Dio!
What was going on here?
Why on earth had he agreed to wait a week to sleep with a woman who’d seduced a married man into her bed? A woman he was meant to be punishing? A woman who didn’t deserve his respect?
He raked a hand through his hair and suddenly realised Morgan was no longer standing beside him. He spun on his heel, only to see her rigid back walking in the other direction.
He stomped after her, clamping a hand on her shoulder and bringing her to a halt again. ‘Where do you think you’re going?’ he demanded, for the second time in as many minutes.
‘Anywhere. As long as it’s away from you,’ Morgan replied, repeating her answer and the scathing look that accompanied it.
A feeling of
déjà vu
flowed over him. They’d already had this conversation. This time, however, he wanted it to end differently. ‘Why?’
She stabbed him in the middle of the chest with one pointed finger. ‘Because you’re not sorry at all. You apologised just now, but you didn’t mean a word of it.’
Luca opened his mouth to deny the charge, but just as quickly closed it again.
‘You see?’ She jabbed him again, as if she wanted to drill a hole through to the other side. ‘You can’t even deny it.’
The pent-up anger inside him suddenly spewed forth. He pulled her onto her toes and put his face close to hers. ‘Damned right I can’t deny it. It turns my stomach to think of you sleeping with Joseph.’
Instead of drawing back, Morgan put her face even closer to his. Luca could smell the subtle scent of her orange shampoo invade his nostrils, could feel her breath, warm and soft, feather his face. ‘I have
never
slept with Joseph. How many times do I have to tell you that? We’re friends. That’s all. What’s it going to take to get it through that thick skull of yours?’
She didn’t give him a chance to answer, yanking out of his grasp and marching away from him, back rigid, shoulders squared, head tilted with angry pride.
Luca followed more slowly.
What if she was right?
For the first time he seriously considered that question.
When Olivia had told him of her suspicions Luca had been quick to believe her. Olivia was an astute
businesswoman. Perceptive. Ambitious. She’d worked in a number of his organisations over the last three years and during that time she’d proved that he could rely on her. And that he could trust her. Nothing she’d said or done since suggested that had changed.
Now he went back over their conversation. At the time, it had never occurred to him that she might be lying, but now he realised he had to give it serious thought.
Olivia had told him about her suspicions
after
she’d outlined her plan to bring the marketing of Da Silva Chocolate back in-house, for her to manage, and only
after
he’d told her he’d think about it.
His reaction to her proposal had been lukewarm at best.
Had Olivia realised that? Had she twisted a couple of innocent lunches into something they were not? Had she invented her suspicions in the hope it would tip his decision in her favour?
Ice slid down his spine, taking his heart with it.
He stared at the proud tilt of Morgan’s head. She’d had that exact same look about her when she’d tossed his cheque back in his face
Her action had bothered him then.
It bothered him even more now.
It was a lot of money for anyone to turn down—particularly someone struggling to pay off a mortgage. And yet Morgan had done exactly that without blinking an eye. ‘I don’t care how much it is. I don’t want it,’ she’d said.
She’d refused to be bribed.
She’d refused to be threatened.
Surely that showed a person with integrity?
Surely that showed a woman who wouldn’t stoop to sleeping with a married man?
He remembered the way Morgan’s boss had sung her praises. At the time he’d wondered whether they were talking about two different women.
Luca ground his teeth together, frustration drawing his shoulders up towards his ears.
Dio,
but this was impossible.
A part of him wanted to believe Morgan was telling the truth.
But there was too much evidence against her.
The feeling she’d been lying during that first meeting.
The feeling she was hiding something.
They were both strong feelings. Strong enough, Luca was sure, to be believed.
Even if he discounted those intimate lunches for two that Morgan had admitted to, what about the fact that she knew about the IVF treatments Joseph and Stefania were going through? He knew for certain even their closest friends—friends who’d known them for decades—didn’t know about those.
And yet Morgan did.
And if that wasn’t enough to convince him then the very fact she’d agreed to be his mistress did!
His shoulder muscles knotted.
His stomach clamped into a tight ball.
She was playing with his head. Making up seem down. Left seem right.
It was time he put a stop to this once and for all!
Morgan was striding past the monkey enclosure, oblivious to their cheeky antics, when Luca caught up with her.
Once again he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
Still fuming, Morgan spun around to face him. ’What do you want, Luca? If you intend insulting me again I should warn you that I’m not in the mood!’
