Bella Frances - The Tycoon's Shock Heir

She’s carrying the Rossini baby...

Will she become the billionaire’s bride?

Restoring his family’s legacy is all that’s important to Italian tycoon Matteo Rossini. Until captivating ballerina Ruby Martin tempts him to abandon his pursuit for a night of fiery pleasure! Yet when sweet Ruby confesses she’s pregnant, Matteo demands his child. But with heat still burning between them, can Matteo ignore his desire for Ruby, too?

Experience the drama in this pregnancy romance!

Unable to sit still without reading, BELLA FRANCESfirst found romantic fiction at the age of twelve, in between the deadly dull knitting patterns and recipes in the pages of her grandmother’s magazines. An obsession was born! But it wasn’t until one long, hot summer, after completing her first degree in English Literature, that she fell upon the legends that are Mills & Boon books. She has occasionally lifted her head out of them since to do a range of jobs, including barmaid, financial adviser and teacher, as well as to practise (but never perfect) the art of motherhood to two almost grown-up cherubs. Bella lives a very energetic life in the UK. but tries desperately to travel for pleasure at least once a month—strictly in the interests of research!

Also by Bella Frances

The Playboy of Argentina

The Scandal Behind the Wedding

The Consequence She Cannot Deny

Claimed by a Billionaire miniseries

The Argentinian’s Virgin Conquest

The Italian’s Vengeful Seduction

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

The Tycoon’s Shock Heir

Bella Frances

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08731-5

THE TYCOON’S SHOCK HEIR

© 2018 Bella Frances

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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To my son, Harry.

With all my love.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Extract

About the Publisher

FRIDAY AFTERNOON. BEST TIME in the world. Working week wrapped up and the party just about to start. And, with the news he’d just heard, Matteo Rossini knew it was going to be some party.

He stepped out of the car, loosened his tie and took the steps into his jet for the last task of the day—the short flight from Rome to London and a call to the Executive Director, Signora Rossini herself. Mamma to him.

He walked through the cabin and sat at his desk, ready to sink his Friday beer. It wasn’t there.

He slung his bag on the empty chair and looked around. Neither was his assistant David. Strange. They had this routine down—the beer, the call, some water, some press-ups, shower and change, the car ready in London, sometimes a woman, sometimes not. Tonight was definitely a ‘sometimes not’ night. Tonight was boxing, a little gambling and all-male bonding—as soon as he delivered the news.

He sat down and keyed in the number. Drummed his fingers. Looked around again for David. Where was he?

At the sound of a beer being opened he turned, just as the call connected. He noticed the legs first, then the red dress. Definitely not David. He frowned and swivelled away from the sight as the bottle was placed beside him. Someone had some explaining to do.

‘Hey, it’s me.’

‘Matteo! Good. I was just going to call you.’

‘Well, here I am. With some news.’

‘OK? You first, then.’

His heart raced. This was it.

‘Arturo is finally selling. And we’ve got first refusal.’ He touched the beer bottle, waited to hear his mother’s response.

‘Seriously? After all this time? That’s incredible news.’

Matteo allowed his fingers to close round the neck of the bottle. Indeed it was.

‘How did you find out?’

‘It wasn’t hard. I heard a rumour and did a little digging. Word is he’s had enough. He wants out and we’re the only ones in the running...’

He let the sentence dangle in the air. Even over the thousand miles that separated them he could imagine the mixture of heartache and hunger on his mother’s face.

‘You’re absolutely sure about that?’

He paused. There was no point in pretending.

‘We’re the only ones properly in the running. I heard Claudio’s going to throw his hat in the ring. But he’s poison. His reputation has travelled to Switzerland, I guarantee it. He hasn’t got a chance.’

‘Matty, I don’t want you to get involved.’

Her tone sank further than the ground beneath the plane.

‘Mamma. You know this is the one that matters. Claudio walked away with half our clients and now I’m going to get them back. If we merge with Arturo we’ll be unstoppable. I can do this. I promise you.’

‘I don’t want you to promise anything, Matty. I don’t want you losing your mind the way your father did. It’s not worth it. Nothing’s worth it.’