Marrying Her Greek Billionaire: A BWWM Marriage Of Convenience Romance Read online

  Marrying Her Greek Billionaire

  Published By Tiana Cole, 2016

  © 2016 Tiana Cole

  All Rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental. The characters are all productions of the author’s imagination.

  Please note that this work is intended only for adults over the age of 18 and all characters represented as 18 or over.

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Eight Months Later

  Also from Tiana Cole:

  Also from BWWM UNITED

  Chapter 1

  Jessica

  I was beyond ready for the upcoming weekend to bring a much-needed break from the madness. I returned to my desk from the copy machine and stifled a sigh when I saw a thick folder sitting on top of my computer's keyboard. Jeannie, my office bestie, poked her head over our partition and smiled at me apologetically.

  “The Kraken just stormed out if his office and slapped that on your desk. I guess that means he wants you to look over it,” she informed me.

  I couldn’t stifle my sigh this time as I sank into my office chair. Working for Kosta and Travellis was supposed to be my dream job. The business law firm was one of the top in the country, and certainly the best on the East Coast. Two months ago when I landed a spot at the firm, I had no idea that Senior Partner and owner of the lucrative company, Bastian Kosta, would be such a monster to work for. Of course his partner, Nick Travellis, was the one that hired me and had made sure I’d signed all my paperwork before I’d even met Kosta. Or, as everyone in the office liked to call him, 'The Kraken.'

  I made sure to file away the documents I’d photocopied before getting to whatever it was my boss wanted me to look over. I slaved away in a quad comprised of four cubicles, and to the left of our small workspace lay the monster's office. I prayed he didn't emerge to bark orders at me since it was a Friday and I wanted to leave work feeling a little excited for the weekend. Luck wasn’t on my side, and I cursed under my breath as he stalked out of his office and headed towards me in his usual Armani suit.

  Mr. Kosta wasn't an ugly man by a long shot. In fact, he was the diametric opposite of ugly and boasted model looks that made women swoon. He had a perfectly angular jaw and a chin that was slightly cleft, along with pronounced cheekbones any male model would kill for. His intense grey gaze sat below thick, slightly-winged black brows, and he sported a five o’clock shadow that suited him well. He was an insufferable asshole, this much was true, but there was no denying that he was an attractive one.

  Thankfully he seemed only a little agitated today as he pushed his hand through his soft black hair that was styled in an undercut. I always assumed that men this attractive couldn't have it all, as good looks and a good attitude were a rare find. Mr. Kosta was definitely proof of that. He was devastatingly handsome, but it was ruined the moment he opened his mouth.

  “Vanessa, have you looked over that file yet?” he asked me firmly. “You’ll be working this case with me, so I need you brought up to speed ASAP. We’re meeting with the clients in five minutes.”

  My jaw dropped at this seemingly impossible request. Did he really expect me to read over an entire case file in five minutes? Mr. Kosta looked at me expectantly, almost as if he thought I was hard of hearing or just plain stupid. “Can you do that, or should I get someone more capable to work with me?” he scowled. “If that's the case, you shouldn't be working at our firm at all.”

  It took a degree of effort, but I managed to hold my tongue. This job was a valuable stepping stone, and I couldn’t afford to lose it.

  “Yes. Mr. Kosta, I'll meet you in the conference room in five minutes,” I replied with forced politeness.

  “Good. These are big clients. I need complete competence, understood? I won’t risk losing their business,” he said with a glare before disappearing into his partner’s office.

  “Jesus, is it okay that we fear for our jobs every time that man speaks to us?” I huffed. Kasey, a co-worker stationed in the cubicle next to me, saw the coast was clear and wheeled her chair around the partition to listen to me vent. “I just wish he would at least learn my goddamn name! It's been two months and I've been helping him on cases ever since I was hired,” I complained in a hushed tone as not to be overheard. I was beyond exasperated by the man’s inability to get my name right. “I mean, it's not a difficult name to remember, is it? Does ‘Vanessa’ really sound that much like ‘Jessica?’” I continued in irritation.

  “Just hold on,” Kasey comforted while patting my back reassuringly. “Make it at least a year so you can have something really prestigious on your resume. Ten more months and you can get a job anywhere.”

  “Yeah, I only have six months to go,” Jeannie chimed in, poking her head over the partition again and nodding in agreement. “I'm counting down the days!”

  I smirked, then leaned back in my chair while I opened the case file to study its contents.

  “I hear that,” Kasey agreed. “The only reason I’m still here is for the money. If it weren't so expensive to live in the city, I'm sure there would be no Kosta and Travellis. No one would work for them,” she grinned and rolled her chair back to her station.

  Sadly, she couldn’t have been more right. The majority of the employees only stayed for the money since the firm did pay well and city living wasn’t cheap. I didn't know how Mr. Travellis put up with Kosta, let alone be his friend. They seemed like total opposites, with Travellis being kind and funny and Kosta being cruel and humorless.

