Pretending with the Greek Billionaire by Kira Archer Page B

note of panic in her voice? “What’s the matter? You don’t want your dad to meet me? Isn’t it customary for the fiancé to meet the father? In fact, I should probably ask his permission, shouldn’t I?”
    She paled and her eyes grew wide. “Please don’t even joke about that.”
    Luca frowned. He’d been playing with her a bit, yes. But she seemed genuinely upset by the idea that he meet her dad, and that seemed odd. And a bit insulting. “Why don’t you want me to meet him? Is he really going to be that angry? Are you afraid of him?”
    “What? No, of course not.”
    “Well, then what is it? I’m not going to send you in there alone if he’s going to be upsetting you.”
    The surprise on her face softened and she laughed and shook her head. “I’m…flattered you’re concerned for me. But I’ll be fine, really. It’s just not every day a girl has to sit down and explain a bunch of pictures that are splattered all over the internet and then tell her dad that she’s engaged to a rather famous…person…such as yourself…” Her cheeks flamed. As well they should.
    He choked back the first few responses that came to mind. He couldn’t really blame her for not wanting to tell her dad about him. He didn’t have the best reputation. And he was blackmailing her, after all.
    “Fine. If you are certain you’ll be okay…”
    “I’m sure.”
    He nodded and glanced down at his watch. “All right. I’ve got something I want to do anyway. I’ll drop you off and then come back for you in…an hour?”
    “Make it half an hour. I don’t think this’ll take long and I don’t want to stick around too long once I tell him.”
    He let his gaze roam over her again, surprised that she was so rattled. Any man who could make the formidable Miss McMurty squirm was someone he’d like to meet. Another day. When his daughter wasn’t about to tell him she was marrying a stranger who was a famous party animal. Best to just let her handle that part. Cowardly or not, he had no desire to be skewered by a ferocious Papa Bear.
    “Half hour then.” That would give him enough time to grab a few things and be back to get her. Hopefully when he returned she’d actually be waiting for him and it wasn’t all some ploy to ask her father for asylum from her big, bad, would-be fiancé.

    Constance took another sip of her water and waited for her father to say something. He seemed…stunned was probably the only word for it.
    “I’m not sure I’m understanding this,” he said, folding his napkin and placing it on the table. That was never a good sign. “When we spoke last night you assured me nothing was going on, that what appeared to be happening in those pictures wasn’t the true story and that you didn’t know this man at all and it was all a strange coincidence. And now, you’re telling me that you are marrying this man?”
    “Yes?”
    “Is that a question?”
    Constance took a deep breath. She was a strong, independent woman, raising six kids. And still her father’s disapproval made her cringe, but there was no help for it. Might as well just get it over with.
    “No, it’s not a question. Yes, I am marrying him. I…haven’t been entirely truthful with you.” She’d remain vague on exactly which parts she wasn’t being honest on. His frown deepened. “That much is obvious.”
    She knew he had every right to be upset, but it was beginning to wear on her, and Luca would be back any minute. She needed this uncomfortable meeting over with so she could go on to an even more uncomfortable one. She sighed. How had her life gotten so unbelievably out of control in so short a time?
    “I don’t want to get into all the details. For now, all you need to know is that he’s a good man who I’ve agreed to marry and I didn’t want you to find out by reading the papers.”
    “I’d say the ‘good man’ part was debatable. I’m aware of who he is, the stories about him.”
    “You can’t believe everything