Infamous Read online

  Two glitzy, glamorous tales

  from Jane Porter and Caitlin Crews!

  INFAMOUS

  “In this romantic story, Porter again reveals

  herself to be a fantastic storyteller.”

  —RT Book Reviews on Hollywood Husband,

  Contract Wife

  “Caitlin Crews has penned a winner with

  her first novel, Pure Princess, Bartered

  Bride! Sexy, intensely emotional and

  wholly absorbing …”

  —CataRomance

  Infamous

  Hollywood Husband,

  Contract Wife

  Jane Porter

  Pure Princess,

  Bartered Bride

  Caitlin Crews

  www.millsandboon.co.uk

  Hollywood Husband,

  Contract Wife

  Jane Porter

  About the Author

  JANE PORTER grew up on a diet of Mills & Boon® romances, reading late at night under the covers so her mother wouldn’t see! She wrote her first book at age eight and spent many of her school and college years living abroad, immersing herself in other cultures and continuing to read voraciously. Now Jane has settled down in rugged Seattle, Washington, with her gorgeous husband and two sons. Jane loves to hear from her readers. You can write to her at PO Box 524, Bellevue, WA 98009, USA. Or visit her website at www.janeporter.com.

  Dear Reader,

  I met Caitlin Crews in 2005 at a publishers’ splashy launch party in New York City. Caitlin and I shared the same editor and my editor had sent me Caitlin’s first novel, thinking I would enjoy it. I had. But I was secretly rather envious of Caitlin’s smart voice and distinctive style and meeting her in person only made me more insecure. Caitlin is blonde, beautiful, brainy, and so very funny. There was no way I could compete. Over the next few years Caitlin and I were thrown together time and again. But I still wasn’t quite sure what to do with her.

  Then came one holiday when we were both in Hawaii with our respective spouses. We met up for dinner in Waikiki and Caitlin told me she’d started reading my Mills & Boon novels and loved them. She said she was a fan. I said she was ridiculous. She made me feel clever and I loved how funny and smart and interesting she was. During the next year I began to turn to Caitlin for writing advice and input on my women’s fiction manuscripts. We shared our favourite books with each other. We talked about life. And men. And love.

  Over the years I learned to trust and treasure Caitlin for her honesty and strength and insight. I loved her warmth and loyalty to her friends. I loved having her in my life. And then one day she casually mentioned that she’d been working on a manuscript for Mills & Boon® Modern™ and would I be willing to look at the first couple of chapters? I told her to send them ASAP and I read them in one sitting. I was blown away. I loved Caitlin’s voice and style and insisted she finish the story. She did.

  The rest is history. That first book sold and Caitlin has since written ten amazing stories for Mills & Boon Modern. Caitlin is a true star. But even more importantly, she’s one of my dearest friends. I adore her and am so happy and proud to be in this book with her. Welcome Caitlin to the Modern family!

  Yours,

  Jane

  With love for my sister, Kathy Porter.

  PROLOGUE

  THE WEDDING WAS NOT supposed to happen.

  This was a charade, a job she’d been hired to do. But the charade was supposed to have ended long before they ever went to the altar.

  Long, Alexandra Shanahan silently repeated, clenching her bouquet of lilies, blue hydrangeas, white orchids and violet freesias tighter between stiff clammy hands.

  This was all such a horrible mistake she couldn’t even concentrate on the minister’s words.

  My God, she didn’t even like Wolf Kerrick. Even four weeks of being squired around Hollywood as his newest love interest hadn’t endeared the man to her.

  In fact, four weeks of playing his girlfriend had only made her dislike him more. He was horrible in every sense of the word.

  He was too rich, too successful, too powerful. He was too much of everything, and that alone made her uncomfortable, but the fact that he didn’t respect women infuriated her. He treated women like playthings, taking what he wanted, when he wanted, and discarding without remorse when inexplicably bored.

  And now she was his wife.

  Alexandra swallowed, stunned, silenced, undone.

