The Marriage Deal

The Marriage Deal
HELEN BIANCHIN

Sandrine hadn't forgotten the thrilling passion she'd shared with her husband. But when, only six months after their wedding, Michel Lanier had forced her to choose between her career and their marriage…Sandrine had to walk away. Michel had won her heart, but he couldn't rule her life!Now Sandrine's career was facing a crisis, and only Michel could help her. He would do so, but for a price: Sandrine must agree to share her husband's life, and his bed, once more!

“My financial support for this film has a price.”

Something inside her stomach curled into a painful knot. “And that is?”

“A reconciliation.” Succinct, blatant and chillingly inflexible.

From somewhere Sandrine dredged up the courage to confront him. “A marriage certificate doesn’t transform me into a chattel you own.”

Michel’s smile bore not the slightest degree of humor. “No discussion, no negotiation. Just a simple yes or no.”

How could he deem something so complicated as simple? “You can’t demand conditions.”

“Watch me.”

“Blackmail, Michel?”

HELEN BIANCHIN was born in New Zealand and traveled to Australia before marrying her Italian-born husband. After three years they moved, returned to New Zealand with their daughter, had two sons then resettled in Australia. Encouraged by friends to recount anecdotes of her years as a tobacco sharefarmer’s wife living in an Italian community, Helen began setting words on paper, and her first novel was published in 1975. An animal lover, she says her terrier and new Persian kitten regard her study as as much theirs as hers.

USA Today bestselling author Helen Bianchin

loves to write about the emotional tension

between married couples: the passion, the

conflict…and the romance! Marriage is

the theme of this story—and look out for

The Husband Assignment, the thrilling sequel to

The Marriage Deal

The Marriage Deal

Helen Bianchin

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

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE (#ueff64326-800d-5252-93c8-3a32e0577700)

CHAPTER TWO (#u14dde102-0064-5652-8846-740eaf654591)

CHAPTER THREE (#u569ef286-c7e8-528a-8f5e-fd0707b8d5c9)

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 ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER ONE

‘CUT,’ the director called. ‘That’s a wrap.’

They were the sweetest words she’d heard all day, Sandrine decided as she lifted a hand to ease the weight of her elaborate wig.

Period costume was not the most comfortable wearing apparel, nor was the boned, tightly laced corselet worn to achieve an eighteen-inch waist and push her breasts impossibly high and bare them almost to the point of indecent exposure.

Add the heat of the studio lights, a lead actor who had an inflated ego and delusions of grandeur, the director from hell, and the axiom, ‘One should suffer in the name of one’s art’, had never been more pertinent.

‘A word, sweetheart.’

From Tony’s lips, sweetheart was not a term of endearment, and she froze, then she turned slowly to face the aging director whose talent was legend, but whose manner on occasion belonged in a backstreet of Naples.

‘Dinner tonight, my place. Seven.’ Hard dark eyes speared hers. ‘Be there.’ He turned his head and swept an arm to encompass five of her fellow actors. ‘Everyone.’

Sandrine stifled a faint groan. All she wanted to do was to change, shower, put on her own clothes and drive to the waterfront villa she called home for the duration of filming, catch a snack and read through her lines for tomorrow.

‘Do we get to ask why?’ the lead actor queried petulantly.

‘Money. The film needs it. My guest has it,’ the director declared succinctly. ‘If his request to meet the cast will clinch an essential injection of funds, so be it.’

‘Tonight?’ Sandrine reiterated, and suffered the dark lance of his gaze.

‘Do you have a problem with that?’

If she did, voicing it would do no good at all, and she affected an eloquent shrug in resignation. ‘I guess not.’

He swung an eagle eye over the rest of the cast. ‘Anyone else?’

‘You could have given us more notice,’ the lead actor complained, and earned an earthy oath for his temerity.

‘Difficult, when the man only arrived in the country yesterday.’