Christmas in the Billionaire's Bed. Janice Maynard

      

       “I find myself at a loss.

      “I know you’re up to something,” Aidan continued, “but since my family has taken you to their bosom, I can hardly toss you out on your ear.”

      “I live here now,” Emma said, her gaze daring him to disagree.

      “And why is that?”

      “You didn’t want any explanations,” she reminded him.

      “Perhaps I was too hasty.”

      “The information window is closed.” Her ironic smile made his temper spark, but he was determined to keep the upper hand.

      “What if we agree to an exchange? One piece of info for another.”

      “I don’t need to know anything about you. I don’t care.”

      “Look at me.” He strode to where she sat, pulled her to her feet. “Actually, there’s only one thing I really need to know.”

      “What’s that?”

      “I’ll show you,” he said, capturing her mouth beneath his.

      * * *

      Christmas in the Billionaire’s Bed is part of The Kavanaghs of Silver Glen series: In the mountains of North Carolina, one family discovers that wealth means nothing without love.

      Christmas in the Billionaire’s Bed

      Janice Maynard

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      JANICE MAYNARD is a USA TODAY bestselling author who lives in beautiful east Tennessee with her husband. She holds a BA from Emory and Henry College and an MA from East Tennessee State University. In 2002 Janice left a fifteen-year career as an elementary school teacher to pursue writing full-time. Now her first love is creating sexy, character-driven, contemporary romance stories.

      Janice loves to travel and enjoys using those experiences as settings for books. Hearing from readers is one of the best perks of the job! Visit her website, www.janicemaynard.com, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

      MILLS & BOON

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      For all the wonderful authors who paved the way at Mills & Boon. I read your stories growing up, took trips around the world, and dreamed of writing my own romantic heroes one day …

      Contents

       Cover

       Introduction

       Title Page

       About the Author

       Dedication

One

Two

Three

Four

       Five

       Six

       Seven

       Eight

       Nine

       Ten

       Eleven

       Twelve

       Thirteen

       Fourteen

       Fifteen

       Sixteen

       Seventeen

       Eighteen

       Nineteen

       Twenty

       Extract

       Copyright

One

      Mrs. Maeve Kavanagh

      and

      Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Larin

      request the honor of your presence

      at the marriage of their children

      Dylan Edward and Mia Elaina

      on Saturday, December 20th

      The Chapel in Silver Glen

      Aidan Kavanagh stared at the cream vellum card edged with tiny holly leaves and berries and shook his head in reluctant admiration.

       Game. Set. Match.

      His mother had won the war without firing a single shot. The last thing Aidan wanted to do was visit Silver Glen, North Carolina, during the holidays, but Maeve knew he wouldn’t miss his own brother’s wedding.

      The first of his siblings, Liam, had tied the knot recently as well. That event had been a huge, splashy society affair at Zoe’s home in Connecticut—a hop, skip and a jump from New York City. This time Aidan wouldn’t be so lucky.

      It wasn’t that he didn’t love Silver Glen. He did. But going home for Christmas brought back too many ugly memories. So, he chose to visit his large, close-knit family at other times of the year: Easter, Mother’s Day, the Fourth of July...and October, when the fall foliage in the mountains was at its peak.

      But December? No. In the last decade, he had managed it only once and only then because one of his brothers had been in the hospital. Aidan would have felt like a total jerk if he had let his family down.

      That visit had been both uncomfortable and unpleasant. His mother and brothers had walked on eggshells around him, everyone far too aware that Aidan carried the weight of past tragedy. He’d done his damnedest to prove