  She, who could handle anything, she who never wavered in the face of danger, she who took risks and loved challenge, welcoming adversity with open arms, was now married to the world’s most famous film star.

  Spots danced before Alexandra’s eyes and she gulped in air, trying to clear the fog from her head. If she didn’t know herself better, she’d think she was going to faint.

  She couldn’t faint.

  It was too much of a photo opportunity.

  She must have inhaled too sharply, because suddenly Wolf’s hand was at her elbow.

  “You better not faint,” he growled in his rough accented English, a sexy combination of Irish and Spanish vowels that left women weak at the knees. But that was Wolf’s magic.

  He was the quintessential bad boy, times a thousand, and everybody’s celluloid dream.

  Six feet three and impossibly broad through the shoulder while lean in the hip. He looked as good naked in love scenes as he did in a tuxedo shooting the latest James Bond thriller.

  Alex’s jaw jutted and she tugged her arm from Wolf’s touch. “I won’t,” she whispered defiantly, even though she wasn’t sure she wouldn’t faint. Truth be known, she was scared, scared in a way she hadn’t been since first moving to Los Angeles four years ago.

  It’d been a long four years, too.

  Four years of struggle, attempting to crawl up the ladder of Hollywood fame. And now she was here. Sort of.

  Wolf’s grip on her arm tightened. “Then smile. You look as though you’re dying.”

  “If only I were so lucky.” Then she forced another tight smile just in case any of the guests could see her face. This was her wedding, after all.

  “I’m your dream man. Remember?”

  Those had been her words, too, her exact words, but they’d been uttered in a moment of panic, at the height of a crisis. She would have never claimed him otherwise.

  Alex’s stomach rose, threatening to embarrass her right then and there. Oh, God. What had she done?

  Biting her lower lip, Alexandra battled the second wave of nausea even as the Santa Barbara breeze lifted her veil, sending the lace and her long, artfully styled curls blowing around her face. Married to Wolf Kerrick. Mrs. Wolf Kerrick.

  Alexandra Kerrick.

  Her eyes squeezed closed, her hand shook where it rested on Wolf’s arm.

  Why had she thought she could play his girlfriend?

  How could she have ever thought she’d be able to manage him?

  And why had she come to Hollywood in the first place?

  CHAPTER ONE

  Beverly Hills, California

  Five weeks earlier …

  ALEXANDRA SHANAHAN had thought being invited to lunch with Hollywood’s most powerful actor was too good to be true.

  She was right.

  “You want me to what?” Alexandra Shanahan asked incredulously, staring at Wolf Kerrick as though he’d lost his mind.

  “Play my new love interest,” he repeated, his deep voice nearly flat.

  Wolf Kerrick’s love interest. How ludicrous. Beyond ludicrous.

  Wolf Kerrick … and her? Alexandra would have laughed if her stomach wasn’t doing wild cartwheels.

  Everything, she thought woozily, about the lunch was wrong. The impossible-to-secure reservations at the famous Beverly Hills Hotel’s terrace restaurant. The
bright blue sky overhead. The dizzying fragrance of the terrace garden’s roses and gardenias.

  When she’d first sat down at the table, she’d introduced herself—silly, but since they’d never officially met, it’d seemed like the right thing to do.

  Wolf had repeated her name thoughtfully. “Shanahan. Sounds familiar.”

  “There’s a famous football coach by the same name,” she’d answered nervously, trying to ignore the excited whispers of the other restaurant patrons. Everyone had been watching them. Or at least watching Wolf. But then, he was a megastar and sinfully good-looking, so she couldn’t really blame them.

  “Maybe that’s it,” he’d answered, leaning back in his chair. “Or maybe it’s familiar because it’s Irish.”

  She’d managed a tight smile before dropping her gaze, already overwhelmed by his formidable size and presence.

  Wolf Kerrick was bigger, broader, stronger, more male than nearly any other actor in the business. There was no mistaking him for any other actor, either, not with his Spanish-Irish black hair, dark eyes and sinful, sensual mouth.

