by Maya Blake
Banished from his bed
Bound by a scandalous secret!
Believing she betrayed him, Rocco thought he’d said goodbye to his ex-fiancée, Mia, for good. So the revelation of his unknown heir throws his world into chaos. For a start, Mia was sure that he knew about their baby! Yet determined to raise his child in Sicily, Rocco suggests they wed.
It’s for her son’s happiness alone that Mia agrees to Rocco’s proposal. She can’t risk falling under the Sicilian’s intoxicating spell again. But that’s easier said than done when their chemistry is more magnetic than ever before...
“Answer me, Mia. Do you know this child?”
Mia jerked away, stung and ashamed.
What was she doing playing right into the hands of her enemy? Rocco no longer had sexual power over her, so why was she standing there, gazing up at him like...like...
She took a hasty step back, tried to remain calm as her gaze dropped to the picture. A cherubic face smiled back at her with cheeky impertinence. The child’s dark blue eyes twinkled with mirth and the mop of black curls danced in a slight breeze. She wanted to reach out and caress the slightly dimpled chin, which someday would deepen like his father’s.
Did she know this child?
Of course she knew him.
She’d carried him in her womb for nine months, loved him with every fiber of her being long before he’d delivered the first of many vicious kicks inside her and adored every strand of hair, every soft velvety inch of him from the moment he was placed in her arms.
Maya Blake’s hopes of becoming a writer were born when she picked up her first romance at thirteen. Little did she know her dream would come true! Does she still pinch herself every now and then to make sure it’s not a dream? Yes, she does! Feel free to pinch her, too, via Twitter, Facebook or Goodreads! Happy reading!
Books by Maya Blake
Harlequin Presents
Pregnant at Acosta’s Demand
The Sultan Demands His Heir
His Mistress by Blackmail
An Heir for the World’s Richest Man
Kidnapped for His Royal Heir
Conveniently Wed!
Crown Prince’s Bought Bride
One Night With Consequences
The Boss’s Nine-Month Negotiation
Bound to the Desert King
Sheikh’s Pregnant Cinderella
The Notorious Greek Billionaires
Claiming My Hidden Son
Bound by My Scandalous Pregnancy
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.
Maya Blake
The Sicilian’s Banished Bride
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
EPILOGUE
EXCERPT FROM THE FORBIDDEN CABRERA BROTHER BY CATHY WILLIAMS
CHAPTER ONE
‘HE’S YOURS, ROCCO. Find him...find him!’
The words pounded a relentless refrain in Rocco Vitelli’s head as his Gulfstream sped him in the opposite direction towards a destination that had been nowhere on his itinerary when he’d woken up that morning.
The photograph in his hand shook and he tightened his grip.
Impossible.
His grandmother’s words were simply...impossible.
Didn’t they say everyone had a twin somewhere in the world? Dio, even that extrapolation was too far-fetched. This picture was of a child. He was a grown man of thirty-three. This child had nothing to do with him. Nothing...
‘We’ll be landing shortly, signor. Is there anything you require?’ his attendant enquired.
Inform the pilot that I wish to change course immediately, he wanted to say. He held his tongue, his grandmother’s pale face etched in anguish fresh in his mind.
Jaw clenching, he closed his fist over the picture, hiding it from sight. Unfortunately, Nonna’s distressing words weren’t so easy to dismiss.
‘He’s yours. Find him!’
Ridiculous. If he had a son, a flesh and blood extension of him somewhere in this world, he would know...wouldn’t he?
A sudden wave of long-suppressed yearning swept through him, stealing his breath.
He would know. He was strict about taking precautions with his sexual partners. None of his liaisons in the recent past had lasted longer than a few weeks. And, by strict choice, none of them had been English.
He hadn’t set foot in England in years and he hadn’t taken an English lover since—
‘Signor?’
He sighed. ‘No, grazie.’
Just this once, he promised himself grimly. His grandmother rarely asked him for anything, not because he’d refuse, but because she insisted she needed nothing but the roof he’d provided over her head. After everything she’d sacrificed for him, running this fool’s errand, even though it lodged a fist of remembered bitterness in his gut, was necessary if only to reassure her.
This visit would be short, however. Whoever this child was, Rocco intended his presence in its life to be very brief indeed.
‘Has the driver been apprised of our destination?’ he asked.
‘Sì, signor. I emailed the details immediately after take-off.’
Satisfied, he nodded. Barring traffic, he should be back in the air within a few short hours. A quick detour via his Palermo villa to reassure Nonna there was no mysterious great-grandchild to be distressed about, and he could return to Abu Dhabi to oversee the final phase of the children’s hospital his company was building.
Wheels touched down with barely a bump. Before it had rolled to a stop, he was moving towards the exit. His car waited on the tarmac and he slid into the back seat, grateful for its warm interior. It was early autumn, yet the temperature was near freezing.
Easing back in his seat, he glanced once more at the photo. The cherubic features, the strange, yet familiar blue eyes of the child sent another stab of deep yearning through him.
