A kingâs secret daughter is swept into romance and danger in this tale of royal intrigue.
The ruler of Icarus is cunning and ruthless, yet Iliana Kracos has seen another side of Demetrius DeSante. And after an explosive night of passion together, she agrees to marry him. Yet when he reveals her true parentageâsheâs heir to the throneâit puts her bridegroom in a new light.
Iliana isnât sure how she can trust Demetrius. Does he truly love her, or is she merely a pawn in his royal game? But Demetrius assures heâll protect Iliana at all costs, and with a ruthless assassin targeting royal heirs, Iliana has no choice but to put her faith in the man she knows the leastâher husband.
âAre you trying to antagonize me?â
Iliana smirked. âYes.â
âAt least you admit it,â Demetrius said.
âI want you to apologize.â
âIf I say the words, will you stop being upset?â
âYou have to mean them. Then Iâll see how I feel.â
âIliana, I havenât been more attracted to another woman than I am to you. What I know about the king of Valencia being related to you has nothing to do with that attraction.â
âBut you married me because of it.â
âI would have married you one day. I moved up the timeline because of the kingâs health problems.â
âYou could have been honest with me.â
âI told you about the king when the time was right.â
âDo you think the man who tried to kill me was after me because of my connection to the king of Valencia?â
âI suspect someone else knows who you are and wants you dead because of it.â
âGoing to Valencia seems like a patently bad idea, then, if someone wants to kill me.â
âNo one will kill my wife.â
âYouâre not invincible, Demetrius.â
âI would sooner die than let someone harm you.â
***
Be sure to check out the next books in this miniseries.
Conspiracy Against the Crown: Ally or foe? No one can tell in this fight for powerâ¦and love.
Dear Reader,
Welcome back to the Mediterranean! Demetrius DeSante and Iliana Kracos were introduced in The Secret King (Mills & Boon Romantic Suspense, September 2015). Both are spirited individuals, but Iliana is a dreamer and Demetrius is a realist. His every move is to further his personal and political goals. Iliana follows her heart.
Demetriusâs secrets are a necessary burden. Needing Ilianaâs help means sharing those long-buried secrets and letting her inside his private thoughts. Thatâs hard for a man whose history is peppered with lies and betrayal. Iliana thinks her love will be the answer, except that word is far more difficult for Demetrius to acceptâor to speakâthan Iliana realized.
When Iliana learns that Demetrius has been keeping secrets about her past and a family she never knew existed, she has to decide whether to forgive him or walk away and destroy everything Demetrius has worked for.
I hope you enjoy the second book in the Conspiracy Against the Crown series.
Best,
C.J. Miller
C.J. MILLER loves to hear from her readers and can be contacted through her website: cj-miller.com. She lives in Maryland with her husband, son and daughter. C.J. believes in first loves, second chances and happily-ever-after.
To my dear friends, Jen, the level-headed realist, and Christy, the daydreamer.
Hereâs to 28 more years of secret keeping.
Chapter 1
The king of Valencia was dying and leaving behind a hell of a mess.
Emmanuel Floros had two ex-wives, five spoiled children who had grown into self-centered adults and a wife who was as controlling as she was stupid. The eight of them were squabbling for land and money, but the fighting was pointless. After the king died and his will was read, all would be revealed. Some might be cut out; others may have inherited a treasure trove.
Fortunately for him, President Demetrius DeSante of Icarus had a knack for turning disasters into opportunities. In this case, the opportunity had a name: Iliana Kracos. It wasnât like him to care about a woman this much, even a woman as beautiful as Iliana, but she was special.
He wouldnât allow a little obstacle like her fury at him to stand in his way.
Demetrius had to take his pursuit of Iliana to another level. No more casual phone calls, flower arrangements, gifts or dropping by the castle to see her. She was giving him the old-fashioned silent treatment, and maybe he deserved it. She had been angry with him when he had refused to back down from a fight brewing in the Mediterranean, but since war had been averted, she should have moved past it and forgiven him. Yet sheâd rebuffed his calls and communicated only through intermediaries. During his infrequent visits to Acacia, sheâd been away from the castle on business.
He was outside Ilianaâs home, fist hovering in front of the wood door, prepared to knock.