Twelve-Day Lover (Thirtyish And Single)

Chapter One

Operation Yuletide begins in 3...2...1.

Fleur sashayed into the ballroom with her usual sass, and waiting photographers were quick to take notice. Photos of the Dutch heiress were always in demand, and unlike most socialites, Fleur was always game to strike a pose.

She gave them exactly fifty seconds before blowing them a kiss goodbye and laughingly begging off when they started asking her questions about her personal life. Handling the paps was one of her God-given talents, and Fleur had long used it to her advantage in order to work PR magic for the family business.

Thousands of lights twinkled above her head as she slowly descended the grand staircase, all of them fashioned like stars falling from a ceiling adorned with a rainbow assortment of dried flowers. In the months leading to Paradijs' official opening, the establishment had been marketed as Eden in the city. And since Fleur was one of the lucky few to have enjoyed an exclusive, early-access tour of Paradijs, she knew firsthand that the place deserved every bit of the hype surrounding it.

Familiar faces surrounded her as soon as she reached the landing, and she allowed her lips to curve into a smile that revealed none of her thoughts. Even though she knew most people assumed she was merely another rich dumb blonde, Fleur liked to play it safe all the same. It was simply how she was raised, having been cursed blessed to be one of the younger sisters of Willem de Konigh.

Air kisses and Thanksgiving greetings were exchanged, and throughout it Fleur hadn't any trouble smiling and making the right noises even as her gaze discreetly scanned the rest of the ballroom.

Aha!

Fleur's heart banged against her chest, but this was sadly more out of trepidation than excitement. She had never done anything like this before, but since one had to risk it to win it, Fleur gave herself a second to get into the zone—-

Target locked.

His name was Philippe DeRose, a French tycoon who had turned his family's once-modest vineyards into a billion-dollar wine-making empire. He was strikingly tall, breathtakingly handsome, and devastatingly sophisticated. He was also known to prefer women who were bold and assertive...neither of which Fleur could describe herself as.

For now.

Fleur kept her gaze straight ahead as she walked past the table where the tycoon and his other wealthy friends were seated.

Even though she had never been the type to play any games with the opposite sex, she did have three billionaire brothers whose womanizing ways she had decades to observe. To capture the interest of a man like Philippe and her brothers, one had to be different without trying to be different, and in this case, that meant not looking at her target's direction...which should then make him look her way.

Reverse psychology in other words, and Fleur knew the exact moment it worked.

Amazing, Fleur thought dazedly.

She could feel Philippe's gray eyes shamelessly following her, and Fleur worked hard not to turn red. A bold and assertive woman would enjoy such attention, and she was determined to act her part even if she had to paint her cheeks blush-free white to do it.

The walk to her table was made inordinately long by the tycoon's scrutiny, and Fleur was weak with relief by the time she finally reached her seat. Even though her knees were already close to knocking against each other under her little black dress, Fleur's ingrained manners didn't allow her to sit until she properly greeted the other guests.

Hello.

It's so nice to see you again!

You look amazing!

SHIT!

Fleur almost groaned out loud when her gaze unexpectedly collided with her friend Pippa Simonides, whose arched look spoke volumes.

"Aren't you supposed to be back in Florida?" Fleur tried not to sound chagrined. She would never have embarked on Operation Yuletide tonight if she had known Pippa was still in LA, but it was now too late to back out.

"Something came up at work, and I told Acheron I'd rather wait so we could all fly together."

"That's so sweet. Where's my lovely goddaughter, by the way?"

Pippa knew when someone was trying to distract her with flattery, and she wasn't having any of it. She pointed to the unoccupied chair next to her. "Sit."

"Yes, ma'am."

Pippa also knew when someone was trying to distract her with jokes, and she wasn't having any of it either. Leaning close, she demanded under her breath, "What did I just see earlier? Do you actually have a crush on——"

"Sssh!"

Pippa's jaw dropped. "So you do?"

Fleur was about to answer when the hairs on the back of her neck suddenly stood.

Shit.

She glanced at Pippa, mouthing, Is he looking this way? She saw Pippa take a quick discreet look before nodding, and Fleur struggled not to feel self-conscious. This is good, Fleur. This is good. She was about to nervously tuck her hair behind her ears when a thought popped into her mind—-