Greek Passions - A Greek Billionaire Box Set

by Holly Rayner

  “You’ve come such a long way from when we started,” Zoey exclaimed proudly as Stelios stepped out of a large machine. It looked like a cross section of a passenger jet, and moved in ways that showed passengers what to expect from turbulence.

  “I couldn’t have done it without you, Zo’. You’ve been a huge inspiration to me these past few months.”

  “I said I didn’t think there was anything we couldn’t get through together, and I’m glad to know that I was right,” she replied with a laugh.

  Stelios kissed her on the cheek and the pair crossed the airfield, eventually reaching Stelios’ black town car. Fulton was leaning against it, patiently awaiting their return.

  When they were within earshot, the driver spoke up. “I hope I’m not being too personal when I say this, Mr. Zakiridis, but I’m very proud of what you’ve accomplished, sir.”

  “Thank you, Fulton,” the billionaire replied, helping Zoey into the back of the car.

  The driver nodded and a few moments later the three of them were on their way back to the city.

  On the way, Zoey was struck by the fact that she knew so little about the man who had been driving her around for months. He very rarely spoke, and his proclamation at the airfield had started her thinking. Who was he? How long had he worked for Stelios?

  When they reached Manhattan, Zoey told Fulton that she hoped it wasn’t too personal for her to inquire after his first name, if nothing else.

  “It’s Herbert, miss,” he replied, turning a tight corner with the ease of a seasoned pro. “Herbert Earnest Fulton is my name. It’s been a pleasure serving you.”

  FIFTEEN

  On the home front, in a small café near the offices of Melinda Forde Singles, Zoey’s mother was accomplishing a monumental task of her own: sharing a cup of coffee with a client.

  Over the past few months, Branden Kingston had been as good as his word, appearing in her office with increased frequency. Several more picnics had followed the first, until it became perfectly impossible for Melinda to deny her heart what it wanted any longer. Finally, she had broached the subject of a date, and Mr. Kingston had proven to be perfectly willing.

  “It’s kind of funny,” Branden was saying, as he added creamer to Melinda’s coffee. “When you think about it, places like this offer privacy, despite being chock-full of people. The dim lighting makes it hard to see, and everyone talking at once creates a wall of white noise.”

  “Yeah, but every single person has a camera and a video recorder,” she reminded him. “And they pull them out like Clint Eastwood the moment anything remotely interesting happens.”

  “Well, private or not, I’m glad we’re here together,” Branden returned. “I’ve wanted to see you like this for a long time. I feel like you can say things on an official date that you can’t really say in someone’s office.”

  “We talked about everything in my office, didn’t we? Claire, William, Zoey, greeting cards…”

  “Everything but how beautiful I think you are, Melinda. There’s an intensity in your eyes that really demands attention. Has anyone ever told you that?”

  “Not for a long time,” Melinda admitted; the last person to say that had been a contest judge. “Thank you,” she added warmly. “Well, while we’re sharing, I might as well tell you that I’ve always liked the sound of your voice.”

  “My voice?” Branden replied, a little surprised.

  “Yes, your voice. It’s a wonderful baritone. Every time you say something, the words feel like they roll over me. I think you’d be a wonderful singer.”

  “Tolerable,” he corrected.

  “You’re just being modest. Why don’t you sing something now?”

  “Because of the dozens of smartphones you mentioned earlier,” Branden answered, laughing a little.

  “Oh, don’t mind them,” she replied. “Let me tell you something. I’m forty-something and you’re in your fifties. Neither of us watch YouTube, so there’s really no reason to be afraid.”

  Branden had to chuckle at that. “All right, Melinda” he smiled. “You win.” And clearing his throat, he began singing ‘I Can’t Help Myself’.

  As he’d said, his voice was tolerable, but after the first few moments of nervousness wore off, it began to improve by degrees. Soon, two or three people near their table were clapping along in time, and Melinda smiled and followed suit. When his rendition came to an end, several people even applauded.

  “Now that wasn’t so bad was it?” Melinda said with a grin.

  Branden had to admit that it had gone better than he thought. He got a kiss for his trouble, and by the time the pair of them headed back to Melinda’s office, they were surer than ever that they were meant to be together. They set up a second date for the following Saturday.

  “I’m so glad I decided to come and see you all those months ago,” Branden said, holding Melinda’s hand at the door to her office. “I doubt there’s a person within a hundred miles of here that’s happier than I am.”

  “Zoey might just give you a run for your money,” Melinda replied softly. “She’ll be overjoyed when she finds out about today. She’s been trying to push the two of us together for months now.”

  “And bless her heart for doing it. As long as I live, I’ll always be grateful to that girl for sticking her nose in other people’s business.”

  “As will I,” Melinda agreed with a grin. “Zoey’s a treasure. She’s done so much to make me feel human again. Thank you for singing today, by the way,” she said, giving Branden another kiss. “Believe it or not, it really made my day.”

