‘You heard me,’ Morgan said. ‘I won’t be your mistress.’

Luca dragged in a breath, then threw his head back and laughed. His initial reaction had been one of shock; he wasn’t used to anyone refusing him something he wanted. But now that he was over his initial surprise he felt a wave of excitement ride his spine. He loved a challenge, and Morgan was proving to be a challenge in more ways than one.

She was a beacon of defiance, resisting him at every turn. It was a long time since a woman had done that. Usually all he had to do was crook his little finger to have whatever woman he wanted come running.

The thrill of the chase set his insides buzzing until it was all he could do to sit still.

He would win in the end, of course. He always did.

But this time he had the feeling the journey would be half the fun.

‘You’re just dragging this out, you know,’ he murmured. ‘As I told you last night, I always get what I want.’

Tina Duncan lives in trendy inner-city Sydney with her partner, Edy. With a background in marketing and event management, she now spends her days running a business with Edy. She’s a multi-tasking expert. When she’s not busy typing up quotes and processing invoices, she’s writing. She loves being physically active and enjoys tennis (both watching and playing), bushwalking and dancing. Spending quality time with her family and friends also rates high on her priority list. She has a weakness for good food and fine wine and has a sweet tooth she has to keep under control.

Da Silva’s
Mistress

by

Tina Duncan

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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To mum, dad and Edy for their never ending love,

support and encouragement.

I wouldn’t have made it without you.

Chapter One

IT WAS DONE.

Or at least it was as good as done.

The requisite phone calls had been made and instructions given. Gino had been despatched to collect the Marshall woman and bring her back here to the London headquarters of Da Silva Chocolate.

She had no idea what was about to hit her.

No doubt she thought her precious Joseph was behind her unexpected summons.

Instead he would be waiting for her.

Luca smiled grimly.

Within the hour it would all be over.

Within the hour Morgan Marshall would discover just how stupid she’d been to mess with the da Silva family.

Luca swung the black leather chair back to his borrowed desk and picked up the latest quarterly figures for the chocolate division of his vast empire, pushing the whole ugly incident with the Marshall woman to the back of his mind.

She would be here soon enough. He would say his piece and then throw her out on the street where she belonged.

She wouldn’t bother him or his family again; he’d make sure of it.

Twenty minutes later Luca was still poring over the report, this time with a frown, when someone knocked on the door.

‘Enter!’ he said, without looking up.

He heard the door open, but continued circling some numbers he wasn’t happy with. When he was done, Luca closed the folder, tossed down his pen and looked up.

His heart stopped.

The breath locked tight in his lungs.

Standing in front of the burly figure of Gino was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen. Tall and slender, with raven black hair swirling around her shoulders, she had an elegant face totally belied by the I’m-in-charge black leather boots encasing her calves.

Luca exhaled slowly, staring at her through narrowed eyes.

This was the she-devil threatening his sister’s marriage?

This was the heartless and conniving witch who had seduced his brother-in-law?

She wasn’t what he’d been expecting at all.

In Luca’s opinion, a callous marriage-wrecker should look hard and calculating. Not young—she couldn’t be more than twenty-two or three—and gifted with an intriguing mixture of innocence and sensuality that even he, a connoisseur of some of the most beautiful women in the world, couldn’t help but appreciate.

Just by looking at her Luca could tell that Morgan Marshall was way, way out of Joseph’s league.

He was much more her type.

He knew how to handle a beauty like this.

Luca put a brake on his thoughts. There was only one way he was going to handle Morgan Marshall—and that was by teaching her a lesson she’d never forget!

‘You’re Morgan Marshall?’ he asked, needing to be sure.

The woman angled her chin into the air in a gesture Luca found vaguely familiar. ‘Yes. I’m Morgan Marshall.’ She looked around, then pinned him with the most incredible black eyes. ‘Where’s Joseph?’

The blood turned to ice in his veins. She was so eager to see her lover. Would she feel the same way after he’d finished with her? Somehow Luca doubted it.

