Sharon Kendrik - Sicilian Husband, Unexpected Baby

DEAR READER LETTER

By Sharon Kendrick

Dear Reader Dear Reader Excerpt About the Author Title Page 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 EPILOGUE Copyright ,

One hundred. Doesn’t matter how many times I say it, I still can’t believe that’s how many books I’ve written. It’s a fabulous feeling but more fabulous still is the news that Mills & Boon are issuing every single one of my backlist as digital titles. Wow. I can’t wait to share all my stories with you - which are as vivid to me now as when I wrote them.

There’s BOUGHT FOR HER HUSBAND, with its outrageously macho Greek hero and A SCANDAL, A SECRET AND A BABY featuring a very sexy Tuscan. THE SHEIKH’S HEIR proved so popular with readers that it spent two weeks on the USA Today charts and…well, I could go on, but I’ll leave you to discover them for yourselves.

I remember the first line of my very first book: “So you’ve come to Australia looking for a husband?” Actually, the heroine had gone to Australia escape men, but guess what? She found a husband all the same! The man who inspired that book rang me up recently and when I told him I was beginning my 100th story and couldn’t decide what to write, he said, “Why don’t you go back to where it all started?”

So I did. And that’s how A ROYAL VOW OF CONVENIENCE was born. It opens in beautiful Queensland and moves to England and New York. It’s about a runaway princess and the enigmatic billionaire who is infuriated by her, yet who winds up rescuing her. But then, she goes and rescues him… Wouldn’t you know it?

I’ll end by saying how very grateful I am to have a career I love, and to thank each and every one of you who has supported me along the way. You really are very dear readers.

Love,

Sharon xxx

‘ Our son. I intend taking him to Sicily, Emma—and trying to stop me will seriously backfire against you in the long run.’

He rose to his feet, moving as silently as a jungle cat to stand directly in front of her before continuing. ‘I already have a team of lawyers working on the case, and let me tell you that they were singularly unimpressed by your efforts to conceal my son from me.’

Emma swallowed. ‘You’re threatening me— I—’

But her words were halted by the soft dig of Vincenzo’s fingers into her arms as he hauled her to her feet. ‘I am taking him with me, and if you intend to accompany us then you will play the part of my wife.’

She stared up at him. It was as if she had slipped and was falling deeper and deeper into a dark hole of Vincenzo’s making. ‘Your wife ?’

Ebony eyes burned into her. ‘Why not? It makes perfect sense.’ He saw the look of confusion darkening her blue eyes. ‘We might as well enjoy what pleasures we can while we have the opportunity to do so.’

Emma felt weak. He sounded so cold-blooded—as if pleasure were nothing more than the by-product of a bodily function. ‘You can’t mean that.’

‘Oh, but I can,’ he promised, with grim satisfaction. ‘And I think you could usefully lose the outraged attitude, don’t you? In view of your response to me, you’re in danger of looking a little like a hypocrite.’

‘Vincenzo—’

‘No. No more arguments. Not any more. You’ve played according to your rules for long enough, Emma, and now it is time to play to some of mine.’

Mills & Boon are proud to present a thrilling digital collection of all Sharon Kendrick’s novels and novellas for us to celebrate the publication of her amazing and awesome 100th book! Sharon is known worldwide for her likeable, spirited heroines and her gorgeous, utterly masculine heroes.

SHARON KENDRICKonce won a national writing competition, describing her ideal date: being flown to an exotic island by a gorgeous and powerful man. Little did she realise that she’d just wandered into her dream job! Today she writes for Mills & Boon, featuring her often stubborn but always to-die-for heroes and the women who bring them to their knees. She believes that the best books are those you never want to end. Just like life…

Sicilian Husband, Unexpected Baby

Sharon Kendrick

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Janet, Barbara and Allen, with love.

Cover

Dear Reader DEAR READER LETTER By Sharon Kendrick Dear Reader Dear Reader Excerpt About the Author Title Page 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 EPILOGUE Copyright , One hundred. Doesn’t matter how many times I say it, I still can’t believe that’s how many books I’ve written. It’s a fabulous feeling but more fabulous still is the news that Mills & Boon are issuing every single one of my backlist as digital titles. Wow. I can’t wait to share all my stories with you - which are as vivid to me now as when I wrote them. There’s BOUGHT FOR HER HUSBAND, with its outrageously macho Greek hero and A SCANDAL, A SECRET AND A BABY featuring a very sexy Tuscan. THE SHEIKH’S HEIR proved so popular with readers that it spent two weeks on the USA Today charts and…well, I could go on, but I’ll leave you to discover them for yourselves. I remember the first line of my very first book: “So you’ve come to Australia looking for a husband?” Actually, the heroine had gone to Australia escape men, but guess what? She found a husband all the same! The man who inspired that book rang me up recently and when I told him I was beginning my 100th story and couldn’t decide what to write, he said, “Why don’t you go back to where it all started?” So I did. And that’s how A ROYAL VOW OF CONVENIENCE was born. It opens in beautiful Queensland and moves to England and New York. It’s about a runaway princess and the enigmatic billionaire who is infuriated by her, yet who winds up rescuing her. But then, she goes and rescues him… Wouldn’t you know it? I’ll end by saying how very grateful I am to have a career I love, and to thank each and every one of you who has supported me along the way. You really are very dear readers. Love, Sharon xxx

Excerpt ‘ Our son. I intend taking him to Sicily, Emma—and trying to stop me will seriously backfire against you in the long run.’ He rose to his feet, moving as silently as a jungle cat to stand directly in front of her before continuing. ‘I already have a team of lawyers working on the case, and let me tell you that they were singularly unimpressed by your efforts to conceal my son from me.’ Emma swallowed. ‘You’re threatening me— I—’ But her words were halted by the soft dig of Vincenzo’s fingers into her arms as he hauled her to her feet. ‘I am taking him with me, and if you intend to accompany us then you will play the part of my wife.’ She stared up at him. It was as if she had slipped and was falling deeper and deeper into a dark hole of Vincenzo’s making. ‘Your wife ?’ Ebony eyes burned into her. ‘Why not? It makes perfect sense.’ He saw the look of confusion darkening her blue eyes. ‘We might as well enjoy what pleasures we can while we have the opportunity to do so.’ Emma felt weak. He sounded so cold-blooded—as if pleasure were nothing more than the by-product of a bodily function. ‘You can’t mean that.’ ‘Oh, but I can,’ he promised, with grim satisfaction. ‘And I think you could usefully lose the outraged attitude, don’t you? In view of your response to me, you’re in danger of looking a little like a hypocrite.’ ‘Vincenzo—’ ‘No. No more arguments. Not any more. You’ve played according to your rules for long enough, Emma, and now it is time to play to some of mine.’