  “I’m glad it did,” he replied, smiling broadly. “I admit, it went better than I thought it would. I don’t care who you are, it feels good to have an audience clapping for you. But let’s not get used to it.” He shook his head good-naturedly and gave Melinda a peck on the cheek. “I can only sing about two other songs without sounding like a drunken alley cat.”

  “I can’t wait to hear them,” returned Melinda. “And remember, I’m always available to sing backup. Sugar pie, honey bunch…” she began to sing.

  A moment later, the pair of them were singing together. Branden kept making up silly lyrics to fit the music, causing Melinda to erupt in fits of laughter, her singing veering off-key.

  They were at it for a good ten minutes before Branden remembered he had to be on his way. He often told people that, even when one is retired, life refuses to take care of itself. As the echoes of the racket they had been making died away, he fervently wished that it would, just this once.

  “I’ll be back tomorrow,” he promised Melinda as he walked out of her office, nodding cheerily at Maria as he did.

  “You’d better be!” came the jaunty reply.

  SIXTEEN

  When she came in to work next morning, it didn’t take Zoey long to find out what had happened with her mother. She heard the entire thing from Annie within ten minutes of arriving in the office. Maria, had apparently been exceedingly vocal about her boss’ antics with her new love interest, reminding anyone who would listen that she had been at the agency the longest, that she had seen Melinda in the months after William left her, when she had been a broken woman.

  In her office, Zoey inwardly prayed that Maria didn’t start any drama, but as the day wore on, it became quite evident that everyone was worrying for no reason. Zoey kept finding excuses to go upstairs and visit her mother, and each time she found Maria at her desk, wearing her familiar unreadable expression.

  The third time Zoey went up it was just after lunch, and when she arrived, it was to find Branden on his way out, carrying a picnic basket. His face lit up when he saw her, and he hurried eagerly to her side.

  “Zoey!” he exclaimed. “Boy, am I happy to see you. As you can see, your little suggestion worked. I want to thank you for that. I don’t like to tell tales out of school, but your mother and I have never been happier.”

  “I’m so glad to hear that, Mr. Kingston,” she replied. “I’m sur
e it’s going to stay that way.”

  Branden gave her a quick one-armed hug on his way out, and Zoey gave her mother’s personal assistant another significant look before knocking on the inner office door.

  “Come in, dear,” Melinda’s voice rang out. “There’s something we really need to talk about.”

  Zoey thought she saw Maria squirm when Melinda said that, but she hadn’t been looking directly at her, and Maria was as still as a statue by the time Zoey turned her head in that direction. With a sigh, Zoey entered her mother’s office to find her surrounded by an incredible amount of paperwork. For one horrifying second, Zoey assumed that Melinda Forde was getting sued again. But the expression on her mother’s face was serene.

  “So it turns out that Branden studied commercial law in college. We had a working lunch today, Zoey, and he’s been giving me advice about something I think we need to discuss. It has to do with Melinda Forde and our future together, so I’m going to talk for a while and I don’t want you to interrupt, okay?”

  “Sure, Mom, but you’re worrying me. Is everything all right?”

  “Of course it is, honey,” Melinda replied lightly. “I promise there’s nothing to be worried about.”

  Having said that, Melinda talked for nearly an hour, occasionally pointing to one of the surrounding documents to illustrate her point.

  As Zoey listened, she ran the gamut of emotion, but she was as good as her word, and though she burned to do so several times, she let her mother’s speech go unimpeded.

  By the time Melinda was finished, surprise was the only emotion Zoey was certain she could still legitimately feel.

  “Are you absolutely sure about this, Mom?” she inquired. “This is a pretty enormous step to take.”

  “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life, Zoey, so I need you to try to do your very best. I’m really going to have to count on you. I know you’re heading to Greece in a week, so Branden and I won’t finalize things until you get back here. I know this must seem shocking…”

  “No kidding,” Zoey interjected.

  “…and you probably think this is all happening too soon, but we love each other, and we want to be together full time. I just don’t see a more responsible way…”

  “All right, Mom,” Zoey cut in. “If you’re sure this is what you want, I want you to know that I’m here for you.” She kissed her mother before pulling her in for a hug.

  SEVENTEEN

  When the day of their flight finally arrived, Zoey arose with the excited vibrancy of an older child on Christmas Day. She methodically got herself dressed for the airport, before folding a few last-minute items into a suitcase. She had read an article about packing efficiently, and over the past few days, Zoey had treated it like a gospel. Every item she was bringing had at least two functions. Anything the hotel was likely to have had been culled from her luggage. She was using straws to keep her necklaces detangled, and the little zip top bags the extra buttons for her blouses came in to keep her earrings together. Socks had gone into shoes, and all of her clothes had been rolled in an effort to take up twenty percent less space. In the end, she had managed to fit everything she needed for the week into two tiny carry-on bags. It was an impressive feat, and Zoey had to admit she was more than a little proud of herself.

