Can he persuade his Cinderella…

…they’re meant for one another?

Billionaire Raoul Fontesquieu is starting a new life with his recently discovered son—and everything must be perfect for Alain’s arrival. Enter temporary housekeeper Cami Delon! Exquisitely beautiful both inside and out, Cami enchants Raoul with her kind yet cautious nature. But will he be able to convince her that she fits perfectly into his privileged world…because she already has his heart?

REBECCA WINTERS lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. With canyons and high alpine meadows full of wildflowers, she never runs out of places to explore. They, plus her favourite vacation spots in Europe, often end up as backgrounds for her romance novels—because writing is her passion, along with her family and her church. Rebecca loves to hear from readers. If you wish to email her, please visit her website at rebeccawinters.net.

Also by Rebecca Winters

Holiday with a Billionaire miniseries

Captivated by the Brooding Billionaire

Falling for the Venetian Billionaire

Wedding the Greek Billionaire

The Princess Brides miniseries

The Princess’s New Year Wedding

The Prince’s Forbidden Bride

How to Propose to a Princess

Escape to Provence miniseries

Falling for Her French Tycoon

Falling for His Unlikely Cinderella

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Falling for His Unlikely Cinderella

Rebecca Winters

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-0-008-90343-5

FALLING FOR HIS UNLIKELY CINDERELLA

© 2020 Rebecca Winters

Published in Great Britain 2020

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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To my darling, devoted Rachel, who’s a dear friend

and a saint besides being a spectacular wife and

mother to three adorable children. Over the years

we’ve talked about everything under the sun. As you

can guess, the poor thing has had to put up with me

telling her about my ideas for new novels. With her

expertise as a voracious reader, marathon runner,

nurse and carpenter, she has supplied marvelous

suggestions that have helped me develop characters

in my books. What would I do without you, Rachel?

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

Extract

About the Publisher

CHAPTER ONE
Monday, December 1

IN A STATE of euphoria, Raoul Fontesquieu left the apartment at the Château Fontesquieu in Vence, France, and headed for his office. He was now officially on vacation from work. Once he’d gathered up a few things and had talked to his cousin Dominic, he had big plans. But on the way, he heard his cell ring. It was only six in the morning!

A grimace marred his features when he saw his father’s name on the caller ID before picking up. “Qu’est ce qui se passe?”

“I’m calling from the Sacred Heart. Your gran’pere was transported to the hospital a few minutes ago. He’s in room 407 and isn’t expected to live past the next hour. We expect you here now!”

Matthieu Fontesquieu, Raoul’s intransigent father, didn’t know how to do anything but demand obedience. Being his parents’ only child, he’d borne the emotional scars of such treatment for as long as he could remember.

Over the last week the family had sensed this day was coming. Armand Fontesquieu, the eighty-five year-old, impossibly autocratic CEO of the Domaine Fontesquieu in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, was drawing his last breath.

News of his death would ring throughout Provence and the wine world, but Raoul wouldn’t mourn him. As a little boy he’d tried once to establish a relationship with him, but had been shot down and had never tried again.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Once he’d hung up, Raoul turned his car around and drove out of the Fontesquieu estate for the hospital. Upon reaching it, he took the elevator to the fourth floor and strode down the hall. His mother and father had been watching for him. She seemed particularly anxious, which was not a good sign. Something was up. He just didn’t know what.

“Your gran’pere is waiting for you,” his father murmured.

Waiting? While he was on the verge of death?

Raoul frowned, looking around for Dominic. Neither he nor his dozen other cousins were here. “What’s going on?”

“You’ll understand in a minute. Let’s go in.”

Raoul entered the hospital room filled with his aunts and uncles and saw his grandfather lying in the bed hooked up to IVs and oxygen.

His father nudged him. “Tell him you’ve arrived.”

He was sick of his father’s orders, but now wasn’t the time to defy him. He walked over to the bed. “Gran’pere? It’s Raoul. I’m here.”

The old man didn’t open his eyes. How sad that even now, Raoul couldn’t conjure any feelings for someone so cold.

“Raoul?” He spoke in a loud enough voice to reach everyone. “I want the family to hear from my own lips that you are now the CEO of the Fontesquieu Domaine.” In another minute his grandfather, plagued by liver disease, exhaled and was gone.

His father took hold of his arm. “The family has arrangements to make,” he whispered. “Stay available. We’ll talk later today about your new position and get you installed.”

He sucked in his breath. The last position Raoul would ever want would be CEO of the Fontesquieu family wine business. He was already busy with plans for a future that had nothing to do with the family.

Before dying, that grasping excuse for a human being had colluded with his favorite son Matthieu to put Raoul in charge for one reason only. By making him the CEO, it was their last bribe to bend Raoul to their will.

They assumed this grand gesture would force him to call off his divorce to Sabine Murat. Both families had been fighting it to preserve all the Murat millions with the Fontesquieu fortune. Both fortunes together enabled the families to continue to buy more assets.

But no coup could have accomplished what they’d hoped for. Raoul had never loved Sabine. Now it was over and finished, grace à Dieu. His divorce from Sabine Murat had been finalized yesterday afternoon. That was all he’d been waiting for.

This morning Raoul was free to embrace his new life with his precious eighteen-month-old son.

