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CHAPTER ONE

“HAVE you heard? He’s trying to buy her a husband” Fely

“With his millions, it shouldn’t be hard”

“The old man will live to see a hundred and five and keep control of his coht up until he dies,” the woman said “That means over thirty years married to a woman who is hopelessly introverted, hopelessly ordinary and probably hopeless in bed, to boot Practically a lifetime before her future husband will see any fruit for his labor”

“Put in that light,” the man drawled sardonically, “the return on investment does seem pretty low”

“Why, darling, were you thinking of applying for the job?” Scornful disbelief laced the wo voice

The rated on Luciano’s nerves He had arrived late to the New Year’s Eve party hosted by the Boston based multimillionaire, Joshua Reynolds Nevertheless, he knew exactly who: Hope Bishop—an extreranddaughter of their host

Luciano hadn’t realized the old man had decided to procure her a husband It should cohteen-year-old, she ree at university two years ago He re a formal dinner to celebrate

The dinner, like any other social gathering hosted by Reynolds, had turned into a business discussion and the guest of honor had disappeared long before the evening was over He had thought at the tiht be the only person to have noticed Certainly her grandfather had not, nor had any of the other businessmen present remarked upon Hope’s absence

Luciano turned away fro couple and stepped around a potted plant easily as tall as e obstructed his vieas behind it, which hy he didn’t realize Hope Bishop was standing there in frozen mortification until he had all but stepped on her

She gasped andon the leaves behind her, their chestnut color a startling contrast to the plant’s bright green shrubbery “Signor di Valerio!”

He reached out to stop her fro the plant