Prologue
Ten years ago
Justin Sterling wrapped his arms around the soft, slim body of Vanessa Pryce, relaxing in the afterglow. The top-floor hotel suite was dark, mirroring the desert blackness that floated beyond Vegas’s garish lights. The AC was putting out cool air, and now that the lovemaking was finished, she shivered. He pulled a sheet over the two of them.
They’d been dating for almost five years. Justin had attended Stanford for his Masters in order to be close to Vanessa, even though his great-uncle had thought Harvard Business School would be a better option. Nobody knew they were seeing each other, though. She wanted to keep things low-key to avoid drawing attention to their relationship.
Justin didn’t mind if it made her feel better. Also, he knew his status as the Heir Apparent to one of the richest and most influential men in the world could destroy the privacy Vanessa wanted. There was a reason she tried to keep a low profile despite her own family’s considerable wealth and prestige, and she avoided talking about them as much as she could.
She pressed her cheek against his chest. “You know I’m going to start my job soon,” she said quietly.
“L.A., right?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
He pushed his hand gently through her silky hair. She always dyed it apple red, even though her natural black looked stunning. She took after her mother, who’d been a renowned beauty in her youth. “We can probably accommodate each other’s schedules. Now that I have my MBA, I need to be in Chicago for awhile, but it’s not that far.”
“Justin…” She cleared her throat. “It’s probably better if we break up.”
His hand stilled. “What?”
She sighed softly. “Long distance relationships never work.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I think I do. We’ll both be busy with our careers, and you’re going to be surrounded by beautiful women in Chicago. You’ll want to date them.”
“Ohh, the women in Chicago. They’re the problem. I guess all the handsome actors in L.A. won’t be a factor.” Justin said, keeping his tone light, even though the idea sent a fiery jealousy blazing through his body.
She laughed softly. “No, I’m not really interested. Besides, most of them want to date people who can help their careers, and lawyers don’t really count. Not enough studio connections.”
“Not if the lawyer’s worth fifty million bucks.”
She pressed her mouth against his. “Justin. Stop arguing. We still have until morning.”
“Oh. So our breakup starts in the morning?”
“Yup. Let’s not waste the night.”
When she fitted her body to him, Justin let his annoyance go. She’d change her mind.
Except she hadn’t.