Bought: His Temporary Fiancée

Bought: His Temporary Fiancée
Yvonne Lindsay

“Will you be my fake fiancée?”What kind of charade had she agreed to? Margaret Cole’s new boss, William Tanner, had presented a simple offer: pose as his bride-to-be. The tycoon could collect his inheritance; she could protect her family. But what if Margaret acknowledged the feelings she had for her pretend groom? William would use whatever means necessary—including blackmail—to please his family.Margaret was exactly what he needed to complete his plan—single, sexy…and at his mercy. He just had to keep things completely professional. Which was proving to be anything but simple.

‘I need someone—you, specifically—to pose as my fiancée.’

‘Your what?’ she gasped, shooting to her feet. ‘Are you crazy? That’s just ridiculous. We don’t even know one another.’

‘Ah, but we do.’

He crossed the room in a few long strides, coming to a halt directly in front of her. The light scent she wore, something floral and innocent and totally at odds with the sensual creature he knew lingered under her proper exterior, wafted on the air between them. Will lifted his hand and traced one finger along the enticing fullness of her lower lip.

‘Let me enlighten you.’

He didn’t give her so much as a split second to react. He closed the short distance between her lips and his. The instant his mouth touched hers, he knew he’d been right to pursue this course of action.

Dear Reader,

Being invited to participate in The Takeover continuity was a massive thrill for me. From the moment the story outline arrived in my in-box, I fell in love with William Tanner and Margaret Cole, and the task of bringing their story to you, our readers, was a willingly accepted challenge.

I’ve always adored a Pygmalion type of story, the whole Cinderella transformation and the knowledge that true beauty, while not always immediately visible, lies in the many layers that make up a person.

Seeing Margaret through Will’s eyes was incredibly interesting. His first interaction with her was based on an instant and consuming attraction yet, as in Cinderella, Will had to work to track her down and find a way to make her his. Not such an easy task when he’s essentially the ‘hit man’ for Cameron Enterprises, and the livelihood of Margaret and many of her friends and colleagues relies on Will’s recommendations to his boss, Rafe Cameron. Of course, seeing Will through Margaret’s eyes is equally interesting as she crosses personal barriers in her own pursuit of happiness.

I hope you love this instalment in The Takeover as much as I enjoyed working on it.

With very best wishes, always,

Yvonne Lindsay

About the Author

New Zealand-born to Dutch immigrant parents, YVONNE LINDSAY became an avid romance reader at the age of thirteen. Now, married to her ‘blind date’ and with two surprisingly amenable teenagers, she remains a firm believer in the power of romance. Yvonne feels privileged to be able to bring to her readers the stories of her heart. In her spare time, when not writing, she can be found with her nose firmly in a book, reliving the power of love in all walks of life. She can be contacted via her website, www.yvonnelindsay.com.

Bought: His Temporary Fiancée

Yvonne Lindsay

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

To my fellow The Takeover authors—Day, Emily, Sandra, Michelle and Catherine—and to the fabulous editorial team who’ve worked with us, thank you all for being such a wonderful group. It’s been an absolute pleasure!

Don’t miss a single book in this series!

The Takeover

For better, for worse. For business, for pleasure. These tycoons have vowed to have it all!

Claimed: The Pregnant Heiress by Day Leclaire

Seduced: The Unexpected Virgin by Emily McKay

Revealed: His Secret Child by Sandra Hyatt

Bought: His Temporary Fiancée by Yvonne Lindsay

Exposed: Her Undercover Millionaire by Michelle Celmer

Acquired: The CEO’s Small-Town Bride by Catherine Mann

One

He was just as heart-stoppingly gorgeous as the first time she’d laid eyes on him. And those lips …

Margaret Cole stepped into William Tanner’s office and couldn’t tear her gaze from her new boss’s mouth as he introduced himself as CFO of Cameron Enterprises—the company that had bought out Worth Industries. She’d heard he was from New Zealand originally. She wondered briefly if his home country’s British colonial background was responsible for that slightly stiff-upper-lip way he had of speaking. Oh, Lord, there she was, fixated on his lips again. And no wonder. That very mouth had claimed hers in a kiss that had seared her senses and made her toes curl only six short weeks ago.

Even now she could remember the pressure of his mouth against hers, of the way her blood had suddenly heated, then rushed through her veins. The sensation more exhilarating and intoxicating than anything she’d ever experienced before.

She’d wanted more then, and she wanted more now, but men like William Tanner were pretty much off-limits for a girl like her. Especially a man who probably paid more for a single cut of his neatly trimmed dark brown hair than she spent on her own hair in a year. Not that he appeared vain. Far from it. With his casual elegance he probably never thought twice about the cost, never had to. Nor the price of the tailored business suit that fitted the width of his shoulders and now hung open, revealing his flat stomach and lean hips. Even with the two-inch heels on her sensible pumps boosting her height to five foot nine, he stood a good five inches taller than her.

Maggie found herself nodding and murmuring in response to Mr. Tanner’s invitation to sit down. She really needed to gather her wits about her, but for the life of her she just couldn’t. Every cell in her body vibrated on full alert. Did he recognize her from behind the elaborate mask she’d worn? She’d certainly recognized him—although, on that night, she hadn’t had any idea of who he was until after the kiss that had surpassed her every fantasy.

The second he’d arrived at the company Valentine’s Day ball, she’d felt his presence like a tangible thing. He’d entered the room alone, standing for a moment in the doorway, his dark costume fitted to his body, his cloak swirling gently around him. Her eyes had been instantly drawn to him. Dressed like Zorro, he was the perfect foil to her Spanish lady and it hadn’t taken him long to find her and swing her away in his arms to the dance floor. They’d danced the minutes until midnight together, and he’d kissed her just as the countdown to unmasking had begun. But then someone had called his name, and as he’d taken his lips from hers she’d realized exactly who he was.

Her behavior that night had been completely out of character. She would never in a million years have believed she could feel so much so soon, for a man she’d never met before that night. A flush of heat surged through her body at the memory. A surge that came to a rapid halting crash as she became aware that he clearly awaited a response to something he’d said.

She cleared her throat nervously and fixed her gaze on a point just past his ear.

“I’m sorry, could you repeat that please?”

He smiled, no more than a smooth curve of his lips, and her internal temperature slid up another notch. This was insane. How on earth was she going to work for the man when she couldn’t keep her wits about her in his presence? She’d be out of here in two seconds flat if she couldn’t perform. He had a real reputation for being a hard-ass. She could deal with that. He hadn’t gotten where he was at the age of thirty-one without that particular character trait, she was sure. Focused people didn’t scare her—she admired them—but in his case she had to admit that she admired him just a little bit too much.

“Are you nervous?” he asked.

“No, not exactly. Perhaps a little surprised at my appointment—not that I’m complaining about it.”

“I was merely commenting on your length of service with Worth Industries. You’re what, twenty-eight, and you’ve been with Worth for eight years?”

Even his voice was a distraction. Rich and deep and with a texture that sent a tiny shiver of longing down her spine. And his accent. A little bit Upper East Side and a little bit Kiwi. The combination and inflections in his tone did crazy things to her insides.

“Yes. My whole family has worked, or does work, for Worth.”

“Ah, yes, your brother—Jason, is it?”

She nodded. “And my parents, too, when they were alive. They were both on the factory floor.”

“That’s quite a loyal streak you’re showing there.”

Maggie shrugged. “Not really. Especially when you consider that Worth Industries—I mean, Cameron Enterprises—is the major industry and employer in Vista del Mar.”