The Baby Proposal

Faking a marriage for baby’s sake...

When Lana Hale asks hotel tycoon Kal Bishop to marry her, he can’t let his best friend down! To keep her sister’s baby out of the foster-care system, Lana needs Kal to pose as her husband. Soon his luxury Hawaiian resort sets the stage for an unexpectedly passionate honeymoon...

Before they know it, playing the part of lovers turns into the real thing. And once the need for their ruse ends, Kal faces losing a wife he didn’t even know he wanted. Will the reluctant husband take the ultimate risk and make a proposal of his own?

“Kalani Bishop, would you do me the honor of being my fake husband?”

He pressed his lips together for a moment, then he finally nodded. “I guess so.”

“Yay!” Lana leaped into his arms and hugged him close. She buried her nose in his neck, drawing in his cologne. The familiar scent of her best friend drew a decidedly physical response from deep inside her that she wasn’t expecting.

She pulled herself out of the romantic fog she’d let herself slip into accidentally. “Are you really okay with this?” she asked.

“No,” he said, ever honest, “but I’m going to do it anyway. For you.”

She leaned in to hug him again and spoke softly into his ear. “Thank you for being the best friend a girl could ever have. I owe you big-time.”

Kal chuckled, a low rumble that vibrated against her chest and made her want to snuggle closer to him. “Oh, you have no idea.”

* * *

The Baby Proposal is part of Mills & Boon Desire’s No. 1 bestselling series, Billionaires and Babies: Powerful men... wrapped around their babies’ little fingers.

Dear Reader,

Last year, I took a trip to Hawaii and I knew immediately that I wanted to set a duet of books there. The beauty, the history, the culture...it captured my imagination. When we stepped foot in Maui, I was immediately in love. It was so different from Oahu and the bustle of Waikiki. On our drive to the hotel from the airport, we could see humpback whales breaching. I was hooked. Our hotel was on Ka’anapali Beach and although the weather wasn’t always on our side, it was a lovely place—perfect for my hero’s new hotel. We attended an amazing luau in Lahaina and I knew the characters were set—the hotelier and the hula dancer. Best friends who never anticipated more until one adorable baby girl turned their world upside down.

If you enjoy Kal and Lana’s story, tell me by visiting my website at www.andrealaurence.com, like my fan page on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

Enjoy,

Andrea

The Baby Proposal

Andrea Laurence

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ANDREA LAURENCE is an award-winning author of contemporary romances filled with seduction and sass. She has been a lover of reading and writing stories since she was young. A dedicated West Coast girl transplanted into the Deep South, she is thrilled to share her special blend of sensuality and dry, sarcastic humor with readers.

To My Dancing Queens

Theresa, Jaime, Lucretia & Amanda

Thanks for all the girls’ nights,

the Soul Train dance parties, beach time and laughs. I’m not going to thank you for the tequila. Tequila is the devil. Even the good stuff.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

One

Showtime.

The rhythmic sound of the drums pounded in the distance. On cue, one spotlight, then another, lit up the stage at the center of the open courtyard. With loud whoops and cries, the Mau Loa Maui dancing troupe took the stage.

Kalani Bishop watched the show begin from the dark corner of the courtyard. Spread out across the lawn of his resort were hundreds of hotel guests. They were mesmerized, as was Kal, by the beautiful movements of the traditional Hawaiian dancers onstage. He had no doubt that he had the finest traditional dancers on the entire island of Maui. He could have nothing less at his hotel.

The Mau Loa Maui had been the brainchild of Kal and his younger brother, Mano. Their family hotel, the original Mau Loa, was located on Waikiki Beach on Oahu. Growing up, they had dreamed of one day not only taking over the Oahu location but expanding the resort chain to other islands. First—Ka’anapali Beach in Maui. Kal had fallen in love with the island the moment he arrived. It was so different from Oahu—so lush and serenely beautiful. Even the women were more sensual, in his opinion, like ripe fruits waiting for him to pick them.

It was without question the most beautiful hotel on the island. The look on his grandparents’ faces when they arrived at the resort the first time was proof enough that they approved of his work. The tourists certainly did. Since they opened, the resort had remained at capacity and had reservations booked solid a year in advance. They made vacation fantasies come true.

Part of the Hawaiian fantasy included attending an authentic luau with the kind of dancing seen in movies. At the Mau Loa Maui, the luau took place three nights a week and included a full dinner of kalua pork, poi, fresh pineapple, mango rice and other traditional Hawaiian foods. The guests sat on pillows around low tables that surrounded the stage.