Ruthless Russian, Lost Innocence

Chantelle Shaw

Литагент HarperCollins EUR

The virgin’s awakeningViolinist Ella Stafford isn’t used to parties, so it’s little wonder she’s overwhelmed by brooding Russian Vadim Aleksandrov! The throbbing, raw attraction takes fragile English beauty Ella out of her depth… …and into his arms! Soon she finds herself sharing his Mediterranean villa, attending glamorous parties and showered with luxuries.Ella should feel elated. Yet there is darkness in Vadim’s past that even Ella’s virginal sweetness cannot penetrate. But will the baby she’s carrying force him to learn to love?

‘I think it would be better if we kept last night as a one-off. I don’t want to have an affair with you…’ Ella faltered, flushing when Vadim’s piercing blue gaze settled thoughtfully on her face. She had the unnerving feeling that he could read the jumble of emotions whirling around her head.

‘Neither of us wants to be tied down in a relationship,’ she reminded him, despising herself for the way her heart-rate quickened when he dropped down onto the bed and wound a few strands of her hair around his fingers.

‘I agree,’ he said coolly. ‘But surely the very fact that we have no desire for a relationship makes us ideal candidates for an affair? There’s nothing to stop us being lovers. And besides,’ he murmured, his voice dropping to a deep, sensual tone that caressed her senses, ‘one night was not enough for either of us—was it, Ella?’

Chantelle Shaw lives on the Kent coast, five minutes from the sea, and does much of her thinking about the characters in her books while walking on the beach. She’s been an avid reader from an early age. Her schoolfriends used to hide their books when she visited—but Chantelle would retreat into her own world, and still writes stories in her head all the time. Chantelle has been blissfully married to her own tall, dark and very patient hero for over twenty years, and has six children. She began to read Mills & Boon® as a teenager, and throughout the years of being a stay-at-home mum to her brood found romantic fiction helped her to stay sane! She enjoys reading and writing about strong-willed, feisty women, and even stronger willed sexy heroes. Chantelle is at her happiest when writing. She is particularly inspired while cooking dinner, which unfortunately results in a lot of culinary disasters! She also loves gardening, walking, and eating chocolate (followed by more walking!). Catch up with Chantelle’s latest news on her website: www.chantelleshaw.com

Ruthless Russian, Lost Innocence

by

Chantelle Shaw

MILLS & BOON

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

CHAPTER ONE

The Louvre Auditorium—Paris

IT HAPPENED in an instant. A fleeting glance across the crowded auditorium of the Louvre and wham, Ella felt as though she had been struck by a lightning bolt.

The man was standing some distance away, surrounded by a group of seriously chic Frenchwomen who were all vying for his attention. Her first impression in those few heartstopping seconds when their eyes met was that he was tall, dark and devastatingly handsome—but when she tore her gaze from his piercing blue stare she instinctively added the word dangerous to the list.

Shaken by her reaction to a complete stranger, she stared down at her champagne glass, dismayed to find that her hands were trembling, and tried to concentrate on her conversation with a music journalist from the culture section of Paris Match.

‘The audience were enraptured by you tonight, Mademoiselle Stafford. Your performance of Prokofiev’s second violin concerto was truly outstanding.’

‘Thank you.’ Ella smiled faintly at the journalist, but she was still supremely conscious of the intense scrutiny of the man standing on the other side of the room, and it took all her willpower to resist turning her head. It was almost a relief when Marcus appeared at her side.

‘You know everyone’s saying a star has been born tonight?’ he greeted her excite