{"id":874,"date":"2023-11-07T16:27:41","date_gmt":"2023-11-07T16:27:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/heidi-rice.com\/?post_type=portfolio&#038;p=874"},"modified":"2024-03-01T12:01:20","modified_gmt":"2024-03-01T12:01:20","slug":"revenge-in-paradise","status":"publish","type":"portfolio","link":"https:\/\/heidi-rice.com\/books\/revenge-in-paradise\/","title":{"rendered":"Revenge in Paradise"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id='av_section_1'  class='avia-section av-b0aiv-e285b79aa7917100fdf2cfd828fa6bf6 main_color avia-section-default avia-no-shadow  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_section  avia-builder-el-first  avia-bg-style-scroll container_wrap fullsize'  ><div class='container av-section-cont-open' ><main  role=\"main\" itemprop=\"mainContentOfPage\"  class='template-page content  av-content-full alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-874'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-k3yawgpy-9dcf5c3be72f13ed9bbf933c4db8084d\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-k3yawgpy-9dcf5c3be72f13ed9bbf933c4db8084d{\npadding-bottom:10px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-k3yawgpy-9dcf5c3be72f13ed9bbf933c4db8084d .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-k3yawgpy-9dcf5c3be72f13ed9bbf933c4db8084d .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-k3yawgpy-9dcf5c3be72f13ed9bbf933c4db8084d av-special-heading-h3  avia-builder-el-1  el_before_av_one_half  avia-builder-el-first  av-linked-heading'><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag'  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Revenge in Paradise<\/h3><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-2y2g1z-f1e6ce40db8d3afab0eff1dc64311b8c\">\n.flex_column.av-2y2g1z-f1e6ce40db8d3afab0eff1dc64311b8c{\n-webkit-border-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n-moz-border-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class='flex_column av-2y2g1z-f1e6ce40db8d3afab0eff1dc64311b8c av_one_half  avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_one_fourth  first flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding '     ><section  class='av_textblock_section av-jycr59r9-74850ab5814e59cab7873f4109edc1d0'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><strong>First came revenge, then came desire\u2026 Which will the billionaire choose in this forced-proximity romance?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>His billion-dollar decision: <em>Passion or payback?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Roman Garner rose from poverty-stricken boy to billionaire. Yet no amount of money can temper his anger toward the family that refused to acknowledge him. Discovering a member of the household, Milly Devlin, has accidentally hijacked his luxury speedboat could be used to his advantage\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Alone and speeding toward his private Italian island, Roman didn\u2019t bank on innocent Milly\u2019s ability to disarm him with vulnerability, thrill him with desire\u2026and challenge him at every turn! But is it still possible to even the score if you sleep with the enemy?<\/p>\n<p><b>The Devlin Sisters:<\/b><\/p>\n<p>#1: <a href=\"https:\/\/heidi-rice.com\/books\/revealing-her-best-kept-secret\/\"><em>Revealing her Best Kept Secret<\/em><\/a> \u2013 Lacey and Brandon<\/p>\n<p>#2: <em>Revenge in Paradise<\/em> \u2013 Milly and Roman<\/p>\n<p><em>Printed by Mills &amp; Boon UK as <strong>Tame Me <\/strong><\/em>\u2013 a 2-in-1 with Natalie Anderson&#8217;s <em>One-Night Heir<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-9o71j-17d72fa88a16a96bbe2af9ada5ff0706\">\n.flex_column.av-9o71j-17d72fa88a16a96bbe2af9ada5ff0706{\n-webkit-border-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n-moz-border-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class='flex_column av-9o71j-17d72fa88a16a96bbe2af9ada5ff0706 av_one_fourth  avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_one_half  el_before_av_one_fourth  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\/><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-button-wrap av-jycr7ya6-c69ba1939303981657f9878605fc6b7f-wrap avia-button-center  avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_image  avia-builder-el-last '><a href='https:\/\/bit.ly\/3QsPaBR' class='avia-button av-jycr7ya6-c69ba1939303981657f9878605fc6b7f avia-icon_select-yes-left-icon avia-size-medium avia-position-center avia-color-theme-color' target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class='avia_button_icon avia_button_icon_left' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue84f' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Pre-order on Harlequin<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-2lk0rz-8a10bad192eb9d8fdd0a5be8555cc45a\">\n.flex_column.av-2lk0rz-8a10bad192eb9d8fdd0a5be8555cc45a{\n-webkit-border-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n-moz-border-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class='flex_column av-2lk0rz-8a10bad192eb9d8fdd0a5be8555cc45a av_one_fourth  avia-builder-el-7  el_after_av_one_fourth  avia-builder-el-last  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding '     ><p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-looiycvg-559298bef02ada9e027686d78e16c0a8\">\n.avia-image-container.av-looiycvg-559298bef02ada9e027686d78e16c0a8 img.avia_image{\nbox-shadow:none;\n}\n.avia-image-container.av-looiycvg-559298bef02ada9e027686d78e16c0a8 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-looiycvg-559298bef02ada9e027686d78e16c0a8 av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-8  el_before_av_button  avia-builder-el-first '   itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img class='wp-image-911 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-911 avia_image ' src='https:\/\/heidi-rice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/UK-web-Revenge-in-Paradise.jpg' alt='' title='UK web Revenge in Paradise'  height=\"600\" width=\"400\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\"  \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-button-wrap av-jycrafuk-183b9c60855057ab927cfd582f31092e-wrap avia-button-center  avia-builder-el-9  el_after_av_image  avia-builder-el-last '><a href='https:\/\/bit.ly\/49t9lbM'  class='avia-button av-jycrafuk-183b9c60855057ab927cfd582f31092e avia-icon_select-yes-left-icon avia-size-medium avia-position-center avia-color-theme-color'  ><span class='avia_button_icon avia_button_icon_left' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue924' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Pre-order on Amazon UK<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/main><!