Prologue

Temperance

Temperance Lancaster narrowed her hazel green eyes as she watched her beautiful, blonde sister flutter her pretty blue eyes up at man she leaned on. Richard Connelly, CEO of Harvenshire Corporation was irritatingly handsome; his Italian heritage was plain to see from his dark roguishly long hair to his equally dark eyes. His tall powerful figure was encased in a black pinstripe suite easily made every other handsome man look less than magnificent next to him; and it made Temperance's eyes narrow even more.

With that said, it was not to say that Temperance was impressed by the superficiality of broad shoulders and a strong jaw.

The CEO seemed to sense her narrowed gaze on him, for he lifted an eyebrow in her direction. She curled her lip, sipping at the champagne in her hand, averting her gaze from his. But not before, she caught him leaning towards her sister, whispering something in her ear with a smirk. Whatever it was, caused her sister to glance her way and giggle, Temperance stiffened and tightened her grip on her arm.

"I'd keep an eye on your sister darling," the hostess, Charlotte Harper, mentioned casually, sipping her red wine, "Richard Connelly is known for his many conquests."

Charlotte Harper was one of the many married socialites that held yearly parties in order to flaunt their still abundant wealth with disgusting caviar and expensive alcohol. From secret affairs to open ones, the parties were all the same.

"What my sister does, is none of my business." Temperance answered. Silently refusing to let her sisters selfish flirting with a modern day rogue ruin her evening; she turned back to her champagne.

Like most of the evening, Temperance was completely bored. It was Christmas parties like these that she dreaded attending. She was no socialite and never pretended to be one. Instead of humoring the perfectly coiffed, Botox pumped hostesses of the valley, Temperance would rather be curled up in front of fire, reading a good book or off in another country, traveling.

It would be absolute heaven.

Richard

Richard, the CEO of Harvenshire, detested Christmas here in Denver, but knew that Christmas in Italy would be worse. There were too many darkened memories and wandering ghosts. His parents, his brother; all dead, leaving him alone in this utterly dull world.

All around him, people were making plans to go to the tropics or places where the sun beat down on their yearly tanned skin. To their parties and their crowded gatherings of friends and family. William turned down every invitation to join them, gracefully of course.

As per usual, he would spend his Christmas alone in his cabin in the mountains, writing up endless amounts of paperwork during the day, and drinking aged wine and watching the Sport Center on TV at night.

Oddly enough, he thought of the time that he normally welcomed with open arms it seemed unbearably lonely this season. He suddenly felt like an old man, despite his age of twenty-five.

He looked down into Abigail Lancaster's cerulean eyes and thought of how appealing it would be to share the cozy cabin with the beautiful, sensuous, compliant blonde. He had been seeing her for a few months now, ever since she returned to Denver from New York, a break from modeling she had said. She was kind, passionate, and happy. He gently touched her cheek with the tips of his fingers as he bent to whisper a swift suggestion into her ear.

As he bent down, he once again caught the eye of Miss Temperance Lancaster, who was watching the encounter with a look of utter disdain on her face.

The two Lancaster sisters could not have been more unlike each other in their personalities. Although there wasn't an obvious family resemblance between them. Where Abigail was tall, pale, and slender, Temperance was short, tan, and curvy. Abigail's fair blonde hair was styled in artful curls that fell around her perfectly heart-shaped face. Miss Temperance Lancaster's auburn hair was pulled back into a severe twist.

Abigail was a beautiful vision in soft blue silk; Miss Lancaster in a conservative high-necked black dress.

A small smile brushed Abigail's sensuous lips as she looked coyly up into his eyes. Miss Lancaster's disdainful expression made her look as if she just ate a lemon.

Oh, the look on the spinster's face if she knew of the plans that he had for her pretty sister this joyous holiday.