âIwantthe world to know that I am the father. You have my child in your belly, Lisa. Do you really think I intend to relinquish my claim on my own flesh and blood?â
The words sounded almost primitive, and they were filled with a sense of possession. They reminded Lisa of the full force of Lucâs power and the fact that he had grown up with very different values from hers.
âOf course I donât!â she said. âWe can meet with a lawyer and have a legal agreement drawn up. You can see your child any time you likeâwithin reason. Surely you can have no objection to that?â
His eyes were cold, and so was his voice. âI think you are missing the point, cherie. I intend to marry you.â
âIâm sorry, Luc.â She gave a slight shake of her head as she reached for the door handle. âIâm afraid thatâs just not going to happen.â
âI donât want to have to fight you to get what I want, Lisa,â he said softly as they reached her door. âBut if you force my hand then Iâm afraid thatâs whatâs going to happen. Perhaps I should warn you now that it is better not to defy me.â
Dear Reader,
One hundred. Doesnât matter how many times I say it, I still canât believe thatâs how many books Iâve written. Itâs a fabulous feeling but more fabulous still is the news that Mills & Boon are issuing every single one of my backlist as digital titles. Wow. I canât wait to share all my stories with you - which are as vivid to me now as when I wrote them.
Thereâs BOUGHT FOR HER HUSBAND, with its outrageously macho Greek hero and A SCANDAL, A SECRET AND A BABY featuring a very sexy Tuscan. THE SHEIKHâS HEIR proved so popular with readers that it spent two weeks on the USA Today charts andâ¦well, I could go on, but Iâll leave you to discover them for yourselves.
I remember the first line of my very first book: âSo youâve come to Australia looking for a husband?â Actually, the heroine had gone to Australia to escape men, but guess what? She found a husband all the same! The man who inspired that book rang me up recently and when I told him I was beginning my 100>th story and couldnât decide what to write, he said, âWhy donât you go back to where it all started?â
So I did. And thatâs how A ROYAL VOW OF CONVENIENCE was born. It opens in beautiful Queensland and moves to England and New York. Itâs about a runaway princess and the enigmatic billionaire who is infuriated by her, yet who winds up rescuing her. But then, she goes and rescues him⦠Wouldnât you know it?
Iâll end by saying how very grateful I am to have a career I love, and to thank each and every one of you who has supported me along the way. You really are very dear readers.
Love,
Sharon xxx
Mills & Boon are proud to present a thrilling digital collection of all Sharon Kendrickâs novels and novellas for us to celebrate the publication of her amazing and awesome 100th book! Sharon is known worldwide for her likeable, spirited heroines and her gorgeous, utterly masculine heroes.
SHARON KENDRICK once won a national writing competition by describing her ideal date: being flown to an exotic island by a gorgeous and powerful man. Little did she realise that sheâd just wandered into her dream job! Today she writes for Mills & Boon, featuring often stubborn but always to die for heroes and the women who bring them to their knees. She believes that the best books are those you never want to end. Just like life â¦
With special thanks to a dear friendâthe wildly talented and inspirational Stewart Parvin â who designs amazing clothes and wedding dresses for discerning royals and women everywhere!
CHAPTER ONE
THE NAME LOOMED up in front of him and on the back seat of the limousine, Lucâs powerful body tensed. He knew what he ought to do. Ignore it. Drive on without a backward glance. Forget the past and accept the future which was waiting for him. But the dark voice of his conscience was forgotten as he leaned forward to speak to his driver, because sometimes curiosity was just too damned strong to resist.
âStop the car,â he ordered harshly.
The car slid to a halt in the quiet street of Londonâs Belgravia, a street full of unusual restaurants and tasteful shops. But only one of these caught his eyeâwhich was surprising, since Luciano wasnât the kind of man who had ever featured shopping as a hobby. He didnât need to. Even the expensive baubles discreetly bought as compensatory keepsakes for departing lovers were purchased on his behalf by one of his many staff.
But there had been no purchase of baubles for quite a while now and no heartbroken lovers to pacify. He had recently undertaken two long years of celibacyânot exactly happily, but because heâd recognised it was something he needed to do. And he had risen to the challenge. His mouth hardened at the unintended pun. He had channelled his considerable energies into his work. He had worn out his hard body with exercise. His mind had been clear, strong and focussedâyet he wondered where that focus was now as he read the two words scrolled in fancy letters above the shop across the street.