Pretending with the Greek Billionaire (8 page)

Chapter Eight

Constance stared at Luca over a romantic candlelit dinner, trying to keep her face from revealing all the emotions seething inside. Anger being up front and center.

“I don’t know why you’re so upset. You agreed to all this.”

“Yes,” she said, smiling around her clenched teeth. “I did. Under duress. But you didn’t tell me it would be like this.”

“Like what?”

“Seriously?” she hissed, waving a hand toward the window of the restaurant where several dozen photographers had been snapping photos since the moment they’d sat down.

“You get used to it. Just ignore them.”

“I don’t see how anyone can get used to this.”

He shrugged and took a bite of his spanakopita. “It can be a royal pain in the ass sometimes, I’ll give you that, but I’ve found if you give them a good smile or two and then try to ignore them, they’ll go away. Eat.”

His tongue darted out to lick a flake of pastry off his lip and she froze with her fork halfway to her mouth.

Those moistened lips smiled and leaned closer to her. “If you want a taste, all you have to do is ask.”

Before she could register what he’d said, those lips made contact and sent little electric shocks rippling through her. It lasted only a moment and then he sat back down and resumed eating.

“We’ll continue that later,” he said, his eyes full of heat and promise. “Eat,” he commanded again.

She rolled her eyes and tried to get a few bites down but it was disconcerting knowing people were watching them, and not just the ones with the cameras outside the windows. People in the restaurant stared as well. A few even snapped some pictures with their phones, not even bothering to try and hide what they were doing. Thank God the girls were home with Mrs. Ballas for the night. People taking pictures of them eating would have freaked them out, and he had to deal with it every time he left his house.

She sighed. “I’m sorry. I know I’m not making this any easier.”

Luca put his fork down and sat back, his eyes blinking in utter surprise.

“What?” she asked. “Am I not being a pain?”

“Oh no, you’re being a pain all right.”

Her eyes narrowed and she tried to glare at him without everyone knowing she was glaring at him. Trying to convey what she was thinking and feeling without alerting the rest of the world to it all was exhausting.

“Yeah, I get it. I signed on to do this and now all I’m doing is complaining, but I really don’t get it. Why are they so interested in me? I’m nobody.” She glanced at Luca, confused but not sure how insulting it would be to ask for enlightenment.

“What?” he asked.

She waved him off but he frowned at her. “What? Just ask.”

“I was wondering why you are so famous. Actors and professional athletes I can kind of understand. But you…well you sort of seem famous just for being famous. Like a Hilton or a Kardashian.”

“All beautiful ladies who are surprisingly intelligent and genuinely nice people if anyone bothered to get to know them.”

“Okaaay…but my point stands.” She shrugged. “Never mind. I guess it doesn’t matter. Seems odd to me, is all.”

“It always seemed odd to me as well.”

“Really?”

He took a drink of his wine. “Sure. I know people who have more money, who are better looking…”

She couldn’t hide her incredulity fast enough at that remark and Luca rewarded her with a smile, the kind that had women throwing themselves at his feet. Great. That’s all she needed to do, feed that already over-inflated ego of his.

“Anyhow, I know people a lot more worthy of all the attention than me. So how did I get so lucky?”

“Really?” she asked, not believing a word he was saying. There was no way he was really that clueless.

“What?” he asked. He seemed genuinely confused.

“You don’t think all your…escapades have had anything to do with keeping you in the papers? The cars, the houses, a different model on your arm every other week, the crazy parties even I’ve heard of? No offense, but your whole life seems to revolve around getting your name in the papers.”

He wiped his mouth and set his napkin down on his plate. A little qualm of unease turned her already-rioting stomach. She hadn’t meant to make him angry. He gestured to the waiter who hurried over with their check.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

He shook his head. “No. You’re right.” He cleared his throat and shoved his fingers through his slightly unruly hair. He was impeccably dressed, as always. Tailored suit fitted to his perfect form so well she couldn’t keep her eyes from roaming over him every few seconds. She’d taken care with her appearance as well, donning a dark blue dress she knew was particularly becoming, and a small blue butterfly necklace that matched her new ring, knowing that the cameras would be there, that people would be watching.

The sick realization that he had to do that every time he walked out of his house hit her. Who would choose that? To always be under that kind of scrutiny? She worried again for the children. It was bad enough she and Luca were hounded as they were, but they were at least adults who’d chosen the situation. The girls hadn’t. She’d have to make double sure they weren’t ambushed. No wonder Luca never wanted kids. Who’d want to subject their children to such treatment?