Overjoyed that Alain’s existence no longer had to be kept a secret from the world, Raoul left the hospital for the modern Fontesquieu office building where all the family head offices were housed, including his own as president of marketing and sales. It was located behind the immense seventeenth-century château on the estate of the famous Fontesquieu vineyards drawing tourists from around the world.

He phoned Dominic. They were closer than brothers. It was Dominic who’d insisted Raoul stay with him in his suite at the château throughout his two months’ separation from Sabine. During that period Dominic had gotten married and moved out for good. Now it was Raoul’s turn to leave the château and never come back. This morning he had so much to tell Dominic, he was going to explode if they couldn’t talk right now.

To his relief, Dominic, the funds manager for the Fontesquieu corporation, had opened the door of his own office suite to wait for him. “Come on in. I only heard the news about our grandfather a little while ago. It seems wrong not to mourn him, but I don’t have those feelings.”

“Tell me about it,” Raoul muttered. “I got the call at six. Papa ordered me to get to the hospital. I arrived just in time for our grandfather to announce to the room that I was the new CEO before he took his last breath. You and I both know the reason why.”

Grim faced, his cousin nodded. “Even with death approaching, they planned it down to the last minute.”

“He and Papa don’t give up, but as you know, I would never have taken over, and before long I’ll be leaving the family business. The good news is, last night I got a call from my attorney Horace. The divorce decree was granted yesterday at the end of the day. I would have called you, but the news came too late to disturb you. Dom—I’m a free man and can live like one!”

“Raoul—” Dominic hugged him so hard he almost knocked him over.

“It wiped out a good portion of my assets, but it was worth it.”

“If you need help, I’m your man.”

“I know that and am grateful, but my new business is growing and I’m already recouping. Papa said he’d call me later in order to install me, but I have news for him. When he phones, I’ll refuse to accept it and wish him luck in his new position—the one he’s always coveted. Now he can be both comptroller and CEO.”

Dominic nodded. “We might have my father, three uncles and two aunts, all Fontesquieux, who are more than capable of taking over Grandfather’s empire, but you and I both know your father is the one who’ll run everything now. He’s made in the old man’s hard-boiled image with my father a clone of both of them.”

Raoul stared at him. “Good luck to him. Little does he know I’m resigning soon. Already I’ve gathered new clients for the company I’ve started. Over the last two months the list has been growing.”

“You’re a genius.”

“Great Uncle Jerome was the genius who gave me the idea before he died.”

“Nevertheless, I can’t imagine the company without you.”

“I’ve been wanting to leave for years.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was bound by a secret and couldn’t tell you the real reason why I didn’t join you in Paris. But with Grandfather’s death, I no longer have to stay silent. The truth is, I would have joined you in Paris when I turned eighteen, but by then Jerome was diagnosed with lung cancer.”

“You’re kidding—”

Raoul shook his head. “He swore me to secrecy and didn’t even tell Danie. You know what he was like. Because he was a scientist, he handled his health care in his own way and turned to alternative medicine.”

“How did he do it exactly?”

“He used holistic interventions of supplements, herbs, enzymes, plus he changed his diet and he prayed. Knowing he would eventually die, I couldn’t leave him because I loved him too much. But it was hard not being able to tell you the truth at the time.”

“I understand totally. Gran’pere Armand never liked or acknowledged him, but Jerome had you and loved you like the son he could never have.” Dominic eyed him solemnly. “What’s so sad is that your father has to know he lost you years ago.”

“Amen,” Raoul ground out. “Before the day is out everyone will have heard about the divorce being granted, but that’s irrelevant. Right now, I’ve got to see about getting my villa furnished, starting with the nursery. Alain needs a crib. Want to come with me for a couple of hours?”

“What do you think?” an elated Dominic cried. “I’m all yours for now.” He gave some instructions to his assistant Theo, then turned to Raoul. “Let’s go!” They left the building and climbed into Raoul’s Jaguar.

At 8:00 a.m., twenty-six-year-old Camille Delon, known to her friends as Cami, packed a lunch for her and her mother. Together they left their apartment on the main floor of the eight-plex located in the lower income area of Vence, France. They walked toward the van parked around the side with the company logo, Nettoyage Internationale.

A chilly breeze would have blown Cami’s shoulder-length black hair around if she hadn’t formed it into a chignon. Her blue pullover sweater felt good over her T-shirt and jeans as she got behind the wheel. From the time she’d started working with her mother seven years ago, they’d agreed Cami should do the bulk of the driving since her mom didn’t feel that comfortable maneuvering the van in heavy traffic.

She closed the door and drove them to the housecleaning office in the heart of Vence to get their next assignment. NI, a premier housecleaning and housekeeping service, had offices all over Provence and were great employers.

“Bonjour!” the manager, Helene Biel, greeted them when they walked inside her office. Three other full-time coworkers, Jeanne, Marise and Patrice, who usually worked together, had come in another company van and were already assembled.

“Now that you’re all here, I’m sending the five of you out on a lengthy assignment. The new owner of a property with a large, ultra-exclusive villa needs a total housecleaning: walls, ceilings, woodwork, windows, thorough scrubbing of kitchen and bathrooms, main rooms, fixtures, vents, floors, fireplaces, patio, you name it. The only room you’re not to touch is the study on the main floor, which will be locked.

