The matchmaker meets her match...in one very persistent tycoon!
Secretive matchmaker to the rich and famous, Lydia Whitney prefers to stay behind the scenes. But after one mistake, rich resort developer Ian McNeill is hot on her trail, and heâs more attractiveâand persistentâthan ever before.
Ian canât believe it when he figures out whoâs messing with his family: a woman who has deceivedâand seducedâhim before. Whatâs her agenda? And why canât he resist her? Heâll get the answers to all his questions, if Lydia agrees to his convenient marriage proposal. But once sheâs in his arms again, will he let her go?
The Magnateâs Marriage Merger is part of The McNeill Magnates trilogy.
âI get to kiss you on two occasions.â
Kisses. Just kisses. But when had they ever been able to stop at just kisses?
She should protest. End this now.
Instead, Lydia breathed in the feel of having Ian this close to her. So close she caught a hint of his sandalwood aftershave that had occasionally clung to her skin after a night in his bed.
âWhen would those kisses happen?â Her eyes tracked his. âOn what occasions?â
âOnce on our wedding day. And once to seal the deal.â
âAs in...now?â She would not lick her lips even though her mouth went chalk-dry at the thought.
âRight now.â His hand found the center of her back, his palm an electric warmth through the mesh fabric of her cover-up. âDo we have a deal, Lydia? One year together and Iâll honor all of your terms.â
Bad idea. Bad idea. Her brain chanted it as if to urge the words out of her mouth.
She nodded her assent.
* * *
The Magnateâs Marriage Merger is part of the McNeill Magnates trilogy: Those McNeill men just have a way with women.
Four-time RITA® Award nominee JOANNE ROCK has penned over seventy stories for Mills & Boon. An optimist by nature and a perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance fits her life outlook perfectlyâlove is worth fighting for. A former Golden Heart® Award recipient, she has won numerous awards for her stories. Learn more about Joanneâs imaginative Muse by visiting her website, www.joannerock.com, or following @joannerock6 on Twitter.
For Heather Kerzner, who inspires everyone she knows. I miss seeing you in person, my friend, but I smile to think of all the people you meet who benefit from having you in their lives. Thank you for being a bright light!
One
âYou found her?â Ensconced in his office at the McNeill Resorts headquarters in New Yorkâs Financial District, Ian McNeill glanced up from the file folder on his desk at the private investigator standing before him.
Ian had been back stateside for less than twenty-four hours when heâd gotten the message that the PI heâd hired two months ago had news for him. Ianâs older brother, Quinn, had asked for his help to locate an anonymous Manhattan matchmaker whoâd tried to pair their younger brother, Cameron, with a renowned ballerina. While that sounded harmless enough on the surface, the potential âbrideâ had had no knowledge she was supposed to meet Cameron, and it had caused a public scandal.
Bad enough in itself.
Except then the next day, the matchmaker responsible had closed up shop. Ian discovered within the week that the woman had been using a fake name and an assistant as a front to do most of her work. But despite a few leads, he hadnât had any luck finding the woman.
Until now.
âThatâs her.â The investigator, Bentley, pointed to the closed file folder on Ianâs desk. The guy was a former college roommate and someone he trusted. Bentleyâs specialty was digital forensics, but he took the occasional job outside the office if the case was interesting enough or, as in Ianâs case, if the work was for a friend. With his clean-shaven face, wire-rimmed glasses and a faded pair of camo pants, Bentley looked more like a teenage gamer geek than a successful entrepreneur. âItâs no wonder she used an alias for her matchmaking business. Sheâs certainly well-known in Manhattan by her real name.â
Ian slid the file closer, tapping a finger on the cover.
âThe New York tabloids sold plenty of papers trying to guess her identity last winter after she paired up one of the Brooklyn Nets with that fashion blogger,â Bentley explained. The mystery matchmaker had been responsible for a string of high-profile matches between celebrity clients and wealthy movers and shakers, and her success under an assumed name had the New York social scene all trying to guess who she was.
Curious, Ian leaned back in the cherry-red leather executive chair, manila folder in hand. The late-morning sun slanted in through the huge windows with a view of the river. Taking a deep breath, he flipped open the file to the papers inside.
Only to see an eight-by-ten glossy photo of his ex-loverâs face on the top page.