Chapter One

Athena Lakis had less than two months to learn from the best hotelier in the world. Then if everything went as planned, she wouldn’t be working for someone else; she’d be doing all this for herself. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy her job. She loved it. But Athena had always dreamed of running her own empire. Now she sat opposite the man who’d agreed to make it all possible: her boss, Lucas Giardetti.

The Naples Children Charity Ball was Athena’s last big project under her current position. She’d worked hard to make the event a huge success for Giardetti Worldwide Hospitality. It was the least she could do in appreciation for the opportunity they had given her. Tonight was the cherry on the whipped cream, and she wanted everything to go just right.

But as she approached the finish line, a stick poked between her rotating spokes and threatened to distract her from her goal. She froze when that very stick, in the guise of the most striking man she’d ever seen, entered her peripheral vision. Her abdomen tightened, her heart raced, and she had to work very hard to her keep breathing steady as he walked across the hotel lounge, maneuvering around the antique tables in her direction. She didn’t need the disturbance of this Adonis male three hours before the fundraising ball began.

Everything was falling into place. The florist had delivered the proper shade of pink freesias, even if it had taken him three tries. She didn’t care if the season for freesias in Naples was finishing, only the pink freesias would do. The 1969 Vintage Dom was now at the perfect temperature, even if upon delivery it had been two degrees too warm. They weren’t spending that kind of money to drink warm champagne. And the maitre d’hotel had reassigned the waiter who didn’t own an iron to a different function, even if she had hesitated to make the request. She didn’t want the young man to lose his job. She simply didn’t want him serving guests while wearing wrinkled attire.

No, this night was too important for anything to be off by a single degree. The sponsors of the Naples Children Charity appreciated the worthiness of the cause, but they also expected pampering for their great generosity.

Making a conscious effort not to look beyond the dossier she reviewed with Luca, she attempted to continue with her final report. “The guests will arrive from the south entrance between eight and nine. Cocktails will begin with—”

“Hello, my friend.” Luca rose to greet the man commanding Athena’s attention. Standing a handsome six-foot-two, Luca was not a small man, but the obvious confidence and physical appearance of the tall, broad stranger with the dark eyes and bright smile dwarfed her employer. “What a pleasure you could make it to Naples for the ball. It must be at least three months since we sat together for anything other than business. We have some catching up to do.”

“My thoughts exactly,” drawled the sexy stranger in an accent that was undeniably familiar to her. He did not wait for an introduction. Rather he took Athena’s hand and gently raised it to his lips. His warm breath caressed her skin, sending a parade of tingles through her body. “I can see why you choose to work such long hours.”

There was playful recognition in his eyes. He must know her, or know of her. She was curiously aware of the familiarity in his tone, but she could not remember him. Who was this man who sucked every bit of air from the lounge?

She mentally searched the evening’s guest list, but the shape of his eyes and the set of his jaw did it. She knew who he was.

Drop dead gorgeous competition!

Not only was he bidding against her dream, he was soon to be related to her best friend.

Dumbfounded, she stared at her best friend’s future brother-in-law and the head of Strintzaris Enterprises. She’d had no idea her boss kept the competition as a close friend.

Shifting in her seat, she waited for him to say something about the property they were both fighting for in Crete. DDGC sat atop the Strintzaris mega-empire, while she hid within the coattails of Luca Giardetti’s name.

Luca smiled and made the introduction. “Alexandros Strintzaris, this is Athena Lakis. Miss Lakis chairs the consulting committee responsible for the symposium.”

“I’m very pleased to finally meet you, Athena.”