“He wants it spotless before he can start furnishing the place. After visiting the site, I estimate it will take you ladies four to five days. I’ll let them know you’re on your way now. That’s it. This is the address.”

After hearing its location, Cami eyed her mother wordlessly. This villa was located in the most elite, prestigious area of Vence. Only billionaires could afford to live on the top ridge of hills that overlooked the whole spectacular landscape stretching to the Mediterranean.

With an address like that, it had to be near her favorite fairy-tale-like Château Fontesquieu, one of the wonders of Provence, set in the middle of its world-famous vineyards. The thought brought incredibly happy memories associated with her father. When Cami had been little, her dad, who’d been a taxi driver before his fatal car crash, had driven her and her mom to the estate every fall to see it and she’d never forgotten.

She must have been five years old when he’d first taken them on a tour through the vineyards at harvest time so they could watch the workers picking the grapes. Every year after that during the harvest he did the same thing, stopping each time for them to take in the sights.

One particular incident stood out in her mind and had always lingered there. At the age of twelve, she’d seen an older man walking through the vineyard with a young dark-haired man, maybe fifteen or sixteen. He was so handsome, she’d put down the back window so she could lean out and look at him a little better. They appeared to be supervising the workers before they reached the man’s elegant black car with the gold hood ornament. As the younger man turned to get in, he caught Cami staring at him and smiled.

A thrill ran through her young girl’s heart and she smiled back before the other car drove off. When she asked her father about the ornament, he said it was the emblem of the royal Fontesquieu family, which had existed for hundreds of years.

Cami sat back. In her mind’s eye the younger man had to be one of the royals, the fictional prince who lived at the château. Nothing could have delighted her more and caused her to dream about living in there with him one day as his princess.

But in November of that very year her father had been killed. The pain and shock of losing him stripped her of such a foolish fantasy. No more trips to the vineyard or anything else. By the time she’d turned twenty-one with a brief, failed marriage behind her, she’d been forced to face another personal crisis.

Her doctor had said that in time the genetic heart murmur she’d been born with would have to work too hard. He explained to her that she had a bicuspid aortic valve. The surgeon ran tests and decided to put off surgery until the symptoms began to affect her life, possibly when she turned twenty-six. By then the technique would have been perfected and become less invasive, possibly avoiding open-heart surgery altogether.

She was allowed to do her normal work, but there could be no running marathons or doing any physical activity that raised her heartbeat to too high a level. To make certain she was taking care of herself, she had to go in for regular checkups. The doctor said she could continue to clean houses, but to do no heavy lifting.

This last October the doctor scheduled her operation for mid-December. The heart surgeon had plans to leave the country over the holidays, so the operation had to be done before that time.

There were no guarantees where her recovery was concerned. As the time grew near, Cami had to live with that prospect, even though the doctor sounded reasonably optimistic. But the alternative of not undergoing the surgery meant her days would be numbered.

Except for their extended family in Nice, Cami and her mother had never told anyone that she had to have an operation, not even Helene or their coworkers. She was lucky to have this job and needed it too much to lose it. At her last doctor’s appointment, they had set the date of the operation for December 18, giving her the holidays to recover.

But what if she didn’t?

As the doctor had told her, every surgery held a risk. In order not to dwell on it, Cami worked harder than ever and determined to make the most of her life—until she couldn’t.

“You’re to park in front and go to the front door,” Helene explained. “Call me if there’s any problem. Now off you go.”

Since they had all the equipment they needed in their vans, they filed outside under a semicloudy sky. Cami got in the van with her mother and they started driving toward the verdant hills in the distance. The other van followed them. Slowly they wound their way serpentine style to the summit. How would it be to live up here in this glorious paradise?

As they passed by the entrance to the Fontesquieu estate and vast vineyards open for tourists, she eyed the impressive grilled gate with its gold ducal crest. Her mother noticed it too. “You probably don’t remember what your father said the last time he drove us around there years ago.”

“No, but I do remember all the times Papa took us there.” Passing by here reminded her of that special day when the handsome young man had smiled at her. “Tell me what he said.” She’d loved her dad and had suffered after he’d died.

“The Fontesquieu family lives at the footsteps of the gods.” Her mother shook her head. “I can’t comprehend their kind of wealth and never want to. All that money doesn’t bring happiness.”

“Probably not,” Cami murmured. At least that’s what you told yourself when you didn’t have it. Her wonderful mother had worked so hard all her life, turning to housecleaning after high school to make a living. She’d never stopped.

Cami had just graduated from Sophie Antipolis University in Nice with honors in business and finance. If all went well with the operation and recovery, she’d start work in January at La Maison de Chocolat Gaillard in their finance department where she’d interned during her last semester.

Guaranteed an excellent starting salary, she was determined to pay back the small balance left on her student loan and take care of herself and her mom. No more housecleaning for either of them! Of course, that all depended on the outcome of the operation.

After several turns, they finally reached their destination. The rose-colored two-story villa appearing through the lush greenery was so beautiful, it didn’t look real. Several sections of steps rose up the terraced landscaping to the main entry.

