SILENT WISHES
by Fiona Hood-Stewart

"I got the impression that you were an intelligent man, but I'm changing my mind. Fast. Because if you think voicing my concerns about Harcourts amounts to nothing more than insolence, then you're plain stupid."

"Stupid?" He glared at her, astounded.

"Yes, stupid stupid stupid!" Sylvia repeated, throwing up her hands, crossly. "You know full well why I came to London, yet you've done everything humanly possible to make my life as difficult as you can." She shook her head and blew out a sigh. "I'm not a threat to you, Jeremy-I think you're the best man for the job. All I care about is that we get to the bottom of how Thackeray stole our designs. But you don't really care," she spat. "All you think about is your damn pride. I suppose in some way my presence makes you feel belittled. Well, let me tell you something, Lord Warmouth. I run a team and I don't like lone wolves. Particularly those that out of sheer pride and idiocy can't see the forest for the trees."

"Rubbish," he bit out, but the distressing truth of her words hit home hard.

"Then tell me you haven't done everything in your power over the past week to make my life impossible," she repeated, arms akimbo.

"Of course I haven't. That's ridiculous," he muttered.

"No, it isn't." Sylvia leaned forward, eyes level with his. "You can't stomach the fact that I'm the CEO and that ultimately, I'm your boss."

She had everything to lose. Now she must risk the only thing worth saving...her heart

* * *

Mira Books, September 2003
ISBN 1-55166-728-2

ORDER from amazon.com

Sylvia Hansen, newly appointed CEO of Harcourts International, N.Y., is at the top of her game when crisis strikes: a traitor has leaked the decor company's new product line to the competition. Determined to hold on to her hard-won position, Sylvia heads to the London office, where she believes the leak took place.

From the start, Jeremy Warmouth, head of Harcourts' European operations, was opposed to Sylvia's nomination as CEO. Angry at her interference in what he considers his domain, Jeremy challenges her sense of fair play and worse, her self-confidence. But despite their mutual distrust, Sylvia and Jeremy are compelled to join forces, traveling to Miami and South America in an attempt to uncover the source of the leaked collection.

But when a silent stalker declares ware on Sylvia, quitely tormenting her with his knowledge of her past that for year she has desperately kept hidden, she believes her carefully crafted world is about to collapse. Now, if the truth becomes known, will all her achievements and buried dreams be destroyed?