Miranda Lee - The Tycoon's Trophy Wife

“You’re Alanna Diamond,” Reece said as he slipped off the stool and stood up. “My wife.”

His wife.

Alanna swallowed, her gaze dropping away from his handsome face as those feelings swamped her again, feelings that made her face grow hot and her skin tingle all over.

Alanna’s head spun with the intensity of her desire, every muscle in her body stretched tight as a drum.

Try to relax, he’d said.

No way was she ever going to relax whilst in his presence. She had to find some excuse to leave him. To be alone.

When a wealthy man wants a wife, he doesn’t always follow the rules!

Welcome to Miranda Lee’s stunning, sexy new trilogy—

Meet Richard, Reece and Mike, three Sydney millionaires with a mission—they all want to get married…but none wants to fall in love!

Bought: One Bride

Richard’s story:

His money can buy him anything he wants… and he wants a wife!

August 2005

# 2483

The Tycoon’s Trophy Wife

Reece’s story:

She was everything he wanted in a wife…

’til he fell in love with her!

September 2005

#2489

A Scandalous Marriage

Mike’s story:

He married her for money—her beauty was a bonus!

October 2005

#2496

ISBN: 978-1-408-94080-8

THE TYCOON’S TROPHY WIFE

© Miranda Lee 2005

First Published in Great Britain in 2005

Harlequin (UK) Limited

Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

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All characters in this work have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II B.V./S.à.r.l.

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PROLOGUE

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

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

EPILOGUE

COMING NEXT MONTH

Sydney. September. Spring.

ALANNA hesitated at the entrance to the cemetery, dismayed to find that her stomach had begun to churn.

Just butterflies, she reassured herself, and forged on.

The churning increased by the time she stood in front of his headstone. But she remained determined to do this. To say what she had come to say. To find closure once and for all.

‘It’s been five years since I stood here,’ she said to the man buried there. ‘Five long, incredibly difficult years. I’ve come here today to tell you that you didn’t win, Darko. I have survived.

‘Time does have amazing healing powers and I finally found the will to go on, a will much stronger than I ever believed I had. I have taken my life in my hands. My hands,’ she repeated quite forcefully as those same hands gripped her handbag in front of her.

‘I’ve remarried, Darko. Yes, you heard me. I am now another man’s wife. How you must be turning in your grave to hear that,’ she bit out between clenched teeth.

‘Of course, I did not choose a love match. Would I be so foolish as to marry another man who loved me? But we like and respect each other, Reece and I. Best of all, Reece doesn’t try to own me, or control me. He trusts me and wants me to be happy. He doesn’t mind if I go out with my girlfriends. He doesn’t mind if I wear sexy clothes. He even buys them for me. He bought me the suit I have on today. It’s the kind of outfit you would have ripped off me. But Reece loves me to wear clothes like this.’

With a defiant tilt of her head, she spread her arms wide and turned around, showing off her eye-catching figure, encased that day in a cream silk suit that had a short, tight skirt and a figure hugging jacket with a deep V neckline.

‘Did I mention that my husband is a very rich, very handsome man?’ Alanna went on. ‘Very sexy, too. He might not be crazy in love with me, but he wants to make love to me almost every night. To satisfy me. Which he does. Do you hear me, Darko?’ Alanna threw at the headstone in a challenging tone, which didn’t totally mask the underlying hurt and pain that twisted at her heart.

Tears threatened but she dashed them away. The time for tears had long gone.

‘One final thing before I go,’ she continued more calmly. ‘Reece and I are going to try for a baby. Not every man is like you, Darko. Reece won’t see a child as competition. Or something else to be suspicious of. Or jealous over. Reece doesn’t have a jealous bone in his body.

‘You will say that means he doesn’t care about me. But you know what? I don’t want to ever be cared for the way you cared for me. And you’re wrong, anyway. Reece does care for me in his own way. And I care for him. He makes me feel good, something you never did for all your supposed loving.’

Alanna scooped in a deep breath before letting it out slowly, relieved to find that the churning in her stomach had finally subsided. ‘My mother said I should forgive you, that there were excuses for your behaviour. But I can’t do that. What you did was unforgivable. I am going now, Darko, and this time, I am never coming back. You are now firmly consigned to the past. And I will do my best not to think of you any more.’

THE organ player breaking into the wedding march signalled the bride was ready at last. She was only fifteen minutes late, Reece realised as he glanced at his gold Rolex. Long enough, however, for the groom next to him to get fidgety.

‘It’s showtime!’ Reece said, smiling over at Richard who’d gone ramrod straight at the change of music, his hands clasped tightly in front of him.

‘Have you got the rings?’ Richard whispered out of the side of his mouth.

Reece patted the right pocket of his black dinner jacket. ‘Of course. Relax, Rich,’ he said, and reached out to touch him reassuringly on the arm. ‘I’ve done this before.’