Kidnapped for the Tycoon's Baby

by Louise Fuller

  No, he didn’t wanted to trap her—only he couldn’t bear a life without Nola, a life without his child.

  But how he could salvage this?

  He took a deep breath. ‘I know I’ve messed up. And I know you don’t have any reason to listen to me, let alone forgive me, but I want a second chance. I want us to try again.’

  For a moment she couldn’t understand what he was saying, for it made no sense. Only a couple of hours ago he had said that he wanted to break up with her, to go back to his old life, and yet now he was here, asking her for a second chance.

  But even as her brain raged against the inconsistency of his words her heart was responding to the desperation in his voice.

  Only she couldn’t do this again. Couldn’t start to believe, to hope.

  Ignoring the ache in her chest, she shook her head. ‘You gave up on me. And on our baby. Or have you forgotten that you were supposed to announce our engagement last night—?’ She broke off, her voice catching in her throat as pain split her in two.

  He took a step towards her, and for the first time it occurred to her that he looked as desperate as he sounded. There were shadows under his eyes and he was trembling all over.

  ‘I haven’t forgotten, and I’m sorry—’

  ‘You’re sorry!’

  She shook her head. Did he really think that saying sorry was somehow going to make everything right again? If so, she had been right to throw him out.

  ‘Well, don’t be—I’m not. You know what? I’m glad you broke it off, because there’s something wrong with you. Something that means that every time we get to a place of calm and understanding you have to smash it all to pieces. And I can’t—I don’t want to live like that.’

  ‘I know, and I don’t want to live like that either.’

  He sounded so wretched. But why should she care? In fact she wasn’t going to care, she told herself.

  Only it was so hard, for despite her righteous anger she still loved him. But thankfully he would never know that.

  ‘Then it’s lucky for both of us that we don’t have to,’ she said quickly. ‘As soon as I can get a flight back to Scotland I’m going home.’

  She watched as he took a deep breath, and the pain in his eyes tugged at an ache inside her, so that suddenly she could hardly bear looking at his stricken face.

  ‘But this is your home...’

  She shook her head. ‘It’s not my home. It’s a pay-off. A way for you to make yourself feel better. I don’t want it.’

  Ram stared at her in silence. The blood was roaring in his ears.

  He was losing her. He was losing her.

  The words echoed inside his head and he could hardly speak through the grief rising up in his throat. ‘But I want you. And I want to marry you.’

  Her heart began to beat faster. It was so tempting to give in, for she knew that right now he believed what he was saying. But now was just a moment in time: it wouldn’t last for ever. And she was done with living in the moment.

  Slowly she shook her head. ‘Only because you can’t have me. I don’t know what you want, Ram. But I do know that you can’t just break up with me and then two hours later come and tell me that you want me back and expect everything to be okay again. Maybe if this was a film we could kiss, and then the credits would roll, and everyone in the cinema would go home happy. But we’re not in a film. This is real life, and it doesn’t work like that.’

  Tears filled her eyes.

  ‘You hurt me, Ram...’ she whispered.

  ‘I know.’

  The pain in his voice shocked her.

  ‘I wish I could go back and change what I did and what I said. I panicked. When I went to find my mother she told me not to make the same mistake that she had. That relationships can’t be forced. That they need love. That’s why I couldn’t go through with it.’

  She nodded. ‘Because you don’t love me—I know,’ she said dully.

  ‘No!’ He let out a ragged breath. ‘I broke up with you because I do love you, Nola, and I didn’t want to trap you in a marriage that you didn’t want. That you never wanted.’

  He took a step towards her, his hands gripping her arms, his eyes glittering not with tears but with passion.

  ‘I love you, and that’s why I want to marry you. Not out of duty, or because I want the baby to have my name. But I know you don’t love me, and I’ve hurt you so much already. Only I couldn’t just walk away. I tried, but I couldn’t do it. That’s why I came back—’

  He stopped. There were tears in her eyes.

  Only she was smiling.

  ‘You love me? You love me?’

  He stared at her uncertainly, his eyes burning, wishing there was another way to tell her that—to make her believe. But even before he’d started to nod she was pressing her hand against her mouth, as though that would somehow stop the tears spilling from her eyes.

  ‘You’re so smart, Ram. Easily the smartest person I’ve ever met. But you’re also the stupidest. Why do think I agreed to marry you?’

  ‘I don’t know...’ he whispered.

  ‘Because I love you, of course.’

  Gazing up into his face, Nola felt her heart almost stop beating as she saw that he too was crying.

  ‘Why would you ever love me?’

  His voice broke apart and she felt the crack inside her deepen as his mouth twisted in pain.

