by Marian Tee
Out loud, he said dryly, “Yes, I do need it.”
Willow inhaled deeply. “Okay. Here goes.” She took another deep breath.
A few moments passed.
“I’m still waiting.”
“I’m building momentum.”
Damen rolled his eyes.
More moments passed.
“How much momentum do you need again?”
“Shut up.”
Damen shook his head. “Willow?” He waited until his editor faced him, and this time he saw how pale she was. Ah, damn. The girl had stage fright. This wasn’t good, for her or for him.
He picked up their twenty-page proposal from the table. “What’s this I’m holding, Willow?”
She frowned. “Our proposal of course.”
“How long have we been working on this?”
“Almost three months.” She paused. “But I was the one mostly working on it since you barely found time to meet up with me to check its progress.” Thinking back on the numerous sleepless nights she had spent slaving over the proposal, Willow crossed her arms over her chest with a disapproving frown. “Even the phone calls were infrequent.”
A faint flush of color stained Damen’s sculpted cheeks. “I apologize for that, but you do have the worst timing when it comes to calling me. This is my surprise for my wife, remember? I can’t have her figuring out what I’m planning.” Deciding to change the subject before the debate-loving Willow found a way to argue with him about it, Damen said, “This proposal means everything to both of us for different reasons.”
She nodded.
“Why is it important to you?”
“Because it’s my chance to prove that I deserve to work here and, eventually, lead Hamnet.”
“Good. And why do you think our proposal is worthy of being published?”
“Because you’re a controversial figure, and autobiographies or semi-autobios by controversial figures always sell.”
Behind Willow, Damen discreetly watched William Somerset, the CEO of Hamnet and also his editor’s father, come in, the door noiselessly swinging shut behind him. Right away, he recognized the opportunity for the young woman to present her pitch without her nerves and insecurities getting the better of her.
Keeping his gaze on Willow, he prompted, “The real reason, Willow. I’m just one of the dozens of controversial figures here in Greece, and you know it. If you want your company to back your proposal and spend millions on this, we both need to go all in.”
Easier said than done, Willow thought, but unfortunately she also knew it to be true. Slowly, she said, “When I first learned of your proposal, I thought you just wanted to make a quick one mil or something. I thought you wanted to publish something that was like a cross between an Idiot’s Guide for Gold Diggers and a self-help book for the Real Housewives of Athens.”
Although it wasn’t his first time to hear of Willow’s initial thoughts, Damen still winced.
Catching sight of Damen’s pained look, she said sheepishly, “Sorry. When I got to talk to you, I knew right away it wasn’t like that.”
“So what is it about then?”
She closed her eyes, letting her imagination fly. Papers shuffled, words drifted up in the air in a colorful tornado, and around it were readers – so many of them, and they all wanted to read the book because…
“It’s a book about love,” Willow said softly, eyes still closed. “The Art of Catching a Greek Billionaire isn’t about making a woman happy because she now has access to billions of dollars. It was never that. It’s about the man – the billionaire who may seem to have everything but doesn’t. This book shows that Greek billionaires need to be caught by the right woman because...”
Willow squeezed her eyes shut more tightly. “Because a woman who loves selflessly, eternally – that’s his true wealth. The one thing he can’t ever buy.” A smile touched her lips, and the look on her face made it obvious why she was named such.
Willowy beautiful in a way that could easily make people catch their breath, Willow continued, “The Art of Catching a Greek Billionaire doesn’t aim to be profound or informative. It’s just a book of love and hope, a book that’s likely to make you cry and laugh but in the end, it’s going to make you feel good. It’s going to make you look forward to tomorrow because you know…if fate was able to make Mairi Tanner’s dreams come true…if fate was able to make Damen Leventis fall in love when he never believed it existed in the first place…” Her shoulders lifted in a helpless shrug. “Why couldn’t it happen to the rest of us?”
A second later, Willow’s eyes flew open at the sound of someone slowly clapping his hands. When she spun her seat around, she was stunned to see her father inside the conference room, and behind him was the rest of the acquisitions committee.
William Somerset asked gruffly, “Would a 100,000 initial print run do?”
Everyone in the room knew the answer to that.
Willow shrugged, not knowing how to express her emotions so in the end, she decided to do what she usually did, and that was to retreat behind a shell of indifference. “I…umm…think it’s adequate.”
The too-proud answer had Damen clearing his throat.
“I mean, thank you for your trust in me. I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed, sir.”
William glanced at the ex-billionaire. “Willow has filled me in about your plan in the event that we do offer to publish your work. We can probably have a hundred ARCs ready in time for your party. It will be the day after tomorrow, correct?” It was William’s way of expressing his gratitude for Damen Leventis’ patience, something that not many people was able to offer his wayward daughter.
“That would be much appreciated. The book is to be my wife’s surprise, so I hope that nothing about it leaks out.” Damen walked forward to shake hands with Willow’s father.
William murmured, “You must love your wife very much to go to such lengths just to let her know of your feelings.”
Damen’s lips twisted in a smile. “If you have the chance to read the book, you’ll know that what I’m doing – or whatever I can think of doing – is not enough. I’ve hurt her too many times that having the chance to show my wife I love her is a privilege in itself.”
