our sons to an isolated island too Marco," his wife Eliza says with a breathtaking smile.

"That's always been my dream," Marco replies. We laugh at his sons similar expressions.

"Oh Uncle," I step away from him to grab Michael's sweating hand. "This is my boyfriend Michael."

I never knew how good it would feel to call him boyfriend. I've never had a boyfriend before, my Dad wouldn't allow it until I was eighteen and when I was eighteen I was too messed up to stick to one man.

"Hello Michael. I'm Marco Stavros." Marco grips his hand in a strong shake. "Ignore my sons. They didn't even last two days at the resort."

"Ha!" I point at my cousins who haven't stopped glaring at me. "I was right about those girls wasn't I?"

"Only most of them," Dante says pouting.

"Michael this is my queen Eliza." Aunt El playfully smacks his chest, a blush creeping onto her face past her smile.

"Hello Michael." She shakes his hand.

"Where are my parents? I'm starving," I groan.

Marco smiles at me and I know what's coming next. I stop him before he can say it. "Don't you dare Uncle! I don't want to be scarred for life!"

"What would you be scarred from?"

I turn to see my parents entering the room. My dad is latched onto my mom's side and it's hard not to notice their tousled hair or their wrinkled clothes.

"You have Eddy's lipstick on your cheek brother," Marco says, earning a hard hit from his wife.

Instantly heat rises to my mom's face and down her neck while my dad simply glares at his little brother.

"I wish when I was that old I could still be doing it as much as you guys do," Dante comments.

"Shove it Dante before I shove my heel up your ass," growls my Mom.

My dad says she got her attitude after her grandpa but only a fraction of it and it only comes out to play every once in a while. But hell if she's only a little bit of what he used to be than I wish I could have been old enough to remember him.

"Way to go Eddy," cheers Marco.

"Alexandria!" My Mom runs towards me, her arms open wide. Suddenly I'm wrapped in her embrace that's as tight as a barracuda.

"You have a damn hickey on your neck woman, cover up," I mutter and slightly push away from her.

She turns to Michael next to me. "I was told that you make my daughter a better person. Do your magic," she snaps, pointing at me.

"Baby," Michael laughs and wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me to his side. "Play nice."

I look up to him innocently. "Do I have to?"

"Alex," he draws out not because he's treating me like a child but because he knows I love it when he calls me that.

"Fine," I ground out before pulling my Mom into a hug and kissing her cheek. Still I don't let go of her for another couple minutes. I didn't know how much I missed her hugs.

"Oh sweetie," she cries into my neck.

"Mom," I sob harder than she, "I'm so sorry."

She rubs my back comfortingly, just like she used to do when I was little. "It's okay," she whispers, "I forgive you child."

"Can we start over?"

It's no doubt in my mind that I was worse to my Mom more so than anyone else in the family. I don't want to blame it on the fact that Angela looked so much like her but she did. Every time I looked into my Mom's eyes, Angela was staring back at me. Every time my Mom wore her hair down, I remembered Angela's being the exact same shade and length.

After Angela's death my mom took it the hardest; she locked herself in her bathroom for days and refused to come out. She only came out because she almost starved to death. Still she spent the next couple weeks crying and sleeping in her bedroom. All the while I was in the hospital trying to get my strength and will back. I don't remember her visiting me once.

There's too much bad blood between us to just ignore it. We'll have to talk about it and start over.

I know her own mother left her as a child after her father had died so the relationship between us is important. However she realized her mistake after it was too late. I had already fallen down the dark hole that I lived in for years. She tried to apologize and make everything better but I would just reply in snarky remarks that hurt her and doing stupid stunts to get myself on the front page of every newspaper. I learned that that got my Mom's attention just fine.

"I would love to Princess," she whispers back, clutching me tighter.

Finally we separate, she holds on to my Dad while I hold onto Michael. During the dinner I sit between Michael, who keeps his hand on my leg, and my mom who grasps my hand in hers whenever she isn't using it to eat.

The table is loud as usual even with us eight. My cousins and their Dad tease each other back and forth. My Dad and his brother bicker as always in Greek so their wives won't be able to stop them since neither know how to speak the language. Aunt El knows a lot actually since she grew up with the brothers but my Mom only knows a little, not bothering in learning a new language when she's almost forty.