  At nine fifteen that morning, the doorbell rang, and Zoey let Fulton in to the apartment. He was resplendent in a new black uniform that looked like it had been pressed within an inch of its life. Brass buttons lined the front of the jacket, twinkling in the sunlight that shone through her windows.

  “I’ve come to take you to the airport, miss. If you will show me to your luggage, I’ll be happy to assist.”

  Zoey reflected on her conversations with Fulton and realized that was one of the longest sentences she had ever heard him say. Shaking her head, she tried to get more out of him as she led the way to her bedroom.

  “Can I ask if there’s a reason you only say one or two things a week? I’ve known you for six months, but I don’t think we’ve ever had a full-on conversation.”

  “Well,” Fulton replied, “once a person makes a certain amount of money, they start to eschew more talkative employees. Mr. Zakiridis conducts a great deal of his business from the town car, which means I’m privy to a lot of sensitive information. Mr. Zakiridis trusts that I will keep what I hear to myself.” He paused as they reached the door to Zoey’s bedroom. “Is that all you’re taking with you miss?” he asked, clearly flabbergasted.

  He had obviously expected more than twice as many bags, and Zoey couldn’t help grinning.

  “I’m a light packer,” she replied. “It’s one of my many skills.”

  With an acknowledging nod, Fulton picked them up, and carried them down to the town car and into the trunk without giving any indication that their small size belied their weight.

  Zoey came right behind him, grinning widely when she saw Stelios waiting for her in the back of the car. He looked a bit pale, but was smiling, and greeted Zoey with a warm, passionate kiss. It was the kind of kiss a soldier gives his lover before he heads off to battle. Zoey drew him into a reassuring embrace and told him without speaking that he had nothing to fear.

  In a moment, Fulton was behind the wheel and driving them to a private runway the Dolphin Realty Group had acquired several years ago.

  On the way, Melinda called to say her goodbyes, and Zoey insisted that Stelios say hi to Branden, who was at the office with her. It was the first time the two had ever spoken, but the conversation seemed to give Stelios back a little of his color.

  After a couple of minutes, Stelios handed the phone back to Zoey and Melinda voice filled her ear again.

  “Did you tell him yet, Zoey?”

  “Not yet. I plan to do that at the right time.”

  “All right, Zoey, but it’s important that you tell him soon. It’s going to be a huge change in your life.”

  “I know, Mom. Trust me. I’ve got it all worked out.”

  “Okay then, Zoey. Branden’s telling me you’ll find the best way to bring it up so have an excellent vacation.”

  “I will, Mom. Thanks,” Zoey replied, hanging up.

  “Might I ask what you have all worked out?” Stelios inquired with amusement. “What do you plan to do at the right time?”

  “Oh, it’s something I want to talk to you about, but I think I’m going to wait until we’re on the plane to do it.”

  “Why wait?” Stelios asked her, clearly more curious than he wanted to let on. “I’m all ears now. Is something wrong?”

  “Not a thing. Since you showed up, everything has become exponentially better. My mother’s happy, the business is operating more ethically, and I’m in love with a wonderful man. I just think it’s sort of a long story and I’m going to have to do a lot of explaining. If I start it now, we’re going to be interrupted when we reach the runway. Besides, actually getting on a plane is a huge step for you, and I want you to focus your mind on that and nothing else. Trust me,” she smiled, “I’m usually right about these things. Let me keep my little secret a few minutes longer.”

  “All right,” Stelios replied, the tiniest hint of a smile appearing on his face. “In that case, why don’t you tell me how you managed to get a week’s worth of clothing into those tiny little bags?”

  Zoey started telling him about the website she’d been reading suggestions on, but her thoughts were a bit distant.

  That was far too easy, she thought. I wonder why he gave in so readily. I expected him to press me a little bit harder than that.

  But Stelios didn’t press her at all. In fact, by the time they reached the runway, it looked as if he had forgotten that Zoey had a story to tell him at all. He was talking animatedly as they got out of the car, but once Stelios laid eyes on the private jet, he fell silent. It was as if the entire adventure had only become real to him in that moment, and it was perfectly clear that he was wondering if it wasn’t too late to change his mind.

&nb
sp; The plane was large, much larger than anything Zoey had been expecting. It was a white, streamlined behemoth, with several tasteful black accents. The wings were sleek, and two podded jet engines graced the rear. The sun was shining brightly, and when the light hit the jet, it was bright enough to make Zoey shield her eyes. On the side of the plane, in black and gold, was an ornate version of the Dolphin Realty Group logo. The boarding ramp was already in place, and a small team of people had started loading their luggage.

  “Are you okay?” Zoey asked, tearing her eyes from the impressive sight in front of them. It had been three full minutes, and Stelios hadn’t spoken a word.

  “I’m fine,” he breathed finally, a little more harshly than he meant to.