-- close content main element --><\/div><\/div><div id='av_section_2'  class='avia-section av-2co5cf-5ad8ef24fac48d0a19b1cffd0a308764 alternate_color avia-section-default avia-no-shadow  avia-builder-el-10  el_after_av_section  el_before_av_layout_row  avia-bg-style-scroll container_wrap fullsize'  ><div class='container av-section-cont-open' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-full alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-874'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-9e7tu-21cec0341f9412ffb2352172f0fb0b53\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-9e7tu-21cec0341f9412ffb2352172f0fb0b53{\npadding-bottom:10px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-9e7tu-21cec0341f9412ffb2352172f0fb0b53 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-9e7tu-21cec0341f9412ffb2352172f0fb0b53 .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-9e7tu-21cec0341f9412ffb2352172f0fb0b53 av-special-heading-h3 blockquote modern-quote modern-centered  avia-builder-el-11  el_before_av_textblock  avia-builder-el-first '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag'  itemprop=\"headline\"  >Excerpt:<\/h3><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-23cmn3-27a5863ea9b5f1064b40297f6f46d813'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/CreativeWork\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Milly Devlin hiked up the borrowed designer gown\u2014which had cost ten times her current monthly income\u2014and raced down the steep stone steps in the moonlight\u2026<\/p>\n<p>She was running away again, this time from the stunning Capri palazzo\u2014perched on the clifftop above, overlooking the azure sea\u2014and the site of her latest disaster. Because having a public spat with her sister in front of an audience of stupidly rich, ludicrously beautiful people supping vintage booze and nibbling priceless caviar on the marble terrazzo had not been her finest hour. And certainly not her intention, when she\u2019d agreed to accompany Lacey to the launch party for her husband Brandon Cade\u2019s new Italian subsidiary.<\/p>\n<p>Milly cursed as her heel snagged on one of the cobblestones but managed to grab the iron balustrade before she pitched headfirst into the Gulf of Naples. Which would have put the final bow on this evening\u2019s entertainment.<\/p>\n<p>She took a steadying breath, and kicked off the cursed shoes, which her sister had lent her too\u2014because designer footwear was not in Milly\u2019s wheelhouse any more than lavish social events.<\/p>\n<p>Lacey hadn\u2019t wanted her to feel out of place in the world where Lacey and her daughter, Ruby, now lived\u2014courtesy of her billionaire husband, Brandon Cade, Ruby\u2019s dad.<\/p>\n<p><em>Mission so not accomplished.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Milly scooped up the shoes, and bit her bottom lip to stop it quivering.<\/p>\n<p>She glanced back, at the exclusive party still in full swing above her, and recalled the whispers she\u2019d overheard as she pushed through the crowd on the terrazzo looking for the nearest exit. If only she didn\u2019t speak such good Italian.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u2018Can\u2019t imagine why Cade and his wife put up with her, the woman is an ungracious ungrateful brat.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u2018She\u2019s a liability, and a complete nobody. I heard she\u2019s been backpacking around Europe like a homeless person.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<p>She ignored the ripple of embarrassment. She didn\u2019t care what any of those people thought of her. She had no desire to be part of their world. She\u2019d only agreed to come to show Lacey she was perfectly okay. But as she rushed down the steps, her bare feet warmed by the stone, it was a lot harder to dismiss the anxious look on Lacey\u2019s face when they\u2019d argued twenty minutes ago\u2026<\/p>\n<p><em>\u2018Why can\u2019t you come home to London, Milly? Ruby misses you. I miss you. Brandon\u2019s worried about you and so am I.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u2018It\u2019s not his job to be worried about me. Is that why you invited me here? To ambush me again? I\u2019m happy in Genoa, Lacey.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Except it wasn\u2019t entirely true. Because Milly\u2019s grand plan to make a living out of her art hadn\u2019t exactly been a roaring success\u2026 Yet. The truth was, she never had time to draw, or develop any of her ideas, because she had been too busy working in a string of minimum wage jobs first in France, then in Italy, which barely kept her head above water.<\/p>\n<p>But she could not bear to return to London a failure. She couldn\u2019t let her sister and her new husband support her. It didn\u2019t matter how wealthy Brandon Cade was, her life was her responsibility. Nor did she want to be a spectator in her sister\u2019s blissfully happy, loved-up new marriage.<\/p>\n<p>She swallowed, hating the trickle of envy. Her older sister had worked so hard for so long, becoming a single mum at only nineteen, and being a stand-in mum to Milly too. She deserved to find happiness with the billionaire media mogul who had got her pregnant.<\/p>\n<p>If only Milly didn\u2019t feel so hopelessly displaced. Milly and Lacey and Ruby had been a unit, once. A tight, close, strong, unbreakable family unit. Until Brandon Cade had discovered Ruby was his daughter\u2026 And had swooped into their ordinary, unassuming lives eighteen months ago and insisted on marrying Lacey and becoming Ruby\u2019s daddy for real. And changed Milly\u2019s family for ever.