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“I think we’re acting too comfortable with each other. Maybe I should have been more of a bitch to you.”
“Is that what you want to do? I’ll play along, but remember I’ll dish out as well as you can give.”
“No. It’s exhausting. Besides, it’s not me. I do it to keep the vultures away.”
“In a year’s time, you won’t have to worry about them ever again.”
“If only that were true.”
He tilted his head as he led me into the main hall area where the reception would take place. “Want to elaborate?”
“I may be out of the house, but the others like you will still circle.”
“Meaning?”
“Simon, it isn’t just my portion of the trust you get by actually marrying me. Didn’t you do your research on me?”
“I assumed you had an inheritance from your father, but it wasn’t something I was ever interested in.”
“You really aren’t like anyone I know. This is pretty much an open secret in the community.”
“I don’t listen to gossip.”
“If I tell you this, don’t you dare get any ideas. Is this clear?”
“I never go back on my word.” I could tell I’d offended him, but I had to make sure he understood how I felt about this situation.
“Whoever I marry will have access to a portion of Mykos Shipping through me.”
“Are you saying it’s a dowry?”
“God, no. If you haven’t figured it out by now, my family isn’t the typical Greek family—dowries aren’t in our vocabulary.”
He stopped midstep, turning slightly. “You own a chunk of Mykos Shipping, don’t you? You not only want to escape the society shit, but you also want away from the fuckers who think they can get a piece of your family’s company by trapping you into marriage. That’s why you keep saying I’ll trap you.”
“Men like you have end goals.” I swallowed. “Money, power, standing. Everything is business. You stated it yourself—you are a replica of Gio Drakos, and his reputation was to expand his empire at any cost.”
He narrowed his gaze. “We already established that you aren’t the woman I plan to marry. And I have no need for your family’s company.”
“Then I guess we understand each other.”
“I guess we do.”
“We’ll fuck, use each other, and then you’ll set me free.”
“Exactly.”
Two hours later,I stepped out into the solarium overlooking the back lawn of the house. All the pretending and nonstop chatter, including everyone’s opinions about my engagement, from family to random guests, had taken their toll.
I wasn’t the younger version of myself anymore, the one who’d mouth off and tell people where to stick their thoughts. Moving to Vegas had taught me to put on what I called my customer-service smile while envisioning lopping off their heads with a knife or two.
Now, I was desperate for a stiff drink, but since it wasn’t becoming of a proper lady to engage in hard liquor in public, I needed a few minutes alone, away from the watchful gazes of my aunts, the society matrons, the socialites, and everyone else who couldn’t figure me out.
Not everyone here tonight disliked me or gave me a hard time. Those friends couldn’t understand why I’d agreed to this, and I had no doubt they would try to corner me sooner or later. Which gave me another reason to hide away in this room far away from the hustle and bustle of the evening’s events.
Though things had finally calmed.
Simon and I had gone through the formal engagement charade from the introduction of family, dinner, then a final ceremony where Simon had presented me with a ring.
