Beauty and the Greek Billionaire

by London, Stefanie

  Did Julian know that Marianna had come to his bed the night before? That she’d screamed his name over and over while he’d pleasured her? Nico’s hands tightened around the glass, his knuckles going white.

  I love you too. You know that.

  She hadn’t even hesitated in responding to him. The worst thing was that it’d hurt far more than Nico could ever have imagined. He’d been under no illusions going into this marriage. But dammit, Marianna had fooled him into believing her. Into feeling something. Spending time with her at the beach, making love to her at night…it had meant something. To him, anyway.

  But it appeared Nico had been played. She loved someone else. She’d married him because she couldn’t afford to raise the baby on her own.

  Is it your child? You have proof of that?

  Weren’t those Julian’s exact words? His blood turned to icy sludge in his veins. Did the man know something he didn’t? Was it possible that Marianna had gotten pregnant and seen Nico as a cash cow? He’d asked her to sign a prenup, and she hadn’t hesitated…so he’d assumed he was safe. But prenups didn’t stop people from stealing. From blackmail.

  He downed the rest of his scotch.

  He should have listened to Dion. Why had he even believed her so blindly in the first place? That wasn’t like Nico at all. He didn’t take anyone or anything at face value. He didn’t trust, period.

  It wasn’t too late. They could reverse this. If the child turned out not to be his, then he could seek an annulment. Was that even legal? He had no idea.

  He poured himself another scotch. A DNA test would ease his mind. Then he would know exactly how to act. If the child was his, then Marianna could continue to live here as his wife. But he would not fool himself into thinking she felt anything for him beyond seeing him as a piggy bank. And if the child wasn’t his…well, he had lawyers for a reason. He refused to acknowledge the tightness in his chest at the thought of living without her now.

  Nico wasn’t sure how long he sat in his chair, drinking glass after glass. Letting the numbness calm him. He hadn’t taken to a bottle like this in a long time. Not since that night after Kosta had kicked him out and Dion had saved his life. She had brought him back to this place.

  “Nico?” Marianna’s voice floated down the hall.

  “In here,” he called, the edges of his words blurred.

  When she appeared in the doorway, a crease between her dark brows, his instinct was to go to her. To pull her into his arms. But he would beat that feeling down until it left him entirely, even if he needed to swallow it like a pill every single day until he felt nothing again.

  “Are you okay?” She pressed a palm to the doorframe and looked around the room as if expecting someone else to be there. “It smells like a pub in here.”

  “Just me.” He brought the glass to his lips again and drank, but now it tasted like nothing.

  “Can I come in?”

  He waved her over. She closed the door softly behind her and dropped down into one of the soft leather chairs on the other side of his desk. “I wanted to talk to you about—”

  “I want a DNA test.” He hadn’t intended on blurting the request out, but his lips and tongue were loose. And his body’s reaction to her—his fingers itching to stroke her silky hair and his lips pining for hers—made him angrier than a cooped-up bull.

  She blinked. “Huh?”

  “A DNA test.”

  “For what?”

  “The baby.”

  Her face was a pale mask. Her dark eyes showed nothing, not fear or regret or embarrassment. Like someone had made a cast of her, allowing her to hide whatever she felt behind it. “You don’t believe it’s your baby. When did that change?”

  “The second I realized that I’ve been a fucking idiot.” He went to take another sip of his drink and realized the glass—and the bottle—were both empty. “To think this was all a giant coincidence, that you didn’t know I was meeting with your brother and you didn’t know the pill wouldn’t work and you didn’t know Julian was coming to see you.”

  Her jaw twitched. “I guess I don’t know much.”

  “Or you’re a good actress.” He let out a humorless laugh. “You have an innocent face. I bet you could tempt a man to walk straight off the edge of a cliff.”

  “What is going on here?” She cracked then. Her bottom lip quivered in a movement so small, it could have been blamed on the shifting of light. But Nico caught it, because now he was paying attention to the details.

  “I’m telling you I want a DNA test. This week. It’s a simple blood test, then we’ll know whether that baby is mine.”

  “You’re only going to be making a fool of yourself.”

  “I’ve already done that.”

  She stared at him long and hard. “You know, at some point I would have let you intimidate the hell out of me. I would have run out of this room, packed my bags, and gone home. But I’m not going to do that because I know I’ve done nothing wrong. If you want me to get that test, fine. But the results will come back that you’re the father. I’d stake my life on it.”

  She certainly sounded sure of herself.

  “Coming here,” she gestured to the house. “Living with you…I’ve been out of my comfort zone. I’ve been away from my family, living with someone I didn’t know, living somewhere I didn’t speak the language, and I’m still in one piece. I let my brothers make me believe I needed protection, that I was incapable of looking after myself. But I’m strong, Nico. And you can flip-flop with how you treat me, but I am here for our baby, regardless of whatever spiteful things you say to me.”

  “But you love another man.” His lip curled. “Julian.”

  She closed her eyes. “It’s not like that.”

