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Her Sinful Secret
Jane Porter
The secret she never told…Her heart racing, Logan Copeland cannot look away from tycoon Rowan Argyros as he declares that her life is in danger. All she can think is that Rowan took her virginity, heartlessly rejected her after a night of reckless abandon…and is the father of her child. She must reveal the truth before she’s whisked away to Rowan’s castle for safety…Isolated with Rowan, Logan finds herself at the mercy of his unrelenting need to claim her—and their daughter! She has known no touch but his, and yearns to feel it again…but to do so she must agree to meet him at the altar!
The secret she never told...
Heart racing, Logan Copeland cannot look away from tycoon Rowan Argyros as he declares her life is in danger. All she can think is that Rowan took her virginity, heartlessly rejected her after a night of reckless abandon...and is the father of her child. She must reveal the truth before she’s whisked away to Rowan’s castle for safety...
Isolated together, Logan finds herself at the mercy of Rowan’s unrelenting need to claim her—and their daughter! Logan has known no touch but his, and yearns to feel it again...but to do so, she must agree to meet him at the altar!
Logan rounded the hedge and nearly ran straight into Rowan.
Logan scrambled backward. “How—?” she started, before breaking off, her lips pinching closed, because of course he knew his way about the maze. It was his maze.
His castle.
His world.
Her eyes burned. Her throat ached. She’d struggled for so many years—struggled to provide and be a strong mother—and now it was all being taken from her. Her independence. Her control. Her future.
She didn’t want anything to do with him and yet here he was, blocking her path, filling the space between the hedges, tall and broad, so very strong…
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“You’ve trapped me,” she whispered, her eyes bright with tears she wouldn’t let spill because, God help her, she had to have an ounce of pride. “You’ve trapped me and you know it, so don’t taunt me…don’t. It’s not fair.”
With a rough oath, he reached for her, pulling her against him, his body impossibly hard and impossibly warm as he shaped her to him. She shivered in protest. Or at least that was what she told herself when dizzying heat raced through her and the blood hummed in her veins, making her skin prickle and tingle and setting her nerves on fire, every one dancing in anticipation.
Her head tipped back and she stared up into his eyes, searching the green-gold for a hint of weakness, a hint of softness. There was none.
The Disgraced Copelands (#ue2492efa-854f-574b-af30-3adf5073df1a)
A family in the headlines—for all the wrong reasons!
For the Copeland family each day brings another tabloid scandal. Their world was one of unrivalled luxury and glittering social events. Now their privileged life is nothing but a distant memory…
Staring the taunting paparazzi straight in the eye, the Copeland heirs seek to start new lives—with no one to rely on but themselves. At least that’s what they think…!
It seems fame and riches can’t buy happiness but they make it fun trying!
Read Morgan Copeland’s story in:
The Fallen Greek Bride
Read Jemma Copeland’s story in:
His Defiant Desert Queen
Read Logan Copeland’s story in:
Her Sinful Secret
Her Sinful Secret
Jane Porter
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author JANE PORTER has written forty romances and eleven women’s fiction novels since her first sale to Mills & Boon Modern Romance in 2000. A five-time RITA® Award finalist, Jane is known for her passionate, emotional and sensual novels, and loves nothing more than alpha heroes, exotic locations and happy-ever-afters. Today Jane lives in sunny San Clemente, California, with her surfer husband and three sons. Visit janeporter.com (http://janeporter.com/).
Books by Jane Porter
Mills & Boon Modern Romance
Bought to Carry His Heir
A Dark Sicilian Secret
At the Greek Boss’s Bidding
Hollywood Husband, Contract Wife
The Disgraced Copelands
The Fallen Greek Bride
His Defiant Desert Queen
A Royal Scandal
Not Fit for a King?
His Majesty’s Mistake
The Desert Kings
The Sheikh’s Chosen Queen
King of the Desert, Captive Bride
Duty, Desire and the Desert King
Desert Brides
The Sheikh’s Disobedient Bride
Visit the Author Profile page at
millsandboon.co.uk (http://millsandboon.co.uk) for more titles.
Contents
Cover (#uba9d117e-d745-527c-8c54-3d72f62254f2)
Back Cover Text (#ua908be01-e816-5784-89e7-82e0fc7ff33f)
Introduction (#uf8fa070b-4e42-5936-893f-eccc78009ee1)
The Disgraced Copelands (#u2346c1e6-0f35-5fc1-a3c8-ea8944bea934)
Title Page (#u27975771-f6f7-5615-8ccb-b2aa6f83f6e2)
About the Author (#u24212bc7-25fc-5f22-8ed1-f58235fced27)
CHAPTER ONE (#uab0d0981-66de-58f0-a3b1-4d9c90b0bfd3)
CHAPTER TWO (#ubca1006e-07d4-54f6-aab5-9882bfc7dfa8)
CHAPTER THREE (#u5c2e1109-2aad-5871-a4d6-f6b7df980462)
CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)
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)
EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE (#ue2492efa-854f-574b-af30-3adf5073df1a)
“LOGAN, WE’VE GOT a crowd outside. Logan. Are you listening?”
