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Prince Of The City
Nikki Benjamin
HE WAS SEXY, POWERFUL…AND ABOUT TO PUT HER OUT OF BUSINESS!Bill Harper had to be stopped. Eloise Vale didn't care if he was the mayor of New York–he was about to cut funding to her precious birth center! He was also her once-upon-atime lover. And being whirled into his arms at the Mayor's Ball was making the single mother of triplets almost believe in fairy tales again.Bill might be the most powerful man in the city, but he yearned to be the only man in Eloise's life. After her three sons, of course. He would show the down-to-earth widow that there was always room for negotiation–and a love that was growing stronger by the minute….
As Bill settled close to her on the richly upholstered leather seat, her heartbeat quickened.
The warning bells that should have been ringing all along finally went off in her head, but it was too late—much, much too late. They were alone together, shut off from the world, if only momentarily. And Mayor Harper—Bill—her former friend and lover, was taking her small hand and folding it into his much larger, warmer one.
“I haven’t told you yet how good it is to see you again, have I, Eloise? Not just good, great,” he said in the same soft, low utterly sexy voice that still sometimes haunted her dreams.
She knew she should offer him a snappy comeback, curt words cut with just the right amount of irony. Instead she clung to his hand, unable to stop herself from allowing her truest, deepest feelings to be revealed.
“It’s good to see you again, too, Bill,” she said at last. “Really, really good…”
Dear Reader,
As you ski into the holiday season, be sure to pick up the latest batch of Silhouette Special Edition romances. Featured this month is Annette Broadrick’s latest miniseries, SECRET SISTERS, about family found after years of separation. The first book in this series is Man in the Mist (#1576), which Annette describes as “…definitely a challenge to write.” About her main characters, Annette says, “Greg, the wounded lion hero—you know the type—gave me and the heroine a very hard time. But we refused to be intimidated and, well, you’ll see what happened!”
You’ll adore this month’s READERS’ RING pick, A Little Bit Pregnant (SE#1573), which is an emotional best-friends-turned-lovers tale by reader favorite Susan Mallery. Her Montana Millionaire (SE#1574) by Crystal Green is part of the popular series MONTANA MAVERICKS: THE KINGSLEYS. Here, a beautiful socialite dazzles the socks off a dashing single dad, but gets her own lesson in love. Nikki Benjamin brings us the exciting conclusion of the baby-focused miniseries MANHATTAN MULTIPLES, with Prince of the City (SE#1575). Two willful individuals, who were lovers in the past, have become bitter enemies. Will they find their way back to each other?
Peggy Webb tantalizes our romantic taste buds with The Christmas Feast (SE#1577), in which a young woman returns home for Christmas, but doesn’t bargain on meeting a man who steals her heart. And don’t miss A Mother’s Reflection (SE#1578), Elissa Ambrose’s powerful tale of finding long-lost family…and true love.
These six stories will enrich your hearts and add some spice to your holiday season. Next month, stay tuned for more page-turning and provocative romances from Silhouette Special Edition.
Happy reading!
Gail Chasan
Senior Editor
Prince of the City
Nikki Benjamin
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
NIKKI BENJAMIN
was born and raised in the Midwest, but after years in the Houston area, she considers herself a true Texan. Nikki says she’s always been an avid reader. (Her earliest literary heroines were Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden and Beany Malone.) Her writing experience was limited, however, until a friend started penning a novel and encouraged Nikki to do the same. One scene led to another, and soon she was hooked.
The exciting conclusion of
MANHATTAN MULTIPLES:
The doors of Manhattan Multiples might shut down. The mayor and Eloise Vale once had a thing. Someone on the staff is pregnant and is keeping it a secret. Romance and drama—and so many babies in the big city!
Eloise Vale—As Manhattan Multiples’ director and the mother of triplet boys, she finds enough to keep her busy. But her stomach is in knots because of continuous threats from a former flame, who is only the most powerful man in the city!
Bill Harper—With an empire to rule, the mayor of New York City has enough on his mind without memories of Eloise Vale, the only woman he’s ever loved. And now she’s the enemy. Can he find a way to bridge the gap between them?
Leah Simpson—This new mother has a troubling past. Will danger follow her to the doors of Manhattan Multiples?
Carl, Henry and John Vale—The terrible triplet trio, as they’ve been dubbed by their building’s doorman. Of course, these thirteen-year-olds are precious and want what’s best for their mother. They’ll fight to ensure her happiness, even if they have to go toe-to-toe with the mayor of New York!
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue
Chapter One
Eloise Vale paused in front of the mahogany-framed, full-length mirror in her bedroom one last time and cast a critical glance at her reflection.
