The Blackmailed Bride's Secret Child / For Business...Or Marriage?: The Blackmailed Bride's Secret Child / For Business...Or Marriage?

The Blackmailed Bride's Secret Child / For Business...Or Marriage?: The Blackmailed Bride's Secret Child / For Business...Or Marriage?
Rachel Bailey

Jules Bennett

The Blackmailed Bride’s Secret Child Nico Jordan’s world shattered when his lover Beth betrayed him by marrying his brother. Now, seven years later, Nico wants some answers. When he lays eyes on Beth again, the overwhelming desire he had for her comes surging back. This time she would be his… For Business…Or Marriage?She’d always been in love with her boss. Secretly. And it had almost killed Abby Morrison each time magnificent multi-millionaire Cade Stone began dating another woman. And now…he wanted her to plan his wedding in one month’s time! So Abby had just one month to change his mind…

THE BLACKMAILED

BRIDE’S SECRET

CHILD

RACHEL BAILEY

AND

FOR BUSINESS…OR

MARRIAGE?

JULES BENNETT

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

THE BLACKMAILED

BRIDE’S SECRET

CHILD

RACHEL BAILEY

“Nico.”

She sounded breathless, as if she’d been running.

“Good morning, Beth. I’ve come to offer you the family’s condolences on the loss of your husband, and to talk about some inheritance issues.”

Her eyes slid to the windowpane in the door then back to him. “Surely any paperwork can be handled by attorneys? You didn’t need to travel all this way.”

“Oh, but I did. I’m here only for the weekend, so we’ll talk today, in one hour. At my hotel room.”

Despite his best efforts, he’d never managed to control his craving for the woman who betrayed him. He’d volunteered to finalize the paperwork in person regarding his dead brother’s share of the family vineyards because he had to see Beth one more time.

To have her in his bed one more time.

About the Author

RACHEL BAILEY developed a serious book addiction at a young age (via Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddleduck) and has never recovered. Just how she likes it. She went on to gain degrees in psychology and social work, but is now living her dream—writing romance for a living.

She lives on a piece of paradise on Australia’s Sunshine Coast with her hero and four dogs, and loves to sit with a dog or two, overlooking the trees and reading books from her ever-growing to-be-read pile.

Rachel would love to hear from you and can be contacted through her website, www.rachelbailey.com.

Dear Reader,

There’s something about a tortured hero, something I find irresistible. And my heroine Beth finds Nico Jordan quite irresistible too—so I knew she’d need a very good reason to have left him seven years ago (though he wasn’t tortured back then, just the plain old garden variety irresistible!). Luckily Nico finds Beth just as tempting.

As for their setting … a couple of years ago, I visited the Marlborough region of New Zealand, famous for its vineyards and wineries. With its landscape of endless rows of vines, and its huge supply of wine-tasting rooms, it’s such a romantic location—the perfect backdrop for Nico and Beth’s struggle to come back together.

I spent quite a bit of time tasting wine … er, researching … for this story, so I hope you enjoy reading Nico and Beth’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Best wishes,

Rachel

To my mother, Noela.

For her support and indefatigable belief in me.

Thanks to

Diana Ventimiglia and Jennifer Schober for their

wisdom and guidance.

Barbara Jeffcott Geris and her gorgeous

husband, George, for the wine information

(though any mistakes are mine).

Lisa, Robbie, Sharon and Barb for their

encouragement and brilliance.

One

Nico Jordan surveyed the front of the ranch-style house where his half brother’s widow lived, and scowled into the frosty morning air. She’d left him for Kent and this pretentious piece of real estate?

Well, to be fair, Kent’s personal fortune had probably bought Beth several houses besides this one, and jewels by the bucket—things Nico wouldn’t have been able to afford back when he was twenty-four.

Things had changed in the last five years.

More things than he cared to remember.

But Kent was dead, Beth was now a widow and Nico had a job to do. He rolled up the pages in his hand and knocked on the door with a clenched fist. He’d volunteered to finalize the paperwork in person regarding his dead brother’s share of the family vineyards because he had to see Beth one more time. To have her in his bed one more time.

Despite his best efforts, he’d never managed to control his craving for the woman who’d betrayed him.