Step into the world of Karedes with

BILLIONAIRE PRINCE, PREGNANT MISTRESS

By andra

arton
Except, it had not been love, it had been sex. And the sooner she got rid of him, the better. She let go of the doorknob and stepped aside.You have ve minutes. He strolled past her, bringing cold air and the scent of the night with him. She swung toward him, arms folded. He reached past her, pushed the door closed, then folded his arms, too. She wanted to open the door again but shed be damned if she was going to get into a whos-incharge-here argument with him. She was in charge, and he would surely see a tussle over the ground rules as a sign of weakness. Instead, she looked past him at the big clock above her work table. Ten seconds gone, she said briskly.Youre wasting time,Your Highness. What I have to say will take longer than ve minutes. Then youll just have to learn to economize. More than ve minutes, Ill call the police. Instantly, his hand was wrapped around her wrist. He tugged her toward him, his dark-chocolate eyes almost black with anger. You do that. And Ill tell every tabloid shark I can contact about how Maria Santos tried to buy a ve-hundred-thousand-dollar commission by seducing a prince. He smiled thinly.Theyll lap it up. What will it take for this billionaire prince to realise hes falling in love with his mistress?

Available in July 2009 from Harlequin Presents

lexandros Karedes, snow dusting the shoulders of his leather jacket and glittering like jewels in his dark hair, stood at the door. Maria felt the blood drain from her head.

She knew his choice of words was deliberate. She felt her face heat; she couldnt help that but she damned well didnt have to let him lure her into a verbal sparring match. Ill ask you once more,Your Highness. What do you want? Ask me in and Ill tell you. I have no intention of asking you in.Tell me why youre here or dont. Its your choice, just as it will be my choice to shut the door in your face. He laughed. It infuriated her but she could hardly blame him. He was tallsix-two, six-threeand though he stood with one shoulder leaning against the door frame, hands tucked casually into the pockets of the jacket, his pose was deceptive. He was strong, with the leanly muscled body of a well-trained athlete. She remembered his body with painful clarity.The feel of him under her hands. The power of him moving over her.The taste of him on her tongue. Suddenly, he straightened, his laughter gone.I have not come this distance to stand in your doorway, he said coldly,and I am not going to leave until I am ready to do so. I suggest you stand aside and stop behaving like a petulant child. A petulant child? Was that what he thought? This man who had spent hours making love to her and had then accused her ofof trading her body for prot?

Good evening, Ms. Santos. His voice was as she remembered it. Deep. Husky. Perfect English, but with the faintest hint of a Greek accent. And cold, as cold as it had been that awful morning she would never forget, when hed accused her of horrible things, called her terrible names Arent you going to ask me in? She fought for composure. Last time theyd faced each other, theyd been on his turf. Now they were on hers. She was in command here, and that meant everything. Theres a sign on the door downstairs, she said, her tone every bit as frigid as his.It says,No soliciting or vagrants. His lips drew back in a wolsh grin. Very amusing. What do you want, Prince Alexandros? A tight smile eased across his mouth and it killed her that even now, knowing he was a vicious, arrogant man, she couldnt help but notice what a handsome mouth it was. Chiseled. Generous. Beautiful, like the rest of him, which made him living proof that beauty could, indeed, be only skin-deep. Such formality, Maria.You were hardly so proper the last time we were together.

We chatted to Sandra Marton about the world of

THE ROYAL HOUSE OF KAREDES.

Here are her insights!

Would you prefer to live on Aristo or Calista? What appeals to you most about either island? The two islands are both fascinating but I would much prefer to live on Aristo. I love the contrast between the sophistication of Ellos and the wildly beautiful cliffs that wind above the Bay of Appollonia, the gentle climate, the white sand beaches kissed by the sea. My husband and I took a wonderful trip to Greece a few months ago and all the time we were on the island of Santorini, I kept thinking how easily beautiful Santorini could be Aristo. What did you enjoy about writing about The Royal House of Karedes? I was very fortunate to write the launch book for the series.That gave me the chance to give substance to Aristo and to the Karedes family. Breathing life into Aegeus and Tia, the prince and princess was great fun. I especially loved creating my hero, Alexandros. Ive always thought the lives of royals must be a hard one, all that balancing of personal needs with public demands, and here I had the chance to show some of the inner conicts that are part of a royals existence. I loved creating Maria, too. Because I was born and raised in New York, I was able to give her a background with at least some similarities to mine. Like Maria, I attended its schools. I went to university there. My rst job was in the part of Manhattan where I put Marias loft and, believe me, her feelings on riding a crowded subway car were a mirror of my own. How did you nd writing as part of a continuity? It was great fun but also a challenge. I had to be sure to introduce my secondary characters in ways that wouldnt be a problem for the other authors, and to describe places (the palace,

