Page 1 of Risk It All
Chapter One
Madeleine Hainsworth
“Oh. My. God.”
I turn to look where Cara Colby's saucer-wide eyes and gaping mouth are focused.
“I told you, didn't I?” my aunt, Senator Eleanor Hainsworth Bach says. “They don't make them any more handsome than Max Delecoeur.”
They're right. The formidable Max Delecoeur is more handsome than pictures give him credit for. My aunt and her aide aren't the only ones to notice him either. I'm certain every woman at my aunt's children's charity event, eligible or not, is imagining what it would be like to be with the handsome, sexy, rich Max Delecoeur.
Every woman but me. “Hmmm.”
“Don't tell me you don't see it, Madeleine.” Eleanor pursers her lips like there’s something wrong with me that I’m not falling under Max’s spell.
“Sure, I see it. I'm just not naïve enough to believe he's got a character that matches his looks.” I know all about men like Max Delecoeur. Rich. Handsome. Egos the size of Mt. Everest. Even their obligatory charity appearances or donations can't make up for their insufferable conceit.
“I hear he's really nice.” Cara sighs as she watches Max smile and schmooze with the other guests gathered in the large New York hotel ballroom.
Not wanting anyone to think I'm the least bit impressed with him, I turn my attention back to Cara and my aunt. “Sure, he's nice. I bet he'd be nice to you if you really want him to.”
“Really?” Cara's voice is hopeful.
I roll my eyes. “Yes, if you don't mind waiting in line. Or getting out of the way when a new beauty comes along.”
“Party pooper.” Cara pouts into her champagne.
“I bet he's had to buy new bedposts to make room for all the notches.” I finish my champagne and set the empty flute on the try of a passing waiter.
“He had a love affair with that actress a couple years ago. What was her name? Jana Andrews,” Cara says.
“I doubt love had anything to do with their affair,” I quip.
“Don't mind her.” Eleanor frowns at me. “She's just mad about being dumped by that shmuck Chase Elliott.”
“I wasnotdumped! I dumped him.” The pain of my last relationship surges, reminding me why I need to avoid the Max Delecoeurs of the world.
“Thank goodness. I didn't like him.” Eleanor scrunches her nose in distaste. “I've only met Delecoeur a couple of times, but he's never struck me as being the ass that Elliott is.”
“But he has the same business practices.” I reach for another champagne from a passing waiter, hoping to dull the painful memory of Chase, and annoyance that I have to deal with it again. “Delecoeur works with companies doing some of the worst environmental damage imaginable.”
“I don't know.” Eleanor looks over my shoulder, presumably at Max Delecoeur. “He's very committed to children's charities.”
“People like Chase Elliott and Max Delecoeur are all alike. They think their good looks and money can overcome their one glaring weakness—they have no substance.”
“How do you know?”
I flinch in surprise at the deep masculine voice behind me, and then glare at an amused Eleanor who'd failed to signal that the subject of my rant was behind me.
I shake my head. “That's him, isn't it?”
Eleanor nods and then extends her hand. “Mr. Delecoeur. Thank you for attending. I know requests for charity benefits must overflow your in-basket.”
“Senator Bach. I wouldn't miss one of your benefits.” He sounds smooth as he reaches around me to shake my aunt's hand.
“This is my aide, Cara Colby, and the rude one is my niece, Madeleine Hainsworth.”
I muster a smile and turn to him. Good lord, heisgorgeous.
