“Of course.” As she finished her story, Stavros gave her a charming smile. “The best birthday party you’ve ever seen.”
Then they went to city hall, where a very bored-looking city employee gave them a marriage license, and an excited paparazzo took their picture as they left.
Within twenty minutes of the photo getting posted online, he’d started getting phone calls from shocked acquaintances and ex-girlfriends around the world, demanding to know if it was true and the uncatchable playboy was actually getting married. He’d ignored the messages. Why explain? Silence was strength.
But now that Stavros was about to speak his wedding vows, he felt oddly nervous. He’d told himself that he was different from the other Minos men. He was determined to be an excellent husband and father. But what if he was wrong? What if he broke Holly’s heart?
He’d make sure it didn’t happen. If he cared for her, respected her, honored and provided for her, how could it matter if he loved her or not? How would she even know the difference?
Stavros was distracted by a hard knock at his penthouse bedroom door. Turning, he saw his cousin, who’d arrived with Nicole an hour before, looking shifty-eyed in his well-cut tuxedo.
“I say, old man,” Oliver said with an artificially bright smile. “Before you speak vows and all that, I wonder if I could have a word?”
Stavros checked his expensive platinum watch.
“I have five minutes,” he said shortly.
He’d regretfully agreed to Holly’s suggestion that his cousin could be best man, as Nicole had begged her to be matron of honor. It made sense, the two of them returning the favor after Stavros and Holly had done it for them the previous year.
But Stavros and his cousin had never been particularly close, and Oliver had been a very unsatisfying employee at his company. And since the other couple’s awkward arrival at the penthouse, Oliver had seemed to be working up to something. Stavros had a good idea what it was. He set his jaw.
“You might have heard,” Oliver began, “that I’ve rather had trouble finding work...”
“Because your employers actually expect you to work?”
His cousin gave a crooked grin. “Turns out I’m not good at it.”
“Or interested in it.” Checking that he had the wedding ring in his pocket, Stavros looked at hims
elf one last time in the full-length mirror and adjusted his tuxedo tie. “So?”
“I never thought you’d get married, Stavros. I always figured I’d be your heir.”
“Sorry to disappoint you.” Since he was only a few years older than Oliver, it was a little disconcerting to realize his cousin had counted on his death as a retirement plan.
Oliver paused. “It’s funny to see you in love. I never thought you’d fall so hard for any woman.”
Stavros didn’t bother to disabuse him of the notion he was in love with his bride. It seemed like bad form on their wedding day. “What did you want to ask me?”
“Right. Well. Since it’s obvious how much Holly’s happiness means to you...” Oliver gave his most charming grin. “I wonder if you’d be willing to pay me ten million dollars to stay married to Holly’s sister.”
CHAPTER NINE
“COME ON, HOLLY. Please! You have to help me!”
Her little sister’s insistent, whining voice hurt Holly’s ears as she sat in the chair of the penthouse’s guest bedroom, waiting for the stylists to finish doing her hair and makeup for her wedding.
When Nicole had begged to be her matron of honor, Holly had actually hoped it was because she wanted them to be close again. Instead, she’d spent the last twenty minutes blaming Holly for her marriage problems and asking for money.
“I’m sorry, Nicole. I can’t just tell Stavros to hire Oliver back.” She hesitated. “We both know he wasn’t a very good employee...”
“Oh, so you don’t care if my marriage is ruined? If we both starve? How can you be so unfeeling? You’re my sister!”
Holly’s cheeks were hot as she glanced at the two stylists, who were pretending not to listen. “Fine,” she sighed. “I have five thousand dollars in my retirement account. It will be a little hard to get it out but if you really need it—”
“Five thousand dollars? Are you out of your mind?” Nicole cried. “That’s nothing! My handbags cost more than that!”
The two stylists glanced at each other. Holly’s cheeks burned even hotter. She asked the makeup artist, “Am I done?”