Ignoring her question about Joseph’s whereabouts, he asked, ‘Do you know who I am?’

She nodded. ‘You’re Luca da Silva.’

‘That’s right. Joseph’s brother-in-law.’

She didn’t say anything to that.

He could imagine why.

‘Are you aware of that?’ he pressed.

Her eyes remained steady on his but Luca sensed her sudden tension. ‘Yes. Joseph is married to your sister, Stefania.’

Although he’d half expected it, her answer still disappointed him. For a second—just one—he’d hoped there had been some terrible misunderstanding. That maybe she hadn’t known Joseph was married. That perhaps Joseph had kept that information to himself.

Instead he had confirmation of her culpability.

Rather than re-igniting his anger, as it should have done, her response left him feeling strangely flat and out of sorts.

Because he wanted to pursue her himself?

The answer came quick as a flash: yes!

Given the right circumstances, that was exactly what he would do.

Only the right circumstances didn’t exist—and never would.

He had to face the ugly truth.

Morgan Marshall had known exactly what she was doing when she’d slept with Joseph. She hadn’t accidentally found herself in bed with a married man. She’d gone into the affair with her eyes open.

Now she had to face the consequences.

‘Do you know why I brought you here?’ he asked softly.

‘No. I don’t.’ Eyes as dark as his own glinted with angry fire. She jerked her head to where Gino was standing squarely in the doorway behind her, barring any opportunity for her to escape. ‘This…this…gorilla wouldn’t tell me a damned thing. He barely speaks a word of English. Every time I asked him a question, he just grunted.’

‘Did he, now?’ Good on you, Gino, Luca thought, looking into Gino’s impassive face. He’d instructed his head of security to say as little as possible when he collected her, wanting his involvement to come as a surprise. Judging by the wary look on Morgan Marshall’s face he’d more than succeeded in that endeavour.

‘Yes. He did.’ She thrust her hands onto slender hips. ‘I told him it wasn’t convenient for me to come with him, but he ignored me. He marched me out to the car as if I was some kind of criminal.’

‘Did he hurt you?’ Luca felt compelled to ask. Although he detested Morgan Marshall for sleeping with Joseph—how could he not, when he’d experienced first-hand the pain and destruction caused by extramarital affairs?—he didn’t condone violence against women under any circumstances. If she’d been a man a good beating would be no more than she deserved. But then, if she’d been a man the situation wouldn’t have arisen in the first place!

‘No. But that’s not the point.’

‘Then what is?’

She gave him a look down the chiselled length of her nose that suggested he was several brain cells short of the full quid. ‘The point is my being here is totally inconvenient. I have—had—a full schedule of appointments lined up for today. I had to ask my secretary to cancel them at the last moment.’

Luca inclined his head. ‘That’s regrettable, but unavoidable.’

‘Is it? Maybe it’s time you told me what this is all about. And while you’re at it, why don’t you tell me where Joseph is? This is his office. You shouldn’t be in here without him.’

Luca stared at her in amazement. She was like a miniature firecracker going off, eyes glittering, so much energy vibrating off her, he expected to see sparks fly from the ends of her hair at any moment.

Would she be as passionate in bed?

His eyes dropped to the thrusting swell of her breasts, clearly outlined beneath the black and white striped shirt she was wearing under her snappy black business suit.

She would be dynamite in bed.

How he knew that for certain he wasn’t sure, but know it he did.

Heat drip-fed into his blood stream, warming him from the inside out. He imagined taking her right now. On the desk. Naked except for those sexy black boots wrapped tightly around his hips.

His body surged on such a powerful wave of lust that Luca almost put thought into action. Instead, with a frown, he dragged his eyes back to her face, sucked in a lung full of much needed air and thrust the thought aside.

Morgan Marshall was the last woman on earth he should be thinking about in that way.

‘I intend making a formal complaint,’ Morgan continued, eyes still blazing.

‘Do you, now?’ Luca drawled.

‘Yes, I do. Joseph will be very angry when he hears how you’ve treated me.’

