The Valquez Bride. Melanie Milburne

      

       ‘You said a paper marriage.’ Theodora was surprised her voice came out at all, let alone so evenly.

      Alejandro’s eyes were still hooded and trained on her mouth. ‘That was the plan.’

      Was? Her heart jolted against her ribcage. What did he mean, ‘was’? Was he thinking about shifting the goalposts on their arrangement? Changing the rules? Breaking the rules? A trickle of traitorous excitement flowed through her at the thought of him making love to her, of his long, strong body possessing hers. Enrapturing her in a feast of the senses that so far she had only ever imagined.

      Another beat of silence.

      ‘You should let go of my chin.’ And stop making me want to kiss you so badly I can’t think about anything but how sexy and male and tempting your mouth is.

      His thumb brushed over the base of her chin. ‘What if I don’t?’

      Teddy disguised a gulp. ‘You’d be breaking the rules.’

      A corner of his mouth came up in a sexy slant of a smile. ‘What if I want to break the rules?’

       THE PLAYBOYS OF ARGENTINA

       Introducing the untameable Valquez brothers …

      The Valquez brothers are living legends.

      Alejandro’s business prowess is staggering, Luiz’s success on the polo field is unparalleled, and their reputations in the bedroom are scandalous!

      But they’re both about to face their biggest challenge yet …

      Alejandro must marry—

      but he never anticipated desiring his convenient wife!

      And notorious playboy Luiz finds his match in the delectably innocent Daisy Wyndham!

      You won’t want to miss this scorching new duet from Melanie Milburne!

      Read Alejandro’s story in:

       THE VALQUEZ BRIDE October 2014

      and

      Luiz’s story in:

       THE VALQUEZ SEDUCTION November 2014

      The Valquez Bride

      Melanie Milburne

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      From as soon as MELANIE MILBURNE could pick up a pen she knew she wanted to write. It was when she picked up her first Mills & Boon® at seventeen that she realised she wanted to write romance. After being distracted for a few years by meeting and marrying her own handsome hero, surgeon husband Steve, and having two boys, plus completing a Masters of Education and becoming a nationally ranked athlete (masters swimming), she decided to write. Five submissions later she sold her first book and is now a multi-published, bestselling, award-winning USA TODAY author. In 2008 she won the Australian Readers’ Association most popular category/series romance, and in 2011 she won the prestigious Romance Writers of Australia R*BY award.

      Melanie loves to hear from her readers via her website,

       www.melaniemilburne.com.au, or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Melanie-Milburne/351594482609.

      To Nataly Espinoza, for your help with the Spanish translations, but also for your friendship. It was lovely meeting you on the tour of The Kimberleys.

      xxx

      Contents

       Cover

       Excerpt

       Title Page

       About the Author

       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

       Extract

       Copyright

       CHAPTER ONE

      THE ONE WORD that stood out on Teddy’s father’s will started with M but it wasn’t money. She looked at the family lawyer in open-mouthed alarm. ‘Marriage?’

      Benson nodded gravely. ‘I’m afraid so. Within a month. Otherwise, your second cousin Hugo will inherit the lot—every property, stock and share, including Marlstone Manor.’

      ‘But that can’t be right!’ Teddy gripped the arms of the chair so tightly her fingers dug into the leather arms like claws. ‘Dad told me this place was mine. He told me the day before he died. He said I would always have this roof over my head.’

      ‘Your father changed his will the month before he was diagnosed with cancer,’ the lawyer said. ‘It was as if he’d known he didn’t have much time left and wanted to get his affairs in order.’

      His affairs?

      It was her home! That was her affair. It was her life! It was her safety and security. How could her father hand it over to her cousin, who hadn’t even visited him once during his illness?

      Teddy’s heart was galloping so fast and so hard she could feel the blood beating in every one of her fingertips. Shock chilled and chugged through her body like a flow of ice. She blinked to clear her vision. What sort of nightmare was this? Was she really sitting in the library with her father’s lawyer having this crazy conversation?

      It had to be a mistake.

      For the last five months she had nursed her father through his pancreatic cancer