The Renegade Billionaire

“Thankfully my story has a happy ending, otherwise I wouldn’t be standing here, but it’s all I can manage.”

The quarry manager scratched his head. “This is a very unusual way to do business. You were very smart to send her first.” His mouth widened into a grin. “So you are now in business for yourself. No more papa?”

Stavros had to smother a groan. “I still have a papa, but no more ties to the Konstantinos Corporation. My partners and I are in business producing a new product called Marma-Kon.” He took advantage of the moment to explain why he wanted to buy their marble waste.

“I’ll email you the contract today so you can read it over. It should answer all your questions. If you are in agreement to do business, contact Theo Troikas, whose name is on the card. He’s the contracts manager.”

“I tell you what. I have to talk to the owner. He owns two quarries. I think he will say yes, but I’ll get back to you. Thank you, and get well.” He shook Stavros’s hand.

After he’d walked away, Stavros climbed in the backseat once more and Andrea closed the door for him. Then she got back in the driver’s seat and turned around. “What do you think?”

Stavros stretched out to rest his leg. “Do you even have to ask? With you as my ambassador, it was like taking candy from a baby. The hitch will come when he talks to the owner.”

“Why wouldn’t he agree? They’ll be making money off you.”

“You never know. Prejudice maybe, because I’m the son who’s no longer working for his father. The owner’s a proud Greek, remember? We’re a pretty patriarchal bunch.”

She nodded. “With the god Zeus serving as the role model, you are. His autocratic handling of his son Arcas was a great example of fatherly love. That poor boy was so upset he said, ‘If you think you’re so clever, Father, make me whole and unharmed.’ That relationship got nowhere in a hurry.”

That was a little-known part of the myth. The fact that she could pull such information out of her head at a moment’s notice astounded him.

“Stavros—” Her eyes clouded over. “I’m trying to get you to ease up on yourself. You’re not actually buying into your own pathetic fiction about not living up to your father’s expectations? As far as I’m concerned, you’ve exceeded any dreams a father might have for his son. The respect everyone has for you should warm your heart.”

“Does it warm yours?” He couldn’t see her face.

“I told you the other night that I’ve chosen to believe in you.”

Stavros put his head back. “If only I’d heard that kind of faith come from my father, even one time...”

“Please don’t torture yourself.” She had tears in her voice. “You need to stop! Your brother, Leon, is your champion or he wouldn’t have come to the house the other night to warn you. Even if you didn’t notice it, I saw the manager’s eyes gleam while you told him about your product. He stood there wishing he’d thought of it first and probably wished he had a son like you.

“You’re really onto something big, Stavros. As long as you’re searching for new sources, why not buy some quarries no longer being used? You know the old saying about one man’s trash being another man’s treasure.”

“They cost money, but I hear what you’re saying, Andrea.” Every single brilliant word.

“Good. Then let’s drive on to the next target.”

* * *

Andrea marveled at the scenery after they reached the place where they were spending the night. Outside the door of her hotel room, which adjoined Stavros’s, she looked south and east to the pine trees and sweet chestnut forests. They surrounded the village sitting at the foot of Mount Ypsarion. Its charm lay in the old houses with their stone walls and wooden roofs.

While he got ready for bed, she went to a local taverna for oven-baked pizza that was chewy like focaccia bread and topped with gyro meat in a sauce tasting strongly of basil. After she returned, they drank fruit juice in lieu of wine with their meal. Knowing Stavros had a sweet tooth, she’d picked up some baklava.

Before she got ready for bed, she went back to his room to make sure he’d taken his pills and was settled. She knew he was tired, but he seemed in better spirits than when they’d stopped at the first quarry.

She felt his eyes on her the second she entered his room. “How do you feel after meeting with managers from three different quarries?”

“I’ll know better when contracts come in, but I’m satisfied we’ve made a dent.”

“Do you think you’re up to more visits tomorrow?”

“Are you?” he questioned right back. “You must be exhausted after all you’ve done today.”

“I’m not the one with the wound. If you don’t mind, I’d like to check it before you go to sleep, just to be on t

he safe side.” She pulled a clean dressing from the box.

He threw the covers aside. For his convenience, obviously, he’d put on a pair of shorts for bed. Nothing else. The dusting of black hair on his well-defined chest reminded her of those hours on the beach when they’d gotten tangled in each other’s arms. As if reading her mind, he turned over. She sucked in her breath and leaned down to make an inspection.