Prologue

“That’s grandpa’s sweet baby girl,” Joseph whispered as he nuzzled his only granddaughter, Jasmine. She coo’d up at him, while gripping his finger and tugging at his heart.

“Now that grandpa got your daddy and mommy married and gave grandpa you as an added bonus for Christmas last year, we have to start working on getting Uncle Alex a wife,” he continued talking, while tickling her tummy.

“I love you to pieces, Princess and I want a lot of cousins for you running around the house.” He continued talking to her as if she understood each and every word he was saying.

“I sure didn’t get any thanks from your mom and dad for their marriage but of course I’m not looking for a bunch of praise. My boys finding good women and giving me many grandkids to spoil is thanks enough,” he said. He smiled with pure joy while looking at Jasmine.

“Of course, a little thank you wouldn’t be so bad,” he muttered quietly.

“Well, I guess I’m going a bit off course here, aren’t I? I’ve found the perfect bride for your Uncle Alex and I have a feeling we’ll see a cousin for you in a year or so.” He chuckled as he pictured Alex and Jessica together.

Joseph had known Jessica since she was a newborn. He knew she and Alex would be perfect together. It was simply a matter of getting them in the same room so nature could take its course.

Joseph thought about Alex’s playboy lifestyle. It was time that boy settled down and got married.

Joseph loved his first granddaughter so much. His heart felt like it would burst when she was in his arms. He wanted that feeling with many, many more grandchildren.

“Joseph, did I just hear you plotting with your granddaughter about meddling in our son’s life?” Katherine said from outside the room, catching him off guard. He could hear the clear disapproval in her tone and knew he’d been caught.

“No, not at all dear,” Joseph said, as innocently as he could. “Jasmine and I were just discussing what a blessing she is in our lives,” he finished.

Katherine shook her head at her husband as she reached down to take their granddaughter into her arms. “Joseph, Jasmine is only three months old and isn’t discussing anything with you. She’s just happy to hear the sound of your voice, no matter what nonsense you’re spouting.” All sternness fell from her voice as she held the precious bundle close to her.

Katherine didn’t approve of her husband interfering in their children’s lives but she had to admit the end result of Lucas and Amy getting married and having precious little Jasmine was worth the troubles.

Joseph sighed at the sight of his beautiful wife holding their granddaughter. Life was certainly good. “Lucas will be back in a few minutes so help me get the baby changed,” Katherine said as she walked from the room.

Joseph stood and looked at the picture on his wall. “Alex my boy, you are in for a surprise,” Joseph whispered to the frame so his wife wouldn’t overhear. He quietly chuckled to himself as he walked out of the door.

Chapter one

“Alex, good to see you,” Joseph said. He wrapped his arm around his son’s shoulders while leading him into the den.

“Hi Dad, sorry I haven’t made it home in a while. That contract in Spain took a lot longer than I thought. Of course, I’m not complaining because those beaches are hot and the women are even hotter,” he said with a laugh.

“Now son, there’s more to life than going out all the time and picking up pretty ladies who don’t have a lick of brains or an ounce of heart,” Joseph admonished.

Alex gave a hearty laugh. He knew his father wanted him and his brothers all married. He was more than a little suspicious Joseph had something to do with Lucas’s recent marriage. Lucas wasn’t complaining though. His wife, Amy was a true gem and their precious daughter was about the cutest thing there ever was.

“Dad, you know I’m far too young to tie the knot. I don’t need some woman in my life telling me what to do. I like having a lot of ladies to wine and dine. You don’t want to break the hearts of all the single ladies in Seattle, now do you,” Alex asked with far too much confidence, in his father’s opinion?

Joseph knew it would take a very strong woman to bring his middle child to his knees. Luckily, he figured, the right woman wasn’t far away.

“Okay, I get it, you like the single life but you should know you’re breaking your mother’s heart. She wants many grandkids running through these cold hallways but children never think of their poor parents. After all, parents only sacrifice everything to raise their kids and bandage their wounds and love them unconditionally. There wouldn’t be any reason to want to give back to them, I guess,” Joseph said with a dramatic sigh.

Alex smiled at his father’s antics. He and his brothers were used to the whole guilt trip charade since Joseph had perfected it. “You know I appreciate everything you and mom do for me. That doesn’t mean I’m going to let you guilt me into getting married. I’m smarter than Lucas,” he said with a wink.

Joseph chuckled to himself. The harder they fought, the more satisfying it was when they fell, he figured.

“All right then, enough of this marriage talk,” Joseph conceded. “We have that fundraiser banquet this weekend and I need you to attend. Both of your brothers can’t because of previous engagements and it would look really bad for the company if at least one of my sons didn’t show up to our own fundraiser,” Joseph said, while acting like a martyr.

