The only time Betsy had ever been abroad, she had always sat in economy seats, usually elbow to elbow with some stranger who had an immense fear of flying. Not that she had travelled very often. Other than her honeymoon, she could count on one hand the number of times she had been out of the UK. And that was even counting her trip to Ireland.

Nothing could prepare Betsy for the first class treatment.

They had flown from a private airstrip a few miles from the Davenport Estate. Nick didn't need to fly on commercial flights. Apparently his abundance of wealth even extended to the use of a private jet. Only when required. Betsy didn't know whether to laugh and roll her eyes at his smug smile when the cars drove them straight to the runway. It was at these moments she realised just how big the gap between them really was. She was in awe over the entire flight, her eyes eagerly drinking in all of the details, while Nick sat there reading the paper. To him a flight on a private jet was just another everyday occurrence.

A long cream leather sofa ran along one side of the jet while a pair of matching leather chairs was positioned opposite with only a small mahogany table to separate them. The scent of sandalwood and leather polish filled the air around her in a heady mix. There was no smell of sweat from the cramped and stuffy economy seating. No glaring over head lights. Instead there was soft white light which filled the space from concealed lighting. The effect was soothing and immediately put her at ease.

A young perky stewardess, who was groomed into glossy perfection, passed Betsy a glass of champagne as soon as she had taken her seat. Glancing up at the beautiful red head, she smiled in thanks. Tentatively she raised the glass to her lips and took a small delicate sip. The cool liquid hit her tongue and she released a sigh. The taste was unlike any other champagne she had ever tasted – not that Betsy would ever profess to be a champagne connoisseur.

"How is it?" Nick asked, waving away the glass offered to him. "Can I get just a coffee please? I have some work to do."

"It's good. I usually prefer prosecco over champagne but this is delicious."

Nick snorted and gave Betsy a soft smile. "I should hope so. It's a three thousand pound bottle of champagne."

The blonde choked on the sip she had been taking, her eyes moving between the glass and the man beside her. She pressed her lips together to stop herself from spitting it out.

"Why would you tell me that now?" she asked, blinking to clear the tears of strain which had formed in her eyes.

"Because I knew your reaction would be amusing. Now sit back and get some sleep." Nick ordered, a smile playing across his lips to soften the command. "Markos has already warned me that there are going to be several parties for us to attend over the next few days."

Glaring playfully at the man, Betsy took another sip of the champagne, taking great care to savour every last drop. She wanted enjoy it because she certainly wouldn't be requesting a second glass. Three thousand pounds for a single bottle? Despite spending several months in the Davenport household, she had never been able to get used to the way money was so disposable to him. He tried to pretend it wasn't, but there was no denying his monetary concerns were a lot smaller than hers. However his in-laws were infinitely worse. If it wasn't considered terribly gauche, Betsy was sure they would use fifty pound notes as toilet paper.

Shaking her head, the blonde took another sip and settled back into her seat. Cool air blew softly on the top of her head while the muted sounds of the television filtered down from the end of the jet. The children were perfectly happy, cured up on a smaller sofa, blankets over their legs as cartoons danced across the screen.

"Does this mean that the deal is almost done?" Betsy asked, her eyes drifting back to Nicholas. His head was ducked down as his fingers sped across the keyboard.

"What was that?" He asked, lifting his head with a frown firmly in place.

"I asked if the deal with Markos is nearly done. Does it normally take this long for a deal like this to go through?" She asked, setting her glass down on to the table separating them. She watched as his eyes kept drifting back down to the screen before him. "I've not really had much to do with business so I wasn't too sure if this is normal."

"It can vary on the type of deal. The Giannopoulos family have always been particular about the people who they do business with. They're ethical. It is one of the reasons I was so keen to form a partnership with them." Nick replied, lifting his head to give Betsy a distracted smile. "I've dreamt of this for years. When I knew what I wanted to do, what I wanted my business to be, I always knew that I wanted to be in partnership with Markos Giannopoulos."

Betsy's lips pulled up into a smile. As Nick spoke, she could see the enthusiastic sparkle in his eyes and the way his mask cracked, revealing the man behind the façade. Her heart leapt. She was one of the few people allowed to see this side of him. It felt as if she had been accepted into a privileged club.

"I'm glad you're getting your dreams." She murmured, stretching out her hand and giving Nick's arm a squeeze.

Nick placed his hand over hers, his fingers warm over her much cooler fingers. "Me too. I've wanted this for so long." He sighed and gave her hand a squeeze before using his grip to pull Betsy closer. "It's all finally happening and that's partly down to you. Without you they would have pulled out of the deal months ago. Thank you."

Rising from his seat, Nick awkwardly leant over the table separating them. The laptop dug into his abdomen but he didn't even flinch. He used his free hand to cup her cheek, his thumb caressing over her skin, and then he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle, lingering as her eyes fluttered closed. Betsy absorbed the warmth of his touch, the way it made her feel cherished. She felt surrounded by him, the scent of him, and in that moment she couldn't imagine anything better.

It only lasted two seconds – Betsy counted in her head as she enjoyed the sensations. He pulled away, his thumb still caressing over her skin even if he was no longer kissing her. Betsy was slow to open her eyes. And when she did, she grinned up at Nick. "You're welcome."

A surprised chuckle escaped his lips as he slowly lowered himself back into his seat. Nick kept hold of her hand even as he settled back into his work, the new leather squeaking slightly as he adjusted his weight. He kept holding her hand even as she settled back into her own chair. He kept hold of her hand even as she rested her head back and allowed her eyes to close. She wasn't doing as he ordered. She just wanted to rest before she met the Giannopoulos's again.

