âThen why did you come here today?â
He smiled, and she knew she would remember the chill of that smile forever.
âI came to tell you what happens next,â he said softly.
âWhatâwhat happens next?â
Cullen nodded. Heâd thought about this a thousand timesâ¦. Like it or not, the child growing in Marissa Perezâs womb was his. Like it or not, he was responsible not just for its conception but for its life. Like it or not, by late last night he could think of only one appropriate plan of action.
âWhat happens next,â he said slowly, his eyes on Marissaâs face, âis that youâre going to become my wife.â
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the exciting world of the OâConnells. Keir, Cullen and Sean are sexy, exciting men. Their sisters, Fallon, Megan and Brianna, are strong, independent women. What do they all have in common? Theyâre all going to risk everything to find everlasting love.
Claiming His Love-Child is Cullenâs story. Heâs a handsome, successful bachelor. Heâs watched Keir find a woman and fall head over heels in love. Heâs just seen Fallon marry the man of her dreams. But would he ever trade his freedom for a wedding ring? No way, Cullen saysâ¦but life has a way of surprising us.
After a night of searing passion, Cullen OâConnell canât forget Marissa. But when the top lawyer tracks her down, heâs in for a shockâ¦sheâs pregnant! If Cullen wants to claim his love-child, he reckons thereâs only one thing to doâoffer Marissa marriage. But will she accept?
I think their story will grab you by the heart. Thatâs what it did to me as I wrote it.
With love,
July, the coast of Sicily
MEMORIES of the woman and the long, hot night sheâd spent in his arms were demons that haunted Cullen OâConnellâs waking and sleeping hours.
He didnât like it. What was she doing in his head? The sex had been great. Okay, incredible, but sex was all it was. She was bright and beautiful, but he hardly knew her. Outside the context of the night theyâd spent together, she meant nothing to him.
Cullen had no reason to think about her, especially now.
He was in Italy to celebrate his sisterâs marriage with the rest of his family. The past few days had been great. Whether they were partying or just sitting around talking, Cullen had never found better company than his brothers. Add his three sisters to the mix, things only got better. Toss in his mother and stepfather for good measure, you had a gathering of the OâConnell clan that would put any other party to shame.
As for the settingâmost people would call it idyllic. Castello Lucchesi stood on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean with Mount Etna, trailing ribbons of fire, as a backdrop.
The perfect setting for the perfect party. Cullenâs mouth thinned. Then, why was he so restless? Why was he thinking about a woman he barely knew? Why this increasing desire to head home to Boston?
Too much togetherness?
Maybe.
Cullen sighed, undid the jet studs at the collar and cuffs of his frilled white shirt, rolled the sleeves back on his tanned, muscled forearms and stared out over the sea. Heâd already discarded the jacket of his tux, left it draped over one of the little white folding chairs in the garden of the castello.
It had never happened before. Well, there was a first time for everything.
Maybe it was the occasion making him feel edgy. This was the third OâConnell wedding in two years. First his motherâs, then his brother Keirâs, and now his sister Fallon had tied the knot.
Or the noose, Cullen thought as he went up the winding steps that led to the crenellated watchtower overlooking the castle and the Mediterranean.
What was it about weddings that made women weep and men want to run for the hills?
At least this one had been unusual. The high cliff, the blue sea, the magnificent castleâ¦
Cullen smiled.
And that game of touch football yesterday, on the beach below the castle. The ShirtsâMegan, Briana and Fallonâhad come within one touchdown of trouncing the skinsâSean and Cullen, with Keir and Fallonâs groom, Stefano, spelling each other.
Meg had protested. âNo fair. Thatâs four to three.â
âIt isnât,â Cullen had insisted. âThe four of us donât play at the same time. And youâre a fine one to talk about whatâs fair, considering that you darned near fractured three of my ribs with that elbow of yours.â
âYeah,â Bree said, poking out her chin, âbut that only means youâve always got a fresh player with unbroken ribs on the field.â
âWell, youâve got a cheering section building your morale,â Cullen had retaliated.
Theyâd all looked at Keirâs pregnant wife, Cassie, sitting on the sidelines. Cassie had grinned, pumped both fists in the air and yelled, Yea, which was exactly the distraction Meg needed to shout âFumble,â scoop up the ball and charge across the goal line.