A little bit of M & B

Recently I've started going to a writer's group, and our last assignment was to write 500 words of Mills and Boon. Ever the geek, I got an M&B out of the library for research: I was curious to see if I could figure out the conventions and play it straight when I wrote it. (Yeah I know that sounds like the worst excuse ever.) 

Turns out it's practically impossible to read through an entire book without vomiting, rolling your eyes or shouting "What? But that's impossible! How did the Greek billionaire sheik get from Brunei to England in 2 hours?" Truly a special genre. Anyway, without further ado:

The Island Chief's Innocent Virgin

Months later, as she caught the tube to the office, it was hard to believe she’d ever been to the lush, balmy, island paradise of Rarotonga. The cold, rainy city seemed to close in around her like a cage, making a mockery of her memories of the tropical sun, the golden sand and the magical, passionate time she’d spent with Tane. Suzanna Sullivan sighed as she looked around her at the bored, bland faces of the other commuters. They seemed pale and lifeless in comparison to Tane’s tanned, muscular body; his raw, masculine energy and his exotic tattoos.

But the holiday was over now, and the realisation that she would never see him again made her feel as if she had been struck a physical blow. What hope did she, a mere personal assistant for Goliath & Sons Law, have of being with Tane Te Hurunui, the next in line to the chief of Rarotonga?

As the train pulled to a stop and she walked through the station, she resolved to plunge into her job with as much skill and enthusiasm as Tane had plunged into her during their steamy encounters. She turned her coat collar up against the wind and stopped in at her bosses’ favourite cafe, remembering to order their flat whites and short blacks just the way they liked them. After all, she smiled to herself, she may be heartbroken but she was still a professional. And hadn’t her friend Sophie in Accounts told her they were thinking of promoting her after her hard work on the Fabrouzi case?

As she switched on the computer and checked her phone messages, she found herself irresistibly drawn to the doorway. “Tane!” She exclaimed, jumping up with surprise, “What are you doing here?” It was all she could do not to run to him and wrap her arms around him. The scent of him was unbearably tantalising; coconut oil and warm skin.

“My father died a week ago, and Goliath & Sons are our lawyers. After the funeral I came here as soon as I could to organise the succession,” he said, his deep, husky voice breaking with sorrow. “Since you worked here, I hoped to see you again.” As she looked into his warm, brown eyes, Suzanne noticed herself melting and blushed furiously.

Stunned, she stammered “Tane, I’m so sorry,” as her boss arrived. Determined not to lose her head, she explained Tane’s presence, her hands shaking with hidden emotion as she handed her boss his coffee. 

“Thank you Suzanne”, he replied solemnly. “Mr Te Hurunui, I offer you and your country my sincerest apologies on behalf of the firm. Your father was a great man.”

The meeting seemed to last forever, and Suzanne could barely pay attention to her work, knowing such untamed greatness was in the next room. At last he appeared, and Don directed Tane to discuss some administrative issues with Suzanne, leaving them alone. Their eyes met, and without a word he reached for her and pulled her close to him. She kissed him tenderly at first, and then hungrily on the lips, his hands massaging her and unbuttoning her blouse as she directed them to an empty office across the hall. Suddenly she felt a torrent of passion and the floodgates opened...

Edit: Forgot to mention! One of the other writing group members did a spectacular parody. It involves Somali pirates and chainsaw bayonets.