  “Isn’t it? Because it sure as hell sounded like you said ‘I love you too.’ He sucked in a breath. The alcohol had muddled his head. “And then he said, ‘We don’t need his money. We can take care of the baby without him.’”

  “Nico.” She rubbed a hand over her face. “It’s not how it sounds.”

  “Do you love him?”

  The silence that followed his question was like a python wrapping around his heart.

  “Do you love him?” he repeated.

  “I do. I think I always have. He’s like…family.” She shook her head.

  “So it’s platonic love?”

  “I’m not going to lie and say he means nothing to me,” she said. “At one point I wanted him, but it never went anywhere. Now I’m married to you and I plan to honor that commitment. But I’m not going to apologize for being attracted to him before I met you.”

  It wasn’t the immediate denial he’d hoped for. Jealousy burned through him. “Is it his baby?”

  “It’s your baby. I don’t know how many times I can repeat myself.” She pushed up from her chair, her hands shaking. “But don’t worry, I’ll take your stupid test and then you won’t be able to question it. You’d think the way you’re acting that you were a pillar of honesty.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I had lunch with Alethea.” She folded her arms across her chest, her cheeks glowing. “You’d think you could have given me a heads-up about your past.”

  Dread settled in the pit of his stomach. Maybe this was what she had up her sleeve.

  “According to your logic, since it happened before we met I don’t need to apologize for it.”

  Her lips tightened. “You made me look like an idiot. She told me all about how you lived with her family and you got her pregnant.”

  He forced himself to remain still.

  “Apparently she’s been trying to talk to you about it but you refuse to see her. She asked for my help.”

  Nico slammed his hand down on the desk, and Marianna jumped. “Was this so you could get leverage on me, huh? You were snooping around in my business.”

  Marianna rolled her eyes. “You’re drunk, Nico. And you’re not making any bloody sense. I’m walking away now bec
ause this is getting ugly, and I refuse to talk to you like this.”

  She turned and walked out of the room, letting the door shut softly behind her. It would have been less painful if she’d slammed the damn thing. Because that soft click was like a gun being cocked, and Nico feared he was the one about to fire a bullet through their relationship.

  …

  Four days passed before Marianna was able to have the DNA test. Since there wasn’t a lot of demand for such services in Corfu, there was only one pathology clinic that offered the testing and it’d taken a call from Nico—and god only knew what else—for them to open up a spot for Marianna on short notice.

  When Helena had called Marianna to confirm her appointment, she’d wanted to throw something. What the hell was Nico doing telling his assistant about their troubles? Although Helena didn’t appear to pass any judgement, Marianna still felt the sting of shame knowing other people were aware of the doubt over her honesty. To make matters worse, Marianna hadn’t even seen Nico since Monday when she’d walked out of his office.

  She got a reminder of his absence every day when she opened the refrigerator to get herself a glass of water and found the porcelain cat still sitting on the top shelf with the note she’d written. It was like the damn thing mocked her every time.

  No amount of subtle questioning of the staff in the house had turned up any answers, and she didn’t have anyone else to ask. Dion would always side with Nico. She’d even thought about calling his office and pretending to be a client to see if he was there, but her Greek wasn’t good enough yet.

  One thought had been swirling around in her head. Something she didn’t want to consider as an option, but it most certainly could explain why he hadn’t returned. What if he’d gone to Alethea? The idea of it made her want to throw up.

  It’s the morning sickness.

  But she knew it wasn’t. The fact was, this argument with Nico and him withdrawing his trust—and presence—had hit her harder than she could ever have expected. After all, it wasn’t like he’d even been a part of her life a few months ago. But every night she lay in bed, straining to hear if the front door would open. Straining to hear footsteps. Wishing so hard her imagination would materialize him. Marianna didn’t care if he came to their bed or not, she only wanted to know that he was home and that he was safe.

  Throughout this, Jules had been a big support. They’d had a long chat about the fact that she needed to try and make it work with Nico for the sake of the baby, though Jules didn’t agree. But he said he supported her anyway, because that’s what friends were for.

  “Mrs. Gallinas?”

  Marianna snapped her head up and looked at the nurse who’d finished drawing blood. “Yes?”

  “Are you feeling okay? You drifted away for a minute.” The nurse frowned. “It’s common to feel a little dizzy after a blood test, so I can make a space for you to lie down if you need it.”

  “I’m fine.” All she wanted was to go home and bury her face in a pillow.

  “Are you sure? If you start to feel dizzy, make sure you sit down. Do you have someone to accompany you home?”

  She nodded.

  “Excellent. Drink plenty of water. It’s hot out today, and you might be a little dehydrated.” The nurse smiled. “Your husband has paid extra for us to put a rush on these results and, since he already provided his sample earlier today, we’ll have the report for you in two to three days. Our procedure is to send a letter to your home address, so keep an eye out for that. If you need anything explained to you based on the results, you can make an appointment to speak with the resident doctor.”

  “I already know what the results are going to say.”

  What had Julian said to her that morning? Trust isn’t usually fixed by a piece of paper. Tears pricked at the backs of Marianna’s eyes. Nico had wanted this, so here she was.

