âHavenât you learned yet,Larissa?â Alessandro spoke soforcefully the ghost of old Venicewhispered through the polishedpatina of his perfect English. âInsome matters it is of no use to bewise.â He pounded the table withhis fist, making the silver jump.âThere are moments in your lifethat you need to seize with bothyour hands.â
Lara stared at him in shock, her heart thudding at some veiled comprehension she couldnât quite read. âWellâ¦well, how do I know this is one of them?â
He touched his linen napkin to his lips, then threw it down and sprang to his feet. Before she even had time to react he seized her and dragged her up out of her chair, thundering, âThis is how.â
Praise for Anna Cleary:
âAnna Clearyâs TAKEN BY THE MAVERICK MILLIONAIRE is a fast-paced story that begins with dislike at first sight and turns to unexpected passion. Trust and love have to play catch-up in this emotion-filled journey.â
âRomantic Times BOOKreviews
âMY TALL DARK GREEK BOSS is a fresh, sassy and sizzling contemporary romance⦠Anna Cleary is a talented storyteller who combines richly drawn characters, explosive chemistry, red-hot sensuality and dramatic emotional intensity in an irresistible romance that is absolutely impossible to put down!â
âCataromance
Look out for more fabulous stories from Anna, coming soon in Mills & Boon>® Modern Heatâ¢!
As a child, Anna Cleary loved reading so much that during the midnight hours she was forced to read with a torch under the bedcovers, to lull the suspicions of her sleep-obsessed parents. From an early age she dreamed of writing her own books. She saw herself in a stone cottage by the sea, wearing a velvet smoking jacket and sipping sherry, like Somerset Maugham.
In real life she became a schoolteacher, and her greatest pleasure was teaching children to write beautiful stories.
A little while ago, she and one of her friends made a pact to each write the first chapter of a romance novel in their holidays. From writing her very first line Anna was hooked, and she gave up teaching to become a full-time writer. She now lives in Queensland, with a deeply sensitive and intelligent cat. She prefers champagne to sherry, and loves music, books, four-legged people, trees, movies and restaurants.
Recent novels by this author:
UNTAMED BILLIONAIRE, UNDRESSED VIRGIN
TAKEN BY THE MAVERICK MILLIONAIRE
CHAPTER ONE
ONLY a few minutes late. No need to panic.
Alighting from an overheated bus into bustling George Street on a Sydney winter morn, waiting, shivering, at the crossing lights in her little charcoal suit and her suede knee boots, making the dash with the crowd across to the opposite pavement, Lara Meadows reminded herself she was strong.
She was brave, she was still beautifulâwell, in an artistic sense. From a distance. If she dived into a fountain in her underwear she could come out looking as shapely as any goddess of the silver screen, if more generously covered than some. Though only where it counted. If her hair got wet it would go limp and lose the pale spun silk effect she still managed to achieve to confound her critics, but she could still look reasonable.
Her hand flew to the scar at the base of her nape.
Not that she was competitive, by any means, or that looks meant anything in the publishing world. No, it was far more important that she was smart and professional, she was good at her job, she could speak up for herselfâ¦
So why were her insides churning like a cement mixer?
Alessandro was only a man, after all. Six years ago he hadnât been formidable. Heâd been the ultimate in amusing, sophisticated and charming. Take him apart bit by bitâremove his thick black hair, his smiling dark eyes, his sensuous mouth, his voice, his long powerful limbs, his chestâ¦and what would he be left with to make her knees knock together? She had done nothing to be ashamed of. He was the one who should be worried.
She pushed through the glass doors of the Stiletto building and sprinted across to the lift. No one else from her floor was around. Theyâd all be upstairs in the meeting room, eager to con the big bosses from across the globe into believing they were always punctual.
Eager to impress Alessandro.
She gulped in a breath. Sheâd meant to be early, but plaits took time, and Vivi liked them just right. Then there was the walk to schoolâit just didnât seem fair to rush a five-year-old fascinated by every living creature along the way.
She reminded herself of how tolerant and easy-going Alessandro was. Surely he was the last person anyone needed to fear as a boss.
Unless⦠She experienced a definite stab of fear. Unless it was someone who hadnât yet managed to inform him of something he might think concerned him quite dramatically.
Alessandro Vincenti accepted a file from the quavering secretary with grave thanks. The woman, bequeathed to him by the failed Managing Director of Stiletto Publishing, and possibly anxious about her future, backed towards the door, poised to scurry to safety. Alessandro sent her a reassuring smile. It had never been his pleasure to intimidate gentle creatures. Let the waters of the pond of life remain clear and unruffled.