Hot on the heels of a huge blunder in Vegas, heiress Kathryn and billionaire boyfriend Ian escape to Paris for that romantic getaway they still crave. They're not the only ones. Kathryn's ex-boyfriend and sub Martin is also in Paris with the new Domme of his life, a stark reminder of who Kathryn used to be and the role she played before hooking up with Ian. While old urges resurface, Ian has to ask himself a very important question: how far is he really willing to go for the woman he loves? With Martin, nosy paparazzi, and Kathryn's aloof mother gumming up Paris, there's only one thing that's for sure - it's going to be a very memorable vacation!
Anna I have two rules in life: 1. Never marry someone you're not in love with. 2. Do what makes you happy, not what's expected. I flew to Paris to spend my honeymoon alone after I left my fiancé and my life standing at the altar in California. I had my reasons and wouldn't let a perfectly good trip go to waste. On my first night, I met a captivating man who was there on business and leaving the following day to fly back to the States. I knew nothing about him, only his first name. Our one night together left a mark on me that I'd never forget. Little did I know that when I moved to New York, he'd be the man I'd be working for, a temporary job that fell into my lap by accident. My life was complicated enough, and it was about to get far more complex. Wes One night in Paris. That was all it took to make my trip complete. She was beautiful, intelligent, and addicting. I wanted to stay, but I couldn't. Why make things harder than they had to be? I flew back to New York and went about my business, trying to forget the one night we shared. Imagine my shock when I saw her standing in the doorway of my conference room as my temporary personal assistant. I had trust issues as it was when it came to women, and for good reason. She lied to me, and I couldn't trust her. She was complicated. Her life was complicated, and now, mine felt the same. But staying away from her was harder than I anticipated because I couldn't forget our one night together in Paris. 18+
Emma Adams got stood up eight years ago when her fiance didn't get on the plane for Paris as they'd planned. Furious, Emma went by herself and now runs a tourist agency. She knew he'd chosen his family over her. Eight years later he's come to find her. She thinks it's too late for them. But he's booked a tour of France with her and off they go in his new sports car from Paris to the Riviera. On the way they fall in love all over again, but can Emma ever trust Gabe again?
He’s always in control – until now... By hiring event planner Katherine and inviting her to a lavish Paris ball, Connall plans to find out all he needs to take revenge on her half-brother. He’s not counting on their ever-building electricity to bring him to his knees!
Billionaires in World Politics shows how the privatization of politics assumes a new dimension when billionaires wield power in world politics, which requires a re-thinking of individual agency in International Relations. Structural changes (globalization, neoliberalism, competition states, and global governance) have generated new opportunities for individuals to become extremely rich and to engage in politics across borders. The political agency of billionaires is being conceptualized in terms of capacities, goals, and power, which is contingent upon the specific political field a billionaire is trying to enter. Six case studies explore the power of billionaires in their pursuit of security, wealth, and esteem. The chapter on security analyzes Raj Rajaratnam's relationship to the Tamil cause in Sri Lanka, and Sheldon Adelson's transnational electioneering in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Regarding the economy, the book studies how the Koch brothers' political protection of fossil fuels is affecting climate change mitigation, and how Rupert Murdoch's opinion-shaping is valorizing conservatism across borders. The chapter on social entrepreneurship and esteem examines the role of Bill Gates in the governance of global health and George Soros's attempts to build open societies as a 'stateless statesman'. An analytical conclusion evaluates the prior findings in order to address three major questions: Is it more appropriate to see billionaires as 'super-actors', or as a global 'super-class'? What is the relative power of billionaires within the international system? What does the power of billionaires mean for the liberal norms of legitimate political order?