  “Daniel said you had a job offer for me,” she’d said nervously, jumping straight to the point. There was no reason to stall. She’d never be able to eat in his company, so ordering lunch was out of the question. Best just get the whole interview over and done with.

  “I do.”

  She’d nodded to fill the silence. She’d hoped he’d maybe elaborate, but he hadn’t. Her cheeks had scalded. Her face had felt so hot even her ears had burned. “Daniel said he thought I’d be perfect for the job.”

  Wolf’s dark head had tipped, his black lashes dropping as he’d considered her. After an endless silence he’d nodded once. “You are.”

  She wasn’t sure if she should be flattered or terrified. He seemed so much friendlier on the big screen, more approachable in film than he was here in flesh. Right now he was anything but mortal, human. Instead he was like a dark warrior, an avenger with a secret—and dangerous—agenda.

  “I’m looking to fill a position,” he said flatly.

  “Yes,” she echoed, hands knotting together in her lap.

  “The role of my new love interest.”

  She nearly tumbled from her chair. “What?”

  She stared at him so hard his face blurred.

  “It’s a publicity stunt,” Wolf said in the same flat, almost bored tone. “The position would last approximately four to six weeks. Of course, you’d be well compensated.”

  Shocked, mortified, Alexandra felt as though she’d burst into flames any moment. “But I—I … couldn’t,” she sputtered, reaching for her water glass even as a rivulet of perspiration slid down inside her gray linen jacket. She was broiling here on the terrace. She’d dressed far too warmly for lunch outside, and with the bright California sun beating down on her head she thought she’d melt any moment. “I don’t date—” she broke off, swallowed convulsively “—actors.”

  Wolf’s jaw shifted. A trace of amusement touched his features. “You don’t have to. You just have to pretend to date me.”

  Him. Wolf Kerrick. International film star. Spanish-Irish heartthrob. Alexandra gulped more water. She was so hot she could barely think clearly. If only she’d dressed more appropriately. If only she’d thought to bring someone to the meeting with her. Her boss, Daniel deVoors, one of the industry’s top directors, had sent her here today, telling her Wolf Kerrick had a proposition for her. She’d thought maybe Mr. Kerrick needed a personal assistant. It hadn’t crossed her mind he’d be interviewing for a lover.

  “Why?” she whispered.

  “You’re young, wholesome, ordinary, someone the public could relate to.”

  Young, wholesome and ordinary, Alexandra silently repeated, feeling her heart jump to lodge firmly in her throat. He didn’t find her attractive even though she’d made such efforts today. Alexandra rarely wore makeup, but today she’d used a little mascara and a touch of lipstick, and obviously it’d made no difference. She was still wholesome and ordinary. She took a deep breath, suppressed the sting of his words. “But I still don’t understand….”

  “It’s a PR move aimed at damage control.” Wolf shifted in his seat so that his powerful body seemed to dwarf the table and the terrace and the day itself.

  Alexandra’s brows furrowed. She was finding it increasingly difficult to keep focused on what he was saying, disappointment washing through her in gigantic waves. She’d been so thrilled to meet Wolf Kerrick, to have this chance to interview with him. Last night she’d barely slept. Today she’d woken extra early and showered and dressed with such care….

  But now … now she just felt hurt. Disappointed.

  There was no job, just this ridiculous proposal.

  Her temper stirred and she sat taller. “Damage control?” she repeated, trying to keep up with him. “Why would you need damage control …?” Her voice faded as it hit her, in one lucid swoop. Joy Hughes.

  This was about Wolf’s affair with Joy Hughes.

  And looking across the table, it all came together. Mr. Kerrick didn’t want to hire a love interest. He didn’t want to be meeting her or sitting here in public having this conversation. He was doing this—speaking to her, asking her to play a part—to help repair his damaged reputation, and she knew who and what had damaged his reputation. His year-long affair with the very married film actress, Joy Hughes.

