Denise did her best not to think about the man sitting in the front seat of the plain blue sedan. At least she didn't have to ride with him, she thought. She had her own car and could come and go as she chose.

Only there would always be someone right behind her. Men like Alex, there waiting patently in the blue car, working in shifts so that the heiress to one of America's biggest empires couldn't make an unattended move. Or have one made against her.

Sure, she'd tried to show the men up or get away from their watchful eyes. Once Denise had even seduced one of her watchers. She couldn't remember now who it had been, possibly it was Alex. She had hoped to get one of them on her side. To turn him with her womanly charms so he'd forget to look after her once in awhile. It didn't work.

Her father did find it amusing though. Giving her points for using the skills and opportunities available to her to get what she wanted out of life. Dad's kind words somehow didn't make her feel any better.

Denise had even managed to give the boys the slip on a couple of occasions. And in reprisal her father had assigned an even larger army of men to look after her. Making them so blatantly obvious as a protective shroud covering her, Denise broke down and promised she'd be "a good girl" from now on.

Daddy had won again. Daddy always won. Honoring her word, Denise no longer tried to ditch her watch dogs. But it didn't mean she had to like them. Or pay any attention to them. Denise did her best to ignore the fact the man existed as she walked around the back fender of her car. Not doing as much as glancing towards his car as she dug the keys from her purse. "Excuse me… Miss?"