‘Is it insulting to tell the truth?’ he fired back.
The breath whooshed from her lungs. ‘You wouldn’t know the truth if it got up and bit you on the backside!’
‘Is that a fact?’ he gritted.
‘It certainly is. I’m telling you the truth, damn it! You’re just not listening to me.’
They were like boxers facing off in a ring.
Morgan glared at Luca.
Luca glared straight back.
‘Maybe I’d be more willing to listen to you if you hadn’t agreed to be my mistress,’ Luca said, his voice as effective as steel cutting through paper.
Her heart did a stutter step in her chest. ‘What do you mean by that?’
‘Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? You only agreed to become my mistress because you didn’t want me to tell Joseph and Stefania about your affair. That makes you as guilty as hell as far as I’m concerned!’
Her insides contracted on a wave of anxiety that sent a cold chill running through her body and shrank her skin over her bones.
She’d been so caught up with Joseph’s illness she hadn’t given a thought to how giving in to his blackmail must look to Luca.
But he was right.
It made her look as guilty as hell!
No wonder Luca kept throwing accusations around like confetti.
She couldn’t tell him that Joseph’s illness had prompted her to change her mind. If Luca realised she
was using him to keep tabs on her father’s progress he would cut off her information completely.
Unless she gave him some other explanation then her agreement looked like an admission of guilt.
But what did she say to convince him otherwise?
She scrabbled around for a suitable explanation but her mind remained frustratingly blank. She tried to invent something, but couldn’t think of anything he wouldn’t be able to shoot holes through in two seconds’ flat.
And then it came to her.
It was a stretch, but there was just enough truth in it to make it believable.
At least she hoped so.
She squared her shoulders and stared him straight in the eye. ‘Well, I’m not guilty! I obviously didn’t explain myself properly.’ She dragged in a breath and clasped her hands together in front of her. ‘My mother died a few years ago from an overdose of sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication,’ she said quietly.
Luca’s expression altered, his eyes softening with sympathy. ‘I’m sorry. But what does that have to do with our current situation?’
‘I’m getting to that.’ She took her time. Her mother’s death had come as a complete shock and was still difficult to talk about. ‘If you tell Stefania that Joseph and I are having an affair—even though we’re not—what effect do you think it will have on her?’
‘My sister is
not
suicidal!’ Luca denied hotly.
‘Neither was my mother!’ Morgan shot back at him. ’The coroner ruled that it was an accidental overdose. Can I take it Stefania is on anti-depressants?’ she asked.
Luca shook his head. The expression on his face
warned her that he didn’t like where this was leading one little bit. ‘No, she isn’t. She’s determined to fight it herself. And besides, she’s not the type to overdose—accidentally or otherwise!’
‘I could have said the same thing about my mother, and look how she ended up. OK, so Stefania’s not on medication. But do you want to take the chance on her getting worse?’ She didn’t wait for him to answer. ‘I know I don’t. It’s a chance I’m not willing to take. I couldn’t live with it on my conscience.’
In truth, she didn’t think Stefania would deteriorate to that extent. Although Joseph was concerned about his wife’s depression, he’d also told her how strong Stefania had been throughout the process. If she had even one tenth of her brother’s strength and determination then Morgan knew she could conquer just about anything.
‘And that’s the only reason you don’t want me to say anything?’ Luca asked.
She nodded.
‘And Joseph…?’ His eyes narrowed on her face. ’Why don’t you want me to tell
him
I know about the two of you?’
Morgan dragged in a breath, then released it slowly. ’Come on, Luca. Just for one second assume I’m telling you the truth. If you go to Joseph with these crazy accusations, what do you think he’s going to do?’
‘Deny it.’
‘And…?’ she prompted. He knew Joseph as well as she did. Knew how close he and his wife were.
Luca raked a hand through his hair and around the back of his neck. ‘And he’d tell Stefania.’
Morgan folded her arms. ‘I rest my case.’
Dio,
but this was impossible.
Morgan was still playing with his head.
Black was no longer black.
White was no longer white.
Instead, everything was a murky grey that had the clarity of mud!
While he believed Morgan was genuinely concerned about Stefania’s health, her reasoning confirmed neither her guilt nor her innocence.
Luca gritted his teeth until his jaw ached. Clamped his hands into fists until his knuckles turned white.
So what did he do now?
Morgan had accused him several times of being unfair.
