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Bedded by the Billionaire / Tycoon's One-Night Revenge: Bedded by the Billionaire
Bronwyn Jameson
Leanne Banks
Bedded by the Billionaire Leanne Banks Duty demanded Max DeLuca take care of pretty and very pregnant Lilli McCall. She was carrying his late brother’s baby, and every instinct cried out for Max to protect her unborn child. Never had the billionaire experienced such searing passion and such a desire to cherish a woman.Tycoon’s One-Night Revenge Bronwyn Jameson Amnesia had stolen millionaire businessman Donovan Keane’s memory. But one look at treacherous beauty Susannah Horton, and Van could picture every delicious detail of the weekend they’d spent in his bed. Believing she’d staged their affair for the worst of reasons, Van decided to avenge himself – and have one more hot night with Susannah!
Bedded by the Billionaireby Leanne Banks
“You may have seduced oneDeLuca, but I’m not as easilyimpressed as my brother.”
“I haven’t been trying to impress you,” she told him. “And what makes you think I would want to go round two with anyone with the last name DeLuca?” She stood and whirled away.
He snagged her wrist, pulling her against him. Her hand fell against his chest and she felt his heart against her palm.
“Hold on to that thought,” he said. “You’re going to need it. But just so you know, if you ever went to bed with me, you would never think of it as round two.”
Tycoon’s One-Night Revengeby Bronwyn Jameson
“Convince me that this marriageis what you really want,Susannah.”
His gaze dropped to her lips. The taste of his kiss slid through her veins. This was what she’d expected last night and she’d armed herself against the assault. Now he’d caught her unprepared. She needed to breathe, to ease the swell of emotion in her chest. “I can’t stay, Donovan.”
“I’m afraid you have no choice.”
“How long are you holding me hostage?” she asked.
“As long as it takes,” he said, then stepped closer.
Bedded by the Billionaire
LEANNE BANKS
Tycoon’s One-Night Revenge
BRONWYN JAMESON
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
BEDDED BY
THE BILLIONAIRE
by
Leanne Banks
LEANNE BANKS
is a New York Times bestselling author who is surprised every time she realises how many books she has written. Leanne loves chocolate, the beach and new adventures. To name a few, Leanne has ridden on an elephant, stood on an ostrich egg (no, it didn’t break), gone parasailing and indoor skydiving. Leanne loves writing romance because she believes in the power and magic of love. She lives in Virginia with her family and her four-and-a-half-pound Pomeranian named Bijou.
Dear Reader,
Have you ever made a doozy of a mistake? One that impacted you and perhaps others for months, maybe years to come? Most of us make mistakes every now and then – if not every day. But I wanted to write about a heroine who had made a huge mistake by getting involved with and becoming pregnant by the wrong kind of guy. What I love about my heroine Lilli is that she decides to make the very best of the situation, and be the best mother possible.
What kind of man would be a match for her? I was inspired by the idea of writing about a man of steel with a deep sense of responsibility, but no heart. A billionaire who does not believe in romantic love, who guards his heart because the men in his family have a history of being ruined by scheming women who use them. Max DeLuca is determined never to be played the fool by a woman. So what happens when it looks like his worst nightmare has come true? Is it possible that the man of steel could actually have a heart of gold?
Enjoy the ride of this passionate story and stay tuned for more billionaires coming your way in the near future.
I wish you love…
Leanne Banks
Special thanks to Cindy Gerard, Rhonda Pollero
and all my wonderful, supportive writing friends
and the great Melissa Jeglinski, who continues
to make my work better!
This book is dedicated to the comeback
kid in all of us.
One
“Iunderstand you’re pregnant with my brother’s child.”
Lilli McCall instinctively put her hand over her swollen belly and studied Maximillian De Luca. She’d reluctantly allowed him and his associate into her small suburban Las Vegas apartment. Heaven knew, she’d had several unwelcome visitors since Tony De Luca had died two weeks ago.
She’d spotted the family resemblance between Tony and Max through the peephole of her door—the natural tanned complexion, similar bone structure. Only this man wasn’t as pretty as Tony. Tony had been full of easy smiles and charm, and ultimately lies. This man’s face was so hard she wondered if it would break into pieces if he smiled.
Tony had told her about his brother, Max. He’d frequently complained that his brother was cutthroat, even with his own family. He’d called him the man of steel, a steel mind and a steel heart.
Lilli had detached herself from Tony for good reasons. She wanted nothing to do with him, his friends or his family.