  And what about her? Was this what she wanted? No. Because what she wanted was a fantasy. A fairy tale. It didn’t exist.

  She squared her shoulders. “I’ll keep a lookout for the results.”

  The nurse nodded and packed away her instruments. The little vial of dark red blood bore a neat label with her name. How could the contents of a plastic container hold more weight than her words? Than her character?

  She pushed up from the chair and pressed her thumb to the small cotton ball taped against the crook of her elbow. She pushed harder, watching the red seep through the fluffy white cotton until her skin gave a stinging sensation from the pressure. Still real. This wasn’t a nightmare.

  Marianna found her way into the waiting room, where Jules sat. He jumped out of his chair as she signed the papers at the front desk, and they left together.

  “All good?” he asked.

  “It was only a blood test.” She sighed. “A pointless blood test, but I guess that doesn’t matter.”

  Outside the clinic, the air was oppressively hot, and perspiration immediately beaded along her hairline. She kicked at a rock with her sandal as they walked along the street. They’d arranged for the driver to meet them at a café down the road so she and Jules could get iced coffees before they headed back to the house.

  “Mari, I’m so sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you. God, I wish I’d never said anything to him.” Jules let out a frustrated sigh. “I was angry at how he was treating you, and he stood there looking down his nose at me, and I was so fucking jealous that you were with him instead of me.”

  “If it wasn’t you, it would have been someone else. The distrust was already there, it only needed a catalyst.” They walked slowly, and Marianna slipped her arm through Jules’s for support. Her dress billowed around her legs as a breeze pushed past, but it was hot and offered no reprieve. “It’s going to be hard to raise a kid together if he doesn’t believe a word that comes out of my mouth unless there’s some categorical proof. But what else can I do?”

  “Are you asking me what I think, or do you want me to say what you want to hear?” he asked.

  “I don’t even know anymore.”

  “Why don’t you give yourself some mental downtime? Decide not to worry about it until the results come in. You know exactly what they’re going to say, so his reaction will help you decide what to do next.”

  Marianna bobbed her head. “That’s a good idea.”

  “Evelyn had her third earlier this year, and I can tell you it hasn’t been easy for her marriage. They love each other so much, but the lack of sleep and the physical demands of raising kids has put a strain on them. Lord knows my nieces and nephew are a handful. It’s hard even when you’re working as a team. When you’re not…”

  “I know. It’ll be impossible.” She shook her head.

  “How are you going to explain to your kid that you and Nico had a fight so he took off for days on end without contact?”

  Dammit. Why did Jules have to make so much sense?

  “You think they won’t notice at some point that you two don’t have feelings for one another? They’ll go to other people’s houses and see other people’s parents. They’ll put two and two together. Maybe not for another ten or fifteen years, but at some point they’ll figure it out.”

  Marriage to Nico had looked like the best option in the beginning. Having two parents under one roof and the means to give her child a good life seemed the perfect solution. She wanted to be a good mother. She’d even wanted to be a good wife. A real wife. Didn’t that mean making a sacrifice? Letting go of her ideals about her future to make sure her child could be raised in a home with both parents?

  Maybe not. Maybe by squashing her own chances for happiness she was only going to be teaching them that she didn’t respect herself.

  The smart thing to do would be to walk away, go back to Australia and fight for custody when the time came for it. But the thought of leaving Nico settled in Marianna’s stomach like a stone. It felt…wrong. She knew the real him was the man who’d held her hand as she’d jumped into the ocean, who’d bundled her in his arms a
nd his face pressed into her hair while he whispered sweet nothings in Greek when he thought she couldn’t understand. That’s who Nico was, underneath it all. But how long could she put up with being shut out?

  “I know you want to do the right thing for the baby, but shouldn’t that mean putting yourself first so you can be happy and healthy enough to take good care of them?” Jules asked. “If your son or daughter was in your shoes twenty years from now, what would you want them to do?”

  “I’d want them to be happy,” she said immediately.

  The problem was, in either scenario Marianna wasn’t sure how she could be happy. Because she was certain that living with Nico while he held her at arm’s length would be torture. Yet leaving now and not knowing how things might turn out would be just as bad.

  “Are you sure I can’t convince you to come home with me?”

  Marianna stopped and turned to Jules, pulling him into a tight hug. “I won’t jump from one false relationship to another. It’s not right for either of us. You deserve real, consuming love.”

  “And you?”

  He was right. What kind of an example would she be setting for her child if she let herself live a lie? If she lied to her baby from day one? Was that the message she wanted to impart?

  No. It wasn’t.

  “I deserve it too,” she said eventually as she broke away from her best friend. “But I want to give us a chance. I’ll wait for the letter to arrive, and then if Nico is still determined to treat me like a leper I’ll have my answer.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Something hurt. No, scratch that. Everything hurt.

  Nico blinked and tried to clear the fog from his vision. It was this damn bed. The hotel mattress was too hard for his liking. Though the sheets were expensive, they remained cold next to him. He stuck his hand out, his palm smoothing over the cool space on the other side of the king mattress as if to remind himself that he was alone.