The Forbidden Touch of Sanguardo

The Forbidden Touch of Sanguardo
Julia James

Her heart-rate was raised, rapidly. And she knew exactly what had caused it. Rafael Sanguardo…Celeste Philips’s night was meant to be about raising money for charity. Not trying to douse the flames of attraction between herself and Rafael Sanguardo. The millionaire who always gets what he wants.But the more Celeste’s head tells her to walk away and protect her fragile heart…the more she craves his forbidden touch!

‘Goodnight, Mr Sanguardo,’ Celeste said, her smile flickering uncertainly.

For a moment she just went on standing there, looking at him.

Letting the impact he made on her retinas be absorbed into her.

‘Goodnight, Celeste,’ Rafael answered. He gave her a brief nod of farewell and got back into the car. The chauffeur slammed the door and went to the driver’s seat.

Celeste stepped inside the entrance hall, shut the door and went upstairs. Her heart-rate was raised, she knew.

It’s the stairs—just the stairs—because I’m hurrying too much!

But it was not the stairs. For as she turned on the light in her flat and went to the living room windows to pull the curtains, and looked down to the pavement at the car starting to pull into the road now that she was safely inside, she could feel her heart’s hectic beating.

And she knew exactly what had caused it.

Rafael Sanguardo …

His name echoed in her head. Circling around. Not letting her go.

JULIA JAMES lives in England with her family. Harlequin Mills & Boon

were the first ‘grown-up’ books she read as a teenager, alongside Georgette Heyer and Daphne du Maurier, and she’s been reading them ever since. Julia adores the English and Celtic countryside, in all its seasons, and is fascinated by all things historical, from castles to cottages. She also has a special love for the Mediterranean—’The most perfect landscape after England!’—and considers both ideal settings for romance stories. In between writing she enjoys walking, gardening, needlework, baking extremely gooey cakes and trying to stay fit!

Recent titles by the same author:

PAINTED THE OTHER WOMAN

THE DARK SIDE OF DESIRE

FROM DIRT TO DIAMONDS

FORBIDDEN OR FOR BEDDING?

Did you know these are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

The

Forbidden Touch

of Sanguardo

Julia James

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

To the utterly unforgettable holidays I’ve been privileged to have in Hawaii, which inspired the romantic setting for Celeste and Rafael. (And, yes, I did go on a star-gazing expedition—just like they did!!!!)

Contents

CHAPTER ONE (#uf5c5b378-450f-5fab-b5a1-e171b8cf9f3a)

CHAPTER TWO (#u55b31249-420b-5f28-a3c8-d395be8cf47c)

CHAPTER THREE (#u9bb19a6f-b9b3-5524-a942-8892b72bbac9)

CHAPTER FOUR (#u0527b0e3-02f7-5f79-900d-e648cf218aee)

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 TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)

EXTRACT (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER ONE

CELESTE STOOD POISED at the head of the long curving flight of marble stairs that led down into the great hall below. It was already crowded with people in black tie and evening clothes, and servers were circulating with trays of champagne and canapés. Her fellow models for the evening were mingling in evening dress, prior to the charity fashion show that was about to start. She had arrived slightly late at the stately home in Oxfordshire that was the evening’s venue, but had seized the last-minute opportunity to be here tonight, well away from London—and from Karl Reiner.

Celeste’s expression tautened even just from her thinking about the man. She had known when she became the new face of Blonde Visage, one of the skincare ranges belonging to Reiner Visage—one for each complexion type—that Karl Reiner liked to have a more than professional relationship with the Reiner Visage models, but because he had been preoccupied with another ‘face’—Monique Silva—Celeste had felt it safe to allow herself to be tempted by the lucrative contract. Making good, regular money was, even after years in the fickle and intensely competitive modelling business, not something to turn down lightly.

A bleak expression lit the back of her eyes.

There was never, ever, any such thing as easy money—

She of all people should know that...

For now Karl had tired of Monique and was turning his attention to Celeste—and he assumed she would be as willing as Monique had been.