{"id":3071,"date":"2020-04-26T13:55:11","date_gmt":"2020-04-26T12:55:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abby-green.com\/?post_type=portfolio&#038;p=3071"},"modified":"2021-08-01T10:19:31","modified_gmt":"2021-08-01T09:19:31","slug":"the-maids-best-kept-secret","status":"publish","type":"portfolio","link":"https:\/\/abby-green.com\/portfolio-item\/the-maids-best-kept-secret\/","title":{"rendered":"The Maid&#8217;s Best Kept Secret"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id='av_section_1'  class='avia-section av-opsdw6-0277e45d2e31378b3596d79105548fd2 main_color avia-section-default avia-no-shadow  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_section  avia-builder-el-first  avia-bg-style-scroll container_wrap fullsize'  ><div class='container av-section-cont-open' ><main  role=\"main\" itemprop=\"mainContentOfPage\"  class='template-page content  av-content-full alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-3071'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-mjn8qu-1c2645dfc8d24888d49efcfe4f4340d0\">\n.flex_column.av-mjn8qu-1c2645dfc8d24888d49efcfe4f4340d0{\n-webkit-border-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n-moz-border-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class='flex_column av-mjn8qu-1c2645dfc8d24888d49efcfe4f4340d0 av_one_half  avia-builder-el-1  el_before_av_one_fourth  avia-builder-el-first  first flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding '     ><p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-1y6ffz-543d914a3cc6bba387745c2374218339\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-1y6ffz-543d914a3cc6bba387745c2374218339{\npadding-bottom:10px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-1y6ffz-543d914a3cc6bba387745c2374218339 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-1y6ffz-543d914a3cc6bba387745c2374218339 .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-1y6ffz-543d914a3cc6bba387745c2374218339 av-special-heading-h3 blockquote modern-quote  avia-builder-el-2  el_before_av_textblock  avia-builder-el-first  av-linked-heading'><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag'  itemprop=\"headline\"  >The Maid\u2019s Best Kept Secret<\/h3><div class='av-subheading av-subheading_below'><p>The secret\u2019s out\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2026but the scandal\u2019s still to come!<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-jxrivs0d-0c830b1b21698bb7f1d388d9a6dc2a66'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Shy housekeeper Maggie Taggart considers herself immune to rich, powerful men \u2013 her tycoon father\u2019s rejection has taught Maggie to avoid them at all costs. Until she meets enigmatic billionaire Nikos Marchetti, and is totally enthralled by his potent masculinity! The pleasure that virgin Maggie finds in his arms is astonishing \u2013 as are the consequences\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Maggie is determined her newborn son won\u2019t want for anything. But when Nikos uncovers her secret, and their sizzling chemistry explosively reignites, it\u2019s clear they have unfinished business\u2026and Nikos is determined to claim them both!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-button-wrap av-23dbs6-f8ec9e57542a200d4e82b9d56811b7c5-wrap avia-button-left  avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_textblock  el_before_av_hr '><a href='#excerpt'  class='avia-button av-23dbs6-f8ec9e57542a200d4e82b9d56811b7c5 avia-icon_select-yes-left-icon avia-size-medium avia-position-left avia-color-dark'  ><span class='avia_button_icon avia_button_icon_left' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue84f' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Read an Excerpt<\/span><\/a><\/div><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-jd8dfa-7e6e9cf64778cc784c142a186ba04527\">\n#top .hr.hr-invisible.av-jd8dfa-7e6e9cf64778cc784c142a186ba04527{\nheight:30px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='hr 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src=\"https:\/\/abby-green.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/The-Maids-Best-Kept-Secret-UK-cover-188x300.jpg\" alt='' title='The Maid&#039;s Best Kept Secret UK cover'  height=\"300\" width=\"188\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/abby-green.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/The-Maids-Best-Kept-Secret-UK-cover-188x300.jpg 188w, https:\/\/abby-green.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/The-Maids-Best-Kept-Secret-UK-cover.jpg 314w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 188px) 100vw, 188px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-jxriz8mz-a9126c28ea3674b14b31b4ba065f11bd'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>ONLY 99p ON AMAZON UK KINDLE DEAL FOR AUGUST!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mills &amp; Boon<\/strong><br \/>\nAugust 2020<br \/>\n<strong>ISBN:<\/strong> B082YMY3B6<\/p>\n<p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" 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https:\/\/abby-green.