The Greek's Green Card Bride - A Billionaire Romance

  The Greek's Green Card Bride

  Holly Rayner

  Contents

  1. Dimitris

  2. Eva

  3. Dimitris

  4. Eva

  5. Dimitris

  6. Eva

  7. Eva

  8. Eva

  9. Eva

  10. Eva

  11. Eva

  12. Dimitris

  13. Eva

  14. Dimitris

  15. Eva

  16. Eva

  17. Eva

  18. Eva

  19. Dimitris

  20. Eva

  Epilogue

  Also by Holly Rayner

  Copyright 2020 by Holly Rayner

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part by any means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the explicit written permission of the author.

  All characters depicted in this fictional work are consenting adults, of at least eighteen years of age. Any resemblance to persons living or deceased, particular businesses, events, or exact locations are entirely coincidental.

  Chapter 1

  Dimitris

  Dimitris Atheos strode through the lobby of the US State Department, pushed through the revolving glass doors, and took out his phone.

  He blinked against the blinding early afternoon light and wished for his sunglasses, which he’d left in his hotel room. After hitting the “call” button on his phone’s screen, he waited for his lawyer to pick up.

  He could hear wind and waves on the other end of the line when the call connected.

  “Dimitris!” Stavros said happily. “How did the meeting go?”

  Dimitris smiled at the sound of his lawyer’s voice. At sixty-six, Stavros was thirty years older than him, and though Dimitris tried to keep the relationship professional, he couldn’t deny that Stavros had become sort of a father figure over the years.

  Before Dimitris could answer, Stavros went on. “I’ve been thinking about you! I said to myself, ‘the meeting started mid-morning, so the boy should be out by now.’ I was worried about what was holding you up. Did they—”

  Wind whipped over the phone speaker on Stavros’s end, cutting him off mid-sentence.

  Dimitris waited for the wind to die down, and then said, “It was grueling, Stavros. Five hours in a stuffy room.” He loosened his tie and began the trek down the wide marble staircase that cascaded from the Department of State’s massive front facade. “But I’m interrupting. Are you out with Katerina?”

  “Yes, and the kids and granddaughter. Took the boat out to the bay. Wind’s picked up since we came out, but it’s a beautiful night… You’re not interrupting, Dimitris. The meeting has been on my mind all afternoon. Five hours, hm?”

  Dimitris could picture his white-haired, tanned friend out on his yacht, surrounded by his family. Katerina, his wife, was a few years younger than Stavros, and just as fit and vibrant as her husband. They had several children and a handful of grandkids. Dimitris had been out on their yacht more than a few times, and he could imagine the feel of the sea breeze on his face and the fading warmth of the evening sun as it set. Though Dimitris loved to travel, it was hard to find a place that compared in beauty and natural wonder to his home, Athens, Greece.

  “Five hours. Nonstop negotiations,” Dimitris said.

  He reached the sidewalk and slowed to a stop. Though it was September, and he’d expected some hints of autumn in the air in Washington, DC, it felt like the middle of summer. Hot, muggy air pooled over the concrete and pavement. He put up a hand to block the sun and peered down the block. As he did this, a black limo pulled away from the curb a few cars down and moved in his direction.

  “Well?” Stavros asked, eager for more details.

  Dimitris smiled again. He felt the excitement he’d been holding back during the long, tense meeting begin to return. “They liked my product. They said it’s leagues better than others they’ve tested. They’re ready to buy!”

  He felt flooded with energy as he said this. A contract with the US government was big news, and he’d been dreaming of the possibility for years.

  He felt confident that the deal would push his company, which manufactured parts used in rockets, to the very top of the global market. Atheos Propulsions Systems was already successful, but that didn’t stop Dimitris from wanting to grow even more. Now it looked as though his dream was going to come true.

  “Dimitris, that’s fantastic!” Stavros said happily. “Well done!” There was a muffled, scratchy sound on the other end of the line as Stavros held the phone against his chest. His voice became distant as he called out, “Katerina, it’s Dimitris! Yes, yes, he’s still abroad. He just signed a contract with the US government!”

  When Stavros came back on the line, Dimitris spoke up.

  “They didn’t sign anything yet,” he said. “There’s some paperwork to sort through first.”

  A whole freaking stack of it, he thought, recalling how tall the pile of paperwork had been on the polished mahogany table in the meeting room.

  He walked up to the limo, which was now waiting at the curb right in front of him. The driver hopped out to open the back door. Dimitris’s assistant, Anna, a serious and efficient woman in her fifties, was already seated in the back with her laptop out in front of her, her phone to one ear.

  Rather than slide into the seat facing her, Dimitris turned and looked up into the cloudless blue sky. The sun beat down on the city. Around him, men and women in business attire bustled back and forth on the busy sidewalk. A few people ate lunch on benches under the canopy of large trees that had been planted to provide shade and ambiance.

  “No problem,” Stavros said. “Send it along and I’ll take a look. Probably just formalities. You know governments—so much red tape. I’ll be in the office tomorrow, and I’ll take a look first thing.”