No doubt Joseph would be—if he ever found out about this meeting.

Rising to his feet, Luca rounded the desk. ‘Leave us,’ he ordered Gino.

Gino backed out of the room and closed the door behind him with a soft click.

‘Joseph isn’t going to hear about this meeting because you’re not going to tell him.’

She blinked up at him. ‘Of course I’m going to tell him.’

Luca took her arm and urged her across the room. ‘No, you’re not.’

Her perfume, something soft and spicy with a hint of orange, closed around him.

She licked her lips. ‘I’m…I’m not?’

‘No, you’re not.’ He eased her down onto one of two leather visitors’ chairs. Then, instead of resuming his own seat, he leant his hips against the edge of the desk. ‘Not if you know what’s good for you.’

His words, accompanied by underlying steel, made her eyes widen. ‘What…what’s this all about?’

He smiled his most charming smile and watched as she blinked under the impact. ‘Come on, Ms Marshall. You’re a bright young woman. Surely you must have some idea.’

She stared up at him, her eyes deep, dark pools of confusion then angled her chin into the air. The gesture once again struck him as familiar. ‘No. I have no idea. Unless there’s a business matter you want to discuss with me.’

His hands clenched. The only ‘business’ he wanted to discuss with her was the monkey business she’d been up to with Joseph!

‘Not as such, no. My business interests are extensive. I don’t have time to involve myself in the day-to-day running of my companies. I have competent managers to do that.’

‘Then what do you want to talk to me about?’ Morgan asked, in a voice that had the faintest tremor running through it.

‘Can’t you guess?’

Her chin angled back into the air. It was a look Luca was becoming increasingly familiar with and equally irritated by—because he couldn’t figure out who she reminded him of.

‘Why don’t you spit it out, Mr da Silva? If you have something to say, just say it.’

Luca had to admire her spirit. She had guts. He’d say that for her.

It was just a shame she didn’t have the morals to go with it.

He shifted position on the desk and was aware of her quick appraisal. He leaned forward, inhaling the tangy scent of citrus. ‘I brought you here because I am terminating your employment with Enigma Marketing.’

She gasped. Swayed in her seat. Paled until even her mouth looked parchment white and her eyes blacker than black. ‘You can’t do that!’

‘I certainly can.’

Normally such a blatant misuse of power would be abhorrent to him. But these were exceptional circumstances that required drastic action.

‘You may own half the world, Mr da Silva, but you don’t own Enigma Marketing. You have no say over who they employ or don’t employ.’

He smiled with genuine amusement. ‘Surely you can’t be that naïve? One phone call was all it took to seal your fate.’

She gasped again, her eyes so wide they looked like saucers. ‘I don’t believe you. My boss wouldn’t do that to me!’

‘No?’ He leaned closer. ‘Not even if I threatened to take away the Da Silva Chocolate account from her agency?’

A deathly silence fell. The look on her face told him Morgan knew the answer to that question as well as he did.

Da Silva had done for chocolate what Versace had done for fashion. The brand had developed a cult following among chocoholics, connoisseurs and A-listers around the world, their exclusive lines de rigueur on the tables of the rich and famous.

Da Silva was the marketing agency’s flagship account. Losing it meant losing jobs, not to mention reputation and the kudos that came from being associated with the brand.

And Enigma’s CEO, Dawn Merchant, would do just about anything to stop that from happening.

He reached across to the corner of the desk and slid the phone towards her. ‘Why don’t you call her? I’m sure Dawn will be happy to confirm what I’ve told you.’

Morgan looked from the phone to his face and back again. ‘OK. I believe you. But you’d better have a damned good reason for firing me or I’m going to sue the pants off you!’

Luca almost laughed in her face. Almost. Except there was nothing funny about the way she was trying to tear apart his sister’s marriage—particularly at a time when Stefania was so vulnerable.

His sister was battling depression over her inability to conceive. Although she was trying to put on a brave face and maintain a positive attitude, her failure to fall pregnant after the last IVF treatment had really knocked the stuffing out of her.

