Chapter One

"Ms. Meadows, he'll see you now," announced the autocratic voice of the executive secretary. Kirsten Meadows stood, already feeling like the poor relation next to the chic older woman. She herself wore a black suit from the local mall and a string of fake pearls. There was no competing with the executive secretary's costly designer outfit, but as Kirsten always did, she hid her fear and worries behind a placid expression. Certainly, on the brighter side, she told herself, the secretary must be well paid to afford such an expensively tailored suit. The job of personal assistant to the boss would be, too. With that giving her courage, she stepped into the office of the rich and powerful Seth Morgan. Her bravado abandoned her at the polished mahogany door. The man didn't greet her; he didn't even look up from his desk. His precisely clipped dark hair and stern chiseled face belied the fact that he was only thirty-three, not even six years older than Kirsten. She surmised that the stressful lifestyle of the wealthy financier was what put the scowl on his face, even as she prayed it wasn't her r...