Chapter One
Grace had looked around the pool area, the crystal waters shimmering in the heat of the Grecian summer. Sighing, she had once more wondered what she was doing there, why she was amongst the ‘chosen five’. Flicking her look to the man seated amongst the other ‘four’ she had grimaced. Tall, with stunning good looks and a body that any woman could dream of forever, Alexos Manetas enjoyed the giggling flirtatious attention of the women, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses, an almost bored smile sitting his handsome face.
“Grace” the word hissed out as she had turned her head to look at the older woman beside her.
“Would it have killed you to put on a bikini……just for this once?”
Scowling, she had looked into the distance, her voice a mask of indifference hiding the irritation of her mother’s words.
“Please mother…do you really think that he is going to take one inch of interest in me? Look at him - he is enjoying his harem over there”
With a cluck of her tongue the woman had glared down at her daughter “You are every bit as lovely as they are”
Grace made a ‘humph’ sound as she had once more regarded them. When they had arrived the previous day, she had tried to make conversation with a few of the other women, quickly realising that there was not much by way of thoughts in their heads, they solely interested in shopping and how their hair looked, the kind of women Grace had been made to endure at finishing school as they had worked so hard to turn her into one of them. With a small smile playing on her lips she had remembered telling her eloqution teacher that she had little desire to be another Stepford wife, the comment seeing her in detention for a week.
Once more looking up at Alexos, she had found herself eye to eye with the Greek playboy billionaire, his glasses which he had pulled off swinging from his hand as he had chewed on one leg. The electric shock that had passed through her as their eyes had met had been unexpected, a long shiver running through her body, as she had held his look, her large hazel eyes holding his dark almost black ones, Grace feeling the heat filling her as a slow smile had touched his wide lips. Inexplicably she had felt like a bug under the magnifying glass, burning heat filling her and rising to her cheeks as she had dropped her eyes from his, the need to not feel those enquiring eyes burning deeply into her swamping her.
Surprised by her own reaction she had held down the curse, knowing that his look was amused as he too was wondering why such a plain Jane would have been selected to his magnificent gathering. Grace stood out so vividly from the other women, all stunning, tall and perfectly turned out and all she noted, with a disdainful look, so eager to please him. She on the other hand was small, 5.4 in stocking feet with what had often been described as an angel’s face, her long wavy blonde hair pulled back primly in a pony tail which fell halfway down her back.
“Could you not at least let your hair down…it really suits you that way” again the woman beside her had hissed out the words, the frustration at her daughter so clear on her voice.
With annoyance now she had once more turned her attention back to the other woman, relieved to have something else to focus on as she had desperately tried not to stare back at the man responsible for her presence there, still feeling the sizzling burning of his stare on her skin.
“It is too hot” she had murmured absently before rising to her feet, the need to move filling her.
“I am going for a swim” causing the other woman to groan softly.
“Grace…please” her mother had pled “You will look a sight wet. How can you compete with the others if you don’t try?”
Giving her mother an amused smile she had shuffled off the bright wrap she had earlier pulled on as protection from the sun.
“Oh mother, you really don’t think that I am competition for those women?” her look scathing as her mother had sighed wearily.
“You have a better fortune than they do” she had offered lamely as Grace had looked pityingly back.
“The man is wealthier than everybody here put together…like he cares”
With a softer voice, the hint of fear so evident her mother had seemed nervous “Grace…if your father thinks that you haven’t tried…you know how angry he will be”
The smile had left the young woman’s lips, her small head nodding, and her eyes hard. “Yes…I know…and it is the ONLY reason I am here at all mother” as turning she had moved to the pool, deftly diving perfectly into the water.
The sudden cold had made her give a small gasp, before she had felt the relief from the midday-heat envelop her. When the invite had arrived for her to attend the weekend retreat at the island of Alexos Manetas, her father normally so cold and stern had smiled, his eyes falling on his daughter.