Marrying Her Greek Billionaire: A BWWM Marriage Of Convenience Romance

by Tiana Cole

  After thanking the priest, we piled into Nick's Range Rover again and drove back to my beach house. It was two in the afternoon, Nick had finally woken up, and he was lazily searching for his keys.

  “Hey, have you seen my keys?” he asked grumpily, looking every bit as hungover as I’d expected. I dangled them in front of him and he looked relieved. “Thank God,” he breathed. “I was worried I dropped them on the damn beach.”

  “I used your wheels to get us all to the courthouse, but I filled up the tank for you,” I told him.

  “It's cool, man,” he replied as he crossed to the kitchen to get a drink of water. “I take it you're officially married now?”

  “That's right! It's all legal now,” I beamed.

  “Congratulations, buddy,” he smiled and rubbed his eyes. “So, uh, I guess I'll see you when you get back from your honeymoon?”

  “Yeah, you will,” I laughed at how miserable he looked from his hangover. “Thanks for being my best man,” I added. Nick motioned me over to him and gave me a brief hug and pat on the back.

  “I'd say anytime, but I really hope Jess is the one for you. No divorce,” Nick said in all seriousness, and I forced a carefree smile.

  “Of course not,” I scoffed, hoping I wasn't lying to him. I liked Jessica more with each passing day, and wanted our arrangement to last longer than the two years we'd agreed upon. “I wouldn't dream of it.”

  Nick studied my expression for a moment, then nodded and clapped me on the shoulder.

  “Alright, big guy. Let me know when you land, and make sure to send pictures. The naughty kind,” he winked, and I erupted in laughter. I was glad he was returning to his usual self.

  “Not even in your dreams, Nick,” I grinned.

  “A guy has to try!” he chuckled while backing towards the front door.

  After seeing Nick off, I headed into the family room where everyone else had gathered. Jessica was practically at the edge of her seat, and bouncing up and down with giddiness.

  “So when is our flight?” she asked eagerly.

  “Whenever we want it to be,” I answered with a smile.

  “Lets go now, then!” she hopped up excitedly and pulled on my arm with her face lit like a little kid on Christmas morning.

  Chapter 11

  Jessica

  Bastian had graciously offered his house to Jay and Tasha while they were in New York, and they had taken him up on it with great appreciation. His driver had just chauffeured us to the airport, and I could barely sit still. I wasn’t sure where we were going, but knew it was somewhere with a beach. When I’d been packing for the trip, Bastian had given me the word ‘sand’ as a clue to our destination.

  “Can you just tell me now, please?” I begged. “We're already at the airport.”

  “You already have that hint. It's all you need,” Bastian replied, shaking his head. We didn't even have to go through any check-ins or deal with security when we reached the airport, instead driving directly onto the tarmac to board his very sleek, very fancy jet.

  “How much does it cost to have your own private jet?” I asked.

  “Once you own it, you really only have to worry about fuel and regular maintenance checks,” he shrugged. “Also hiring a pilot if you don't know how to fly the plane yourself. Not to mention any other crew members if you want them,” Bastian explained as we got out of his car. His driver and a man who appeared to be part of the jet's crew helped us with our bags while Bastian met with the pilot near the stairs and shook his hand in greeting.

  I watched with curiosity as the pilot leaned in to whisper something in Bastian's ear. Bastian then glanced back at me and gestured for me to follow him into the cabin.

  I took my new husband's hand, and he guided me up into the plane. The interior was plush, with plenty of comfortable seating, but Bastian was as surprised as I was to find a man in a suit looking around the cabin with a manila folder in his hand. He smiled politely as he made his way down the aisle and offered his hand to shake.

  “Hello, there,” he greeted. “I'm Charles Dunbar. I work with USCIS.” He paused and clarified, “United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.”

  We shook his hand and tried not to seem too rattled by his presence. We had gone this long without having to deal directly with an immigration officer, so why were they popping up out of nowhere right now?

  “It's nice to meet you, sir. What can I do for you?” Bastian asked as he gestured to a nearby table.

