The Secret She Must Tell The Spaniard

CLARE CONNELLY was raised in small-town Australia among a family of avid readers. She spent much of her childhood up a tree, Harlequin book in hand. Clare is married to her own real-life hero, and they live in a bungalow near the sea with their two children. She is frequently found staring into space—a surefire sign she is in the world of her characters. She has a penchant for French food and ice-cold champagne, and Harlequin novels continue to be her favorite-ever books. Writing for Harlequin Presents is a long-held dream. Clare can be contacted via clareconnelly.com or on her Facebook page. Books by Clare Connelly Crowned for His Desert Twins Emergency Marriage to the Greek Pregnant Princess in Manhattan Passionately Ever After... Cinderella in the Billionaire’s Castle Signed, Sealed...Seduced Cinderella’s Night in Venice The Cinderella Sisters Vows on the Virgin’s Terms Forbidden Nights in Barcelona Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk. The Secret She Must Tell the Spaniard Clare Connelly www.millsandboon.co.uk ISBN: 978-0-008-92855-1 THE SECRET SHE MUST TELL THE SPANIARD Copyright © 2023 by Clare Connelly Published in Great Britain 2023by 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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Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries. www.millsandboon.co.uk Note to Readers This ebook contains the following accessibility features which, if supported by your device, can be accessed via your ereader/accessibility settings: Change of font size and line height Change of background and font colours Change of font Change justification Text to speech “Five hundred thousand pounds.” The silence gave way to murmurs of shock and Alicia lifted a hand to her lips. She recognized the voice instantly. “Just to be sure I didn’t mishear, was that five hundred thousand pounds?” “Yes.” “Ladies and gentlemen, what a truly exceptional evening. Those of you lucky enough to secure an item—or person—please leave your details and payment at the administration booth near the door.” Alicia waited by the administration desk with nerves that wouldn’t calm down. Five hundred thousand pounds? What on earth had he been thinking? “Good evening, sir. Are you the lucky winner of Miss Griffiths’ services?” She barely heard the question. Her ears were ringing and her mind was in free fall at the realization that not only was Graciano here, but that he’d bid on her. “Yes.” “Wonderful. And what was your name, sir?” Alicia turned slowly, not needing to hear any more to know it was him. Nothing could prepare her for this moment. Not the memories that haunted her, nothing. “This is Graciano Cortéz,” Alicia said quietly. The Long-Lost Cortéz Brothers Two powerful men...and the shocking secret that binds them! In the aftermath of the tragic accident that killed their family, Graciano Cortéz was ripped apart from the younger brother he’d vowed to protect. Graciano has never stopped looking for him, even while he was building his billion-dollar empire from the ground up. Then, his decades-long search leads him to the palace doors of Sheikh Tariq al Hassan of Savisia... Will he finally be reunited with his long-lost sibling? And will the road to their reunion bring both Graciano and Tariq more than they bargained for—life-changing desire? After ten years apart, a shocking reunion will force Graciano to face the woman he never forgot and the secret she keeps that will rock his world... Read Graciano and Alicia’s story inThe Secret She Must Tell the Spaniard Royal advisor Eloise is tasked with approving her queen’s suitor, Sheikh Tariq, which is complicated by the undeniable Contents Cover About the Author Booklist Title Page Copyright Note to Readers Introduction The Long-Lost Cortéz Brothers 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 About the Publisher CHAPTER ONE ‘I’M SO SORRY, I...’ The apology died on Alicia Griffiths’ lips as she looked up, and up, past a broad chest, wide shoulders and tanned neck, into a face that was not only familiar to her but burned into her retinas. Despite the fact ten years had passed, there was no mistaking the man before her. Graciano Cortéz. The ground beneath her feet seemed to give way. She lifted a hand to the fine necklace she wore, looping her finger through the chain and pulling it from side to side, her throat constricted, making speech almost impossible. ‘Alicia.’ His surprise was evident, but he recovered far quicker than she