Page 13 (1/2)

CHAPTER ONE

DARA DEVLIN HAD found herself in a few sticky situations in this job, but this had to be by far the worst

A professional event planner should never gatecrash It had to be written so the second-floor balcony ledge of Milan’s ner heels

All in the name of business, of course

The heels had certainly slowed progress up the slippery e them in the alley beloas unthinkable A woman stood by her shoes, no matter how sticky the situation And this situation most definitely qualified as sticky

Handbag in one hand, she silently willed her skirt not to tear as she racefully over the cold stone ledge, landing on hard marble tiles Her watch showed it was just past ten An unfashionably early ti wasn’t on her agenda tonight

The city’s prerand reopening this weekend and entry was strictly invitation only No aant hostess with her little black clipboard

Nevertheless, Dara was deteret into this party one way or another She was only in town for the weekend before she had to head back south to her co this task just wasn’t an option

When her various contacts had said Leonardo Valente was untouchable, she had accepted the challenge with enthusiash-profile wedding of her career—all she needed was one man’s co-operation

How hard could it be?

Even after three weeks of rejected e-ive up Arner suit, she had foolishly believed she could just travel to his Milan office and demand to be seen

The joke was on her Because it seemed that Leonardo Valente’s office didn’t even exist The address on his secretary’s e- headquarters, where her enquiries had all been rejected point-blank