<\/p>\n<p>She did not fit in their exclusive world. And the sooner Lacey and Brandon figured that out, the better off they would all be. As for her adorable niece Ruby\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Milly cursed as she reached the private dock below the palazzo.<\/p>\n<p><em>Low blow, Lacey, low blow.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Milly spoke to her niece every weekend on a video link. But Rubes was busy these days spending quality time with her daddy, training her very naughty dog, Tinkerbell, and adjusting to her new baby brother, Arthur.<\/p>\n<p><em>If you only knew how much I missed Ruby, Lacey. But she doesn\u2019t need me any more, and neither do you.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>She had to make a future for herself, which didn\u2019t depend on the Cades. Why couldn\u2019t her sister understand that? And butt out of her life?<\/p>\n<p>And yeah, maybe Milly was making a great big hash of said life, but Lacey and Brandon\u2019s overbearing concern was not helping.<\/p>\n<p>The tremor of irritation fortified her as she paced along the dock where a parade of shiny oversized super-yachts and motor launches were crowded so closely together they obscured the shimmering, moonlit water.<\/p>\n<p>It took her less than two minutes, though, to realise she\u2019d screwed up again. The private dock was a dead end. She could not get to the ferry terminal to get a boat back to Sorrento from here without swimming past the rocky headland in her sister\u2019s designer gown or scaling the cliff face.<\/p>\n<p><em>Fabulous. Ms Screw-Ups-R-Us strikes again.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>She swore. The sound bounced off the cliff walls and returned to her. Because it was going nowhere fast either.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, the other option was to retrace her steps and exit through the palazzo in her sweat-stained dress, smudged make-up and what was left of the hairdo Lacey\u2019s personal stylist had constructed at their hotel in Sorrento, which had started to list like the leaning tower of Pisa during her madcap escape.<\/p>\n<p><em>No way. I\u2019d rather swim a mile in designer couture than face those judgmental snobs again.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>She strode to the end of the wooden platform built into the rock wall\u2014to make sure there were no other viable exits from the Dock of Doom\u2014and spotted a gleaming motor launch tethered at the far end.<\/p>\n<p>Wasn\u2019t that the boat she and Lacey had arrived on from Sorrento?<\/p>\n<p>She scoured the deck\u2014but it was empty and dark, there wasn\u2019t even a light coming from the half-doors that led to the cabin.<\/p>\n<p>The old fellow who had driven them here was probably getting his supper with the other staff up at the palazzo\u2014ready to escort her and Lacey back to Sorrento when the event ended after midnight. She pulled out her phone to call him. Then swore. No service.<\/p>\n<p>She shoved the phone back in her evening bag.<\/p>\n<p>The Cade Launch Ball was due to go on for at least another two hours. The elegant event she would rather die than have to return to this century.<\/p>\n<p>But\u2026 Why not just borrow the launch? She knew how to drive it, because she used the same make, if a much older model, to ferry tourists around the marina in Genoa, one of the two jobs she was currently juggling. Once she got back to the luxury hotel in Sorrento where she and her sister were staying, she could get one of the Cade staff to return the boat to Capri and pick up her sister later?<\/p>\n<p>Fireworks exploded in the sky, the cheers of the crowd on the terrace above reminding Milly of all the reasons why she did not want to go back.<\/p>\n<p>The sparkle of blue and green lights glittered over the bay.<\/p>\n<p>She took a staggered breath and slung her heels on board. Tucking the hem of the gown into her panties, she leapt over the railing.<\/p>\n<p>The boat swayed as she tiptoed towards the console. And grinned. Because there was the key, stuck in the ignition. That had to be a sign. Surely?<\/p>\n<p>She rushed to untie the anchoring lines.<\/p>\n<p><em>As soon as I have service, I\u2019ll let them know I\u2019ve borrowed it.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Getting back to Sorrento early would also mean she could be packed and changed and at the bus station before Lacey returned to the hotel. She did not need another tortuous conversation tonight about her independence, to go with all the others she\u2019d had with Lacey over the past year.<\/p>\n<p>She would send her sister a text as soon as she was on the bus, apologising and telling her not to worry before Lacey took the Cade jet back to London tomorrow morning.<\/p>\n<p>Milly returned to the console and fired up the boat. The engine purred as she steered the launch round the other bigger vessels and out into the bay.<\/p>\n<p>As the tidal waters from the Gulf of Naples tugged the hull, she scanned the horizon, her vision adjusting to the milky darkness. The water was clear as far as the eye could see, the fishermen and tourists having gone to bed hours ago.<\/p>\n<p>A triumphant laugh popped out as she slammed back the throttle. Adrenaline hurtled through her system as the boat reared, skipping across the surf as if it were flying.<\/p>\n<p><em>Free at last.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Of the obligations and anxiety that had dragged her down ever since Lacey had invited her to the event. And she had felt obliged to attend.<\/p>\n<p>She let out a rebel yell\u2014the endless frustrations of her overprotective family and trying to figure out her future lifting off her shoulders as the wind slapped her face.<\/p>\n<p>But the whoop strangled in her throat as the cabin door burst open and a man charged out. Dark and dishevelled, in a black tuxedo jacket and trousers, his feet bare and his white dress shirt undone to the waist, this guy was not sixty-something Paulo who had driven them to Capri three hours ago.