AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Later.”
“Of course,” they stammered and fled, holding their dainty hats.
Licking the frosting off his finger, Theo reached for the decorative knife, intending to cut himself a slice—the cake obviously wouldn’t be needed now—when his phone rang.
It was his lawyer, calling to report that the demolition permits had come through for his new property in Greece. Hearing it over the phone wasn’t quite as satisfying as it would have been to see it in person, as he’d intended.
Then the man added, “And we finally found the item you’ve been looking for.”
Theo blinked. “Where?”
“At a pawn shop. In Thessaloniki. We’ll dispatch it to your office.” Pause. “I heard you returned to New York quite quickly, sir. Was there an emergency?”
“I came back to get married.” It surprised Theo how easy it was to speak those words.
His attorney, the biggest attack dog at the white-shoe law firm of Jaber, Greenbury and Moire, heard the wordmarriedand gasped out, “But you got a prenup first, of course, Mr. Katrakis?”
Hearing Theo’s sheepish reply to the negative, his attorney whimpered like a Victorian maiden collapsing on a fainting couch.
Hanging up moments later, Theo marveled at his own stupidity. He’d been standing at the altar, ready to marry Emmie. He hadn’t even thought about the risk to his fortune.
What was it about her that caused him to lose his mind?
Well, no more. From now on he’d be cold. Cold and smart. He’d convince her to marry him—and to sign a prenup. How to convince her? How to get leverage?
The side door opened, and Emmie walked into the reception hall in a swish of white satin, looking pale but determined. He braced himself to argue, to charm, to persuade. “You’re going to marry me, Emmie.”
She looked at him.
“Fine,” she said suddenly. “I will.”
CHAPTER THREE
EMMIE’SHANDSWEREstill trembling as the two of them went out into the sunlight as if nothing had happened, nothing at all.
After her startling words—startling to her, if not to him—Theo had given her a searching look, then he’d abruptly said, “I’m hungry. Let’s talk over lunch.”
Outside the church, the colors of her vibrant Queens neighborhood, tiny restaurants with fragrant, unrecognizable spices, and little shops with cheerful clothing fluttering outside swirled around her in a blurry carousel. She blinked, blinded by the blue sky. Blinded by the decision she’d just made.
“It’s over there,” Theo said, nodding.
“What is?”
“My bike.”
Following his gaze, Emmie saw an expensive motorcycle parked arrogantly in the fire lane halfway down the street, a single helmet hanging from the handlebars. “You expect me to ride that?”
“Why not?”
“How would I even hold on to you? With this belly!”
Theo considered her baby bump, then sighed, reaching into his pocket for his phone. “I’ll call Bernard.”
Bernard Oliver was Theo’s chauffeur in New York. But it would take at least thirty minutes for him to drive to Queens. And between them and the motorcycle, she saw clusters of her neighbors and friends in festive hats and their best jackets still filing out of the front steps of the church. Any moment now, they’d turn and see her and Theo at the corner.
She had no intention of spending a half hour answering questions from neighbors. Or letting them see her picked up by Theo’s chauffeured Rolls-Royce.
As Theo started to walk ahead, she grabbed his arm. “Let’s wait at my apartment. It’s not far. We can walk.”
