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The Greek's Forbidden Innocent
Annie West
The Greek’s virgin bride……is hiding her royal identity!While helping her friend escape an arranged marriage dutiful Princess Mina finds herself captive on enigmatic Alexei Katsaros’s luxurious private island! Mina must convince Alexei that she’s his future bride—but she doesn’t expect their scorching chemistry to be so deliciously overwhelming… And after a night in the Greek’s bed suddenly there’s more at stake than just Mina’s hidden identity—her heart’s at Alexei’s mercy too!
The Greek’s virgin bride...
...is hiding her royal identity!
While helping her friend escape an arranged marriage, dutiful Princess Mina finds herself captive on enigmatic Alexei Katsaros’s luxurious private island! Mina must convince Alexei that she’s his future bride, but she doesn’t expect their scorching chemistry to be so deliciously overwhelming... And after a night in the Greek’s bed, suddenly there’s more at stake than just Mina’s hidden identity—her heart is at Alexei’s mercy, too!
Escape to an island paradise with the billionaire and his royal bride!
Growing up near the beach, ANNIE WEST spent lots of time observing tall, burnished lifeguards—early research! Now she spends her days fantasising about gorgeous men and their love lives. Annie has been a reader all her life. She also loves travel, long walks, good company and great food. You can contact her at annie@annie-west.com or via PO Box 1041, Warners Bay, NSW 2282, Australia.
Also by Annie West (#u7bc6ec93-0453-5048-acd3-10880e5beafa)
Seducing His Enemy’s Daughter
A Vow to Secure His Legacy
The Flaw in Raffaele’s Revenge
The Desert King’s Secret Heir
The Desert King’s Captive Bride
Contracted for the Petrakis Heir
Inherited for the Royal Bed
Her Forgotten Lover’s Heir
The Princess Seductions miniseries
His Majesty’s Temporary Bride
The Greek’s Forbidden Princess
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk).
The Greek’s Forbidden Innocent
Annie West
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ISBN: 978-1-474-08742-1
THE GREEK’S FORBIDDEN INNOCENT
© 2019 Annie West
Published in Great Britain 2019
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.
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www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
This story is for Helen Sibbritt
Thank you so much for your enthusiasm,
support and never-failing good cheer!
Contents
Cover (#u6f7101dd-9046-5551-aaba-ef0f84291240)
Back Cover Text (#u78e15d93-1483-56d4-aee6-1035384f2756)
About the Author (#u363a1c6e-4b66-5c78-8911-942331bc7534)
Booklist (#u81502e94-fe0c-58d6-acb5-ded0074257b2)
Title Page (#u3f09e65e-2cda-5773-982b-00fd87410ef3)
Copyright (#u2e19f0d0-9068-5158-b26e-09c65cc8fef3)
Dedication (#u2ab99a19-88e8-51ac-94d6-4200ae6c5ff0)
CHAPTER ONE (#uc1604dae-3029-5aa5-bde6-bcdb19c584bf)
CHAPTER TWO (#u430dd0ff-c59e-574f-8517-8f2d0ad6ba5c)
CHAPTER THREE (#u31307f8a-6539-5039-9d61-9b157c6a9c12)
CHAPTER FOUR (#ud8b41f4e-1225-5f83-b8af-da7d6e43e97c)
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)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE (#u7bc6ec93-0453-5048-acd3-10880e5beafa)
‘TAKE A DEEP BREATH, Carissa, and tell me slowly.’ Mina held her friend’s shoulders tight. ‘And another.’ She nodded encouragingly as Carissa’s breathing grew more normal. ‘That’s better.’
While Carissa focused on her breathing, Mina’s gaze searched for the source of her friend’s distress. But there was nothing unusual in the entry to the other woman’s apartment. No blood. No disarray. No intruder. Just a large pink suitcase.
Yet something was definitely wrong. Carissa, the most easygoing person she knew, had grabbed Mina before she could open the door to her own apartment and yanked her in next door. There was real fear in Carissa’s china-blue eyes.
‘Come and sit and tell me about it.’
‘No!’ Carissa shook her head and a cloud of golden curls spilled around her shoulders. ‘There’s no time. They’ll be here soon. But I don’t want to go. I can’t go.’ Tears filled her eyes as her voice wobbled. ‘I want Pierre! But he’s not here in Paris. He’s abroad.’
That at least made sense. Pierre was Carissa’s boyfriend.
‘Don’t fret. No one’s going to make you go anywhere you don’t want to.’ Mina kept her voice calm, ushering her friend into the small sitting room and gently pushing her into a seat. Carissa’s whole body shook and her face was stark white.
Mina had received enough bad news herself to recognise shock. Her mother had died when she was young and just five years ago, when she was seventeen, her father had died unexpectedly from a brain aneurism.
Memories stirred of that terrifying time, held hostage in a palace coup after her father’s funeral. Then her sister Ghizlan’s sacrifice, forced to wed the coup leader, Huseyn, so he could become Sheikh. It seemed a lifetime away from Mina’s life now in France.
