The Heir: A Standalone Greek Billionaire Romance Page 4

  * * *

  Fun. It is fun to walk through the office and see Tess sitting at her little desk in the cubicle right outside my door.

  But today my fun is derailed as I see that Tess isn’t at her desk. I saunter over, taking a cursory look at the few belongings she’s placed there in the two days since she started working for me. A cup of coffee, an iPhone charger, and a bus schedule, which is in Greek, so she’ll never be able to understand it.

  “She’s in but I sent her down to the mailroom,” my secretary, Annais, says. “Do you need something?”

  Annais is a few years older than me and one of my second cousins. Probably half of the staff here in Georgios is related to me either by blood or marriage. The good thing is, because she’s my cousin and she’s married, I don’t have to worry about her hating on me like Juliet.

  “Just tell Tess to come see me when she gets back,” I say to Annais before moving on to my office. Annais gives me a look that says she doesn’t approve of me meeting with Tess. That look makes me tired. But not too tired to meet with Tess.

  I get to my desk and start the tedious exercise of going through my email inbox. There are four sections in the company—finance, operations, administration, and marketing. My dad’s plan is to have me lead each section for two to three years, until I’ve rotated through all of them. Then he’ll make me CEO while he takes on the presidency of the board. Right now my Uncle Tomas, Christos’s father, is president of the board, and my dad is CEO. Dad says he wants to retire in ten years. I’ll believe it when I see it. And ultimately, what really matters is that my dad has a very large controlling interest in the company, so until he dies and leaves that to me, he’s the boss no matter what title he takes on.

  I wanted to spend some time aggravating Tess the last two days, but I’ve been in and out of meetings my dad set up for me nearly the entire time she’s been working here. I’ve had to sit around in conference rooms and restaurants and my parents’ villa listening to some of our biggest clients discuss what they need from Stephanos over the next year. It’s an annual thing my dad does—asks the customers to help us prioritize.

  In January we’ll come out with a report that details our next year’s goals and includes some of the things our VIP clients mentioned. It’s good business, and I appreciate that my dad is a savvy businessman to include his customers like he does, but I wasn’t in the mood for it this year, and watching a bunch of middle-aged men with oversized guts swig my dad’s wine and devour his food for two straight days hasn’t done much to increase my general enthusiasm for my job.

  But today they’ve all gone home and I can turn my attentions to something far more interesting—Tess Richardson.

  A throat clearing has my eyes lifting from the computer screen. Speak of the devil.

  “Annais said you wanted to see me?”

  She’s wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans with a blue and white striped top and a denim blazer. On her feet are some of the highest heels I’ve ever seen—navy blue with a little cutout at the tips of the toes. Her tiny toenails are bright red, and I can’t help the smile that crawls across my face.

  “Yes. Come in,” I say as I walk out from behind my desk and gesture to the seating area at the other end of my office. I shut the door after she comes in and I see her stiffen at the noise of the latch closing. Good, she can think of me as the big bad wolf, I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and if I’m lucky she’ll blow—well, maybe I’d better stop that thought right there.

  She sits on the sofa and I choose the armchair across from her. She’s so prim and proper it kills me. And it makes me want to muss her up, in the best possible way.

  “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to check in with you sooner,” I tell her. “It’s been a busy few days. I wanted to see how everything’s going though. You’re learning your way around?”

  She nods enthusiastically. “Yes, Annais has been very helpful.”

  “And the work you’re doing is okay? Do you feel like you’re learning something?”

  “Definitely. The first account you assigned me to—the Yarros produce account—it’s big enough to be a challenge, but not overwhelming. And Annais said one of the senior accountants will double-check all of my work.”

  I nod. She’s so earnest and serious. I admire it, and also think it’s cute.

  “And what do you think of Georgios so far?”

  A little line appears between her eyebrows. I think she’s not as sure about this line of questioning.

  “It’s nice, although I haven’t seen a lot of it. But my roommate showed me our neighborhood and Christos has offered to take me to lunch today so we can walk around the central part of town while we’re out. He’s been really generous with his time.”