Cami pulled the van to a stop in front, thinking that the family who would live in this villa shared those same footsteps her father had once talked about. Feeling as if she’d arrived in a wonderland, Cami got out and started up the stairs with her mother. Before she had a chance to knock, the door opened.

An attractive blonde woman, probably a little older than Cami’s mother, smiled at them. “You must be from Nettoyage International.”

Her mother spoke first. “I’m Juliette Delon. This is my daughter, Camille.” Patrice introduced the others.

“Wonderful. I’m Arlette Gilbert. Thank you for being so prompt. Please come inside.”

Cami and her mother followed the woman into the foyer with its fabulous parquet flooring. A graceful winding staircase divided a salon on the right, empty of furnishings, and the sitting room on the left. The interior contained only two chairs and a modern-looking couch. Both rooms were set off with elegant wood carved French doors.

“Won’t you be seated?”

Cami sat on a chair next to her mother. The other three sat on the couch.

The blonde woman studied them. “The owner will be in and out. In the meantime he’s put me in charge and I’ll be here all week. I assume your manager has explained what needs to be done. I’ll take you on a quick tour of the villa and let you decide how to divide up your workload.

“After the tour, I suggest you drive your vans up the driveway where you can park in the rear between the garage and the outdoor swimming pool. I’ll unlock the back door so you can bring in your equipment. If you need me, you’ll find me here in the sitting room.”

Within a half hour they’d moved their vans in back and had made decisions of what areas to tackle first. Cami and her mother chose to clean the four bedrooms with en suite bathrooms upstairs, estimating it would take them several days. All five of them agreed to save washing the windows inside and out until their last day.

They carried their cleaning supplies upstairs. As far as Cami was concerned, this villa was a small palace. What would it be like to live here, to wake up every day to such luxury and beauty, to be able to decorate it the way you wanted and not count the cost?

Her mother shook her head as she looked around. “Just the upkeep on this place would cost a king’s ransom. I’m glad it’s someone else’s headache.”

No one could bring Cami down from the clouds faster than her practical mother. With a resigned smile, she noted that the villa had higher than normal ceilings. The owner had provided a substantial ladder. Being up high made it easy to clean with no extra stress on her heart.

Because Cami’s mother had arthritis in her shoulders, Cami insisted on cleaning those, plus the walls and moldings. That left her mom to do the hardwood floors and bathrooms. Their system worked and they got busy.

At noon they walked out to the van to eat their lunch like they always did on the job. Her mother turned on the news. They both liked to know what was going on. The radio would do when there was no TV.

After listening to the world headlines, they heard the announcement that France had lost one of the great vintners from Provence.

“Today France is in mourning over the death of le Duc Armand Fontesquieu, who will be laid to rest on Thursday on the Fontesquieu estate in Vence.”

Cami and her mother eyed each other in surprise. They’d passed the famous estate on their way here earlier this morning. What a coincidence!

“The renowned CEO and vintner died at eighty-five years of age and left a dynasty of billions to his family. The future now lies in the hands of his grandson Raoul Fontesquieu, married to Sabine Murat of the Murat industrial millions. Today it was announced he is the new CEO of the Fontesquieu empire. The grandson—”

Her mother turned it off. “I’ve heard enough.”

Cami understood what was going on in her mom’s mind. The news was a reminder that 99 percent of the population couldn’t relate to a world like the Fontesquieux or billionaires like the owner of the villa they’d been cleaning.

“Let’s go in and get started again.”

After grabbing lunch, Raoul had driven Dominic back to the office. He turned to his cousin. “Thanks for coming with me this morning. Only you could know how happy I am to be done with the secrecy about Alain. I’ve almost gone out of my mind having to keep all knowledge of him quiet leading up to the divorce.”

“Despite all the problems, you’ve carried it off.”

“But he won’t be a secret any longer. As you know, the psychiatrist advised me that Sabine was fragile after losing the baby. No heart trouble had run in her family or mine. It was devastating. That’s why I didn’t want her to hear of Alain’s existence until the divorce was finalized.”

Dominic looked at him. “You were fragile too, even though little Celine turned out to be some other man’s daughter.”

“Nevertheless I loved that baby, but it’s all behind me now.”

“Nothing could make me happier for you, Raoul.”

“My son is going to find out what it’s like to have a father who loves him and is free to give him all the attention he needs. If you and Nathalie would get busy, maybe he’ll have another little cousin to play with soon.”

Dominic grinned. “Who says we haven’t been doing our best?”

A chuckle came out of Raoul who felt a new happiness envelop him. Dominic’s wife, Nathalie, had been the one who’d united Raoul with the son he hadn’t known anything about. She and Alain’s mother, Antoinette, had been stepsisters.

When Antoinette had died of a staph infection ten days after he’d been born, it was Nathalie and her mother who’d looked after Alain in La Gaude, a town fifteen minutes from Vence. But it wasn’t until this year’s grape harvest that she’d come to the vineyard looking for the nameless father of her nephew. By a miracle she’d found Raoul!

“I’m on vacation from the office for two weeks now. When everything’s ready, I’ll resign and bring Alain home to the villa. The housecleaning service I engaged on Saturday should be busy there cleaning by now. Arlette volunteered to be in charge.”

“Where’s Alain?”

