The Chosen One

The Chosen One By Deborah Camp © 2023 by Deborah Camp Contents Acknowledgments Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Other Books by Deborah Camp “Grant Who Can’t” Alexander Grant has earned that title because he’s been engaged three times and never married. He’s chosen Number Four and has no intention of becoming her husband either. He’s only buying some time to convince his father that being married has nothing to do with being a capable CEO of the family’s company. Olivia Barnes goes along with this scheme for her own reasons and has no intention of becoming Grant’s wife either. What they don’t intend is to enjoy each other’s company so much and crave each other’s kisses and caresses. What starts off as an advantageous lark somehow morphs into a relationship neither one expected. But what’s real and what’s pretense? When lies are what bind two people, how can they trust their foolish hearts? Acknowledgments Cover design by Ebook Launch Editors: Joyce Anglin and Jacqueline Kramer Literary Agent: Barbara Lowenstein and Associates Special thanks to hairdresser Olivia Belle, who let me use her name! Dear Reader; I truly hope that you enjoy this novel as much as I enjoyed writing it. “Arranged marriages” and “faux engagements” are two of my favorite romance novel plots. Add a handsome hero with an English accent and I’m all in! I hope you are, too. If you like this novel, please leave a review of it on Amazon, Goodreads, All Author, Facebook, Twitter, and anywhere else you’d like as a courtesy to other interested readers. Thanks! This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, or locales is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior permission of the author. The Chosen One Chapter 1 Feeling like a gladiator entering the ring to confront a worthy opponent, Alexander Grant shot the cuffs of his white dress shirt, adjusted his battleship-gray, silk tie, and opened the door to his father’s cedar-scented office. Douglas Grant rarely asked him to come there. Usually, if he needed to meet with his son, they did so in Alexander’s office at the other end of the three-story building occupied by Grant and Graber Realtors. When he was summoned to the CEO’s domain, it was often because of a major screwup, which is why he mentally prepared himself for a battle. As expected, Douglas sat behind his desk and squinted through his bifocals at his laptop’s screen. His brown eyes slid sideways, taking in Alexander, then back to the screen. “Have a seat, son. Be with you in a moment.” The focus in the room was not the man behind the desk, but the floor-to-ceiling round window on the south wall. Tempered glass diffused the light it provided. When this office became his, Alexander planned to position his desk directly in front of that window. Unlike his father’s penchant for dark, heavy furniture, he preferred pieces built in this century. Desk and credenza of glass and steel blending with sleek, leather furniture, and a minimum of clutter. Perhaps a couple of framed photographs and one or two large pieces of artwork for the walls. Yes, he would totally transform this office and bring it into the twenty-first century. Settling into one of the straight-backed chairs facing the desk, he ran his gaze over the framed photos arranged on a credenza behind his father’s desk. Family photos of his stepmother, Muriel, and his half-sister, Bobette. He was in several of them – mostly when he was younger. The most recent one of him had been taken at a party two years ago when he’d announced his engagement to Glory Macomber. “Enough of that for now,” his father mumbled as he swiveled around to face Alexander. “It’s horribly hot this morning, isn’t it? It’s supposed to creep over one hundred degrees today. You could fry eggs on the sidewalks right now.” His father scowled at him. “That’s August in Tulsa for you.” “Hotter than usual, though, don’t you think? Global warming and all that.” “I didn’t ask to meet with you this morning for a weather report.” He folded his age-spotted hands on top of the desk and fixed his penetrating gaze squarely on Alexander. “It’s been a year since you called off your wedding to Miss Macomber.” He held up the appropriate number of fingers. “Three times we have announced an engagement to a young lady and planned a wedding and three times you have backed out.” Alexander sighed. Not this again. Was he really going to lecture him about the sanctity of marriage? “Yes, well, that is unfortunate, but it would be more unfortunate if I’d married someone I didn’t feel was right for me. I haven’t given up on love and marriage if that’s what you’re worried about. I’m confident I’ll find Ms. Right someday.” “It’s become a game to you, I think, but we’re all tired of playing, Alexander. The next time an engagement is announced you will get married. The time for games is finished. You’re thirty-two years old. I’m going to retire in another year or two. I want to have full confidence in you when I hand Grant and Graber over to you.” He tapped down his temper, knowing a shouting match would do no good. Wasn’t it enough that he’d given his all for this company? That he had performed beyond expectations in every position he’d been given here? He deserved to be the next CEO and everyone in the company knew it! “I’ve always taken my work here seriously, Dad. You know that.” He