PROLOGUE
SPIROS PETRONIDES felt like he was drowning. His grandfather and Dimitri were speaking, but the words were muffled as his emotions fought with his integrity.
The last few weeks had been hard, but tonight was worse.
Tonight hope died.
He’d wanted to meet with Dimitri tonight. Spiros had intended to admit what he’d done with Phoebe on his last visit to the States. To ask his older brother’s forgiveness. To ask Dimitri if he was sure he wanted to marry a woman he had seen only a handful of times since agreeing to join their lives permanently at some future date.
Apparently, that future date was now.
Theopolis Petronides had just made it clear that he would not be having a very necessary heart operation unless Dimitri agreed to finally tie the knot with Phoebe. Their grandfather wanted to dandle great-grandchildren on his knee before he died. That death would come sooner rather than later without the operation.
“But what if Phoebe doesn’t want to marry Dimitri?” Spiros asked.
His grandfather looked at him with disdain. “She is a good woman. A Greek woman, despite her American education. She made a promise. She will keep it. Just as my grandson here will keep his, heh?”
This time his look was fixed on Dimitri, and though it was not filled with disdain, it clearly expressed what he expected his grandson to say.
Spiros had spent weeks fighting his desire for Phoebe—until he finally couldn’t fight it any longer. He’d been so ashamed of his betrayal of Dimitri, and even their grandfather’s belief in him, that he’d tried to forget what he’d done. It had not worked. He’d been able to think of little else until he knew he had to do something about it.
He’d waited too long, though. His decision to come clean to Dimitri and ask his brother to bow out of his commitment to Phoebe was going straight to hell in a hand-basket. And his grandfather was sending it there.
“But what if she doesn’t want to keep it?”
His grandfather opened his mouth to speak, but Dimitri put his hand up. “Enough.” He smiled at Spiros. “I appreciate your desire to protect me, Spiros, but it is not necessary. I have every intention of marrying Phoebe, as planned. And if this stubborn old goat wants to force the wedding date, then so be it.”
“I may be an old goat, but at least I’m a smart one. You’ve waited long enough to get married, Dimitri.”
“I have.” Dimitri looked absolutely determined.
But Spiros had to ask. “Do you want to marry Phoebe?”
“Yes. Grandfather is right. She will make a very good wife.”
No mention of emotion—but then Spiros hadn’t expected there to be. He and Dimitri had learned the destructive side of so-called love too well and too early to dismiss that knowledge now.
As much as he might physically desire Phoebe, part of him was relieved Dimitri was so set on following through on his betrothal promise. Spiros never wanted to be as weak as his father, and he damn well was not going to be as deceptive as his mother. All in the name of love.
A tiny voice in the back of his mind warned him that with Phoebe he was at risk of doing both. But he was stronger than that. He had to be. Both for his own sake and that of his relationship with Dimitri.
Phoebe and he were friends, and that was all they could ever be.
He was ashamed of his weakness the last time he’d seen her alone, but that weakness would not be repeated.
Not ever.
CHAPTER ONE