  Christos. That motherfucker. I should have known. He made a big deal out of telling me how hot he thought she was after work on Monday, but I’ve been so busy I haven’t had a chance to tell him to keep his dirty paws off of my prize. I saw her first.

  I grind my teeth as I plaster on a smile. “Well, my cousin is nothing if not generous. And it works out perfectly because I’ve got lunch free today so I can go with you. We’ll take you to our favorite restaurant here on the waterfront and then show you downtown.”

  Her eyes grow big. “Uh, you’re going to come with us?” she squeaks. “You can’t really have time for that…right?”

  Huh. Maybe she wishes she could go to lunch with Christos alone? Not a chance, princess.

  “I’ve got plenty of time, and I owe it to my favorite new employee.” I grin, she balks.

  “Listen,” she says, looking down at her hands folded so carefully in her lap. “We sort of got off to a bad start at the docks, and I’ve never apologized. I mean, if I’d known you were going to be my boss I would have never talked to you that way—obviously.”

  I raise one eyebrow and look at her.

  She takes a deep breath. “So I hope there are no hard feelings?”

  Some things feel hard when I’m sitting here like this with Tess, but that’s not what she’s referring to I know.

  I lean forward, looking her in the eyes. I see her swallow, and watch the muscles in her slender neck work, undulating like tiny waves in the ocean.

  “There aren’t any hard feelings, princess. I get it, you’re a good girl, you like to follow the rules.”

  She nods, smiling like she’s so relieved that I finally understand.

  “But see, I’m not a good boy. I don’t follow anyone’s rules—they follow mine.” I hear her sharp intake of breath and it sends a rush of satisfaction coursing through me.

  “I’ve decided it’s my duty, as the first person you encountered when you set foot on Georgios, to loosen you up. Help bust you out of your good girl mold.” Her eyes grow bigger yet, and her lips part. I’m entranced by them. Like two perfectly round little cherries just begging to be sucked.

  “I’m going to teach you how to break the rules, princess.”

  Her voice is breathy when she answers me. “What if I don’t want to learn?”

  “Oh, you will,” I tell her darkly. “Nothing goes with Greece’s sun and sand like a little sin.”

  Tess

  I’m in the bathroom at work freaking out. “Yes, I’m serious!” I whisper shout to Cass as I sit on the lid of a toilet in one of the stalls.

  “What rules exactly is he talking about?” she asks, being very literal about the whole thing.

  “How should I know? But he talked about sun and sin and he was all leery and stuff.” My heart is racing and I have a chunk of my own hair wrapped around my hand as I babble at Cass hysterically.

  “What the hell does leery mean?”

  I try to take a full breath and calm down. “You know…alpha and pervy and stuff.”

  Cass cracks up, and I have to listen to her laughing her ass off for at least half a minute. When she finally catches her breath and calms down she says, “Alpha and pervy? Have you been reading Fifty Shades or something? What does t
hat even mean? Did he want to tie you up? Or maybe he suggested anal? Which actually, wouldn’t surprise me. He’s so rich, he probably is like a Christian Grey—dirty and bored.”

  “Oh my God.” I roll my eyes. “He did not say anything like that, he just made every comment seem like it had a second meaning. The way ‘sun and sand and sin’ rolled off his tongue—” a small shiver rolls down my spine, “—it was like he was wrapping his mouth around a really sexy ice cream cone.”

  “Wow. I think I just came a little,” she deadpans.

  “You know what I mean!” I hiss.

  She must be eating something because I hear her chomping as she talks around what sounds like a mouthful of cotton.

  “Yes, of course I know what you mean. I’m giving you a hard time, but really, are you that surprised? I told you he was giving you the look at the docks last weekend. He has the hots for you. I say go for it.”