“You’re right,” he said again. “I do make it pretty easy for them. Habit, I guess. But then, they are there whether I make it easy for them or not. At least when I’m up to my antics, as you call them, I’m in control of the game. They see what I want them to see, most of the time.”

Constance opened her mouth to respond. She hadn’t thought it was possible but she was afraid she might have hurt his feelings. He didn’t give her a chance to say anything else. He stood and held out his hand. She took it, let him help her rise. A server handed Luca a bag. He’d cleared their plates and boxed up the leftover food and she hadn’t even noticed.

“
Efharistó
,” he said, thanking the man and handing him a large tip.

She stole a glance at Luca, one eyebrow raised.

“You didn’t eat much. I thought you might be hungry later.”

“Oh. Thank you,” she said, surprised. It was unexpectedly thoughtful.

He winked at her and raised her hand to his lips, keeping his gaze locked on hers as he kissed her knuckle above her engagement ring. “It’s my job to take care of you.”

He sounded like he meant it. Again, she mentally chastised herself. She didn’t know why she kept judging him so harshly. He really had been pretty decent to her, all things considered.

She gave him the sweetest smile she could muster and didn’t object when he laced his fingers through hers. She’d deny it if ever asked, but she actually quite liked his big, warm hand enveloping hers. To her delight, he ushered her through the back door of the restaurant into a waiting car driven by Joseph. She settled back against the seat in the rear with Luca.

“Not that I’m complaining, but why didn’t we have to wade through the sea of cameras out there again?”

Luca sighed. “Even I get tired of the circus occasionally, Stanzia. They’ve gotten enough pictures of us for the night. All I want to do is go home and get in bed.”

Constance’s stomach dropped to her toes. They were on their way back to his house, to his room, where she was expected to sleep in his bedroom.

They pulled through the gates of the estate. Only a few lights were on in the house. There was no party going on. No guests. No paparazzi (that she could see). No kids. It was the two them for the whole night, alone.

They entered the house and stood in the entryway. Luca turned to Joseph. “Make sure everything is locked up, and set the alarm.”

“Of course, sir.
Kaliníhta
, Miss Constance.”

“Good night, Joseph,” she said, trying to keep her tone neutral.

Luca took her hand.

“Luca,” she said, dragging her feet a little as he towed her down a hallway to a closed door.

“It’s late. I’m tired. We’re going to bed.”

She tried to yank her hand from his. He held firm, but he did glance over his shoulder, eyebrows raised in question.

“Something wrong?”

Protesting that she didn’t want to go to bed would be both futile and a lie. She was exhausted. Nothing sounded better than curling up in bed and falling asleep. The problem was he’d be in the same room. Sometimes just being in the same town seemed too close to be to him. The thought of it made her body tremble and her mind race with fantasies that made her blush, and burn. If she survived the next few weeks, it would be a freaking miracle.

“No,” she finally muttered.

“Good.” The smug smile he gave her left her with no doubt he knew exactly what her issue was, and it amused him.

Well, that wouldn’t do. She squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and marched straight into his bedroom where she came to a complete, dead stop.

His master suite was almost bigger than her entire house. But the bed is what really drew her attention. She didn’t know how big the dang thing was, but it was definitely larger than a king. Theoretically, this was a good thing. They could probably share it with no problem. In fact, if she lay near the edge on her side, and he lay near his, they could probably put another person between them, lying sideways. Plenty of space to avoid each other. Somehow, she didn’t think it mattered how large the bed was. If Luca was in it, they would be too close. Thank God she was sleeping on the couch.

She realized he was watching her, his amused smile growing larger by the second. She tore her gaze from the bed and looked around for her things.

“Your luggage has been unpacked. Everything is in the closet here.”

He led her to a closet that could have easily been a spare bedroom. One section of it now held her things. A small tinge of embarrassment settled over her at the thought of someone handling her things, especially her underthings.

“The bathroom is this way,” he said, leading her to another large space.

The blue and yellow tiles of the bathroom reminded her of home. But that was as far as the similarities went. A massive tub, easily large enough for two, or four, filled one corner. A shower with more jets than she’d ever seen before filled another. It was large enough for a group and for everyone to have their own showerhead. The image of Luca standing under those steaming jets was a nice image indeed, but not one she should be dwelling on.

Her toiletry case had been set near one of the sinks and she went over to make sure everything had made it. Luca’s steps coming up behind her echoed on the tiled floor but she didn’t look up until his warm breath tickled her neck. Their eyes met in the mirror.

