When she'd met him as a teen on the set of one of her mother's films, she'd developed an instant crush. He'd been a very mature eighteen years old, compared to her fifteen, with golden skin and a smile she'd come to appreciate that held just a touch of cockiness.
She'd been smitten to say the least, but they'd soon developed a friendship that had lasted through the years. Fantasies had come and gone...and come again where she'd envisioned him proposing to her and professing his hidden, undying passion. But those were little girl dreams. Besides, Stefan always had a companion or two at all times.
"You would look beautiful in that gown."
Victoria shook off her crazy thoughts and jerked her attention to Stefan.
"Sorry. I realize your own engagement is still fairly recent, but-"
She straightened her shoulders and stepped back. "No, it's okay. But let's not talk about that. I'd much rather focus on your happiness."
He reached out, cupped her shoulders and gave a reassuring squeeze. "I'm still your friend. I know you didn't open up that much over the phone because of the timing being so close to the passing of my father, but you're here now and I'm offering you my shoulder if you need it."
Warmth spread through her. Other than her brothers, this was the one man she'd always been able to depend on. Even as they'd gotten older, their lives busier, she knew Stefan was always there for her.
"I may take you up on that," she told him with a smile. "But for now let's discuss you."
Because she needed to focus on their friendship and her work instead of her humiliation, her eyes drifted back over the designs. "A dress should make a woman feel beautiful and alluring. I wanted to capture that beauty with a hint of fairy tale thrown into the mix. When I don't know the client personally, it makes designing the dresses a bit harder, so that is why I chose to bring very different designs for her to look at. Do you know when your fiancée will arrive?"
Stefan leaned a hip onto the table and smiled. "Actually, she's already here. I have a proposition for you, Victoria."
Intrigued, Victoria rested one hand on the table and smiled. "And what is that, Your Highness?"
He chuckled. "Now you're mocking me."
"Not at all," she retorted with a grin, loving how they fell back into their easy banter as if no time had passed. "You just sounded so serious. What's your proposition?"
He took her hands in his, looking her in the eyes. "It has to do with my fiancée...sort of."
Oh, no. She recognized that look. It was the same naughty, conniving look he had when he'd wanted her to be his partner in crime in their early twenties...like the time when he'd asked her to pose as his girlfriend for a charity ball because he had a somewhat aggressive lady who wouldn't take no for an answer.
God. The sick feeling in her stomach deepened. The man was up to something no good.
"Stefan." She slid her hands from his warm, strong hold and rubbed them together. "Tell me there's a real fiancée and you're actually getting married."
"I am getting married and there is a fiancée." He threw her a wide, beautiful smile. "You."
* * *
Stefan waited for her response to his abrupt proposal. Damn, he'd meant to have a bit more finesse, but time was running out and he couldn't afford to tackle this wedding in the traditional sense. Nothing about this situation was traditional.
She placed her hands on either side of her temples as if to rub the stress headache away...he'd had a few of those moments himself recently. He'd never pictured himself as a one-woman man. And the thought always sent a shudder straight through him.
"I'm sorry to pull you into this," he told her. "I couldn't trust anyone else right now."
He prayed he chose the right words to make her understand. She was, after all, still recovering from an ugly public breakup, and she had always been such a good friend, no matter the distance between them. They'd shared countless phone calls in the middle of the night, during many of which she'd told him her dreams and he'd listened, hoping one day all those dreams would come true. And perhaps he could help that along.
"Why do you need me all of a sudden?"
"Galini Isle will go back to Greece if I don't marry and gain the title of king. My brother isn't an option because his wife is a divorcée and the damn laws are archaic. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do everything in my power to keep this country in my family. I won't let my people down." He hated being forced into anything. "I want my title, but I do not want a wife. Unfortunately, I've looked for a loophole and there isn't one."
Victoria sank to the patio chair. "Again, why me?"
"I want a wife in name only. And I can't let my country revert to Greek rule. It's been in my family for generations. I refuse to be a failure to my family's name."
"This is crazy," she muttered, shaking her head.
Stefan stepped closer. "You've recently had scandal in your life. Why not show this fiancé who jilted you and the media who exploited your pain that you are stronger, you can rise above this and come out on top? What better way than to marry a prince?"
"You're serious?" she asked, looking back up at him. "How could we pull this off? I mean, we haven't been seen together in public for a couple years."
Stefan came over and took a seat directly beside her in the matching wrought-iron chair with plush cushions. "My people don't know who my bride is. I've made sure they only know there will be a wedding. I've been very secretive about this, which only adds to the mystery of the romance."
Romance. Yeah, that was the dead last thing on his mind right now. Couldn't he just have the crown? He was the prince, for crying out loud. Didn't that give him some clout? Why did he need a marriage to claim it?
"Once they see you, they'll know why I kept the engagement so quiet," he went on, knowing he was rambling, but he had to make her see this was the only way.
Damn, he hated vulnerability and being backed into a corner. Not only that, he hated putting Victoria in an awkward position.
Victoria laughed. "And here all this time I thought you were letting your romantic, protective side show."
"You are one of Hollywood's most famous single ladies-a bachelorette, I believe your country calls it-and I will simply explain I was protecting you from even more scandal and we wanted to express our love on our wedding day and not exploit it beforehand. Besides, there are all those articles and pictures from when we were in our teens and twenties. The media practically had us engaged at your twenty-first birthday party when I bought you a diamond necklace. The history is there, and the media will eat it up."
"Oh, Stefan." She sighed. "This is such a big decision. You can't expect me to give you an answer right now."
Leaning back against the chair, Stefan nodded. "I'm asking for only six months, Tori. After my coronation I'll have my title as king and the country will be secured with my family again."
"Then what?" she asked, her eyes searching his.
He shrugged, not really worried about anything beyond getting married and gaining his title. "After that it's up to you. You can stay married to me or you can end the relationship. The control is yours. Who knows, you may like being queen."
True, he may be a playboy, but he could think of multiple circumstances that would be worse than being married to the stunning Victoria Dane.
She stared out across the estate toward the ocean. Victoria's beauty was remarkable and surprisingly natural. She came from the land of perfection brought on by plastic surgeons, yet she looked more stunning than the fake, siliconed women he knew. And he was damn lucky she was in his life.
"This is the craziest thing I've ever heard." With a slight laugh she looked back to him. "You're taking something as serious as a royal wedding, a wedding that will create the new leaders for your country, and turning it into a...a lie. My God, Stefan, this is really putting the pressure on our friendship. Do you realize how risky this is? I can't lose you."
He sat forward, dead serious. "You could never lose me as a friend. If I thought that was the case I never would've asked you. Just think of this as a long, overdue reunion . I need someone I can trust not to back out at the last minute or use me for money in the end."