Pretending with the Greek Billionaire(55)
But for her, her entire world had changed, and she had no idea how she’d live in it once Luca was gone.
Chapter Fifteen
Luca took the remnants of the roll from Constance’s fingers and removed the plate with the rest of the desiccated bread from her grasp. Then he took her hands and kissed each one.
“Stop worrying. He’s the one who saw that picture of us and decided he liked you, remember? This should be easy.”
“Yes, but what if he’s changed his mind? We got engaged so quickly. He might think I’m just here for…for…”
“For my money? For a few nights in my bed?” he asked, his voice dropping an octave.
Her breath left her in a gush that left her cheeks flaming red and Luca chuckled, leaning in to kiss her. “I sincerely hope the last one is true.”
“Luca,” she said, glancing around to make sure no one heard him.
“You have got to relax,” he said, with a little laugh.
“Easy for you to say. It’s not my father we’re about to meet.”
“We can do that next. Let’s get mine out of the way first.”
“You’d want to meet my dad?”
“The man who produced you? Of course. I wanted to meet him before, remember? Not so sure how he’d feel about me…”
Constance laughed. “As long as I’m happy, he’d be happy.”
“And are you? Happy?”
He found himself surprisingly anxious to hear the answer to that question. She gazed up into his eyes and opened her mouth to speak but never got the chance.
“Well, look at the happy couple,” his father said, staring down at them before taking a seat.
Luca sat back, all playfulness disappearing at his father’s disapproving, and unexpected, tone. “Father, I’d like you to meet Constance McMurty. Constance, my father, Augustine Vasilakis.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Vasilakis. Luca has told me so much about you.”
“Has he? I’m afraid the only things I know about you I had to find out from my investigators.”
“Father,” Luca said, his tone as close to warning as he’d ever dared get with his father.
“Don’t stop on my account,” Augustine said, waving a finger between the two of them before unfolding and laying his napkin in his lap. “You want to make sure the photographers you’ve got clogging up the streets all get a good shot.”
Luca frowned, his anxiety turning to anger. “We were not putting on a show for anyone’s benefit. Theirs or yours.”
“Of course you were,” he said, not even bothering to look at Luca. He waved a server over, ordered a glass of wine and sat back to scrutinize them, his gaze lingering on Constance.
“So, you’re his fiancée at the moment, or so I’ve heard.”
Constance blanched and Luca’s anger burned hotter.
“I’m sorry, sir,” Constance said, her forehead creased with a small frown. “Have I done something to offend you?”
“No,” Luca said. “You haven’t.”
His father glanced at him, eyebrows raised. “I’m capable of answering for myself, Luca.”
The waiter brought his wine but was waved away when he asked if they were ready to order.
“Now, to get back to the question of my offense. Of course I’m offended,” he said, but his gaze was on Luca. A small thing to be grateful for in what was apparently going to be a disaster of epic proportions, but if shit was about to get ugly, Luca preferred it fall on him, not Constance. His dad shook his head. “That you would think you could fool me into thinking you’ve changed by staging some sham wedding, complete with orphans for God’s sake, is not only offensive, it’s downright infuriating.”
“I don’t understand where your anger is coming from,” Luca said. “You were thrilled when photos first surfaced of us together. Your exact words, I believe, were, ‘Finally, a girl your mother would be proud to welcome to our home.’ Why the sudden change of heart?”
“I’ll admit I was thrilled initially to see you keeping company with someone of a little more substance, for once. But reconciling the son I knew becoming suddenly engaged to a woman with six children to care for was a little more difficult. If you were truly getting married, I wanted to know more about who you were bringing into the family, as any father would.
“My people did a little more digging and discovered that your Miss McMurty here had never once been seen in your presence or anywhere near anyone you associate with until the day those photos were taken. Yet almost immediately, you are engaged, and large donations have been made to the organization she is associated with. I have no idea how much you’re paying her on top of the money you’ve already shelled out, and frankly any woman who would agree to whatever deal you made is reprehensible. But if you think for one second you can bribe and lie your way into my good graces you are sorely mistaken.