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His Ring, Her Baby / His Bride for the Taking: His Ring, Her Baby / His Bride for the Taking
Sandra Hyatt
Maxine Sullivan
His Ring, Her BabyVanessa’s job title was housekeeper, not fiancée! Billionaire cattleman Kirk Deverill had offered her the job to help her keep her son, although the eligible bachelor hadn’t expected her to tell everyone she was also Kirk’s bride-to-be! He agreed to Vanessa’s ruse for her adorable son’s sake and for the opportunity to claim some “husbandly” pleasures. But making their fake engagement real was never going to happen!His Bride for the Taking Prince Rafael Marconi’s brother was supposed to wed Alexia Wyndham Jones. So Rafe was escorting the American heiress to his country. But what the royal playboy never bargained for was his fierce attraction to the bride-to-be. Alexia was more surprising, spirited…and sensual than he could have imagined. She was also strictly off-limits…
HIS RING,
HER BABY
MAXINE SULLIVAN
HIS BRIDE FOR
THE TAKING
SANDRA HYATT
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
HIS RING,
HER BABY
MAXINE SULLIVAN
“Marriage is what you were aiming for, wasn’t it?”
She quickly shook her head. “No! I didn’t. I—”
“Enough lying. You’re trying to get someone to marry you and you’ll use any means—any person —to keep your son.” His lips twisted. “I guess I’m just damn lucky I was the one on hand.”
“No! I have no intention of marrying you—or anyone else, for that matter. I’ve just lost my husband, for God’s sake,” she said, her voice catching.
“That didn’t stop you sleeping with me last night, did it?”
She sucked in a breath. “That was a mistake. We’ve already agreed not to repeat it.”
“I told you before I don’t like being used.”
“I’m sorry. If I could take it back without harming my son, then I would.”
A nerve pulsed near his temple. “Fine. I’ll be your fiancé for now. But I can tell you this, Vanessa. I will never be your husband.”
About the Author
MAXINE SULLIVAN credits her mother for her lifelong love of romance novels, so it was a natural extension for Maxine to want to write her own romances. She thinks there is nothing better than being a writer and is thrilled to be one of the few Australians to write for the Desire™ line.
Maxine lives in Melbourne, Australia, but over the years has travelled to New Zealand, the UK and the USA. In her own backyard, her husband’s job ensured they saw the diversity of the countryside, from the tropics to the Outback, country towns to the cities. She is married to Geoff, who has proven his hero status many times over the years. They have two handsome sons and an assortment of much-loved, previously abandoned animals.
Maxine would love to hear from you. She can be contacted through her website at www.maxinesullivan. com.
To my fabulous agent, Jennifer Schober.
Thanks for your support and enthusiasm, Jenn.
And to Catherine Evans for her helpful advice
with the Outback scenes. Thanks, Cath.
Dear Reader,
When my editor suggested I write an Outback story I was thrilled. Not only do I love writing characters drawn together for the sake of a child, but who wouldn’t want to write a story set in the romantic Outback? It’s a special place that deserves a special love story.
The term “Outback” is not a precise location, and even Australians don’t know exactly where the Outback starts and ends. Many Australians live in the cities, others in rural areas called “the bush", and farther out —somewhere “out back”—it turns into the “Outback". Where the line is drawn no one really knows. You’re suddenly there in the middle of something that entrances a person in a way you’ve never known before and you just know that this is it. It’s a bit like love.
Of course, Vanessa Hamilton and Kirk Deverill aren’t quite so quick to realise they have a love like no other. Vanessa has been mourning her late husband and is now busy trying to protect her son from his smothering grandparents. Kirk has a secret he won’t burden any woman with. There are just too many reasons for them not to fall in love.
And if that’s the case, then perhaps they’ll manage to escape the romantic lure of the Outback. Then again … perhaps they won’t. I hope you enjoy this story.
Happy reading!
Maxine
One
We’ve sold the motel.
Vanessa Hamilton was still reeling from her cousin’s news when she looked up and saw a luxury Range Rover pull up out front of the Jackaroo Plains Motel.
She groaned, wishing she could go think about her situation without interruption from either telephones or guests. Her son was taking his morning nap right now so the timing would have been perfect. She was pleased for Linda and Hugh, of course. It was what they wanted. But she’d only been here three weeks and had planned on staying at least six months.
And right now she had to put all her worry aside as she watched the man push open the glass door. Lord, he was certainly handsome enough to take any woman’s mind off her problems.
Or create one.
No one had taught her about these three Rs in school.
Rich.
Rugged.
Red-blooded.
He epitomized everything she imagined a wealthy outback male to be. From the tips of his brown leather boots, to bone-colored trousers and the light blue polo shirt a woman was tempted to rub against, to his wrist where an expensive Rolex glistened in the light.