The last thing she needed right now was to discover the husband she adored was having an affair!

Luca was determined she would never find out.

It was because of him that Stefania was in this predicament in the first place. If only he’d—

Luca slammed a lid shut on his thoughts. He’d been through enough what-ifs and if-onlys to last him a lifetime. He’d almost driven himself crazy imagining what he could have done differently to avert the accident that had changed their lives.

But that was in the past. It was the present and the future that concerned him now. While he couldn’t do anything about Stefania’s infertility, he sure as hell could do something about Morgan Marshall.

‘I could say it’s because you’re incompetent…but I won’t,’ he bit out harshly.

‘Good,’ she said hotly, eyes glinting. ‘Because you’d be wrong. I’m good at what I do. Very good! Dawn must have told you that.’

He inclined his head. ‘If it’s any consolation, she did.’

In fact Luca had been surprised by just how rigorously Dawn had defended her employee. When he’d first called her, he’d phrased his request as exactly that. A request. When she’d rattled off what seemed to him to be an inordinately long list of qualifications and skills, he’d turned the request into an order.

An order Dawn had continued to resist.

Morgan was a model employee.

She was an excellent team player.

Not to mention innovative and creative.

Luca had frowned at the phone as he’d listened.

Were they talking about the same woman? he’d wondered.

The paragon Dawn was describing hardly sounded like the type of woman to have an affair with a married man. But then, he’d reasoned, just because she was a capable professional it didn’t mean she couldn’t also have the morals of an alley-cat!

‘It’s no consolation and you know it!’ Morgan glared up at him, her eyes glittering like black diamonds. ‘Now, tell me why you fired me, and make it good—or I’ll have my solicitor here before you can say Jack Robinson!’

Luca couldn’t help but admire her spirit. At the same time her continued refusal to admit the truth hardened his heart, until it felt as if it was encased in a block of ice.

He put his face close to hers, watched her draw back in her chair. Then he said softly, ‘I think your relationship with Joseph Langdon is reason enough, don’t you?’

Morgan’s world tilted on its axis. The blood drained from her head so quickly a series of black dots began swimming in front of her eyes.

She’d suspected something was wrong from the minute she’d walked through the door and found Luca da Silva waiting for her.

But not this.

He knew!

Somehow, Luca da Silva knew.

A wave of panic engulfed her. She couldn’t breathe—as if a band of steel had been strapped around her chest and tightened until it hurt. Her palms grew sweaty. Her heart was pounding so fiercely she was surprised he couldn’t hear it.

She dragged in a deep breath, and then another. Closed her eyes. Opened them again. And found herself looking at the hard shafts of his thighs. Her pulse quickened and heat stirred low in her pelvis. Swallowing, she dragged her gaze away.

How could this have happened?

They’d been so careful to keep their relationship a secret.

They always met in out-of-the-way places or in the privacy of her apartment. They’d even met here, in this very office, sometimes on genuine business matters but as often as not on the pretext of business just so they could see each other.

But it seemed they hadn’t been careful enough.

Stomach churning, Morgan clenched her hands tightly together in her lap and angled her chin into the air. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

He moved closer, until his face was inches from hers, his breath feathering her face. ‘I’m-talking-about-your-relationship-with-Joseph-Langdon,’ he bit out, his accent, barely noticeable until now, thickening.

‘What about it?’ She wanted to draw away from him. This close, she could smell the spicy scent of his shampoo, could feel the heat radiating off his skin. Her tummy muscles contracted on a wave of awareness that made her press her knees together. ‘We’re business colleagues.’

His head went back, nostrils flaring. ‘You are not just business colleagues.’

Morgan resisted the urge to swallow. ‘Says who?’

‘Says me.’

Morgan looked away, her eyes following the strong column of his throat to the broad expanse of his chest. Just how much did he know? she wondered, fascinated by the ripple of muscle she could see beneath his shirt as he clenched his hands into fists.