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/9781335148742-scaled.jpg 1618w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 190px) 100vw, 190px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-jxrj14y1-a11e7848f205eb0dcfc41f8c47376720'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><strong>Harlequin Presents<\/strong><br \/>\nAugust 2020<br \/>\n<strong>ISBN:<\/strong> 1335478760<\/p>\n<p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-deutmu-5098c198b2155e9c43bd13fb5ef93def\">\n.av_font_icon.av-deutmu-5098c198b2155e9c43bd13fb5ef93def .av-icon-char{\nfont-size:40px;\nline-height:40px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<span  class='av_font_icon av-deutmu-5098c198b2155e9c43bd13fb5ef93def avia_animate_when_visible av-icon-style- avia-icon-pos-left av-no-color avia-icon-animate'><a href='https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Maids-Best-Secret-Marchetti-Dynasty\/dp\/1335148744\/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&amp;keywords=the+maid%27s+best+kept+secret&amp;qid=1587905918&amp;sr=8-2' target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class='av-icon-char' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue924' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/a><\/span> ORDER NOW<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/main><!-- close content main element --><\/div><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-99k5za-abcee2d366acf24d281f123f43b10905\">\n.avia-section.av-99k5za-abcee2d366acf24d281f123f43b10905{\nbackground-color:#f6f6f6;\nbackground-image:unset;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div id='excerpt'  class='avia-section av-99k5za-abcee2d366acf24d281f123f43b10905 main_color avia-section-large avia-no-shadow  avia-builder-el-15  el_after_av_section  avia-builder-el-last  avia-bg-style-scroll container_wrap fullsize'  ><div class='container av-section-cont-open' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-full alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-3071'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-72385i-bc2f3bdefb297630a9027508735aba42\">\n.flex_column.av-72385i-bc2f3bdefb297630a9027508735aba42{\n-webkit-border-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n-moz-border-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class='flex_column av-72385i-bc2f3bdefb297630a9027508735aba42 av_one_fifth  avia-builder-el-16  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  first flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding '     ><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-5i971i-beff15468c1cdffde1893d999255a08a\">\n.flex_column.av-5i971i-beff15468c1cdffde1893d999255a08a{\n-webkit-border-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n-moz-border-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 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.av-special-heading.av-k9h1wi6y-e9ecac5f5af141d807602b1c8476a551 .av-special-heading-tag{\nfont-size:0.8em;\n}\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-k9h1wi6y-e9ecac5f5af141d807602b1c8476a551 av-special-heading-h3 blockquote modern-quote  avia-builder-el-19  el_after_av_hr  el_before_av_textblock  av-inherit-size'><div class='av-subheading av-subheading_above'><p>Excerpt from<\/p>\n<\/div><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag'  itemprop=\"headline\"  >The Maid\u2019s Best Kept Secret<\/h3><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-jxrixqv6-c862f24405515f81beaa63acbc800cdc'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Maggie Taggart felt restless. She\u2019d finished washing up the dishes in the sink and looked around the vast and gleaming kitchen which was situated in the basement of an even vaster house. A stunningly beautiful, period, country house to be exact. Set in some ten acres of lush green land about an hour\u2019s drive outside Dublin.<\/p>\n<p>There were manicured gardens to the rear and a sizeable walled kitchen garden to the side. There was even a small lake, and forest.<\/p>\n<p>And stables. But the stables were empty. The owner \u2013 a billionaire tycoon \u2013 had apparently bought the house sight &#8211; unseen on a whim when he\u2019d had a passing interest in investing in horse \u2013 racing, which this part of Ireland was renowned for.<\/p>\n<p>Except he\u2019d never bought any horses and he\u2019d never actually visited the house. So here it sat, empty and untouched. Luxuriously decorated to his specifications. He hadn\u2019t even hired the housekeeper himself, one of his assistant\u2019s had done it over Skype.<\/p>\n<p>The housekeeper had been Maggie\u2019s mother, and when she\u2019d fallen ill \u2013 terrified of losing her job &#8211; Maggie had quit her own job as a commis chef in a Dublin restaurant and had come to help her and take care of her. Leaving her restaurant job hadn\u2019t been too much of a sacrifice thanks to the head chef who had been a serial groper of his female staff.<\/p>\n<p>Then, when Maggie\u2019s mother had died suddenly and she\u2019d informed the owner\u2019s offices, an impersonal assistant had asked if she wouldn\u2019t mind taking over in the interim while they found a permanent replacement.<\/p>\n<p>Maggie had been in shock&#8230;grieving so she\u2019d found herself saying <em>yes<\/em>, relishing the thought of a quiet space to lick her wounds and deal with her grief, not yet ready to face back into the world.<\/p>\n<p>That had been three months ago. Three months that had passed in a grief \u2013 struck blur, and she was only now emerging from that very intial painful stage.