Page 2 of It Had to be You

Nodding with a big grin on her face, Myra tapped her finger on the edge of the tablet. "Oh, I know. And I think I’m right there with you. This is going to be interesting."

"I think Alexander Wen is in for the time of his life." Martina’s smile lit up the room as she picked up the folder outlining the cruise. Opening it up she turned to the staff page and picked out one happy shining face and she let the anticipation of romance shiver down her spine. "This is what I live for."

CHAPTER 1

When he’d received his confirmation of room accommodations for the cruise, Alexander hadn’t really known what to expect. The last time he’d been on a cruise ship had been for his parents’ twentieth anniversary and he and his brother had been forced to share a stateroom together. He’d spent as much time outside of the room as possible, returning only when it was time to sleep. Channing had never been much of the ‘sharing’ type, unless you counted the line of women who had shared his bed during the cruise and Alexander had been hard pressed to find any time to sleep in the middle of the revolving door.

But this, this was an entirely different situation. After the steward had shown him to his room, he’d taken the time to sit and relax for the first time in weeks. He’d left the remote on the bedside table and looked out through the parted curtains to see the sky stretching out into the horizon. There weren’t any clouds in his vision, but it was the seemingly ending blue that caught his interest the most. Like a freshly cleaned white board in the boardroom of Wen Publishing, it was a sky full of possibilities and options. Just what he needed after Sela. Oh, Sela had been beautiful. A pageant queen with a family background soentrenched in American Industrial wealth she sparkled like firecrackers under the stars, but every time they talked, she tried so hard to please him she would have nothing to say.

Dropping his legs down over the edge of the bed, Alexander got to his feet and crossed to the bathroom, tugging at the knot of his tie and pulling it loose as he twisted the faucet on.

The hot water was a brilliant rush of energy against his skin and shocked him out of the bad memories. He didn’t need to think about Sela. She was behind him.

What he had to focus on was the upcoming welcome dinner.

It was exactly the kind of situation that put him on edge. When he dealt with someone in the matter of business or possible relationships, he did his homework. He didn’t just toss their name into the browser, no he dug into their past to make sure he knew who he was dealing with.

No, he didn’t have compromising photographs or videos, but in his world, information was key.

So, while he couldn’t know who he was about to meet as his potential match, he did his homework on the matchmaking service. They were the top. There wasn’t anyone who could do half of what they could. And he really needed help.

He wanted a wife. He wanted a family.

He was just tired of weeding through the endless pool of women that always seemed to be there as options, but no one had really come close to his heart, getting under his skin in a way that made her a part of him and not an irritation.

And he’d been around the world a number of times, and no one had managed more than superficial conversations and smiling at cameras on red carpets.

Just once, he wanted-

Beep Beep Beep

His phone alarm sounded from the main room, and he blew out his breath. It was time to start getting ready. The staff wasgoing to bring up his evening suit, freshly pressed. Crossing to the bed, he turned off his alarm and picked up his toiletries case from his suitcase before heading back into the bathroom.

He was looking forward to the evening. After that… he’d see.

One step at a time.

The men were expected to show up early for the introductory dinner. That didn’t bother him. He was used to showing up early to most events. It wasn’t just to be considered on time, he liked to have some time to get his bearings and to make sure there weren’t any surprises.

In his experience, surprises didn’t work in his favor.

One more turn and he’d be at the assigned meeting room for the men. If truth be told, he was looking forward to meeting the other men. Knowing that he wasn’t the only man rolling the dice on his future with this cruise helped to relieve some of his… worry. He wanted to know who else was in his situation.

Oh, he’d seen the happy, smiling faces in the advertising brochure. It was reassuring, but there was that worry. The ‘what are people going to think about me’ or the ‘what if I can’t make this work either’ thoughts that had plagued him since agreeing to the cruise. He just didn’t want to be-

The elevator along the wall chirped a little electronic ping and he slowed his steps to allow the elevator to empty.

Several men exited and one of them met his eyes with a nod. They were wearing suits similar to his, all designer, all impeccably tailored. The one surprise of the group was a woman on the arm of the oldest gentleman in the group. He only caught a glance here and there of her as the group turned and moved off along the hallway, but what he did see, he liked. Her heels were demure, but the length of leg he saw beneath the uneven length of her hem was surprisingly muscular. Athletic perhaps, but still beautiful in its form. The hand that laid across the older man’scoat sleeve was slender and don’t ask him how he knew, was graceful even though it was still.

He wasn’t a man who poached from other men, but there was something inside of him that hoped she was there with her father, or perhaps a friend of the family.

She turned her head to look up at the older man and laughed, the echo of her laughter reached Alexander’s ears and left him with a strange feeling in his chest.

He started forward, wondering if he might be able to get an introduction before he had to meet the other men in the conference room.

"Alex?"

He stopped short when he heard someone call his name.

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