A boss falling into bed with the help is the ultimate scandal...
But he’s never been one to resist temptation.
Millionaire Linc Thurston is expected to marry well—not take up with his live-in housekeeper. But Claire Robbins is unlike any single mom—any woman—he’s ever known. She’s beautiful, captivating...and hiding something. Even so, he can’t resist bringing her to his bed. But when her betrayals catch up with them both, will their passion hold strong?
“It doesn’t bother me that you’ve thought about sleeping with me.”
She’d only gotten the words out by studying the decorative marble backsplash behind the six-burner stove. This let her detach from the intensity of the exchange. “With our proximity...” She shrugged. “It only makes sense that you’d consider it.”
Linc was silent for what felt like minutes, but based on the rapid thump of her heart was more like seconds.
“I think you’re discounting how important you are to me. You and Honey.” His fingertips grazed her knuckles. The fleeting touch awakened a flock of butterflies in her stomach. “Have I thought about you in that way? Sure. But you know I’d never take advantage of our situation in that way.”
“What if you weren’t taking advantage?”
“Claire.” He sounded half amused and half despairing.
“Do you want to?”
“Claire.” This time when he said her name there was a warning in it. His fingers gripped her bare shoulders, sending shock waves of longing searing through her. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
* * *
Upstairs Downstairs Baby is part of Harlequin Desire’s #1 bestselling series, Billionaires and Babies: Powerful men...wrapped around their babies’ little fingers.
Dear Reader,
Whenever I start a new series it’s always exciting, but never more so than when I get to set the stories in a place where I long to visit. One of the best things about reading is being transported to a place either real or imagined. The same can be said for writing. Inspired by the reality show Southern Charm, I wanted to submerge myself in the gorgeous city of Charleston, South Carolina.
Behind the doors of the gorgeous historic homes south of Broad, ten generations of proper Charleston men and women have weathered economic downturns while clinging to their tight society. If you’re an outsider, good luck breaking into the inner circles. This is what housekeeper Claire Robbins understands long before she falls in love with her handsome, professional baseball player boss, Linc Thurston.
I had so much fun watching them fall in love from opposite sides of the social line carved deep into the bedrock of the city. I hope you enjoy their story.
All the best,
Cat Schield
Cat Schield
Upstairs Downstairs Baby
Cat Schield has been reading and writing romance since high school. Although she graduated from college with a BA in business, her idea of a perfect career was writing books for Harlequin. And now, after winning the Romance Writers of America 2010 Golden Heart® Award for Best Contemporary Series Romance, that dream has come true. Cat lives in Minnesota with her daughter, Emily, and their Burmese cat. When she’s not writing sexy, romantic stories for Harlequin Desire, she can be found sailing with friends on the St. Croix River, or in more exotic locales, like the Caribbean and Europe. She loves to hear from readers. Find her at catschield.net and follow her on Twitter, @catschield.
Books by Cat Schield
Harlequin Desire
Upstairs Downstairs Baby
The Sherdana Royals
Royal Heirs Required
A Royal Baby Surprise
Secret Child, Royal Scandal
Las Vegas Nights
At Odds with the Heiress
A Merger by Marriage
A Taste of Temptation
The Black Sheep’s Secret Child
Little Secret, Red Hot Scandal
The Heir Affair
Visit her Author Profile page at www.Harlequin.com, or catschield.net, for more titles!
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Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Excerpt from The Texan's Wedding Escape by Charlene Sands
Prologue
Everly Briggs made sure she gave every appearance of listening sympathetically as London McCaffrey imparted her romantic woes. They were attending the “Beautiful Women Taking Charge” networking event, featuring a keynote from Poppy Hart, a motivational speaker and owner of Hart Success Counseling.
“And he gave you no reason for breaking off your engagement?” Everly sounded aghast, though in truth, she already knew all about London’s failed romance with professional baseball player Linc Thurston. It was the reason she’d contrived to meet her tonight.
London pressed her coral-tinted lips into a thin line as she shook her head. “He claims he isn’t ready to get married, but we’ve been engaged for two years.”
Everly tried not to wince at London’s affected Southern accent. The beautiful woman, with her silky straight blond hair and expensive clothes, was originally from Connecticut and that made her an outsider here in Charleston.
“Do you think he was cheating on you?” Zoe Crosby asked, her light brown eyes blazing with outrage from inside their frame of dark, lush lashes.
“Linc...cheat?” London toyed with her string of Mikimoto pearls as she considered this. “Yes, I suppose that’s a possibility. He travels more than half the year with the team and lives in Texas during the season.”
“And you know how women love professional sports players,” Zoe added. “My former brother-in-law is a race car driver and has women after him all the time.”
“These men have no right to treat us so badly,” Everly said. Each of the three women had shared a tale of being wronged by a wealthy, powerful man. “We need to get back at all of them. Linc, Tristan and Ryan. They all need to be taught a lesson.”
“As much as the idea appeals to me,” London said, “I can’t imagine taking revenge on Linc without it blowing up in my face.”
“What good would it do any of us? Anything we try would only end up making us look bad,” Zoe said, echoing London.
“Not if we go after each other’s men.” Everly restrained a smug smile as she took in her companions’ curious expressions. “Think about it. We’re strangers at a cocktail party. Who would ever connect us? I go after Linc. London goes