Such charges did not sit well with him.
He was a man of honour.
Men of honour had principles.
Principles that included being just and equitable.
His list of reasons for believing Morgan was innocent was now just as long as the one to prove her guilt.
Surely that meant there was room for reasonable doubt?
Grudgingly, Luca had to concede that there was.
But did that mean he was prepared to give Morgan the benefit of the doubt?
No!
Not when Stefania’s happiness was at stake.
Did that mean he was prepared to get her her job back and forget the whole thing?
No, and no again. Not when there was the slightest chance he could be wrong.
And was he prepared to forget having Morgan as his mistress?
Double, triple, quadruple no. Not when he wanted her more than he’d wanted any woman.
Luca wished he could adopt a neutral position where Morgan was concerned, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so.
He had to stick to his guns!
L
UCA INSISTED ON
taking her to an Italian restaurant the following evening.
‘Have you been here before?’ he asked, after the waiter had seated them at an intimate corner table for two.
Morgan laughed. ‘I hate to tell you this, Luca, but normal people can’t afford to eat in a place like this.’
‘I realise that. I just thought someone might have brought you here.’
She tensed, angling her chin into the air, their conversation the previous day still fresh in her mind. ’Someone? Someone like Joseph, perhaps? Is that what you’re suggesting?’
Luca frowned across the table at her. ‘Actually, I wasn’t thinking about Joseph. He wouldn’t bring you here. It’s too high profile. Too public.’
The implication that Joseph would want to keep their relationship private made the tips of her ears burn. It was obvious Luca still believed she and Joseph were having an affair—despite what she’d told him yesterday.
Overwhelmed by the impossibility of the situation, Morgan thrust back her chair and rose tautly to her
feet. ‘This isn’t going to work. I feel like I’m walking on eggshells all of the time. And all because you’re too stubborn to listen to the truth.’
His jaw tightened. ‘Sit down, Morgan.’
It was a command. A command she intended to ignore. She shook her head. ‘No. Remember condition number one? You’re not allowed to tell me what to do!’
He leaned across the table and gently touched her hand. ‘Please?’
Morgan stared at the back of his hand. It was covered in scratches. She frowned. ‘What happened to your hand?’
‘Baci scratched me.’
‘Baci…?’
‘My sister’s cat.’
Her face cleared. Yesterday she’d remained hiding in her bedroom until Luca had finished discussing Joseph before returning to the lounge room. She remembered him telling Stefania he’d check up on her cat for her. ‘Is it in a cattery?’
He nodded. ‘Yes, I went there this afternoon.’ He held up the backs of both hands for her to see. ‘This is what I got for my trouble!’
Luca could just as easily have checked on the cat’s welfare by making a simple telephone call. She was impressed that he’d taken the time out of his busy schedule to personally ensure Stefania’s much loved pet was doing OK.
‘What did you do? Pull on its tail?’ she asked, looking at the extent of the damage.
Luca shook his head and grinned at her. It was a very boyish grin. ‘That wasn’t necessary. She took one look at me, arched her spine, and hissed for all she was worth. It was almost as if she knew I was the person
responsible for sending her precious mistress away from her.’
Morgan found herself smiling back. ‘So can I take it she’s not happy where she’s staying?’
‘That’s an understatement! Despite the fact Stefania is paying a small fortune for the place, Baci isn’t eating. I tried to coax her into having something but she wasn’t having it. You can see what I got for my efforts. Her constant crying is also upsetting the other cats. In the end I had no choice but to take her home with me.’
Her eyebrows shot to her hairline. Contrary to what Luca had just told her, he
had
had a choice. He could have left the cat where it was in the hope the situation would improve. He could even have tried a different cattery.
But he hadn’t; he’d taken the cat home.
If she’d wanted evidence of how close Luca was to his sister she’d just received it. And if she’d wanted evidence that Luca was a caring man underneath his arrogant exterior, she’d just received that too.
She cleared her throat. ‘What does Baci mean?’
Luca looked from her to her chair and back again. ’Are you going to sit down?’
She swallowed. The sensible thing to do would be to turn around and leave. But she didn’t feel like being sensible. Slowly, she resumed her seat.
‘Thank you.’
He leaned across the table, his eyes intent on hers. ’I have a suggestion. Let’s pretend we’ve just met. There is no Joseph. Or Stefania. There’s just you and me. A man and a woman who are attracted to each other. Because we
are
attracted—aren’t we, Morgan?’
