"Alexakis." There

was a pause, then, "I'll speak to you tomorrow, Katherine."

"But how long have you known him?"

"Not long."

"Where did you meet him?"

"I've been working for his sister."

"Babysitting?" Eugene DeMo may got a surprising amount of disgust and horror

in one word.

"Caring for her five-year-old twins, yes."

Her father snorted.

"I thought you ran the agency, Kate. Don't tell me things are so bad you

have to go out and babysit yourself now!"

"I am doing it as a personal favour," Kate said, which was as close to thetruth as she was going to get. "Sophia hasn't been well.""Hmph. And I suppose Damon Alexakis just happened by one day and fell head over heels?" Her father's scathing tone told Kate exactly how likely he

thought that idea.

"Something like that." If she'd felt a bit guilty after they'd left him last night, today facing his hard words and harsh tone, she felt no guilt at all.

"Nonsense. Pure nonsense. I can't believe a daughter of mine would believesuch drivel. You can't possibly think he's in love with you, Katherine."

"And why shouldn't I?"

"Oh, Kate. Grow up. He wants what you've got. DeMo may he elaborated when she didn't respond.

"He has an empire of his own twice the size of yours. He doesn't need DeMomay Daddy." She said it frankly and was glad to be able to say it.

"Of course he doesn't," Eugene said irritably."But that doesn't mean he wouldn't like it. Men like Damon Alexakis don'ttake what they need, Katherine. They take what they want. I'd heard he was a clever b.a.s.t.a.r.d, but by heavens I didn't think he'd stoop this low."

At his words, Kate felt the anger surging through her veins.

"Why is it so difficult for you to believe that anyone might want me for myself?"

Her father gave a short half-laugh.

"The way Bryce did?"

His words were like a knife slipped between her ribs. Bryce. Oh, yes, Bryce. Her first love. The man she'd adored. The man she'd run away with, had promised to live happily ever after with.

The man who, when he found out her father wasn't going to give them a penny, had left her flat. She supposed she was lucky that only she knew. Her father had always suspected, of course, but it had happened so quickly, he'd never found out. Bryce's fury, fuelled by drink, had led him to drive too fast. Kate became a widow only hours after she'd become an abandoned wife.

She'd kept the knowledge to herself.

She spoke to her father now with as indifferent a voice as she could muster.

"Damon and Bryce are different people."

"Alexakis is a d.a.m.n sight smarter, I'll grant you that. But he's still not getting his hands on DeMornay's. I pick my successor, Katherine. Not you."

"I never intended to pick your successor. I only want to pick my own husband. And I've done so."

"The more fool you," Eugene rasped, and hung up.

CHAPTER THREE.

'don't you think you're being excessively attentive? " Kate asked Damon the following afternoon.

"This is the second day in a row you've spirited me away, for goodness' sake.

What's Sophia going to think?"

"Exactly what I want her to think--that I'm mad about you."

Kate gave a m.u.f.fled snort.

"Even Sophia isn't that gullible."

"Sophia's a romantic, my dear. That's why she ended up with a fool like

Stephanos."

Kate shook her head. She was a cynic herself as far as love was concerned.

Who wouldn't be after having fallen for Bryce? But Damon Alexakis was worse than she was by far.

She glanced out the window now, frowning as she noticed that the taxi was

heading uptown towards the Tri-borough Bridge rather than into the heart of

the city.

"Where are we going?"

"Reno."

"Is that a new restaurant?"

"It's a city. In Nevada."

Kate's head whipped around and she stared at him.

"Reno, Nevada^!

You're joking. "

"I'm not.""Surely you don't expect us to get married. . today?" Kate couldn'timagine why else they'd be going to Reno, but she hoped she was wrong. Shewasn't.

"I do." Damon smiled a bit sardonically.

"You see. I already know my line."

"But I thought you meant weeks from now! I don't want ' " Sophia needs youright away. I want things settled so Stephanos knows right where he stands."

But Kate stopped, her mind spinning as she tried to fathom this sudden pushtowards matrimony. He hadn't even hinted at it last night when he droppedher off. She looked at him suspiciously.

"What happened?"

He shifted uncomfortably.

"What do you mean? Nothing happened. We already agreed on this. I'm only

getting the ball rolling."

"You didn't mention a word about it yesterday. So what happened in themeantime? Is Marina on her way?"Damon gritted his teeth.Kate gave him a knowing smile."I thought so.""They'll be here in a week.""So give me an engagement ring."Damon shook his head."Won't work. A brief engagement is worse than no engagement at all. My mother will know it's a dodge. An engagement ring won't even slow her down.A wedding-ring will. So we're getting married.""It's insane," Kate muttered."It's business," Damon said flatly.

"And don't you forget it."

Kate was hardly likely to. Damon wasn't acting like any of the other prospective grooms standing idly outside the fake New England wedding chapel that night.

While the others were holding their fiancee's hand, nibbling their ears, sneaking kisses as they waited their turn, Damon was reading the pre-nuptial agreement his lawyer had sent along, stopping now and then to

stick his

cellular phone to his ear and check on the wording of certain clauses.Kate sat at the far end of the bench and twiddled her thumbs. So what ifeveryone was giving them odd looks? she thought.