Billionaire's Blackmail Bride: Billionaire Brothers Kent - Ridge's Story (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series)
Authors: Judy Angelo
BILLIONAIRE'S BLACKMAIL BRIDE
JUDY
ANGELO
The
BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series
Volume
15
Copyright
© 2014 Judy Angelo
Phoenix
Publishing Limited
All rights reserved. No part of this book
may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or otherwise
(mechanical, photocopying, recording or stored in a retrieval system) without
the prior written consent of the Publisher. Such action is an infringement of
the copyright law.
This book is a work of fiction. The names,
characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or
have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is
entirely coincidental.
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Cover Artist: Ramona Lockwood (Covers by Ramona)
BAD
BOY BILLIONAIRES
Judy
Angelo
Volume
1 -
Tamed
by the Billionaire
Volume
2 -
Maid
in the USA
Volume
3 -
Billionaire's
Island Bride
Volume
4 -
Dangerous
Deception
Volume
5 -
To
Tame a Tycoon
Volume
6 -
Sweet
Seduction
Volume
7 -
Daddy
by December
Volume
8 -
To
Catch a Man (in 30 Days or Less)
Volume 9 –
Bedding Her Billionaire Boss
Volume 10 -
Her Indecent Proposal
Volume 11 -
So Much Trouble When She Walked In
Volume 12 –
Married by Midnight
Volume 13 -
The Billionaire Next Door
Volume
14 -
Babies
for the Billionaire
Volume
15 - Billionaire's Blackmail Bride
BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES, Coll. I - Vols. 1 - 4
BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES, Coll. II - Vols. 5 - 8
BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES, Coll. III - Vols. 9 - 12
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Holiday Editions
Rome
for the Holidays
(Novella)
Rome
for Always
(Novel)
The
NAUGHTY AND NICE Series
Volume
1
-
Naughty
by Nature
COMING SOON
Volume
16 - Bossing the Billionaire
BILLIONAIRE'S BLACKMAIL BRIDE
As a research
scientist it is
Lani Donatelli
's dream to make a difference in the
lives of people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. There's only one
problem, and it's a huge one - she's lost her funding from the big pharmaceutical
companies and her research lab is in danger of closing down. Without funding
her experiments are at a standstill. On top of that, she has one month to come
up with the money to clear months of arrears with the leasing company before
she and her team are evicted. In desperation, she turns to the one man she
knows can save her skin. But is she willing to pay the price he demands?
As co-member of
a Houston school board,
Ridge Kent
has admired Lani Donatelli for
months. She, however, can't stand him. According to her, he's nothing but a
joker and an annoying one at that. Their disagreements at board meetings don't
help since the constant conflict builds a brick wall between them. He wants to
get to know her better but how can he, when all their interactions have been
the polar opposite of positive? And then, like a heaven-sent miracle, lovely
little Lani falls right into his hands. She has nowhere to turn but to him.
He is willing to help, on one condition - Lani Donatelli must become his wife.
Bride by
blackmail - a recipe for disaster or an unexpected chance for love?
CHAPTER ONE
Sweet. The gods must be smiling down on him today. Lani Donatelli
was sitting right here in his office and she was in big trouble. Could things
go any better?
Leaning back in his chair, Ridge tented his fingers and regarded her
through narrowed eyes. He was going to play tough even though he was laughing
inside. She’d fallen right into his hands and he could not believe his luck.
“How’s that again?” he asked, feigning confusion, watching the
emotions flit across her face.
Lani gave an exasperated sigh. “Ridge Kent, you heard every word I
said. Why should I repeat myself?” The color rising in her cheeks, Lani was
clenching and unclenching her hands like she was trying hard not to hop out of
her chair, reach across the desk and strangle him. She looked so cute when she
was angry, like a little pink pixie, so tiny she could pass for a kid as she
sat there, lost in the big, black office chair. And it didn’t help that she was
sporting a super-short boy haircut. If he didn’t already know her he’d swear
she was a stray twelve year old who’d wandered into his office.
But enough of admiring little Miss Cuteness. She’d asked a pointed
question and he was only too willing to answer. “Maybe you should repeat
yourself,” he said, his tone cool, “because you really need this favor.”
At his words Lani’s eyes shot daggers and she looked like if she
could have killed him with her glare she would have. “You don’t need to rub it
in,” she said through clenched teeth.
“Oh, but I do,” he replied. “I most certainly do.”
“Jerk,” she muttered under her breath.
But that didn’t faze him at all. He knew exactly what he was doing.
“I’m waiting,” he said, just in case she needed a little more prompting.
Lani gave a heavy sigh then shook her head. “I’ll go slower this
time just so you’ll understand. I’ve lost my funding for the research project
I’m working on. A very important project. It’s impossible for me to find
alternative funding at such short notice and that’s why I need your help.”
“I see.” Ridge leaned forward, holding her gaze. “And what’s so
important about this research project of yours? Why not shelve it and move on
to something else?”
She looked at him like he was just short of being a blinking idiot.
