The Latin Lover

“No, and you of all men should understand why.”

“Why me?”

“As you told me, Spiros, you have kissed many women—and done more with them—but you haven’t married anyone yet. What does that say for your sanctimonious judgments?”

He stared at her in shock, as if he could not believe she would take him to task. “The women I took to my bed understood there was no commitment involved.”

“That is so sad, Spiros…and I bet Dimitri thought Xandra understood the same thing.”

“She got pregnant. What are the chances?” His tone was more tired than judgmental, though.

“I don’t know, but I certainly consider it a blessed gift from God, and that you don’t does not speak well of you in my eyes, old friend.”

“I never said I didn’t. You take a lot of things for granted, you know that? And you have not treated me like a friend these past two weeks.” Hurt shadowed his beautiful eyes.

She steeled herself against it. “Ditto.”

“I have called you many times. You only respond infrequently.”

“You knew the truth about Dimitri being blackmailed into marriage to me.” Her heart stung with humiliation. As if this situation was not detrimental enough to her pride—and her heart. “Yet you didn’t tell me. That is not the action of a friend.”

“I thought telling you would only cause you more pain.”

“Do you think he and I could have built a marriage on that kind of foundation?” she asked in disbelief.

Spiros shook his head tiredly. “What does it matter what I think? You’ve refused to discuss anything of a personal nature with me since you ran from my office.”

“You’re the one who pulled away from me.”

“I made a mistake.”

“No. If I had ended up married to your brother that distance would have been necessary,” she was compelled to admit.

“But intolerable.”

She wanted to believe that. She really did. But right now trusting anything, even in his lifelong affection for her, was pretty hard. There had been too many disappointments, too many betrayals…too much pain lately.

She stood up. She was suffocating in emotion and she just wanted it to stop.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going home,” she said, making a snap decision. “My father can bring news.”

“Don’t leave, Phoebe.”

She clenched her hands. “Why?”

“I need you now.” His shoulders hunched. “You are my best friend.”

She could not deny that need—was not sure she would ever be able to. “I need some caffeine. Do you want anything?”

He stood. “I’ll go with you. We can bring drinks back for your father and Dimitri.”

Okay, so that scuttled her plans of some time alone. But, true to her see-sawing emotions tonight, she didn’t mind.

She slipped her hand in his again and squeezed. “All right.”

The sound of her mother’s voice laced with hysteria drew Phoebe away from her original course. She had intended to get something to eat now that she’d woken. She’d slept quite late after getting home in the wee hours of the morning. They had all waited until Theo’s surgery had been pronounced a success and the doctors had assured the Petronides brothers that the old man was on the mend.