Digital List Price: | $8.99 |
Kindle Price: | $8.49 Save $0.50 (6%) |
Sold by: | Amazon.com Services LLC |
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
OK
Too Proud to Be Bought Kindle Edition
Waitress Zara Evans doesn’t belong in glittering high society. That is until she finds herself unexpectedly at an exclusive party, and manages to captivate the most sought-after man in the room—Russian oligarch Nikolai Komarov.
For Nikolai, there’s something about Zara’s beauty that makes her stand out from the first-class crowd. Experience has taught him all women have their price, but he has never encountered anyone like Zara—a young woman who is too proud, too independent, too willful to be bought . . .
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarlequin Presents
- Publication dateSeptember 1, 2011
- File size1247 KB
Customers who bought this item also bought
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
A glamorous, sexy stranger.
Zara blinked in disbelief at the image which gleamed back at her from the long mirror all curves and shadows and expanses of unaccustomed bare flesh. How long since she had looked like thislike a real woman instead of a drudge? Though come to think of it, she could never remember looking quite like this before.
The acid-green satin dress clung to her body like syrup, delicate fabric pooling to the floor in a silken stream. It was light years away from her usual jeans and sloppy T-shirtsbut the differences didn't stop there. Her eyes looked huge and sooty above carefully highlighted cheekbones and her usual ponytail had been replaced with a slick and grown-up chignon, leaving her bare neck feeling curiously vulnerable. Fake diamonds sparkled at her throat and hung in glittering waterfalls from her ears. She narrowed her eyes. Didn't she look just a little . ostentatious?
Resisting the urge to chew on her carefully manicured nails, she looked down at her friend, who was kneeling on the floor at her feet. 'Emma, I can't,' she croaked.
'Can't what?' Emma gave the silken hem of the dress a final tug.
'I can't gatecrash this partyI'm a waitress, not a socialite! I can't target some mystery Russian billionaire because you think he'd be good for your business. And I can't carry off wearing the kind of outfit which makes me feel as if I'm not wearing anything at all. Shall I go on?'
Emma took the pin out of her mouth. 'Rubbish! Of course you can. You'll be doing us both a favour. I get to showcase one of my dresses to one of the world's richest menand you get your first night out since heaven only knows when. Believe me, Zara, chances like this don't come along very often. Nikolai Komarov owns department stores in every major city in the world and he's a connoisseur of beautiful women. He's itching to have me design a collection for him or to clothe his latest mistresshe just doesn't know it yet!'
Zara glanced down at the gossip magazine which was open to reveal a black and white photo of the Russian oligarch and more doubts pricked over her skin as his pale and strangely intense eyes seemed to bore straight into her like twin laser beams. 'And I'm supposed to give him your business card?'
'Why not?'
'Because because it's like I'm going to be touting for trade at a social occasion.'
'Nonsense. They'll all be doing it. It's what's known in the business world as networking. It isn't as if you're hurting anybody, is it? And anyway, you could do with something like this. How long is it since you had any real enjoyment?'
Enjoyment? Zara's fingers tightened around the little feathered concoction of a handbag she was holding because her friend's question had touched a nerve. And maybe the nerve was rawer than she'd thought. It did seem an eternity since she had been out anywhereunless it was to the grocery store or pharmacy at the end of the road. Her beloved godmother's final illness had dragged on and on until death had seemed like a release from all the little indignities and sadnesses she had borne along the way.
For months, Zara's life had been dominated by the sickroom while she had nursed the woman who hadn't even been a blood relative. But her loyalty to the lady who'd taken her in after the death of her parents meant that she'd dropped her studies to care for her without a second thought. Day and night she had juggled meals, care, bills and medicinesand wait-ressing for Emma's mother's catering company whenever she could squeeze it in.
And when it had all been over, and the last of the all-too-few sympathy cards had been read, Zara had felt lonely and bereft. As if too much had happened for her to ever contemplate returning to the carefree student life she'd known before. There were still debts to be settled, tooand her grim determination not to lose the little house she'd been bequeathed seemed to dominate her thoughts. An unknown future lay ahead of her, and it was scary.
