IN THE ARMS OF LOVE

Armel Mathieu de Roquefort swept along the hospital corridor, paused briefly to check the name above the door before he entered a ward, and strode purposefully towards the nurse seated behind the reception desk. “Excuse me, I’m Armel de Roquefort and I'm here to see Harley Winston. I understand she was admitted yesterday,” he added, the hint of impatience in his voice making his accent seem more pronounced. The nurse gaped at him but Armel was used to being stared at... for so many reasons. Women had stared at him since he was a teenager and at thirty-five his stunning looks, combined with an aura of wealth and power, meant that he was accustomed to being the center of attention. When it suited him, Armel would respond to a flirtatious look with one of his devastating smiles, but today he had other things on his mind. There was only one reason why he was in that damn hospital, he acknowledged grimly, and the sooner he saw Harley and told her exactly what he thought of her latest s

His deliberate cruelty skewered Harley’s heart and she blinked back the rush of tears that burned her eyelids.“How dare you?” she whispered thickly. “Don’t try and appease your guilty conscience by blaming me. You wanted to get rid of me because you’d set your sights on Chantal Auclair. She was fresh, exciting, voluptuous… Like a juicy orange, ready to be squeezed by Armel Mathieu de Roquefort. You were determined as hell to make Chantal your next mistress, but the stupid little English ex-mistress who was pregnant with your child would have seriously… cramped your style… N’est-pas, chérie? (Isn’t it, sweetheart?)” In her distress, Harley leaped off the bed and her head spun. The blood drained from her face and she swayed unsteadily before collapsing back onto the mattress.“Ça suffit! (That’s enough!)” Armel growled as he stepped forwards and caught little Raphaël who was determinedly trying to wriggle off the bed. “Lower your voice and try to calm down. You’re

After sweet baby boy Raphaël was born, Harley had briefly, just for a few minutes, considered the idea of asking Armel for a DNA test, but, in the end, decided, it wasn’t a very good idea. His reaction to her pregnancy had shown that he abhorred the idea of fatherhood and Harley had feared he would only take a reluctant role in his son’s upbringing. At eighteen months old, Raphaël was a happy, funny, sweet, loving baby boy whose confidence was built on the instinctive knowledge that he was loved unconditionally by his mother… So much so, that a father wasn’t requested in their family picture. Harley made sure of that. She would not allow Armel to destroy that confidence, Harley thought fiercely, and she would do everything in her power to ensure that her little man grew up with a sense of self-worth that she herself had been denied. But now, Armel had his own reasons for insisting on a paternity test. He was convinced that the results would abso

Ten minutes later, the helicopter landed on the roof of the penthouse and Armel lifted Raphaël into his arms and preceded Liza Dean down the steps.“Alain, were you able to carry out my instructions?” he greeted his butler, choosing to talk to him in English not French.“Everything is exactly as you asked, Monsieur de Roquefort,” the butler replied in his usual unflappable manner. “The nursery suppliers delivered a cot and other necessary furnishings and equipment, and the dressing room adjoining the fourth bedroom has been prepared for the child’s nanny.” If Alain was surprised by the request to prepare a room for a baby, his tone gave nothing away and his facial expression remained as bland as ever.“Bon… C’est parfait, merci! (Good… That’s perfect, thank you!)” Armel murmured as he transferred the sleeping baby back into the nanny’s arms. “Would you be so kind to escort Mrs. Dean to the nursery and ensure she has everything she requires?”“Oui, Monsieur de Roque

Armel hid his flare of surprise. During the months that Harley had lived with him, he had never really got to know her. His workload had been particularly heavy and after a long day at the office, he had simply wanted to take her to bed. He had asked about her day out of politeness rather than any real interest and had thanked his lucky stars that she wasn’t one of those women who insisted on regaling him with every detail of her life. He had found her quiet, gentle nature soothing, and, if he was honest, he had missed the calming effect she seemed to have on him after he had thrown her out. But now, Armel realized that he knew very little about her. Perhaps it was Harley’s faint air of mystery that intrigued him, he debated as he drained his glass and stretched his arms along the back of the sofa, his eyes skimming over her and lingering on the fall of her silky hair.“It’s obvious from the state of your flat that you’re struggling financially. Why don’t