Alex hated going to those things. The people were boring with a capital B and it was all about being seen. He wished they could just give the money away without having to go through all the motions of a fundraiser. But he also knew millions of dollars could be raised in one night because the rich liked to be seen giving their money away. It made them feel self-important, he supposed.

“Just let me know when and where. You know I’ll go.” He sounded more like he was headed to the guillotine, instead of an evening with great food and dancing. On a positive note, he would most likely take a lady home for a steamy night of lovemaking. That was something to look forward too.

“It’s being held at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel on Friday night, starting at nine,” Joseph told him.

“Well, at least if I have to go out and act like I actually care about the newest and greatest fashions, I’ll be in a great place,” Alex said.

The Fairmont was spectacular inside and out. It was listed on the National Register of Historical Places and they’d done a fantastic job of bringing in the new designs without taking away from the old history. Alex enjoyed doing business there and he knew the food was going to be top quality. His mouth started watering a bit at the thought of having some Cedar Plank Smoked Salmon, one of their specialties.

“Oh, and keep an eye out for Jessica Sanders. She’s the daughter of my dear business associate John Sanders and she’s going to be there alone, as her father’s out of town.”

“Dad, what have I told you about matchmaking? I can choose my own dates,” Alex said, losing some of his patience. He didn’t want to be set up. Marriage was simply not in the cards for him and in no way did he want kids. He idolized his gorgeous niece but the family thing was for Lucas, not him. He was still young at thirty-two years old and he wasn’t ready to trade in the Lamborghini for a mini-van. He shuddered at the thought.

“I’m not trying to be a matchmaker. I didn’t ask you to take her to the fundraiser. I simply asked you to keep an eye on her and say hello; maybe ask her for a dance. She’s not from around here and her father said she isn’t used to huge events. She normally avoids them at all costs but this fundraiser is something very important to her. She’s always wanted to spend an evening at the Fairmont. Here’s a couple of pictures so you can recognize her,” Joseph said while holding them out.

Alex reached for the photos, just for the sake of curiosity. He looked down and was surprised at how attractive she was. She wasn’t the typical socialite he was used to. Her features seemed softer, more inviting. One of the pictures was her and her father. She had her head thrown back in laughter, while her eyes were rounded, causing a sparkle to shine through the still shot.

Alex may have to change his mind and at least meet the woman but he was sure she’d turn out to be just as fake as the rest of them. A picture may be able to capture an unguarded moment but from his experience, all women had an agenda. He didn’t see how she could be any different from the rest.

Jessica walked down the wide staircase, admiring the beautiful golden railing with its intricate design. She had a mixture of feelings running through her. She hated parties that masqueraded themselves as fundraisers. They were only an excuse for the rich to rub elbows and talk about who had the most money. On the other hand, she’d always wanted to come to the Fairmont.

It was steeped in history and there were so many areas to explore. The room she’d rented had a spectacular view of the gardens. It was decorated to look more like a guest room in a distinguished home.

She’d walked into the suite to the smell of fresh cut flowers and the sight of a bowl overflowing with fruit. Alongside that had been a bottle of champagne chilling in a bucket of ice. The bed was beautifully made with a note from the staff, welcoming her and offering any assistance.

Jessica was used to the red carpet treatment, which wasn’t always as great as people seemed to believe it was. When your father was a millionaire, you never knew who liked you for you or who liked you for what they could get out of your father. Every place she went people would do all they could to accommodate her but it was usually a double edged sword.

After her last tragic break-up she’d decided to forgo relationships altogether. She was tired of her heart being broken. Her last boyfriend had seemed like the perfect man. Thinking about him was a painful experience but she couldn’t seem to stop herself.

He’d ridden into her life like a knight in shining armor and she’d fallen for him hard and fast. When he spoke, he said all the right things. He also romanced her unlike any other man she’d known. She’d been relieved he was wealthy because she didn’t think he was gaining anything by being with her. To her, the love seemed genuine. She couldn’t have been more wrong.

He courted her because his company was going under from the millions he’d gambled and lost. He figured if he snatched her up, he could go into business with her father and save himself. His plan would’ve worked too, as she was blinded by his games. She would’ve remained blind if she hadn’t gotten home early from a trip to find him in bed with the maid.

When she walked into her bedroom and saw the two of them wrapped in each other’s arms, on her bed, she quickly shut the door and walked out of the house. She thought he respected and loved her enough to wait to have sex until their wedding day. He never desired her in the first place and the waiting had turned out to be a blessing in disguise for him, as the ‘maid’ he’d hired was really his long-time girlfriend.

Jessica snapped back to the present and walked into the ballroom. She wasn’t easily impressed but tonight was an exception. Every detail of the room was exquisite. There were several chandeliers hanging at least three feet down and almost equally as wide. The crystals dripping from them were shooting off prisms of light in every direction.