'So why not have a little fun, Zara? Why not be a Cinderella for the night and dance all your cares away? You know you'll be doing me a huge favour.'
Zara gave a wry smile as Emma's voice butted into her thoughts. Could she? If only cares could simply be danced awayhow much simpler the world would be. Yet maybe her friend was right. What was stopping her from having a little light-hearted diversion? Unless she was secretly yearning for the alternative scenario of yet another night spent worrying about the stack of unpaid bills, which wouldn't seem to go away
'Okay,' she said, drawing her shoulders back and taking one last look at her reflection. 'I'll go. I'll enjoy wearing this exquisite gown you've created and try to enjoy being on the other side of a tray for oncedrinking the champagne instead of handing it out! And I'll walk up to this Russian oligarch of yours and give him your card. How's that?'
'Perfect! I've primed the other waitresses about it and they think it's a wonderful idea. I guess they can't really object, since my mum is the one who's employing them and she's not even in the country! Now go! Go ongo!'
Clutching the crumpled money her friend had thrust at her, Zara walked out of the small studio in too-high heels and hailed the welcoming light of a black cab before she had time to change her mind about a scheme which seemed to be growing crazier by the second.
The summer evening was still light and every flower in the capital seemed to be in bloom, but as the taxi drew up outside the Embassy her heart began to race. What if she was discovereda humble waitress masquerading as a bonafide guest? An imposter who had no right to be there. Wouldn't they throw her out and kick up the most tremendous fuss in the process? Yet the man who collected her ticket at the door did nothing other than flick her a quick, admiring glance and Zara drew a deep breath as she walked into the gleaming ballroom.
The vast room looked spectacular. Glittering chandeliers threw diamond lights over tall vases of scarlet roses and a string quartet was playing on a raised dais in front of a shiny, bare dance-floor. She glanced at the other guests and thought how amazing they looked. Especially the female guests. Their diamonds were the real thing and surely that stood out by a mile. Was the rich Russian really going to be impressed by what she was wearinga hand-crafted gown made by an ambitious young fashion student when there was so much screamingly expensive couture in this room?
She could see a couple of men turning round to glance at her and their women partners following suit. Could they guess that she was operating outside her comfort zonethat she was actually trespassing? Suddenly, Emma's mad scheme seemed destined to fail and, nervously, Zara grabbed a glass of champagne from a girl she'd worked with on countless occasions and took a mouthful of cold wine. The alcohol relaxed her a littleespecially when a couple of the other waitresses she knew winked and murmured hello in passing.
But something was making her feel uncomfortablesome sixth sense, which told her she was being watched.
Now you're just being paranoid, she told herself.
Yet the sensation persisted as she moved through the glamorous throng until she found her eyes being drawn unwillingly to a man who was standing at the far end of the ballroom.
And suddenly, she couldn't stop looking.
It was like seeing a drop of blood on virgin snowbecause he stood out from everyone else in the room. His hair was the colour of beaten gold, his eyes were glacially blue and he possessed a hard and arrogant mouth, which spoke of experience and sensuality. Zara realised that the man's high, sculpted cheekbones and piercing eyes were oddly familiarand then she realised why. She felt a shiver whisper over her skin. It was Nikolai Komarovthe Russian oligarch, and the man she was supposed to be targeting.
Her first thought was that his photo hadn't done him justiceon the page he had been appealing but in the flesh he was perfect. And her second thought was that he was the most intimidating man she had ever seen. His face made her think of a diamondwith its hard, sculpted angles and those cold, glittering eyes. And as for the rest of him.
Zara swallowed down an unfamiliar kind of hunger. Powerful, wealthy tycoon he might be, but, more than anything, he was pure and unbridled masculinity.