for example) so that the other authors could see it as clearly as I did. Ive always loved writing my own mini-series because I love the scope and depth a writer gets from dealing with ongoing characters and intertwining plots. Writing Billionaire Prince, Pregnant Mistress gave me that same feeling. When you are writing, what is your typical day? Hmm. Lets see.The maid draws my bath, brings me my morning coffeeOh, if only! Seriously, my working day isnt a glamorous one. I get up anywhere from six to seven-thirty, shower, put on what I think of as my summer outt (shorts,T-shirt, thong sandals) or my winter garb (jeans,T-shirt, sneakers), head down to the kitchen where my husband, bless him, is generally already brewing the coffee. Breakfast is toast and coffee with the morning news playing in the background.Then I give my husband a kiss, head for my ofce, turn on my computer, play a few rounds of Spider Solitaireits addictiveand settle in to work. I take a break somewhere between noon and one oclock. My husbands ofce is upstairs and he comes down and joins me for lunch.Then its back to work until he calls me on the intercom and reminds meby then, Im lost in what Im writingthat its time for a glass of wine. Depending on my mood, Ill either put together an easy mealnot much cooking goes on when Im working!or hell grill something on the deck, or well go out somewhere local for supper. After that, I generally curl up beside him on the sofa to read, catch the 11 oclock news, and then stagger off to bed. Where do you get your inspiration for the characters that you write? Im an inveterate people-watcher. Plop me down

in a caf in New York or San Francisco, Paris or Athens, and Im content. Im very aware of peoples body language and facial expressions.Those things communicate a lot to me. Many of my characters have come to life through my observations of complete strangers who have no idea Im taking mental notes! Friends sometimes think Ive based my characters on them. I never do. If I know someone well, I cant see them as anything but themselves, if that makes sense. What did you like most about your hero and heroine in this continuity? I love creating Presents heroes, men who are strong and loving, protective and powerful, and maybe just a little bit arrogant. Alexandros is all those things. Hes also a man accustomed to not showing his feelings. I nd that, always, a special challenge for a heroine. And my Maria is, I think, the perfect woman for Alexandros. Shes independent, spirited and tough in the best possible meaning of the word. She, too, has learned to keep her emotions in check.Thats why the passion they discover in each others arms is so exciting. It changes them, forces them to examine their own true needs, their own true desires. Fate has created Alex and Maria for each other. For me, that erce sense of destiny is what Presents, passion and enduring love are all about. What would be the bestandworstthings about being part of a royal dynasty? The best would probably be the good one can do as a royal.The worst would surely be the public exposure demanded of royals. I tried to convey some of that in Alexandros story. Are diamonds really a girls best friend? It depends on the girl. A serious answer? No, absolutely not. When you get down to basics, what women, all women, want is happiness. And happiness comes from much more precious things than diamonds. Good friends. Good health. A loving family Above all, the love of one special man.Those are the qualities that make a womans life full and rich.The glow of diamonds is lovely but the glow in your lovers eyes when he sees you means far, far more.

FAMILY MAP

Queen Helena Karedes of Adamas b.1920 d.1945

m.1941

King Christos Karedes of Adamas b.1910 d.1974

m.1947

Queen Astra Karedes of Adamas b.1923 d.1964

m.1971 Princess Safya AlFarisi b.1950 d.1982 Sheikh Ashraf AlFarisi of Calista b.1942 d. 2004

m.1983 Queen Anya AlFarisi of Calista b.1944 d.2004

m.1968 Lydia Nicolaides (palace maid) b.1950 d.2007

m.1976 Queen Tia Karedes of Aristo b.1949

King Aegeus Karedes of Aristo b.1949 d.2009

King Zakari AlFarisi Marinelli b.1972 (Bk8)

Sheikh Aarif AlFarisi Hewitt b.1973 (Bk4)

Sheikh Kaliq AlFarisi Kendrick b.1973 (Bk2)

Sheikh Emir AlFarisi b.1976

Efe (Stefania) Nicolaides Marinelli b.1984 (Bk8)

Sheikh Zar AlFarisi b.1982 MISSING!

