Protecting the Desert Princess

CAROL MARINELLI

Seven days without her crown!Princess Layla of Ishla craves just one week outside the gilded cage of her palace. A chance to try absolutely everything that is forbidden!- Sharing a romantic dinner- Dancing the night away- Kissing a gorgeous man…The only exception? She must remain pure for her future husband!Arriving in Australia, she knows there’s only one man who can help her fulfil this dream… Revered, and feared, barrister Mikael Romanov has earned his ruthless reputation – yet spirited Layla quickly gets beneath his skin. Mikael’s sworn to protect her, but can he protect Layla from himself?Discover more at www.millsandboon.co.uk/carolmarinelli

‘One kiss …’ Layla smiled.

‘Your brother asked me to—’

‘You don’t have to keep my promises for me,’ Layla interrupted. ‘I shall be returning to Ishla a virgin.’

‘We were talking about a kiss!’

‘So what’s the problem, then?’ Layla said.

She soon found out.

Mikael turned her around to face him and she stood shivering in anticipation. She felt his hand on her shoulder and his face move to hers … And then she was lost, because nothing in her imaginings could have prepared her for arrogant lips turned tender.

His kiss was soft at first, as one hand rested on her waist, the other at her shoulder. Then she felt the slip of his tongue and the slide of his hand to the back of her head. It was shocking, it was sensual, it was the gateway to paradise.

One kiss and her lips were swollen.

‘We agreed one kiss.’ Layla smiled again. ‘But now I know why it is trouble …’

CAROL MARINELLI recently filled in a form where she was asked for her job title and was thrilled, after all these years, to be able to put down her answer as ‘writer’. Then it asked what Carol did for relaxation and, after chewing her pen for a moment, Carol put down the truth: ‘writing’. The third question asked, ‘What are your hobbies?’ Well, not wanting to look obsessed or, worse still, boring, she crossed the fingers on her free hand and answered ‘swimming and tennis’. But, given that the chlorine in the pool does terrible things to her highlights, and the closest she’s got to a tennis racket in the last couple of years is watching the Australian Open, I’m sure you can guess the real answer!

Protecting the Desert Princess

Carol Marinelli

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

Contents

Cover (#u2a50bc99-6e9e-5a8a-8ffb-6d9c1057b3af)

Introduction (#ueee447b9-90e7-580c-8914-ca9b994d836c)

About the Author (#uafe6476c-d572-5ea5-88c4-2df2722df2ec)

Title Page (#uc5f7e34f-a887-5391-a935-65ff9ea6da52)

Contents (#uea2e1a44-070d-55f7-9b7b-81779618c006)

CHAPTER ONE (#u7b29bb62-8b8c-59ba-be2d-78817fd8c717)

CHAPTER TWO (#u3cb5d200-904d-54d0-9476-eaf5fabfb8db)

CHAPTER THREE (#uaa6fd63b-b17a-5cc1-b0fc-02aa00aff793)

CHAPTER FOUR (#uc9c5f393-20de-500c-8b29-252a688c7d4a)

CHAPTER FIVE (#u815336bf-211c-5e53-81b2-383f2cf5acba)

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 ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER NINETEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWENTY (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER ONE (#ulink_37ab8aef-6aa1-55fd-ad76-96188c28d976)

‘PRINCESS LAYLA, are you excited to be…?’

Layla patiently waited as the little girl on her computer screen faltered while choosing her words. By video link Layla was being beamed into the classrooms of the girls and young women of Ishla. Each class took an hour and, by working hard, Layla managed to get to each classroom once a month. Here she encouraged the children to converse in English and to work harder on their schoolwork, and it was proving a hu