  I sighed yet again and tried to ignore my mounting frustration so I could concentrate on the task I’d been given. The folder he’d tossed on my desk was packed with case details, and I scanned each page as quickly as I could while trying to memorize key points. Aside from dealing with Mr. Kosta, I really enjoyed my job since business law was my passion and what I’d spent so many years dedicating myself to. Kosta and Travellis was an extremely reputable firm, even though one of the partners was a ruthless jerk, and I’d been lucky to be hired right out of law school.

  I sped read through the file and committed the important things to memory. Landon Corporation was facing a lawsuit over libel; their CEO apparently having badmouthed a competing retail corporation during an interview for Wealth Magazine. The competition, Ross Club, was holding both Landon Corporation and the magazine accountable for the libel, which meant we'd have to work with the publication’s lawyers as well. Mr. Kosta didn’t play well with others, so I wondered why Travellis had let him handle the case instead of taking it over himself.

  “Vanessa, I shouldn't be waiting on you,” Mr. Kosta barked from across the room. I groaned and shoved the paperwork back into the folder as neatly as I
could, then hurried to catch up with him, smoothing my skirt down in the process and trying not to look flustered as I breezed into the conference room behind him. Landon's CEO, Mr. Fairfax, was seated at the room’s long table, as was Wealth Magazine’s two lawyers and the person I assumed interviewed Mr. Fairfax for his feature in the publication. After shaking hands and making our introductions, Mr. Kosta and I seated ourselves directly across from them.

  “So, shall we get started then?” Mr. Kosta asked with a polite smile. “How about we all exchange what we know, and you both fill in any blanks. Mr. Beauchamp and Mrs. Richards?” Mr. Kosta brought the meeting to order by gesturing for the Wealth Magazine lawyers to begin first.

  “Basically the comment in question, made by Mr. Fairfax regarding Landon Corporation’s competitor, Ross Club, was that they, quote, 'don't sell farm-raised meats and their produce is questionable as well.'”

  Mr. Beauchamp paused to let the comment sink in with his colleague, Mrs. Richards, scribbling notes by his side. I thought I saw Fairfax cringe, and didn’t blame him. The quote was clearly damaging, and I questioned why the journalist even put it into print. Of course there'd be a lawsuit.

  “The thing is, I did my research, and his statement was one hundred percent true,” Mrs. Richards spoke up, already defensive, and I leaned forward to calm things down before The Kraken picked up on her energy and fed off of it.

  “Okay, so the basis for building our case will be that there was no libel involved since Mr. Fairfax's statement was completely true,” I said coolly. “He had every right to say it, as Landon Corporation prides itself in acquiring only fresh farm-raised produce and meats,” I said simply.

  Mr. Fairfax nodded, his expression turning from a grimace to hopeful, then almost pleased. I glanced over at Mr. Kosta and saw he was pursing his lips. He nodded as well, then flipped open his notepad and handed it to me.

  “Exactly, so let's hear anything that you'd like us to look into on Ross Club as we do our investigation surrounding the case,” Mr. Fairfax spoke as I took notes. We went over a few details with the Wealth Magazine lawyers, the entire meeting lasting about an hour and a half and ending with plans to meet again the following week.

  After the meeting, Kosta didn't say a word to me as we collected our notes from the table. I figured he'd want to collaborate on a few things, but there was nothing but silence. I was wildly uncomfortable, and found my mind wandering to thoughts of the relaxing weekend ahead of me. After work, I was going out for some much-needed drinks with Jeannie, Kasey, and our fourth cubicle cluster buddy, Jason. I was heading out the door when Mr. Kosta broke the silence dispassionately.

  “Vanessa, I'll need you to have all the information we'll need on Ross Club by Monday. You'd have to be incompetent if you don't have it by then anyway,” he scoffed.

  He took the notepad from my hands and left the conference room without another glance in my direction. Irritated, my eyes shot daggers at his back as he retreated to his office. People thought the devil wore Prada, but I was fairly certain he wore Armani. I sulked back to my desk to start digging up information on Ross Club, sinking into my seat with a defeated look and shaking my head in annoyance. It looked like I wasn't going to have much of a weekend, that was for sure.

  6:30 pm came quickly, and I hadn't realized it was time to leave until Jason, Kasey, and Jeannie crowded around my desk. I looked up from my computer screen and saw them waiting for me with growing impatience.

  “Hello, it's time to leave this hell-hole,” Jason reminded me after double-checking to make sure The Kraken couldn’t hear him. “Drinks? Alcohol? We’re trying to forget about work, yet we're in this dump way longer than we need to be.” He looked at me pointedly, his thick framed glasses sliding down on his slightly-crooked nose. I checked my watch to find it was now 6:32 pm. He was right—it was only two minutes past closing time, yet it was already too much overtime for my comfort. I’d just turned off my computer and was packing my briefcase when The Kraken burst from his office.

  “You all know that the building closes in a half an hour today, right? We house very sensitive information in these offices. Security can and will call the police if you're caught wandering around after hours,” he growled. The four of us blinked at him in confusion, not quite sure was he was alluding to. Was he suggesting we were up to something illegal? I locked up my desk and we filed out to the elevators, and once the doors were safely closed we started our complaining.

