Italian Surgeon to the Stars

Italian Surgeon to the Stars
MELANIE MILBURNE

'You think you can erase what we had?'Celebrity heart surgeon Dr Alessandro Lucioni may be gorgeous, but I will never forget what we shared in Paris five years ago…or how he broke my heart!Except now he’s standing in front of me, asking for my help with his young niece – and determined to pick up where we left off! But this time I won’t be his consolation prize. I will remain strong! Yet with the memories of those magical, blazing nights swirling through my mind, he’s just so very hard to resist…

Praise for Melanie Milburne (#ub214da0e-32fd-5312-89a9-843f159f19f2)

‘Fast-paced, passionate and simply irresistible, Sydney Harbour Hospital: Lexi’s Secret is a powerful tale of redemption, hope and second chances that sparkles with richly drawn characters, warm-hearted pathos, tender emotion, sizzling sensuality and uplifting romance.’

—CataRomance

‘A tale of new beginnings, redemption and hope that will make readers chuckle as well as wipe away a tear. A compelling medical drama about letting go of the past and seizing the day, it is fast-paced and sparkles with mesmerising emotion and intense passion.’

—GoodReads on Their Most Forbidden Fling

From as soon as MELANIE MILBURNE could pick up a pen she knew she wanted to write. It was when she picked up her first Mills & Boon

at seventeen that she realised she wanted to write romance. After being distracted for a few years by meeting and marrying her own handsome hero, surgeon husband Steve, and having two boys, plus completing a Masters of Education and becoming a nationally ranked athlete (Masters’ swimming), she decided to write. Five submissions later she sold her first book and is now a multi-published, bestselling, award-winning USA TODAY author. In 2008 she won the Australian Readers’ Association most popular category/series romance, and in 2011 she won the prestigious Romance Writers of Australia R*BY award.

Melanie loves to hear from her readers via her website, melaniemilburne.com.au, or on Facebook: facebook.com/melanie.milburne (http://www.facebook.com/melanie.milburne)

After completing a degree in journalism, working in the advertising industry, then becoming a stay-at-home mum, Robin Gianna had what she calls her ‘midlife awakening’. She decided she wanted to write the romance novels she’d loved since her teens, and embarked on that quest by joining RWA, Central Ohio Fiction Writers, and working hard at learning the craft.

She loves sharing the journey with her characters, helping them through obstacles and problems to find their own happily-ever-afters. When not writing, Robin likes to create in her kitchen, dig in the dirt, and enjoy life with her tolerant husband, three great kids, drooling bulldog and grouchy Siamese cat.

To learn more about her work visit her website:

RobinGianna.com (http://www.RobinGianna.com)

Italian Surgeon to the Stars

Melanie Milburne

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

Dear Reader (#ub214da0e-32fd-5312-89a9-843f159f19f2),

One of the things I love about being a writer is that I never have to look very far for the characters for my stories. They nearly always come looking for me. Jem Clark is one such character.

I wrote Jem’s younger sister Bertie’s story, A Date with Her Valentine Doc, with the intention of it being a one-off first person Mills & Boon

Medical Romance™ especially for St Valentine’s Day. (By the way, I had so much fun writing that story!) But right from the start Jem was there, with her story just waiting to be told. In fact she was so real to me I sent an email to my editor using her voice!

Jem is a strong and sharp-tongued young woman, with a take-no-prisoners attitude. You have been warned!

Thankfully, I didn’t have to look very far for my hero, Alessandro Lucioni. My Mills & Boon

Modern™ Romance readers will already know how much I love an Italian alpha hero—and a deeply tortured one even more so.

I hope you enjoy Italian Surgeon to the Stars as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Warmest wishes

Melanie Milburne

To Amy Thompson—a fellow poodle-lover, a fantastic friend and a fabulous beauty therapist. You are one of the sweetest and kindest people I know. xxx

Table of Contents

Cover (#u74505448-06a6-5980-b85f-6d94a364d26a)

Praise for Melanie Milburne

About the Author (#u321ca37c-65de-5ec2-abaf-a2e933a60052)

Title Page (#u18581571-140e-5424-9f51-f7c11afbf46a)

Dear Reader

Dedication (#u159dfe30-b4cb-5fa4-9e40-f603bb8f4c92)

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER ONE (#ub214da0e-32fd-5312-89a9-843f159f19f2)

EVEN THOUGH I’M a fully qualified teacher I still hate getting called into the headmistress’s office. I get this nervous prickle in my stomach, like a bunch of ants are tiptoeing around in there on stilettos. My knees feel woolly and unstable. My heart starts to hammer.