The Chosen Heir (The Bolles Dynasty Book 3) (27 page)

She was tired of working with men from impressive schools, born into wealth and without concern for the greater good in society. As a lot, they were spoiled, superficial and ego-driven. They wanted models as girlfriends and reliable, exercise fanatics as wives.

She wanted more from life than to become someone’s wife. She hated to think about her father but forced herself to consider why she failed at close relationships. Her father pretended he was averse to commitment while he had a family in London and a wife and son in New York, and another daughter being raised by a guardian in Ireland. Was it any surprise that she had difficulty trusting men?
 

Anna pushed the negative thoughts from her mind. She was heading over to see her sister and her nieces and she didn’t want to worry them.

Ringing the doorbell to her sister’s residence, she waited only a minute before her little niece greeted her. Whenever she visited Olivia’s townhouse, memories of Alistair popped into her head. She had kissed him in the back garden and had never been able to completely get rid of the image from her mind. It had been an uncharacteristic moment of madness. She always did the right thing and rarely took chances.

“Auntie Anna, have you come for my bath time?” The small blond girl reminded her of herself as a child.

She scooped the five-year-old into her arms amid a flurry of giggles, saying, “I’d love to give you your bath.”

Olivia appeared with her two-year-old in her arms. “Fionn has a late flight so we can chat once these two lovelies are in bed.”

After a drawn out bedtime routine, she and Olivia stretched out on the sofa, each with a glass of chardonnay.
 

“Your girls are delightful, Liv.”

“They are missing Fionn, but somehow we survived the week.”

Her sister looked happy. Even juggling a successful fashion business, motherhood, and an endless romantic fascination with Fionn, her husband, she looked calm and rested.

Anna bit her lip. “I took the plunge today.”

Her sister squealed. “You resigned?”

She nodded. “Yes. I sold my flat and decided to accept the job. It’s going to be feast or famine for a period of time, but I’ll make it work.”

“If you need any help, let Fionn and I know and we can advance you some money.”

Anna looked down at her glass. Olivia cared about her and had enormous resources but she wanted to succeed on your own. She didn’t need her family’s help.

Olivia touched her glass to hers. “Congratulations. You’ll be amazing at events planning.”
 

She pushed away her worries. “I even stopped in and told my mother. I was just working up to it when I got your text.”

Olivia grimaced. “That couldn’t have been pleasant.”

Anna took another sip of her wine. “She didn’t take it particularly well.”

Olivia placed her glass on the ornate table. “You have to silence the naysayers and follow your instincts. I texted you earlier because I had a feeling.”

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, each lost in thought.

Anna glanced at her phone. “I ran into Alistair Martin at his brewery this evening. He invited me to a gala at his house and mentioned you and Fionn are going.”

Olivia nodded. “He does an annual black tie fundraiser for homeless and disadvantaged youth.”

Anna met her sister’s gaze. “He is quite a saint.”

Olivia shook her head. “It would be a good networking opportunity for you. You’ll need to begin thinking about bringing in future clients. Landing his account would be tremendous for your new company.”

She took another sip of wine. “I’m sure Alistair has in-house staff to coordinate his events. He wouldn’t take a risk on a start-up venture.”

“The man is all about risk.” Olivia winked at her.

“I doubt he takes risks with his business.” If she wasn’t careful, her sister would slip into matchmaking mode, when what Anna needed was to expel her teenage fantasy of Alistair Martin from her life and move forward.

For too many years, she’d carefully avoided him and his rejection. She needed to banish him from her dreams. After coming face-to-face with him tonight, it would be harder. The excitement from seeing him earlier in the evening eclipsed all other feelings. The excitement continued to heighten her awareness.
 

Olivia went into the kitchen and came back with a bowl of cherries. “As you know, Alistair is a good friend of Fionn’s. I’m sure Fionn would be willing to approach him for you. In the wine industry, there must be tons of events.”

The last thing she needed was to be thrown into Alistair’s path. The man was unforgiving and intense. “Maybe in the future. I need to find my footing before seeking out such a well-known client.”

Her sister looked at her speculatively. “You’ve always been a little odd around Alistair. It’s almost as if you avoid him at all costs.”

Anna took another sip of wine. “We had an awkward encounter at your wedding and I prefer to keep a safe distance.”

She remembered the passionate kisses almost as if it happened yesterday. It was in the back garden, in her mind she could see the fig tree where she had attempted to seduce him.

Olivia’s hand flew to her chest. “Was he rude to you?”

She shook her head. “No. Actually the opposite. I fancied him, and after sneaking a glass of champagne, I kissed him and he took me in his arms and kissed me back.”

Olivia reached out and touched her arm. “I had no idea. What happened?”

“I don’t think he knew who I was at that point. After a few exploratory kisses in the darkness, Fionn called my name and he stepped back, surprised.”

“Oh.”

“Yes. He couldn’t get away fast enough.”

Olivia looked at her softly. “You may be reading too much into it. It was seven years ago and a few stolen kisses. I doubt he regrets it.”

Anna shook her head. “He did at the time. He lectured me about modesty and not encouraging advances that I wasn’t ready to handle.”

Olivia gave her a searching look and then placed her hand on hers. “I’m sorry, Anna. That does sound awkward. But it was a long time ago. It’s best to forget it even happened.”

“I agree.” She had tried to forget about Alistair Martin but for some odd reason, he fascinated her. Deciding to change the subject, she asked Olivia “Do you have any advice on the start-up?”

Olivia sat back and crossed her legs. “If you are serious about succeeding with this start-up, then you will need to use your contacts to find work. There will be many titans of business there. Go and network. I’ll help you.”

The conversation moved to the fashion business and they chatted for a long while about the upcoming season. Anna helped her sister brainstorm about possible venues for a boutique show until they heard Fionn unlock the door.

Anna hugged her sister. “I’ll call you later in the week.”

“Good luck. Let me know if I can help you.”

Waving to Fionn on her way out, she avoided any mention of Alistair. Anna was sure he had no interest in seeing her get involved with his childhood friend. Fionn was an over-protective brother-in-law and would sometimes treat her as if she were a child. She loved that he cared but she needed her freedom and the space to make her own mistakes.

She walked to the metro and acknowledged to herself that finding out she had two grown siblings was the best thing that could have happened to her. She hadn’t resented them for a second. Her life had been so lonely that she instead embraced them without restraint. Olivia was kind and nurturing. She had taken Anna under her wing and had stayed involved through all of the ups and downs of her life. Her brother, William, was sheer fun. He was the same age and was always encouraging her to let her hair down and add some pleasure to her life. Without them, she might have allowed herself to not fully live. But now with the changes ahead, that wasn’t an option for her. They inspired her to explore her talents and ambitions.

Contemplating the week ahead, Anna realized there was a ton to do. The movers were coming on Sunday and she needed to have everything packed up. She tried to banish thoughts of Alistair from her mind but kept replaying the chance meeting in her head. Why did she care so much? She needed to move on and not think about him.

Purchase the Secret Heiress or read it for free with Kindle Unlimited:

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About the Author

Amazon bestselling author Susie Warren writes heartfelt and passionate contemporary romance with tempting, larger than life heroes and smart, sassy heroines. The stories are set in elite and glamorous worlds and appeal to readers looking for an escape from everyday life by offering jet-set lifestyles and sophisticated plots. Her category length series, The Rosa Legacy and the Bolles Dynasty, feature remarkable, stylish women and the sinfully tempting heroes that challenge them to reveal their secrets, their strengths and their deepest emotions. Susie lives in New York with her inventor husband and their three lively teenagers.

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