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AVAILABLE: Thursday, June 11th
To please his grandfather, Leandro Monteiro agrees to an arranged marriage—only to lose his fiancée to his own half-brother. When Tahlia DaCosta, his ex-fiancée’s sister, steps in as the replacement bride, disaster strikes again. A devastating accident leaves Leandro paralyzed, and Tahlia’s family immediately calls off the wedding.
But Leandro refuses to give up.
Desperate to convince his ailing grandfather to seek cancer treatment, he’s determined to marry no matter the cost. With time running out, he corners Tahlia into a marriage of convenience—a fake union with an expiration date.
What begins as a cold arrangement between a bitter groom and a reluctant bride soon ignites into something far more dangerous. Forced proximity awakens hidden desires, old wounds, and undeniable chemistry neither of them can ignore.
But with misunderstandings, betrayal, and family pressure threatening to tear them apart, can Tahlia and Leandro find real love in a relationship that was never meant to last?
“What are you doing here?” He watched her as she walked into his room, his hooded eyes not missing the lacy camisole and tiny shorts she sported.
Tahlia glanced around the room, taking in the bottle that lay shattered against one wall, the dark liquid spilling noiselessly onto the lovely maroon carpet.
“Have you been drinking?”
He grunted. “Celebrating my wedding night.”
“Alone?”
His eyelids lifted, showing off eyes that blazed at her question. “Are you here to give me company then?”
“I will, if you ask me nicely,” she replied nonchalantly, despite the mad pounding of her heart.
He raised his head, perused her from head to toe, dark eyes raking over every inch of her before coming to rest on her breasts. He stared long enough for them to pebble and Tahlia colored as she casually lifted her arms and crossed them over her breasts.
“Come to bed then, wife.” His voice dripped over her like thick honey, pricking goose bumps over her flesh. Patting the space beside him, he invited her to join him but Tahlia resisted the urge to take him up on his offer.
Even drunk, Leandro was handsome, with hooded eyes that invited her to lose herself in them. With hair sticking up in places and a rough stubble covering his lower jaw, he looked decadently rakish. His jacket was missing—so was the tie, and the buttons of his snowy white shirt were almost completely undone, showing off a sculpted torso with generous smattering of hair arrowing down to…
Tearing her eyes off his body, she stood up straight. “Can’t sleep?” she inquired. She suspected he’d been drinking to cope with pain but was certain if she asked him, he would deny it outright.
He snorted.
“Don’t you have medication for pain?”
“They taste awful.”
His childish response made her smile. “You know, I give a mean massage. Maybe it will relieve some of the pain?”
He eyed her warily. “I can think of other ways to relieve the pain.”
She chuckled, despite the heat that bloomed in her cheeks. “I’m sure your body has had enough excitement for one day.”
Leandro opened his mouth but she quickly leaned forward and kissed him. Heat swirled inside her as Tahlia succumbed to the warmth of his lips. The kiss was intended to silence him but she hadn’t expected him to return the kiss. Or devour her. Strong arms boldly wound around her, making her shudder, but she knew she couldn’t lose control. Not again. One night of hedonistic pleasure in this man’s arms had taught her that she was incapable of resisting him.
Tearing her lips off his, she tried not to acknowledge the fact that the kiss had liquified her bones and turned her insides into mush. “Be a good boy now and let me help you.” Not waiting for him to respond, she reached for his shirt.
