“A new partner.” He still couldn’t quite believe it was possible—and so quickly. There were still a number of details to sort out, but it was more than possible. The decision had been made. The Board had already approved it. Because the Singapore company had been looking for a while, all the due diligence was finalized. McCrays would get a new partner and a bunch of new executives.
This week, the world had become a place where Dylan got to choose his destiny.
After scanning through the messages from his secretary, Dylan turned to his private office line. He hardly gave out the number to anyone, and now that his mother and Brian were gone, he pretty much ignored it. His secretary diverted any important business calls to his cell. A flashing light indicated he had a message. He played it back.
Um, hi. I really need to talk to you. God, this is awkward. He smiled at Michaela’s voice. I really wanted to tell you this in person. But you’re so busy, I…well, I hope you really are used to me, because I’m pregnant. I can’t believe I said that out loud. Just call me, will you?
Pregnant!
A child. Their child. He was going to be a father.
How? His thoughts flashed back to Vanuatu. They’d been careful, except that first time. He’d been so caught up in the moment, in their mutual desire…
Dylan’s smile faded as a hand squeezed his heart. Just when he’d got himself free of commitments. “How did this happen?”
Perhaps you’re asking the wrong question. It’s not how, it’s why.
“Maybe it’s one of those things that’s meant to be.”
Dylan saw his current life stretched out clearly in front of him. The long hours, the fear of commitment, the fear of marriage—all of it was about trying to avoid being like his brother and father. But he wasn’t a bit like either of them. He’d fallen into the same workaholic patterns since he’d come back, all that time on the ship undone in a few short days.
“Not anymore.” He still got to choose his own destiny, and he needed Michaela to be a part of it.
To think he’d first decided to pursue her as a challenge. “And instead she’s been the one to challenge me. To challenge everything I thought I knew.” He smiled when he thought about all the changes that had clicked into place over the last few days.
Looking at the photograph of his mother on his desk, the smile drooped a little. “I’m sorry you never got to meet Michaela,” he said to his mother. “I think you would have got on really well. I know we didn’t talk about me going back to dancing. But all this money and success was never really me. I only did it to please you. Stupid, hey? I wish we’d talked about this earlier, I know you would have understood. Don’t worry, though, I’ll make you proud.”
The truth of his own words strengthened him. His new business merger would finally release him from the day-to-day running of the company, and he could truly start living. A whole new chapter of his life was just beginning—and he meant to ensure Michaela was in it. Michaela and their baby.
He looked up the number for the studio that was holding the auditions Lily had told him about. There was just one more thing to sort out.
Chapter Fourteen
The vase of red roses Dylan had brought her a few nights ago sat on Michaela’s dresser. How could that have only been days ago? So much had changed.
She pulled at a stray petal. The first day without hearing from him had been awful, but the second day had been worse. And as the truth that he wasn’t going to call sunk in on the third day, Michaela’s heart had turned to concrete again.
Being a workaholic wasn’t conducive to relationships, and from what his secretary said, Dylan Johns was addicted to being busy.
There was no room for Michaela in his life. No room for her or a baby.
Alone in her hotel room, the reality of what was about to happen hit home. The pregnancy tests still sat beside the bathroom sink, and she picked them up again and carried them into the bedroom with her. “I’m going to have a baby. Alone.”
The words carried a rush of terror, excitement, and anticipation through her, and she couldn’t decide which emotion to stick with. “I guess it doesn’t really matter,” she said to the room. “It’s going to happen however I feel about it.”
She dialed room service but couldn’t decide what to order. There were certain things pregnant women weren’t supposed to eat, she knew that, but she couldn’t for the life of her remember what they were. Potatoes were definitely safe, though, so she ordered a large plate of fries.
A few minutes later, there was a knock on her door. Smiling, she went for her wallet to get a tip for the waiter.
“Thank you…” she said as she opened the door—but trailed off at the sight of Dylan’s large frame filling her doorway.
“I got your message. Can I come in?” He beamed at her.
For a moment, Michaela couldn’t speak.
“You’ve got some cheek. Turning up here now, expecting a warm welcome.”
The smile dissolved. “I’m sorry I haven’t called. Things just got crazy.”
“I’m sure they did, but that’s the problem with you, isn’t it? ‘Things’ will always come up. ‘Things’ will always get in the way.”
“I should have rung, I’m sorry. But I only got your message today—“
“It’s too late. You’ve made it clear where your priorities lie. Work will always come first. It’s fine. I think you better leave.” She tried to shut the door.
“Michaela, wait.” With his shoulder to the door, he overpowered her, pushed his way into the room, and shut the door behind him. “Can we just back up a bit? I’ve got news.”
Turning her back, Michaela stalked over to a chair, not trusting herself to get too close. “I’ve got a new business partner,” he said. “I’ve gotten the board’s approval for a merger, so it’s only a matter of days until the details get sorted by the lawyers and it becomes public. It’s going to be fantastic—more than fantastic.”
