The Unlikely Courtesan

Laura Banks is a starving artist stranded in Paris after her mentor, famed portrait artist Pierre Gallo, has her arrested for stealing one of his clients jewels. Laura's protests that she's innocent fall on deaf ears but without proof the police let her go. She thinks her luck can't get any worse. She's dead wrong! A few minutes later a knife wielding mugger attacks her and steals her suitcases. Dead broke with no way home to America she's approached to take a temporary position as a courtesan. This strikes her as hilarious because she's the most unlikely courtesan ever. She's got wild red hair that won't behave, and she's klutzy, not to mention slightly too plump for modern tastes. Now if she'd been born in Ruben's day she'd have been a sensation. now not so much. She wasn't even that good at sex although the erotic novel she carries in her slashed backpack attests to the fact that she's curious. Whatever wild angel led her to this courtesan auction had to have a wicked sense of humor, she decides ruefully. But this chance to get out of Paris, and away from the police unscathed, was just too good to pass up. Parisian Nick Renault, a self-made millionaire from the wrong side of the tracks, is still wounded after his divorce six years earlier. His sister-in-law, fearing he's turned into a workaholic drone, nags him into attending the courtesan auction. He goes just to shut her up and is bored out of his mind when the same jaded submissives strut down the catwalk. Then a redheaded klutzy fire goddess shyly steps onto the catwalk and he's entranced. Her blush tells him she's new to the game, and her stiff nipples in pink lingerie say she's ready for him. Making up his mind to buy her he rises only to have her stumble into his arms. Knowing he's probably going to regret it he buys her services for the summer, but will he ever be able to let her go? And when he finds out what kind of dangerous baggage she brings with her will he be able to save her?