  “Does this have to do with your … affair?” she asked awkwardly, torn between anger and shame that Daniel deVoors would even suggest her to Mr. Kerrick as a possible love interest.

  Wolf Kerrick’s lips suddenly pulled back in an almost wolflike snarl. “There was no affair.”

  Alexandra’s heart jumped, but she didn’t cower. “If there was no affair,” she said huskily, fingers balling into fists, “you wouldn’t need me, would you?”

  Wolf leaned forward, dark eyes flashing, jaw jutting with anger. “There was no affair.”

  His dark eyes held hers, fierce, penetrating, and the stillness following his words was as dangerous as his tone of voice.

  She felt the blister of his anger, as well as his underlying scorn. Yet she was angry, too. He must think she was stupid or naive to take everything he said at face value. And she might be naive, but she wasn’t stupid. Alexandra met his gaze squarely. “Everyone knows you and Joy have been involved for the last year.”

  Wolf and Joy Hughes were both megastars. Bigger than film stars, larger than life, they personified Hollywood power and glamour. So much so that when they’d secretly linked up earlier in the year, their affair—Joy was still married to another Hollywood heavyweight—made headline news and had remained there for nearly six months.

  Even now she remembered how their photos had been on every cover of every weekly tabloid—for months. “It’s not exactly a secret,” she added.

  The planes of Wolf’s face hardened, his high cheekbones growing more prominent. “The media fabricated the relationship. I thought the interest would die. I told Joy as much. It didn’t.”

  He paused, considered his words. “The public’s fickle. Today they’re enthralled by rumors and gossip, tomorrow they’re appalled. But the stories have gotten out of hand. The bad press will soon influence the box-office takings. I can’t take that chance, not when it’ll hurt every single person who works on my films.”

  He was right about that much, she agreed, biting her lower lip. She’d been in Hollywood four years, had worked for Paradise Pictures for nearly three and knew that a low-grossing film impacted everyone. A low-grossing film left an ugly black mark on everyone’s résumé.

  Rubbing at a tiny knot of tension throbbing in her temple, she tried to see her part in this. “But to generate new press by pretending to have a relationship with me? It’s such an old Hollywood trick. I didn’t think it was done anymore.”

  His long black lashes lifted and his dark gaze searched hers, his scrutiny so intense it left her feeling strangely exposed. “The studio wants proof that
Joy and I aren’t an item. Being seen with you would be the proof they need.”

  “Just by being seen with me?”

  “That’s how the tabloids work. They snap their photos, run their stories and publicly speculate about celebrities’ happiness and future, often without interviewing one reliable source.” His tone was rueful, his expression mocking. “After one week of being together in public, we’ll be an item.”

  “That’s all it takes?”

  “Sometimes only one photo is necessary.” His mouth slanted. “But I should warn you, the pressure will be intense. The paparazzi are everywhere, photographers camp outside my door. Once reporters learn your name, they’ll hunt down information on you—where you work, what you do, who you’ve dated—” He broke off, looked at her from beneath arched brows. “Do you have any scandals in your past, anything the press can dredge up?”

  Stunned to silence, she shook her head.

  “Old boyfriends with an axe to grind?” he persisted.

  Again she shook her head. She’d hardly ever dated. Growing up on an isolated ranch, there hadn’t been many chances to date, and moving to Los Angeles at nineteen had nipped her desire to date in the bud. The men she’d met in Los Angeles were often shallow, materialistic and crass, nothing like the men she’d been raised with, none revealing any of the male qualities she admired, like strength, courage, confidence, generosity.

  Men in Los Angeles loved cars, tans and expensive restaurants. Oh, and women with fake breasts.

  “There’s nothing in my past worthy of tabloid interest,” she said, briefly thinking of her mom who’d died when she was young and her oldest brother’s wife who’d been killed in a car accident. But those weren’t the kinds of things the gossip magazines would be interested in. Those were the personal heartbreaks that lay buried between the covers of photo albums, baby books and high school graduation diplomas.