The simple but elegant black silk gown skimming her ankles—scooped modestly at the neckline, but plunging low to bare her back—showed off her trim figure to best advantage. Her ash-blond hair swung full and smooth to the edge of her chin. Her makeup, applied just a bit more dramatically than usual, accentuated her features in a highly flattering manner. And her jewelry, limited to glittering diamond earrings and a matching diamond bracelet, added just the right touch of glamour.
Not bad for a mature woman of forty-two, and the mother of thirteen-year-old triplet sons, she thought, a wry smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. In fact, she looked cooler, calmer and more sophisticated than she felt, considering the public scrutiny she would be facing during the evening ahead.
Amazing how deceptive one’s outward appearance—her outward appearance—could be, given the proper camouflage. And it was a darn good thing, too, under the circumstances. She couldn’t allow herself the luxury of displaying in any way the heart-pounding anticipation that had been making her tummy flutter since midafternoon. Only then had she, finally, belatedly acknowledged that she might be about to open Pandora’s box by attending the Mayor’s Ball.
Going to New York City’s premier social event of the fall season wasn’t a new experience for Eloise. Before his death three years ago, her husband, Walter Vale, an affluent investment banker, had taken her to the ball regularly. Tonight, however, her escort would be the mayor himself, Bill Harper.
The man she had loved but refused to marry seventeen years ago. Also the man she had lately come to consider her nemesis.
“Something you would do well to remember,” Eloise muttered, shaking a warning finger at her image in the mirror.
Bill Harper had proven the past few months that he was no friend of hers or Manhattan Multiples. He had only invited her to attend the ball with him because he wanted to look as if he was being fair-minded. And she had only accepted his invitation so she could use the occasion to her advantage.
The heated telephone calls she’d made to his office, the op-ed piece she’d written for the New York Times and the anonymous letters she’d written the editors of various other New York papers hadn’t seemed to do the least bit of good. But maybe face-to-face, one-on-one, she could make some headway with him, and in the process garner additional public support for her cause.
Tilting her chin at a defiant angle, Eloise nodded once, strengthened by the memory of the pact she’d made with herself weeks ago. She was willing to do just about anything to save Manhattan Multiples, the nonprofit organization she’d started to benefit the mothers of multiple-birth babies. And if that included spending an entire evening in the spotlight as Mayor Harper’s personal guest at the ball, then so be it.
She was smart and funny, and in the years she’d spent as the socialite wife of a prominent New York businessman, she had learned to be at ease in large gatherings. She could, and would, make the most of her appearance at tonight’s event.
She also assumed Mayor Harper intended to do the same. She had no doubt that his reason for wanting to be seen with her that evening was purely political.
She wasn’t naive enough to believe he had the slightest thought of picking up where they’d left off seventeen years ago. Neither had she, for that matter. Even though she was now a widow and he was divorced, her reasons for refusing his proposal of marriage were just as valid now as they had been then.
Certainly they had each changed in many ways over the years, but one deciding factor—the deciding factor when she’d turned down his proposal of marriage—still remained. Bill Harper was, and always would be, first and foremost, a politician.
And tonight he was only interested in using her as a means to deflect the criticism he’d received lately. Though popular with a good many people, his campaign to divert city funds from certain nonprofit organizations, including hers, and redirect them to renewing and revitalizing the city and its services across the board hadn’t met with the kind of overwhelming support she knew he would like to garner from the city’s population.
By being seen with her, and putting just the right spin on it, he could appear to have gained the cooperation of one of his more outspoken opponents. But Eloise also had a lot to gain. By being seen with the mayor, and putting just the right spin on it, she could make it seem as if he were considering her arguments supporting the maintenance of funding for the nonprofits in a favorable manner.
From past experience, she knew that polite public dialogue, aided and abetted by the proper spin, could work miracles. And as long as it looked as if she had the mayor’s attention, there was a possibility that she could eventually rally enough support in favor of retaining city funding for nonprofit organizations, including Manhattan Multiples, to prevent significant and potentially ruinous cuts from being made.
Turning away from the mirror at last, Eloise quickly gathered her tiny black silk purse along with the ankle-length black silk coat that not only complemented her gown, but would also help to ward off the November chill in the night air. A last glance at the clock on the nightstand as she walked determinedly to the bedroom doorway assured her that she still had a few minutes remaining until her date was due to arrive.
No, not date, she reminded herself as her tummy fluttered nervously, yet again. That made the occasion seem more personal and potentially romantic than she was certain either Mayor Harper or she meant it to be. Escort was a much more dispassionate, and thus much more acceptable designation.
Her anxiety at least partially allayed, Eloise headed down the hallway toward the living room, following the sound of raucous cheering, interspersed with masculine grunts and groans coming from the television set. She didn’t dare look into her sons’ bedroom doorways as she passed. Mrs. Kazinsky, her twice-weekly housekeeper, would be coming tomorrow.
