Demanding his baby...
And his fiancée!
Tycoon Marco Silviano can’t forget the mysterious woman he spent an incredible week with on a luxurious island. Coming face-to-face with Imogen in England is shocking—especially when he learns she’s expecting his baby! Convinced their child will secure his family’s dynasty, Marco is intent on persuading Imogen to wear his ring. But once they’re engaged, their burning desire and Imogen’s warmhearted allure test Marco’s control to the limit...
Indulge in this passionate engagement of convenience romance!
“I have ways of making you change your mind.” The charm was back, the intensity diminished, as Marco laughed and opened the door. “First I will kiss you all over.”
“Sounds delicious.” Imogen giggled, shocking herself at the sound. “Then what?”
“I will make passionate love to you all night. I’m going to prove to you that the fire of passion that burns between us, along with the baby you carry, means we should be married.”
Imogen’s heart skipped a beat. He wanted to make love to her. Did that mean he felt something more than just sexual attraction for her? Hope flared brighter than any firework, bringing down the wall she’d built around her heart since Gavin had betrayed her trust, her love, so terribly.
“The fire of passion?” She repeated huskily as he stood by the bed, holding her so that she could feel the thud of his heartbeat. Was he trying to say that he could give her what she wanted?
Rachael Thomas has always loved reading romance and is thrilled to be a Harlequin author. She lives and works on a farm in Wales—a far cry from the glamour of a Harlequin Presents story—but that makes slipping into her characters’ worlds all the more appealing. When she’s not writing or working on the farm, she enjoys photography and visiting historical castles and grand houses. Visit her at rachaelthomas.co.uk.
Books by Rachael Thomas
Harlequin Presents
New Year at the Boss’s Bidding
Craving Her Enemy’s Touch
Claimed by the Sheikh
A Deal Before the Altar
Hired to Wear the Sheikh’s Ring
Convenient Christmas Brides
Valdez’s Bartered Bride
Martinez’s Pregnant Wife
The Secret Billionaires
Di Marcello’s Secret Son
One Night With Consequences
A Child Claimed by Gold
From One Night to Wife
Brides for Billionaires
Married for the Italian’s Heir
The Billionaire’s Legacy
To Blackmail a Di Sione
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.
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Rachael Thomas
A Ring to Claim His Legacy
In October 2017, I trekked the Great Wall of China to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation and this book is dedicated to my fellow trekkers: Tina & Colin, Wendy & Douglas, Glenn & Clair, Kathy, Daniela, Mary, Julia, Elaine, Martyne, Francesca, Lucy, Caroline, Rachel, Di, Brenda, Julia, Heather, Caroline, Chris, Jude, Taraa, Nikki, Richard, Daniel.
Also a massive thanks to Charity Challenge members Erika and Richard and the amazing local guides Tony and Justin and also Liz from the British Heart Foundation for making it such a great experience.
Thanks, everyone, for an amazing week and the fantastic memories to last me a lifetime!
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
EPILOGUE
EXCERPT FROM THE ITALIAN'S CHRISTMAS HOUSEKEEPER BY SHARON KENDRICK
CHAPTER ONE
MARCO SILVIANO’S ATTENTION was completely captivated by the curvy blonde woman who had just ordered champagne for herself and her friend. Even her voice was incredibly sexy, and as for the bright blue dress which shimmered in the subdued light of the bar, intensifying his body’s reaction to her every luscious curve, it was nothing short of seductive.
He called the bartender over with a subtle move of his hand. ‘Tell the ladies the champagne is with my compliments.’
‘Yes, sir. Who shall I say?’ the bartender asked.
He was here at this luxury island resort, his latest addition to the Silviano Leisure Group, to ensure everything was being done exactly as he wanted it. Experience had taught him it was best not to reveal his true identity on arrival, but later, when he’d seen everything first-hand, just as a guest would.
‘Marco,’ he said casually, not offering his surname.
He watched as the bartender passed on his message. The two women turned their attention from the messenger and looked towards him, but it was the gorgeous blonde who held his attention. Marco’s gaze locked with hers and something indescribable arced across the distance between them. He took in a deep, sharp breath of shock. That had never happened before. He’d never experienced a sensation that everything or everyone else in the world had ceased to exist except for the person he was looking at.
He recovered himself quickly, reverting to his usual charm, and raised his glass to her. He was vaguely aware of her friend, raising her glass to him in thanks as she smiled and said something to the woman whose gaze was still locked with his. It was clear from the blonde’s expression that she was as shocked as he was at what had just passed between them. The friend disappeared from his vision. All he could see was the blonde, her long, wavy hair cascading over her shoulders and resting on full breasts, tantalisingly concealed and yet alluringly revealed by her low-cut dress.
She smiled and raised her glass to him. It should have been an innocent gesture, but for some reason it was wildly erotic. Provocative. Heat surged to his groin and the promise his father and mother had all but forced out of him, to marry a nice girl and settle down, vanished like the setting sun.
