Ruthless Tycoon, Innocent Wife

HELEN BROOKS

Литагент HarperCollins EUR

Step into a world of sophistication and glamour, where sinfully seductive heroes await you in luxurious international locations.She’s saving herself for her wedding night… Marianne Carr will do anything to save her home, and ruthless businessman Rafe Steed knows it! He has a score to settle with the Carr family, and after one meeting with this fragile beauty he decides he will have the house…and the girl!Against her better judgement, Marianne is attracted to Rafe’s powerful sensuality. But she is saving herself for her wedding night, and Rafe is definitely not the marrying kind! But what this tycoon wants, he usually gets…

‘It’s gone two in the morning,’ she said breathlessly. ‘You shouldn’t be here.’

‘No, I shouldn’t.’

He bent towards her and she did nothing to avoid him. One hand closed around her wrist, drawing her into him, and the other pressed into the small of her back, urging her still closer. Marianne felt she couldn’t breathe as she waited for him to kiss her.

When his mouth closed over hers she felt the impact in every part of her body, even though his lips were gentle, even sweet. She had expected … She didn’t know what she had expected, but his tenderness was her undoing. It cut through any defences like a knife through butter, and she found herself wanting more as she pressed into him in a manner which would have shocked her only seconds before.

‘This is crazy.’ His voice was husky against her mouth, and suddenly the tempo of the kiss changed, his lips becoming more demanding as he sensed her response. ‘Madness…’

She agreed with him—but was powerless to move away.

Helen Brooks lives in Northamptonshire and is married with three children. As she is a committed Christian, busy housewife and mother, her spare time is at a premium, but her hobbies include reading, swimming and gardening. Her long-cherished aspiration to write became a reality when she put pen to paper on reaching the age of forty, and sent the result off to Mills & Boon.

Recent titles by the same author:

A RUTHLESS AGREEMENT

THE ITALIAN TYCOON’S BRIDE THE BILLIONAIRE’S MARRIAGE MISSION A FAMILY FOR HAWTHORN FARM* HIS CHRISTMAS BRIDE THE BILLIONAIRE BOSS’S SECRETARY BRIDE

*part of the Winter Waifs anthology

RUTHLESS TYCOON, INNOCENT WIFE

BY

HELEN BROOKS

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

CHAPTER ONE

JUST a few more hours and then everyone would leave. She could do this; she had to. It was what her parents would have expected of her. She could almost hear her mother’s voice—warm, faintly admonishing—saying, ‘Come on, Annie, keep the flag flying high, sweetie-pie.’ It had been one of her mother’s favourite sayings when as a small child she had tried to duck out of anything unpleasant.

Marianne Carr drew in a deep breath and straightened her drooping shoulders. Checking her reflection in the bedroom mirror, she satisfied herself that the recent flood of tears didn’t show and then left the room. On walking down the wide staircase she could see the odd person or two in the hall, but the main body of guests were in the drawing room. They were talking in the hushed tones one used at funeral receptions.

Crystal, her mother’s housekeeper and friend who’d been one of the family for as long as Marianne could remember, met her at the foot of the stairs. Crystal’s eyes were pink-rimmed and her voice wobbly when she said, ‘Shall I tell them to come through to the dining room now? Everything’s ready.’

Marianne nodded. She hugged Crystal for a moment, a catch in her voice as she murmured, ‘You’ve been a tower of strength to me, Crystal. I couldn’t have got through this without you.’

Crystal’s plump chin trembled as she fought for control. ‘I don’t feel I have been. I still find it hard to believe they won’t walk in the door, to be truthful.’

‘I know. I feel the same.’ It had been Crystal the police had notified the night of her parents’ terrible car crash, two po