No. He wouldn’t think of the past. Of her. The past was done, buried—
I don’t want your baby!
He clenched his teeth against the chilling words slicing through his thoughts. Why were memories he’d successfully expunged for years resurfacing, today of all days?
Grimly, he shoved the photo into his breast pocket and turned his thoughts to his grandmother.
Her hysteria over the billboard picture she’d spotted on the way to morning mass was beyond his understanding. Nonna had collapsed on the pavement, much to the distress of her companion, and no amount of reassurance had soothed her except Rocco’s promise, once he’d rushed to her side, that he would verify the child’s identity immediately.
So here he was, on what could only be politely described as a wild goose chase. He stifled a dark curse and looked up at his driver’s discreet cough.
‘The news reports gridlocked traffic ahead, sir. I’ll have to take a different route if you’re to keep your schedule.’
Rocco’s mood darkened further. With every fibre of his being, he wished himself elsewhere. But he’d made his grandmother a promise. He’d keep it, even if it meant being in the same country, breathing the same air as that...Jezebel.
He inhaled, brought his feelings under control.
‘Take whatever route you
must. But make sure it’s quick.’
* * *
Mia Gallagher stole another indulgent caress of her sleeping son’s soft cheek before stepping away with a wry smile. Nap time was fast becoming a battle of wills. At two and a half, Gianni was vigorously resisting taking his much-needed naps. This afternoon he’d hidden behind his bedroom door, unaware his chubby legs were clearly visible through the gap in the door frame. How he managed to keep so still at his age astounded her.
Her smile slipped.
She knew exactly how he came by that particular trait. The man whose blood ran through her son’s veins possessed that formidable knack, after all—
No, she wasn’t going to think about him. Not now, not ever, if she could help it.
She shut the bedroom door with a sigh of relief. With an hour to herself before he woke, she had enough time to tackle the laundry and start dinner.
The sound of the doorbell as she approached her small living room made her heart sink.
Mrs Hart.
With her financial juggling getting trickier by the day and another of Gianni’s photo shoots cancelled—the third one in two weeks—the last thing Mia needed was her neighbour’s nosiness disguised as friendly concern. For a moment, she considered not answering.
The doorbell pealed again, followed by an insistent knock.
Mrs Hart had probably seen them return from the park. Mia had no choice but to answer or risk Gianni waking up.
She pulled open the door, a firm but polite excuse on her lips, only to take a horrified step back, her words choking in her throat as a painfully familiar figure filled the doorway.
* * *
Rocco reeled with the shock of coming face to face with the woman he’d banished from his life three years ago, even as the molten burn of instant lust thickened the blood roaring through his veins.
‘Cosa è questo?’ He wasn’t sure whether he questioned his body’s unwelcome reaction to her or the fact that someone in his security team had made a fatal blunder when he’d asked for the location of the child in the photo. Because this had to be an inexcusable, colossal error.
The breath he sucked in did nothing to provide clarity.
Someone’s head...hell, several heads, would roll for delivering him to the last person on earth he wished to encounter; the one person he’d sworn never to even think of, ever again!
He conducted a swift scrutiny of Mia Gallagher and experienced a fresh jolt of shock.
Gone was the sleekly coiffed, elegant and voluptuous woman who’d graced his boardroom and bedroom for several months over three years ago. Gone were the thigh-skimming designer suits and the stunningly made-up face that had held him in thrall for far longer than he’d deemed wise, even then.
This woman looked pale and shadows lurked under her eyes, rendering the once vibrant depths a dull green. Her honey-blond hair, scraped back in a utilitarian ponytail, lacked its former lustre. Her face was devoid of make-up, and her mouth, now hanging open, although still full and sensually curved, was bare of gloss.
His gaze lowered, and he frowned. She’d lost weight but, somehow, her breasts seemed fuller, heavier than he remembered. Lower still, her long legs were covered by pair of baggy shapeless jeans.
Altogether an unattractive package, and far removed from the sensual bombshell he’d lusted after...and nearly lost his mind over?
He jerked back at the hard, unexpected kick in his groin.
Don’t even go there!
His gaze flicked back to her face and Rocco forced himself to dismiss the twisting current of sexual tension that gripped him. What interested him was discovering who had brought him here, to this woman.
He reached for his phone, then paused when he glimpsed the look on her face. Surely that wasn’t...panic?
‘Of course.’ Why hadn’t he realised it before? There was no else involved. She’d orchestrated this meeting. And now, faced with his visible anger, she was panicking.
Dio, her audacity astounded him!
He watched her unease mount and almost felt sorry for her. She’d made a gross error of judgement; a far greater error than her betrayal three years ago.
By tricking him into coming here, wasting his time when he should be searching for the child in the photograph, she’d just reignited the fire of retribution he’d banked down all this time.
He inhaled an anticipatory breath, absently noting he was no longer as disgruntled by the weather as he’d been minutes ago.