<\/p>\n<p>Awareness shot through her as she got an impressive eyeful of his bare chest sprinkled with hair and spotted a tattoo of crossed cutlasses over his heart.<\/p>\n<p><em>A marauding pirate in a designer tuxedo\u2026 Am I dreaming or hallucinating or both?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u2018Who are you?\u2019 she demanded of the apparition, so shocked the words came out on a high-pitched squeal. \u2018And what were you doing hiding down there?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>His staggeringly handsome face contorted into a furious scowl.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I wasn\u2019t hiding, I was sleeping, until you woke me up,\u2019 he growled in a deep voice loud enough to be heard over the hum of the engine\u2014and the heartbeat now punching her eardrums. \u2018And this is my boat. So, what the hell are you doing stealing it?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>The truth dawned, like the fireworks still bursting in the sky behind them.<\/p>\n<p><em>Oh, fabulous\u2026 Miss Screw-Ups-R-Us just borrowed the wrong boat!<\/em><\/p>\n<p>*<\/p>\n<p>Roman Garner starred at the girl steering his boat barefoot, her toned legs displayed by the glittering gown hooked into her panties and a clump of her hair sliding down her head on one side.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019d just been tossed across the cabin and woken from a perfectly sound sleep.<\/p>\n<p>But the jet lag and fatigue\u2014which had driven him down to his boat to take a nap and escape the boring spectacular of the Cade Launch Ball in the first place\u2014had disappeared. He grabbed the rail as the boat skipped over the waves, glaring at the girl, whose wide eyes were now the size of saucers.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I\u2026 I wasn\u2019t stealing it,\u2019 she said, having regained the power of speech.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Oh, yeah, does it belong to you?\u2019 he snarled, determined not to be amused by her horrified expression. Or turned on by the way her breasts pressed against the jewelled fabric of her dress and seemed to be sparkling in the moonlight.<\/p>\n<p>His head hurt and it was all her fault.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I was borrowing it,\u2019 she explained.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Usually, when someone borrows my property, they ask me first,\u2019 he pointed out and rubbed his forehead, where he was pretty sure he\u2019d just lost a sizeable portion of braincells after head butting the cabin floor. \u2018So I can tell them to get lost.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I thought the boat belonged to my brother-in-law.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>A likely story. Did she think he was an idiot? \u2018Yeah, right.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>She opened her mouth to say more, when the boat smacked a rogue swell. Her hands were yanked off the steering column as the boat wheeled to one side.<\/p>\n<p>Her scream split the night as he lurched to catch her before she went headfirst into the Tyrrhenian Sea.<\/p>\n<p>They went down hard on the deck together. He managed to roll just in time to take the brunt of the fall, instead of crushing her body beneath his much larger one. But it cost him. He grunted as pain radiated through his hip.<\/p>\n<p>The boat\u2019s engines cut out instantly. Thank God, the kill cord was already engaged.<\/p>\n<p>He lay dazed on the deck, staring up at the night sky with his arms full of the little boat thief\u2014who it turned out was soft in all the right places.<\/p>\n<p>It had clearly been far too long since he\u2019d had a woman on top of him, if he was noticing the girl\u2019s lithe figure and abundant curves.<\/p>\n<p>Something to remedy another time, Roman.<\/p>\n<p>His wayward libido quickly got a clue, though, thanks to the throbbing pain in his backside\u2014and his all-round fury at being inconvenienced to this extent.<\/p>\n<p>She scrambled up, managing to recover a lot quicker than he did, her face a picture of anguish and shock\u2026 But not nearly penitent enough for his liking.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I didn\u2019t mean to steal your boat,\u2019 she protested.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Yeah? So, whose boat did you mean to steal?\u2019 he snarled, lifting himself up on his elbows.<\/p>\n<p>But then the full moon appeared from behind a cloud and he got a proper look at her features.<\/p>\n<p>Her make-up was almost as much of a mess as the rest of her, but the smudges of eyeliner, the dregs of mascara and the lipstick she had chewed off did nothing to detract from her unusual face\u2014wide eyes, a stubborn chin and a slight overbite accentuated her surprising beauty. A small gold ring in her left nostril added to her quirky, unorthodox appearance.<\/p>\n<p>The girl was striking\u2026<\/p>\n<p>His eyes narrowed. And vaguely familiar.<\/p>\n<p>How did he know her? And then it hit him. She had arrived with that bastard Cade\u2019s wife, Lacey. If he\u2019d known Cade wasn\u2019t going to be at the launch himself, he would never have bothered to attend the event\u2014even though it was less than a mile from the island retreat where he was supposed to be starting an enforced two-week break.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018You work for Brandon Cade, right?\u2019 Was she the wife\u2019s assistant? If one of Cade\u2019s employees had tried to steal his boat, he would find a way to use it against his rival.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps a little industrial espionage? Or better yet, a major lawsuit to humiliate the man.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018What? No\u2026\u2019 she said. \u2018Do you know Brandon?\u2019 she asked, sounding wary now, but still not sorry.<\/p>\n<p>He climbed to his feet, ignoring the pain from his slam dunk on the deck.