Enough, she supposed, to drag her halfway across London to have this conversation!

Which meant she couldn’t plead total innocence…

She lifted her head. ‘We’re friends, too. Is that what you want me to say? There’s no law against that, is there?’

She didn’t need to be a genius to understand that the string of Italian that followed wasn’t in the least complimentary.

‘We are,’ she insisted.

‘Really?’ He pulled back from her with a jerk, as if breathing the same air she did somehow contaminated him. ‘I don’t think so.’

God, but the man was arrogant. He was barely listening to a word she said. Joseph had complained of that very thing so many times Morgan had lost count.

It was bad enough that Luca constantly intervened in the running of Da Silva Chocolate, but what Joseph found completely untenable was Luca’s interference in his marriage.

Talk about being over-protective. Luca was so busy handing out advice and looking after his sister’s interests he left no room for Joseph to be the kind of husband he wanted to be.

Well, she had no intention of sitting back and letting Luca walk all over her. She tossed her head, sending her hair swirling around her shoulders. ‘Believe what you like! I don’t care. You can’t have me fired without good reason!’

He stilled. It was an incredible thing to watch. He looked like a lion when it first scented its prey. His body stiffened and the eyes that met hers were so cold she shivered.

‘You think not?’ Suddenly he levered himself away from the desk, walked around to the other side and sat down.

Morgan felt some of the tension drain out of her. His close proximity had put her on edge in more ways than one. Whether she liked it or not, Luca…affected her.

Made her aware of him as a man.

Made her aware of herself as a woman.

The thought horrified her.

Luca da Silva was the last person she should be thinking about in that way!

But somehow she couldn’t help herself.

He was wickedly handsome. Hair as black as her own. Eyes as dark as her own. His body a patchwork of tightly honed muscle and warm golden skin.

But it was more than that.

She’d heard about people who had the kind of charisma that turned heads, but she’d never met one of them…until now.

Luca had that indescribable something in spades.

Leaning back in his chair, Luca smiled. It was the kind of smile a shark might give before gobbling up much smaller prey. ‘I want your promise not to see Joseph again.’

Her heart wrenched, her throat clogging with emotion.

Her lost job was forgotten—at least for the time being.

Time enough later to figure out how she was going to pay off her student loans and her mortgage without a job.

This—Joseph—was much more important.

He was the only family she had. The only person who’d ever really cared about her. Even her own mother had regretted her existence. Sheila had taken every opportunity to remind her daughter about how her conception had ruined her life.

Joseph was the exact opposite. He’d welcomed her with open arms, his delight so effusive she’d actually cried. For the first time in her life she felt wanted. Really wanted.

And Luca was asking her to turn her back on that?

An invisible hand clenched around her heart, squeezing until it was a physical pain. She couldn’t give Joseph up—couldn’t give up the sense of belonging she’d felt since finding him after her mother died.

But she couldn’t explain any of that to Luca.

Couldn’t…because she’d promised Joseph she wouldn’t discuss the true nature of their relationship with anyone.

So what did she do now?

She could tell Luca to go to hell, of course. It was on the tip of her tongue to do exactly that. But she had to be cautious. Antagonising him could make the situation worse—although how that was possible she wasn’t quite sure.

Her other option was to lie.

She didn’t want to. Lies and secrets had a terrible way of biting you on the backside when you least expected it.

But what other choice did she have?

Dragging in a deep breath, she looked across the desk at Luca and tried to smile. ‘OK. I promise.’

‘Liar.’

Her heart jerked in her chest, her cheeks burned and her attempt at a smile crumbled. ‘I—’ she started, but he cut her off with a dismissive wave of his hand.

‘Don’t bother.’ He steepled his fingers beneath his chin, staring grim-faced over the top of them. ‘I had hoped losing your job would be enough incentive to show you I mean business. But obviously you need a little more…encouragement to stay away from Joseph.’

Ice slid down her spine. How could he make such a simple statement sound so threatening?

