Helen Lacey - A Fortunes Of Texas Christmas

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 Kate’s 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 Amersen’s wish list. But all Robin wants for Christmas is the flirty Parisian’s heart and soul. Can she convince him that love—and family—can lead to a joyeux Noël?

MEET THE FORTUNES Contents Cover Back Cover Text Introduction Title Page About the Author Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Epilogue Extract Copyright

Fortune of the Month: Amersen Beaudin (Shh! Nobody knows he’s 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 don’t ask him for a commitment.

“Nothing 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 hadn’t counted on Robin, Kate’s landscape gardener. From the moment I saw her, I was... enchanté .

“Robin would never believe that Paris’s enfant terrible is actually one of Jerome Fortune’s 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?”

* * *

The Fortunes of Texas:

A Fortunes of Texas Christmas

Helen Lacey

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text 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 Kate’s 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 Amersen’s wish list. But all Robin wants for Christmas is the flirty Parisian’s heart and soul. Can she convince him that love—and family—can lead to a joyeux Noël?

Introduction MEET THE FORTUNES Contents Cover Back Cover Text Introduction Title Page About the Author Dedication Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Epilogue Extract Copyright Fortune of the Month: Amersen Beaudin (Shh! Nobody knows he’s 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 don’t ask him for a commitment. “Nothing 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 hadn’t counted on Robin, Kate’s landscape gardener. From the moment I saw her, I was... enchanté . “Robin would never believe that Paris’s enfant terrible is actually one of Jerome Fortune’s 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?” * * * The Fortunes of Texas:

Title Page A Fortunes of Texas Christmas Helen Lacey www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author 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 .

Dedication For Dawn and Ray. Good neighbors, great friends.

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Chapter One

Amersen Beaudin hated flying.

Despite the fact that he’d 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 he’d 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 he’d ever wanted to meet. Or know.

But ninetysomething matriarch and business icon Kate Fortune had requested his presence, and she wasn’t 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 he’d 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.

Kate’s call a couple of weeks earlier had come from left field. A business proposition, she’d 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 Fortune’s—aka Gerald Robinson’s—son. 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 Robinson—a man who’d faked his own death years earlier and had been outed as the philandering Jerome Fortune less than two years ago. Blood didn’t 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.