EXCERPT
Bright and vivid sunlight painted the first hues of the day, awakening Camille from her cozy slumber. The lavish bedroom suite at the Bellagio reminded her where she was and of yesterday’s events. Considering she’d spent her wedding night alone, her sleep had been surprisingly restful. She forced herself up and out of bed and stumbled into her private bathroom. A quick shower would put things into perspective.Too bad it didn’t work.Half an hour in the shower hadn’t done anything except give her insecurities time to awaken and fester. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and raked a comb through her damp hair.When was Julian going to wake up and take a long, hard look at her? There was nothing regal about Camille. Or refined. She was pretty sure Julian could secure the hand of just about anybody in marriage. Why her?Because it isn’t real. She had to keep reminding herself of the conditions that brought about this union. For her own sake, she couldn’t get lost in the fairytale factor that emanated around Julian. Her mother had probably seen it, although to a lesser degree, in dear old dad. Camille was painfully aware of how that turned out as she’d never met her father. Her mother had come around a couple of times when Camille was little, but she never stayed long. She was constantly off on some other adventure, always too busy to take on the task of raising her own child.Camille slipped into a pair of jeans and a loose-flowing print blouse. She drew a breath and summoned the courage to face her first day as Mrs. Julian de Laurent.Inside the suite’s dining room, her new husband was sitting at the table, all decked out in one of his tailor-made suits.He looked up, smiled when their eyes met and stood, pulling a chair out for her. “Good morning, Chéri.” His deep voice filled with amusement. “I trust you slept well?”Smelling the faint citrus scent of his aftershave, she settled into the chair next to him. She propped one foot up and reached for the coffee mug, disappointed by its emptiness. Soren was at her side immediately and filling her cup. “Good morning, Mrs. de Laurent.”She glanced at Julian, who seemed utterly amused, and then let her gaze travel to Soren. A shadow darkened the valet’s face and Camille realized she’d frowned at him. She tried to offer an apologetic smile, but wasn’t sure it’d come out right. Then she saw him grinning.
The Marriage Bargain
Camille Chandler is a tabloid journalist whose career is right on track--until her boss sees a curious ad in the L.A. Trades. Wanted: Single actress for an extended gig abroad. France's mega-rich playboy Julian de Laurent is up to something and Camille's boss expects her to find out what. Who knew the eccentric gazillionaire was looking to hire a temporary wife? When Camille refuses to accept Julian's proposal--and secretly write a juicy tell-all about the de Laurent family--she's fired and left financially destitute, forcing her to entertain Julian's proposal for real. But what'll happen at the end of the contract period, after Camille has spent six months as the wife of a man she learns is capable of stealing her heart?
About Sandra
I write in a variety of genres such as paranormal (mostly time travel and reincarnation), contemporary, and suspense. While all my tales hold an element of romance, my books often push the envelope and step outside the boundaries of conventional romance.
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