An NPR Best Book of 2017 Heiress to the nearly forty-billion-dollar L’Oréal fortune, Liliane Bettencourt was the world’s richest woman and the fourteenth wealthiest person. But her gilded life took a dark yet fascinating turn in the past decade. At ninety-four, she was embroiled in what has been called the Bettencourt Affair, a scandal that dominated the headlines in France. Why? It’s a tangled web of hidden secrets, divided loyalties, frayed relationships, and fractured families, set in the most romantic city—and involving the most glamorous industry—in the world. The Bettencourt Affair started as a family drama but quickly became a massive scandal, uncovering L’Oréal’s shadowy corporate history and buried World War II secrets. From the Right Bank mansions to the Left Bank artist havens; and from the Bettencourts’ servant quarters to the office of President Nicolas Sarkozy; all of Paris was shaken by the blockbuster case, the shocking reversals, and the surprising final victim. It all began when Liliane met François-Marie Banier, an artist and photographer who was, in his youth, the toast of Paris and a protégé of Salvador Dalí. Over the next two decades, Banier was given hundreds of millions of dollars in gifts, cash, and insurance policies by Liliane. What, exactly, was their relationship? It wasn’t clear, least of all to Liliane’s daughter and only child, Françoise, who became suspicious of Banier’s motives and filed a lawsuit against him. But Banier has a far different story to tell... The Bettencourt Affair is part courtroom drama; part upstairs-downstairs tale; and part characterdriven story of a complex, fascinating family and the intruder who nearly tore it apart.
The billionaire’s plan for revenge is turned on its head by desire in this passionate romance by USA TODAY bestselling author Heidi Rice. He’s always in control. Now he’s in too deep… Katherine Hamilton is known as a poised, professional event planner, but superrich Conall O’Riordan hires her with revenge in mind. By playing the demanding client and keeping her close, he’ll find out all he needs to know about her no-good half brother! Inviting Katherine to a lavish ball in Paris is part of Conall’s plan. But he was not counting on their ever-building electricity or the discovery of Katherine’s innocence, which brings him to his knees! What started out as vengeance is quickly becoming much more complicated… From Harlequin Presents: Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds. Read all the Secrets of Billionaire Siblings books Book 1: The Billionaire''''s Proposition in Paris Book 2: The CEO''''s Impossible Heir
Paris! City of dreams -- or shifter nightmares? Natalie Brewer has come to Paris to live out a dream, not a nightmare. Then a vampire attack exposes her to a whole new side to the City of Lights -- and to her own heritage. Before she knows it, she's swept into a world she never imagined, with gargoyles, werewolves, and dragons who claim she's descended from a legendary shifter queen. Now her life is in danger, and it's impossible to know who to trust, other than the mysterious stranger who risks his life for her again and again. After a decade in the Foreign Legion, all dragon shifter Tristan Chevalier wants is to settle into a civilian life and a new job. His mission: to prove himself to the Guardians of Paris and to protect the city. But all that is threatened when an innocent woman stumbles into his life -- and into his heart. Being appointed her bodyguard is a blessing and a curse, because Natalie is absolutely, positively off-limits despite the smoldering desire they both feel. Worse, every shifter in Paris has set their sights on her, from bloodthirsty vampires to power-hungry dragons and jealous rivals. For Tristan, it's the test of a lifetime, and the outcome will affect the fortunes of an entire city. Anna Lowe's FIRE MAIDENS: Billionaires & Bodyguards series Danger lurks over Europe, where a ruthless dragon clan plots to seize power in the grandest, most glamorous cities. The guardians of old have summoned a new generation of shifter heroes to protect the castles, cathedrals, and cobblestoned streets of their ancestral homes -- and to seek out the last of the Fire Maidens, women coveted by the dark lords for their royal blood. Those women are absolutely off-limits to the young warriors tasked with protecting them. But destiny, of course, has other ideas... A series of sizzling paranormal romances with adult content. Each story is a page-turner packed with action, emotion, and romance! No cliff hangers. If you like smoldering hot shapeshifters, military heroes, and royal intrigue, you'll love these books. Join these strong heroines and their alpha heroes in atmospheric locales filled with danger & suspense!
The rivetingly strange story of the world's most expensive bottle of wine, and the even stranger characters whose lives have intersected with it. The New York Times bestseller, updated with a new epilogue, that tells the true story of a 1787 Château Lafite Bordeaux—supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson—that sold for $156,000 at auction and of the eccentrics whose lives intersected with it. Was it truly entombed in a Paris cellar for two hundred years? Or did it come from a secret Nazi bunker? Or from the moldy basement of a devilishly brilliant con artist? As Benjamin Wallace unravels the mystery, we meet a gallery of intriguing players—from the bicycle-riding British auctioneer who speaks of wines as if they are women to the obsessive wine collector who discovered the bottle. Suspenseful and thrillingly strange, this is the vintage tale of what could be the most elaborate con since the Hitler diaries. “Part detective story, part wine history, this is one juicy tale, even for those with no interest in the fruit of the vine. . . . As delicious as a true vintage Lafite.” —BusinessWeek