When William Somerset left with the other executives, Willow said accusingly, “You knew he was there, didn’t you?”
He said evenly, “Next time, I know you won’t have to be tricked into doing the same thing.”
Her shoulders slumped. “I don’t know about that. My nerves always get the better of me.”
“Come to the party. I have someone who’d be the perfect trainer for you.”
The offer was generous and kind, which of course made Willow feel uncomfortable, pushing her to mutter ungraciously, “I don’t need a trainer.”
“Yes. You do. And that answer is exactly why you need one.” Together, the two of them walked out of the conference room, Willow accompanying him until they reached the elevators.
It was only when the elevator doors slid open and Damen stepped in did Willow mumble, “Thanks for helping me in there.”
Damen smiled slightly. “Thank you for taking a chance on my admittedly ambitious and unorthodox project.”
Willow said seriously, “Good luck with winning your wife back, Damen.”
The doors closed at the same time his phone buzzed. The name on the screen made Damen frown, but in the end, he decided to reply. If he wanted a future that was completely free of any kind of obstacle that could hinder him and Mairi from getting back together permanently, then it was time to clear up all loose ends.
Starting…with Alina.
Chapter Eleven
She said: To wed a Greek billionaire, one becomes an expert at lie detection.
He said: Is that so?
She said: Go on. Test me.
He said: We’re in a private place.
She said: Lie. And umm, duh!
He said: We’re alone.
She said: Lie.
Willow, tell me, is he for real?
He said: I’m not finished.
She said: Ooookay.
He said: You want to fuck me right now. I only have to touch your hair and you want me. I only have to look at you and you want me. I only have to say your name and you want me. Are those lies, matakia mou?
She said: Unfair! That’s a trick question!
Important meeting? Ha! Yeah, right. These were the thoughts that ran through Mairi’s head as she tried not to bang pots in Damen’s ultra-modern kitchen. She had taken pains to prepare breakfast, hoping they could eat it in bed, but instead he had told her in a distracted voice that he had to leave right away.
And then she had watched Damen – the man who she had never even seen glance at his reflection on the mirror unless he was having sex with her in front of it – stand a good five minutes in front of his extensive wardrobe, a taut look on his face as he pulled out a new pinstriped suit. “Do you think this looks good on me?”
That was when she really knew. Oh my God, he really was having an affair with Alina Kokinos! She had read about this in those women’s magazines that Mandy secretly devoured in hopes of being more “sensitive” and “feminine”.
When Damen had raised a brow at her, Mairi had snapped, “No. I think you look bad in anything you wear.” And then she had shoved past her husband, muttering about eating breakfast with Drake.
For once, Damen’s jealousy had not made him go after Mairi.
“What’s with all the racket?” Drake asked as he entered the kitchen, wincing at all the banging and clanging that Mairi was making with her frying pans. He grabbed one of the stools by the counter, one eyebrow lifting when he saw the lineup of dishes Mairi had prepared. Pancakes, toasts, Eggs Benedict, bacon, and even a fruit platter – all of them untouched. “Are we celebrating or something?”
“Nope.” Mairi tried to keep her tone cheerful as she turned around to face Drake. Hair still wet from a shower and dressed in a white wife beater that exposed his broad shoulders and biceps, the ex-sniper appeared like he had just stepped out of a sexy edition of Bed Bath & Beyond.
Taking the stool next to him, Mairi stared at Drake for a long time, willing for her breath to catch, her heart to race, her body to tense. Mairi willed herself to feel something – anything – for Drake Morrison. Just one sign, Mairi thought desperately, to prove that she had not completely lost herself in Damen. Again.
But there was none.
The despair on Mairi’s brown eyes had Drake frowning. His first instinct was to be gentle, a feeling prompted by guilt, but Drake knew that wasn’t really what Mairi needed right now. He also knew that even if it was, it had never been his role to give Mairi a shoulder to cry on.
That was Damen Leventis’ role…even if he was likely the reason Mairi’s gaze was dark with misery.
Drake slapped a couple of pancakes on his plate, giving Mairi time to speak. From the corner of his eyes, he watched her reach for a piece of toast and munch on it. He said brusquely, “Pretending to be strong doesn’t actually make you strong, Mairi.”
Mairi flinched, her half-eaten toast falling from her fingers to her plate.
When she still didn’t speak, Drake swung his seat sideways so he could take a good look at her. “I taught you better than that, don’t you think?”
Yes, he did, Mairi acknowledged painfully, but sometimes it was just easier to fall back on old habits and keep pretending. Lowering her gaze to the table, she concentrated on picking the crumbs that had fallen off her plate. In a light voice, she said, “Damen left early for a meeting today.”
“And you’re upset because he wasn’t able to eat breakfast in bed with you?”
“I called Barry, his secretary, and he says there wasn’t any meeting penciled in Damen’s schedule.”
“It could have been unplanned.”
“He asked me how he looked in his new suit. He never does that.”
“Maybe he finally realized he’s not as good looking as he thinks he is?”