  I twist sideways and lean my head back against the metal wall of the stall. It’s tempting. Really tempting. He’s hot, and overbearing, and all those things they say women aren’t supposed to find attractive, but we all secretly do. He’s also spoiled, entitled and most of all—my boss. We have nothing in common. I’m a middle-class girl from Illinois. He’s a billionaire from Greece. I can’t even conceive of the things he’s probably seen and done. And he obviously doesn’t understand the world I’m from, a world where following the rules is what insures you’ll succeed.

  “I can’t,” I tell Cass, hearing the despondency in my own voice. “As much as I’d like to, I can’t risk it. If I lost this internship I couldn’t pay for living here this year, and I’ve already missed the start of the semester back home. It would set back my whole graduation if I had to stay in school an extra term.” I sigh. “He’s got all the power here, and if he decides after some one-night stand that he doesn’t want me working here anymore, I’m screwed.”

  “Ah but what a screwing it would be,” Cass sighs. “I understand what you’re saying though. You’re being the grown up, and I admire you for sticking to your principles.”

  “Remind me of that when I’m sitting home alone this weekend with nothing but ice cream and the pleasurette.” I stand and smooth out my top. I’ve been in here for five minutes freaking out. Normally you’re allowed one fifteen-minute break for every four hours you work, so I don’t want to use up my whole break time before I’ve even been in the office for three hours.

  Cass gasps. “Oooh, do you have one of those new small ones?” she asks.

  I roll my eyes. I should have known she’d be an expert on vibrators.

  “No. I was joking actually. I don’t own one. Of any kind. Small or otherwise,” I clarify.

  “Oh.” I can hear her disappointment and I have to smile.

  “What do you care anyway? You’ve got Anton.”

  “True. But it’s going to be a long spring in Chicago without him. I wanted recommendations.”

  “I’ll do some research online for you this weekend—while I’m sitting at home eating ice cream.”

  “Oh good!” I can picture her jumping up and down and clapping her hands. “You going to be okay now?” she asks.

  “Yes. Thank you so much for listening to me freak out. I realize you just met me a few days ago. I promise I’m not normally so unstable.”

  She laughs. “It’s okay. I get it. You don’t know anyone else here and honestly, I like it. My old roommate left at the beginning of the summer, so I haven’t had anyone around like this for a while now. It’s really great having you here.”

  Aww. Now I feel lots better. “Thank you, Cass. I’m so glad we’re roomies too.”

  I hang up and exit the stall, expecting to find myself alone, but there, leaning against a sink is Juliet, grumpiest receptionist on the planet.

  “Uh, hi,” I manage to squeak out, my heart racing that she’s heard my conversation.

  “Yes, I did hear you,” she says, raising one eyebrow before she turns to the mirror and pulls out a tube of dark red lipstick.

  I swallow, and give her a pleading look. I have no idea what to say in a circumstance like this.

  “I’ll go out on a limb here and assume you were referring to our very own young executive of the year, Niko Stephanos?”

  “Um, look, I shouldn’t have been having that conversation at work. I’m sorry. Can you please pretend like you never heard it?”

  Her face softens a touch, and she gives one more dab to the lipstick before turning to face me again.

  “A word of warning,” she says. “All of your fears about job security when it comes to sleeping with the boss are warranted. I say this from experience. Things can get nasty when the prince is inconvenienced.”

  “Oh. Gosh. I’m sorry. For whatever you’ve been through. And I have no interest in sleeping with any of my bosses. So, no worries there.”

  She purses her lips and nods slowly. “Mmhm. Well, he can be pretty convincing when he wants to be, so as I said, heed the warning. And good luck.”

  She grabs her purse off the shelf and struts out of the room, never giving a look back. I slump against the counter and sigh. This is why there are rules, people. This is why there are rules.

  Niko

  When Tess leaves my office I call Christos. “Come down here. We need to talk.”

  He slouches in, a cup of coffee in one hand and his phone in the other. He’s constantly on that damn thing texting with whatever girl he can corral to arrange parties and meet-ups at the nightclubs for us. He claims he’s doing his job keeping me entertained, but the fact is he’s a player and loves hooking up with a different woman every night.

