Their Engagement is Announced

Carole Mortimer

Griffin Sinclair had announced that he and Dora Baxter were going to get married. This was a complete shock to Dora–he hadn't even asked her!Griffin had created the fictitious engagement to avoid his mother's matchmaking–and it seemed Dora had no choice but to go along with it. Now she had to spend all her time with the gorgeous Adonis…. But it wasn't going to be that easy–because secretly, Dora had been in love with Griffin for years, and there was nothing she wanted more than his genuine proposal!

“Of course it’s my business, Griffin,”

his mother dismissed scathingly. “You’re my son.”

“But being your son does not give you the right—especially at thirty-four years of age!—to choose my friends for me! Or the woman I marry,” he added forcefully.

“But—”

“You seem determined that I marry someone, Mother, so—” he moved slightly so that he could place his arm around Dora’s shoulders “—I would like you to meet your future daughter-in-law, Isadora Baxter!”

Dora drew in a sharp breath, not sure who was the more shocked by his triumphant announcement—his mother or herself!

CAROLE MORTIMER says, “I was born in England, the youngest of three children— I have two older brothers. I started writing in 1978, and have now written over one hundred books for Harlequin®.

“I have four sons— Matthew, Joshua, Timothy and Peter—and a bearded collie called Merlyn. I’m married to Peter senior, we’re best friends as well as lovers, which is probably the best recipe for a successful relationship. We live on the Isle of Man.”

Their Engagement is Announced

Carole Mortimer

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

Peter,

As Always.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE (#u191fccde-ee3d-55ee-9186-9d7d4c17750a)

CHAPTER TWO (#u4e196502-1b4c-5d1a-897e-d78d4ea286c3)

CHAPTER THREE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER ONE

THE bell over the shop doorway rang as cheerfully as usual to announce the arrival of a customer. Its innocent sound did nothing to alert her to the fact that this customer was going to be any different from any other she’d had in today, that Griffin Sinclair was about to burst into her life—again!

‘Izzy? Izzy! I just called in to— Good God, woman, what the hell have you done to yourself? Your erstwhile fiancе, my dear brother Charles, has been dead almost a year now. Did no one tell you that the deceased’s nearest and dearest no longer have to wear black for a whole year, let alone throw themselves on the funeral pyre with them?’

She had felt her blood turn to ice at the first sound of that mocking voice, but the words that followed shocked her so much that she couldn’t even speak!

She had always found this man’s outspokenness, his whole overpowering personality uncomfortable to be around. And despite the fact that she hadn’t seen him since Charles’s funeral ten months ago—it was exactly ten months ago—today was no exception!

‘Izzy, are you ill?’ He frowned across at her where she sat behind the desk that also housed the till, his brows narrowed over emerald-green eyes. ‘Izzy?’ he prompted again, impatient now at her lack of response.

‘Dora.’ She finally spoke softly.

‘What?’ Griffin scowled his irritated impatience.

‘My name is Dora,’ She told him more firmly, recovering slightly from the shock of seeing him again. ‘And would you either come in or go out of that doorway? You’re letting in a draught!’

He came fully into the shop, the bell over the door ringing again as he closed it behind him. ‘You know, I’ve never liked the name Dora.’ He arrogantly dismissed her first statement, grinning his satisfaction now that he had at least got some sort of response from her.

He looked, Dora decided, completely incongruous in the intimate confines of this speciality bookshop. His denims were as old and faded as the brown boots he wore, a