He pulled open the top drawer and extracted something which he tossed down in the middle of the desk.

‘What’s that?’ she croaked, staring at the rectangular piece of paper.

He leant back in his chair. ‘Why don’t you look for yourself?’

Shifting to the front of her seat, Morgan reached out and picked it up by the edge, as if it might bite. She looked down. It was a cheque. A cheque made out in her name for the sum of fifty thousand pounds.

Her fingers started to shake, her insides shrinking. She looked up, the blood draining from her head and settling like a dead weight in the pit of her stomach. Then she jumped to her feet and, with a vicious flick of the wrist, flung the cheque at his face. ‘Don’t be insulting!’

With lightning-quick reflexes he caught the wedge of paper in mid-air. ‘Isn’t it enough?’

Her breath caught, the insult catching her on the raw. Furious, she slammed her hands palms-down on the top of the desk and bent towards him. ‘Do you really think you can bribe me to stay away from Joseph?’

‘Yes!’

She shook her head. ‘Well, you’re wrong. Friends don’t come with a price tag attached—nor do they come with a dispose-by date.’

He shrugged. ‘It’s a lot of money.’

It was a lot of money. Money she could no doubt do with now she was out of a job.

Four years at Oxford University had been expensive. Although she’d worked part-time—waitressing initially, followed by a stint as a marketing assistant—it hadn’t been enough to cover her fees, books and general living expenses.

She’d had to borrow money to get through.

Fifty thousand pounds would wipe out her student loans, plus provide enough for her to live on and make her mortgage payments for the next few months while she looked for a new job.

But, while the money would be a godsend, Morgan wasn’t in the least tempted to take it.

The price was too high.

Much too high.

Joseph and her self respect meant a hell of a lot more to her than any amount of money ever could.

‘I don’t care how much it is,’ she said forcefully. ‘I don’t want it.’

He frowned, as if her response bothered him in some way. Then his expression changed and he rose to his feet and mimicked her position on the desk.

Their faces were so close Morgan could smell the clean male smell of him, could see the flecks of gold in the darkness of his gaze. Her eyes settled on his mouth and suddenly she wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

The thought made her move sharply back from the desk.

‘Everyone has a price. What’s yours?’ Luca asked, in a voice that grated like sandpaper down her spine.

‘I don’t have one.’

‘No? We’ll see. When Joseph comes back to London you won’t be seeing him again. And that’s a promise.’

Seemingly satisfied by her stunned silence, Luca sat down, pulled a folder towards him and began to read.

Morgan stared at the dark pelt of his hair, not quite sure what to say. Or do. She’d heard every word he said but only two had registered.

As if he sensed her gaze on him, Luca looked up, his eyes like black chips of ice. ‘What are you still doing here? This conversation is over.’

‘But—’

‘But nothing. Now get out. Or do I have to get Security to throw you out?’

Although Morgan knew she was being foolish, she couldn’t go just yet. She had to ask him something first. Dragging in a deep breath for courage, she asked quietly, ‘Back from where?’

Luca’s head shot up so fast she was surprised he hadn’t pulled a muscle. ‘What did you say?’

She swallowed. He looked dark and dangerous. But she didn’t care.

Joseph had said nothing about a trip. That was unusual in itself. He always called her before he went away. Given the way Luca had confronted her, she was worried he’d said something to Joseph.

She gripped her hands tightly together in front of her, a ball of anxiety wedged firmly in the back of her throat.

Joseph had been suffering from chest pains for the last few months. He hadn’t told anyone…except her. He refused to see a doctor, convinced the episodes were the result of stress.

If Luca had confronted him…

She shuddered to think what could have happened. Barely daring to breathe, she said tightly, ‘Just tell me where Joseph is and that he’s all right.’

It was like waving a red flag at an already angry bull. Luca went berserk, rounding the desk so fast her head spun. He grabbed her shoulders and dragged her close.