He stopped in front of the reception desk, his blue eyes filling with masculine appreciation. “You’re new here,” he drawled.
She lifted her chin, annoyed with herself for finding him attractive. “Are you looking for a room?” she asked in her best no-nonsense voice, already knowing they had nothing suitable. The Plaza Hotel in New York was more his style.
Those blue eyes narrowed on her. “No.”
“If you’re looking to eat in the restaurant—”
“I’m not.”
“You’re not here for the gardener’s job, are you?” she said, knowing it sounded ridiculous but one never knew.
His low chuckle resonated with something inside her. Something she didn’t want to acknowledge.
“No, I’m not here for that, either.”
Suddenly she noticed his gaze dart to her left hand, noting her bare fingers. Uneasiness fluttered inside her stomach that he might think her single and available. It had been weird taking off her rings, but the heat had made her fingers swell a little and the alternative had been to have the rings adjusted. She hadn’t wanted to do that, seeing her fingers would return to normal once she returned to Sydney.
Just like she would return to normal, she had promised herself, realizing now it might happen sooner than expected. Oh, God, she didn’t want to go back to the city where her wealthy parents-in-law doted on her one-year-old son, Josh.
More than doted.
Smothered.
“I came to see Linda and Hugh,” the man said, drawing her back to the present.
The penny dropped. He was the new owner of the motel. Oh, yes, that explained him. Her cousin said he was rich, predatory, and sucked up failing businesses like a vacuum cleaner, then got rid of half the staff under the guise of modernization.
Well, officially she wasn’t on the staff.
She gave him a cool look. “They’re not here.”
“Where are they?”
“Dubbo.”
There was a moment’s pause. “When will they be back?”
“No idea.”
One brow lifted, a questioning light in his eyes. “Are you always this helpful?”
“Only when it’s part of the job,” she said with a politeness that was nothing more than lip service.
His jaw set. “Look, I’m a friend of Linda and Hugh’s and—”
Her heart thudded. “A … a friend?”
“Yes, Hugh and I went to boarding school together.”
“Oh, I thought—” She stopped. Perhaps Linda and Hugh didn’t want it known yet that they were selling.
“Yes?”
“It doesn’t matter.” It all made sense now. She could easily see the two men being friends. Hugh’s parents owned a cattle station, but Hugh had been more interested in business than the land and had bought the motel for him and Linda.
Did this man own a cattle station, too? He certainly looked like one of the wealthy landowners.
“The name’s Kirk, by the way,” he said, snapping her from her thoughts. “Kirk Deverill.”
His name flowed over her. Why couldn’t he be called Bruce? Or Darryl? Something that didn’t sound so masculine or make a woman think about him as a man.
She let out a shaky breath. “I’m Linda’s cousin. Vanessa Hamilton.”
He paused, as if putting the name to her face and liking what he saw. Then his eyes fell to her lips. “I didn’t know Linda had such a beautiful cousin.”
She gave a soft gasp. Why did this man’s words make her knees weak when almost every available male in town, and some not so available, had said the same thing since her arrival?
The telephone rang and she snatched it up, uncomfortable at the feelings he was raising inside her. She could feel him watching her as she went to a stand to get a brochure on the Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo. She answered a couple of questions for the guest then hung up and put the brochure back.
“I’m sorry. I—” She looked up and caught him eyeing the full length of her denim jeans. “Um … just a question about the zoo,” she finished on a lame note.
“No need to be sorry,” he said smoothly, not looking the slightest bit uncomfortable at having been caught. Then he considered her. “So tell me. Why the attitude?”
She cleared her throat. “Attitude?”
“You obviously thought I was someone else.”
“Perhaps.” It wasn’t up to her to tell him about the sale. Besides, he could say he was a friend of Linda and Hugh’s but that didn’t mean he actually was.
“Someone you don’t like.”
“Maybe.”
“You realize you owe me an apology,” he pointed out.
Yes, and he owed her an apology for the way he’d been looking at her, but did she want to go there? No way.
“Of course, there is a way you could make up for it,” he said, a light in his eyes telling her this man was very experienced with women.
She stiffened. Here it comes. One sexist remark and she’d tie him to a tree for the dingoes to eat.
“Have dinner with me tomorrow night.”
“Dinner?” Her heart jumped in her chest. “I can’t. I mean, I can’t desert Linda and Hugh then. It’s going to be a big night for them. I’m helping out around the place, you see, and I—”
“You only had to say no.” Her reaction seemed to amuse him. “I’m a big boy. I can take it.”
Vanessa didn’t know whether to be relieved or irritated that he gave in so easily. She’d expected some sort of fight from the guy.
She drew breath. “Fine then. No, I don’t want to have dinner with you tomorrow night.”
“How about a rain check?”
