The Guardian's Virgin Ward
Page 17
“Gatita.” Her name was a command, and all these years later she still obeyed it, looking up at him. He smiled as he moved into the room. “I think you have something to tell me, do you not?”
“That depends. What do you think I have to tell you?”
Izar stopped beside her chair and pulled her to her feet, catching her against him, where she still fit. Where she would always fit.
“If I ask again,” he murmured as he dropped his mouth to hers, “there will be consequences.”
“Well,” she said, tilting her head back to look at him, “you could say we’re already chock-full of consequences.” Her gaze danced with that mischief he adored. “Sir.”
Once upon a time he’d called that defiance. Now he knew it was love.
He only lifted a brow in response, and Liliana laughed.
“Twins, Izar,” she told him, her voice soft with wonder. “We’re having twins.” She slid her hands up to his chest and rested them there. “And I know you didn’t want that. I remember you thundering on horribly about empires and inheritances and only two—”
“I want you,” Izar said, with utter certainty straight through to his bones. “I want them. I want everything.”
Her smile was so bright he thought it might blind him, and he didn’t care. She wound her arms around his neck and she pressed herself to him, and she was his. All this time, all they’d done, and Liliana was still entirely his.
And he loved her so much it hurt.
“Don’t you see?” she asked, her beautiful eyes shining. “This is everything. Right here. This is our happy ending, Izar. We get to live it every day.”
And finally, forever, Izar believed.
* * * * *
EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT
Hotel magnate Nate Brunswick’s faith in marriage has been destroyed by his father – but searching for his beloved grandfather’s lost ring leads the illegitimate Di Sione to an inconvenient engagement! Mina Mastrantino can only pass the ring on once she’s married. A divorce should be easy…but their exquisite wedding night gives them both far more than they planned!
Read on for a sneak preview of
A DEAL FOR THE DI SIONE RING
by Jennifer Hayward
“You’re an honorable man, Nate Brunswick. Grazie.”
“Not so honorable, Mina.” A dark glitter entered his eyes. “You called me improper not so long ago. I can be that and more. I am a hard, ruthless businessman who does what it takes to make money. I will turn a hotel over in the flash of an eye if I don’t see the flesh on the bones I envisioned when I bought it. I will enjoy a woman one night and send her packing the next when I get bored of her company. Know what you’re getting into with me if you accept this. You will learn the dog-eat-dog approach to life, not the civilized one.”
Why did something that was intended to be a warning send a curious shudder through her? Mina drew the wrap closer around her shoulders, her gaze tangling with Nate’s. The glitter in his eyes stoked to a hot, velvet shimmer as he took a step forward and ran a finger along the line of her jaw. “Rule number one of this new arrangement, should you so choose to accept it, is to not look at me like that, wife. If we do this, we keep things strictly business so both of us walk away after the year with exactly what we want.”
Her gaze fell away from his, her blood hot and thick in her veins. “You’re misinterpreting me.”
“No, I’m not.” He brought his mouth to her ear, his warm breath caressing her cheek. “I have a hell of a lot more experience than you do, Mina. I can recognize the signs. They were loud and clear in my hotel room that day and they’re loud and clear now.”
She took a deep, shuddering breath. To protest further would be futile when her skin felt like it was on fire, her knees like jelly. He watched her like a cat played with a mouse, all powerful and utterly sure of himself. “The only thing that would be more of a disaster than this day’s already been,” he drawled finally, apparently ready to have mercy on her, “would be for us to end up in bed together. So a partnership it is, Mina.” He lifted his glass. “What do you say?”
Don’t miss
A DEAL FOR THE DI SIONE RING
by Jennifer Hayward
Available January 2017
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Copyright © 2016 by Mills & Boon
Congratulations
Sharon Kendrick
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Read on for an exclusive extract
‘Rafe?’ she said uncertainly, but he silenced her with a shake of his head.
‘Come here,’ he said, his voice a sudden growl.
She knew he was going to kiss her even before he pulled her against him, against the hard wet planes of his muscular body. She could feel her breasts being crushed against his bare chest and the warmth of his breath just before he crushed her lips beneath his. Her eyelids fluttered to a close as he deepened the kiss and his thumb flicked over the wet stud of her hardening nipple through her swimsuit, making her moan with disbelief that something could feel this good. Because nobody had ever touched her before. Not like this. He slid his hand further down, before letting his fingertips skim over her belly and she wriggled impatiently, wanting him to touch her where she was hot and molten. Made weightless by the water, her thighs parted as if her body was programmed to know exactly how to respond and she sucked in another disbelieving breath as he slipped aside the panel of her swimsuit and pushed his finger deep inside her.
‘Rafe,’ she gasped against his lips, writhing her hips against him. ‘Oh, Rafe.’
Her breathless use of his name seemed to break the erotic spell and when he pulled his hand away she immediately found herself wanting his finger right back where it had been. His eyes were unreadable in the moonlight and his features were harder than she’d ever seen them—his cheekbones two taut slashes against the obvious tension in his face.
‘I want to have sex with you,’ he said unsteadily. ‘And clearly you feel exactly the same way. But there are a few things you need to understand.’
Her heart was thundering so loudly she felt as if she might faint. ‘What kind of things?’
‘You’re staff,’ he said bluntly. ‘And I don’t usually sleep with employees.’
‘Oh.’ There was a pause as she licked some of the chorine off her lips. ‘Well, I guess that’s honest, at least.’
‘I’m nothing if not honest, Sophie,’ he said. ‘And if we’re going to do this, it has to be on my terms.’
She met his gaze. ‘What terms are they?’
‘One night. That’s all,’ he told her, his gaze raking over her. ‘No more. No dates. No promises. No happy ever after or follow-up emails. No Christmas present or surprise ticket to New York. And you certainly won’t be getting love because I don’t do love. I’m out of here tomorrow and it’s goodbye. Do you understand what I’m saying?’
Sophie bit her tingling lips as she considered his question. She was caught in the perfect storm of moonlight and desire and opportunity, even though the voice of common sense was urging her to get out while she still could.
But hadn’t she always played by the rules and done what was ‘right’? And look where it had got her. Deserted by the Prince her people adored and left a laughing stock. She had been placed on a pedestal from the moment of her birth. She was the Princess. People could look but they could never, ever touch. But Rafe had touched. She stared at him. Rafe didn’t have a clue who she really was and he didn’t care. All she could see was desire in his eyes and a hard, tense body which was calling out to her on the most primitive level of all. He wanted her. Not Princess Sophie. Just Sophie. More than that, she wanted him. Not the billionaire in his shiny helicopter but the elemental man who was making her feel like a real woman for the first time in her life. Him. Rafe Carter.
‘I understand,’ she said quietly.
His wet brow furrowed into a frown. ‘Just like that?’
‘Exactly like that.’ She shrugged. ‘Maybe I want exactly the same thing as you do, Rafe. One night. No strings.’
A ROYAL VOW OF CONVENIENCE
by Sharon Kendrick
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Copyright ©2016 by Sharon Kendrick
ISBN: 978-1-474-04451-6
THE GUARDIAN’S VIRGIN WARD
© 2016 Caitlin Crews
Published in Great Britain 2016
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
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