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The Sicilian's Surprise Love-Child
CAROL MARINELLI
His forbidden innocent… And the consequence of their surrender! Aurora Messina is everything cynical hotel tycoon Nico Caruso shouldn’t want. Impetuous and far too innocent, she’s trouble—and temptation!—personified. But even Nico’s famous control isn’t a match for their combustible chemistry… Then Nico discovers their encounter has left her pregnant! He’s never wanted a family—he still bears the scars of his own childhood. But will Aurora’s revelation give this proud Sicilian a reason to risk everything?
His forbidden innocent…
And the consequence of their surrender!
Aurora Messina is everything cynical tycoon Nico Caruso shouldn’t want. Impulsive and far too innocent, she’s trouble…and temptation. Especially now that she’s working at his new hotel. But Nico’s infamous control isn’t a match for their combustible chemistry, and it soon ignites in a sizzlingly illicit encounter…
Then Aurora discovers she’s pregnant! She knows Nico has never wanted a family—he still bears the scars of his own childhood. But will Aurora’s revelation give this proud Sicilian a reason to risk everything?
CAROL MARINELLI recently filled in a form asking for her job title. Thrilled to be able to put down her answer, she put ‘writer’. Then it asked what Carol did for relaxation, and she put down the truth—‘writing’. The third question asked for her hobbies. Well, not wanting to look obsessed, she crossed her fingers and answered ‘swimming’—but, given that the chlorine in the pool does terrible things to her highlights, I’m sure you can guess the real answer!
Also by Carol Marinelli (#uec38cc4d-2203-54d6-ad7a-ed5456f255ef)
Their One Night Baby
Claiming His Hidden Heir
Claimed for the Sheikh’s Shock Son
Billionaires & One-Night Heirs miniseries
The Innocent’s Secret Baby
Bound by the Sultan’s Baby
Sicilian’s Baby of Shame
Ruthless Royal Sheikhs miniseries
Captive for the Sheikh’s Pleasure
Christmas Bride for the Sheikh
The Ruthless Devereux Brothers miniseries
The Innocent’s Shock Pregnancy
The Billionaire’s Christmas Cinderella
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk).
The Sicilian’s Surprise Love-Child
Carol Marinelli
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ISBN: 978-1-474-08824-4
THE SICILIAN’S SURPRISE LOVE-CHILD
© 2019 Carol Marinelli
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.
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www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Note to Readers (#uec38cc4d-2203-54d6-ad7a-ed5456f255ef)
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Text to speech
For my great friend, Frances Housden.
Love you, Cuzzy.
C xxx
Contents
Cover (#udaddc5d3-e60c-5794-9db2-285a0caddadd)
Back Cover Text (#u74dd2a7b-9fc6-5e0a-a8a0-e4e8b0d1be78)
About the Author (#u08c28b4a-6580-5932-a374-710ccbc54920)
Booklist (#udfad298b-63c7-5cf5-bd5b-13e6343bc024)
Title Page (#ud1f3d1e9-f6ac-5fba-9440-dce4dff51995)
Copyright (#u6b0b6ff9-ca78-5fab-91e9-3896c51b1a20)
Note to Readers
Dedication (#ucde9a795-6a78-52e4-9ecd-b26340b46436)
CHAPTER ONE (#u1c3a45b4-bfd8-599e-880e-6bbeead379d6)
CHAPTER TWO (#u67026611-2223-506f-b632-27fa6bf7551b)
CHAPTER THREE (#u1d1e0b6c-9e7e-5bdc-9d4c-494cb34a6fe9)
CHAPTER FOUR (#u5ee2efac-326d-5489-b503-035bb3343ba7)
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 SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE (#uec38cc4d-2203-54d6-ad7a-ed5456f255ef)
‘AURORA WILL BE shadowing me today.’
Nico Caruso did not look up from his computer as Marianna, his PA, walked into his opulent Rome office. Instead he frowned.
‘Aurora Messina from the Sicilian hotel,’ Marianna elaborated, clearly assuming from Nico’s frown that Aurora’s was a name he did not know.
Oh, but he did.
Aurora Messina. Aged twenty-four—six years younger than him.
Aurora Eloise Messina, with her velvet brown eyes and thick dark hair that was not quite raven, though too dark to be called chestnut. Ah, yes… Aurora, with her olive skin that went pink in the sun.
‘Don’t you remember me, Nico?’
There was a tease in that familiar rasp to her throaty voice, and she brought with her the scent of home. The white crochet dress that she wore must have been hung out on the washing line, for it had caught not just the hot Sicilian sun but also the breeze from the ocean and the sweet scent of jasmine from her parents’ garden.
‘How rude of you to forget me,’ Aurora continued, ‘given that you have slept in my bed so many times.’
Marianna sucked in her breath at Aurora’s cheeky implication, but Nico didn’t miss a beat with his dry reply, ‘Ah, but never with you in it.’
‘True…’ Aurora conceded with a smile.
She had trained herself not to blush when Nico was near, but it was a struggle not to now. The stunning view of Rome panning out behind him went almost unnoticed and the lavish, expensive surroundings barely registered, for Nico, on this Monday morning, was proving more than enough for her senses to take in.
His thick black hair had been cut with skill and his strong jaw, with that slight dent in the centre, was so clean-shaven that she was actually anticipating the brief brush that would come when they shared a light cheek-to-cheek kiss.
Aurora came around the desk to greet him properly.
Of course she did.
After all, the two of them went way back.
But when Nico raised his hand to halt her approach, when his black eyes warned her not to come any closer, Aurora stepped back as if she’d been slapped.
She knew she was bolshie, and often came across as too forward, but after a lot of soul-searching as to how best to face him, she had decided to greet him as she would any old friend.
But Nico had halted her and that had hurt Aurora.
She tried not to let it show.
‘Take a seat,’ he told her, and then turned to his PA. ‘Marianna, let’s get started. We have a lot to get through.’
‘First, though…’ Aurora said. And instead of taking a seat, as instructed, she removed a large leather bag from her shoulder, took out a bottle of tomato sauce, and placed it on his immaculate, highly polished walnut desk. And then she took out another bottle.
‘Homemade passata from my mother,’ Aurora said, ‘and here is some limoncello from my father.’
Nico glanced over to Marianna, who was trying to keep the shock from her expression as Aurora turned his gleaming desk into a market stall. And then his black gaze returned to Aurora.
‘I don’t need these,’ Nico said, and gave a dismissive wave of his hand. ‘You can take them back with you.’
‘No!’
He had rejected her greeting. And now this!
