The Greek Tycoon's Tarnished Bride (Men of the Zodiac) (12 page)

Tito nodded and kept smiling. “Where to?”

“Ah, dunno, Caribbean? Majorca? All academic though. Nobody wants a dump like this right now. Nope, just got to keep on grafting.”

Tito leaned his elbow on the wooden reception desk and lowered his voice. “Find me a large space to get ready for my wedding in the morning, and I
’
ll buy this place off you immediately.”

The proprietor snorted and looked annoyed. “Yeah, course you will.”

“Would three million do you?” he looked around the foyer. “The place needs a lot of work but hotels are my business. Look up Makris Enterprises if you don
’
t believe me.”

“Christ, I
’
ve ’eard of you!” He wiped his forearm across his forehead. “What the bleeding ’ell are you doin
’
’ere?”

“It
’
s complicated, but I want anonymity and discretion. Let
’
s leave it at that.”

The proprietor tapped the side of his nose with his finger and winked. “Nuff said.”

“This place does need a total facelift.”

The other man guffawed. “It needs an arse lift too if you ask me! And some new titties.”

Tito couldn
’
t help but laugh at the crude humor. “Yeah, quite. I could do with a foothold here in Gibraltar. I could make this hotel five star.”

“You can have the lot for three mil, and you can have my own flat upstairs for your wedding and all that.”

“Great! Show me the way.”

The proprietor hesitated. “I
’
ll be wanting a deposit, mind. And a written deal.”

Tito dropped a roll of notes onto the reception desk that was quickly snatched up. “I
’
ll get the legal documents emailed through within the hour from my London lawyer.”

“Blimey!”

“And as part of our deal some fresh soap would be good.”

E
rica
’
s eyes gradually eased open at the familiar creaking sound that her baby made as he was going to sleep or waking. She called it “
creaky door
” and had laughed about it many times with Kimmie. It was strange to think that there were only two adults in the world who had heard him do it, but now, if he woke up anytime soon, there would be a third.

Tito Makris would bear witness to such an intimate thing, something she held precious, something Nick was completely unaware of right now, but she would tell him when he was older. And now they weren
’
t on the breadline anymore, there would be evidence. She
’
d never been able to afford a cell phone with a camera and her only camera had gotten sand in it when she was on holiday in Majorca when her world irrevocably changed. Perhaps those tiny grains had been a warning; tiny grains, like tiny cells that left unhindered would grow and grow and become something completely phenomenal.

There was a chink of dawn light threading its way through the thin patterned curtains, and she could see Tito still fast asleep after their fish and chip meal in a tiny café the previous night. The Filipino lady owner had been so kind about Nick
’
s buggy on a crowded evening, and they had enjoyed a wonderful evening pretty much eating with their fingers and shouting above the noise of the busy road outside. Tito had even eaten a chip butty, which made her laugh so much she thought she
’
d never stop. The moment had been captured on his iPhone as well as Nick posing with a tomato-shaped ketchup bottle. They had been treated like any other young family on a budget, and it felt good. Three felt better than two. Having money was great but some of the best things in life were cheap.

Tito turned in his sleep, his broad shoulders clad in the T-shirt he had promised to wear and the sheet slipped to expose his bare feet. They were long and beautiful like a statue
’
s, and his toes were just as nature intended, not crushed and twisted from wearing the wrong kind of shoes. Her vision sharpened and latched on to the instep of his right foot. There was a mark, a tattoo. Tito Makris, Mr. Stiff Upper Lip and moral guardian of all things pure and proper had a tattoo!

She quietly leaned forward and squinted. The tattoo was script, which looked like Latin.
Sapere aude
. What did that mean? Her heart beat a little faster because she had found a chink in his armor. That tattoo meant something, and it was very close to his Achilles heel, easy to hide away from an unsuspecting world.

“You should be asleep.”

She jumped at the sound of his sleep-husky voice and instinctively drew the bed sheet further up over her chest and under her chin.

“Sorry, Nick woke me. Can you hear that?”

Tito grunted. “Yes, I can hear it. Is he all right?”

“He
’
s always done it,” she whispered. “I call it creaky door. Really gets on your nerves after a while, but he can
’
t help it.”

“It
’
s better than your snoring.”

“Snoring? Me?”

He rolled over to face her and his bright green eyes were like a cat
’
s, glittering and beautiful, almost glowing in the half-light. But they were alert and with an agenda working in the brain tucked neatly behind them. His expression gave nothing away. “Has nobody ever told you?”

“No!”

He grinned. “Well, there you go. I
’
m the most honest man you have ever shared a bed with.”

“Hmpf. I think you
’
re lying.”

“I
’
ll record it on my phone if you want.”

“Tricky if this is the last time we will ever have to share the same bedroom.” She was ridiculously embarrassed. She had flaunted her near naked body to complete strangers for money and it hadn
’
t bothered her but the fact that she might snore? Loudly like a hippo? Or like some other ugly beast. Another feather in her cap for being Number 1 Not Good Enough for Anything Much. “But I do apologize as I had no idea.”

“I was joking!”

“Hilarious,” she said and frowned.

“Made me laugh.” He swung his body upright, rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand, and then grabbed his cell phone off the bedside table. “Shit. Two hours until we get married. I need to go.”

“Two hours? Are you kidding me again?”

“Nope. We need to get moving.”

“Bloody hell, I
’
ve not even picked my outfit!”

“Then you
’
ll have to be quick. The nannies have been on standby for an hour to whisk Nick off your hands so you can deal with all that.”

“But where
are
all my clothes?”

“In the nannie
’
s suite because it
’
s a bit bigger than ours. They are waiting with breakfast, a hairdresser, a stylist, and a makeup artist so all you have to do is walk over the corridor, sit in a chair, and let the professionals get to work.”