“Minerve is tending him during the day while we get the villa ready. By the time the cleaners are through at the end of the week, I’ll be leaving your old suite for good.”

“Don’t worry. We’ve moved out permanently. Nathalie and I have our own home we’re in the process of furnishing. There’s no hurry.”

“Oh, yes there is. I want nothing more to do with life at the château. Thank heaven for Minerve who’s been Alain’s nanny since he was born. She’s going to come with Arlette to help me with him during the transition. When Alain and I are on our own, I don’t want him to miss them too much.”

“It’ll all work, and Nathalie will help too, but Minerve will be difficult to replace.”

“You can say that again. I’m working with an established nanny training service. On Wednesday some women will be sent out for interviews. Arlette will help me vet them.”

“She’s the perfect one to help. I’ve got some good news too, Raoul. Arlette couldn’t be a better mother-in-law to me and has hired another pharmacist so Nathalie only has to work part-time or not at all. From now on she can help you more when you need it.”

“That’s terrific.”

“Who’s going to run the marketing while you’re on vacation?”

“I’ve been grooming our cousin Jean-Pierre to take over for good. He’s effective without being pushy. Naturally Papa doesn’t approve, but once I’ve left, Jean-Pierre will be there to save the day. I have great faith in him.”

Another smile broke out on Dominic’s face. “Then that settles it. Jean-Pierre is the right choice.”

They said goodbye and Raoul drove to the villa, eager to take another look at the size of the room he planned to turn into the nursery. He wanted to paint it and needed to estimate how much to buy.

Full of excitement, he entered the villa and bounded up the stairs, but stopped short of entering the room because his breath had caught. An absolutely beautiful woman with a stunning figure was up on the ladder cleaning. She was probably in her midtwenties and totally engaged in her work.

He couldn’t remember the last time any woman had caused him to forget what he was doing or thinking for a minute. Not since Antoinette… The same thing had happened with her. He’d taken one look and was so drawn to her, he’d approached her as if in a trance.

Now here he was again three years later, captured by the sight of this stranger. It threw him. He leaned against the doorjamb for a moment before entering.

CHAPTER TWO

AFTER LUNCH, CAMI was back to the second bedroom down the hall from the curved staircase. With her safety glasses on, plus her rubber gloves, she’d climbed the ladder she and her mom had placed on top of the drop cloth.

First, she’d removed the light fixture in the center of the room in order to clean it. Then she vacuumed the cobwebs off the ceiling and cove moldings before scrubbing everything.

As she started to climb down to wash out her flat board mop, she caught sight of a tall, black-haired male lounging against the doorjamb at the entrance. It surprised her so much it caused her to stumble. “Oh—” she cried.

Like lightning he sprang forward on those long powerful legs and saved her from landing on the hardwood floor with a bang, like the mop. “I’m sorry to have startled you,” he said in a deep voice, lowering her carefully. She felt his warm breath on her skin.

“It was my fault. Thank you.” She stepped back, marveling at his speed and embarrassed to have been that clumsy in front of him.

“I should have knocked on the bedroom door to let you know I was standing there.”

She took in the sight of this man who was probably twenty-nine or thirty, dressed in a black cashmere sweater and gray trousers. With those alive black eyes, he was so incredibly attractive, Cami struggled to gain her composure.

“I was deep in thought and probably wouldn’t have heard it. Madame Gilbert mentioned the owner would be in and out.”

He nodded. “I had something else on my mind too. This room is going to be my son’s. I was trying to think what color to paint it tomorrow.”

All the bedrooms had off-white walls with white moldings. “How old is he?” She was still trying to recover. The faint tang of the soap he used in the shower lingered.

“Alain is eighteen months.”

A father with a toddler. She wondered if he resembled his gorgeous papa. “Then you must be planning to turn this room into a nursery.”

“I was at a furniture store earlier picking out everything and fell in love with a white crib and dresser.”

That made her smile. “Is he into trucks or cars?”

A light entered his eyes. “Both. And boats.”

While Cami chuckled, trying not to study his striking masculine features through her safety glasses, Madame Gilbert appeared in the doorway.

“Raoul, the gardener is downstairs waiting to talk to you.”

“Tell him I’ll be right there.”

After she disappeared, he plucked the mop off the floor and handed it to Cami. Their hands brushed, causing an unbidden current of electricity to dart through her body. She could still feel the imprint of his hands on her arms. “Forgive me for interrupting your work.”

She shook her head. “Thank you for saving me from a crash. All I need is a broken leg.”

“Heaven forbid,” he murmured. This close he was so handsome it hurt. She’d heard that expression before, but for the first time in her life she felt the truth of it. “It was the least I could do after all your hard work. I can see differences already. We’ll definitely be seeing each other again tomorrow,” he said with a smile that made her legs go weak before leaving the bedroom.

Long after he’d gone, his smile stayed with her. Something about it haunted her, as if she’d seen it before. Her heart kept thudding. She’d forgotten it could do that.

Struggling to rein in her thoughts, she worked harder than ever, but couldn’t forget what had happened. When she’d finished everything and had cleaned up, she carried her equipment to the third bedroom and spread the drop cloth on the floor in preparation for the next day. She put her safety glasses in her purse.