He was here, masquerading as a guest for a week. The perfect excuse to escape the demands of a family he’d never really felt he belonged to. So much had happened recently, prompting the repeated question of when he was going to get married that he’d been driven from the New York headquarters of the Silviano Leisure Group, abandoning CEO decisions and board meetings just to escape his family’s inquisition.
His father’s recent heart attack had revealed huge family secrets, and all the times he’d tried and failed to live up to his father’s expectations had come back to haunt him. Each memory had sat there around him, taunting him from the past. On top of that were the constant reminders that he alone was expected to provide the next Silviano heir—and his father was very keen that it be a boy.
His only sister, Bianca, had been dealt the unfair hand of not being able to have children, which now meant he was the only one who could provide the next Silviano heir to inherit all his grandfather had started when he’d emigrated from Italy to New York.
Maybe a little flirtation with this blonde would be just what he needed to distract himself. After all, he wasn’t yet married, something he intended to avoid for as long as possible. His pulse leapt at the thought of indulging in some flirtation with this gorgeousl
y curvy blonde. And why not? For one week he was far away from New York, far away from the pressures his family were putting on him. All too soon he would have to return to the reality of his life, but for now he had other far more important choices to make.
He slid off the bar stool and made his way towards the women and as he got closer the blonde’s vivid blue eyes beckoned him flirtatiously, but the way she nervously bit at her lower lip almost knocked him off course. It was as if beneath the sexy flirting, she was not as used to the act as she wanted him to think. Could it be that the beauty of the island and being away from home was making her do things she wouldn’t normally do too? Or was it the undeniable attraction which had slashed through the warm night air as their eyes had first met? Either way it was an intoxicating cocktail. One he fully intended to sample to the full.
‘Thank you for the champagne,’ her friend said as she moved to stand behind the blonde woman, blatantly trying to force him and her friend together.
‘Yes, thank you.’ The soft lilt of the blonde’s voice was not something he’d expected. The hint of hesitation in it didn’t go with the bold and daring designer dress which showcased her curves to perfection, making him want to hold her close, feel her against him, then remove the blue silk and discover the pleasure her sexy body promised.
‘The pleasure is mine,’ he said as he leant on the bar, holding his glass of brandy, unable to do anything else but look into those eyes. It was like diving into the ocean and going down, deeper and deeper. He could almost feel the water on his body. He blinked. What was the matter with him? He’d spent too long in recent weeks with his sister, who always talked of him one day meeting the right woman, falling in love, and despite her own heartache reminding him of the son the family needed. Thankfully his father’s condition had meant that her constant remarks about the expectation that he would marry and produce the next Silviano heir had calmed as her attention became focused on their father. This he knew would be short-lived.
The very notion of creating his own family was completely alien to him. Marco lived life in the fast lane, lived for the passion of a new affair. He didn’t want the comfort of family life when he’d failed miserably to fit into his. As for love, which his sister taunted him with, telling him one day it would get him, that was definitely a no-go area. After discovering his mother’s secret, the explanation as to why he’d never been able to gain his father’s love, he wanted nothing to do with love—of any kind. He’d had very little as a child, believing he wasn’t worthy of it. Now, as an adult, he had no intention of ever falling in love.
The blonde smiled up at him and heat surged through him as he anticipated the thrill of a new chase. ‘This is Julie Masters and I’m Imogen...’ She paused for a moment as if not wanting to divulge her true identity, her eyes searching his face. ‘Just Imogen.’
First-name terms. That suited him perfectly. ‘You look very beautiful tonight, just Imogen.’ He smiled at her, aware his charm was having its usual effect and the anticipation of the outcome was more powerful than he’d experienced for a long time. ‘I’m Marco.’
Imogen’s eyelashes fluttered down briefly in a show of shyness that was at odds with the daring dress she wore, but when she looked back up her gaze was steady and firm.
‘Hello, Marco.’ Her voice had become breathy and very sexy, igniting the desire within him.
‘And are you two lovely ladies enjoying the island?’ he asked them both, in an attempt to cool the suddenly very hot atmosphere around them.
‘It’s absolutely amazing.’ Enthusiasm sprang from Imogen’s words. ‘We only arrived last night, but already I am completely in love with the place.’
‘It’s divine.’ Julie added her opinion then returned her attention to the champagne.
He couldn’t hope for better feedback. Everything he’d seen since arriving this afternoon had pleased him, but to hear the island and his staff pleased his guests, the kind who could afford such luxurious surroundings, was far more satisfying. ‘Where are you and Julie from?’
‘London,’ Julie said so quickly it startled him. ‘Daddy told us to take some time away in the sunshine. So here we are.’
‘You’re sisters?’ Marco looked from the blonde-haired Imogen to dark-haired Julie.