<\/p>\n<p>Brandon, was it? Was she one of the Cades\u2019 inner circle, then? A mistress, perhaps? Was that why the wife had been having that whispering altercation with her much earlier in the evening? Although it seemed odd to bring this girl to the Cade Ball if she was sleeping with her husband.<\/p>\n<p>But whatever way he looked at it, this situation could have potential. Unless, of course, it was some kind of a set-up. His usual cynicism kicked in. Because what were the chances this girl would have chosen to steal his boat? And why the hell was she such a mess, when she\u2019d looked pretty hot earlier\u2026?<\/p>\n<p><em>Whoa, boy? Hot? Seriously?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>He admonished his unruly libido for the second time in one night. Which was a record. He definitely needed to get laid if he was finding one of Cade\u2019s cast-offs hot.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Yes. I know of Cade,\u2019 he said, cryptically. \u2018We share similar business interests,\u2019 he added, although he and Cade shared a whole lot more. The familiar resentment twisted in his gut. But he let it go.<\/p>\n<p>That Cade had always refused to acknowledge their connection was Roman\u2019s strength now, not his weakness. After sixteen years of hard work, Roman was now a major player in the same field the Cade family had ruled for generations in the UK. But unlike Cade, who had inherited everything he had, Roman had earned his position.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Who\u2026? Who are you?\u2019 she asked again, as if she didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n<p>He scowled. <em>Cagey. No question about it.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>If this girl worked for Cade, she had to know exactly who Roman was\u2014because he\u2019d made it his business to get on Cade Inc\u2019s radar and headhunt their best staff, just to annoy the man. But even in her dishevelled state and with her inclination to boat piracy, she did the innocent look very well.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018As I\u2019m the injured party here, I demand you identify yourself first,\u2019 he said with his best Captain of the Universe voice. He had given her more than enough information already.<\/p>\n<p>She was on his boat, in the middle of the Gulf of Naples, without his permission and she\u2019d just given him a sizeable bruise on his arse thanks to her antics. There was a major power imbalance here\u2014which she seemed to be wilfully ignoring with her ballsy attitude.<\/p>\n<p>Annoyingly, he found himself becoming intrigued by her stubborn expression. Why didn\u2019t she want to tell him her name? And why did it only make her seem more\u2026hot? Because he didn\u2019t usually find antagonism and inconvenience a turn-on.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Injured, how?\u2019 she demanded, because she clearly had not got the message who the captain of this universe was. Another new experience for Roman, who was used to having women do exactly what he told them.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Okay, that\u2019s it.\u2019 Roman yanked his phone out of his jacket pocket\u2014resolutely refusing to be impressed by her attitude problem. \u2018You\u2019ve got two seconds to tell me who the hell you are, what you are to Cade and why you stole my boat, or I\u2019m calling the <em>Polizia Municipale<\/em> and having you arrested for piracy and assault.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Piracy and\u2026\u2019 She huffed out a shocked breath\u2014which made her breasts bounce, distractingly. \u2018You have got to be kidding? And how exactly did <em>I<\/em> assault <em>you<\/em>?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>He tapped a contact on his phone\u2014to call Giovanni, his estate manager on Isola Estiva, not the cops, but she didn\u2019t need to know that. \u2018That\u2019ll be one second now,\u2019 he said, lifting the phone to his ear.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018<em>Ciao, la polizia<\/em>?\u2019 he said, when Giovanni picked up on the second ring.<\/p>\n<p>And at the exact time that Giovanni said, \u2018Signor Garner, is that you?\u2019 his uninvited passenger threw up her hands.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Okay, wait. My name\u2019s Milly Devlin, I\u2019m Lacey Cade\u2019s sister.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>She was Brandon Cade\u2019s sister-in-law? So not his mistress\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Relief washed over him. Then he frowned. Why on earth was he pleased the girl wasn\u2019t his rival\u2019s extramarital squeeze, when that would have made a much better tabloid exclusive?<\/p>\n<p>\u2018<em>Va bene, signor<\/em>\u2026\u2019 he said into his phone, cutting off Giovanni, who was still trying to establish what the hell was going on. That made two of them, he thought ruefully as he ended the stunt call and shoved the phone into his trouser pocket.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018That\u2019s more like it,\u2019 he said, but was careful not to lose the frown.<\/p>\n<p>He was much more intrigued now than mad. But he had no plans to let her off the hook\u2014because her family connection to Cade could only enhance the potential of this situation.<\/p>\n<p>So that explained why she and Cade\u2019s wife had come to the event together. But it did not explain the argument he\u2019d witnessed. Not that her domestic situation interested him per se. Families were not his forte\u2014he knew nothing of their dynamics and he did not want to know. But if there was trouble in the Cade paradise he might be able to use it to his advantage. Cade\u2019s much publicised marital bliss\u2014ever since the man had finally deigned to recognise his own child and marry the mother, four years too late\u2014had not convinced Roman in the slightest. Roman had bought Drystar to break the story, and had then had his tabloid journalists looking for another juicy expos\u00e9 ever since. But, annoyingly, Cade had managed to turn the revelation of his secret love child to his advantage, by marrying the girl\u2019s mother and then pretending to be in love with the woman.