by Lilly LaRue
Happily Ever After Romances reserves all rights granted by the author. No part of this book may be copied or shared without written permission from the publisher. All characters are creations of the author, and resemblances to any real person are coincidental.
Copyright 2014, Lilly LaRue (previously published under a different pseudonym)
Cover images: Depositphoto/magann; EpicStockMedia
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Epilogue
Prologue
Numb with grief, Leah Moore sat in front of Nikos Andrakis. His massive desk provided a sizeable barrier between them, but their losses brought them together. “I still can’t believe it.” Even seeing her father’s coffin, with his smiling face displayed on a picture perched atop, hadn’t really made it reality yet.
“I share your shock,” said Nikos, looking much older than his twenty-eight years.
He had buried his older brother and sister-in-law yesterday. Had circumstances been different, she never would have missed Dmitri and Ione’s funeral, but she’d had her father’s to plan.
“Have you thought about the future yet?” asked Nikos.
Leah shook her head, pleating the black skirt of her sensible suit. Of her mother’s sensible suit, she silently amended. She had found it hanging in Sophie’s closet a couple of days ago, likely where her mother had left it two years ago, when she had died. “It’s difficult enough to deal with the present.”
“You know my brother found Miles invaluable to the Andrakis Company. They were much more than employer and employee. Miles was also his friend.”
Leah nodded, wishing her father hadn’t been so close to Dmitri. If he hadn’t, Miles wouldn’t have been on the plane that crashed, taking the only person she had left in the world. It had become Miles’s tradition to accompany the Andrakis family on vacations, to deal with any business matters that arose. His loyalty to Dmitri and the Andrakis Corporation had cost him everything.
“I took the liberty of making some inquiries.” Nikos shuffled some papers, though he didn’t look down at them. His dark eyes remained on her, the solemnity in his expression unable to fully mute the classic perfection of his features. Before the crash, she would have been giddy to have so much of Nikos’s undivided attention but today, her heart couldn’t muster even a slightly rapid pulse in reaction to his proximity. “How much do you know of your father’s finances?”
That was unexpected question. With a shrug, she said, “Not much. It wasn’t my business.” Her stomach clenched with anxiety. “Why?”
“Your mother’s illness was expensive. My brother offered to help, but you know how proud your father is… was.”
She nodded tightly, anxiety increasing by the moment.
Nikos offered his first smile of the day—a weak, half-hearted curl of the lips. “It drove Dmitri crazy, but Miles continued to refuse his offers.”
“What’s the bottom line?” Leah couldn’t take not knowing.
“You’re penniless. Miles died with everything leveraged, including your family home. He’d borrowed everything possible from his life insurance policy and still owes a substantial amount to creditors.”
She blinked, unable to fully process what Nikos said. She understood the words but couldn’t yet figure how they affected her. How would life change? She’d already lost her father. It seemed impossible that things could get worse.
“Dmitri would never forgive me if I didn’t settle your father’s accounts and provide for you.”
Instinctively, Leah shook her head. “I can’t accept that. Dad wouldn’t want me to take charity.”
Nikos sighed, leaning back in his chair. He rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily. “It wouldn’t be charity. I have a business proposition, of sorts, for you to consider.”
Leah gazed at him with confusion. What kind of business could she assist with? As a sophomore in college, studying botany, she was hardly qualified to work for the Andrakis Corporation. What did she know of imports and exports? “What possible use could I be?”
“Arianna is lost, as you can imagine.”
Leah felt a sharp pang in her chest. “How is she?” How could she have forgotten to ask about Dmitri’s daughter? It was thoughtless, and she reproached herself for being so lost in her own grief that she hadn’t truly thought about anyone else involved.
“Physically, the doctors expect Arianna to make a full recovery.” Nikos grimaced. “I am not so confident about her mental state. She still doesn’t seem to grasp her father’s death.”
“That’s understandable.” Leah could relate, having been unable to really accept Miles’s death as of yet. It had been less than a week, and she knew it would take time—for her and Arianna. “What happens to Arianna now?”
“There is an aging aunt in Greece who would look after her, but Arianna begged me not to send her away. Her life is here in New York, and she knows nothing of our homeland, aside from vacations spent on Trini Island and occasional visits to Greece.” Nikos leaned forward, folding his hands together. “I have agreed to keep her here, with me.”
Leah nodded. “That is the best solution. She’s already lost so much. It wouldn’t be fair to make her lose everything else.”
“I am pleased you agree.” A strange expression lit his face. It sent a shiver down her spine, though she couldn’t say why.
“Back to my business proposition,” he said briskly. “I want you to marry me.”
Leah gasped. “Are you insane?” Nikos proposing marriage was almost as big a bombshell as her father’s death.
“Probably,” he said with a hint of tiredness. “Yet, I see no other option.”
“I don’t need you to take care of me, especially not by marrying me.” Briefly, she entertained the idea of what she would have said if Nikos had proposed in other circumstances. Considering he barely knew she was alive, it had been improbable that he would have suddenly proposed had their families not died.