‘Cousins,’ Imogen said as Julie laughed as if at some secret joke and he doubted they were cousins. He had the impression he was becoming embroiled in some kind of personal joke, but, so long as that involved him and Imogen exploring the attraction which had sparked between them, he didn’t care.
Imogen turned to Julie and a look passed between them, but he couldn’t decipher if it was a warning, annoyance or shock. When Imogen looked back up at him, the smile was on her full lips and a sparkle of mischief was in her eyes. It notched up the heat of lust within him, made the sparks of attraction jump higher. ‘And we are only here for a week.’
‘Then we had better make the most of that week.’ Marco watched as a flush of colour infused her cheeks and Imogen looked down into her glass, as if the bubbles could help her decide if she wanted to do exactly that.
‘Just what I said.’ Julie’s laughter-filled voice snagged his attention from Imogen. ‘So if you will excuse me, I’m going to go and do exactly that.’
Imogen’s head lifted quickly and she looked briefly at him, before turning to look back at Julie. ‘Is that so?’
‘Yes.’ Julie laughed as she was backing away, a skip almost in her step. ‘Marco will keep you company, I’m sure.’ Marco knew exactly what was going on. Julie had seen the spark of attraction between them and was playing at matchmaker.
He turned his attention back to Imogen. He liked her shyness. Surprisingly he found the idea of having to court a beautiful woman refreshing; instead of having them virtually fall at his feet—or into his bed. That was one of the things he now considered the downside of his wealth and family name. Women no longer saw him, they saw only what he could give them, but just Imogen seemed indifferent to all that, despite the designer dress she was wearing. He had the distinct impression such actions were much more the way of her cousin than her.
‘I’m sorry about that,’ Imogen said, shyness creeping back into her voice. This week was going to be a lot more interesting than he’d anticipated. The beautiful Imogen was just the antidote he needed before heading back to New York and facing the music. Maybe he’d even do the unthinkable and turn his phone off for a day or two, make his time here a moment of true escape. So long as it involved a night with Imogen he’d consider it worth doing. He wasn’t about to turn his back on the high-voltage spark between them. He’d allow the attraction between them to develop naturally, something he’d never indulged in before. The thought of making the whole encounter longer, before the inevitable conclusion of hot, passionate sex, fired his desire even more. He was going to enjoy this chase.
‘I have no objection to keeping you company,’ he said as she looked up at him and once again he was lost in the swirling blue of her eyes, only vaguely aware of Julie leaving. ‘We have a bottle of champagne and the whole night ahead of us. What could be more perfect?’
Her coy smile made his breath catch and for once in his life, even if he hadn’t decided to make it last, he wasn’t at all sure what the outcome of this night would be. Underneath her flirtatious smiles and the enticingly sexy dress, he sensed Imogen might be different from any woman he’d ever had an affair with. He liked it. He liked the excitement which zipped through him because he would have to work for her, court her, in order to win her into his bed. It excited him because it was something he’d never had to do before.
‘I’m not going to manage the entire bottle myself now that Julie has gone.’ Imogen laughed softly, and again that coy smile. ‘I’m not used to drinking it. The bubbles will go straight to my head.’
He frowned. Surely a society girl who was used to partying and being wined and dined was used to champagne.
He dismissed the question from his mind, preferring the ever-increasing need to kiss this woman. ‘Then I suggest we take our time.’
She looked at him from beneath lowered lashes as she tucked her hair behind her ear. It wasn’t an attempt to flirt and not at all the usual kind of playing with hair that would leave him in no doubt the woman in question wanted him. It made her seem shy, wary of him. If she was really unused to male attention then he would have to abandon his usual seduction routine. A thought that filled him with anticipation.
‘I’d like that,’ she said with that lovely smile.
He put aside his brandy glass and with one nod at the bartender to bring the champagne on ice and fresh glasses he turned to Imogen. ‘Shall we find somewhere more comfortable? A little more private perhaps?’
Briefly a look of panic rushed over Imogen’s face, but then she shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, her hair sliding off the bare skin, revealing the thin straps of the dress and far more of her creamy, soft breasts than he was sure she’d be happy with. It certainly stirred up the lust-filled passion in him, but it also made him question if she was in a relationship. He couldn’t imagine why any sane man wouldn’t want to keep this woman to himself, and he never became entangled with a woman if she was involved or married.
‘Yes, that’s a perfect idea.’ Her voice was almost a whisper, which only added fuel to the fire of building desire within him.
He placed his hand in the small of her back, lightly pressing against her as they moved away from the bar to the more secluded areas surrounding the restaurant area.
‘I hope that I am not treading on anyone’s toes.’ He pulled a seat out for her as the bartender brought the champagne bucket and glasses. Marco shook his head at him when he attempted to pour it.
Imogen frowned at him. ‘Anyone’s toes?’
He glanced at her left hand. No wedding ring. ‘Surely a woman as beautiful as you must have a fiancé or boyfriend at home in London?’
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