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       The problem was right now she wasn’t feeling in the slightest bit sensible or levelheaded. She was feeling reckless. Wild. Weirdly out of control.

      All because of Marcus—because she wanted him. God, she wanted him. Had done for years, but had always thought it one-sided. Now, though, she knew it wasn’t. She could feel the attraction burning between them—fierce, mutual and utterly irresistible.

      It had been so long since she’d had sex. Even longer since she’d had good sex. And with the amount of practice he’d had he’d be very good at it, she was sure.

      She was under no illusions about what he was. She might have been wrong about some things, but she knew he enjoyed playing the field. She knew he didn’t do commitment, didn’t do long-term—which suited her fine because she didn’t want either from him. She just wanted to explore this sizzling chemistry, because for one thing it would undoubtedly give her proper closure and for another who was she to fight with such a force of nature?

      ‘Well?’ he said, and the tension radiating off him suggested that he was finding it as hard to cling on to his self-control as she was.

      ‘You know those scruples of yours?’ she said, her voice low and husky.

      ‘What about them?’

      ‘Do they include anything concerning friends’ younger sisters now?’

      ‘Nope.’

      ‘Good,’ she said as fire licked through the blood in her veins and her heart thundered wildly. ‘Then how about we finish what we started?’

       Dear Reader

      One of my favourite fictional relationships is that of Much Ado About Nothing’s Beatrice and Benedick. Ah, the ‘merry war’, with its wicked banter, sharp wit and biting disdain that hides something so much more … What’s not to love?

      So what do you get when you throw together an uptight workaholic who can’t stand gorgeous laid-back charmers and a gorgeous laid-back charmer who can’t stand uptight workaholics? Animosity! And when there’s enough chemistry to blow up a science lab …? Sparks! Throw in a botched attempt at seduction when they were in their teens and fifteen years of denial, and it turns into a whole lot of fun.

      Well, not for Marcus and Celia, perhaps—*evil laugh*—but definitely for me to write, and I hope for you to read!

      Lucy x

      The Best Man

      for the Job

      Lucy King

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      LUCY KING spent her formative years lost in the world of Mills & Boon^® romance when she really ought to have been paying attention to her teachers. Up against sparkling heroines, gorgeous heroes and the magic of falling in love, trigonometry and absolute ablatives didn’t stand a chance.

      But as she couldn’t live in a dream world for ever she eventually acquired a degree in languages and an eclectic collection of jobs. A stroll to the River Thames one Saturday morning led her to her very own hero. The minute she laid eyes on the hunky rower getting out of a boat, clad only in Lycra and carrying a three-metre oar as if it was a toothpick, she knew she’d met the man she was going to marry. Luckily the rower thought the same.

      She will always be grateful to whatever it was that made her stop dithering and actually sit down to type Chapter One, because dreaming up her own sparkling heroines and gorgeous heroes is pretty much her idea of the perfect job.

      Originally a Londoner, Lucy now lives in Spain, where she spends much of her time reading, failing to finish cryptic crosswords, and trying to convince herself that lying on the beach really is the best way to work.

      Visit her at www.lucykingbooks.com

       Other Modern Tempted™ titles by Lucy King:

      ONE NIGHT WITH HER EX

      THE REUNION LIE

       This and other titles by Lucy King are available in eBook format from www.millsandboon.co.uk

      For my editor, Megan. Thank you for your always invaluable insight and advice!

      Contents

       Chapter One

       Chapter Two

       Chapter Three

       Chapter Four

       Chapter Five

       Chapter Six

       Chapter Seven

       Chapter Eight

       Chapter Nine

       Chapter Ten

       Chapter Eleven

       Chapter Twelve

       Chapter Thirteen

       Chapter Fourteen

       Extract

      ONE

      Ten minutes after the vicar had pronounced her brother and his fiancée man and wife and the register had been signed, Celia Forrester stood on the steps of the altar of the pretty Shropshire church and braced herself for the moment she’d been dreading all day.

      In terms of things she’d rather not do, on a scale of one to ten, going to the gym hovered at the two mark. Pulling an all-nighter at work ranked around a four. Dinner à deux with her father, an eight.

      Having to take Marcus Black’s arm and walk down the aisle beside him, however, hit a ten.

      Up until about a couple of hours ago she’d thought she’d escaped. As Dan’s best friend—and consequently, best man—Marcus had been expected some time yesterday afternoon, but to the consternation of everyone apart from her he hadn’t shown up. Her brother had muttered something about a missed flight and a possible arrival in time for the reception but, in all honesty, Celia had been too relieved to pay much attention.

      All she’d been able to think was that she had a stay of execution and that, with any luck, by the time Marcus got there—if he got there at all—she’d have indulged in the gallon of champagne she needed to handle the horribly edgy and deeply uncomfortable effect he had on her, should she be unable to implement her customary plan A and avoid him.

      She’d had no problem with following Lily—the other bridesmaid and Zoe’s sister—and her brand-new fiancé, Kit, down the aisle alone. She was good at doing things alone, and she’d been more than happy about the delay in having to talk to

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