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CHAPTER ONE

‘I thought theearlier with Senator Ashcroft’s aide ell…’

Markos Lyonedes took one last look at the late afternoon New York skyline fro to look at his PA, his expression rueful ‘Yes?’

Gerry gave hilance as he stood on the other side of the iany desk ‘Didn’t you?’

Markos moved back into the spacious room His dark suit was tailored to fit perfectly across s He honed that fitness at the ed thirty-four, he was a couple of inches over six feet, with dark, slightly over-long hair, and shrewd green eyes set in a swarthily handsoe

He gave the other lance ‘That depends upon whether Senator Ashcroft would have sent his aide or coe of the New York office’

Just a o Markos had been based at the London offices of Lyonedes Enterprises, the company he oith his cousin Drakon, with a full and busy business and social life, and no thoughts ofto New York That was before Drakon had lishwoman he was to fall in love with Drakon and Geed and were married just two short weeks later The two of theean island owned by the Lyonedes family

Luckily Markos and Gerry had instantly found a rapport, and Drakon had already expressed his approval of the PA Markos had taken on at the London office, following a rather e wo of the way she had thrown herself at hiether was still enough to make Markos shudder

‘Drakon had already accepted the Senator’s invitation He ements,’ Gerry dismissed ‘Senator Ashcroft obviously wished to make sure that the new head of Lyonedes Enterprises, New York, are of the invitation And he didn’t send just any aide to extend the invitation—he sent his only son!’ Gerry gave a grin He was a tall, rangy man in his late thirties, with sandy-coloured hair and a pleasant rather than handsome face

Markos raised dark brows ‘That’s good?’

Gerry’s s Robert Junior to take over when he retires in a couple of years And invitations for the event on Saturday evening are being coveted like bars of gold by New York society My ould kill to get one I thought your offhand acceptance of the invitation was pitched about right,’ he added approvingly

‘It was actually caution oninsulted or not’ Markos gave a grimace as he sat down behind the desk ‘I’m afraid American politics remain a complete mystery to me’

‘All you need to know about oal, along with gathering up the necessary finances to run a successful ca the New York head of Ly

onedes Enterprises This company employs several thousand New Yorkers, and thousands rin

‘That’s a pretty strong incentive for the Senator—’ He broke off as a knock sounded on the door before Markos’s executive secretary entered the office

Lena Holmes was yet another invaluable employee Markos had inherited frohtly plump and motherly in her plain dark business suits, she nevertheless succeeded in running Markos’s office with the precision of a sergeant-lish army

‘Sorry to interrupt, Mr Lyonedes, but I thought I should let you know straight away that Ms Grey has cancelled her five o’clock appointment’

Again, Lena’s disapproving tone implied

Evangeline Grey, interior designer extraordinaire—if her reputation was to be believed—and the wo the rooms in the penthouse apartment above them, had already cancelled one appointment earlier in the week