He put his face close to hers, lips curled into a snarl. ‘You have no right to ask such questions! Dio! Don’t you get it?’ His hands tightened on her shoulders. ‘Joseph Langdon is dead as—’

His words hit Morgan like a sledgehammer, each syllable an individual blow she felt right through to her bones. She swayed on her feet as the floor rose up to meet her. Luca’s face, fuzzy around the edges, was the last thing she saw as she slid into a dead faint, completely unaware of the stunned expression that crossed Luca’s face as he caught her before she hit the floor.

Chapter Two

LUCA TENSED AS Morgan’s long, sooty lashes fluttered. Good, she was coming round. She’d scared the life out of him when her eyes had rolled back in her head and she’d slid into a dead faint. He was only thankful he’d managed to catch her before she’d fallen and hurt herself.

She whimpered as if she was in pain, then mumbled something under her breath. Luca moved closer.

The scent of orange invaded his nostrils again. He drew back, just far enough to stare into her unconscious face.

She really was magnificent. Skin the colour of magnolia petals. Silky hair the colour of a raven’s wing spread like a glimmering halo against the cushion he’d tucked under her head. A mouth that, while slightly too wide, had a sensually full lower lip that just begged to be kissed.

She stirred on the leather couch he’d laid her down on, lashes flickering.

‘Joseph,’ she muttered.

Luca jerked away from her as if he’d been burned, his stomach muscles contracting into a tight ball.

There was no mistaking what he’d heard this time. He’d been close enough to hear every damning syllable.

How dared she wake up with Joseph’s name on her lips?

Fury rose up inside him like a two-headed monster. He could feel it bubbling away inside him.

One part of his brain recognised that his outrage was way out of all proportion, but another part of him, a far more primitive part, accepted the emotion for what it was.

Jealousy.

As crazy as it sounded, he was jealous of his brother-in-law.

His hands balled into fists as he stared into Morgan’s face.

It was his name he wanted on her lips when she wakened.

It was his name he wanted her to cry out in the throes of passion.

Her lashes fluttered open. Eyes shadowed with pain gradually refocussed on his face. She stared at him for a long moment, awareness pulsing in the air between them, then swung her boot-clad feet to the floor, pushing him out of the way in the process.

She touched a hand to her forehead and frowned. ‘You said…’ She stopped and dragged in a breath. ‘You said that Joseph was dead.’

Luca grew still, his insides clenching down hard.

The emotions etched on her face were genuine. He would bet a million pounds on it.

Morgan Marshall genuinely cared for Joseph.

Rising abruptly to his feet, Luca strode over to the window and stared out. The pale milky sunshine that had been struggling to warm the morning had finally given up, hiding behind a bank of metallic grey clouds.

The change in the weather suited his mood.

He resented Morgan’s feelings for Joseph. He also recognised that persuading her to leave Joseph alone could prove more difficult than he’d first thought.

Not that her feelings changed anything.

Luca was determined nothing would affect the outcome of their meeting. Stefania was his number one priority. The affair had to end.

But he couldn’t let her go on thinking Joseph was dead.

He wasn’t that cruel.

‘Joseph is alive and well and currently on my private jet on his way to Sydney, Australia, for a well earned holiday with my sister,’ he said, without turning from the window.

The silence that filled the room had an eerie quality to it. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled. A warning flash of movement reflected in the glass window made him spin on his heels just in time to ward off the blow Morgan had aimed at his head.

In one smooth motion he twisted her arm behind her back and pulled her up close against him.

‘You bastard!’ she spat. ‘Did you enjoy lying to me like that?’

Once again she reminded him of a firecracker going off. The energy emanating from her was powerful. She was so full of life-force she made every other woman he’d ever known pale in comparison.

And just like that the wanting was back.

A surge of lust threatened to kick his legs out from under him. Her body was plastered against his, the cushioning softness of her breasts pushing against his chest, the warmth of her hips cradling his sex.

He dragged in a breath and forced himself not to act on the hormones raging through his system. ‘I didn’t lie,’ he replied calmly. ‘You passed out before I could finish my sentence. What I was going to say is that Joseph is dead as far as you are concerned.’