A beautifully cut suit moulded his body, emphasising wide shoulders, solid torso and narrow hips, which tapered down to long, muscular legs. He held himself tall and very straight, and stood so still that for a moment Zara thought he might almost have been made from wax, rather than from flesh and blood. But waxen eyes did not gleam like that, did they? And nor did they focus with unmoving scrutiny on their subjectthe way he was doing with her. It felt like having all the breath punched from her body as she found herself captured in his cold yet searing gaze.
From his position at the far end of the room, Nikolai saw the woman glance over at him and felt his body tense, although a woman looking at him was nothing new. Women looked at him all the time. Though not usually like that, he conceded. Like a startled little deer who'd just spied the big, bad hunter deep in the forest.
Who the hell was she? He'd noticed her the moment she'd walked into the ballroom in that clinging green gown and he had been watching her ever since. His expression grew thoughtful. Something about her made her stand out from the crowd of overdressed women and he couldn't work out what it was. How ...
Product details
- ASIN : B005DB89ZE
- Publisher : Harlequin Presents; Original edition (September 1, 2011)
- Publication date : September 1, 2011
- Language : English
- File size : 1247 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 191 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #756,111 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #4,803 in Mothers & Children Fiction
- #4,952 in Billionaires & Millionaires Romance eBooks
- #16,920 in Romantic Comedy (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the authors
Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more
To the horror of my parents, I left school at sixteen and held a bewildering variety of jobs: I was a London DJ (in the now-trendy Primrose Hill), a decorator and a singer. After that I became a cook, a photographer and, eventually, a nurse. I waitressed in the south of France, drove an ambulance in Australia, saw lots of beautiful sights but could never settle down. Everywhere I went I felt like a square peg—until one day I started writing again and then everything just fell into place. I felt like Cinderella must have when the glass slipper fit!
Today, I have the best job in the world, writing passionate romances for Harlequin. I like writing stories which are sexy and fast-paced, yet packed full of emotion—stories that readers will identify with, laugh and cry along with.
My interests are many and varied—chocolate and music, fresh flowers and bubble baths, films, cooking and trying to keep my home from looking burglarized! Simple pleasures—you can’t beat them!
I live in Winchester, one of the most stunning cities in the world, but don’t take my word for it—come see for yourself! I regularly visit London and Paris. Oh, and I love hearing from my readers all over the world…so I think it’s over to you!
Bio and photo from Goodreads.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Nikolai is a billionaire playboy with mommy issues which as a result cause him to mistrust women and I'd say even dislike them. Though, he has no problem with having lots of s ex with them.
Zara is an orphaned waitress who lacks ambition and seems apathetic about pretty much everything except making Nikolai love her. She talks about going back to college but doesn't make any effort or even think about making any effort to do so. She ruminates on how her relationship with Nikolai isn't what she wants, but makes no effort to make it different. She ends it a couple of times only to go back as soon as he shows up on her doorstep and gets her all hot and bothered. Even though she recognizes that he hasn't changed. It doesn't keep her from hoping though.
I just finished the book, but when I think about what these two characters saw in each other all I remember is Nikolai sees a piece of meat, a great body and great sex. I recall very little of his seeing her as a person outside his wants and needs. Not even at the end. He's hostile to her every attempt at meaningful conversation, particularly those outside the bedroom or kitchen as it were.
On the other hand, Zara sees a project. A man she wants but who has told her upfront that he can't/won't give her what she needs and wants in a relationship. She tells him that's fine while secretly hoping he'll change. Then gets mad when he doesn't. It's a perfect example of everything women do wrong in relationships to sabotage their own happiness.
I disliked them both and couldn't imagine their relationship being any kind of success.
Zara at a very young age went to live with her Godmother after her parents died. In later years, Zara nursed her until she died and gave up her education to do so. She was a loyal daughter and very loyal to her friends. So much so that when her friend asked her to attend an embassy ball wearing one of her dress designs, she did so with the understanding that she would give her friends business card to the famous and sexy Russian billionaire, Nikolai Komarov. Usually at these sort of social events, Zara acted as a waitress, as she worked for her friends mother who owned a catering business. When she arrived at the ball, she recognized some of her co-workers and was a bundle of nerves. So much so, that when she realized he was coming after her, she retreated. However, this alpha Russian was determined, asked her to dance, flirted with her and offered her a ride home in his limo. That not all he did in that limo!