“It isn’t to take care of you. Well, it is in some ways. You’ll be well provided for, and I’ll make sure you have a generous settlement when we divorce.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I haven’t even agreed to marry you, and you’re already discussing divorce?”
Nikos sighed. “I’m proposing a temporary arrangement, Leah. I assure you the idea of marrying someone whom I barely know is as strange for me as it is you.”
“What do you need me for? If you want a marriage of convenience, for whatever reason, I’m certain you’d have a hundred candidates volunteering within the hour.” She forced back a twinge of jealousy she had no right to feel.
“I could find someone else, but that wouldn’t help Arianna.”
She drew up short at the mention of his niece. “What about Arianna?”
“She needs someone she knows to be here for her. I will be tied up for months trying to step in for Dmitri, to learn his duties and start running a company I never expected to inherit. I want Arianna to have someone with her, someone who loves her as much as I do.” He leaned a little closer. “I know you are fond of her.”
Leah nodded. Arianna was only five years younger than she was, and they had become friends during the years Miles worked for Dmitri. “I’d be happy to help with Arianna.”
He nodded. “Good. I’ll see to the arrangements. I think a civil service with a justice of the peace would be most expedient.”
Leah put up her hand. “Hold on. I didn’t agree to ma
rry you. I see no reason for us to marry just so I can help with Arianna.”
The intensity of his almost-black eyes made her squirm as he stared at her. “Arianna lost her mother three years ago when Althea had an aneurysm.” At Leah’s nod, he continued. “Dmitri loved Arianna, but he was often busy, and when he remarried, there was even less time for Arianna.”
“Not to mention, she didn’t get along well with Ione,” Leah said ruefully. Ione had been Althea’s social secretary. After his first wife’s death, Dmitri had hired her as his assistant, and he’d married her less than a year later. Ione had been a beautiful young woman, and she’d wanted no competition from her beautiful young stepdaughter, either for Dmitri’s attention or anyone else’s. Arianna had gone to boarding school within months of the marriage.
“In a sense, everyone Arianna loves has abandoned her.”
“I’m not going to leave her until she’s recovered.”
Nikos shook his head. “She needs more permanence than having you act as a companion could provide. Not to mention, living in my home would destroy your reputation if we aren’t married.”
Askance, Leah gaped. “Are you serious? It’s the twenty-first century. Who cares about such things?”
“I care,” he said coldly, making her flinch. “The perception will be that you are my mistress. You will have several new duties, including taking over some of Ione’s charitable affairs. In my social circle, you won’t receive the full respect due you if others believe you’re sleeping with me without marriage.”
She winced at the subtle reminder of the differences in their social classes. Leah could easily imagine the disapproval of some of the people Nikos knew. “Why don’t you hire a social secretary? My school is forty minutes away. Arianna can move in with me for now, and we can reevaluate when she’s physically recovered.”
Nikos stood up, coming around the huge desk to sit on it near her, making him far too close for her comfort. “You won’t be returning to school,” he said bluntly. “Your father left no money for tuition. Your private college is expensive, and they don’t participate in federal financial aid programs.” At her surprised look, he said, “I have checked.”
Leah gulped audibly. “You said you would help me.”
“If you help me. I require you to be my wife for three years. Once Arianna is off to college, we will quietly divorce and go our separate ways. You can return to your schooling, or travel the world. Whatever you choose to do with the money I’m offering is up to you.”
Leah’s mind whirled with confusion. Nikos proposed a preposterous plan, but she could understand his reasons. Arianna needed to come first right now, and he was honest enough to acknowledge he couldn’t fully help his niece. She admired that Nikos hadn’t simply sent the girl to Greece, or hired a nanny to watch the fifteen-year-old, and gone about his business.
After a long moment, Leah nodded. “Okay.”
“Okay, what?”
“Let’s get married,” she said with a forced smile. She had never let herself fantasize about any sort of relationship with Nikos, yet here she was, about to become Kyria Nikos Andrakis. It was surreal, to say the least.
Chapter One
Nikos looked up from his laptop when Arianna and Leah giggled loudly. Again. How could a man get any work done with those two carrying on? He was about to chastise them when their conversation caught his attention.
“…has an excellent pre-med program, but they’re in Virginia. Maybe I should go to university somewhere around New York City. William & Mary is so far away.”
“You’ll be fine, if that’s where you decide to go,” said Leah. “Selfishly, I’d rather have you in New York, but you have to do what is best for you.”
“NYU has a good pre-med program too.” Arianna nibbled on her lower lip, clearly undecided. “Are you going to NYU in the fall?”
Nikos strove not to appear like he was listening intently for Leah’s answer. “I’m not sure. I can return to Adamsville and complete my degree in botany, or I can go to another school. I’m considering a couple of universities around New York.” Leah shrugged. “My decision depends on your decision.”