  ‘How could you love me? After everything I’ve said and done? After how I’ve behaved?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ She bit her lip. ‘I didn’t want to. And it scares me that I do. But I can’t help it. I love you.’ Her mouth trembled. ‘I love you and I still want to marry you.’

  His hands tightened around her arms, his eyes searching her face. ‘Are you sure? I don’t want to trap you. I don’t want to be that kind of man—that kind of husband, that kind of father.’

  Her heart began to beat faster. ‘You’re not. Not anymore. I don’t think you ever were.’

  Breathing out unsteadily, he pulled her close, smoothing the tears away from her face. ‘Your parents married because it was the next step,’ he said slowly. ‘My mother married Guy out of desperation. They didn’t think about what they were doing...it just happened. But we’re different. We’ve fought to be together, and our marriage is going to work just fine.’

  She breathed out shakily. ‘How do you know?’

  His eyes softened. ‘Because you know me,’ he said simply. ‘You know everything about me—the good and the bad. And you still love me.’

  Her lip trembled. ‘Yes, I do.’

  ‘It scares me, you knowing me like that.’ He grimaced. ‘But I trust you, and I love you, and I always will.’

  Gently, he uncurled her arms from around her body, and as one they stepped towards each other.

  Burying her face against his chest, Nola sighed with relief as Ram pulled her close.

  ‘I love you, Nola.’

  She lifted her head. ‘I love you too.’

  For several minutes they held each other in silence, neither wanting to let go of the other, to let go of what they had come so close to losing.

  Finally Ram shifted backwards. ‘Do you think it’s too late to tell my mother?’

  Tracing the curve of his mouth with her fingers, she laughed. ‘I think it might be better for us to get some sleep first. Besides, what’s a couple of hours when we have the rest of our lives together?’

  ‘The rest of our lives together...’ He repeated it softly, and then laying one hand across the swell of her stomach, he pulled her closer still, so that he and Nola and the baby were all connected. ‘That’s a hell of a future,’ he whispered, kissing her gently on the forehead.

  Looking up into his handsome face, Nola felt her heart swell with happiness. All the hardness and anger had gone and there was only hope and love in his grey eyes.

  ‘Although, from where I’m standing, the present looks pretty damn good too.’

  She bit her lip, her mouth curling up
at the corners. ‘I think it would look even better lying down.’

  ‘My thoughts exactly,’ he murmured, and with his heart beating with love and joy he scooped her up into his arms and carried her towards the stairs.

  EPILOGUE

  STEPPING UNDER THE shower head, Nola switched on the water and closed her eyes. If she was lucky, she might actually get to wash her hair today. Yesterday Evie, who was four months old today, had woken just as she’d stepped under the water. Not that she really minded. Her tiny daughter was the best thing in her life. The joint best thing, she amended silently.

  Tipping her face up to meet the hot spray, she smiled as she thought back to the day of Evie’s arrival. Ram had not only turned into a hands-on daddy, he’d practically taken over the entire labour ward.

  It had been a small and rare reminder of the old work-hard, play-hard Ram, for nowadays she and Evie were the focus of his passion and devotion. He still loved his job, and the launch had been the most successful in the company’s history—but he was happiest when he was at home.

  And she was happy too. How could she not be?

  She had a handsome, loving husband, a job working with her best friend, and a baby she adored.

  Evie was beautiful, a perfect blend of both her parents. She’d inherited her pale skin and loose dark curls from Nola, but she had her father’s grey eyes—a fact which, endearingly, Ram pointed out to everyone.

  Her skin prickled as the fragrant warm air around her seemed to shift sideways, and then she gasped, her stomach tightening as two warm hands slid around her waist.

  ‘Hi!’

  Ram kissed her softly on the neck and, breathing out unsteadily, she leaned back against his warm naked body.

  ‘Hey! That was quick.’

  ‘I haven’t done anything yet.’

  The teasing note in his voice matched the light, almost tormenting touch of his fingers as they drifted casually over her flat stomach. Turning, she nipped him on the arm, softening it to a kiss as he pulled her closer.

  ‘I meant the interview. I thought you were seeing that super-important woman from the news network?’

  Tugging her round to face him, he looked down into her eyes, his mouth curving upwards into one of those sexy smiles she knew would always take her breath away.

  ‘I talked really fast. Besides, I have two far more important women right here!’

  ‘And in about half an hour you’ll have three.’ She pulled away slightly and smiled up at him. ‘Pandora rang. She went shopping yesterday, and she wants to drop off a few things for Evie.’