  “Well, I just wanted to go over some things with the both of you before you take off on your honeymoon,” he replied as we sat down to talk. Bastian nodded for him to continue, and I could sense him doing his best to act calm and collected. “When your marriage certificate came through our offices attached to a green card that was about to expire…I was tasked with coming out to make sure your marriage is legitimate,” officer Dunbar explained, glancing back and forth between both Bastian and I. We looked at each other affectionately, and when I smiled at him softly he chuckled.

  “I assure you we married out of love, and nothing else,” Bastian told him sincerely. “Of course my legal status in this country is something that has to be cleared up, but I'm a lawyer and a well-read one at that. I know gaining U.S. citizenship would be fairly easy for me with some patience.”

  Officer Dunbar pursed his lips slightly and nodded as if he liked Bastian's answer. His focus then shifted to me.

  “So what about you, Mrs. Kosta? With all due respect, hasn’t it crossed your mind that Mr. Kosta could have been pursuing you for a green card?” he asked with a raised brow. “According to the information I've gathered, the two of you got engaged and married fairly quickly.”

  Charles Dunbar looked like an easygoing, regular guy for the most part. He had a trusting face that was attractive but not too handsome, and his blue eyes somehow lent credibility to his honesty. His black hair was cut short, and he carried a no-nonsense undertone that was palpable as he questioned me.

  “It crossed my mind,” I answered smoothly, “but only in the beginning. I know what we feel for each other is real. I trust him completely.”

  “So you actually fell in love with Mr. Kosta, your boss, and that's entirely why you married him?” Charles questioned for clarification.

  “Yes, exactly,” I glanced at Bastian again with another soft smile. “Just look at this man,” I said as I admired his rugged good looks. “What's not to love?”

  “Word is that Mr. Kosta here hasn't always been easy to get along with,” Charles replied skeptically. “And I hear this romance between you two blossomed rather unexpectedly.”

  “That's totally true,” I fired back without skipping a beat and confessed, “I'll be honest with you. I used to think this man was such a dick.” Bastian rolled his eyes at my comment, and Charles chuckled lightly. “One day I straight-up told him that. He apologized, one thing led to another, and…I wound up seeing a totally different side of him.”

  “That's quite a story,” Charles laughed.

  “She's the only woman who's ever put me in my place,” Bastian grinned bashfully. “I knew right then and there that I had to make her mine.”

  “Okay, well, that's all I needed to hear,” officer Dunbar smiled. “And now let me be honest with you,” he said as he leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “The last thing USCIS wants is to deport somebody like you, Mr. Kosta. Let's be real—you're good for the economy here. You run a successful business and pay a ton in taxes. You contribute a lot to this country, unlike a lot of people we chase down.”

  “Thank you,” Bastian nodded.

  “I'd actually like to help you get your citizenship,” Charles continued. “When you get back from your honeymoon, go ahead and fill out an I-130 form to submit to USCIS. On the form, remember to specify that your USCIS agent is Charles Dunbar, and I'll go ahead and waive the interview since it's clear that you two are the real deal.”

  “Wow, that's very generous of you!” Bastian beamed.
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  “After the I-130, I'll go ahead and help you get the AOS, or Adjustment of Status, stuff taken care of. All the red tape can be annoying as hell, trust me,” Charles explained. “Once that paperwork goes through, I'll have to interview you guys again, but it's only once instead of twice like it usually is. After that, you'll have your green card and can either live freely in the U.S. without problem or apply for citizenship like you want.”

  I hoped Bastian could remember all of this information because there were more abbreviations and numbers than I was prepared to memorize at that moment.

  “Wow, okay, I’ll definitely do that. Thank you so much, this is just fantastic,” Bastian glowed as he stood to see officer Dunbar off.

  “It's what I do,” Charles smiled warmly. “Trust me, I don't like throwing good guys out of the country, especially if they're productive members of our society.” He shook Bastian's hand, then shook mine, and congratulated us on our marriage. “You two have a nice honeymoon.”