After pulling on her sweater, she walked to the master bedroom to collect her slender, brunette mother who was cleaning the bathroom’s exquisite Provençal floor tiles. “How’s it going, Maman?”

“How it always goes,” came the typical response, then a wry laugh escaped. “I’ll be ready to leave in a minute.”

“No hurry.” Cami looked around. It made total sense that the owner’s bedroom was next to the nursery. She wondered why his wife hadn’t been here to let them in this morning. But anything to do with him was none of her business. Cami needed to put a governor on her thoughts.

Unfortunately his image remained in her mind and she had difficulty taking her own advice while she helped carry her mom’s equipment to the third bathroom so they could begin first thing in the morning. Her mother deserved an easier life. Cami was determined to make that happen for both of them. But the operation might not fix what was wrong. That was the big imponderable.

Soon her mom had finished and their day’s work was done, but they’d be back tomorrow. That meant Cami would be seeing him again. Her heart did a little kick she seemed to have no control over. Ridiculous when the man had a family, even if she hadn’t seen a wedding band.

His fabulous villa had to be worth millions. Though it had sat idle for a while and truly did need a good cleaning, everything looked in excellent condition.

Again she tried to imagine owning a home like his, the kind you’d see in one of the posh interior design magazines from Provence. Imagine living in it with the right man, making a home with him, never worrying that your heart might give out just when life was getting wonderful…

But that was pure fiction. If she wanted any kind of a future for herself and her mother, she would have to work by the sweat of her brow for as long as life and her heart allowed her to draw breath. She had learned never to depend on anyone else.

They asked Madame Gilbert to make sure the ladder was moved to the third bedroom with the drop cloth, then they left. On their way home, she pulled in to their favorite deli to pick up dinner so they wouldn’t have to cook. After coming back out, she started up the van and soon she’d parked at the side of their apartment. “We worked hard today. Let’s go in. I’m hungry too, Maman.”

After walking around the property with the gardener while they discussed what needed to be done, Raoul had gone to the kitchen for a soda. From the window he’d happened to see the housecleaners leave and couldn’t help focusing his gaze on the sensational-looking woman who climbed in the driver’s seat of the first van.

When he’d started down the upstairs hall earlier in the day, he’d seen her up on the ladder. She had to be five seven, possessing a shapely figure. For a brief moment he’d caught her against his body to prevent her from hitting the floor. Even now he still remembered how she’d felt and the scent of her flowery fragrance.

With her glistening black hair pulled away from her face wearing those safety glasses, she cut a picture that refused to leave his mind. In all his experience he’d never met a female with eyes the exact hue of the tassel hyacinths that grew on Fontesquieu property near the vineyards.

Her coloring was a marvel of nature like Provence itself. It shocked him that he’d become so physically aware of this female when Antoinette’s memory had filled his heart for close to three years.

That woman had been the love of his life, but before he could marry her, Sabine Murat, the woman he’d broken up with a month before meeting Antoinette, had come back into his life. He’d slept with Sabine once, but realized he didn’t love her. To his shock, Sabine had been to the doctor and was pregnant with Raoul’s baby.

His world fell apart. He did the honorable thing by giving up Antoinette and marrying Sabine, but he’d lost the woman he’d loved and concentrated on the coming baby, only to learn after its birth that the baby wasn’t his and had died of a bad heart within the first month of life.

Sabine had lied to him about the baby’s paternity. The news meant he’d been forced to endure needless pain during a soulless marriage, and he divorced her.

He had only recently learned through Antoinette’s stepsister Nathalie that she’d given birth to Raoul’s son whom she’d named Alain. Now his life had turned to joy so he could start a new life with his boy. Raoul couldn’t wait for everything to be done and left for La Gaude.

Arlette, Alain’s grandmother, had already gone home in her car. En route he dropped by his former suite in the north wing of the Château Fontesquieu where Sabine had remained during the separation. There were two averaged-sized framed oil paintings of significance to him, plus a set of two journals he wanted bequeathed to him by his great uncle Jerome. They represented the life work of a master vintner.

It didn’t surprise him to see that before Sabine had returned to her parents’ château in nearby St. Paul-de-Vence, she’d literally cleaned everything out, including those items she knew he valued most. He grimaced as he looked around. Somehow he’d find a way to get them back. As for right now, he had the satisfaction of knowing the whole ghastly ordeal had come to an end.

Raoul tossed his key on the kitchen counter and closed the door literally on his old life before walking back out to his car. Being with his son had made him feel reborn. He left the estate, eager to be with Alain.

Tomorrow the man who’d serviced the swimming pools for the former owner would be coming to the villa to check out the indoor pool and get it ready. The outdoor pool had a cover over it. He’d worry about it in the spring.

Now was the time to teach Alain how to swim. Raoul planned that he and his son would get use out of it every day. In time they’d be going out on the Mediterranean in his sailboat. It was vital his boy be able to handle himself in any kind of water.

When he thought about tomorrow, the knowledge that the cleaning people would be at the villa for a few more days was an added plus. He intended to find out the gorgeous woman’s name and more.

By 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, Madame Gilbert had opened the back door of the villa to let the cleaners in. Cami and her mother walked upstairs. Today they would tackle the third and fourth bedrooms and bathrooms.

