What happens when a she-devil of a woman and a Greek god of a man get together?
Henry Zervas
I don't know why she's at my Halloween party, but I can tell Megan Devlin is a mix of naughty she-devil and genuine princess in one stunning young woman.
I've dedicated my life to helping people and I don't have time for commitments outside of that.
But after she lets down her walls, I'm committed to making her mine.
My father's ready to hand over the family empire to me. But when I find out that Meg's caught up in my power-hungry step-brother's plan to take the business for himself, I don't know if I can forgive her for deceiving me.
She's definitely more sassy she-devil than proper princess, but maybe that's just what I need in my boring life.
Megan Devlin
My friend's being blackmailed by the younger Zervas brother, Hayden, but I'm the one getting her out of this mess.
All I have to do is get a thumb drive, but when I'm invited back to Henry's condo, I'm taken by how much he genuinely cares for others.
It makes me both uncomfortable for what I'm doing and attracted to him like I've never been to any man.
A night of passion cements our feelings and I'm torn on what to do.
Taking the fall might mean losing Henry, or it might mean becoming the person I was always meant to be...his.
This wonderboy might bring out the wonderful in me, too.
Find out if Megan and Henry were a match blessed from above in this instalove, curvy woman and secret millionaire short story. No cliffhangers. No cheating. Only a happily ever after you won't forget.
1
Henry
“I don’t understand why you’re still pretending this job is what you want to do when you could be making millions.” My brother lifts his cup of punch and sputters through the swallow. You’d think that it was poison. “And no alcohol in the punch? What the—”
“Language,” I say direct, quickly cutting him off and ignoring his diatribe about what I’m doing. We are two very different people, my brother. I adjust my costume, the gladiator belt chaffing my midsection. “It’s an after-school, children’s costume party until six, Hayden. There’s no alcohol here…yet.”
That will happen when the adult party starts.
He rolls his eyes and adjusts his Superman costume. “Guess I forgot.”
My brother conveniently forgets a lot of things. His sincerity. His humility. And his manners. To name just a few.
I motion to the throng of fifty plus kids. “Kind of hard not to notice. We’re three times the height of the majority of guests.”
“I was only looking at that hot mermaid.”
I search the room to see who his next prey might be, and in the process, my eyes sweep over a heavenly vision in a one-shoulder pink gown with a ribbon of jewels in her dark brown hair. She leans down to a child in a Wonder Woman costume and her long, delicate fingers straighten the costume headband. Her wide smile mirrors the young girl’s.
I’ve run this community center for two years now, leaving my father’s company for non-profit passion over corporate pension, but I’ve never seen this woman here before. And as much as I can’t keep my eyes off of her, I remind myself that this isn’t a singles mixer and when it does become adults only I’ll be required to schmooze the big wigs so they’ll donate to the center. It’s part of the job I hate, but without a permanent benefactor, it’s necessary, and right now, a dire situation that makes me feel like I’ve failed all these wonderful people.
“Are you going to be at the board meeting on Monday?” Hayden asks.
To make my father happy, I still sit on his company’s board after working there for almost fifteen years.
I again just motion to the throng of party guests. “I have more important things to do. Like my job.” But regardless, I’ll be there.
“You know, your life would be a whole lot easier if you just came back to Zervas Investments. Daddy’s chomping at the bit to hand off the company and we know who the golden boy of the family is.” He practically spits the acknowledgement in my face, even if he thinks he’s being shrewd about his presentation.
I’ve heard the same line from Hayden before, but I try to ignore it. “I’m not looking for an easy life. I’m looking for one that’s fulfilling and helps others. And when it comes to my status with Dad, you don’t need to worry about that.”
He raises his eyebrows and scoffs. “Whatever. Just trying to help. Guess I’ll go see what kind of siren sex-spell I can concoct with that mermaid.”
“Hey, keep it P.C.,” I grumble to my brother and he ignores me, his ability to forget matched by his ability to ignore.
As much as I try to not be my father’s favorite, I can’t deny the truth of the fact. I understand Dad’s reluctance to put Hayden in charge of the company and I’m afraid that this next meeting he’ll pull me back to the company. And a part of me knows that I won’t say no.
Hayden’s a loose cannon of the worst kind. He’ll go off and then not care where the damage is. I’m more of the ground that absorbs the aftershock and then makes sure that the aftermath isn’t as bad as it could be. And I’m getting tired of cleaning up after him.
I’m honestly reluctant to even have him at this party, but since Zervas Investments sponsored the event, it’s a given that he’ll be here. That doesn’t mean I want him using the opportunity to fill his phone with numbers of women who’ll get an expensive dinner, drinks back at his penthouse apartment, and not even a note in the morning when he heads off to the gym to start his day all over again.
Some of these women are single mothers and some are vulnerable, and then again some of them could eat him alive—something that might be good for him. I’d love to see someone stand up to him.
I glance around the room and the variety of costumes is a testament to the individuality of every person inside of one. I always try to remember that. There is no cookie cutter person in life. We’re all just looking for what costume fits us right now, whether it be our job uniform, our hobby gear, or our relationship attire.
And that last one is something I haven’t made time for. I have a job I truly love as the director of the local outreach center which is a big change from working in the office ecosystem, investment world. The joy I see in the faces at this party makes my struggles and the fight to keep this place alive, all worthwhile.
And I have a hobby—handmade kites. I rarely get to fly them though.
And those two endeavors take up the majority of my time.
But my mind still wonders if I could make time for the right woman. As my father would remind me, we all only have the same twenty-four hours in a day.
“Mr. Zervas, we need more meat and cheese tray and I need to start the next game. Can you help out?” my assistant asks.
“You got it, Jane and it’s Henry, please.”
She nods. “Henry.”
“You’re doing a fantastic job. I’ll get the trays.”
There’s always something to be done around here and that’s an understatement. We run on hope and duct tape. Not our motto, but probably should be.