He needs an heir -- she's carrying his baby Being swept off her feet by a tall, bronzed Frenchman isn't on Vanessa Bryant's holiday list of things to do. But Rafael Xavier-Lezille isn't a man a girl can say no to easily. Especially when he comes with a chateau on his own island! Vanessa tries to play it cool, but she's inexperienced out of her depth...and a virgin. Falling in love isn't part of the plan... neither is discovering she's pregnant once she's home and the affair is over. Now Rafael knows she's carrying his baby, and he wants an heir. Jane has been chosen as his bride...
The poolside, Hotel Lézille, 8:30pm
He noticed her as soon as she appeared in the archway between the lobby and the pool, his eyes drawn there as if pulled by a force, a magnetic force. A rare excitement stirred his pulse. He told himself that he hadn't come especially to seek her out. She seemed slightly hesitant, unsure. She wasn't the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, but she had a stunningly natural quality about her, which in his world was rare, compelling. In a simple black dress that outlined every slender curve and a generous bosom, she caught his eye again, and he couldn't look away. Didn't want to.
The soft waves of her dark hair framed her face. Intriguingly, she seemed to be slightly self-conscious. Or perhaps, he thought with a hardened cynicism that had been honed over years, she carefully projected that vulnerable fragility. God knew she managed to capture his attention in the street yesterday. Her huge, striking blue eyes had momentarily stunned him, rendering him speechless. Something in their depths had caught him, combined with that lush mouth, looking up at him so innocently, full of a shocked kind of awe.
Then, amazingly, when he had seen her on the island earlier today, he had followed some base instinct to see her up close again... She was everything he remembered, and more. He recalled how she had trembled under his hands in the street yesterday, and under his look earlier today on the island. He couldn't ever remember a woman being so blatantly responsive.
His mouth compressed when he thought of her refusal to have dinner with him. That certainly hadn't happened in a while, if ever. Was she playing some kinda game? He wouldn't be surprised... He was constantly amazed at the lengths some women went to just to get his attention. Playing hard to get wasn't a new trick....
He mentally dismissed the redhead to his left, who was chattering incessantly, oblivious of the fact that has attention had long wandered from her far too obviously surgically enhanced assets.
With a barely perceptible flick of his wrist, a man materialized at his side, bending low.
"Yes, sir?"
"Who is that woman?" He indicated to where she stood.
"She's not a guest with us, sir, but I can find out if you like..."
He just shook his head and dismissed him.
The ennui that had settled over him recently was definitely fading as he took in her graceful progress through the tables to reach her companions. With a skill based on years of reading people and body language, a skill that tripled his fortune many times over, he assessed them in seconds, focusing on the man he guessed was her date. No competition. His heart rate speeded up pleasantly as he contemplated them from under hooded lids. He decided now that he would conveniently forget the blow to his pride when she had refused him earlier. She was definitely worth pursuing. A surge of anticipation and desire made him feel alive in a way he hadn't in months....
*****
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”
"The entire wealthy circle in Seattle knew how much Stella Carlson loved Aaron Malone. People watched the childhood sweethearts grow from inexperience to maturity, finally getting married in a grand wedding ceremony. On the day of the wedding, despite the alliance between the Carlson and Malone families, the groom ran away. Stella knew that Aaron had rushed to L.A. to take care of his ex-girlfriend, who had attempted suicide. Unwilling to become the laughingstock of all Seattle, she gritted her teeth and dialed the number of her adversary, her tone almost commanding, "Ethan, come and marry me now. This is your only chance for revenge." On the other end, Ethan Powers raised an eyebrow as he gripped his phone, staring at the floor littered with cigarette butts. "Did the groom run away?" he asked. "My darling."
For two years, Ashton had poured his heart into his marriage, yet Emalee's heart remained cold. Despite his dedication, Emalee presented him with divorce papers. She bluntly stated she could not remain married to a man whose net worth was less than a million dollars. Ashton signed the papers, closing one chapter of his life and stepping into a new beginning. Then, Ashton revealed his secret identities: a music mogul, a medical expert, and a martial arts master—each persona impressive enough to stun the world. As Ashton’s true capabilities came to light, Emalee was overwhelmed with deep regret.
I am the most talented doctor, the genius artist, the most famous jeweler designer, and I am going to be the richest one, making Conor, the king of a super powerful family, lose his crown… Conor was hunt down me for six years because I raped him. No, because he raped me. It didn't matter anyway. Since be selling by my father, I was gonna be Conor's fake wife. The noble people thought I would be a disgrace to their family since I was the mentally handicapped. What fuck! When I was going to be gotten rid of as rubbish, a baby boy showed up and called me mom. Conor gaped at baby boy since the baby boy just looked like child version of him. Conor sheathed in my body, moaning, “Don’t hide from me. Tell me everything, sweetheart.” I blinked, grinning, “Our baby girl also misses her daddy.” Conor, "…"