Miranda Lee - The Tycoon's Scandalous Proposition

He’s known for getting what he wants...

...and she’s his biggest prize!

Actress Kate Holiday is used to the spotlight, yet is happy melting into the background at a society party. Until the scorching gaze of charismatic Blake Randall rests on her... No acting is required for their sizzling night together! So when he offers Kate a starring role on a billionaire’s arm—and in his bed!—dare she say yes?

Born and raised in the Australian bush, MIRANDA LEE was boarding-school-educated, and briefly pursued a career in classical music before moving to Sydney and embracing the world of computers. Happily married, with three daughters, she began writing when family commitments kept her at home. She likes to create stories that are believable, modern, fast-paced and sexy. Her interests include meaty sagas, doing word puzzles, gambling and going to the movies.

Also by Miranda Lee

A Man Without Mercy

Taken Over by the Billionaire

Rich, Ruthless and Renowned miniseries

The Italian’s Ruthless Seduction

The Billionaire’s Ruthless Affair

The Playboy’s Ruthless Pursuit

Marrying a Tycoon miniseries

The Magnate’s Tempestuous Marriage

The Tycoon’s Outrageous Proposal

The Tycoon’s Scandalous Proposition

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

The Tycoon’s Scandalous Proposition

Miranda Lee

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-07214-4

THE TYCOON’S SCANDALOUS PROPOSITION

© 2018 Miranda Lee

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

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

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

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

CHAPTER ONE

BLAKE STOOD NEXT to the groom, wondering what the hell he was doing, being best man at this wedding. He knew this marriage wouldn’t last—knew it was just a matter of time.

He’d tried to reason with Lachlan. But nothing could dissuade him. Not even Blake’s argument that he himself had married at the same age—twenty-four—and the marriage hadn’t lasted six months.

At least the bride wasn’t an actress, Blake reasoned more positively. Also on the plus side, it wasn’t as though marriage—even a temporary one—harmed a movie star’s popularity these days. Gone were the days when the powerbrokers of Hollywood had dictated who a star could marry. And when.

The rise of social media had changed all that. The public couldn’t get enough of celebrity relationships. They especially enjoyed break-ups and divorces, and any whiff of scandal. Such was life in the spotlight.

Thankfully Blake’s own life wasn’t so much in the spotlight—though he’d gained a little more attention in the press since moving Fantasy Productions from Sydney to LA fifteen months ago. Still, movie-makers—even very successful, very wealthy ones like himself—didn’t grab the headlines the way actors did. Especially those like Lachlan, with his golden boy looks, buffed body and bedroom blue eyes. Add to that buckets of boyish charm and you had a prize publicity package.

Blake had first recognised Lachlan’s potential when he’d attended a performance at Australia’s much lauded National Institute of Dramatic Art a few years ago. He’d instantly signed him up. And the rest, as they said, was history. Three years and four movies later Lachlan was an established star, whilst he’d become Australia’s most successful film writer/director/producer.

Blake suspected, however, that their working relationship would not last for much longer. It was only a matter of time before something—like this marriage—would make his star move on.

‘There she is,’ Lachlan whispered suddenly, snapping Blake out of his cynical thoughts.

Blake followed the groom’s enthralled gaze past the seated guests and up the sweeping staircase down which the bride would eventually descend, and into the large living area, which had been filled with several rows of chairs divided by a strip of red carpet.

Blake spied a froth of white up on the gallery landing. White dress, white hair, white flowers. Behind the bride, attending to the long white veil, bustled the one and only bridesmaid, wearing something long and svelte in jade-green. Blake couldn’t see her properly—didn’t have a clue who she was. He hadn’t even met the bride, having been too busy with his latest movie, plus several other new projects, to fly back to Australia for Lachlan’s engagement party, and only jetting in to Sydney late last night.

The only contribution Blake had made to this wedding had been getting billionaire Byron Maddox—who was a good friend as well as a business partner—to offer his very lovely harbour-side home as a venue for the wedding and the reception afterwards.

The original venue had rather inconveniently burnt down six weeks ago, throwing Lachlan into a panic after getting a phone call on location from his hysterical bride-to-be.

Thank heaven for rich friends , Blake thought, and threw Byron and Cleo a grateful glance.

When they smiled back at him his own face cracked open into a wide smile. God, but they were a great couple. If ever a man and woman were made for each other it was those two. They almost made him believe in true love.