Accidental Fiancee

Accidental Fiancee
Renee Roszel

Fiancée–without a proposal!Zachary Merit might have saved a senator's daughter's life–but he doesn't expect to read in the newspapers that she is his fiancée! That is certainly news to him! Now, much to his irritation, Olivia has followed him to Merit Island–to apologize….Olivia still finds Zack reckless and exciting–everything she isn't. Could she ever be like him, fit in with his wild lifestyle? Probably not. So why is she so determined to make him her fiance–for real?

“Please, call me Liv,” she said. “I think saving my life gives you that right.”

He slashed a cynical grin. “Being your fiancé doesn’t count?”

She winced at his taunt. “Oh—I—well…”

He shrugged. “Never mind—what can I do for you—Liv?”

Her gaze darted away from his face, ricocheted off the boathouse then pinged up to the mansion. She blinked several times, her fingers lacing and relacing. “I—first…” She slid her attention back to him, and he sensed the move had taken extreme effort. “I want to apologize for the—the engagement thing.”

“Ah, yes.” He fought a renewed surge of irritation. “I seem to remember hearing something about that in a few newspapers.” He lifted a sardonic eyebrow. “Imagine my glee.”

Dear Reader,

I had so much fun with my ENCHANTED BRIDES trilogy, I decided it would be exciting to write a series about three brothers. I envisaged each brother to be tough and successful in his own right, but lonely—whether he realizes it or not. Then I decided to place these men on a mountain of emeralds located on their own private island.

The heirs to the Merit emerald dynasty, Jake, Marc and Zack, are as different as brothers can be. But what they have in common is that they are all gorgeous men—who are each about to meet the one special woman for them.

I hope you enjoy Zack’s story, Accidental Fiancée. Zack is the Merit family badboy, the mystery man, and he likes it that way. But he’s thrust into the national headlines when he saves a senator’s daughter from certain death. Now, Olivia has accidentally become his fiancée—and they are forced to hide out on Merit Island to avoid the press. The couple’s two weeks together are a tormenting, thrilling, life-changing adventure…. Enjoy the ride!

All my best,

P.S. I love to hear from readers so do, please, write to me at P.O. Box 700154, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74107, USA.

The Merit brothers—

it takes a special woman to win their hearts.

Accidental Fiancée

Renee Roszel

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

To Barbara McMahon and Patti Knoll for their continued support, humor and friendship day after day after day after day…

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE (#uf9b1db93-ece7-52a8-bb81-866d8969fa5f)

CHAPTER TWO (#ue3c3e82c-5941-5b33-a42a-7c748896f10e)

CHAPTER THREE (#uc13ba804-01bd-542c-b54f-0bd07547fabc)

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 TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER ONE

ZACK fell through empty air toward earth. He watched them appear from out of nowhere—the almighty security force that guarded Merit Island. Seconds after he pulled the rip cord on his main parachute, they were no longer scurrying ants, but loomed large enough for him to see the sun glinting off their state-of-the-art artillery.

He grinned. He hadn’t expected a marching band to welcome him home after all these years, but he would have preferred to touch down with fewer side arms aimed at his heart.

He attained a zero rate of descent as his feet reached ground level. A perfect landing, especially considering twenty years had passed since he’d seen the topography of Merit Island. His shoe soles skimmed the grass while he sat in his harness. Stepping lightly on the ground, he removed a little of his weight from the rigging. With each successive step he tread more heavily until he fully supported his weight. Coming to an easy halt, he shifted to watch his black-and-silver rectangular chute flutter to the lawn. He also noticed the troops surround him.

As briskly as he could, without making any moves that looked threatening, he took off his helmet and gear, then lifted both hands to reassure the gentlemen in starched gray that he was unarmed and represented no threat, though he was dressed a little like Captain Galaxy in his black jumpsuit.

He smiled at the grim-faced security force as they approached. “Hi, boys,” he said with as much friendliness as his desire not to be riddled with bullets could muster. He spread his fingers, his webbed gloves making his surrender look unearthly. Maybe he should have shouted out, “Take me to your leader.” He wagged his webbed fingers skyward, surveying the troops. “As you can see, guys…” Making a slow, composed turn, he took a quick inventory of how many muzzles were aimed at his gut.

Eight.

“I can’t hide many machine-guns in this sausage-skin getup.”

“You’ll have to come with us, sir.”

Zack glanced at the gray man who’d spoken, no doubt the highest ranking sentry.

“No problem, General.” He smiled benignly. “I don’t want any unsightly holes drilled in my carcass. Lead the way.”

The burly man jerked his head toward the three-story stone-and-timber home Zachary remembered from his childhood. Shifting his gaze from the leader’s laser-sighted weapon, Zack stared at the house, his first glimpse since he left home at seventeen. The tightening in his belly surprised him. He’d thought if he ever saw the old homestead again it would seem smaller, somehow less significant. But it didn’t.

The image of an English manor house, Zack’s boyhood home was still the stately tribute to capitalism it had been all those years ago, with its spectacular view of the Atlantic from the crest of the island’s highest point. The sight brought back a wave of feelings, stronger than he’d believed possible. It wasn’t the splendor of the residence that made him ache inside, or the memory of the importance of the family dynasty, not the island’s primeval beauty or even the vast wealth he’d walked away from all those years ago.

He ached because of the empty hole inside him, a hole that couldn’t be filled, no matter how much adventure and excitement he poured in. After a tragic boat racing accident last year when he’d lost his best friend, he’d awakened to the fact of his own mortality, and that a life lived all alone was a barren existence. That realization had sparked the urge to reconnect with family.