Maybe the striking owner and his wife had other children who would be occupying these bedrooms, though he hadn’t talked about any. The sight from the third bedroom window looked out on the property’s greenery and outdoor pool. What a wonderful place to grow up.

When the owner had mentioned his son, she’d felt such love coming from him. A father’s love was a great thing. She missed hers and turned away from the window to get busy.

After lunch in the van, her mother finished the third bathroom while Cami started on the fourth bedroom. As she was setting up, she heard a knock on the open door and turned her head to see the owner.

“I thought I’d better announce myself first before you saw me.” That deep masculine voice of his curled its way through her insides. He brought in the ladder from the other room, which he set up for her.

“Thank you. My mother and I were going to bring it in.”

“Now you don’t have to. I’ll move it wherever you wish. Just ask.”

No man had ever looked so good wearing thigh-molding jeans and a T-shirt that covered his powerful shoulders and chest. This time it was her pulse that raced of its own volition.

She smiled. “I appreciate that. Since I wasn’t up on it, I’ve been saved a trip to the hospital this afternoon.” Before long she’d be going there for something that had nothing to do with a broken bone.

He laughed, exhibiting a refreshing sense of humor. “I should have asked your name yesterday.”

“It’s Camille Delon, but those who know me call me Cami.”

He flashed her an answering smile. “Bonne après-midi, Cami. We weren’t officially introduced yesterday. I’m Raoul Fontesquieu.”

Raoul Fontesquieu? It couldn’t be. But it had to be. There could only be one. She’d heard his name clearly over the radio.

Cami swallowed hard as reality set in. She clung to the side of the ladder where she stood. “I heard about the death of your grandfather. I’m so sorry. I never knew either of mine. You and your wife were lucky to have enjoyed him this long.”

Her comment seemed to bring a subtle change in his demeanor, causing her to realize there were hidden emotions swirling inside of him. Prompted by his silence she said, “Let me congratulate you for being named the new CEO of your family’s company. It was all over the news yesterday.”

In an instant a frown broke out on his striking features. “I’m afraid bad news travels fast when it’s false.”

“What do you mean?” The comment had taken her back.

His lips twisted. “I’m divorced, and won’t be accepting the position as CEO. In time, I won’t be associated with the company at all. However, I’m assuming that the truth will be corrected before the week is out.”

“Those are pretty colossal mistakes for the media to make.” She was still trying to take it all in.

“Indeed.” A strange smile appeared. “I came in here to ask if you would take a look at the nursery and tell me what you think about the color I’ve painted it. Is it too deep, or not light enough?”

It surprised her that he wanted her opinion at all. She couldn’t help be excited. Everything about him had fascinated her even before she’d learned his identity. “Since I haven’t started cleaning the ceiling yet, I’ll come now.”

Cami followed him down the hall. When they reached the entry, she took in the soft blue that had covered the off-white walls of the room. “It’s perfect, monsieur. You did an excellent job. Are you sure you didn’t head a house painting company in a former life?”

It was an outrageous comment to make knowing who he was, but she hadn’t been able to resist. Not after realizing he was one of those royals her father had told her about years ago, even if their titles were defunct.

His laughter resonated in the room. Almost at once his body and expression relaxed, turning him back to the charismatic, virile man she’d hadn’t been able to forget during the night.

“Call me Raoul, and tell me the truth.”

“I promise you I just did,” she assured him with a smile. “The blue color you’ve chosen has created a soothing ambience any child would love. With the white cove moldings, I can picture the white furniture you picked out fitting in beautifully.”

His black eyes gleamed. “Thank you. Now that I have your seal of approval, I’ll have everything I’ve bought delivered on Friday. By Sunday I’ll bring my son home to live with me permanently.”

She could hear his excitement. “Where is he?”

He shifted his weight. “You’ve met Arlette Gilbert. She’s his grandmother and has taken care of him from birth.”

She blinked. But where was Madame Gilbert’s daughter? According to the report on the radio, Raoul had been married to a woman named Sabine Murat. Cami was so confused.

By now she’s learned enough to realize there were volumes of information he’d left out: like why his son hadn’t lived with him from birth; why the divorce; where the birth mother was; what the reason was for the false news report that went out to the whole world.

But she didn’t have the right to ask those questions. Cami was one of the cleaning ladies. In another couple of days, she’d never see him again.

“Your son is blessed to have a father like you who loves him so much and has painted his room. That’s a story you can tell him when he’s older. I lost my father at twelve.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. You were so young.”

“It was awful. For a while I thought my life was over. Hang on to the relationship with your son for dear life. Nothing’s more important.”

“I agree.” Again, the emotion in his tone conveyed he was a man of deep feelings.

She turned to leave.

“Are you married, Cami?” With her gloves on, he wouldn’t have noticed if she wore a ring or not.

She paused and looked back at him, surprised at the question. “I was married at eighteen and divorced at nineteen.”

He studied her for a moment. “Do you have children?”

Cami shook her head. One month into her marriage proved she’d made a mistake and she was glad she hadn’t gotten pregnant. “I’ve been working ever since. Now I’d better get back to my cleaning.”

His eyes played over her, sending darts of awareness through her. “Then I’ll see you later.”

