CHAPTER ONE

‘THAT’s Stephanie Stewart — walking into the ballroom now.And there’s my father rushing over to her.I can’t believe Daddy is making such a fool of himself.She’s young enough to be his daughter,for heaven’s sake!’

The waspish comment caused Alexander Di Cesare to turn his head and follow Jennifer Grainger’s gaze across the ballroom to the blonde who had just walked into the room.His first thought was that the woman looked nothing like he had expected,and his eyes narrowed as he lifted his glass to his lips and savoured a mouthful of vintage champagne while he studied her.

When Jennifer— younger daughter of his friend and business associate James Grainger—had phoned him and sobbed that her father was involved with a ‘bimbo’, he’d pictured a brittle bleached blonde wearing some skimpy outfit that revealed acres of overly- tanned flesh.Stephanie Stewart was certainly blonde,but she bore no further similarity to the image in his head.

Her slender figure was emphasized by her silk dress:an elegant,floor-length navy sheath that moulded her breasts and skimmed her flat stomach and the gently curve of her hips.Her delicate oval face was dominated by huge eyes,although he could not make out their color from this distance,and her mouth was wide and full and deliciously tempting,coated in a pale pink gloss.Her hair was swept up into a chignon,leaving her long,slender neck exposed,and the ornate diamond necklace she was wearing was almost as eye-catching as the woman herself.

She was beautiful,Alexander conceded,irritated by his reaction to her.The last thing he had expected was to feel physically attracted to a woman he had good evidence to suggest was a callous gold-digger with her sights set on james Grainger’s fortune.

Jennifer snatched a champagne flute from the bar. ‘Look at her-she’s all over him,‘ She muttered disgustedly,downing half the contents of her glass in one gulp.

Alexander reminded himself that Jennifer was eighteen now,and entitled to drink alcohol.Over the years that he had been friends with the Graingers he had come to regard her as a little sister,and he frowned at the stark misery on her face.

Across the room Stephanie Stewart was smiling warmly at james as she reached up and brushed a speck of confetti from his jacket.The gesture spoke of an unusual level of intimacy between employer and employee,and Alexander’s jaw hardened Initially he had dismissed Jennifer’s claim that her father was besotted with a woman half his age.Jame Grainger was one of the shrewdest businessmen Alexander had ever met.and for the last eighteen months had been grieving the death of his adored wife.It was impossible to imagine him starting a relationship with any woman—especially one who was the same age as one of his daughters.

Nevertheless,Alexander had requested a report on miss Stewart from one of his many contacts,and he had been sufficiently concerned by what he’d learned to cancel a trip to the US and fly to England to attend james daughter’s wedding,

The marriage of Earl Grainger’s eldest daughter,Lady luciana,to the Right Honorable Liam Havistock had taken place in the private chapel on the Grainger estate, followed by a sit-down meal for family members and close friends at a nearby hotel.Now another two hundred guests had arrived at the Royal Cheshunt for the evening reception,and Stephanie Stewart was one of them.

Jennifer watched her father lead the beautiful blonde onto the dance floor,and then rounded on Alexander. ‘You see ! I’m not imagining things,’ she said angrily. ‘Stephanie seems to have bewitched my father.’

‘If that’s the case,then we will just have to find a way to release him from her spell, piccola,’ Alexander murmured softly.

Jennifer stared at him. ‘But how can we?’ Her face clouded. ‘I thought Daddy had bought that necklace for me,’ she choked, lifting her glass to her lips to take another long sip of champagne.

Frowning,Alexander glanced at the diamonds around Stephanie Stewart’s swan-like neck.

‘Daddy bought all the bridesmaids one of these,’ Jennifer muttered, fingering the string of pearls at her throat, ‘but when I was tidying his study—‘she flushed faintly ‘—I found the diamond necklace and thought he was going to give it to me.I am the chief bridesmaid,after all,’ she added sulkily. ‘I couldn’t believe it when he said it was for Stephanie, in thanks for her work on Luciana’s flat.’

If only he hadn’t decided to employ an interior designer as part of Luciana and Liam’s wedding present, he would never have met her,’ Jennifer continued dolefully. ‘Luciana thinks Daddy is lonely, and just wants someone to talk to, but she’s been so wrapped up in the wedding that she doesn’t understand what a hold Stephanie has over him.’

Jennifer drained her glass and held it out to the Barman to refill it. ‘Oh, Alexander, I don’t know what to do. I wouldn’t be surprised if Stephanie has set her sights on becoming the next Lady Grainger. Daddy has been so unhappy since Mummy died,’ she said thickly. ‘I couldn’t bear it if she hurt him.’

‘She won’t, piccola, because I won’t allow her to.’

Alexander caught the shimmer of tears in Jennifer’s eyes and a hard knot of anger settled in his chest. He had known Jennifer and Luciana since they were children,when Lilly and James Grainger had welcomed him into their home on his frequent business trips to England. He had been saddened by Lilly’s untimely death from cancer, and understood the raw grief of the family she had left behind. He felt protective of Lilly’s daughters— and in strange way of James too,as the older man struggled to come to terms with the loss of his beloved wife.

He took another sip of champagne, following James and Stephanie’s progress around the dance floor while he considered what he knew of her. She was twenty- five, and single since her divorce two years ago.

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