The Moretti Heir
by Katherine Garbera
“Why do you want my baby,
Virginia?” he asked.
She twisted a long strand of hair around her finger and walked a bit closer to him. Clad only in her negligee, she appeared so small and vulnerable, yet every inch a sexy woman. He knew she’d seduced him for a reason, but right now with only the faint lights from the bedroom and balcony illuminating the room, she seemed ethereal.
But he didn’t want to trust the vulnerability he saw in her. She’d lied to him.
“It’s all tied to the curse. Your family and mine are connected.”
“Interesting. Do you honestly think having my child will break the curse?”
“Yes. But I don’t think we can fall in love.”
“That’s not going to be an issue,” Marco replied. “I’m not going to fall in love with you.”
Billionaire Extraordinaire
by Leanne Banks
Damien took a seat at the bar,
ordered a scotch and watched Emma.
She glided with confidence through the ballroom, setting guest lists on tables. She smiled at the wait staff in a friendlier, more open way than she did him. That fact stuck in his craw. He wondered what it would be like if she were that open with him. He felt an odd wrench in his gut and watched her through eyes lowered to half-mast. Why should it bother him?
He would have her. In every way a man could have a woman, he was determined to have her, and he would.
Damien took another swallow of whisky and felt the burn all the way down. Not only would she give him herself, she would give him all the information he wanted to make Max De Luca pay.
The Moretti Heir
By
Katherine Garbera
Billionaire Extraordinaire
By
Leanne Banks
The Moretti Heir
By
Dear Reader,
The MORETTI’S LEGACY trilogy idea came to me out of my fascination with my Italian grandmother’s superstitious nature. She was a devout Catholic, but also believed you could curse someone or put the “evil eye” on them. That blend always intrigued me and a few years ago I found a book called Italian Witchcraft that talked about the old ways…and when I say old, I mean from times of Roman rule.
My idea was simply a cursed family. The curse was simple: the Moretti men would either be lucky in love or in business but never in both.
Cassia Festa put the curse on Lorenzo Moretti. He broke her heart when he chose car racing over her and she wanted to make very sure that he never found love in another’s arms. To be fair, Lorenzo probably would not have ever fallen in love because he was too enamoured of racing and his dreams of building a car empire.
This story takes place around the globe in the glamorous world of Formula One racing. I love to travel and the idea of having a job that takes you to every continent in the world (as Grand Prix drivers do) is one that makes me envious. This story blends together a lot of things that are important to me: family, tradition and the idea of taking the seeds of the past and sowing them into a brighter future.
I hope you will enjoy this journey into The Moretti Heir, the first story in the MORETTI’S LEGACY mini-series.
Take care,
Katherine Garbera
Katherine Garbera is a strong believer in happily-ever-after. She’s written more than thirty-five books and has been nominated for Romantic Times BOOKreviews Career Achievement Award in Series Fantasy and Series Adventure. Her books have appeared on several bestseller lists. Visit Katherine on the web at www.katherinegarbera.com.
This book is dedicated to my son…beautiful face.
Who could not love a boy who is so full of fun
and laughter, quick wit and intelligence?
Thanks for all the silly conversations,
tickling matches and just spending time with me.
Acknowledgement:
Thanks as always to my wonderful editor
Natashya Wilson.
One
Marco Moretti, by anyone’s standards, was a man who had it all. His win today was part of his plan to become the most decorated Moretti driver of all time. His grandfather Lorenzo had won three back-to-back Grand Prix championships—something that Marco had done, as well, but this year he intended to surpass that record.
Both Moretti drivers were tied with three other drivers for the most Grand Prix championship wins, but this year Marco would win a fourth, something he had craved from the time he was a rookie driver.
He had no doubt that he would do it. He’d never failed at anything he put his mind to, and this would be no different. Why, then, did he feel bored and restless?
His teammate, Keke Heckler, was sitting at the banquette next to him, drinking and talking to Elena Hamilton, a Sports Illustrated cover model. Keke looked as if he had the world in his hands. All Marco could think was that there should be more to life than racing, winning and partying.
Oh, hell, maybe he was getting sick, coming down with a cold or something.
Or perhaps it was the family curse. Supposedly no Moretti male could succeed in both business and love.
“Marco?” Keke asked in his heavy German accent.
“Yes?”
“Elena asked if Allie was meeting you here later,” Keke said.
“No. We’re not together anymore.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Elena said.
A few minutes later, Keke and Elena left the table to go dance and Marco sat back against the leather seat and watched the crowd. This party was as much for him as it was for the jet set that followed the Formula One races. He saw other drivers mixed in with the sea of beautiful women, but he made no move to join anyone.
Allie and he had drifted apart during the off-season. It was as if she wanted him only when he was in the spotlight. A part of him craved the quiet life. He couldn’t give up the glamour that came with racing, but sometimes when he was alone he wanted someone with whom he could share the quiet times of his life. A companion at the villa in Naples where he retreated to be an average man.
He glanced around the room. None of the gorgeous women stood out—they all were too beautiful for words, but he’d never find a woman here who wanted that type of lifestyle.
What was wrong with him?
He was poised to usher in a new era for Moretti Motors. He and his brothers had grown up in an odd world of wealth and privilege, all the while knowing that they had no riches of their own. Something that he, Dominic and Antonio had changed as soon as they were old enough.
The three of them were