Never Say No to a Caffarelli. Melanie Milburne
“I play by the rules, but they’re my rules.”
Poppy Silverton is as untouched as the leafy English village where she runs a tearoom. But her home, her livelihood and her innocence are under threat….
Rafe Caffarelli is a mouthwatering specimen of Mediterranean manhood. He’s a playboy billionaire and determined to buy Poppy’s historic dower house.
Poppy will not give up the only thing that remains of her childhood and family. She’ll fight Rafe—and her attraction to him—all the way. And be the first woman to say “no” to a Caffarelli!
‘Am I supposed to thank you, Rafe? Kiss your feet? Prostrate myself before you? Go on, lay one finger on me and see what happens. I dare you—oomph!’
It was a hard, possessive kiss—a hot, fizzing pressure against her lips that made them tingle as if high-voltage electricity was passing directly from his body to hers.
Poppy had intended to fight him but somehow, as soon as his mouth connected with hers, her lips softened and become totally pliant, melting beneath the fiery purpose of his. She opened to his command and tasted the full potent heat of him.
But, even more mortifying, she gave a soft little whimper of approval just before he broke the connection.
It was of some slight consolation to her that he looked just as shocked as she felt. His dark eyes were almost black and a frown had appeared between his eyebrows as he dropped his hands from her upper arms and took an unsteady step back from her.
Poppy let out her breath in a flustered rush. She knew the battle was far from over.
It was just beginning.
THOSE SCANDALOUS CAFFARELLIS
Rich. Ruthless. Irresistible.
Brothers Rafe, Raoul and Remy
are better known as the Three Rs:
1. Rich—
Italy’s most brilliant billionaires.
2. Ruthless—
they’ll do anything to protect their place at the top.
3. Irresistible—
their business prowess is rivalled only by
their reputation in the bedroom.
Just ask any glittering socialite they’ve ever met!
This month read Rafe’s story in: NEVER SAY NO TO A CAFFARELLI September 2013
Next month read Raoul’s story in: NEVER UNDERESTIMATE A CAFFARELLI October 2013
And watch for Remy’s story in: NEVER GAMBLE A CAFFARELLI November 2013
Never Say No to a Caffarelli
Melanie Milburne
From as soon as MELANIE MILBURNE could pick up a pen she knew she wanted to write. It was when she picked up her first Mills and Boon® at seventeen that she realised she wanted to write romance. After being distracted for a few years by meeting and marrying her own handsome hero, surgeon husband Steve, and having two boys, plus completing a Masters of Education and becoming a nationally ranked athlete (masters swimming), she decided to write. Five submissions later she sold her first book and is now a multi–published, bestselling and award-winning USA TODAY author. In 2008 she won the Australian Romance Readers’ Association’s award for most popular category/series romance, and in 2011 she won the prestigious Romance Writers of Australia R*BY award.
Melanie loves to hear from her readers via her website, www.melaniemilburne.com.au or on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/pages/Melanie-Milburne/351594482609.
Recent titles by the same author:
HIS FINAL BARGAIN
UNCOVERING THE SILVERI SECRET
SURRENDERING ALL BUT HER HEART
ENEMIES AT THE ALTAR
(The Outrageous Sisters)
Did you know these are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk
To my husband Steve. I dedicate this 50th novel to you for always believing in me, for always encouraging me, for putting up with my highs and lows, for patiently listening on our walks with the dogs about my latest plot and characters, but most of all for just being you—the most wonderful hero of them all. Love you to pieces. xxx
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
‘WHAT DO YOU MEAN, she won’t sell?’ Raffaele Caffarelli frowned at his London-based secretary.
Margaret Irvine turned her palms over in a ‘don’t blame me’ gesture. ‘Miss Silverton flatly refused your offer.’
‘Then make her a bigger one.’
‘I did. She refused that too.’
Rafe drummed his fingers on the desk for a moment. He hadn’t been expecting a hiccup like this at this stage. Everything had gone smoothly up until now. He’d had no trouble acquiring the stately English countryside manor and surrounding land in Oxfordshire for a bargain price. But the dower house was on a separate title—a minor problem, or so he’d been led to believe by his business manager, as well as the estate agent. The agent had assured him it would be easy enough to acquire the dower house so that the Dalrymple Estate could be whole once more; all he would have to do was to offer well above the market value. Rafe had been generous in his offer. Like the rest of the estate, the place was run down and badly needed a makeover, and he had the money needed to bring it back to its former glory and turn it into a masterpiece of English style and decadence. What was the woman thinking? How could