His dark eyes blazed with the truth of that statement. Morgan couldn’t look away. Nor could she lie. ‘Yes.
Yes, we are,’ she said, her voice little more than a whisper.
He nodded. ‘So, let’s just forget about everything else and everyone else and enjoy the evening. What do you say?’ he asked, holding his hand out across the table.
Morgan wanted to say that he was mad. Crazy.
Make-believe was for children. They were adults.
But then, if Luca was mad then she was too.
Because she wanted nothing more than to do exactly what he’d suggested.
Sucking in a deep breath, she placed her hand in his. The warmth of his fingers closed around hers, strong and somehow reassuring. ‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘I’d like that.’
Luca sat back, the smile on his face full of warmth and approval. ‘Excellent! Do you realise that’s the first time we’ve agreed on something without arguing?’
‘Oh, I don’t know about that,’ Morgan said, trying not to bask in his appreciation. ‘We’ve agreed on other things, too.’
‘Like what?’
‘Well, you liked the zoo yesterday, didn’t you?’
He nodded. ‘I did. Particularly the lions.’
‘They’re my favourites, too.’
He paused for a heartbeat, his eyes locked on her face. ‘What else?’
She thought for a moment. ‘We both like chocolate. There’s nothing surprising about that in my case. I don’t think there’s a woman alive who doesn’t love chocolate. But a lot of men can take it or leave it.’
‘How do you know I like chocolate?’ he asked, clearly puzzled.
Her lips curved upwards. ‘Don’t you remember?
The other day when you came to my apartment you helped yourself to a chocolate.’
His face cleared. ‘So I did. And why wouldn’t I love chocolate? It engages the senses on every level…in much the same way making love to a woman does.’ His eyes darkened as he captured her hand, smoothing the inside of her wrist with his thumb. ‘For instance, you melt in my arms like pure dark chocolate. And when I kiss you the taste of you lingers on my tongue like the richest caramel-filled chocolate.’
There was something wickedly hypnotic about the way Luca was talking.
‘I’m looking forward to finding out what else we have in common,’ he said huskily.
Morgan wanted to look away, but she couldn’t. ‘Me too.’
Luca leaned back in his chair and picked up the leather bound wine list. ‘Would you like a pre dinner drink?’
‘Just wine, please.’
‘White or red?’
‘I’d prefer red—the heavier the better.’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘Really? You surprise me. Most women seem to prefer white.’
‘I’m not “most women.”’
‘You most certainly are not.’
Once again his tone was approving, making her feel warm inside. When he was like this Luca was impossible to resist, Morgan decided, thankful when he turned his attention to the wine list.
A few moments later Luca gestured for the waiter and ordered a Cabernet Sauvignon. ‘I think you’ll like it.’
‘I’m sure I will.’
He was so confident and sure of himself. It made her wonder whether he’d always been that way or whether it was something he’d acquired with age. ‘How old are you?’ she asked abruptly.
‘Thirty-four. And you?’
‘Twenty-four.’
‘Ten years. That’s quite a difference.’
‘I suppose it is.’
‘Where were you born?’
‘Oxford. And you?’
‘Rome. What about family? I know your mother is dead. You mentioned that yesterday. But what about your father? Where does he live?’
The question sucked the air from Morgan’s lungs. ’My mother never told me who my father was. I believe I’m the product of a one-night stand,’ she said carefully.
She didn’t want to lie. And she hadn’t. At least not outright. Every word she’d spoken was the truth. She’d just omitted to tell Luca that she’d discovered her father’s identity after her mother died and had subsequently tracked him down.
‘I see. That must have been tough.’
She shrugged. ‘It had its moments.’
She said it with such feeling Luca raised an eyebrow.
Even though she felt as though she were tiptoeing on quicksand, Morgan gave in to the temptation to tell Luca about the dream she’d grown up with. ‘My mother said I ruined her life. As a result I spent most of my childhood dreaming that my father would turn up one day and take me away. Only he didn’t, of course.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t be. It wasn’t so bad.’
Morgan wanted to share the rest of the story with
him. Finding her father had been a special moment in her life. But she swallowed the words back.
She’d wanted to enjoy the evening for what it was, but she was just fooling herself. They could pretend all they liked, but the past wouldn’t just go away…
Was that why she’d got involved with Joseph? Luca asked himself. Doing the calculations in his head, he realised that Morgan couldn’t have been much more than nineteen or twenty when her mother died.
