The Rich Man's Reluctant Mistress

Margaret Mayo

When Lucinda Oliver first worked for Zane Alexander, she considered him an arrogant, womanizing playboy.But she was just his lowly employee, and he called the shots. . . . Now Lucinda has built her own successful interior design business and she's shocked to discover her latest client is her former boss!What's more, the assignment involves staying with him at his beautiful hideaway mansion in the exotic Caribbean. Lucinda's determined not to become another notch on his bedpost, but soon she's battling to resist Zane's sizzling brand of dark desire. . . .

THE BOSS’S MISTRESS

Out of the office…and into his bed

These ruthless, powerful men are used to

having their own way at the office.

And with their mistresses,

they’re also boss in the bedroom!

Don’t miss any of our

fantastic stories this month:

The Italian Tycoon’s Mistress

by Cathy Williams #13

Ruthless Boss, Hired Wife

by Kate Hewitt #14

In the Tycoon’s Bed

by Kathryn Ross #15

The Rich Man’s Reluctant Mistress

by Margaret Mayo #16

Only in Harlequin Presents EXTRA!

MARGARET MAYO is a hopeless romantic who loves writing and falls in love with every one of her heroes. It was never her ambition to become an author, although she always loved reading—even to the extent of reading comics out loud to her twin brother when she was eight years old.

She was born in Staffordshire, England, and has lived in the same part of the country ever since. She left school to become a secretary, taking a break to have her two children, Adrian and Tina. Once they were at school, she started back to work and planned to further her career by becoming a bilingual secretary. Unfortunately, she couldn’t speak any languages other than her native English, so she began evening classes. It was at this time that she got the idea for a romantic short story. Margaret, and her mother before her, had always read Mills & Boon romances, and to actually be writing one excited her beyond measure. She forgot the languages, and now has more than seventy novels to her credit.

Before she became a successful author, Margaret was extremely shy and found it difficult to talk to strangers. For research purposes, she forced herself to speak to people from all walks of life, and now says her shyness has gone forever—to a certain degree. She is still happier pouring her thoughts out on paper.

THE RICH MAN’S RELUCTANT MISTRESS

MARGARET MAYO

TORONTO • NEW YORK • LONDON

AMSTERDAM • PARIS • SYDNEY • HAMBURG

STOCKHOLM • ATHENS • TOKYO • MILAN • MADRID

PRAGUE • WARSAW • BUDAPEST • AUCKLAND

CONTENTS

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

EPILOGUE

THE RICH MAN’S RELUCTANT MISTRESS

CHAPTER ONE

SMOKY blue eyes looked with shocked disbelief into delicate green ones. Seconds ticked away. Zane was the first to speak.

‘You!’ he exclaimed, his voice deep and gruff and entirely disbelieving, almost accusatory.

Lucinda nodded, slowly and deliberately. ‘Yes, it’s me, and I’m as surprised as you are.’

Except that surprised was far too mild a word. Even shocked wasn’t good enough. Stunned perhaps. And had she known who to expect she would never have come here today. Zane Alexander was not on her list of favourite people. Her experience working for him a few years ago had shown he was insensitive, uncaring and a whole host of other adjectives she could have put her mind to had she wanted. Except—that business was business.

‘What are you doing here?’ came the next curt question.

‘You sent for me.’ Her eyes were full of innocence. ‘I have an appointment.’

‘But—you’re a nanny!’

Lucinda allowed her lips to curve into a smile. Not that it held any pleasure. Her only pleasure was in seeing this man at a loss. ‘I was a nanny,’ she corrected. ‘And, by the way, how’s Tim?’

‘Very well,’ he responded.

‘And I only did it to fund myself while I was preparing to go into business,’ she explained.

Zane Alexander frowned.