<\/p>\n<p>Getting to know Cade\u2019s sister-in-law might help him get to the truth about that. Of course, he didn\u2019t usually bother doing any of the dirty work himself, that was the job of his editors, reporters and columnists. And he had also stopped caring about Cade\u2014because he had decided it was not good for his mental health to be so focussed on the guy\u2026 But this scoop had landed in his lap. Like, literally. And he had the bruises to prove it.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Now tell me why you stole my boat,\u2019 he demanded.<\/p>\n<p>The girl wrapped her arms around herself, a gust of wind slapping the hull. The tissue-thin dress didn\u2019t give her much protection against the night air. If he were a gentleman, he would have offered her his jacket. But he wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>She looked away, a shiver running through her. \u2018Borrowing your boat was a stupid impulse that I now deeply regret. But I genuinely thought this was the Cade launch,\u2019 she offered, her tone a tad more contrite.<\/p>\n<p><em>Progress<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018And I needed to leave the party,\u2019 she added. \u2018Is that enough of an explanation for you?\u2019 she finished, but the stubborn tilt of her chin and the direct stare totally ruined the almost contrite effect.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Not hardly,\u2019 he replied. It had to be the oldest clich\u00e9 in the book, but when her back straightened, and those huge eyes narrowed, he had to admit, she was even more attractive when she was staring daggers at him. \u2018I\u2019ll need a much more specific explanation of why you climbed aboard my boat and tried to pinch it,\u2019 he added.<\/p>\n<p>She looked so mad, she couldn\u2019t speak\u2014and he was actually starting to enjoy himself, more than a little.<\/p>\n<p>Although he wasn\u2019t sure what was more satisfying, having a Cade family member at his mercy, or the way her face looked even more stunning when she glared.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018That is,\u2019 he continued, \u2018if you don\u2019t want me to have you arrested.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>She hissed something under her breath that sounded like \u2018rich people\u2019 and not in a complimentary way.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Fine, arrest me!\u2019 She threw up her arms in exasperation. \u2018But you\u2019ll end up getting charged yourself with wasting police time when it turns out this was all a massive misunderstanding.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Perhaps I\u2019ll settle for slapping you with an enormous lawsuit instead, then.\u2019 He rubbed his sore backside, pointedly. \u2018Fifty grand for every bruise ought to make you think twice before borrowing anyone else\u2019s boat without their permission.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Sue me, too, then.\u2019 The daggers became broadswords as the last of her fake regret went up in smoke. \u2018But I have a grand total of one hundred and sixty-two euros in my account. So a ten-second call to your lawyer will cost you more than you\u2019ll g-get out of m-me.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>The threat would have been more convincing if her teeth hadn\u2019t chattered right at the end.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018A pauper who wears designer couture and is Brandon Cade\u2019s sister?\u2019 he scoffed. \u2018I think I\u2019ll take my chances.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>He knew what poverty looked like\u2014because he and his mother had lived on the thin edge of it during most of his childhood\u2014and she wasn\u2019t it\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u2018This dress isn\u2019t mine,\u2019 she said. \u2018I borrowed it from Lacey. And I\u2019m not Brandon\u2019s sister, I\u2019m his sister-in-law and I\u2019m certainly not his responsibility. If you sue me, you\u2019ll be suing complete nobody Milly Devlin, who is about as far from being worth suing as you are from being an ugly humble pauper without a gargantuan ego.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>He had to bite his lip to stop from chuckling at her outrage. And her back-handed compliment. So, she didn\u2019t think he was ugly. Good to know. He\u2019d take the hit about his gargantuan ego, because she wasn\u2019t wrong about that. Yes, he had a very healthy ego\u2014which he had nurtured from a young age, to see him through the deprivations and humiliations of his childhood.<\/p>\n<p>Her comment about Cade was also illuminating. It seemed she was not one of the man\u2019s acolytes and didn\u2019t enjoy his largesse. But he knew enough about Cade to know he was fiercely protective of anyone he thought \u2018belonged\u2019 to his family, and his wife\u2019s sister would no doubt qualify. Even if she didn\u2019t seem to think so.<\/p>\n<p>She shivered again, dramatically. And he sighed.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Here\u2026\u2019 He dragged off his jacket and dumped it onto her shoulders\u2014no point in having her freeze to death before he\u2019d got any useful information out of her.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I didn\u2019t ask you for your j-jacket,\u2019 she said, still shivering.<\/p>\n<p>Her fierce expression made it impossible for him to contain his amusement any longer.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018What are you smiling at?\u2019 she asked indignantly, which only made his smile widen. Her snarky attitude was actually rather refreshing. Who knew?<\/p>\n<p>\u2018You,\u2019 he said. \u2018You\u2019re incredibly ungrateful for a boat thief.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u2018For the last time, I\u2019m not a boat thief, I\u2019m a boat borrower.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Whatever\u2026\u2019 He stepped to the console and fired up the boat\u2019s engine. He wasn\u2019t ready to let her go yet, but he also did not want to give her pneumonia, which left only one option.