OOH-LA-LA! A FRENCH FORTUNE!
The Yuletide season brings something très magnifique to Austin, Texas, in the form of sexy French entrepreneur Amersen Beaudin. The sexy but standoffish playboy has zero interest in meeting his newly discovered Fortune relatives, least of all the man who is his biological father. But when matriarch Kate Fortune dangles an all-too-attractive business proposition, he is too intrigued to stay away. And once he meets Kateâs beautiful gardener, Robin Harbin, he starts to rethink his holiday plans...
A spicy affair with the blonde, blue-eyed Texan is now at the top of Amersenâs wish list. But all Robin wants for Christmas is the flirty Parisianâs heart and soul. Can she convince him that loveâand familyâcan lead to a joyeux Noël?
MEET THE FORTUNES
Fortune of the Month: Amersen Beaudin (Shh! Nobody knows heâs a Fortune!)
Age: 25
Vital statistics: The sexy Frenchman has blue eyes, tousled brown hair and that certain je ne sais quoi.
Claim to fame: He is a renowned winemaker, a brash blogger and the toast of Paris.
Romantic prospects: His reputation with the ladies is legendary. Just donât ask him for a commitment.
âNothing has gone according to plan since I arrived in Austin. When Kate Fortune asked me here to consult on a business venture, I figured I would be in and out in twenty-four hours. But I hadnât counted on Robin, Kateâs landscape gardener. From the moment I saw her, I was... enchanté.
âRobin would never believe that Parisâs enfant terrible is actually one of Jerome Fortuneâs bastard children. And as far as I am concerned, she does not need to know. Up next: a brief but dazzling affaire de coeur. By the time Christmas comes, I will be far across the sea. But can I romance fair Robin and then leave her behind?â
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The Fortunes of Texas:
HELEN LACEY grew up reading Black Beauty and Little House on the Prairie. These childhood classics inspired her to write her first book when she was seven, a story about a girl and her horse. She loves writing for Mills & Boon Cherish, where she can create strong heroes with soft hearts and heroines with gumption who get their happily-ever-after. For more about Helen, visit her website, www.helenlacey.com.
For Dawn and Ray.
Good neighbors, great friends.
Chapter One
Amersen Beaudin hated flying.
Despite the fact that heâd racked up more frequent-flyer miles in the past five years than most people did in a lifetime, not even the luxurious private jet he was currently seated in was enough to change his opinion. Still, he thought as he stretched out his legs and sipped on a twenty-five-year-old scotch, this was definitely better than traveling coach. Not that heâd done that for several years. He closed his eyes and thought about what he was about to walk into once he landed in Austin.
Fortunes.
More than heâd ever wanted to meet. Or know.
But ninetysomething matriarch and business icon Kate Fortune had requested his presence, and she wasnât an easy woman to refuse. And plus, he was curious. Despite everything. Despite knowing he was opening the book on the past. And despite recently finding out he had Fortune blood coursing through his veins. But since he had no intention of ever accepting the notion that he was a Fortune, Amersen figured heâd meet with Kate, listen to what she had to say and then decide if he wanted any more involvement with Texas, with Austin or with anyone named Fortune.
Kateâs call a couple of weeks earlier had come from left field. A business proposition, sheâd said. Something that was worth discussing in person and not over the telephone. And no mention of anything personal. No mention of the fact that he was Jerome Fortuneâsâaka Gerald Robinsonâsâson. Illegitimate son. But not really his son, since Amersen did not consider Gerald Robinson to be his father. He had a father, and a damned good one, back in Paris. Nothing would change that. Not the notion that he was actually one of several children sired and abandoned by computer giant Gerald Robinsonâa man whoâd faked his own death years earlier and had been outed as the philandering Jerome Fortune less than two years ago. Blood didnât make someone a parent. Love and commitment did. And Amersen had that back in Paris. With his mother, Suzette, his stepfather, Luc Beaudin, and his younger sister, Claire, he had all the family he needed.
This trip was merely out of curiosity and respect. Kate Fortune was a highly successful woman, and even though she was no longer the CEO, she was still considered the powerhouse behind Fortune Cosmetics and many other business ventures. And since Kate hadnât mentioned anything about him being Geraldâs son, Amersen suspected her request for a meeting was about something else altogether.