“Do you have everything you need?”

His gaze burned into hers and it took a second for her to gather her wits and nod.

“Good. You can have your turn in here first. I need to go over a few things with Joe anyway.”

“Thank you,” she said, her voice hardly more than a whisper.

He nodded but didn’t move, just kept staring at her in the mirror. His eyes roamed over her figure and the look in them when they met hers again was enough to make her catch her breath.

He stepped closer, lightly wrapping his hands around her upper arms, keeping his gaze locked with hers until the last second. She held her breath, not sure what he was going to do. Not sure what she wanted him to do.

He pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek and then released her.

“I’ll be back in a bit.”

She nodded and watched him walk out the door, her heart hammering. As soon as he disappeared she slumped against the counter. Good gracious, that man would be her downfall.

She yelped when he stuck his head back in the door.

“By the way, I sleep on the left, in case you get cold and want to crawl in with me,” he said with a huge grin, before disappearing again.

Despite the fact her nervous system was about to have a meltdown, an answering smile spread across her lips. His head appeared around the doorframe again.

“I also sleep in the nude.”

Her mouth dropped open and he ducked back out, the bathroom ringing with his laughter.

Chapter Nine

Luca wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be offended. After Constance had nearly fainted from his declaration he’d be going to bed in nothing but the skin God had given him, she’d taken her pajamas into the bathroom, and then wouldn’t come back out again until he’d turned out the lights, which he’d finally done in the interest of getting some sleep.

She headed straight for the couch, stopping short when she saw him stretched out on the overstuffed monstrosity.

“You can have the bed,” he said.

“That’s nice of you, but I’ll be fine on the couch.”

He shrugged. “But I’m already tucked in. Besides, you’re my guest. You can have the bed.”

She didn’t say anything for a second or move to get into the bed and he sighed.

“Constance, just get in the bed. Let me be chivalrous for once. I assure you, it’s not something that happens every day.”

He heard a faint snort but she at least decided to take him up on his offer, darting out of the shadows of the room. She didn’t exactly run to the bed, but she didn’t take her time, either. He’d seen a brief flash of skin in the moonlight shining in from the window, but as she’d promptly pulled the covers up to her chin, he couldn’t tell what she was wearing.

“I want you to know I find it highly inappropriate for you to be…you know…”

“Naked?” he asked.

“Yes.”

He shrugged, not bothering to make sure the sheet stayed in place at his waist. “I doubt you’ll believe me, but I’m not doing this for your benefit. It’s more comfortable to sleep this way. Though I’m always hopeful I can entice you out of that frigid little shell of yours.”

“I’m not frigid!”

“If you say so.”

She huffed and he laughed. “We’re engaged, Stanzia. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the company of your own fiancé.”

“There’s plenty wrong with it.”

“Like what?”

“We barely know each other.”

“So?” He pushed himself up so he was half sitting, half reclining against the arm of the couch. “We’ve got an amazing connection between us. I know you’ve felt it, so don’t even try and deny it. If it’s that good with just a little kiss, imagine how much better it could be.”

The bright moon illuminated the room, showing her lying rigid in the bed, her arms crossed over her chest, the sheets tucked around her and pulled up to her chin. Oh, how he’d love to see her lose control. Be the reason she loses control. Just once.

“Our engagement isn’t real.”

“Says who? I asked, you said yes, I gave you a ring, we announced it to the world. How is that not real?”

“Seriously?” She sat up against the pillows to glare at him. “You did not ask me to marry you; you blackmailed me into an engagement. You gave me a ring but without the intent behind it, it’s just a piece of jewelry. And the same goes for the engagement. If we have no real intention of marrying, then it’s not real.”

“Well, regardless, I see no reason two mature, consenting adults can’t take advantage of a sticky situation. No harm in it.”

“There’s a lot of harm in it.”

“I don’t see why.”

She started to smile but bit her lip before it came to anything. “If you can’t figure it out on your own, I’m not going to explain it to you.”

Uh-huh. Classic woman response when they didn’t really have an answer but were determined to win, or start, an argument.

“Well, you’re going to have to put up with it. This is how I prefer to sleep and I’m not going to change it because there happens to be a beautiful woman in my bed. It would be more natural if you were to join me. It’s almost criminal for you to cover that beautiful skin of yours.”