<\/p>\n<p>She grabbed the console when he wheeled the boat around and headed towards Isola Estiva\u2014the coastal island he had bought two summers ago, but had rarely had the time to use, until now.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Where are you taking me?\u2019 she asked, gazing longingly at the lights of Sorrento, which were disappearing in the distance at a rate of knots as he drove past Capri and out into the Gulf.<\/p>\n<p>He gave her a quick once-over. \u2018To my private island, where I plan to sleep on what the hell to do with you. Because I\u2019m too tired to decide a suitable punishment tonight\u2026\u2019 Which was not untrue. A decent night\u2019s sleep had eluded him for months now, as he pushed himself and his business to the limit. And he hadn\u2019t taken a proper break in over a decade\u2014which was precisely why he\u2019d been so deeply asleep when she\u2019d woken him up.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018But you can\u2019t! That\u2019s kidnapping!\u2019 she shouted over the wind and the slap of the waves on the boat\u2019s hull.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Kidnapping, huh? That\u2019s rich, coming from a boat thief\u2026\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I\u2019m not a flipping\u2026\u2019 she yelled back then swore as she was forced to grab the console again. \u2018Oh, for Pete\u2019s sake, I give up.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Sit back and relax,\u2019 he said, enjoying her exasperation, almost as much as the sight of her body draped in his jacket. She was a petite little thing, the jacket reaching almost to her knees.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018It\u2019ll take us about half an hour to get to Estiva,\u2019 he said jauntily. There was something so perfect about having Cade\u2019s prickly sister-in-law in his boat, he was not about to give up the buzz just yet. Holding her hostage and needling her might even make this enforced break more amusing.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I\u2019ll scream,\u2019 she declared, pointlessly, because they both knew no one would hear her.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Go ahead,\u2019 he said, calling her bluff.<\/p>\n<p>Her glare became radioactive, but her lips remained firmly shut, probably because she was no fool.<\/p>\n<p>She dropped onto the bench seat that surrounded the deck, the kick of the waves in the open sea becoming choppier. She looked dejected for about a nanosecond, then she whipped out her phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018How about I call the <em>polizia<\/em>?\u2019 she said, brandishing the smartphone like a lethal weapon. \u2018And tell them I\u2019ve been kidnapped?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Good luck,\u2019 he replied. \u2018Don\u2019t forget to mention Roman Garner is kidnapping you, for stealing his boat,\u2019 he supplied helpfully. \u2018And taking you to Isola Estiva for punishment. They can pick you up tomorrow, if you\u2019d rather be arrested.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>He pursed his lips to hold onto the laugh that wanted to burst out at her confused expression. Then turned back to the console, to concentrate on navigating the boat.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Roman Garner?\u2019 she murmured, behind him. \u2018I think my sister, Lacey, might have interviewed for a job with you. I\u2019m sure I\u2019ve heard that name. She\u2019s a journalist.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Possibly,\u2019 he said as it occurred to him she really didn\u2019t know he was her brother-in-law\u2019s biggest rival. Either that or she was an award-winning actress. \u2018Although I wouldn\u2019t know anything about your sister\u2019s job prospects,\u2019 he added. \u2018I don\u2019t involve myself with the day-to-day operations of the business.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Which wasn\u2019t entirely true\u2026<\/p>\n<p>He hated himself for the small white lie. Why should he care that Lacey Carstairs\u2014the byline she had used before her big reunion with Cade\u2014hadn\u2019t accepted the job at <em>Buzz<\/em> online magazine. Breaking the story of her hasty marriage to Cade after Cade\u2019s \u2018surprise\u2019 discovery he was the father of Lacey\u2019s four-year-old daughter had been just one of Roman\u2019s attempts to humiliate the man over the years. The offer of a job had been a way for Roman to keep tabs on what he suspected was a fake marriage. But it hadn\u2019t surprised him when Cade\u2019s new bride had turned it down. After all, the woman would surely have realised keeping the pretence of a happy marriage to Brandon Cade was a much better meal ticket than an opportunity to become <em>Buzz<\/em>\u2019s main celebrity correspondent.<\/p>\n<p>In the early days of Garner\u2019s growth, when it had still been called Blackbeard Media, Roman had made it his business to get on Cade\u2019s radar and annoy the hell out of the guy. And having Cade\u2019s new wife working for him would have been quite the coup. But Garner Media Group had more important things to concentrate on these days\u2014such as taking over Cade Inc\u2019s top spot in the world of media conglomerates.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I can\u2019t believe I accidentally borrowed your boat,\u2019 she mumbled. \u2018Lacey and Brandon are going to be so unimpressed.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>He glanced round, to find her staring out to sea, but where he had expected to see contempt\u2014because he knew Cade despised him as much as he despised Cade\u2014what he saw on her face was dejection. As if the person Cade and his wife would be unimpressed with was her\u2026 Not Roman.<\/p>\n<p>So, Cade had never mentioned their feud to his family? Or the real reason for their mutual animosity? Why did that not surprise him? He\u2019d always been the Cade family\u2019s dirty little secret, after all.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Why don\u2019t you ring Cade and tell him whose boat you just tried to steal tonight?