“Miss McCall?” Max prompted.
Taking a quick breath, she gave a slow nod, willing herself not to be intimidated by the tall man. “Yes, we got involved after my mother died, but things didn’t work out between us,” she said in a voice she knew was stilted, but she couldn’t smooth it for the life of her.
“The details aren’t necessary. As you know, my brother died in an automobile accident. He had no will and no provision for children, so—”
“I didn’t expect anything from him,” she interjected.
He paused, his gaze flickering over her in a considering way again. “Really,” he said in a doubtful voice.
His tone jabbed at her. “Really,” she said. “Tony was kind to me after my mother died, but it became clear to me that I didn’t belong in his world.”
“Why is that?”
“I—” She hesitated, her chest tightening as she remembered the fateful night that had made her break up with him for good. “We had different values. I wanted the baby brought up in a different environment.”
His gaze fell to her pregnant belly. “You came to that decision a little late, didn’t you?”
In more ways than he could know, she thought. “Yes, but I can focus on the baby or on my failures. Focusing on my failures isn’t going to help me. So,” she said, more than ready for him to leave, “since I wasn’t expecting anything from Tony, you don’t need to—”
“That’s where we disagree,” he said and nodded toward the man standing behind him. “Jim, could you give me the paperwork? Lilli, this is Jim Gregory. You may recognize him as someone who has knocked on your door a few times recently.”
Lilli tore her gaze away from Max long enough to look at the older man and recognized him. “I apologize,” she said. “I live by myself, so I’m not really comfortable opening the door to men I don’t know.”
“I understand,” Jim said and she thought she saw a hint of compassion in the older man’s eyes. “Here it is, Max,” he said, producing some papers from a manila envelope, along with a pen.
Max took the papers and pen and handed them to Lilli. “It’s a simple document. In exchange for one million dollars now and another million dollars if and when the child reaches the age of twenty-five, you agree to give up any rights to my brother’s inheritance. If you should die or fail to raise the child in a responsible manner, you agree to relinquish custody of the child to a suitable guardian of my choice.”
Lilli felt her jaw drop to the floor.
“It’s all there,” Max said. “Let me know if you have any questions.”
Lilli stared blankly at the paper and felt her hands begin to shake with anger. Shoving the papers back at him, she stepped backward. “Are you nuts?”
“Should have known,” Max said to Jim. “I told you she would want more money.”
Stunned, Lilli continued to stare at him. “So you are nuts,” she said. “You didn’t hear me earlier, did you? I didn’t expect anything from Tony. I don’t now. And I certainly don’t expect anything from you. And if you think for one second that I would let someone I’ve never met choose who raises my child, you’re totally crazy.”
“That clause is just to protect the child in the event of your death or in case you develop any dangerous habits.” He placed the agreement on top of her mother’s marble-top table. “Read it. Sleep on it. I’ll negotiate the amount within reason.”
She snatched it up to give it back to him again.
He shook his head and held up his hand. “The drama is unnecessary. It costs a lot to raise a child. It will be difficult since you’re doing it alone. Think about your child’s needs. Do you really want to give up everything this money can buy for your child?” He paused while her heart pounded in her chest five beats. “I’ll be in touch.”
As soon as the two men left her apartment, Lilli flipped the dead bolt in place. Incensed and insulted, she paced into the den. Her pulse was racing in her ears, her nails digging into her palms as she clenched her hands together. Who in hell did he think he was, coming into her home and talking to her that way?
Granted, there were a few things that didn’t put her in the best light, such as the fact that she’d even gotten involved with Tony in the first place, and the fact that she was unwed and pregnant. But everyone made mistakes. The solution was owning up to them and making the best of whatever choices have been made.
Although she hadn’t intended to get pregnant by Tony, Lilli was determined to be the best mother she could be. Even with all the uncertainty and responsibility she was facing, from the moment she’d learned she was carrying a life inside her, she’d felt a little less lonely.
Lilli walked into the nursery she had begun to decorate and took a deep calming breath. She’d given the walls a fresh coat of paint and hung a puffy Noah’s Ark wall hanging with removable animals. The crib was solid maple, and she’d already attached a mobile with friendly colorful butterflies and birds. With her next paycheck, she planned to buy soft crib sheets and blankets in blue for her little guy.
Pressing her hand to her belly again, she thought of Max De Luca. She’d never met a man like him. Arrogant, insulting, charm-free. At least to her. She couldn’t deny, though, that in different circumstances he would have fascinated her. But lions had always fascinated her, too, and she knew better than to get into a den with one of them.
