The CEO Takes a Wife / The Throw-Away Bride: The CEO Takes a Wife / The Throw-Away Bride. Ann Major

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      Maxine Sullivan credits her mother for her lifelong love of romance novels, so it was a natural extension for Maxine to want to write her own romances. She thinks there’s nothing better than being a writer and is thrilled to be one of the few Australians to write for the Desire™ line.

      Maxine lives in Melbourne, Australia, but over the years has travelled to New Zealand, the UK and the USA. In her own backyard, her husband’s job ensured they saw the diversity of the countryside, from the tropics to the outback, country towns to the cities. She is married to Geoff, who has proven his hero status many times over the years. They have two handsome sons and an assortment of much-loved, previously abandoned animals.

      Maxine would love to hear from you and can be contacted through her website at http://www.maxinesullivan.com.

      Dear Reader,

      I must admit that when I read about those high-profile couples who marry, I sometimes wonder if it’s for love or convenience. And if it’s for convenience, what goes on behind the scenes? Why do you marry someone you don’t know or don’t love? How do you? You’d surely have to feel some sort of attraction for the other person to make it a real marriage.

      This is the case between Olivia Cannington and Alex Valente, the heroine and hero in my book. Born with silver spoons in their mouths, they have the responsibility of having to marry for a year for reasons other than themselves. Neither has any intention of getting emotionally involved, but in the end it’s their attraction for each other that sabotages them, and they eventually find their sacrifice hasn’t been the sacrifice they thought it was. They fall in love.

      Sometimes it takes a while for some people to realise it, but whether rich or poor, if you have true love you have it all.

      Happy reading!

       Maxine

      To all my workmates at my day job. Thanks for all your support and enthusiasm.

      Chapter One

      “I presume you asked me in here for a reason, Dad?” Alex Valente said, his tone cool and collected as he sat in front of his father’s desk in the opulent tenth-floor office overlooking Sydney Harbour.

      There was a moment’s pause. “Yes, there’s a reason,” Cesare Valente replied, leaning back in his leather chair.

      Alex ignored the mixture of pride and regret in his father’s eyes. They’d never been close, despite working together all these years. Cesare Valente had come to Australia as a child and was the founder of the House of Valente. Alex was its CEO. The two of them had taken the Australian perfume dynasty and turned it into a national success.

      But it wasn’t enough. It had never been enough—for either of them. There were more successes out there, more opportunities to seize, including their upcoming launch in the States of their newest and finest perfume yet—Valente’s Woman. Alex knew his father admired that same drive to conquer in himself. It was part of the reason he’d been tasked with the USA launch.

      “And that is…” Alex prompted, leaving the sentence hanging.

      “I’ve come to a decision…” Cesare’s pause was surely for effect. “You’re thirty-five years old. It’s time you married and produced an heir.”

      Alex felt a brief moment of shock, then his eyes narrowed and his lips twisted. “I’ll take your wishes into consideration if I ever decide to marry.”

      “You’re not taking me seriously, figlio mio,” Cesare said, lapsing into Italian to say son of mine.

      Alex made a sound of derision. “There’s a reason for that.” He was a Valente, and Valentes didn’t like being ordered about. His father knew that.

      “I’m very serious about this,” Cesare said quietly and firmly. “I’m getting older and I’ve recently had a…health scare.”

      Something jolted inside Alex’s chest. “You didn’t tell me about that.”

      “No, I didn’t.” Just for a moment Cesare’s eyes clouded over, then cleared. “I was having chest pains. They thought it was a heart attack, but I’m thankful it wasn’t. This time. It’s stress. I have to slow down, but I’m not going to hand over the reins of the business to you until I see you married with an heir on the way.”

      Alex shot him a withering look. “You’re not asking much.”

      “I’m not asking, Alex. I’m telling. You’ve got six months in which to find yourself a wife and start a family or…”

      Alex’s brow winged upward in challenge. “Or?”

      “I sell the House of Valente to one of our competitors and give the money to charity. And I promise neither you nor your two brothers will see a cent.”

      Alex’s jaw clenched. “I could always declare you insane.”

      Cesare gave a small smile. “You could try but I don’t think any judge will give you power of attorney. I’m as sane as you are and I intend