“For real?”

“For very real.” He stood up, and she could feel his heat and smell the maleness of him that radiated from his skin, his hair, and his breath. “
Okay if I just scoop up Nick and deliver him next door?
”

“
I don’
t seem to have much choice because if I don
’
t accept some help I will be scuppered.”

“No scuppering permitted.” He stepped around the end of her bed to reach Nick
’
s cot. He was still half asleep, and he paused for a second to look down on him. “
Creaky door,
” he whispered. “
And he
’
s shoving his fist in his mouth.”

“Hungry as usual,” she whispered back, and her heart leapt into her throat as Tito gently picked him up, blanket and all, tucking the whole warm package close to his broad chest. “Be careful with him.”

Tito
’
s dark eyebrows rose. “Careful is an understatement with this little one. Not only is he the most important person in my life, he
’
s going to cost me millions.”

Presumably that was a reference to the prenup. “Good. At least you can afford it,” she said, but realized at the same time that Tito Makris was looking like the best stepfather she could ever have wished for. He would lay down his life for Nick just like she would, and that had to be good enough for anyone. “Now clear off so I can get ready.”

T
he Glade was utterly beautiful, like a secret place for fairies and kind spirits. The trickling stream, verdant foliage, and fragrant blooms with just the sound of birds made for an idyllic and intimate wedding venue. Erica stood next to Tito on a stone circle in front of the celebrant and the registrar. The champagne-colored dress she had chosen felt like her own skin and had tiny shells and pearls sewn on with silver thread. She particularly loved the fishtail skirt that skimmed everything like magic and with the smell of the sea in the air, she could almost be part mermaid. She had been given a small bouquet to hold, for which she was grateful because she was trembling a little. The fragrance of the yellow freesias, white roses, and ivy was divine, and it was so pretty that it tugged at her heart.

Her father was watching her. He
’
d been dead since she was thirteen years old but he was there, she could just feel it, and the sight of a robin hopping along the path next to them confirmed it. He had loved the robins that used to visit their small urban garden; its sudden appearance was definitely a sign, a sign that he was looking after her, she hoped, not a sign that she was doing something terribly wrong in going through with this marriage.

Erica looked up into the flawless blue sky as the official celebrant began to shuffle paperwork, cough politely, and send the tiny ensemble warm but loaded glances. It shouldn
’
t be like this, nothing should have turned out this way. If her dad hadn
’
t killed himself, everything would have been different. But she wouldn
’
t have Nick, and she wouldn
’
t have discovered just how self-interested her mother was.

There
’
s no going back…

Her head was spinning as the stranger began to speak and she followed his instructions, repeating the words he told her to say. Tito did the same before sliding a cold band of platinum onto her ring finger, and she did the same to him. Her hands shook but his did not, and she was annoyed with him for that. At least he could show some kind of emotion even if it was revulsion at what was happening. No choirs of angels sang in her head, and it felt more like an iron key had been turned in the lock to her gilded cage. And then it was time for the mandatory kiss before she officially signed her name on the marriage contract. That was the official wording:
contract
and it resonated that she was feeling just as much elation in this deal as someone who had just discovered they had been overcharged for a few tons of gravel.

Everyone was waiting for the big moment, all four of the watching adults. Nick was oblivious, sat on the grass in his little mock sailor
’
s uniform playing with a pile of wooden shapes. She lifted her head to see Tito gazing down at her. There was a smile on his lips that hinted more at resignation and pity for his new bride or maybe even himself, but as those lips touched hers something changed between them. There was a connection, their bodies were warm and Erica yielded as he pressed his body into hers and the kiss deepened. His hand slid around the nape of her neck and held her there for much longer than was necessary, and a fire was ignited low down and deep in her pelvis as he let her slip her tongue just inside his mouth for a second or two. His tongue touched hers briefly and the feeling that shot through her body was like a bolt of sexual lightning before he gently pulled away and smiled at the nannies who were clapping like dewy-eyed seals.

Just as Tito had promised, their signatures on the paperwork concluded a ceremony that had lasted under ten minutes, and they were free to leave even though they were no longer actually free. Mary and Fermina giggled and threw biodegradable rice paper confetti over them, which attracted a flurry of pigeons much to the officials
’
annoyance. Nick was helped up to join in and did so with great gusto, his chubby knees looking completely adorable peeping out from his navy blue shorts.

“Congratulations!” Mary trilled as Fermina clicked away with a camera and wiped away emotional tears. “Such a beautiful couple and now an adorable family!”

Dear God, they had no idea. They must think it was all genuine, a whirlwind romance, a secret baby, and then an intimate wedding. Wow. On the face of it the whole thing was very cool. It was also wincingly sentimental and horrendously proper. A ten-minute contract signing episode and everything was suddenly legitimized in the eyes of the world. She had even married the father of her baby
’
s best friend, not wildly dissimilar to the best man marrying the bride if something happened to the groom… Crikey, she had turned all feudal.

However, the wedding had been nice, in its way, certainly better than any wedding she could have dreamed of even before she fell pregnant. It had been quick, quiet, sophisticated, and no family had been invited, which was perfect. Perfect and very practical. Families always threw a spanner in the works, and it was an ideal time to reopen old wounds and stir the extended family pot for a bit until somebody drank too much sherry and there was a massive argument. Perhaps she was more like Tito Makris than she thought. Or he had summed her up to a tee after investigating every part of her life barring her conception. But she was Mrs. Makris now.

She swallowed as the reality of it all hit her; married, contracted, and now morally bound in so many ways. But she had finally found out what his middle name was and, so it seemed, had everyone else judging by the registrant
’
s awkward pause and shocked expression. It had been all she could do not to burst out laughing, but she was going to give him a grilling about it later when they had some privacy.