* * * * *
WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK FROM
Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.
Welcome to the glamorous lives of royals and billionaires, where passion knows no bounds. Be swept into a world of luxury, wealth and exotic locations.
8 NEW BOOKS AVAILABLE EVERY MONTH!
Love Harlequin romance?
DISCOVER.
Be the first to find out about promotions, news and exclusive content!
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
Instagram.com/HarlequinBooks
Pinterest.com/HarlequinBooks
ReaderService.com
EXPLORE.
Sign up for the Harlequin e-newsletter and download a free book from any series at
TryHarlequin.com
CONNECT.
Join our Harlequin community to share your thoughts and connect with other romance readers!
Facebook.com/groups/HarlequinConnection
ISBN: 9781488059605
The Flaw in His Marriage Plan
Copyright © 2020 by Tara Pammi
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
For questions and comments about the quality of this book, please contact us at [email protected].
Harlequin Enterprises ULC
22 Adelaide St. West, 40th Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5H 4E3, Canada
www.Harlequin.com
Untouched and unawakened…
Or redemption?
Rather than lose her beloved estate to ultrarich playboy Luca Ferrantelli, Artemisia agrees to wed him…on paper. Traumatized by a devastating accident, the heiress hasn’t left the castello in years. She knows nothing of the world outside—nothing of a man’s touch.
If there’s a chance that marrying Artie will give his grandfather the will to live, Luca must do it. But he’s determined to resist the addictive pull of Artie’s vibrancy and vulnerability. Until their scorching wedding kiss stirs the beauty to sensual new life!
USA TODAY Bestselling Author
Dear Reader,
When my editor first approached me about doing a Sleeping Beauty theme for my next book, I was so excited. I adore classic fairy tales! I enjoyed the challenge of incorporating some of the essential elements of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale while doing my own spin on it. No pun intended! Alas, there are no spindles in my story, but I did make my heroine, Artemisia, a talented embroiderer living in an ancient ivy-clad castle. And of course, my hero, Luca Ferrantelli, is the dashingly handsome prince who awakens her with a kiss.
In the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty is asleep for one hundred years in a glass coffin due to a curse put upon her as a child. Artie, in my story, suffers from severe social anxiety and hasn’t left the castello for a decade. She is psychologically asleep to her potential, and it is only when she meets Luca that she is able to gradually break free of the curse of guilt that has contained her since she was a teenager.
Something rather spooky happened as I was writing this story. I suddenly realized I didn’t just have one Sleeping Beauty in my novel—I had three! Luca was also a Sleeping Beauty and so, too, was Artie’s friend and housekeeper at the castello, Rosa.
Social anxiety is a crippling condition and is notoriously difficult to overcome, but it can be done. Some people very close to me have suffered from it, and their courage in trying to overcome it has always inspired and impressed me.
Best wishes,
Melanie XX
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
His Innocent’s Passionate Awakening
Melanie Milburne
Melanie Milburne read her first Harlequin novel at the age of seventeen, in between studying for her final exams. After completing a master’s degree in education, she decided to write a novel, and thus her career as a romance author was born. Melanie is an ambassador for the Australian Childhood Foundation and a keen dog lover and trainer. She enjoys long walks in the Tasmanian bush. In 2015 Melanie won the HOLT Medallion, a prestigious award honoring outstanding literary talent.
Books by Melanie Milburne
Harlequin Presents
The Tycoon’s Marriage Deal
A Virgin for a Vow
Blackmailed into the Marriage Bed
Tycoon’s Forbidden Cinderella
The Return of Her Billionaire Husband
Conveniently Wed!
Bound by a One-Night Vow
Penniless Virgin to Sicilian’s Bride
Billionaire’s Wife on Paper
Secret Heirs of Billionaires
Cinderella’s Scandalous Secret
The Scandal Before the Wedding
Claimed for the Billionaire’s Convenience
The Venetian One-Night Baby
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.
Dedicated to Rachel Bailey—a fellow dog lover, romance writer and awesome brainstorming partner! Thanks for being such a wonderful friend xxxxx. Licks and cuddles from Polly and Lily, too.
CONTENTS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
CHAPTER ONE
ARTEMISIA BELLANTE STARED at her father’s lawyer in abject horror. ‘But there must be some mistake. How can Castello Mireille be…be mortgaged? It’s been in my father’s family for generations. Papa never mentioned anything about owing money to a bank.’
‘He didn’t owe it to a bank.’ The lawyer, Bruno Rossi, pushed a sheaf of papers across the desk towards Artie, his expression grave. ‘Have you heard of Luca Ferrantelli? He runs his late father’s global property