I actually bring up a conversation with Aunt El about visiting orphanages with her and doing charity work. Everyone at the table, save Michael who continues eating as normal, stare at me like I'm an alien. Finally she breaks and agrees with a lot of enthusiasm.

Michael mostly stays silent during the meal and I have to wonder how freaky this is for him. He came from living by himself on an island to eating the finest cuisine in a mansion with seven crazy and talkative people.

Well save for my Dad who doesn't speak much either. He always spends meals just eating and observing the people around the table with a smile on his face. He definitely got it from my grandpa.

When my Mom brings up Michael's home life, asking what he does for a living and if he has any family as crazy as us, I quickly dodge the answer by only telling them about the mining. That catches their attention easily enough and they all bombard away with questions about the activity they practically saw as a fairy tale.

Eventually the dinner is over and after I say goodbye to my family I'm finally able to drag Michael outside to an awaiting car which takes us to my apartment in the city.

"Who the hell are you," Michael growls out as soon as the elevator doors open and he sees the young man standing in front of my door.

I've never found jealousy to be a good look on anyone but it looks hot as hell on Michael. He could look good in anything, the suit is proof of that.

"My name is Ryan, and you are?"

The stranger looks to be the same age as Michael, perhaps a year or two older. The other me would find him good enough to seduce and take to bed than get him fired after I've had my fun with him, but that sounds disgusting to me now.

His hair is short and cropped just before above the ears. His muscles aren't as big as Michaels but they're still big. His shoulders are almost as big as Michael's and he doesn't look as good in a suit as Michael does.

Whoa wait.

When did I start comparing everybody to Michael?

"Alexandria's boyfriend," Michael sneers and his hold on my waist tightens, bringing me flush against his side. "Leave now or I'll kick your ass."

"Whoa," Ryan says, holding up his hands in a defensive stance and stepping back. "You got the wrong idea. I'm just her body guard."

"Bodyguard," Michael asks confused.

I guess my Dad works faster than I thought.

"Hello I'm Alexandria," I greet and offer him my hand. "My dad didn't tell me you were going to be here tonight."

"My apologies, I can come back tomorrow morning. He just wanted me to introduce myself and let you know that I'll be here."

"May I ask how my father knows you? Were you recommended?" I notice that beside me Michael still hasn't calmed down.

Meh. I like the way his eyes are burning green anyways.

"My father Luke is actually his personal bodyguard. Has been for over twenty years."

"You're Luke's son?" I ask surprised. I rarely talk to Luke but he's almost always around my dad and is now one of his closest friends. He's had to fill in for my suddenly fired body guards a few times over the years.

"Indeed ma'am." He nods his head but keeps his hands clasped behind his back like a royal guard. I've never before had a body guard who looked like well... a body guard.

"You're in the military aren't you," I question, finally noticing the fine give away's.

"Yes ma'am," he says with a proud smile. "Marine corps. I've done three tours."

"Anymore in the future," I ask, pulling Michael towards the door. Ryan steps aside swiftly.

"No ma'am. I'm home for good now."

"I'm glad to hear that." I smile towards him then open my front door. "I think you're the best body guard I've had yet but heads up?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"Don't ever call me ma'am unless you want me to scare you off like the others."

He laughs, a good sign so far. It lets me know that he can get my jokes and he isn't as expressionless as a piece of bread. "I've heard the horror stories so I will stop."

"Good," I say, feeling a sudden giddiness wash over me. When was the last time I smiled for this long? "Well goodnight Ryan. We'll see you tomorrow morning and please excuse any sounds you might here." I wink before closing the door.

I faintly hear a hearty laugh and a "goodnight" coming from the other side of the door.

"You didn't say much," I say, looking up to Michael.

His jaw is clenched and his eyes are hard and cold. "You didn't give me the chance to."

I roll my eyes and rub my hands up and down his tense chest. "Were you going to play nice?"

"No," he growls out.

"I thought so. Now," I say sexily, "how about we do what I've been imagining all night?"

Michael doesn't waste any time in spinning me around and pushing me up against a wall. "Break in the bed?"

"Why stop there? I think we need to cleanse this whole apartment."