Green Card Paperback

William Harper has it all: looks, money, power. There’s just one tiny problem—he’s about to be deported.


He needs a green card. Fast. An American wife is the easiest way to get one. But where will he find a woman to marry him on such short notice?

Elizabeth Barrett is a full-time student, part-time dog walker, and weekend tutor. With a roommate who just ran out on her and neck deep in tuition payments, she needs money. Now.


Harper just might make her an offer she can’t refuse.
He thinks he’s worked out the perfect deal, she thinks she’s signed up for an easy job. Neither of them bargained for the ride of their lives.

1
THE PLAN


Mid-April

“Hello, Jamison. Where do we stand?”
“Well, we've got a bit of a problem,” he answered as he sat in front of his friend's desk.
“How so?”
“You know how it’s about time to renew your visa?”
“Yeah, we do it every few years. It's never been a problem before.”
“Well, now there's a problem.”
“What kind of problem?” Harper sat forward and placed his elbows on the desk.
“Do you remember Alicia Winters?”
He grimaced.
“I'll take that as a yes. As it turns out, she wasn't too happy about the way your relationship ended last January.”
“Relationship?” he cried. “We went on three dates!”
“Either way, she's pissed. Apparently, she thought she was going to be the next Mrs. Harper and is not too happy about the breakup.”
Harper rolled his eyes.
“She has some friends in important places. A few well-placed phone calls and you've been red-flagged.”
“What do you mean red-flagged?”
“I mean you are now under investigation by immigration.”
“Investigation for what?”
“It looks like Ms. Winters has accused you of illegal activities and something to do with off-shore accounts and tax havens.”
Harper's face turned an unhealthy shade of purple. “She what?”
Jamison continued, “What this means for you is that your visa cannot be renewed until the investigation is complete.”
“When will that be?”
“No one knows, but now that the FBI is involved-”
“FBI?” Harper interrupted, his voice rising slightly in pitch.
“It's just a formality. I'm sure once they do a little looking around, they'll pull back. But immigration will be on you for a while, and they're not known for expediency.”
Harper looked at him with raised brows.
“We're not even supposed to know about this yet, nothing has officially been declared—I know someone at immigration. Best case scenario, it'll be over in two to three months. Worst case, you're looking at eighteen months to two years.”
“Two years!”
“Sorry. They take this a lot more seriously now than they used to. I'm doing everything I can, but you are an important figure. It would be quite a feather in some inspector's cap to nail you.”
“Yeah, but doesn't it occur to them not to fool around with powerful people?”
“You would think, but,” he trailed off.
“So what do I do now? Doesn't my visa expire soon?”
“Four months to be exact. I'm looking at ways around it to try and keep you in the country, but there aren't many.”
“How many is not many?” asked Harper.
“Well, really, there's only one.”
“And what is that?”
“You're not going to like it.”
“Jamison!”
“All right, I do have one idea. It's a loop-hole and pretty risky, but if it works, your problems could be solved for the next twelve years at least.”
“Well out with it, man!”
“You could get married.”
Silence.
“To an American, of course.”
More silence.
“It's the only way to stay in New York.”
“Isn't there some sort of investment visa?”
“There is, but investment visas require a lot of financial documentation and we don't want to draw attention to your assets right now. If you marry an American, all the focus is on her money. With any luck, you'll slide under the radar—the different visa types aren't even handled by the same department. Of course, if you don't want to get married, you can always go back to England, wait for the investigation to be over, then we can re-apply. There's a decent chance they'll give you another one.”
“And what are the chances they won't?”
“It's really fifty-fifty. A lot of it just depends on the mood of the consulate. You have some friends in useful places, that should help, but there are no guarantees.”
“If my visa is suspended or denied, can I still visit here, as long as I don't do business?”
“In short, no. You wouldn't be allowed into the country again until the investigation cleared. And since you still maintain controlling interest in Taggston, they'll be keeping a close watch on your company, too. Especially since Taggston has been sponsoring your work visa all this time. You may run into some difficulty with the larger deals—like the Helgsen merger.”
Harper ran his hands through his hair. “We've been working on that deal for months!”
“I know.”
“We're talking millions of dollars here! Not to mention hundreds of jobs.”
“I know.”
Harper growled and hung his head back, exhaling angrily toward the ceiling.
“I know.” Jamison sounded sympathetic.
“You think I should get married. To an American. Soon,” Harper said.
“I’m sorry, Harper, I know this is unexpected and, well, damned inconvenient.”
“Inconvenient?”
“Okay, awful. But I think it’s your best option.”
Harper exhaled loudly. “Give me a while to think about it, Jamison.”
“All right. Let’s talk tomorrow.”
Jamison quietly left the room and Harper turned his chair around and stared out the window at his view of the Manhattan skyline. Could he leave this place and the life he’d built here? Could he go back to London full time? Did he want to? What would that do to his business, to his life?
He stood and paced the room with one hand on the back of his neck.
“Bloody immigration, bloody rules, bloody Alicia Winters.”
He passed his assistant on his way out. “Goodnight, Evelyn.”
“Goodnight, Mr. Harper.”
He paused in the hall and looked back at his always-efficient assistant and considered her for a moment. Would she marry him to keep him in the country? She’s loyal… He quickly shook off the thought and moved to the elevator. I can’t marry my assistant. That would be damn awkward. There’s got to be another way.