‘Tell me what’s up so I can help.’ Mina pulled a chair close and took Carissa’s hands. Her face was, for the first time Mina could recall, bare of make-up and her shirt wasn’t buttoned right. For Carissa this was a fashion catastrophe. More like Mina’s usual look than her own.
Mina’s frown deepened. ‘Has someone hurt you?’
Her stomach clenched as she remembered the day of the coup, the drench of icy fear as a soldier manhandled her, stopping her escape with brutal efficiency. She recalled the adrenalin rush galvanising her to fight back. It was the first time anyone had laid a hand on her. The first time she’d become aware of the sheer, physical power men could exert over women. Until then, Mina’s royal status had protected her.
Carissa was trusting and gentle, always looking for the best in people. If someone had taken advantage of her—
‘No, it’s nothing like that.’
Mina’s shoulders sagged. Relief rushed through her. In the years they’d studied together at a prestigious Paris art school, and since, she’d never seen Carissa distraught like this.
‘So who is coming? Where don’t you want to go?’
Carissa’s bottom lip quivered and she blinked hard.
‘Alexei Katsaros is sending someone. They’ll take me to his private island.’ A shudder ran through her. ‘But I don’t want to go. I can’t. Even when Dad told me about it, I never thought it would actually happen! You have to help me, Mina. Please.’
Mina’s worry eased and with it her frantic heartbeat. Not a life-and-death situation, then. She knew who Alexei Katsaros was. Who didn’t? He was a megawealthy IT entrepreneur. Carissa’s father was one of his executives.
‘Is it an invitation to visit your father? I’m sure Pierre would spare you for a short vacation.’
Carissa shook her head. ‘This isn’t a vacation. It’s an arranged marriage! Dad told me he hoped to organise it but I never thought he’d bring it off. Alexei Katsaros can have his pick of women.’
Mina said nothing. Carissa was extraordinarily pretty and sweet-natured. That, plus her innate desire to please, would appeal to lots of men.
‘I can’t go through with it, Mina.’ Carissa’s fingers bit into hers. ‘I could never love a man like that, so hard and judgemental. He wants a trophy wife, who’ll do what he wants when he wants. My father’s told him I’m pretty and biddable and...’ Her shoulders shook as the tears became sobs. ‘I never thought it would come to this. It seemed impossible, laughable. But I don’t have a choice. My father’s counting on me.’
Mina frowned. Arranged marriages she knew about. If her father had lived he’d have organised one for her.
‘I’m sure no one will force you into anything.’ Unlike in Jeirut. Her sister had been forced into an unwanted marriage and Mina remembered feeling utterly helpless at being unable to prevent it. It had been a miracle when, against the odds, the pair later fell in love. The match had seemed doomed to end in misery. ‘Your father will be there. If you explain—’
‘But he’s not there,’ Carissa wailed. ‘I don’t know where he is. I can’t contact him. And I can’t say no to Mr Katsaros. Dad warned me there’d been some trouble at work. He didn’t say what, but I think his job’s on the line. He’s hoping this marriage will smooth everything over.’ Carissa clung to Mina’s hands, her fingers curling into talons. ‘But I could never marry such a hard man. He has a new woman every week. Besides, Pierre and I are in love. We’re getting married.’ A flicker of happiness transformed her teary features.
‘You’re getting married?’ Mina stared. She shouldn’t be surprised; the pair were besotted.
Carissa’s smile died. ‘We were planning to elope next weekend, when he’s back from this business trip. Pierre says it will be easier to face his family with a fait accompli.’
Pierre rose in Mina’s estimation. He was a lovely guy but he’d never stood up to his stiff-necked family who wanted him to marry someone from old French money.
‘But I can’t marry him if I’m forced to marry Alexei Katsaros!’ Carissa’s tears overflowed.
‘Did Katsaros say he wanted to marry you?’
‘As good as. He said my father had told him about me and he was anxious to meet. He believed we’d find a lot in common and that we had a future together.’ Carissa bit her lip. ‘I tried to fob him off but he didn’t hear a word I said. He cut me off and said his staff would be here in an hour to collect me. What will I do?’
Mina frowned. She didn’t like the sound of this. He might be rich but that didn’t excuse rudeness or give him the right to order Carissa around.
‘Tell me again exactly what your father told you.’
But as Carissa spoke, Mina’s hope that her friend had overreacted dissolved. There’d recently been a rift between her father and his employer. After years of faithful service it seemed Katsaros might dump him. Mina couldn’t approve of Mr Carter’s plan to use Carissa to cement his position, but such things happened. Several of Mina’s peers in Jeirut had been married to older men they barely knew to strengthen family or business links.
She gritted her teeth, watching Carissa’s hands flutter as she related the one-sided conversation with Alexei Katsaros. He hadn’t invited Carissa to his island hideaway but simply informed her of the travel arrangements. As if she were freight to be transported, not a woman with a life of her own.
Mina’s temper rose like steam from a kettle.
She prized her freedom, appreciating how different her life was in Paris, away from a world where every major decision was made by the male head of her family. Western women accepted freedom as their right, not knowing how precious that was. And here was some billionaire bully, trying to snatch that from Carissa. With the help of her own father!
