His breathtaking touch
Her life-changing revelation!
Cordelia’s life was...well, ordinary. Luca Baresi was the first person to ever make her feel extraordinary, but their relationship had to end—their lives were simply too different. It’s something Cordelia can’t forget as she stands nervously outside the billionaire’s Italian villa, about to tell him that she’s pregnant!
Luca relished the fact their fling was driven by desire, not his wealth. Now their baby compels him to bring Cordelia into his sumptuous world. But to give her his heart? It’s a price he can’t pay...
USA TODAY Bestselling Author
Dear Reader,
When I approached writing my book based on The Little Mermaid, I couldn’t help but think of all of us out there who long for experiences and adventures that seem just beyond our reach. I imagined a girl, sitting alone on a rock in the middle of the ocean, staring at the bright lights of a land she cannot go to. My mermaid is that person who finds not only the adventures she’s been seeking, but the man of her dreams! Not, I might add, without a few obstacles thrown in along the way!
I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Cathy
Once Upon a Temptation
Will they live passionately ever after?
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was a billionaire—or eight! Each billionaire had riches beyond your wildest imagination. Still, they were each missing something: love. But the path to true love is never easy...even if you’re one of the world’s richest men!
Inspired by fairy tales like Beauty and the Beast and Little Red Riding Hood, the Once Upon a Temptation collection will take you on a passion-filled journey of ultimate escapism.
Fall in love with...
Cinderella’s Royal Secret by Lynne Graham
Beauty and Her One-Night Baby by Dani Collins
Shy Queen in the Royal Spotlight by Natalie Anderson
Claimed in the Italian’s Castle by Caitlin Crews
Expecting His Billion-Dollar Scandal by Cathy Williams
Taming the Big Bad Billionaire by Pippa Roscoe
The Flaw in His Marriage Plan by Tara Pammi
His Innocent’s Passionate Awakening by Melanie Milburne
Cathy Williams
Expecting His Billion-Dollar Scandal
Cathy Williams can remember reading Harlequin books as a teenager, and now that she is writing them, she remains an avid fan. For her, there is nothing like creating romantic stories and engaging plots, and each and every book is a new adventure. Cathy lives in London, and her three daughters—Charlotte, Olivia and Emma—have always been, and continue to be, the greatest inspirations in her life.
Books by Cathy Williams
Harlequin Presents
A Diamond Deal with Her Boss
The Tycoon’s Ultimate Conquest
Contracted for the Spaniard’s Heir
Marriage Bargain with His Innocent
The Italian’s Christmas Proposition
His Secretary’s Nine-Month Notice
Conveniently Wed!
Shock Marriage for the Powerful Spaniard
One Night With Consequences
The Italian’s One-Night Consequence
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.
To my supportive children and my partner, David, who has been a huge source of inspiration.
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
EXCERPT FROM TAMING THE BIG BAD BILLIONAIRE BY PIPPA ROSCOE
CHAPTER ONE
‘WHERE AM I?’
Cordelia swung around and stared at the man lying on the bed. He hadn’t spoken for three days. He’d drifted in and out of sleep, as Dr Greenway had predicted he would. He’d opened his eyes and stared around him but in the unfocused way of someone not really taking anything in.
‘Keep him on liquids,’ the doctor had advised, ‘but there’s nothing a hospital can do for him that you can’t. Less, probably. You know how overworked and understaffed they are there, especially with half of it closed for renovations. The man wouldn’t get much of a look-in. As it stands, he must be as strong as an ox to have endured what he has without being the worse for wear.’
So she’d settled him in one of the spare bedrooms in the rambling house she shared with her father, and together they had taken turns keeping their eye on him, relying on the doctor’s twice-daily visits for reassurance that a sudden spiral downwards wasn’t on the cards. He was roused for his liquid intake and, in the past twenty-four hours, had managed to eat two light meals. Her father had shown him the bathroom and changed him into some of his own clothes.
He had been making progress but, really, he’d still been out of it. Until now.
She stared at him and her heart sped up.
Luca. That was the man’s name. Luca Baresi. She knew that because she’d found his wallet in his trousers and had searched for a name and any sort of contact number she could possibly find so that she could notify a member of his family about the accident.
His identity was all she could come up with. God knew, he’d been blown about on the waves long enough for the water to claim his mobile phone, had he been carrying one. The contents of the wallet, which had been wedged in his trouser pocket, had largely been too sodden and waterlogged to prove helpful.
‘Well?’
Cordelia blinked and walked towards him. He was propping himself up against the pillow, staring at her, eyes narrowed, head tilted questioningly to one side.
It had been one thing absently admiring the man’s striking good looks when he’d been more or less out of it. It felt quite different now, with his green eyes arrowing onto her with laser-like intensity.
‘You’re in my father’s house.’ She hovered next to the bed and then gingerly sat on the side.
Eyes as green as the ocean when the sun blazed down on it, she thought distractedly, and the sort of bronzed complexion of someone who definitely didn’t hark from Cornish shores. Even the guys she knew, fishermen like her dad, were pale in comparison.
‘What am I doing in your father’s house and why am I wearing these clothes?’
‘Don’t you remember anything?’
‘I recall being in my boat.’ He frowned. ‘One minute the sun was shining and the next minute, the sky had turned black.’
Cordelia