  “I'll go and let the pilot know we're ready to go,” Bastian announced after officer Dunbar exited the jet. He left me in the cabin, and I took the opportunity to explore my surroundings. Across from the small table we'd been seated at was a full bar, and to the right of that was a row of cream-colored leather seats I assumed were used for takeoffs and landings. Towards the left was a door that, upon further investigation, led to a bathroom. A small bedroom with another bathroom inside was located at the back of the plane, along with a stewardess closet and little kitchen area. Bastian's jet was truly luxurious.

  “So do you like it?” he asked when he reappeared.

  “It's very plush,” I answered, trying to mask how impressed I really was. “I like the color scheme. All the creams make it feel even fancier.”

  Bastian led me over to the row of cream-colored leather seats and made sure I was buckled in safely. The seats reminded me of the first class section of a commercial airliner, which was a thrill for me since I'd only ever flown coach. He sat across from me, both of us seated by a window so we'd each have a view of the city when we took off.

  “You were very convincing with officer Dunbar…” Bastian noted, and I replied with a shrug. It really didn't feel like I was lying to the immigration officer. Perhaps I really did love Bastian, and I was just ignoring my feelings because of our arrangement. I glanced over at him and chewed on my lip nervously. I couldn't tell him how I felt, could I? It would likely mess things up since I didn't know how he felt about me. If he didn't care about me, which he probably didn't, then that made me the idiot in our situation.

  “I had ten million reasons to be,” I joked and forced a smile.

  Bastian nodded slowly and remained quiet. We were both lost in thought as the jet began to move and the pilot's voice sounded over the intercom. He asked us to double-check our seatbelts, and informed us that we would be departing momentarily.

  I couldn't wait to reach our mystery destination so I could lie on the sand and enjoy the beach breeze. The last few weeks had been crazy, and this little vacation was just what I needed to relieve some stress. I had no idea where we were going, but knew Bastian wouldn't disappoint.

  I was just glad that the toughest part of our ruse was over. We were married, and immigration was on our side. All Bastian had to do now was get his green card, and that sounded like it wouldn't be a problem.

  “So…you ever think about joining the mile-high club?” Bastian finally broke the silence with a joke as we taxied down the runway. I smirked and lifted an eyebrow.

  “No, can't say that I have…is it exclusive?” I asked with a mischievous smile.

  “Very, but it's a really fun club to be a part of,” he replied.

  “I can only imagine,” I chuckled. “How does one become a member of the 'mile-high club?'” I questioned with an eyebrow arched in curiosity.

  “Once the jet is in the air…we fuck like rabbits and then you've become an official member,” he grinned.

  “Well that's simple enough,” I laughed. “I think I'd like to join this club.”

  Now that we'd made it passed the most grueling part of our agreement, Bastian seemed a lot more relaxed. Our flight was long, but we killed the time getting to know each other even better and I found I really did love spending time with him without any distractions.

  He was a very bright man with a great sense of humor, and confessed to me that his rough upbringing is why he'd grown so guarded and stand-offish over the years. I found it hard to believe the man I'd become so smitten with was the same man I was pejoratively referring to as 'The Kraken' a few weeks earlier.

  “So are you going to tell me where we are, or what?” I asked as we landed and the jet came to a stop on the tarmac. For the last several hours of the flight, Bastian hadn't let me look out the windows.

  “When the door opens…you'll see,” he answered. I sighed heavily, and Bastian chuckled at my impatience as I hurried to the exit as soon as the door was open and stairs were set in place. The first thing I smelled was the ocean, then I noticed a few men milling around on the ground below us. One had a real lei around his neck and was wearing a big, welcoming smile.

  “We're in Hawaii!” I burst enthusiastically.

  “Yes we are,” Bastian laughed. “We'll be staying in Maui, though, so we'll have to take another short flight,” he informed me. I followed Bastian's lead, looking around in excitement as we were guided through the airport to a nearby dock where a seaplane was waiting for us.