Before she knew it, she was drifting off to sleep.

** **

Betsy wasn't sure what she had expected from the Giannopoulos family. She knew they were wealthy – Nick's eagerness to work with them meant that they were obviously successful even in the struggling economic climate. To thrive in adversity told much about the strength of the business and the people running it. But no matter how hard she tried, she had not been able imagine their home.

They arrived after an hour's drive from the airport. The large sprawling white stone structure was a beautiful gleaming structure which teased from between the treeline on their approach. She knew as soon as she caught the first glimpse that it would be their destination.

Stepping out into the warm June sunshine, Betsy tilted back her head and drew in a deep breath. The scent of sun protection tickled her nose but it did nothing to dampen the joy of the moment. Delilah stepped out of the car, wrapping her hand around hers, her eyes wide as they took into the glory of the estate before them.

"Wow," she whispered, awe on her face as her eyes drank in everything from the three story structure built into the hillside to the glistening sea just a few hundred feet away.

"I agree," Betsy softly murmured, "Wow."

"Elizabeth. Nico. And the children too." Markos called out as he appeared with the threshold to the property. "Welcome to my home. Come inside and have some food. The whole family is here."

Betsy turned and smiled at the man. "Markos, it's good to see you again."

She hadn't even realised how much she missed the man, but as he stood in the sunshine in his flip flops, knee length shorts and a white short sleeved shirt. It felt like the blonde was finally seeing Markos Giannopoulos in his natural habitat.

"Just as beautiful as ever, Elizabeth. I hope Nico has been taking good care of you." Markos stated, arms thrown wide in greeting as he bounding down the two large steps to greet them all. He pulled her into a brief hug, placing a kiss on her cheek before he pulled back to examine her.

"Of course, he's been the perfect gentleman." Betsy replied, glancing over her shoulder to give Nick a warm smile.

"Always," Nick stated, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her to his side as Markos stepped away. Tommy was balanced on his hip, his small head moving from side to side as he found more and more things to look at. He was just as enthralled as the adults. "Now what was this about food? I'm famished."

"A man after my own heart," Markos chuckled. He waved his hand back towards the house. "Come, my wife has been cooking a feast and it is not to be missed. I'll let you know the secret Elizabeth. A way to a man's heart is always through his stomach." He patted his belly and continued to chortle as he led the way into the building.

The interior of the Giannopoulos home took Betsy's breath away. She had expected signs of the money the family had in their banks, and it was there in the expensive light fittings and the high standard finish to everything within sight, but it was what was beneath her feet which had her in awe. The entire floor on the entrance hall was crafted from tiny polished squares, the earth toned tiles forming a large swirling pattern and then there, in the centre of it all, a strong muscular man brandishing a lightning bolt. Even though it was polished to shining perfection, signs of age and wear shone through. It didn't diminish the beauty.

"It is original to this house."

"Sorry?" Betsy asked, blinking to clear her daze.

"When our family bought this land, this was nothing more than a pile of ruins. However my grandfather had dreamt about building here since he was just a boy and his parents told him tales about the house on the hillside." Markos's gaze swept downwards, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears and a warm smile on his lips. "They didn't have enough money to buy expensive tools but they were not afraid of hard work. Instead, my grandparents laboured over the land month after month to clear away the rocks and dust so they could build their new home. They thought they had struck gold when they found this. They could not destroy it. Instead they built the house around it, adding it to the heart of the home."

"It's incredible," Betsy murmured, crouching down to stroke her fingers over the small stones.

"My family think so. Since moving into this house, the Giannopoulos family have experienced a lot of good fortune. We've had good health, plenty of riches, and lots of babies." Markos waggled his brows at her, giving a cheeky wink before clapping a hand Nick's back. "Maybe some of the good fortune will find its way to the two of you?"

Betsy shook her head at the man even as her cheeks heated with a blush. As the two men walked ahead, she fell in step behind the pair, Delilah clinging to her hand. Even from a few paces behind, she could hear the older man teasing Nick. Markos ruffled Nick's hair like he was nothing more than an errant child when he tried to protest, the rebuttal coming just as quickly.

"Elizabeth, I just told Nico here that I have arranged a room for you both. He thought I would be old fashioned. He thought I would demand you sleep in separate bedrooms." The man waved his hand as if brushing the very thought away. "But who am I to keep people in love apart. I like to think myself as slightly modern man. Now stop dragging those feet, if you want to eat you need to hurry before the children get here."

The man continued to chatter as he led Nick away. Betsy didn't try to listen. The man didn't realise the bombshell he had just dropped. For all of the kisses, and all of the moments they had shared, Betsy's heart raced at the thought of sharing a bed with Nick. The few occasions Nick and Betsy had slept in the same bed had always been accompanied by two children. They usually watched a few films on the TV together; the four of them snuggled under a duvet, before falling asleep in a pile of tangled limbs.

Staying in his bed intentionally was going to be different. They would be sharing a bed as a couple. There would be no children creating a barrier between them. No tiny elbow buried in her side or little hand knotted in her hair. It would be just the two of them. Alone.

Betsy placed a hand over her fluttering heart for a moment, her steps faltering. She didn't feel fear. She could never feel afraid with Nick. She trusted him.  The thought of falling asleep to the sound of Nick's soft snores caused her lips to pull up into a small smile. There was definitely no fear - only anticipation.

Falling asleep in Nick's arms? Betsy couldn't imagine anything better.