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‘This is not a game, Nicole.’ Rigo’s voice took on a dangerous tone. ‘I made it clear the last time we met that I am not a man to mess with.’
‘I would have been quite happy never to lay eyes on you again.’ She narrowed her eyes, the anger she felt finally rising to the surface.
Rigo took a step forward, a half-smile breaking across his harsh features. ‘Now, this is interesting. So far I’ve witnessed Nicole the innocent temptress, followed by Nicole the damsel in distress.’ He raised one brow. ‘But I think this passionately angry version is my personal favourite.’
Nicole was speechless. The idea that they had ever been anything so romantic as lovers was poetic nonsense. Once upon a time she might have thought they shared a connection. That for one night in his bed she had somehow been special.
She had been a fool.
‘My silence is the most you’re going to get. I don’t deal with the press any more.’
‘You will make a public statement that the child is not mine, Nicole.’
She fought the emotion welling up in her chest. It was ridiculous to feel hurt at his words after so long. After all, he had made his position on fatherhood quite clear. But still, a part of her had always hoped he would come in those weeks afterwards.
Indignation won out over the sadness, and she stood up a little taller, meeting his gaze head-on. ‘I will not publicly tell lies …’
There are some things money can’t buy …
Living life at lightning pace, these magnates are no strangers to stakes at their highest. It seems they’ve got it all … That is until they find out that there’s an unplanned item to add to their list of accomplishments!
Achieved:
1. Successful business empire
2. Beautiful women in their bed
3. An heir to bear their name …?
Though every billionaire needs to leave his legacy in safe hands, discovering a secret heir shakes up his carefully orchestrated plan in more ways than one!
Uncover their secrets in:
Unwrapping the Castelli Secret by Caitlin Crews
Brunetti’s Secret Son by Maya Blake
The Secret to Marrying Marchesi by Amanda Cinelli
Look out for more stories in Secret Heirs of Billionaires series in 2016!
The Secret to Marrying Marchesi
Amanda Cinelli
AMANDA CINELLI was raised in a large Irish/Italian family in the suburbs of Dublin, Ireland. Her love of romance was inspired after ‘borrowing’ one of her mother’s beloved Mills & Boon novels at the age of twelve. Writing soon became a necessary outlet for her wildly overactive imagination. Now married, with a daughter of her own, she splits her time between changing nappies, studying psychology and writing love stories.
For my grandmother Anne.
Who taught me to always have a pile of good books by my bedside.
Contents
SHE WAS DEFINITELY being followed.
Nicole tightened her grip on the stroller’s handlebar and picked up her pace. The same black Jeep had already made its way past her three times as she took her morning walk through the village. Two men sat inside, their dark sunglasses doing nothing to disguise the fact that their attention was focused entirely on her. As the vehicle slowed to a complete crawl a short distance behind her, she felt the familiar prick of ice-cold terror in her throat. It was officially time to panic.
The cobbled laneway that led up to her farmhouse was still slippery from the light April drizzle. Her ballet flats scraped against the stone as the breath whooshed from her lungs with effort. A gleeful squeal sounded from within the cocoon of pink blankets as the stroller bounced and swayed. Nicole forced herself to smile down at her daughter through tight lips, summoning an inner calm she wasn’t quite sure she possessed. They were nearly home. She would lock the door and everything would be fine.
As she rounded the last bend that led to La Petite, she slowed to a stop. The gateway was filled with vehicles, and a line of cars stretched further up the lane. A dozen figures stood in wait with cameras slung around their necks. Nicole felt a humming begin in her ears as her blood pressure instantly skyrocketed.
They had found her.
Thinking fast, she pulled off her light jacket and draped it over the stroller’s hood. They descended quickly, the crowd of men forming a circle around her as the cameras