<\/p>\n<p>Hence the sense of restlessness. Up to now the house had served as a kind of cocoon, shielding her from the outside world. But she could feel herself itching to do more than just tend to this house. Which, in spite of its lack of occupants, was surprisingly challenging to maintain at the high standard demanded by the boss \u2013 should he ever decide to drop by. On a whim.<\/p>\n<p>Maggie\u2019s soft mouth firmed. The impression she had of the owner \u2013 a man she hadn\u2019t been interested enough in to look up \u2013 was one of gross entitlement. I mean, who bought a lavish country house and then never even came to visit?<\/p>\n<p><em>Rich, powerful men who had more money than sense<\/em>. Those had been her mother\u2019s words. And she had known all about rich, powerful men because Maggie\u2019s father had been one. A wealthy property tycoon in Scotland, he\u2019d had an affair with Maggie\u2019s mother and when she\u2019d told him she was pregnant, he\u2019d denied all knowledge, terrified that Maggie\u2019s mother and\/or his daughter would get their hands on his vast fortune.<\/p>\n<p>He hadn\u2019t offered any support or commitment. He\u2019d offered threats and intimidation. Maggie\u2019s mother had been too proud and heartbroken to pursue him for maintenance and they\u2019d left Scotland and moved to Ireland.<\/p>\n<p>Maggie\u2019s mother\u2019s job as a housekeeper had kept them moving around the country, never really settling in any one place for long.<\/p>\n<p>To say that Maggie had a jaded view of rich men and their ways was an understatement. She sighed. However, she was being paid very generously to take care of an empty house on the whim of a rich man so she couldn\u2019t really complain.<\/p>\n<p>But at that moment, the peace that she\u2019d so relished was shattered by a sound from upstairs \u2013 the ground floor. A banging noise. The front door?<\/p>\n<p>It was such an unusual sound to hear in this silent house. Maggie rushed upstairs and walked into the hall just as the knocker was slammed down onto the door again. She muttered, <em>keep your hair on<\/em>, just as she switched on an outside light and swung the door open.<\/p>\n<p>And promptly ceased breathing at the sight in front of her. A tall dark man dominated the doorway, hand lifted as if to slam the knocker down again. His other arm was raised and rested on the side of the door \u2013 frame. The late \u2013 summer sky was a dusky lavendar behind him, making him seem even darker.<\/p>\n<p>Maggie couldn\u2019t find her breath. Dressed in a classic black tuxedo, he was&#8230;the most stupendously gorgeous man she\u2019d ever seen. Thick dark curly hair and dark brows framed a strong \u2013 boned face. Cheek \u2013 bones to die for. Deep \u2013 set eyes were dark, but not brown. Slightly golden. His skin was dark. Stubble on his jaw.<\/p>\n<p>The sheer height, width and breadth of him was&#8230;heat \u2013 inducingly powerful. He was pure power and muscle. She registered all of this in a split \u2013 second, a very basic biological reaction to a virile male.<\/p>\n<p>His black bow \u2013 tie hung rakishly undone, under the open top button of his shirt. Dark eyes flicked down from her face and over her body. A bold appraisal. Arrogant, even.<\/p>\n<p>Maggie became acutely aware of the fact that she was wearing cut \u2013 off shorts and a sleeveless t \u2013 shirt, hair up in an untidy bun. Her habitual uniform for when she was cleaning.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018This\u00a0<em>is\u00a0<\/em>Kildare House?\u2019 the masculine vision asked with a slight accent. His voice was deep and rough and a pulse between her legs throbbed. Most disturbing.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Yes, it is.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>The man stood up straight. He had a slight air of louche inebriation but his eyes were too focused and direct to be intoxicated. Actually, it was an air of intense ennui.<\/p>\n<p>He turned away from her and it was only then that Maggie noticed a taxi in the forecourt of the house, engine idling. The man said to the driver who was waiting by the car, \u2018This is the right place. Thank you.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Maggie watched with growing shock as the taxi driver waved jauntily, got into his car and drove off.<\/p>\n<p>She gripped the door. \u2018Excuse me but\u00a0<em>who\u00a0<\/em>are you?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>The man turned back to face her. \u2018I\u2019m the owner of this house. Nikos Marchetti. I think the more pertinent question here is, who are <em>you<\/em>? Because I\u2019ve seen a picture of the housekeeper and you are most definitely not her.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-37vvhy-b72d15cd95da914721275c27e493a291\">\n.flex_column.av-37vvhy-b72d15cd95da914721275c27e493a291{\n-webkit-border-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n-moz-border-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class='flex_column av-37vvhy-b72d15cd95da914721275c27e493a291 av_one_fifth  avia-builder-el-21  el_after_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-last  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding '     ><\/div>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":3073,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","tags":[21],"portfolio_entries":[23],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Maid&#039;s Best Kept Secret - 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