Eloise had delegated all responsibility for maintaining some semblance of order in the boys’ rooms to her, and she had to trust that the sturdy, gray-haired, no-nonsense woman would work her magic just as she always did during her visits to the penthouse apartment.
Pausing in the doorway of the long, wide, rectangular living room, Eloise checked the time again on the mantel clock over the fireplace that centered the more formal side of the room. There, also, two wing chairs and a love seat—elegantly upholstered but comfortable—framed a richly colored Persian rug.
Not quite five minutes more before she fully expected the doorbell to chime.
Bill Harper would be right on time, of course. He was punctuality personified. He had never kept her waiting. In fact, he had a reputation for never keeping anyone waiting, not the press or even the more vociferous of his rival politicians.
Eloise’s gaze traveled on to the far end of the living room where a more casual grouping of overstuffed sofa and matching recliners surrounded a television set that was quite a bit larger than she considered absolutely necessary. Such a thing now having pride of place in her living room was a testament to what a pushover she could be where her sons were concerned.
Draped over the furniture in various stages of boyish slouch were her triplets. Boxes from the local pizza parlor, last seen in the kitchen, were now scattered on the glass and brass coffee table along with balled-up napkins, a gallon jug of milk and three empty glasses.
At least they’d used glasses, she thought with a rueful smile, a surge of love for her handsome, blond-haired boys warming her heart. They had been a handful since day one. They were also the main reason why she had started Manhattan Multiples. But she wouldn’t have traded them for anything in the world. They had added more joy to her life than she had ever imagined she’d have.
“Yo, Mamma, looking good,” Carl, the eldest by several minutes, called out. Apparently having dragged his attention from the wrestling match on TV, he hung his head back over the arm of one of the recliners and grinned at her impishly.
John, her middle son, the more serious expression on his face often distinguishing him from his brothers, rolled to his feet, vacating the other recliner. He surveyed her slowly from head to toe, them emitted a long, drawn-out wolf whistle that made her blush.
“Wow, Mom, you look really nice.”
Henry, her youngest, scrambled off the sofa and demanded with a teasing grin all his own, “Who are you and what have you done with our real mother? She was last seen wearing baggy jeans and a grubby sweatshirt.”
“Guys, give me a break, will you? You’ve seen me dressed in a ball gown, although I admit it’s been a while,” she reminded them, her prim tone of voice belied by her own gratified smile.
Passing muster with her sons never failed to boost her confidence. Not that they were overly critical. They were, however, always brutally frank. Had they not liked her attire, they would have been equally outspoken, a trait she had long since learned to appreciate as well-meaning.
“It has been a while. And you’ve never gone out on a date with some strange guy, either,” Carl replied, taking on the protective role of eldest son.
“It isn’t a date, at least not a real date. It’s actually more of a…business meeting. We’re just conducting it at a party rather than at the office. And Bill Harper isn’t a stranger. He’s the mayor of New York City and he’s also an old friend of mine,” Eloise advised before she had time to remember she hadn’t previously mentioned that fact to her sons.
“An old friend?” John frowned ominously, the designated worrier.
Obviously he had assumed they already knew all of her friends, old as well as new.
“Aha, the plot thickens,” Henry chortled, rubbing his hands together in gleeful anticipation of the possibility for future bedevilment. “Mom and the mayor…once old friends, now sworn enemies.”
“We are not enemies, sworn or otherwise. We simply have opposing viewpoints on several issues,” Eloise explained patiently.
“So you’re actually only…adversaries.” Carl eyed her smugly, showing off his prep school education to best advantage.
“Yeah, Carl,” John joined in. “Mom and the mayor are only adversaries.”
“Poor guy…he doesn’t stand a chance, does he?” Henry asked.
“Not with our mom as an adversary,” Carl replied.
The doorbell chimed loudly, not only startling them all, but also, thankfully, cutting off any further discussion of her relationship with Bill Harper.
Shooting her sons a warning look, Eloise crossed to the intercom, exchanged greetings with the doorman, who announced Mayor Harper’s arrival, then instructed him to send the mayor up to her apartment.
In an effort to quell the sudden reoccurrence of the butterflies in her stomach, she then turned back to her sons. All of them now hovered a few feet away, the wrestling match they’d been watching on the television totally forgotten.
“Need I ask you to please behave yourselves and mind your manners?”
“No, ma’am,” they replied in unison.
Though their faces were solemn, their bright blue eyes twinkled mischievously.
“Have all of you finished your homework?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Can I trust you to clean up the living room before you go to bed?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Bed by ten o’clock at the latest, okay? You know you have school tomorrow.”
“Ah, Mom—”