\u2019 he goaded, all his old resentments against the man resurfacing\u2014as well as that vague feeling of being not enough, which he\u2019d thought he\u2019d banished a long time ago. How irritating to realise those feelings were still there in some hidden corner of his psyche. \u2018That should really make his night.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u2018No thanks,\u2019 she said, but her glare had downgraded considerably. \u2018I\u2019ll take my chances,\u2019 she added, sounding a lot less sure of herself.<\/p>\n<p>Interesting\u2026 He\u2019d given her a chance to call her brother-in-law to come to her rescue, and she hadn\u2019t taken it. Why?<\/p>\n<p>Tonight, surely, had the potential to be very fortuitous for him. Once he figured out how to use this woman\u2019s connection to Cade. But somehow the thought only made him feel more exhausted. He turned his attention back to the console. Perhaps he should concentrate on getting them back to Estiva in one piece, first.<\/p>\n<p>Luckily for Milly Devlin, he didn\u2019t take advantage of defenceless women. But she still owed him.<\/p>\n<p>After all, she\u2019d just tried to steal his boat and given him a head injury and a bruised arse in the process. And for that he would require payback.<\/p>\n<p>*<\/p>\n<p><em>Of all the boats, in all the docks, in all the world, why the heck did I have to accidentally steal the boat of another flipping media mogul?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Milly stared in dismay at the rigid back of the man standing at the controls of the motor launch, and handling it with consummate ease, as they shot through the night towards who knew where.<\/p>\n<p><em>Roman Garner.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>She\u2019d heard Lacey mention him before\u2026 And she wished she\u2019d listened more carefully. All she really remembered from when Lacey had been offered the job at <em>Buzz<\/em> was that she hadn\u2019t ended up taking it. She\u2019d also described Roman Garner as a \u2018playboy\u2019. And she could vaguely remember Brandon once describing his business practices as ruthless. But then, didn\u2019t that go with the territory, if you were a billionaire media baron?<\/p>\n<p>From what she\u2019d seen of him so far, Garner certainly seemed to be the perfect fit as a \u2018ruthless playboy\u2019.<\/p>\n<p><em>Except<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n<p>Shivering violently, she wrapped his jacket tighter around herself\u2014which was still warm from his skin\u2014and inhaled a lungful of clean soap and sea salt and a delicious sandalwood cologne.<\/p>\n<p><em>Delicious? Really, Milly?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Still\u2026 Why had he given her his jacket? Because the chivalrous gesture was so out of keeping with his threats of punishment and the fact he was currently kidnapping her.<\/p>\n<p>Not only that, but he\u2019d saved her from falling off the boat and taken the impact of the fall when they\u2019d hit a wave and she\u2019d nearly capsized them both.<\/p>\n<p>A completely inappropriate kick of awareness made her shiver again as the white tails of his shirt flapped around his torso\u2014revealing a band of tanned skin, and another tattoo on his lower back. Was that an elaborate skull and crossbones to match the crossed cutlasses on his left pec?<\/p>\n<p>Clearly, he was big on pirate iconography. Which was somewhat ironic, given that he had accused her of being the pirate.<\/p>\n<p>She huddled on the seat, to get out of the wind, and snuggled into his jacket, tired and confused and wary\u2026 But also not scared. Or not as scared as she probably ought to be. Because she was definitely being kidnapped.<\/p>\n<p>But as her eyelids drooped, all she could picture was the dancing light in his eyes while he\u2019d baited her\u2014which had infuriated her a moment ago\u2026 But now only confused her more. Why did she get the impression this was all a big joke to him? And why had their argument been more exhilarating than upsetting? Was it because she had seen the blast of admiration in his expression when she\u2019d challenged and provoked him?<\/p>\n<p>Or had she totally misinterpreted that? Frankly, she knew next to nothing about flirting, because she\u2019d never even had a proper boyfriend. It was one of the things her European jaunt had been supposed to remedy\u2026 As well as her plan to take the art world by storm, she had been on a mission to finally have some fun, to hang out with people her own age and lose her blasted virginity. But she hadn\u2019t had the chance, because she\u2019d been far too busy staying solvent to get up close and personal with any fit guys.<\/p>\n<p>Yet another example of how Milly Devlin\u2019s grand plan to kick-start a new life over the past year had been a complete and utter disaster.<\/p>\n<p>She tucked her hands under her cheek, blinking furiously as she tried to stay awake. To stay alert. Forget about his charms, Roman Garner might be fit beyond her wildest dreams and exciting to spar with, but she also doubted she could trust him.<\/p>\n<p>And not just because he was an arrogant billionaire kidnapper with a gargantuan ego. But also because he had a naughty, and undeniably hot, twinkle in his eye, which she had no idea how to handle.<\/p>\n<p><em>Well done, Milly, never screw up small when you can screw up big.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>But as the boat bounced over the waves, her eyelids became heavier, and her mind couldn\u2019t quite get to grips with the unprecedented and unfamiliar awareness making her exhausted body feel different somehow, as it melted into the butter-soft leather seat\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='av-layout-grid-1'  class='av-layout-grid-container av-1vmt3j-a7bac5fe5618613764c99b884cbe2bb2 entry-content-wrapper main_color av-flex-cells  avia-builder-el-13  el_after_av_section  avia-builder-el-last  grid-row-not-first  container_wrap fullsize'  >\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" 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