She kept her face stony.
“I’ll have more time, and there’ll be more money, so you can quit work and have our baby.”
“I should quit work and look after the baby?” she echoed, dumbfounded.
“You don’t have to… I mean, it’ll be up to you. If—” He faltered and raked a hand through his hair.
Michaela checked his face. He seemed genuinely upset. She bit her lip. No. She’d been here before. “I’m happy for you that you’ve done something about your company, but that doesn’t change anything. You’re still a workaholic. Something else will come up, and you’ll swan off on your next crusade. You don’t do relationships, or weddings, or family, you said so yourself.”
“I really said that, didn’t I?”
“Don’t pretend with me. You don’t even want this baby. Admit it.”
“Michaela, of course I want our baby.”
“You say that now.”
“Stop this. You’re not listening. I’ve changed. You’ve changed me. All the work, all the success—it’s all nothing without you.”
Michaela rolled her eyes. “I always did say you could have had a career in acting.”
Dylan heaved an exasperated sigh. “I mean it. God, you’re so damn independent.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
“No. No, of course not. But Michaela—” he walked over to where she sat and tried to take her hand as he knelt in front of her. “We’re good together. I said all those things before I realized how empty my life is without you.”
Not prepared to trust him yet, Michaela said nothing, and he stood and went to sit on the bed. The three pregnancy tests lay within arm’s reach. He picked them up. “We’re having a baby,” he said, the amazement clear in his voice.
“I’m having a baby.”
“Michaela, please.”
This time she was sure the hurt in his eyes was genuine, and the concrete around her heart softened, allowing a little blood back in. “How can I know you won’t just leave again? That some phone cal
l won’t summon you off on important business you can’t afford to turn down?”
“Because you’ve made me realize how important it is to live my life properly. To follow my dreams. That’s my other piece of news. Lily told me about a dance audition for a film. I figured I had nothing to lose and—and I got the part!”
Of course, he might want their baby, but that didn’t mean he was going to be around to help raise it. Michaela remained mute.
“You were the one who said my mother would have wanted me to give dancing a shot.”
“That’s great,” she said.
“But it’s here,” he said, obviously expecting a bigger reaction. “I got a part as a dancer in a film. It’s a big Hollywood music hall thing. They’re shooting it here in Sydney. It gives me about six months to hand things over with the firm, and then I’ll be dancing again. And…” He took her hands. “I’ll have you here with me.”
“I’m still not sure…”
“Please. We’re good together. I never would have done any of this without you.”
She shrugged.
“Tell me you don’t want to be with me. That you don’t want our baby to have a father.”
“That’s not the issue—”
“Well, then stop this. I want to be a father to this child. I want to be with you.”
Michaela looked up at him. “You really mean that?” The concrete crumbled a bit more, and her heart began pumping in earnest. A mix of excitement and nervousness rushed through her. This might really be happening, just as she’d hoped it would.
“Absolutely.”
She bit her lip, her trust still shaky. But she wanted to believe. Oh, she wanted to. “I don’t know. I don’t know how we’ll make this work.”
“We’ll take it slow, remember? One day at a time.”
“But what about ‘no long-term commitments’? A baby is about as long-term a commitment as you can get.”
“I know. I’ve realized it’s not really about the length of the relationship, it’s about the two people involved. I was stuck in old habits. Old patterns… Look, have you eaten?”
“I ordered room service before you got here,” she admitted.
“Can you cancel it?”
“I don’t really think…”
He was already on the phone.
When he hung up, he took her hands and said, “Come.”
…
Everyone was smiling when they arrived at Lily’s restaurant. “God, it looks like they’ve all been working on cruise ships,” she said.
Dylan just laughed. He kept patting his jacket pocket, and he was jumpy.
“Are you okay? We really didn’t have to come out to eat.” She toyed with her hair, his jitters making her nervous.
“Oh, yes, we did.”
Their first course arrived with a glass of sparkling grape juice for Michaela. She sipped at it and then couldn’t take it any longer. “What is it?” she asked. “Is there something else you need to tell me?”
His smile seemed rigid, the nerves almost visible on his face, and Michaela froze. “Oh, no,” she said very softly. “If there are any more surprises, I really don’t want to know. I don’t think I can take any more.”
“Okay then,” he said, and took a deep breath. “Just one more thing, but it’s more of a question.” He looked over at his sister-in-law, who nodded. “I was planning a whole song and dance routine around this, you know, violins, more roses, champagne, but it seems like we’re never going to do things in an orderly fashion.” He got down on one knee as the lights dimmed and a piece of beautiful music filled the restaurant.
Michaela felt her mouth open.
“Michaela Western, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”
Dylan opened a small blue box, and Michaela gasped when she saw the antique diamond ring it held.
