Melanie Milburne - The Valquez Bride

‘You said a paper marriage.’ Theodora was surprised her voice came out at all, let alone so evenly.

Alejandro’s eyes were still hooded and trained on her mouth. ‘That was the plan.’

Was? Her heart jolted against her ribcage. What did he mean, ‘was’? Was he thinking about shifting the goalposts on their arrangement? Changing the rules? Breaking the rules? A trickle of traitorous excitement flowed through her at the thought of him making love to her, of his long, strong body possessing hers. Enrapturing her in a feast of the senses that so far she had only ever imagined.

Another beat of silence.

‘You should let go of my chin.’ And stop making me want to kiss you so badly I can’t think about anything but how sexy and male and tempting your mouth is.

His thumb brushed over the base of her chin. ‘What if I don’t?’

Teddy disguised a gulp. ‘You’d be breaking the rules.’

A corner of his mouth came up in a sexy slant of a smile. ‘What if I want to break the rules?’

THE PLAYBOYS OF ARGENTINA

Introducing the untameable Valquez brothers …

The Valquez brothers are living legends.

Alejandro’s business prowess is staggering, Luiz’s success on the polo field is unparalleled, and their reputations in the bedroom are scandalous!

But they’re both about to face their biggest challenge yet …

Alejandro must marry—

but he never anticipated desiring his convenient wife!

And notorious playboy Luiz finds his match in the delectably innocent Daisy Wyndham!

You won’t want to miss this scorching new duet from Melanie Milburne!

Read Alejandro’s story in:

THE VALQUEZ BRIDEOctober 2014

and

Luiz’s story in:

THE VALQUEZ SEDUCTIONNovember 2014

The Valquez Bride

Melanie Milburne

www.millsandboon.co.uk

From as soon as MELANIE MILBURNEcould pick up a pen she knew she wanted to write. It was when she picked up her first Mills & Boon® at seventeen that she realised she wanted to write romance. After being distracted for a few years by meeting and marrying her own handsome hero, surgeon husband Steve, and having two boys, plus completing a Masters of Education and becoming a nationally ranked athlete (masters swimming), she decided to write. Five submissions later she sold her first book and is now a multi-published, bestselling, award-winning USA TODAY author. In 2008 she won the Australian Readers’ Association most popular category/series romance, and in 2011 she won the prestigious Romance Writers of Australia R*BY award.

Melanie loves to hear from her readers via her website,

www.melaniemilburne.com.au, or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Melanie-Milburne/351594482609.

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To Nataly Espinoza, for your help with the Spanish translations, but also for your friendship. It was lovely meeting you on the tour of The Kimberleys.

xxx

Contents

Cover

Excerpt ‘You said a paper marriage.’ Theodora was surprised her voice came out at all, let alone so evenly. Alejandro’s eyes were still hooded and trained on her mouth. ‘That was the plan.’ Was? Her heart jolted against her ribcage. What did he mean, ‘was’? Was he thinking about shifting the goalposts on their arrangement? Changing the rules? Breaking the rules? A trickle of traitorous excitement flowed through her at the thought of him making love to her, of his long, strong body possessing hers. Enrapturing her in a feast of the senses that so far she had only ever imagined. Another beat of silence. ‘You should let go of my chin.’ And stop making me want to kiss you so badly I can’t think about anything but how sexy and male and tempting your mouth is. His thumb brushed over the base of her chin. ‘What if I don’t?’ Teddy disguised a gulp. ‘You’d be breaking the rules.’ A corner of his mouth came up in a sexy slant of a smile. ‘What if I want to break the rules?’

Title Page The Valquez Bride Melanie Milburne www.millsandboon.co.uk

About the Author From as soon as MELANIE MILBURNE could pick up a pen she knew she wanted to write. It was when she picked up her first Mills & Boon® at seventeen that she realised she wanted to write romance. After being distracted for a few years by meeting and marrying her own handsome hero, surgeon husband Steve, and having two boys, plus completing a Masters of Education and becoming a nationally ranked athlete (masters swimming), she decided to write. Five submissions later she sold her first book and is now a multi-published, bestselling, award-winning USA TODAY author. In 2008 she won the Australian Readers’ Association most popular category/series romance, and in 2011 she won the prestigious Romance Writers of Australia R*BY award. Melanie loves to hear from her readers via her website, www.melaniemilburne.com.au , or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Melanie-Milburne/351594482609 .

Dedication To Nataly Espinoza, for your help with the Spanish translations, but also for your friendship. It was lovely meeting you on the tour of The Kimberleys. xxx

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

Extract

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

THE ONE WORD that stood out on Teddy’s father’s will started with M but it wasn’t money. She looked at the family lawyer in open-mouthed alarm. ‘Marriage?’

Benson nodded gravely. ‘I’m afraid so. Within a month. Otherwise, your second cousin Hugo will inherit the lot—every property, stock and share, including Marlstone Manor.’

‘But that can’t be right!’ Teddy gripped the arms of the chair so tightly her fingers dug into the leather arms like claws. ‘Dad told me this place was mine. He told me the day before he died. He said I would always have this roof over my head.’

‘Your father changed his will the month before he was diagnosed with cancer,’ the lawyer said. ‘It was as if he’d known he didn’t have much time left and wanted to get his affairs in order.’

His affairs?

It was her home! That was her affair. It was her life! It was her safety and security. How could her father hand it over to her cousin, who hadn’t even visited him once during his illness?

Teddy’s heart was galloping so fast and so hard she could feel the blood beating in every one of her fingertips. Shock chilled and chugged through her body like a flow of ice. She blinked to clear her vision. What sort of nightmare was this? Was she really sitting in the library with her father’s lawyer having this crazy conversation?

It had to be a mistake.

For the last five months she had nursed her father through his pancreatic cancer and stayed with him and held his hand as he finally slipped away. It was the only time she had felt close to him. During those last days he had shared snippets of his childhood previously unknown to her. It had explained so much about his difficult personality. The way he had constantly found fault with her. How he was so impossible to please. How he was such a control freak who never let her have a say in things. Towards the end she had found a space in her heart to forgive him. She had even told him she loved him. Something she had vowed she would never do.