Park Avenue Scandals: High-Society Secret Pregnancy
Laura Wright
Maureen Child
Jennifer Lewis
721 Park Avenue – the ultimate address for top-price secrets & affairs!Secret PregnancyManhattan millionaire Max Roland didn’t do relationships…until a one-night fling had a surprising result. He suggested a temporary marriage. For one year. That way he’d have an heir and a sexy bed-mate.Front Page EngagementMedia mogul Trent Tanford has one week to find a wife…or lose his empire. But none of his New York flings would do. However, the innocent house-sitter next door, Carrie Gray, just might. How was he going to propose to this total stranger?Prince’s Seduction Crown prince, billionaire businessman and bachelor Sebastian Stone needs his assistant Tessa Banks to hold his life together. So, to stop her leaving him, he’ll shower her in sensual pleasures and jewels.
Park Avenue
Scandals
High-Society Secret
Pregnancy
Maureen Child
Front Page
Engagement
Laura Wright
Prince of Midtown
Jennifer Lewis
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
High-Society Secret Pregnancy
About the Author
MAUREEN CHILD is a California native who loves to travel. Every chance they get, she and her husband are taking off on another research trip. The author of more than sixty books, Maureen loves a happy ending and still swears that she has the best job in the world. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two children and a golden retriever with delusions of grandeur.
Dear Reader,
Whenever I’m invited to take part in a continuity series for Desire™, I’m eager to jump in. This time was no different.
The chance to work with authors such as Laura Wright, Jennifer Lewis, Barbara Dunlop, Emilie Rose and Anna DePalo was not only exciting, but fun. The e-mails fly fast and furiously between the continuity authors as we work out details for our stories. We talk about everything, from the kind of clothing one character wears to the way another one speaks.
Six women, each of us with different writing styles, working together to build a world we hope will tempt you, the reader, into entering the lives of the people who live at 721 Park Avenue.
In my story, you’ll meet Max Rolland, a self-made billionaire who can’t seem to get Julia Prentice out of his mind. One night of passion has sent these two on a path neither of them expected—but one that neither will turn away from.
So join us on Park Avenue, in the heart of New York, one of the world’s most exciting cities. Surround yourself with the passion and lies and deceptions and, finally, surrender to the love.
Happy reading!
Maureen
For Alicia Estrada, as she starts off on the biggest adventure there is. You’ve been a joy all of your life, Alicia, now I wish you that same joy in the brand-new world you’re entering.
One
“Damn it, Julia, answer the phone,” the deep voice growled into the answering machine, and Julia Prentice winced when the caller hung up a moment later.
She’d been dodging Max Rolland’s phone calls for two months now, and he still hadn’t given up and gone away. Not that he was stalker material or anything, Julia reassured herself. No, he was just an angry male looking for an explanation of why she’d been refusing his calls since their one amazingly sexy night together.
The reason was simple, of course. She hadn’t been able to think of a way to tell him she was pregnant.
“Whoa.” Julia’s roommate and best friend, Amanda Crawford, event planner extraordinaire, walked out of her bedroom. “He sounds royally pissed off.”
“I know.” Julia sighed. And she could even admit that Max had a right to be angry. She would have been, too, if she’d been in his shoes.
Amanda crossed to her, gave her a brief hug, then said, “You’ve got to tell him about the baby.”
Sounded good in theory, Julia thought as she dropped into the closest chair. She looked up at her friend and saw the gleam of sympathy in Amanda’s gray eyes. “How’m I supposed to do that?”
“Just say the words.” Amanda sat down, making their gazes level, which she pretty much had to do all the time. Julia was short, at five feet two inches, and Amanda was eight inches taller. Built like a model, Amanda had short, choppy blond hair, beautiful gray eyes and a loyal heart.
“Easier said than done,” Julia said, smoothing one hand over the sharp crease in her pale green linen slacks.
“You can’t wait forever, honey,” Amanda told her. “Sooner or later, you’re going to show.”
“Believe me,” Julia said, “I know. But that night I spent with him was an aberration. I mean, things got all hot and heavy so quickly I didn’t have time to think and then the deed was done and Max was telling me he wasn’t interested in anything more than a mutually satisfying sexual relationship.”
“Idiot,” Amanda offered.
“Thanks for that.” Julia smiled. “Anyway it seemed that that was the end of it, you know? Max wanted uncomplicated sex and I wanted more.”
“Of course you did.”
She dropped her head against the chair back and stared up at the ceiling. “Now everything’s different and I don’t know what to do.”
“Yeah, you do. You just don’t want to do it.”
“I suppose.” Blowing out a breath, Julia said, “He deserves to know about the baby.”
“Yep.”
“Fine. I’ll tell him tomorrow.” Decision made, Julia actually felt a little better about things. After all, it wasn’t as if she was going to ask Max to be involved in his child’s life or even to pay child support. She could afford to raise her baby on her own. So, all she had to do was break the news of impending fatherhood, then let him off the proverbial hook.
“Why have I been obsessing about this?”
“Because you’re you,” Amanda said, smiling. She gave her friend’s knee a pat. “You overthink everything, honey. You always have.”
“Well,” Julia said wryly, “don’t I sound exciting?”