  “He's such a jackass!” Jeannie grumbled, resting her back against the wall.

  “I wish he'd be deported back to Greece,” I replied.

  “He didn't come from Greece,” Jason chuckled. “He’s Satan's spawn.”

  “Honestly, why do I still work here?” Kasey chimed in.

  There was a beat of silence and we all started to laugh. This wasn’t the first time we’d commiserated, and I knew it wouldn’t be the last.

  “We definitely need this happy hour right now,” Jason sighed.

  “We need happy hour every hour working for The Kraken,” Kasey snorted.

  We shared another laugh as we exited the elevator and stepped into the lobby of Bates Tower. The commercial building, home to several other law firms, closed its doors early on Fridays, and security was always tight thanks to the sensitive information found within its walls. Dozens of businessmen and women poured out of the other elevators and scurried out of the building along with us.

  We breezed onto Madison Avenue and, since I was the only one with a car, headed to where I’d parked so we could drop our things off in the trunk before strolling to our favorite bar two blocks over. It was simply called ‘Tavern,’ and the place pretty much looked like its name implied. It had a pub feel to it, but was rather large and the bartenders were heavy-handed with the liquor. That's exactly what we needed after having survived another week under The Kraken’s tyrannical reign.

  We found a table off towards the side of the large space inside, and an attractive young waitress rushed over to take our drink orders. A round of tequila shots were followed by margaritas, and I briefly wondered how my car would get home afterwards.

  “So, are you nervous?” Jeannie asked, looking at me curiously from over the lip of her margarita glass. She was El Salvadoran, and had the saucy Hispanic attitude to match as well as sultry good looks. With her thick black hair, dark brown eyes, and exotic features, it was common for her to attract men whenever we’d go out. Kasey, also quite a looker, was born and raised in New York and claimed an Italian background. She boasted curly hair that was dark brown and long, and her deep blue eyes accentuated her pretty face. She could fake an Italian accent so well she sounded almost native, so no one ever questioned her when she wanted to capitalize on her 'Mediterranean' roots. Jason was just your average guy, perhaps a bit nerdy, but his quick wit got him far. He had pale blue eyes, short blond hair, and wore thick black rimmed glasses that everyone jokingly referred to as his 'SpongeBob glasses.'

  “Nervous? I'm just looking forward to getting it over with,” I replied. Both Kasey and Jason sat looking buzzed and bemused.

  “Nervous about what?” Jason questioned, blurting what he and Kasey had both been thinking. I’d only known Jeannie for two months, but we’d immediately hit it off and had developed a strong enough bond to somehow know what the other was talking about.

  “Me working on a case alone with The Kraken. Keep up, guys!” I joked, causing Jeannie to laugh.

  “Oh, shit, yeah. I wouldn't be able to do it,” Kasey commented. “You put up with him better than any of us can. Hell, better than anyone else in the office is able to.”

  “Like we say, you just have to focus on the end goal. This is just a hurdle along the way in my five-year plan,” I informed them with a chuckle before taking a sip of my drink. They looked at me with amused smiles.

  “Do tell!” Jason prodded. I sat back in my chair and downed more of my drink before launching into my explanation.

  “Well, Kosta and Travellis
will look damn good on my resume, so I’m going to stay there for a year and then apply at another business firm. A place I can settle into for the long run, you know? Build an actual career for myself. I can’t do it working for The Kraken. I love Mr. Travellis, but that Kosta asshole just makes me miserable.” I paused to take another sip of my margarita while the table agreed with my sentiment. “Anyhow,” I continued, “then I’ll meet a man, get married, and have a bunch of kids. That's the five-year plan. After that, I'll write a book about being a successful corporate lawyer who juggles raising a family with work and living in New York City. It's bound to be a funny memoir and will hit all the best-seller lists,” I finished with a smile. After a beat of silence, my three co-workers all broke into fits of laughter. My expression soured, and I took a longer drink from my glass. “Whatever, it's a good plan,” I pretended to pout by sticking my lower lip out.

  “Yeah, there's only one flaw. You have to survive working at Kosta and Travellis without murdering somebody,” Kasey pointed out, and they started laughing at me yet again. I rolled my eyes and was debating flipping them off when I realized just how tipsy I was and how badly I needed to pee.

  I got up, announced I was going to the ladies’ room, and made my way towards the back of the bar. Thankfully there was only a short line, and I clumsily pushed my way through the door to do my business. After relieving myself, I gave myself a once-over in the mirror as I washed my hands. I was on the shorter side, only five-three, and had milk chocolate skin. I'd been told I had a very pretty heart-shaped face, and my light brown eyes, almost feline in appearance, were highlighted by naturally arching eyebrows. I was grateful to my mother for passing down a nose that wasn’t too big, and I’d been blessed with her full lips as well. My hair was curly but not too kinky, which I was thankful for since it was hard to manage in the first place. After drying my hands, I stole a final glance at myself in the mirror before rejoining my crew to order another drink.