“Don’t you get it? This is important. Life changing. It could make a difference
in thousands of people's lives. You don’t start a study that could make such an
impact and then you shelve it. Are you crazy?”
For someone who’d come to his door begging she sure wasn’t acting
humble. The way she was speaking to him it was like he was the one who needed
the favor, not her. Ridge had to hold in a chuckle. He kept his face serious as
he asked the next question. “So if your project is that important why can’t you
get funding? Isn’t this the sort of thing those big pharmaceutical companies
want to be involved in?”
Lani grimaced. “Not this one. I’m not doing research on a synthetic
drug, something they can patent. My research is on natural plant alternatives
so they don’t give a damn. If you can’t make billions off it they don’t want to
hear about it.”
“I see,” he said again, nodding slowly as he pondered her words. “So
what you’re saying is, you want me to invest in a project for which there is no
return. The pharmaceutical companies won’t do it so why should I?”
“Why should… is that all you ever think about? How much money you
stand to make?”
Her scowl was so dark Ridge was having a hard time keeping a straight
face. God, he was having fun pushing her buttons.
He shrugged. “I’m a businessman,” he said, his tone nonchalant. “If
you ain’t makin' money you ain’t got no business.”
That got her good. He could see it in the way her teeth clenched and
her eyes narrowed. “Well, if that’s the position you’re going to take it looks
like I came to the wrong person.” She slapped her hands on the arms of her
chair and hopped to her feet. “Thanks for nothing. Good day, Mr. Kent.” Then
she turned and stalked off toward the door.
Ridge waited until her hand was on the knob and then he spoke. “Come
back here, Miss Donatelli.” His voice was firm and curt. “Come back and sit
down,” he paused for maximum effect, “or else you’re not getting a cent out of
me.”
She froze, hand still on the knob, and then slowly she turned and
stared back at him. Eyes narrowed, she frowned. “So you’re giving me the
money?”
Ridge gave her a crooked grin. “I might. But there’s just one
thing.”
Her frown deepened and, moving slowly, she folded her arms in front
of her. “What,” she said slowly, the word dripping with suspicion, “thing?”
She was curious now, and wary, but he wasn’t going to make things
that easy. Lani would have to learn that he was the one holding the blade and
she’d better tread carefully.
“I’ll tell you,” he said, his tone frigid, “as soon as you find your
butt back in your chair.”
He saw her quick look of surprise at his imperious tone but in a
flash it was gone. Now her ebony eyes glinted with unmistakable anger. It was
obvious she wanted to tell him to go to hell but she was too smart for that.
Her mind was ticking fast and he could see the second that she decided to suck
it up and do what he’d ordered. She was a proud and independent woman but she
wasn’t stupid.
With a twist of her lips she released her arms and marched back to
the chair she’d just vacated. It was a good thing she was wearing slacks and
not a dress because she practically flung herself down into it, her expression
telling him that whatever it was he had to say to her, she was not looking
forward to it.
“So what ‘thing’ is it you want to tell me,” she said, “before you
give me the money?”
Ridge didn’t answer. He’d been planning to make her a friendly
proposition, one she could live with, but screw that. Little Miss Lani was
being a bit too haughty for his liking…even though she was the one asking
favors. Time to take her down a notch or two.
“I’ll give you the money,” he said, his eyes never leaving hers, “on
one condition.”
Lani drew in a slow breath and her gaze grew even more suspicious.
“What condition?”
“You can get your money to do your precious research project,” he
said, his tone even, “as long as you agree to marry me. I want you to be my
wife for a year.”
That declaration didn’t get him the reaction he’d been expecting.
Instead of the shock and horror he’d anticipated Lani did the very opposite.
The contrary girl burst out laughing.
“I heard you could be a joker but this takes the cake. So you’re a
businessman turned comedian now?” She wasn’t shy with her guffaws. She was
laughing so hard Ridge was thinking she might pitch forward and fall out of her
chair.
But he wouldn’t say a word. He would let her have her moment of fun
and then he would set her straight. That grin would be wiped from her face soon
enough.
When she finally calmed down enough to stop laughing and slide back
in her chair Ridge got up and walked over to the credenza on top of which sat
an ice bucket with bottles of water and juice. He glanced over at her. “Want
one?” he asked.
She shook her head.
With a shrug he turned, grabbed a bottle of water and tipped it to
his lips. He downed a third of it in one swig. As he lowered the bottle and
replaced the cap he regarded her with casual interest. “Ready to talk to me
now?”
“About what?” she asked, a smile teasing the corner of her mouth.
“Of course you weren’t serious.”
He gave her a slow smile. “I’m dead serious.”
It was only then that things seemed to sink in for Lani. The smile
that had tickled her mouth disappeared. The lips that had just curled so prettily
now turned thin and firm. “But why?” she asked, her tone half combative, half
confused. “Why would you want me to marry you? We don’t even like each other.”
And the way she said the last sentence, curling her lips like the
very thought repulsed her, made him even more determined to stick to his guns.
He would bring her to heel if it killed him.