He remembered feeling lost and alone after the accident. So much so he’d felt quite disorientated.
Had it been the same for Morgan?
Had she been seeking some kind of father figure in Joseph? It was not an unreasonable question, given that he was almost twice her age.
It was tempting to tell himself that that was what had happened. Tempting to forgive her for what she’d done.
But he couldn’t afford to start thinking like that. Couldn’t afford to let sympathy for her situation soften his attitude.
Not if he wanted to protect Stefania.
Just then the waiter arrived with their wine. Luca welcomed the interruption. He’d meant it when he’d suggested they pretend they’d only just met. He didn’t want their situation to constantly intrude on their enjoyment of each other.
After presenting the label for his inspection, the waiter made a production of removing the cork and pouring a small amount into the bottom of Luca’s glass for him to try.
Luca swirled the wine around the sides of the glass before lifting it to his nose. He inhaled the full bodied
aroma before taking a sip. He savoured the flavour on his tongue before nodding his approval.
He waited for the waiter to fill both of their glasses and depart before raising his glass.
’Salute.’
Morgan clinked her glass against the side of his. ’Cheers.’
Luca waited while she took a sip. ‘What do you think?’
She took her time before answering. ‘Hmm. It’s nice. It leaves an almost chocolaty taste on the palate.’
He nodded. ‘It does. You sound quite knowledgeable.’
She shook her head. ‘I’m not. I went to a wine tasting with a group of friends once. They asked questions about each of the wines we tried. The guy from the vineyard labelled me Little Miss Average because most of my answers were wrong.’
Luca liked the fact that Morgan wasn’t embarrassed to admit she wasn’t an expert, and was even prepared to poke fun at herself. ‘The man obviously didn’t know what he was talking about. There’s nothing average about you. Not a single damned thing.’
She beamed him a smile that made him blink.
A smile should not have that much power, he decided.
A smile like that could turn a man on his head and turn his resolve to water.
After dinner, Luca took her to a fashionable nightclub where he had promised the new owner, a powerful business contact, that he’d make a brief appearance to garner the interest of the A-list-hungry paparazzi.
They didn’t linger at the table the waiter miracu
lously found for them. Luca swept her on to the dance floor with a look that made her mouth run dry.
Morgan went willingly, even eagerly, into his arms.
‘Do you like dancing?’ he asked huskily, swinging her around on his arm.
‘Yes,’ she replied breathlessly.
‘You see,’ he teased, moving effortlessly to the beat, ’we have more in common than you think.’
Luca pulled her closer. Her head tucked neatly under his chin, her cheek turned so that she could hear the not-so-steady beat of his heart.
His mouth feathered a kiss across the crown of her head. She closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around his waist and surrendered to the music.
And to Luca.
Their bodies moved against one another, not so much dancing as making love to a rhythm only they could hear. Luca’s body stirred against hers. Hardened. Heat radiated through the clothing separating them, burning into her flesh and triggering an answering response.
Her thighs trembled.
Her nipples tightened into stinging peaks in the confines of her bra.
Heat was drip-fed into her blood stream, warming her from the inside out.
This time his lips brushed across her temple as he put his mouth to her ear. ‘Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, after all.’
Feeling his growing arousal against her, Morgan suspected he was right. She looked up, met his eyes, felt the sizzle of desire burn between them. ‘You’re right,’ she whispered. ‘I don’t think it’s a good idea at all.’
But neither of them moved away.
And when his head descended towards hers Morgan did nothing to stop him, instead lifting her mouth to meet the crush of his.
She was lost from the moment his lips claimed hers.
He dominated her senses to the exclusion of everything else. She was aware of nothing but Luca.
His heat.
His hardness.
The way his mouth moved on hers.
The way his arms held her close.
She clutched his shoulders, her knees so weak she feared they wouldn’t support her.
Luca pulled back just far enough to rest his forehead against hers. He was breathing heavily. ‘We’d better get out of here before we’re arrested.’
‘Yes,’ she whispered, not thinking about anything but how Luca made her feel.
Alive.
Aroused.
All woman.
And still they didn’t move.
Morgan stared deep into Luca’s eyes. The gold flecks were burning with heat.
An emotion she didn’t recognise stirred inside her. Without thinking, she reached up onto her toes and pressed her mouth against his. It was the first time she’d initiated a kiss between them.