For the rest of the afternoon she worked her head off. When she and her mother left the villa at five, the owner was nowhere in sight. On the way home she told her mom what she’d learned about him and the nursery he’d painted.

“So…he’s a Fontesquieu… Like I said, money doesn’t ensure happiness. A divorce? A little boy he’s never lived with? Why on earth would he buy that large villa for the two of them when his home is the royal Fontesquieu Château? It doesn’t make sense.”

“Neither does the fact that he turned down the CEO position,” Cami murmured. Most successful businessmen clamored their whole lives to achieve that status, but she already knew he wasn’t like other men.

Raoul Fontesquieu was his own person. After telling her in a quietly fierce tone that the media had spread lies about him, he could no doubt be formidable on occasion.

Still, a tremor shook her body. Something had happened to her today, something she hadn’t thought possible. His jaw-dropping appeal had taken her by surprise in a way that made her feel—oh, she didn’t know—thrown off course when her path had been set for so long.

After they arrived at the apartment and ate dinner, Cami went to the store for a few groceries in their old black Citroën 2CV. It was on its last legs and looked like an umbrella, but it ran. She hoped it would help her find a way to clear visions in her head of the most devastatingly attractive man she’d ever met in her life!

Raoul met the pool contractor Wednesday morning. He walked him down the corridor from the kitchen. They passed the locked study and continued to the end of the house. The square-shaped tiled pool was sealed off with a sliding door.

The contractor brought in the supplies; a water kit, balancers, conditioners and chlorine tablets used to test the water. Raoul worked with him so he could do it himself from now on, then saw him out.

Before the applicants for the nanny job started to show up, Raoul took the staircase two steps at a time. He saw Cami in her safety glasses midway down the hall. Behind her he glimpsed one of the other workers cleaning a linen closet.

Cami was up on the ladder scrubbing the ceiling and moldings. Her loose-fitting hunter green T-shirt couldn’t conceal the lovely shape of her body.

Afraid to startle her, he stayed where he was. When she saw him she waved with her free hand. “Bonjour, Raoul. It’s okay to approach,” she teased.

Amused, Raoul strode toward her. “I came to see how things are progressing. You’ve transformed the villa. It sparkles.”

A smile broke out on her face, beguiling him. “That’s good to hear. Our boss will be relieved.”

He liked the way she fastened her black hair in a chignon that suited her oval face and high cheekbones. “Is she a slave driver?”

“Yes. Don’t you agree, Maman?”

His gaze darted to the older brunette woman who’d just lifted her head and glanced at him from the closet. He saw the facial similarities and smiled at her. “You’re all such hard workers, I’m impressed.”

Both women chuckled. “Raoul? Meet my mother and best friend, Juliette Delon.”

“Bonjour, madame.”

“Bonjour, Monsieur Fontesquieu. It’s nice to meet you. My daughter’s right. Our boss cracks the whip, but she’s nice.”

“She’s terrific,” Cami chimed in.

Raoul admired their loyalty. “How refreshing to see a mother and daughter who work well together.” He couldn’t think of a single positive instance within the difficult female circles of the large Fontesquieu family. Years of living together under the roof of the château had done its damage. “I’m glad to have met you, Madame Delon. I promise to give all of you a top rating.”

“We couldn’t ask for more than that. It means work for another day,” the pragmatic older woman commented before getting back to cleaning the shelves.

He couldn’t imagine his ex-wife doing manual labor like this, let alone worrying about where her next euro was coming from. Naturally the comparison wasn’t fair, but he couldn’t help but be impressed by the Delons’ work ethic.

“Don’t let me keep you. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Already he knew he’d like to take Cami out to dinner so they could get better acquainted.

“Isn’t your grandfather’s funeral tomorrow?”

She’d remembered and had shown concern for his loss though he hadn’t felt it himself. After living around his austere relatives, her natural warmth was like a healing balm. “Yes, but I’ll be back in the afternoon.”

Cami’s thoughtful gaze met his briefly before he walked away. He’d have preferred to stay and talk, but not while she was working with her mother.

After going downstairs, he met with two applicants for the nanny position. Neither he nor Arlette were impressed.

Raoul had been guilt ridden over having to give up Antoinette, knowing the pain he’d caused her. He hadn’t been there for the pregnancy he’d had no knowledge of.

Once he’d found out, he’d felt responsible for her death and the anguish he’d caused her and her family. On top of that he was well aware how deeply Arlette missed her daughter. Though she could have blamed Raoul, she’d never been anything but accepting and wonderful to him.

His latest worry was what kind of a father he was going to be. Could any nanny he chose measure up or tend Arlette’s grandson with the love and care she and Minerve had provided?

This was a difficult decision for him to make, in truth the hardest of his life. He decided he’d made a mistake by not bringing Alain to the villa today. During the interviews, Raoul needed to watch the women interact with his son on a first meeting simply to see if there was any chemistry at all. If not, it might be a long time before he found the right person to take care of his precious boy.

Raoul could only hope one of the applicants sent to the villa tomorrow after three in the afternoon would stand out. He was also looking forward to spending more time with Cami. Besides her having an intrinsic charm that was growing on him, she had a way of encouraging him, of making him feel he could be a good father. Somehow he felt instinctively he could talk to her and connect.

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