“Would you be happy at Adamsville?” asked Arianna. “You said it was an all girls’ school, full of girls you’ll have nothing in common with anymore.”
“Which is why I’m thinking about other options,” said Leah, ruffling Arianna’s glossy black hair.
“Quit,” said the girl, a hint of whining in her voice. “You know I hate when you do that.”
Nikos allowed his attention to return to his laptop, letting their conversation fade into the background. The words on the screen blurred, and he realized he couldn’t concentrate. He’d hoped to finish this project before they landed on the island, so he could fully enjoy his vacation, but the girls had distracted him.
Nikos closed his laptop and turned to stare out the window of the Andrakis jet. In truth, the girls hadn’t distracted him. Leah had. Leah, who was most definitely not a girl. Her figure had filled out with pleasing softness, giving her womanly curves that tempted his hands. Her sophisticated hairstyle invited mussing, and he could easily imagine doing so by taking her to his bed. He would run his fingers through the golden-brown strands until the hair framed her heart-shaped face on his pillow. Her emerald green eyes would darken with passion just before he pressed his mouth to hers to taste those sinfully full lips.
He groaned softly, doing his best to wipe the images from his mind. It would never happen. Leah would never be in his bed, because his wife treated him with friendly distance and nothing else.
His wife.
He brooded about the word, finding it maddening. Leah was his wife, in name only, but he had been questioning the wisdom of a celibate union for months now. He could pinpoint the exact night when he’d suddenly realized his wife was an attractive, desirable woman, and he desired her. They had been at a party for some charity function, and she’d worn a stunning red dress. The silk hugged her curves, making him notice just how much she had changed in the three years they’d been married. Leah had gone from an unsophisticated college girl to a polished, poised woman. His woman.
Except she wasn’t his woman. Their marriage ended in three months, at the end of summer. Arianna would head off to university, and they would go their separate ways. It had been his idea, after all. They’d even signed a contract, to make it all official. What a fool he’d been.
Leah was preparing to move on. He’d known for a while now, having seen her various college catalogs. He’d seen her checking property in different Burroughs, and had even watched over her shoulder one night as she surfed furniture websites, adding different things to her wish list. She clearly had no doubts about ending their union. For her, the business deal was coming to a close. She had fulfilled her part, and he had to do the same.
Nikos groaned softly, resisting the idea of letting her go. He never went back on his word, but the idea of letting Leah walk out of his life pained him. She was his wife. He’d finally figured out what he wanted from her, just in time for her to become his ex-wife.
No. He refused to allow it. Nikos wanted Leah. He wanted the wedding night he’d deprived them of, along with three years’ worth of lost nights. Somehow, he had to find a way to make Leah want to stay.
This was the first summer anyone from Nikos’s family had spent on the island since the jet crashed three years ago. It had been even longer since Leah had set foot on the soft, white sand, but it was Arianna she worried about. The girl had been calmer than either she or Nikos had expected on the flight to the island. The last time she’d flown that route, the plane had crashed, leaving her the sole survivor.
Leah feared the trip, and being on the island, would bring back too many memories that might overwhelm Arianna, so she’d been deliberately keeping the girl’s attention focused elsewhere. The conversation had mostly revolved around college, because Arianna was so excited to be going. She was excited for Arianna, and happy knowing her fri
end had become a confident young woman, but it hurt a little knowing she was no longer needed. She was too young to be Arianna’s mother, but she felt maternal toward the girl, having filled the role for the past three years.
At least Arianna not needing her meant the sham marriage to Nikos was coming to an end. Finally, she could get on with her life and build a new one. She’d find a man to hold her at night and warm her empty bed. There would be babies of her own, which lessened the sting of Arianna growing up. Ignoring the small voice in the back of her head whispering a suggestion for the as-yet-unknown man, she stood close to Arianna, putting her arm around the other girl’s waist. Arianna’s height made it impossible for her to sling an arm around her neck as she’d used to do. “Are you okay?”
Arianna nodded, though there were traces of sadness on her face. “I’d forgotten how beautiful the island is.”
“Me too.” A collection of elegant, ancient buildings lined the hills of the island, leading up to the summit, where one villa stood alone—the Andrakis home. Together, they walked across the sand from the landing strip, toward the waiting car. The villa was a couple of miles away, but visible even from this distance. Up-close, it was even more magnificent, with pale walls and a red tiled roof. The grounds were immaculate, and Leah couldn’t wait to explore the landscaping. She yearned for the feel of soil between her fingers and hoped Nikos wouldn’t make a fuss about it. When she’d asked about making a small garden at his New York home, he’d icily pointed out she had many duties to keep her busy, leaving no time for gardening. She had contented herself with a few indoor houseplants in her room.
Arianna slid in first, and Leah went next. She made a sound of surprise when Nikos sat down beside her, instead of taking the seat across from them. When he made no move to transfer, she scooted closer to Arianna, annoyed when he followed. She gritted her teeth, determined not to make an issue of it. The ride would be over quickly.
