PROLOGUE
Damen Leventis was closing in on them. It was only a matter of time before the Greek billionaire found out where she and Norah had sent their niece to recuperate. He was the most persistent man Vilma had ever met. He was everywhere they went, and his spies were everywhere, too.
During the day, he was engaged in a fierce corporate battle, Damen Leventis against the world with his own board turning against him and attempting to wrestle control from his hands in light of his “undesirable way of conducting his personal life”.
Everyone in the corporate world was of the opinion that Damen was fighting a losing battle, no different from the way a disgraced actor could never again make his audience believe him. But Damen seemed to be the only one who did not believe it, working every minute of the day without fail.
And at night —
Vilma scowled. Only the TRO she had been forced to file against him kept the Greek billionaire away. It had been her last resort, and a cowardly move at that, but he had left her no choice. When push came to shove, Vilma would do everything – even sell her soul – to make sure her little Mairi was safe.
Making a snap decision, she dialed a number she only called for the most critical emergencies. “Get me Morrison.” Afterwards, she gave explicit directions to her driver.
The chosen meeting place for Hollywood’s most famous divorce lawyer and the man who was, for a time, one of the government’s top snipers was a rather quaint-looking chapel in a small town in Florida.
Between them was a thick file of documents containing all the necessary information about a young woman named Mairi Tanner – his next assignment.
Vilma Tanner’s voice was a mix of sugar and steel as she asked, “Will you do it?”
The man in front of her was strikingly attractive, and his twinkling eyes gave him a boy-next-door charm that was effective in getting everyone to trust him with their secrets. His voice was mild when he asked, “Are you not taking this a little too far, Attorney Tanner? She’s heartbroken, I get that. But that you want her to practically disappear—”
“You don’t get it, do you?” she asked impatiently. “My niece fell in love with a billionaire. Worse, he’s a Greek billionaire, and though I love reading about such men in books, they are not what I’d call my ideal husband in reality. They are often chauvinistic pigs and they can be very stubborn. My niece needs time away from him to heal, and I am willing to bet my entire wealth that he will not be willing to give her that.”
“So instead you want me to kidnap her and keep her hostage while she gets over being dumped?”
“It won’t be kidnapping. When you tell Mairi that it is my wish for her to stay under the radar, she will not cause any problems.” Vilma paused. “Well, except for one thing, which I cannot guarantee.”
The odd tone in the older woman’s voice made Drake raise a brow. “What is this problem?”
She said gravely, “Please do not fall in love with her.”
The words caught him unaware and he jerked in his seat. He said tightly, “If you’re in any way implying about the last assignment I had—” Even now, that part of his life…hurt. He had always known Yanna Everleigh was not for him, but being a f**king idiot, he had fallen for her anyway.
“I just want you to be prepared. My niece is the kind of girl that any man can and will fall in love with, given enough time in her company. But…she’s not for you.”
Stung at the thought that Vilma perhaps thought him unworthy of her niece, he murmured, “With all due respect, Attorney Tanner, but that’s not for you to decide.” His eyes flashed, the usual friendliness in them turning into the cold glittery gaze of a natural-born killer. “If I care to seduce her, I will. Perhaps you should think twice about considering me for this job.”
Vilma sighed. “Now I have offended you when I did not mean to. I only meant she is not the woman who will be able to love you the way you deserve. Do not ask me why or how I know it. I only do.”
He snapped, “You make her sound so irresistible.”
“To men like you, yes. Someone like my niece is irresistible.” She opened the folder and unclipped the large print of Mairi’s photo. “This is my niece.”
Drake took the photo.
And stared.
And knew.
A heart-shaped face of almost old-fashioned beauty, the loveliest smile in the world, and oh, a voluptuous figure that begged for a dominating man’s caress. But what really had him holding his breath was the innocent hope in her eyes—
This girl...
No matter what life would throw at her, she was the kind who believed in the pot of gold at the end of every rainbow.
She reminded him so strongly of Yanna it made Drake swallow.
“Do you understand now?” Vilma asked. “The risk isn’t to your life. It’s to your heart.” She waited tensely for Drake to speak, secretly disliking the fact that this man was one of the few individuals she had no control over.
“I accept the job.”
She started to breathe—
“But only if it will be on my terms.”
Vilma’s eyebrows shot up. “What terms?”
Drake’s face was impassive as he said, “I will not hide your niece from Leventis. If you entrust her in my care, I will make sure that she becomes strong enough to face him alone.”
She threw her hands up in frustration. “But can’t you see? He’s hurt her too much—”
“And he will always hurt her through their memories if you do not allow me to help her face the truth.” Drake’s gaze strayed back towards the photo he still held in his hands. “I will not fall in love with your niece, Ms. Tanner. It’s impossible for me to fall in love with anyone. But what I can promise is that I will do my damnedest to make her fall out of love with Leventis.” And in his mind, Drake added silently, and it will happen even if it means making your niece think she is slowly falling for me instead.
Mairi
~ One ~
Little Lake, Rhode Island
One week later
Winter had enveloped the world outside the quaint-looking cottage at the end of the road, its chilly winds forcing everyone to stay in. Within the cottage, however, was a young woman on the floor, her body bathed in sweat. She moaned.
The man observing her from the chair simply crossed his arms over his chest, unaffected. “Again.” It was just the two of them inside the room, which was bare except for the table and chair next to the window and the full-length mirror nailed to the wall across them.