Marchese's Forgotten Bride

Michelle Reid

How can she tell him that she's expecting his twins?When Alessandro Marchese strides into the headquarters of his latest acquisition, one person is particularly struck by his awesome presence. . . The tingling of Cassie's skin lets her know her new boss is the man who left her ; pregnant with twins! And now it seems he's forgotten her altogether!But the formidable Italian is more affected by Cassie than he lets on. The darkness of his memory is lifting. Now Alessandro needs just one more thing to complete the picture ; Cassie, with his wedding ring on her finger. . .

‘Stop accusing me of lying,’ he said, removing the now empty glass from her nerveless fingers.

Cassie was trying to hold icy wet black silk away from her breasts without losing her dignity. She’d soaked her face and the sides of her hair—water was dripping off the end of her nose and her chin. On a growl of impatience Sandro took possession of her wrist again, using it to haul her like a piece of quivering baggage back across the room and into the square hallway, then across it into another room.

It was a huge white space of a bathroom, with unforgiving lighting that set Cassie blinking as Sandro threw a switch. Grabbing a towel off the rail, he tossed it at her.

‘Dry your front,’ he instructed, then picked up a smaller towel and stepped up close to use it on her dripping face.

By now the water had warmed to her body heat and she was feeling calmer—though no less shaken by what he’d said. ‘What is it about you that makes you say these things?’ she fired at him fiercely as she pressed the towel to her front.

‘Think about it.’ His fingers took possession of her chin to lift it upwards, so he could dab the water from her cheeks. ‘What’s in it for me to make up a story as off-the-wall as this?’

He was right—what was there in it for him? ‘You mean—you really don’t remember me—at all?’

Michelle Reid grew up on the southern edges of Manchester, the youngest in a family of five lively children. But now she lives in the beautiful county of Cheshire, with her busy executive husband and two grown-up daughters. She loves reading, the ballet, and playing tennis when she gets the chance. She hates cooking, cleaning, and despises ironing! Sleep she can do without, and produces some of her best written work during the early hours of the morning.

Recent titles by the same author:

THE GREEK’S FORCED BRIDE

THE DE SANTIS MARRIAGE

MARCHESE’S FORGOTTEN BRIDE

BY

MICHELLE REID

MILLS & BOON®Pure reading pleasure™

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/)

CHAPTER ONE

THE restaurant bar had become so crowded that Cassie discovered it was a struggle to lift her glass to her lips. Not that she minded standing there, soaking up the bright, noisy atmosphere, she told herself, eyes busily taking in the sight of her fellow workmates all dressed up in their best party glamour for this evening’s introductory treat laid on by their new boss.

It had been so long since she’d been to anything like this and it felt so good to be here. She’d even indulged in a frighteningly expensive new dress for herself, made of a smooth black-on-charcoal embossed silk, which skimmed her slender figure and felt fabulously stylish and chic. With her hair professionally cut and styled for the first time in years, now her pale golden locks felt wonderful as they brushed against her naked shoulders whenever she moved her head.

‘Your eyes are sparkling like big shiny emeralds,’ Ella remarked dryly beside her. ‘You’re loving this, aren’t you?’

A brilliant smile enhanced the shape of Cassie’s rose-glossed mouth. ‘I’d forgotten what it’s like to actually enjoy being a part of such a noisy, mad crush!’

‘Well, here’s to a lot more of the same now the twins are a bit older.’ Ella somehow managed to lift her glass high enough to chink it against Cassie’s. ‘No more skimping and saving and emulating an overworked drudge now you don’t need to pay those crazy pre-school nursery fees.’

‘From single working mum to wild party girl in one leap.’ Cassie l