‘So, Mia, are you going to invite me in?’
* * *
In the tiny region of her mind not frozen in disbelief, Mia absorbed the deep smoothness of Rocco Vitelli’s voice, the way its low timbre slid over her senses like warm, sun-kissed honey. But her shock soon dissipated, forcefully wrenched aside by a different set of terrifying emotions.
‘You can’t be here!’
Throwing her weight behind the door, she fought to slam it shut. It barely moved a few inches before one strong hand held it open, ridiculing her efforts.
‘What’s the meaning of this?’
His voice, alternately heard in her dreams and nightmares, but always with that smoky, gravelly Italian inflection, caused tiny explosions along her nerve endings.
‘I don’t know what game you’re playing, but you’re not getting me into trouble by turning up on my doorstep.’
‘Getting you into trouble? Shouldn’t that be, “Ciao, Rocco. How have you been?” After all, you orchestrated this meeting.’ With lithe grace, he entered, forcing her to abandon the door or risk collision with his hard, lean body.
Her heart hammered as she watched his tall, dark form fill her living room, her sanctuary.
Dear heaven, Rocco was here, in her home.
Tension gripped her throat, but she forced herself to speak. ‘I’ve no idea what you mean. But I want you to get out, Rocco. Mrs Hart, my neighbour, will testify that you turned up on my doorstep unannounced.’ Through her window, she spotted his silver limo already attracting attention. Good. If, by some stroke of bad luck, Mrs Hart had vacated her normal window-seat vigil, she’d have other witnesses.
Twin brows the shade of raven’s wings shot up. ‘Testify? In trouble with the law again, cara? What on earth have you got yourself into this time?’ He advanced as he spoke, intense dark blue eyes holding her prisoner until he stood close, way too close.
She stood her ground, refusing to retreat. ‘What have I got myself into? Is that some sort of joke?’
He moved closer, the gleam in his eyes spiking her nervousness.
‘You must be desperate if you’re relying on neighbours to bail you out of whatever predicament you’re in.’ He paused a beat, eyes narrowed. ‘Or is that why I’m here?’
His deeply masculine scent hit her nostrils, triggering memories she’d hoped never to recall. ‘What do you mean, is that why you’re here? This is my house. You’ve turned up unannounced. I want you to leave. Right now.’
He froze, as if captured in the frame of a lens.
No matter how many times she saw it happen, Rocco’s ability to remain completely motionless fascinated her. She stared, much the same way she’d stood behind her son’s door, staring, fascinated, less than ten minutes ago—
Gianni.
She closed her eyes. Breathe, just breathe.
This is just a nightmare. It’ll be over in a few minutes.
‘I detest games, cara.’ Dark menace tinged his voice. ‘You’ve lured me here, the least you can do is tell me why.’
Her eyes snapped open. ‘Lured you here? Are you mad?’
His face darkened. ‘On the contrary, my mind has never been clearer. Which member of my staff did you bribe this time to pull this stunt?’
She gasped. ‘I beg your pardon?’
‘Isn’t that your modus operandi?’ he continued in a low silky ton
e. ‘Using members of my staff to lay your hands on property that’s not yours? Who gave you my grandmother’s itinerary? Or mine, for that matter? It’s not my driver or my pilot. They’ve both been with me for years. I trust them both implicitly.’
Pain stung through her body. After what he’d put her through, she’d never dreamed she’d see Rocco again. Yet here he was, tall, dark, lethal, in her home, spouting the same accusations, intent on exacting more retribution.
Three years ago, she’d foolishly believed nothing could be worse than having all your wishes granted, only to have them snatched away in the cruellest way possible.
But nothing had compared with what he’d done after he’d ordered her out of his life. When he’d discovered she was daring to contact him, daring to make him change his mind about her, to hear her out. Then, the real retribution had been exacted. Then, she’d experienced the full might of Rocco Vitelli.
‘I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.’ The words slipped past lips frozen with renewed pain at how this gorgeous, heartless man had caused her life to implode.
A grim smile curved his lips. ‘Still wasting your breath on lies? Why am I surprised? After all, a leopard doesn’t change its spots, does it, cara? Or are you more of a snake? Either way, a word of advice: next time you try to entice a man, dress appropriately for the occasion. Baggy jeans and a threadbare top aren’t a turn-on.’
Hot, sharp anger shot through her. ‘How dare you—’
‘Save your protests and tell me why I’m really here.’
Tears prickled her eyes and she blinked furiously. ‘No, I will not save them. I told you then and I’m telling you now, I never stole from you!’
His lips curled. ‘Then explain to me how the blueprints, locked in my safe on an encrypted flash drive, ended up in your possession? Or how the same firm who’d bid against Vitelli Construction ended up with copies of it right after your meeting with them?’
She angled her chin. ‘I told you before, I’ve no idea.’
‘And like I told you then, you are a liar.’ Heavy scorn laced his words.