  “Thanks, Stavros,” Dimitris said. “I’ll have Anna send over the documents.”

  After a few more moments of chatting, Dimitris got off the phone and turned to face the limo once again.

  The interior of the vehicle was air-conditioned, of course, but it looked just as stuffy and sterile as the room he’d just come from.

  He stepped forward, and Anna peered over her reading glasses in his direction. He’d texted her the good news about how the meeting went just as it had come to a close.

  “I got your text,” she said in her usual clipped tone. “I just scheduled a conference call with the marketing department, due to begin in twenty minutes. They’re going to draw up a few press releases which we can put out as soon as the contract goes through. I thought we could—”

  She stopped short as Dimitris shook his head.

  “No?” she said, acknowledging his gesture. “You don’t want to talk with them?”

  “Not right now,” he said. “I need to stretch my legs… to walk. I need fresh air.” If there was one thing Dimitris had learned as the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company, it was that he had to take care of himself. When he felt burnt out, nothing seemed to flow.

  “Cancel all of my calls for the afternoon,” he instructed Anna. “I’ll fit them in tomorrow.” He opened up his messenger bag and removed a thick folder. “Could you send copies of these documents to Stavros at some point this afternoon?”

  She nodded and accepted the paperwork. “Of course, sir. I’ll scan them right away.”

  Dimitris thanked her then informed the driver that he wouldn’t be needing a lift.<
br />
  The driver gave a nod of understanding. “Beautiful day out,” he said politely. “I can see why you prefer a walk. Where are you heading?”

  “Not sure yet,” Dimitris said honestly.

  He waited while the limo pulled away, and then he turned on his heel and walked down the sidewalk. He had to weave through oncoming pedestrians as he walked. Once in a while, a faint breeze brushed past, but it wasn’t nearly enough to provide relief from the heat.

  It felt good to move after so many hours of sitting. He didn’t have a particular destination in mind, and it felt good to relax and simply wander for a while. He could hear the distant sound of music, like a band playing in an open-air venue, and he let his feet carry him in that direction.

  The music grew louder as he neared the marina, and Dimitris felt himself relax even more. An afternoon of listening to music by the water was just what he needed. But not in this stuffy shirt, he thought, as he pulled at his collar again and then loosened the top two buttons. And I have to get out of these shoes, too.

  A clothing store across the street caught his eye.

  Ten minutes later he emerged with a newly acquired black T-shirt and a pair of sandals. He continued his walk toward the water, and the music grew louder.

  The guitar playing was very good. Dimitris had never learned to play an instrument, having dedicated all of his focus and energy to growing his business. Though he didn’t play, he appreciated musicians who could really let it rip. He loved watching talented people express their gifts, in whatever form that might take. To Dimitris, there was something almost spiritual about it.

  He was eager to watch the performance. A left turn took him onto a new street and gave him a view of sparkling green water in the distance. He could see colorful tents set up along one stretch of the waterfront, and amidst the tents, there was a covered bandstand. Dimitris eyed his surroundings, looking for a place to change into his new shoes and shirt.

  An alleyway to his right drew his attention. He stepped into it and was happy to find it empty. It was a relief to get his shoes off and put on the new sandals instead. He started unfastening the buttons on his top, eager to shed the cloying layer.

  Time to relax, he thought, and take in the sights of the city. I’m here for work, but this afternoon I’m just going to enjoy myself and see what DC has to offer.

  Chapter 2

  Eva

  Eva couldn’t believe the heat. “Isn’t it supposed to be cooler than this in September?” she asked her best friend, Nikki, as the two walked side by side. “It feels like freaking August.”

  She waved a hand in front of her face, hoping that it might provide some relief. She was happy that she’d thought to pack a tank top with her when she went to work that morning, for her shift as a hostess at The Red Door Grille. There was no way she’d have ventured out in the afternoon heat in the thick polyester polo shirt that she had to wear as a uniform each day.

  Nikki ignored Eva’s question. “Oh! I can hear him playing!” Guitar music floated through the air, getting louder with each step that they took.

  Nikki went on. “I swear, he’s been practicing for like two or three hours every day. Isn’t he getting good?”

  “Really good,” Eva said.

  Nikki’s husband, Clint, was a guitarist in a modestly successful local band. Eva always enjoyed their music, and she was excited about the performance ahead.

  “This is the new song he wrote!” Nikki said, grabbing Eva’s arm. “We’re missing it!”

  Eva pointed to an alley across the street. “Let’s duck through there,” she suggested. “It’ll save us some time.”

  She waited for a few cars to pass and then stepped lightly across the road. Her sandals made slapping sounds against the pavement. As soon as she stepped into the alleyway, she felt the air temperature drop a few degrees, thanks to the shade provided by buildings on either side.

  A figure at the far end of the alley caught her eye—and stopped her in her tracks.

  He was shirtless, and his abs rippled with definition. He had dark, curly hair, and his body was out of this world. For an instant, she thought that she was hallucinating due to the heat. There was no way a man that good-looking really existed.