  “What’s up?” he says, flopping into one of the chairs facing my desk.

  “You have lunch plans?” I ask, not looking up from the stack of papers I’m sorting through. I’ve got a million and one invoices to sign off on and some days it feels like I’ll never be caught up.

  “Actually, I do.” I look up and he’s grinning. It pisses me off even though I’m not sure why. “But if you need me for something I can cancel.”

  “Lunch plans with Tess?”

  “Yeah…If you knew that, why’d you ask?” He’s looking at me like a puppy that doesn’t understand the command.

  “I’m going too,” I tell him. Then I sit and wait to see what he’ll do. We’ve never clashed over a girl before. I’ve never cared enough to bother. One of us picks, then the other one takes whoever else is there. It’s no big deal. But like I said, Tess is different than the girls we’re usually with, and for some reason I don’t want to give that opportunity up.

  “Oh-kay,” he draws out the word. “I was going to take her on a little walking tour down in this part of town. You can come along I guess. Might put a crimp in my game though, bro.”

  I lean back in my chair. This is when it’s good to be the prince. “Yeah, about that. I want you to take your game elsewhere. I’m calling dibs on Tess.”

  He stares at me for a moment, and I think I see a flash of something in his eyes, but then he’s back to his relaxed, cheerful self in mere seconds. “Sure thing, I didn’t know you were interested. What brought this on? She’s not really your type.”

  I snort. Tess is every guy’s type. Blonde, curvy, earnest, smart. I guess if you only want a screw with big tits and no strings maybe she wouldn’t be your go-to girl, but if you’re looking for the total package? I’d say she’s it.

  “Well, she is for now,” I tell him. “So where we going for lunch?” I grin and he shakes his head.

  “Whatever. Your game, you choose.”

  “Andropov’s?” I ask.

  “Cool. I’ll see you both at noon.”

  After he leaves I lean back and swivel to look out the window. I’ve got a view out over the water, and to my right is the hull of one of our giant tankers we use to ship large containers of hazardous liquids, mostly gasoline. Georgios’s a tiny port, we have virtually nothing shipping out and only a relatively small amount of things shipping
in, but my dad likes to keep some of the older ships docked here so that the people of Georgios know that he remembers it all started here. This is the heart and home of Stephanos Shipping.

  Today the tanker is being loaded, which is odd, since we produce nothing here on the island that would need to be shipped on a tanker. But I see a couple of guys with large wooden crates on dollies that they’re running up the gangplank onto the deck of the ship. I watch for a few more moments, as another pair loads an identical set of crates. I write down the number painted on the ship’s hull with a note to myself to check up on it later. It’s probably some sort of supplies they needed for the crew, but it doesn’t hurt to check. The phone rings, I shove the piece of paper into my top desk drawer, and answer the call. The work never waits.

  * * *

  I’ve nearly forgotten Juliet’s threats from a couple of days ago, but when my dad’s secretary calls me to come up to his office I’m reminded that she’s probably gone and complained and now I’m going to get chewed out.

  “What’s going on Pop?” I ask as I walk into his large office suite that sits almost directly above mine.

  He stands and comes around his desk, grabbing my shoulders and planting a kiss on each cheek. “You didn’t stay for dinner after church on Sunday.”

  “Yeah, Christos and I had a long night Saturday. We needed a little more rest and a little less of screaming relatives.”

  My dad shakes his head, but chuckles too as he returns to his chair and gestures at me to take a seat in front of his desk.

  “You boys enjoy your freedom now. In a few years your mother will expect some grandchildren and you’ll need to find a nice girl to settle down with.”

  My father is shorter than me, but I remember when I was a kid, he seemed like a giant. He’s a barrel-chested man, with the same thick, dark hair and light blue eyes as me. I got my mother’s somewhat longer and slimmer physique. My dad is a brute, from a long line of fishermen. No matter how expensive the suit, he never looks like one of those metrosexual guys in GQ.