He was only partially joking with her. His desire to see her naked, feel her skin against his, was so great his body throbbed with the need of her. She either felt the same way or was picking up on the vibes he was throwing out. Her eyes widened and he let the sheet drift lower over his hips. She scooted farther down beneath the covers.

“You keep scooting down like that and you’re going to fall off the end of the bed. I’m not going to bite you, you know. Unless you want me to.”

A quick intake of breath was hastily turned into a cough and Luca grinned into the darkness.

“Do you have to turn everything into a joke or sexual innuendo?” she asked.

“I don’t
have
to, but it does make life a little more fun,” he said with a laugh.

Her fight to keep a giggle in ended in a snort. She cleared her throat. “If you say so.”

“I say so.”

She finally gave in and chuckled. “Go to sleep, Luca.”

She tucked the blankets more firmly about her and turned on her side away from him, huddled as far on the opposite side of the bed as she could get. Like that would stop him if he were really determined. Lucky for her, he had no interest in trying to seduce a woman who was clearly trying to talk herself into not wanting him…well, that wasn’t really true. He had a lot of interest, but even he had some standards. He may have blackmailed her into a fake engagement, and he may enjoy teasing her now that she was in his bed, even if he wasn’t in there with her, but he wasn’t going to take advantage of her, unless she wanted him to. That didn’t mean he couldn’t have a little fun.

He wrapped his sheet around his waist and stood up. “Don’t freak out. I’m just coming over for another pillow,” he said.

One hit him in the face before he made it to the bed. He laughed and grasped the blankets, giving them a firm tug. She’d wrapped herself so tightly in them that she rolled toward him with a yelp.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she said, slapping the blankets out of his hand.

“What are you wearing under there?”

“What?” she half gasped, half laughed.

“You jumped in bed so quickly I couldn’t see what you’re wearing. It’s really something I should know.”

“I can’t see why,” she said, trying to squirm back over to her side.

He was having none of that. He kept the blankets firmly fisted in his hand. She was either going to have to stay put or leave the shelter of the covers.

“Because we are supposed to be engaged. We’re supposedly sharing a bed. What if someone asks? It would be extremely embarrassing if I didn’t know what my own fiancée wore to bed.”

“No one is going to ask that!”

He shrugged. “You never know. I’ve been asked more intrusive things.”

“Really?”

“You have no idea.”

She stopped struggling, turning toward him with reluctant interest. “Like what?”

He eyed her suspiciously. “Why do you want to know?”

“I’m curious. Besides, you’re my fiancé. Won’t people expect me to know about your past?”

Throwing his own words back at him. Nice touch. He sat down and scooted up to lean back against the headboard. “People probably expect you already know. Everything I’m thinking of has already been in the papers. You’d be amazed at what reporters try to get answers to.”

“I can imagine, and you just proved my point,” she said with a triumphant smile. “If everyone else already knows then it can’t hurt to tell me and it could hurt
not
to tell me, since I’ll be the only one in the dark.”

“Google interviews with me. I’m sure they’ll pop up.”

“Yeah, I’m kind of afraid of what else might pop up if I Google you.”

Luca leaned closer. “Seeing as how you’re lying in bed with me, I’d think you’d be more interested in what might pop—”

“Do
not
finish that sentence.”

He chuckled. “You’re no fun.”

That strangled sounding, hastily cut off laughter escaped from her again. “That’s right. I’m not. So why don’t you save me the trouble and tell me everything now?”

“I could, but then I’m not in the habit of giving away valuable information for nothing.”

“I’d hardly call this information valuable.”

He shrugged. “You’re the one who wanted to know.”

Her eyes narrowed as she tried to stare him down. She blinked first and a childish thrill of victory ran through him.

“Okay, what are your terms?” she finally asked.

Oh, he knew what he’d like to ask for. A modified version of strip Truth or Dare would be fun, but she’d never go for that. Maybe something similar but not quite as “daring” would fly?

“For every episode of inappropriate intrusiveness I tell you, you have to drop the blankets a few inches.”

“What?” She gasped, but she exaggerated it. They both knew she wasn’t all that surprised.

“I want to see what you’re wearing, you want to hear my stories. Fair’s fair.”

One eyebrow rose. “Your obsession with my pajamas really isn’t healthy.”

“I’m aware of this. I still want to know.”

She gave him a wry smile and shrugged. “If that’s what you really want, deal.”

“Oh, I didn’t say that was what I really wanted, but I knew you’d say no to
that
, so I asked for what I thought I could get.”

“And what do you really want?” she asked, leaning in just a hair.

