The Bossâs Baby Bargain
When resort developer Cameron McNeill goes undercover to root out problems at his prized island property, his first discovery is the irresistible concierge, Maresa Delphine. Her business smarts are vital to his mission. But the struggling single mom could help with his personal mission, too: fulfilling the marriage terms of his grandfatherâs will.
Maresa is overwhelmed caring for her infant niece and tending to the demands of the resortâs sexy mystery guest. When he reveals himself as the owner, sheâs thrown for a loop. But when he proposes...can she resist his brand of trouble in paradise?
âMaresa.â
Her name on his lips was a warning. A chance to change her mind.
She understood that she was pushing a boundary. Recognized that heâd just drawn a line in the sand.
âI didnât mind giving up my dream job in Paris to care for Rafe and help my mother recover,â she confided, giving him absolutely no context for her comment and hoping he understood what she was saying. âAnd I will gladly give eighteen years to raise my niece as my own daughter.â Sheâd known it without question the moment Jaden had handed her Isla. âBut Iâm not sure I can sacrifice the chance to have this kiss.â
Sheâd crossed the boundary. Straight into âcertifiableâ territory. She must have cried out all her good sense.
His blue eyes simmered with more heat than a St. Thomas summer. He cupped her chin, cradling her face like she was something precious.
âIf I thought you wouldnât regret it tomorrow, Iâd give you all the kisses you could handle.â
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His Accidental Heir is part of Mills & Boon Desireâs No.1 bestselling series, Billionaires and Babies: Powerful men...wrapped around their babiesâ little fingers.
Four-time RITA® Award nominee JOANNE ROCK has penned over seventy stories for Mills & Boon. An optimist by nature and a perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance fits her life outlook perfectlyâlove is worth fighting for. A former Golden Heart® Award recipient, she has won numerous awards for her stories. Learn more about Joanneâs imaginative Muse by visiting her website, www.joannerock.com, or following @joannerock6 on Twitter.
For Barbara Jean Thomas,
an early mentor and role model of hard work. Thank you, Barbara, for teaching me the value of keeping my chin up and having faith in myself. During my teens, you were so much more than a boss... You were a friend, a cheerleader and a sometimes mom on those weekend trips with the crew. Iâll never forget my visit to New York to see Oprah, courtesy of you! Much love to you, always.
One
âRafe, I need you in the Antilles Suite today.â Maresa Delphine handed her younger brother a gallon jug of bubble bath. âI have a guest checking in who needs a hot bath on arrival, but he isnât sure what time heâll get here.â
Her twenty-one-year-old siblingâwhoâd recently suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accidentâdidnât reach to take the jug. Instead, his hazel eyes tracked the movements of a friendly barmaid currently serving a guest a Blackbeardâs Revenge specialty drink on the patio just outside the lobby. The Carib Grand Hotelâs floor-to-ceiling windows allowed for views of the tiki bar on Barefoot Beach and the glittering Caribbean Sea beyond. Inside the hotel, the afternoon activity had picked up since Maresaâs mad dash to the islandâs sundries shop for the bath products. All of her runners had been busy fulfilling other duties for guests, so sheâd made the trip herself. She had no idea what her newest runnerâher recovering brother who still needed to work in a monitored environmentâhad been doing at that hour. He hadnât answered his radio and he needed to get with the program if he wanted to remain employed. Not to mention, Maria might be blamed for his slipups. She was supporting her family, and couldnât afford to lose her job as concierge for this exclusive hotel on a private island off Saint Thomas.
And she really, really needed him to remain employed where she could watch over him. Where he was eligible for better insurance benefits that could give him the long-term follow-up care he would need for years. She knew she held Rafe to a higher standard so that no one on staff could view his employment as a conflict of interest. Sure, the hotel director had approved his application, but she had promised to carefully supervise her brother during his three-month trial period.
âRafe.â She gently nudged her sibling with the heavy container of rose-scented bubbles, remembering his counselorâs advice about helping him stay on task when he got distracted. âI have some croissants from the bakery to share with you on your next break. But for now, I really need help. Can you please take this to the Antilles Suite? Iâd like you to turn on the hot water and add this for a bubble bath as soon as I text you.â