From across the room Nikolai immediately watched the lovely Zara arrive. She was lovely and curvy and he wanted to meet her. Women usually fell at his feet and they always had an agenda.......money. He knew that first hand and had learned the hard way when his mother left him behind in Russia to live with his sister and boyfriend. His mother never returned and he definitely had issues with women and he was very cynical. His mother was beautiful and she ended up with a rich man as his mistress. All I can say is their meeting was tense, Zara kept him at arms length and in the end retreated and returned to her home. Nikolai was so intrigued he found out who she really was, went to her employer and hired her for one of his personal events. Shocked didn't even describe the feelings Zara felt when she looked up and saw him again. Embarrassed would also describe her feelings because at their first meeting he had offered to take her home in his limo and let's just say there was more than kissing going on in that limos back seat.
She was like a "drug" and Nikolai wanted to bed her and would do anything to make that happen. Money of course, he would offer her a job, make her an offer she couldn't refuse and invite her to his French villa to work as a waitress for a business meeting. What he didn't know was the reason why Zara would accept. She needed the money to pay off her Godmother's medical bills and to keep her home. Of course, things in the end, ended up with them making love. All I could think was this man didn't have a clue what a wonderful person Zara was and that he would misjudge her. Zara, well would her heart get broken because it was obvious while reading this beautiful love story, they couldn't get enough of each other. She captivated him.
So much for a light and easy affair. It became so complicated, and Zara remained so strong, so proud and in the end she had to walk away. Could and would she survive? How about Nikolai, would he get over his issues about women and their need to take him to the cleaners? Would he realize what he had lost when she walked away? You'll just have to read this beautifully written romance by one of my favorite authors, Sharon Kendrick and you'll love their happy ending which was quite the surprise!
The h was pretty much a doormat. You could tell the author was trying to make her seem independent, but any woman that would stay with a man that has the lowest of low opinion of all women, clearly earns the doormat label.
Nikolai uses her and values her only for sex up to 97% of the book. SHE finally tells him "I love you" 97% and its after she chases him down after he'd stormed out on her. He humiliates her in public after she says ILY and looks at her with "icy cold eyes" and says NOTHING back. Real charmer there.
I do not remotely believe in the hea.
again another obsessed girl who had no spine and pride to walk a way from a man who truly needed to be walked away from.
would not recommend.
Top reviews from other countries
Diese kurze Geschichte ist gut geschrieben. Die Chemie zwischen den Protagonisten stimmt, das Happy End ist unvermeidlich. ABER: es ist alles so clicheehaft. Reiche sind nur misstrauisch, die Heldin ist naiv, und will nicht einmal Kleidung für festliche Anlässe als Geschenk annehmen, lebt aber mit dem Helden zusammen. Die Geschichte ist unglaubwürdig, aber Märchen sind nun einmal so:-)
Das Buch hat mich ganz gut unterhalten, auch wenn ich es sicher kein zweites mal lesen werde. Probieren sie es doch einfach einmal aus!
Klischees vorhanden, HEA auch.
Zwei Mal lesen würde ich das Buch auch nicht, habe es allerdings in einer kostenlosen Aktion bekommen und kann mich daher über Preis-Leistung nicht beschweren. Da es aber nur durchschnittlich ist würde ich wohl eher unter 2 Euro bezahlen wollen, als über 2 Euro... das muss aber letztlich jeder selber wissen. Für einen Nachmittag auf der Couch und leichte Unterhaltung taugt es auf jeden Fall.
It's about two people who are strong willed, both have suffered in different ways and they protect their hearts from hurt by keeping everyone at bay. This is not condusive to love, it leads to heartache and misunderstandings. However love finds a way, given the passion between them and the attraction.
Escape into this book, forget about your life stresses, enjoy a good love story.