  Ram groaned. ‘I presume she went shopping overseas? There can’t be anything left in Australia for her to buy.’

  Since the night of her anniversary party Pandora had been working hard to rebuild her relationship with her son, and Nola knew that, despite joking about her shopping habits, Ram was touched by his mother’s efforts to make amends. She had separated from Guy, and now that they were no longer forced to live together the two of them had begun to enjoy each other’s company as friends.

  Nola laughed. ‘You can talk. Every time you go out of the door you come back with something for me or Evie.’

  ‘She deserves it for being so adorable,’ Ram said softly as she glanced down at the beautiful diamond ring he’d given her when Evie was born. ‘And you deserve it for giving me such a beautiful daughter.’

  And for giving him a life, and a future filled with love.

  Gently he ran his hand over her stomach. ‘I miss your bump. I feel like I’d just got used to it, and then she was here. Not that I’m complaining.’ His eyes softened. ‘I can’t imagine my life without her or you.’

  Nola felt a pang of guilt. She knew how much he regretted not being there for the early stages of her pregnancy, for they had no secrets from one another now. That was one of the lessons they’d learnt from their past—to be open with one another.

  ‘I miss it too. But there’ll be other bumps.’

  ‘Is that what you want?’

  His face had gentled, and she loved him for it, because now everything was about what they both wanted.

  ‘It is. It all happened so quickly last time.’

  She hesitated, and then, leaning closer, ran her hand slowly over his stomach, her heart stumbling against her ribs as his skin twitched beneath her fingers.

  His eyes narrowed, and a curl of heat rose up inside her as he pulled her against his smooth golden body.

  ‘I’m happy to go slowly. On one condition.’

  The roughness in his voice made her blood tingle.

  ‘And what’s that,’ she asked softly.

  ‘That we start right now.’

  And, tipping her mouth up to his, he kissed her hungrily.

  * * * * *

  EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT

  Reluctant Sheikh Salim Al-Noury would rather abdicate than taint the realm with his dark secrets.

  But could one exquisitely beautiful diplomat convince him otherwise?…

  Christmas means heartbreak to Charlotte, and this overseas assignment offers the perfect getaway. But Salim proves to be her most challenging client yet, and his rugged masculinity awakens untouched Charlotte to unimaginable pleasures!

  Read on for a sneak preview of Abby Green’s book

  A CHRISTMAS BRIDE FOR THE KING

  Rulers of the Desert

  She looked Salim straight in the eye. ‘Life is so easy for you, isn’t it? No wonder you don’t want to rule—it would put a serious cramp in your lifestyle and a dent in your empire. Have you ever had to think of anyone but yourself, Salim? Have you ever had to consider the consequences of your actions? People like you make me—’

  ‘Enough.’ Salim punctuated the harshly spoken word by taking her arms in his hands. He said it again. ‘Enough, Charlotte. You’ve made your point.’

  She couldn’t breathe after the way he’d just said her name. Roughly. His hands were huge on her arms, and firm but not painful. She knew she should say Let me go but somehow the words wouldn’t form in her mouth.

  Salim’s eyes were blazing down into hers and for a second she had the impression that she’d somehow…hurt him. But in the next instant any coherent thought fled, because he slammed his mouth down onto hers and all she was aware of was shocking heat, strength, and a surge of need such as she’d never experienced before.

  Salim couldn’t recall when he’d felt angrier—people had thrown all sorts of insults at him for years. Women who’d expected more than he’d been prepared to give. Business adversaries he’d bested. His brother. His parents. But for some reason this buttoned-up slender woman with her cool judgmental attitude was getting to him like no one else ever had.

  The urge to kiss her had been born out of that anger and a need to stop her words, but also because he’d felt a hot throb of desire that had eluded him for so long he’d almost forgotten what it felt like.

  Her mouth was soft and pliant under his, but on some dim level not clouded red with lust and anger he knew it was shock—and, sure enough, after a couple of seconds he felt her tense and her mouth tighten against his.

  He knew he should draw back. dpgroup

  If he was another man he might try to convince himself he’d only intended the kiss to be a display of power, but Salim had never drawn back from admitting his full failings. And he couldn’t pull back—not if a thousand horses were tied to his body. Because he wanted her.

  Don’t miss

  A CHRISTMAS BRIDE FOR THE KING

  By Abby Green

  Available December 2017

  www.millsandboon.co.uk

  Copyright ©2017 Abby Green

  ISBN: 978-1-474-05310-5

  KIDNAPPED FOR THE TYCOON’S BABY

  © 2017 Louise Fuller

  Published in Great Britain 2017

  by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

  All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any
form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

  By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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