  “You two are lucky,” our guide told us. He was a heavyset islander with long, black hair and a kind smile. “Just yesterday there was a bad storm. The waters should have never settled this soon, but they're calm enough to take off and land now in Maui.”

  We followed behind him, making small talk the entire way and learning a bit more about the islands in doing so. There wasn't much room for conversation once we were in the small plane and the propellers were going, however. Even though it was late and I knew I should be exhausted, I was too excited to be tired. I'd always wanted to go on vacation, especially somewhere as gorgeous as Hawaii, but had never had the chance. School and career had come first in my life, and both had kept me far too busy to date, let alone travel.

  When we landed in Maui, the drive to the Four Seasons Resort was relatively quick. Of course, Bastian had spared no expense and reserved an 'elite' suite. We had a fantastic view of the ocean, and I was grateful for that.

  I was grateful for everything he'd done so far, and honestly a bit surprised by it all since our arrangement never called for an elaborate, expensive honeymoon. He was definitely going above and beyond, and I could only assume it was to lend authenticity to our sham marriage.

  “Jetlag will be horrible tomorrow,” Bastian pointed out. “We can just spend all day on the beach…or in bed,” he said with a wink.

  “Sounds good to me,” I laughed.

  I quickly found the spacious bedroom, and my exhaustion finally hit me at the sight of the huge bed. Even though it was only midnight here, it was 6:00 am in New York and my eyes were heavy with sleep. Everything happened in a blur after that—all I know is that I ended up asleep on Bastian’s chest, and he didn't move me off of him.

  We woke to the sound of Bastian's alarm going off. The room was bright, and when we glanced at the time and saw it was only 10:00 am, we both let out an annoyed groan. Bastian shut his alarm off, silenced his phone, and threw it across the room. I giggled, and he smiled groggily at me. He was still half asleep, and looked absolutely adorable.

  “Should we get up, though?” I asked in a low voice.

  “Sure, but we have to find some very strong espresso shots,” he grumbled.

  We sluggishly climbed out of bed and showered up, then got dressed and headed down to the concierge to find out what was around. The woman seated behind the desk was busy with a phone call so we had to wait, and I noticed Bastian staring at her with an odd expression on his face. When she looked up with a polite smile ready, her face quickly f
ell and her smile was replaced with shock. She hung up the phone and glanced at me before looking at Bastian again.

  “Oh my God,” she gasped. “What are the odds?” she muttered with a particularly less than enthusiastic tone.

  “It's a small world,” Bastian replied shortly, and the woman chuckled humorlessly. She was attractive in that bleached blond way, and had gorgeous aquamarine eyes. She and Bastian obviously knew each other, and from the tension between them I could only assume that she was an ex-girlfriend.

  “So how can I help you two?” she swallowed whatever hostility I was sure was brewing underneath the surface and looked only at me, decisively ignoring Bastian.

  “Uh, well, we were wondering where we can find some strong espresso and a good breakfast around here?” I asked. She smiled at me as if I were just an everyday guest, which I guess I was, but Bastian clearly wasn't.

  “I know just the local favorite,” she answered nicely. “It's a little place called 'Aloha Kakahiaka.' It's actually not too far from the resort. You can take a nice walk down the beach to get there, or I can call a car around for you if you'd like?” she asked as she continued to ignore Bastian.

  “No, that's okay,” I politely shook my head. “Walking sounds nice, actually. How far down the beach is it?”

  She gave me specific directions, and I thanked her before quickly herding Bastian towards the exit. Once we were outside, I glanced up at him curiously.

  “So? Are you going to fill me in or not?” I questioned, trying not to get jealous. I couldn't help but wonder how many women he'd been with.

  “She was an ex-girlfriend of mine…” he divulged as he scratched the back of his neck and sighed. “Things didn't end so well between us. I heard she wound up moving here so she'd never have to see me again, but I never believed it,” Bastian explained.

  “Are you serious?” I choked on laughter. “What happened that was so bad?” I asked, now more amused than envious. Bastian simply shook his head and looked down nervously. “Okay, now I know it's really bad if you're ashamed of it.”