“I hope your prick of a father is turning in his grave, regretting the day he called you a mistake and made you invisible.”
I rub the back of my head as my gaze eats up the stunning view outside. “In a warped way, we owe this to our fathers. If they weren’t so stubbornly blind and doggedly cruel, we might not be here. Their dismissal and lack of faith pushed us to achieve this.”
“Nah, man. I refuse to give either of those motherfuckers any credit. This is all on us.”
“Damn straight.” I turn to my best friend, the guy who has been by my side practically my entire life, more my brother than any of my brothers have ever been, and I acknowledge how grateful I am to have Fiero in my life. “I couldn’t have done this without you, brother.”
He pulls me into a hug, slapping me on the back. “That goes both ways.” He clamps his hand on my shoulder before shucking out of our embrace. “We have always done everything together. This is the first time one of us is branching out into unchartered waters completely alone. I’m not sure I like it.”
“We attended different universities in different European cities, and our career paths went in different directions,” I remind him.
“That was by choice, and we were still doing the same things at the same time. Still working toward the same end goal.”
“Marrying Donna Conti ties into that goal. This marriage will elevate my status.”
“You know I’m not talking about that!”
My lips twitch. I know exactly what he’s referring to. I just love yanking his chain. “If you’re feeling left out, we could always find you a bride.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of sharing yours.” He waggles his brows and slants me a wicked grin.
“Not a fucking chance in hell. I knew I’d end up regretting showing you Catarina’s picture.”
“The old man was right. She’s sexy as sin, and I’d definitely be down to tap that.” Leaning against a pillar, he crosses his legs at the ankles while he baits me. “It’s not like we haven’t tag teamed before.”
“You cannot compare random women to my fiancée. I’m not sharing her with any motherfucker.” I jab my finger in his face. “Including you.”
“You’re not in any position to make such a statement. Unless she’s finally relented and is granting you access to the holy land?”
I bark out a laugh. “Oh, she’ll relent all right. Even if she refuses to sign the contract with that clause included, mark my words, I will have her begging for my cock in record time.”
Fire dances in his eyes. “Care to put your money where your mouth is?”
I straighten up as my lips curl at the corners. “When have you ever known me to back down from a wager?” I arch a brow. “Set your terms and prepare to lose, asshole.”
“One hundred K if you bang her on your wedding night.”
“Deal.” I have the utmost confidence in my seduction skills, and I believe in the power of our chemistry, so I shake hands on it, assured I’ll be richer, and not poorer, come my wedding night.
Fiero chuckles. “That infamous Greco arrogance is still strong, but you’re going down! You haven’t even gotten her signature on the dotted line!”
“Formalities, man. By this time Friday, the contract will be signed, the medicals will be done, and a date set for the wedding. You can bank on it.”
His eyes pop wide. “You asked her for a medical?”
I lean my back against the window. “Of course, I did. It’s standard with these things.”
“Yeah, when the brides are younger and of less standing.”
“The fact she’s older means it’s more of a necessity. I’m having a medical too. The Greco bloodline will die with me unless I produce an heir.”
A deep chuckle rumbles from his chest. “I wish I could’ve been there to see the look on Donna Conti’s face when you brought that up!”
“She was actually fine about it. My sex clause is the bigger issue.” I can’t contain my grin. “I added a ton of kinky shit to the contract purely to rile her up. I expect it to come back completely redlined.”
He cracks up laughing, clutching his stomach. “Man, you are something else.” He thumps me in the arm. “And you make it far too easy for me. I am already compiling a shopping list to spend my one-hundred-K windfall on.”
* * *