“How did you… When did you have time to…?”
“It was my mother’s,” he said. “I asked Lily if she minded my giving it to you rather than passing it on to her kids, and she agreed. It’s what Mom would have wanted.”
“But you don’t believe in marriage.”
Dylan paused. “I was looking for reasons not to believe in it. I’ve had to deal with the fallout of Brian’s marriage for so long, I ignored the other examples around me. My mother always talked about the good marriage she had before my father died. That’s what I want for us. For our child to grow up as part of a loving family.”
“But you said…when we were on the ship…”
He put a finger to her lips. “Maybe I just hadn’t found the right woman to be my wife.”
“Your wife?” she managed.
“Of course,” he said. “And the mother of my child.”
“But I want to keep working. I don’t want to be just your wife, or just a mother. I want everything.”
“And so you should. You are a woman completely capable of getting everything you want.”
Could this really be happening? Did she want it to? “You haven’t said anything about how you feel.”
“How I feel?” His face was blank.
“If I have to spell it out…”
He smiled. “Michaela, I love you. I love everything about you.”
Michaela thought back to the speech she used to give to new crew members when they first arrived onboard the Pacific Empress. Welcome to a new world, she’d say. A world where you will be part of other people’s dreams.
She must be dreaming now. “Where would we live? How will I be able to—”
“One day at a time, remember?”
The pause seemed to stretch out for an eternity, and suddenly she felt the eyes of everyone in the restaurant on her. “I don’t know what to say,” she managed.
“A yes is all I need.”
A woman sitting with her grandkids caught Michaela’s eye and gave her a wink and thumbs up.
Michaela nodded, and Dylan slipped the ring onto her finger as the restaurant erupted into cheers.
This time, the dreams weren’t other people’s. They were hers.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to readers everywhere. We love that you love to read our books! Thanks to the Entangled Publishing team for taking this—my first romance novel ever—and to Ruth Homrighaus and Bethany Halle for whipping it into shape. Thanks also to Trudi Caffell, my partner in romantic crime, and Mary Robbins, who got me a gig on a cruise ship!
About the Author
Michele was born in the mid-1970s amid a burgeoning sprawl of vineyards and new retirement homes. Despite training in law (or perhaps because of it), she has been a dancer, producer, writer, and all-round arty type in various countries for most of her life. Now back home in New Zealand after travelling aplenty, she writes full-time in an office surrounded by whispering trees. Her website is at www.micheledewinton.com.
Blackmailed
by the
Italian Billionaire
Nina Croft
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2012 by Nina Croft. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.
Entangled Publishing, LLC
2614 South Timberline Road
Suite 109
Fort Collins, CO 80525
Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com.
Edited by Alethea Spiridon Hopson
Cover design by Heidi Stryker
ISBN 978-1-62266-377-4
Manufactured in the United States of America
First Edition March 2012
Second Edition November 2013
From the author...
Dear Reader,
Ever since I first discovered books, a long time ago, I’ve always lo
ved being transported to places I might otherwise never get to visit. I’d curl up in bed with a book, and magically journey to fabulous countries and even worlds. As I grew older, that love turned into a real love of travelling, and for many years, every spare penny and every spare minute went on travel.
I finally settled down on an almond farm in the mountains of southern Spain, between the Sierra Nevada and the Mediterranean Sea. I don’t travel so much now—well not in real life—but through writing, I’ve become a virtual traveler and regularly get to wander the world and beyond, into outer space and even other dimensions.
Often my stories will visit places I would like to go, or to go back to. That’s the case with Blackmailed by the Italian Billionaire. My hero, Luc, is half-Italian and the story moves between London and my hero’s very own fantasy island hideaway off the coast of Italy.
So like me, I’m hoping you also enjoy travelling to different places when you read, and I hope you enjoy Luc’s journey on his way to falling in love.
Chapter One
“I’m lost,” Lia Brent muttered into her cell phone. “At least I hope I’m lost, because if not I’m in big trouble. Look, Kelly, I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.”
Lia shoved the phone into her bag and glared down at the map of London clutched in her hand. She had an appointment at a club called The Crazy Frog, and she was pretty sure she was in the right place.
Except she couldn’t be.
She didn’t know London well—hadn’t been back since her dad’s disappearing act ten years ago—but this didn’t look like the sort of area a nightclub would be in. Unless it was a very down-market nightclub. Her stomach churned at the thought.
It was nearly seven at night, but the sun still beat down. Lia’s feet hurt from the stupid high heels she was wearing for the part, her head pounded from the constant drone of traffic, and she was suddenly overwhelmed by a desperate urge to turn around and run for home. But she wasn’t a quitter, and besides, if she gave up now, then soon she wouldn’t have a home to run to. And neither would her little brother, Mike, never mind her housekeeper, her three cats, and her dog.
The Billionaire Bundle Page 19