“That went well,” Jim said in a wry voice as Max led the way to the black Ferrari.
Loosening his tie a fraction of an inch, Max unlocked the car and slid behind the steering wheel. Max preferred being in the driver’s seat. It gave him the illusion of control. He slid into the leather seat. “Damn Tony for this,” he said, even though his grief was still fresh. “He was going to be a father, for God’s sake. You would think he could have at least provided for his child.”
“You’ve been cleaning up his messes a long time,” Jim said as Max sped out of the apartment complex. “Just curious. Did you have to be a total ass to her?”
Max had known Jim since he was a child and that was the only reason he allowed the older man to talk to him so bluntly. “She surprised me,” he said, shifting into fourth as he turned onto the interstate. “I was expecting one of those showgirls he went through like cheap wine.”
“I told you she’s a pediatric dental hygienist.”
“I figured that was her day job. She had to have another angle.” He shook his head. “She looked almost wholesome. I mean, aside from the bump, she had a nice body as far as I could tell. Did you notice she was wearing bunny slippers?”
Jim laughed. “Hard to miss them.”
“She wasn’t wearing a speck of makeup. Her hair color didn’t look like it came out of a bottle. She looked soft,” he said, still trying to come to grips with his impression of Lilli McCall. “Real. Not Tony’s type at all.”
“She must have been his type for a while.”
Max felt his chest tighten in a strange way. How had Tony lucked into her? A woman like that shouldn’t have been abandoned. Not if his first instincts about her were correct. “Yeah. He got lucky.”
Lilli was that irresistible combination of soft and sexy that every man craved. It was all too easy to wonder how that mouth of hers would feel all over a man’s body.
He felt himself grow warm at the thought and shook his head. He’d never been attracted to one of his brother’s women. Turning the AC on high, he directed the vent at his face.
“I really ticked her off with my offer,” he said, his lips twitching in amusement. She’d looked as if she would have gladly ripped out his vocal cords. He’d found her reaction surprising and oddly attractive.
That didn’t change the fact that everyone had their price. Even a blond woman with pink cheeks, bee-stung lips and blue eyes that lit up like sparklers when she was angry. “She’ll take the money,” he said to Jim, shifting gear. “They all eventually do.”
Max would clean up this mess. He had a lot of practice. Left to deal with his father’s disastrous personal and financial choices, Max had worked nonstop during the past ten years to rebuild the family name and wealth.
His investments had delivered triple returns. The merger of Megalos Resorts with De Luca Inc. to form Megalos-De Luca Enterprises had sent the shares of his stock in the company skyrocketing. Determined to keep talent in the merged company, the new board paid the top performers eight-figure salaries.
Max’s father may have been kicked off the board of the family company, but Max was determined that the next CEO would be a De Luca. Nothing would stop him. Especially not a feisty little blonde who happened to be carrying a De Luca baby in her belly.
The following evening, as she left the dental practice where she worked, Lilli winced as she flexed her fingers. Three-year-old Timmy Johnson just couldn’t resist chewing on her index finger. Although she wore rubber gloves, they didn’t always protect her from a chewing child.
She worked late three nights a week for two reasons. One, she earned a little more money working after five and two, she didn’t really have anything else to do in the evenings. It wasn’t as if she were a party animal. She’d left that brief period of her life way in the past.
Pulling her keys from her purse, she walked toward her trusty four-year-old blue Toyota Corolla. Just as she neared her car, two men stepped in front of her. They both appeared to be in their twenties and they looked so much alike they could have been brothers.
“Lilli McCall?” one of them said.
The one man looked vaguely familiar, although she couldn’t recall his name. One of Tony’s friends? She tensed. “Why do you ask?” She backed away.
Both men took a step toward her. “We’re hoping you can help us.”
She bit her lip and took another step back. “I—uh.” She cleared her throat. “How could I possibly help you?”
“We’re here about Tony,” one of the men said with a shrug. “He left some unpaid debts. We knew you two were close and we were hoping you could help us.”
She shook her head. “I broke up with Tony a long time ago.”
“Not before he knocked you up,” the other guy cracked. “That baby’s gotta be worth something to the De Luca family. Tony must have left you something.”
“He didn’t,” she said, even though her throat was squeezing tight with fear. “Look at my car. It’s four years old. I’m working as a dental hygienist. Do I look like someone who is loaded?”
The men frowned.
“Maybe you’re hiding it.”