Princess Yasmine AlFarisi b.1979

Princess Adara AlFarisi b.1979

Prince Sebastian Karedes Milburne b.1977 (Bk7)

Prince Xander (Alexandros) Karedes Marton b.1978 (Bk1)

Princess KalilaZadar Hewitt b.1985 (Bk4)

Eleni Lakis Kendrick b.1984 (Bk2)

Prince Andreas Karedes Lennox b.1979 (Bk3)

Princess Kitty (Katarina) Karedes Shaw b.1983 (Bk5)

Princess Liss/Lissa (Elissa) Karedes Anderson b.1985 (Bk6)

KEY:
Legal Marriage Bigamous Marriage Child Illegitimate child

Cassie Kyriakis Milburne b.1985 (Bk7)

Maria Santos Marton b.1981 (Bk1)

Holly Cavanagh Lennox b.1982 (Bk3)

Nikos Angelaki Shaw b.1977 (Bk5)

James Black Anderson b.1979 (Bk6)

THE KINGDOM OF ADAMAS: A TURBULENT HISTORY

nobility, was installed on the throne. When the republic of Venice briey took control in the fteenth century the Karedes dynasty continued to rule as mere gureheads. Thereafter followed a period of struggle for the royal family. The Ottoman Empire claimed the islands in the 16th century and the family was forced into an exile that lasted nearly 200 years. When the Turks nally sold the islands to the British in 1750 the royal family was nally reinstated but the kingdom did not gain its independence until 1921. The death of King Christos in 1974 marked the end of the kingdom of Adamas. The islands have functioned under separate rule ever since.

he islands of Calista and Aristo have always been a temptation to world powers. Initially this was because of their excellent positions for trading and the agricultural potential of Aristos luscious, fertile land. The discovery of diamonds on Calista in the Middle Ages made the kingdom a target for invaders.

ages. Originally part of the Ancient Greek Empire, Adamas then came under the control of Rome from 150 BC onwards. Following the fall of the Roman Empire approximately 400 years later, the islands were annexed to Byzantine control. It was not until Richard the Lionheart seized Adamas in the twelfth century that the family of Karedes, local island

The kingdom passed through the hands of many foreign powers throughout the

iamonds have been prized since the dawn of human history for their unique qualities.The jewels were rst discovered in India in 800 BC, and brought to Europe by Alexander the Great ve hundred years later.

THE STEFANI DIAMOND

In the medieval period, a beautiful pink diamond was discovered on Calista, and used in the Karedes crown to symbolise the power of the Karedes rule.The jewel became known as the Stefani (meaning Crown) diamond. It quickly took on a deeply symbolic role in the kingdom of Adamas. Believing that their power resided in the stone, the Karedes family vowed that it would never leave their hands. If the jewel was lost, their kingdom would fall.The existence of this diamond fuelled treasure hunters dreams for centuries, but no other diamond of any size was found on Calista until the 1940s. In 1972, faced with family pressure and increasing tension from his kingdom (the islands of Aristo and Calista) King Christos announced that after his death the two islands would split. In the presence of his children Anya and Aegeus, witnessed by the court, Christos declared: You will rule each island for the good of the people, and bring out the best in your kingdom, but my wish is that eventually these two jewels, like the islands, will be reunited. Aristo and Calista are more successful, more beautiful and more powerful as one nation, Adamas. After King Christos died in 1974, the one Stefani diamond was split into two, to form two stones for the coronation crowns of Aristo and Calista and to full the ancient charter.

In 1477, Mary of Burgundy became the rst known recipient of a diamond engagement ring given to her by the Archduke Maximilian of Austria.Thus began the history and tradition of diamond engagement rings. The Koh-i-Noor and the Hope diamonds were brought to Europe in 1631. In 1792, the Hope Diamond was stolen from the French crown jewels during the French Revolution. In 1851,The Koh-i-Noor diamond was recut to 105 carats for Queen Victoria (Empress of India).This famous diamond is part of the British Crown jewels.

Look for all eight volumes in this new miniserieseries-

THE ROYAL HOUSE OF KAREDES.

December 29 October 27

June 30

August 25

November 24

January 26 2010

July 28

September 29

A NEW TITLE IS AVAILABLE EVERY MONTH!