His heart rate jumped a notch and all things south of the border perked up. He willed himself back under control. She was playing with him and every part of him seemed to understand that but his dick.

“Do you really want me to answer that?” he asked, his voice gone deep and husky.

Her breathing sped up and she shook her head. “I’m sure I can guess.”

“I’m sure you can, too, but since you refuse to go there, I guess we’re stuck with the…safer arrangement. Agreed?”

She only hesitated a moment before nodding. “Agreed. So, tell me a story, and it better be good.”

He laid back and put his hands behind his head. “Hmm, let’s see. Okay, here’s one. I once had a female reporter ask me how many times I could make a woman orgasm in one night.”

“What? No way. What was the interview for?
Playgirl
?”

He snorted. “No. I would have expected questions like that in that case. I was doing a PR piece for the firm. My father had just purchased a large tract of land that had some significant historical finds on it.”

Constance frowned. “What possible excuse could she have for asking you a question like that then?”

“I think she was asking for personal reasons.”

That eyebrow of hers rose again. “I…I’m not even going to touch that. Okay, one point for you. Definitely an insanely inappropriate question.”

“Good. Now, drop them.”

Her eyes narrowed at him but the blankets dropped a few inches, baring her shoulders to the moonlight. Nothing covered them but a pair of thin, white camisole straps against her pale skin. He bit his lip, staring at the creamy expanse of her shoulders, at her collarbone, and the sexy little hollow at the base of her throat.

The longer he stared, the more she glared. “They’re just shoulders. Everyone has them. They really aren’t that interesting.”

“So you say.” He trailed a finger across the gentle slope of the one nearest him and she trembled under his touch, but she didn’t move away. “You have exquisite shoulders, the kind that should be painted. Sculpted. Immortalized for all time. Anyone who tells you they aren’t worth staring at is lying. Or blind.”

Her mouth dropped open a little but he wasn’t going to give her the time to refute him. “I must see more. So another invasive moment. Hmm. Okay, I’ve got one. Actually, the question wasn’t asked of me but asked of a friend of mine about me. Does that count?”

Her face puckered in that disapproving nanny way she had about her, but she nodded. “I’ll allow it.”

“A reporter once asked a girlfriend of mine how I measured up compared to other men she’d been with.”

“No,” she said with a little giggle.

“Yes. Thankfully, I surpassed the others with flying colors, so to speak. So, he offered her a hundred thousand dollars if she’d provide photographic evidence.”

“Oh my God. She refused, of course.”

Luca shook his head. “Nope. Sold me out less than twenty-four hours later. There I was thinking she wanted to spice things up a little and the next thing I know my penis is front-page news. Well, not front page…wouldn’t want to scare the kiddies.” He winked and laughed it off despite the fact that had been one of the most humiliating episodes of his life, not that he didn’t think his favorite body part was spectacular, because it was, of course. But it had certainly taught him a valuable lesson in whom to trust.

“That’s horrible,” Constance said, the sympathy in her voice only making the uncomfortable knot in his gut tighten.

He tried to shrug it off. “Can’t really blame her. It was a lot of money.”

“Yes but—”

“I believe that’s earned me more than a couple inches,” he said, interrupting her. He didn’t want sympathy from her. It was over and done with. He’d learned his lesson, moved on. He’d much rather focus his attention on the gorgeous woman currently in his bed, not some miserable ghost from his past.

He thought Constance might argue, but instead she lowered the blanket to her waist. He caught his breath and took her in. The thin silk of the camisole did nothing to hide the fullness of her breasts. If anything, the material accentuated the firm mounds that lay beneath it. Her nipples puckered, pressing against the thin fabric, and he had to twist his hands into the sheets to keep from reaching out to touch them.

The faint moonlight filtering in from the window made her pale skin glow like a freshly harvested pearl. The dark, wavy hair cascading over her shoulders just brushed her nipples and he ached to brush those tendrils aside and bring those tight little buds to his waiting lips.

“Luca?”

He blinked and brought his gaze back up to meet hers. She stared at him, somehow both amused and disapproving. “You seem surprised,” she said.

He forced himself to get a grip. “I am, a little.”

“Oh really? I know I’ll probably regret asking this, but what did you think I slept in?”

“I don’t know. Something flannel maybe. With sleeves down to your wrists and buttons up to here,” he said, flicking a finger at her throat.

She slapped at his hand. “Oh, so because I have a houseful of kids and work with nuns I must dress like them, too?”

“Don’t be so offended. You’d look amazing in a nun’s habit.”