A choked laugh escaped Mairi, the sound hiding the trail of tears on her cheeks.
Drake cursed. “Mairi—”
She shook her head vigorously. “I’m okay.” Mairi unconsciously placed a protective hand on her tummy, where her unborn child rested. “I just…” Her shoulders lifted in an awkward shrug, and she gave Drake an embarrassed smile. “I thought I could do this, you know? Be with Damen while pretending I don’t love him? I thought I could control it because now I knew what I was getting myself into. But it didn’t happen that way. I just…I just fell in love with him more, and I don’t think that’s right.”
Mairi willed her voice not to shake as she continued, “I think Damen’s about to have an affair with Alina Kokinos.”
Her words stunned Drake. “Mairi, you know I’m not exactly your husband’s greatest fan, but—”
She cut him off, saying softly, “I don’t think he’s been unfaithful to me. I don’t think he ever will be, but…” Mairi choked, throat clogged with sobs she didn’t want to come out. “I love him too much to keep him with me if he no longer wants me, Drake. You understand, don’t you? If…if Paige loves someone else, even if it’s someone you don’t like for her, you’d end up letting her go, won’t you? Because you love her.”
The look on her face killed him, but it was her words that rendered Drake frustrated with his impotence because everything she said was true. Drake wanted to reach for Mairi, but he knew that was one thing he could never ever do. He had crossed that line once, and even now, they were still paying for its consequences.
The problem with the two of them, Drake thought harshly, was that they only knew how to be selfish for the wrong reasons. Another person might have advised Mairi right now to fight for her love and for the right to keep her husband and the father of her unborn child. But he was not another person. He and Mairi were the same, and it was always all or nothing for them.
“Drake?”
His fists clenched at the trembling in Mairi’s voice. “Yeah?” She was one of the nicest and gentlest persons he knew, and it killed him to hear her hurting like this.
“Could you find out where Damen is?” Her eyes were bright with unshed tears, and they matched the determinedly brave smile that curved on her lips. “I just want to know…I just want to see…if he’s really with her.”
“And if he is?”
She said simply, “Then I have to go.” She saw Drake’s gaze lower to her belly, and her hand tightened around it, the instinct to protect her child coming to Mairi naturally. “We’ll be okay. I don’t think it’s good for the baby if I stay. If I did, my baby might see me breaking day by day and that’s gonna happen if I don’t…”
A sob slipped past her lips, her emotions taking over.
“Damen might not know he doesn’t love me anymore, but I'll know, and that’s what matters. What I feel for him, it’s like my key to his heart and he doesn’t know it yet, but his heart’s changed locks and it’s a different key.” Her chest heaved and she sobbed. “He’s locked me out and I don’t think he even knows it.”
Chapter Twelve
She said: To wed a Greek billionaire, one must be ready of exes dropping by…all the time.
(Long pause)
He said: Technically, she was not an ex-girlfriend. Rather, she was my ex-fiancée.
She said: And the distinction is a good thing because?
He said: You truly have to ask, sweetheart? She became my fiancée for purely practical reasons. You were my only girlfriend – the only woman I chose with my heart and not my head.
(Long pause)
(Note to Editor: Could you take that out? I think that ended up sounding too sappy.)
(Note to Editor: Willow, I’ll be forever in your debt if you keep that line.)
(Editor’s Note: We’ll keep this. I estimate additional one week on the NYT bestselling list if I use it as a new excerpt for the book.)
“I must confess I had expected you to contact me a
lot earlier than this.” Damen took the initiative to speak first, mincing no words as he did.
Seated across him, Alina Kokinos was as beautiful and elegant as ever, her every movement graceful and precise as she curled her fingers around the stem of her wineglass to take a sip. Her face was expressionless, but her stiff posture belied her inner tension.
The restaurant they were in was dim and low-key, its tables and chairs, made of varnished pallets and glass, projecting a rustic chic charm. But more importantly than that, its location was obscure and frequented only by town locals, making it the perfect place for Damen to meet the woman he had once used to make Mairi feel worthless. The memory of it still stung, enough to have Damen take a sip of his wine as well.
When he lowered his wine glass, he saw Alina gazing at him. The vulnerability he glimpsed in her eyes had Damen consciously softening his tone as he said, “We can postpone this if you want.” Even though it was unlikely for him and Alina to resume the friendship they once had when he was still reeling from Mairi’s loss, he would always consider himself indebted to the younger woman. She had been one of the reasons that he had not stopped looking for Mairi, Alina’s silent support giving Damen reason to hope that maybe…maybe he was not such an evil man that Mairi would be unable to forgive him.
The gentleness of Damen’s tone enabled Alina to smile even as her heart continued to ache at the mere sight of him. He was dressed in another one of his exquisite handmade suits, his hair styled perfectly. The latter was rare for Damen, who she knew had not one vain bone in his body. It prompted her to ask haltingly, “Do you have somewhere important to go to after this?”
Damen’s lips curved in a slight smile. “Is it that obvious I took the time to comb my hair?”
Alina’s own smile widened, and the world around her seemed to be just a bit more colorful at the sight of Damen’s amusement. Oh God, she was so hopelessly in love with him.