A Virgin For A Vow
Her innocence—exposed!London’s top relationship columnist Abby Hart can’t tell anyone her biggest secret: not only is her perfect fiancé entirely fictional, she is also utterly untouched. Invited to attend a prestigious charity ball with her ‘husband-to-be’, she throws herself upon the mercy of brooding millionaire Luke Shelverton.After his own engagement ended tragically, Luke is reluctant to take credit for Abby’s diamond ring. To protect her reputation he agrees to a convenient arrangement… Except Abby’s effervescence kindles a fire he’s tempted to indulge! And uncovering her innocence compels Luke to initiate his temporary fiancée into all the sinful delights of the bridal bed!Celebrating Melanie Milburne's 75th book with Mills & Boon!
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Her innocence—exposed!
As London’s top relationship columnist, Abby Hart can’t tell anyone her biggest secret: not only is her perfect fiancé entirely fictional, she is also utterly untouched. Invited to attend a prestigious charity ball with her “husband-to-be,” she throws herself upon the mercy of brooding millionaire Luke Shelverton.
After his own engagement ended tragically, Luke is reluctant to take credit for Abby’s diamond ring. To protect her reputation, he agrees to a convenient arrangement. Except Abby’s effervescence kindles a fire he’s tempted to indulge... And uncovering her innocence compels Luke to initiate his temporary fiancée into all the sinful delights of the bridal bed!
Luke frowned. ‘You’re going to have to tell everyone eventually that you’re not in a relationship.’
‘But don’t you see? I need a stand-in fiancé in order to be able to break up with him. I’ll find someone for myself one day. But I have to get through the ball first. Please, please, please do this for me, Luke,’ Abby begged. ‘Just for a couple of hours.’
He released a long sigh. ‘All right—you win. I’ll take you for two hours. But you have to accept this is a one-off occasion and it will not be repeated.’
Abby had to stop herself from flinging herself into his arms. Or kissing him, which was even more tempting than she wanted to admit. ‘I promise.’
‘Oh, and one other thing,’ he warned. ‘I might be standing in for someone who doesn’t exist, but that’s as far as your little fantasy goes. Understood?’
‘I hope you’re not thinking I’d want you to actually marry me, because that’s just utterly ridiculous!’
‘Good to know,’ he said enigmatically. ‘See you tomorrow, Cinderella.’
MELANIE MILBURNE read her first Mills & Boon novel at the age of seventeen, in between studying for her final exams. After completing a master’s degree in education, she decided to write a novel, and thus her career as a romance author was born. Melanie is an ambassador for the Australian Childhood Foundation and a keen dog lover and trainer. She enjoys long walks in the Tasmanian bush. In 2015 Melanie won the Holt Medallion—a prestigious award honouring outstanding literary talent.
Books by Melanie Milburne
Mills & Boon Modern Romance
The Tycoon’s Marriage Deal
The Temporary Mrs Marchetti Unwrapping His Convenient Fiancée His Mistress for a Week At No Man’s Command
One Night With Consequences
A Ring for the Greek’s Baby
Wedlocked!
Wedding Night with Her Enemy
The Ravensdale Scandals
Ravensdale’s Defiant Captive
Awakening the Ravensdale Heiress Engaged to Her Ravensdale Enemy The Most Scandalous Ravensdale
The Playboys of Argentina
The Valquez Bride
The Valquez Seduction
Visit the Author Profile page
at millsandboon.co.uk for more titles.
To my previous editor, Flo Nicoll.
It was wonderful working with you on so many books. You encouraged me, supported me and challenged me to constantly lift my writing.
I will never forget meeting you in person in Sydney. Nor will I forget all the funny conversations we’ve had over thirty-plus books.
Bless you for being wonderful you. xxxx
Contents
ABBY HAD ONE day left to respond to the invitation to the ball. One day. Twenty-four hours. Fourteen hundred and forty minutes. Eighty-six thousand and four hundred seconds. And if she didn’t come up with a ‘fiancé’ by then she was toast.
Burned and charred and utterly useless toast.
She sat at her desk and stared at the gold and black vellum invitation with its fancy copperplate writing.
Miss Abby Hart and Fiancé
Panic knocked on her heart like a boxer’s fist, threatening to punch it right out the back of her chest. She couldn’t show up at Top Goss and Gloss’s prestigious Spring Charity Ball alone. It was the biggest event on her career calendar. There was a three-to four-year waiting list for tickets. There were more senior people on staff than her who had never received an invitation. Receiving a personalised invitation from the head honcho as ‘guest of honour’ was a big deal. A seriously big deal. Declining the invitation was out of the question. Her boss insisted it was time for Abby’s adoring fans to finally meet her fiancé. If she showed up at the ball alone she might as well take her resignation with her instead.
Everyone thought Abby was engaged to her childhood sweetheart. Everyone at work. Everyone online. Everyone on the flipping planet thought she was engaged. But she didn’t have a childhood sweetheart. She hadn’t even had a proper childhood. Not unless you could call being shunted in and out of foster homes since you were five years old a childhood.
‘Abby, have you got time for a—? Hey, haven’t you sent your RSVP for the ball yet? Wasn’t the deadline like a week ago?’ Sabina from Fashion asked with a frown.
Abby posted an everything’s cool smile on her face. ‘I know but I’m still waiting to hear back from my fiancé about it. He...he is super-busy with work stuff just now and—’
