Potent As Poison. Sharon Kendrick

       ‘That sounded like a threat!’

      ‘A threat?’ Rick turned towards Elizabeth, but the fading light meant that all she could see was a harshly defined and shadowed face.

      ‘About seeing a lot of us.’ Thank goodness for the darkness, which meant that her own giveaway rise of colour went unnoticed.

      ‘No, Elizabeth, not a threat. I’ve never yet threatened a woman, and I don’t intend to start now. Look on it more as a promise!’

Dear Reader,

      One hundred. Doesn’t matter how many times I say it, I still can’t believe that’s how many books I’ve written. It’s a fabulous feeling but more fabulous still is the news that Mills & Boon are issuing every single one of my backlist as digital titles. Wow. I can’t wait to share all my stories with you - which are as vivid to me now as when I wrote them.

      There’s BOUGHT FOR HER HUSBAND, with its outrageously macho Greek hero and A SCANDAL, A SECRET AND A BABY featuring a very sexy Tuscan. THE SHEIKH’S HEIR proved so popular with readers that it spent two weeks on the USA Today charts and…well, I could go on, but I’ll leave you to discover them for yourselves.

      I remember the first line of my very first book: “So you’ve come to Australia looking for a husband?” Actually, the heroine had gone to Australia to escape men, but guess what? She found a husband all the same! The man who inspired that book rang me up recently and when I told him I was beginning my 100th story and couldn’t decide what to write, he said, “Why don’t you go back to where it all started?”

      So I did. And that’s how A ROYAL VOW OF CONVENIENCE was born. It opens in beautiful Queensland and moves to England and New York. It’s about a runaway princess and the enigmatic billionaire who is infuriated by her, yet who winds up rescuing her. But then, she goes and rescues him… Wouldn’t you know it?

      I’ll end by saying how very grateful I am to have a career I love, and to thank each and every one of you who has supported me along the way. You really are very dear readers.

      Love,

      Sharon xxx

       Mills & Boon are proud to present a thrilling digital collection of all Sharon Kendrick’s novels and novellas for us to celebrate the publication of her amazing and awesome 100th book! Sharon is known worldwide for her likeable, spirited heroines and her gorgeous, utterly masculine heroes.

      SHARON KENDRICK once won a national writing competition, describing her ideal date: being flown to an exotic island by a gorgeous and powerful man. Little did she realise that she’d just wandered into her dream job! Today she writes for Mills & Boon, featuring her often stubborn but always to-die-for heroes and the women who bring them to their knees. She believes that the best books are those you never want to end. Just like life…

      Potent as Poison

      Sharon Kendrick

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      To the ice-dance Queen—Heather Staps and her soppy husband, Paul!

      CONTENTS

       Cover

Dear Reader

       About the Author

       Title Page

       Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

       CHAPTER FOUR

       CHAPTER FIVE

       CHAPTER SIX

       CHAPTER SEVEN

       CHAPTER EIGHT

       CHAPTER NINE

       CHAPTER TEN

       CHAPTER ELEVEN

       CHAPTER TWELVE

       Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

      ‘WILL there be anything else, Mrs Carson?’

      At the sound of her secretary’s voice Elizabeth turned from the window where she had been standing day-dreaming, lost to the world. She was tired, so tired she could have sat back in her chair, perched her long, stockinged legs on the desk, and sneaked forty winks! But such laid-back behaviour wouldn’t have augured well for her image as a super-bright, super-sharp company accountant, and besides, she had an appointment in—she glanced down at her watch—ten minutes’ time.

      ‘I can’t think of anything else, thanks, Jenny.’

      ‘Your voice still sounds awful—I’ve got another packet of throat pastilles in my desk if you want them.’

      Elizabeth pushed her large tinted glasses back up her nose and smiled at the motherly-looking secretary who had been with her since the day she’d started at Meredith & Associates. ‘Any more pastilles and I’ll start to look like one!’ she joked. ‘Just show Mr Masterton straight in when he arrives, will you, then you can go?’

      Jenny shook her head. ‘I don’t mind sticking around. To be honest, I wouldn’t mind seeing if the man matches the movie-star voice!’

      Elizabeth cleared her throat with the dry cough which was the legacy of last week’s bout of flu, and laughed. ‘Hardly! This is real life, remember? Just leave me his file, would you, Jenny? Thanks.’

      Elizabeth watched as Jenny retreated and closed the office door behind her, and then she picked up the résumé on Rick Masterton.

      Unusual that Jenny should have been so impressed by a client, thought Elizabeth, although as she scanned the closely typewritten pages she tended to agree with her—for who in their right mind could fail to be impressed by what read like a composite of a Boys’ Own hero?

      Her lips curved into a wry smile as she re-read the file.

      Rick Masterton, aged thirty-four. Born Boston. Educated Exeter and Harvard, first class honours in law. Picked for USA Olympic skiing team, but unable