Frustrated by yet another interruption, Logan Copeland tore her gaze from her script, yanked off her headset and glared up at her usually very capable assistant, Joe Lopez. She’d come to think of him as a genius and a blessing, but he wasn’t much of either at the moment. “Joe.”
“We’ve got a problem.”
“Another one?” she asked incredulously. They were down to less than twenty-four hours now before tomorrow night’s huge gala fund-raiser, the biggest of Logan’s career, and nothing was going right in the tech rehearsal for the fashion show that would happen during the gala, and nothing would go right if Logan continued to be interrupted.
“We honestly don’t have time for this. I don’t have time for this. And if you want to run the show tomorrow on your own, that’s fine—”
“I don’t,” he interrupted, expression grim. “But this is big, and I can’t manage this one without you.”
“Why not? And why does everything have to be a big problem right now?” she retorted, aware that every interruption was costing more time with the crew, which cost more money, which meant less money for the charity. “If this isn’t life or death, you need to deal with it, and let me get one good run-through in before—”
“The media has descended. Full-on, out of control paparazzi stakeout. Here.”
Logan’s expression brightened. “But, Joe, that’s great news. The PR team is succeeding. I heard they were the best. How is that a problem?”
“Logan, they’re not here because of tomorrow’s Hollywood Ball. They’re not interested in the Gala or doing good. They’re here for you.”
Logan suddenly found it hard to breathe. She pressed the clipboard to her chest, headset dangling from her fingers. “For the press conference about the Ball,” she said firmly, but then at the end her voice quavered, and the fear and doubt was there.
“No.” Joe shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. He was a smart, young, artistic twentysomething just a couple years out of college, and he’d been invaluable to Logan since coming to work for her two years ago, a little over a year after her whole world had imploded due to the scandal surrounding her father, Daniel Copeland. Lots of people had wanted nothing to do with Logan after news broke that her father was the worst of the worst, a world-class swindler and thief preying on not just the wealthy, but the working class, too, leaving all of his clients nearly bankrupt, or worse.
Joe had grown up in a tough Los Angeles neighborhood marked with gang violence, so the Copeland scandal hadn’t been an issue for him. He wanted a job. Logan needed an assistant. The relationship worked.
He, like everyone, knew what her father had done, but unlike most people, he knew the terrible price Logan had paid. In most business and social circles she was still persona non grata. The only place she could work was in the nonprofit sector. “They are here to see you,” he repeated. “It’s to do with your dad.”
She stilled. Her gaze met Joe’s.
His dark brown gaze revealed worry, and sympathy. His voice dropped lower. “Logan, something’s happened.”
The tightness was back in her chest, the weight so heavy she couldn’t think or breathe.
“Have you checked messages on your phone?” he added. “I am sure you’ll have gotten calls and texts. Check your phone.”
But Logan, normally fierce and focused, couldn’t move. She stood rooted to the spot, her body icy cold. “Was he freed?” she whispered. “Did the kidnappers—”
“Check your phone,” a deep, rough, impatient male voice echoed, this one most definitely not Joe’s.
Logan turned swiftly, eyes widening as her gaze locked with Rowan Argyros’s. His green gaze was icy and contemptuous and so very dismissive.
She lifted her chin, her press of lips hiding her anger and rush of panic. If Rowan Argyros—her biggest regret, and worst mistake—was here, it could only mean one thing, because he wouldn’t be here by choice. He’d made it brutally clear three years ago what he thought of her.
But she didn’t want to think about that night, or the day after, or the weeks and months after that...
Better to keep from thinking at all, because Rowan would use it against her. More ammunition. And the last thing a former military commander needs is more ammunition.
He didn’t look military standing before her. Nor had he looked remotely authoritative the night she met him at the bachelor auction fund-raiser to benefit children in war-torn countries in need of prosthetics. He’d been a bachelor. She’d helped organize the event. Women were bidding like mad. He would go for a fortune. She didn’t have a fortune, but when he looked at her where she stood off to the side, watching, she felt everything in her shift and heat. Her face burned. She burned and his light green gaze remained on her, as the bidding went up and up and up.
She bought him. Correction: she bought one night with him.
And it only costs thousands and thousands of dollars.
The remorse had hit her the moment the auctioneer had shouted victoriously, “Sold to Logan Lane!”
