The Price of Fame by Hazel Gower Page A

but I don’t want anyone to worry about me. I left this morning to explore, only leaving a note.”
    “That’s fine. Should I order two of what you’re getting, or hold your order until your friend gets here?”
    Kylie wondered if Markus would want to stay, but looking about her again, she saw there weren’t many people about to swarm him for his autograph or fawn over him, and none looked like paparazzi. “Yes, please hold off on the food as I don’t know what he’ll order.”
    The man got up and walked inside.
    Seconds later, he was back out smiling and sat in the seat across from her. She gave him her full attention. “How long have you had this place? It’s so gorgeous. You’re very lucky.”
    The man chuckled. “My father had it before me, and some day, when I have a child, he will take it over, I hope.”
    “So you own this and run it all by yourself?”
    “Yes, I have for the last eight years.”
    She nodded, waiting for him to continue.
    “My name is Petros. May I ask, lovely lady, what yours is?”
    Feeling her cheeks heat, she reached out and placed her hand in his outstretched one. “Kylie, Kylie Breal.”
    He kissed her hand, and as he lifted his head, his eyes widened and his mouth formed the shape of an O . Frowning at the man’s odd look, she turned to see what put the stunned expression on Pedro’s face, only to see Markus marching to them, narrowing his eyes in Pedro’s direction.
    Kylie rolled her eyes at Markus’ audacity for getting jealous. All Petros had done was kiss her hand and tell her she was lovely, while Marcus seemed to think it was all right to make out with women who threw themselves at him to congratulate him. She glared back at him, showing him she was still angry and he better not cause a scene.
    When he reached them, he leaned down and kissed her, and in a very clear, loud voice said, “ Omorphoula , why didn’t you wake me? I would have come with you.”
    He pulled a chair from the next table and sat beside her, grabbing her left hand. The stunned man still held the right. Markus made a show of kissing her hand, intentionally emphasizing her engagement ring.
    Petros dropped her hand fast when he saw the ring. He stood, knocking over his chair. “Mr. Pegios, it’s an honor to have you in my restaurant.”
    She watched as Markus glanced around him before his eyes landed back on her. “I trust you have been making my fiancée feel welcome.”
    Petros’ eyes never left Markus as he nodded. “Oh, yes. We’d just halted her order to wait for yours.”
    “Good. Well, I’ll have your big breakfast, please, and a strong coffee.”
    Petros nodded. “Yes, I will make your breakfasts myself.” He rushed off.
    Markus’ eyes hadn’t left hers, and she whispered, “Don’t do that. You don’t get to be jealous of something as insignificant as what you just saw when you were making out with women last night. You don’t get to be angry. I’m the one who is angry. You didn’t like it when James kissed me. So how do you think I felt watching all those women throw themselves at you while you did nothing?”
    Raking her fingers through her hair, she tried to hide the action of wiping tears from her eyes. He made a grab for her, but she pulled away. “Don’t touch me. If you think you can act like you did last night and come home to me, you have another thing coming.”
    Standing up, she whirled around, ready to leave, too furious now to eat. Kylie felt the world around her spin before blackness covered her vision.
    * * * *
    Markus sat in the hospital chair as the nightmare continued to play out in his mind. Kylie arguing with him at the restaurant, wiping the tears he’d caused before she stood up, only to fall to the ground, knocking her head and banging her body.
    He’d dropped to the ground and pulled her into his arms as blood spilled from a wound to her head. He’d yelled for someone to call for help. What felt like hours later, an ambulance arrived and took her