  “Hottie, twelve o’clock,” Nikki said in a hoarse whisper.

  Eva blinked a few times. If Nikki saw him, too, that meant he was real.

  She felt her breath catch in her throat. It was a few seconds before she managed to inhale and exhale again, and another few before she could respond to Nikki.

  “What is he doing?” she whispered.

  They both watched as the man reached for something in a paper shopping bag at his feet. It was a black T-shirt. He pulled it over his head, hiding his drop-dead-gorgeous bare torso from view.

  Then he turned, stepped out of the alley and into the sunlight beyond. When he was bathed in sunlight, Eva saw that his skin was a deep bronze. She caught sight of dark stubble on his chiseled jawline. He reached a hand up and ran it through his dark hair, and sunlight glinted off of a gold bracelet that he wore around one of his tanned wrists.

  Eva couldn’t take her eyes off of him.

  She watched, speechless, as he adjusted the messenger bag on his shoulder, and then headed in the direction of the waterfront.

  Nikki spoke first. She turned to Eva and raised her brows. “Wow. I sure am glad we took this shortcut. You saw that, right?”

  “How could I miss it?” Eva said. Now that the handsome stranger was out of sight, she was beginning to gather herself. “He was gorgeous!”

  Nikki laughed. “Well, you’ve been saying how much you wish you had a guy. Here we are, taking a random shortcut, and we see a Greek god right in front of us, with his shirt off. Girlfriend, if that’s not a sign, I don’t know what is.”

  Eva started walking again. She didn’t want Nikki to miss all of the song being performed, and it wouldn’t last much longer. “You’re right, that was pretty magical,” she said.

  “Dang, I wish I took a picture,” Nikki lamented. “That was a once-in-a-lifetime sighting—like a rare bird or something.”

  Eva chuckled. “And what do you think Clint would do if he found a picture of a smokin’ hot stranger on your phone? Think he’d be thrilled about that?”

  “Probably not,” Nikki admitted. “Hey, you’re the single one. You should have taken a picture of him. Better yet, you should go find him. It looked like he was heading to the wharf, right? When life gives you lemons, you’ve got to make lemonade.”

  Eva laughed again. “So in your analogy, that guy was the lemons?”

  “Exactly,” Nikki said. They emerged out into the street. The music grew louder. Smells from the various food vendors wafted through the air around them.

  “Oh, who am I kidding,” Nikki said. “You’re not going to go hit on Mr. Hottie. I know you better than that. You haven’t been out on a date in ages. I swear, if I was single, I’d track him down and give him my number in a flash.”

  Eva knew her friend wasn’t kidding. She’d known Nikki for six years, and for four of them, Nikki had been single. Eva wasn’t crazy about going out to bars and clubs, but when she’d first moved to DC, Nikki had managed to drag her out almost every weekend. Eva had been new to the city, and Nikki was a sweet, outgoing waitress at The Red Door Grille where Eva had found work. Eva was grateful for their budding friendship, so she’d reluctantly agreed to accompany Nikki on many weekend-night adventures. She’d seen Nikki flirt with many guys, and eventually get serious with Clint.

  Then came the wedding bells. Eva was sure that soon the two would buy a house in the suburbs, and news of a baby wouldn’t be too far behind that.

  Thinking about this made Eva feel uncomfortable. She’d relied on Nikki so heavily since moving to DC all on her own. The whole fiasco in Long Island, with her family, had left her feeling raw and vulnerable. It had been scary to venture off on her own, and Nikki had helped her with that transition. What would life be like once Ni
kki moved on to a new chapter of her life?

  She didn’t want to think about it.

  Not on that afternoon, which was filled with music, sunshine, and sparkling water. She followed Nikki to the area in front of the bandstand, and Nikki immediately started bouncing up and down and waving, trying to get Clint’s attention.

  A few rows of seats were crowded into the area, but for the most part, people were standing and dancing to the tunes that emanated from large rectangular black speakers. Clint gave Nikki and Eva a wave, and Eva waved back.

  A sign advertising fresh-squeezed lemonade in the periphery of the area caught her eye, and she realized how thirsty she was. During her morning shift she’d sipped ice water covertly each time she returned to the hostess stand between seating customers, but seeing as the shift had been so busy, she hadn’t drunk nearly enough.

  “I’m going to go get a lemonade—you want one?” she asked Nikki.

  Nikki nodded happily, and then started singing along to the song that the band was playing.

  Eva headed for the lemonade stand. On her way, she pulled her phone from her purse. She joined the line for lemonade, and then turned back to the bandstand to snap a few photos. Clint was big on using social media, and Eva knew he’d appreciate the shots for his band’s various pages and accounts.

  For a moment or two, she focused on getting good photographs that she could share with Clint. By the time she put her phone back into her purse, she saw that the line had moved ahead quite a bit while her attention had been diverted.

  She hurried forward. “Sorry about that,” she said absentmindedly to the person in line behind her. “I wasn’t paying attention.”