The Latin Lover

“Yes.”

“But how did Papa come to the conclusion that selling you was the way to do it?”

It was what she’d accused her father of, but it sounded so much worse coming from her brother’s mouth. “I don’t think he sees it that way. He wanted our families joined all along. That’s why he and Theo pushed Dimitri and me into making the promise we did four years ago. The fact that the marriage itself was a way of digging the company out of a very deep hole was a side benefit.”

“If that’s true, why is he pushing you to marry Spiros now?”

“Same reasons.”

“He still wants our families connected?”

“Yep. Too bad Dimitri and Spiros don’t have a younger sister, isn’t it?”

“Bite your tongue. I’m so not ready to get married.”

“I wasn’t four years ago.”

“Are you ready now?”

“I don’t have much choice.”

“You do. You don’t have to marry Spiros.”

“Then the company goes under.”

“No. Then Papa has to take it public.”

“We may be past where that would help. The situation gets worse the longer the infusion of capital doesn’t happen. It wouldn’t look that good to investors right now, and Papa would probably end up losing control at this point.”

“So we start over.”

She loved her brother’s attitude, but she couldn’t share it. “I think it would kill Papa and Mama.”

“Really kill…like a heart attack?”

“Or something. Tio Theo isn’t the only one who works too hard and hasn’t exercised enough in the last ten years.”

Chrysanthos headed into the city, his expression sober. “So you are going to marry Spiros?”

“Probably.”

“Why did you agree to the promise with Dimitri in the first place? You didn’t know we needed money then.”

“I wanted to get over someone else…make him see me as a woman.”

“Did it work?”

“Not the way I planned.”

“You aren’t over him?”

“No.”

“Does he see you as a woman?”

“Yes. But my promise got in the way of him doing anything about it.”

“Was it Spiros, then?”