She just stared at him. She looked shell-shocked.

Another burst of sympathy flowered inside him, but he hardened his heart against it. ‘From this minute you are not to contact him. In person. By phone. Or by any other means. Capisce?’

‘Oh, I understand all right,’ she spat, eyes glittering up at him. ‘But as far as I’m concerned you can go to hell!’

His blood pressure soared.

Why didn’t she just do as she was told?

It might sound arrogant, but people—particularly women—were usually all too eager to do what he asked of them. This woman was like a beacon of defiance, beaming her lack of co-operation like a lighthouse gone crazy.

Infuriated, he tightened his arms around her. ‘Say that again,’ he snarled.

Her eyes widened.

And then she licked her lips.

Dio, but she shouldn’t have done that, Luca decided.

She had sealed her fate with the swipe of a pink tongue.

With a groan, he grasped her shoulders, pulled her towards him and fused his mouth with hers.

Her lips were soft. And sweet. She tasted like nectar. Or honey. A wave of lust rocked him, so hard and so fast he wanted nothing more than to pull up her skirt and take her right that very minute.

He cupped the back of her head, then ran his fingers over the thick swathe of her silky hair. The action set off a fresh wave of orange scent, making him decide that what he could smell was her shampoo.

He stroked a hand down her back, stopping at the base of her spine. And still he kept on kissing her.

And slowly, inch by inch, the stiffness melted out of her body and she began kissing him back.

The top of Luca’s head almost exploded. She had a taste all of her own. A feel all of her own. She was like heaven in his arms.

Luca backed her towards the desk. Something fell to the floor with a loud crash but he didn’t bother looking to see what it was. He wanted the kiss to go on and on, wanted the vision in his head—the one where she was naked except for the black leather I’m-in-charge boots—to become reality.

He urged Morgan onto her back without breaking the connection of their mouths. She didn’t protest. Instead, she wound her arms around his neck and clung to him as if she never wanted to let him go.

It was then that he smelled it.

Cologne.

Expensive cologne…but cloying.

The kind Joseph always wore.

Luca jack-knifed straight and staggered backwards. The taste of her on his tongue changed from sweet to sour in the blink of an eye.

He wiped a hand across his mouth, bile rising up in the back of his throat as he stared at her.

Morgan had pushed herself up onto her elbows. She was breathing heavily. The top two buttons of her blouse were undone. Luca didn’t remember undoing them but he must have. He had a glimpse of lilac lace and the creamy swell of her breast before she clutched the open sides together.

And suddenly the image of her lying naked except for the boots was back. Only this time it wasn’t his body entwined with hers…it was Joseph’s.

His stomach clamped down tight, a wave of nausea clutching at the back of his throat.

He found the thought of Joseph and Morgan together totally repugnant.

And not just because Joseph was married to his sister…but because he wanted her himself!

His eyes snapped back to her face.

She looked so innocent.

And at the same time so sensual.

It was a seductive mixture.

So much so that he could almost forgive Joseph for being tempted to stray from his marriage and into Morgan’s bed.

Almost.

But not quite.

Honour had to come before lust.

Just as duty had to come before pleasure.

Joseph had married Stefania; it was his duty to honour those vows.

No matter how tempting the package.

And it was very, very tempting…

‘Keep your hands off me!’ she spat.

Luca rocked back on his heels, fury riding his spine like a bucking bronco. ‘Why? Are you afraid I’ll tell your lover about how you fell apart in my arms? Don’t you think Joseph would like that?’

Lover?

Luca thought Joseph was her lover?

Morgan scrambled off the desk and turned her back on him. She was shaking so hard it took three attempts to rebutton her blouse.

She didn’t know what shocked her more. Kissing Luca da Silva as if she wanted to devour him or the fact that he’d just suggested…Well, what he’d just suggested.

She shook her head.

When Luca had challenged her about her relationship with Joseph she’d assumed he’d discovered the secret that they were father and daughter. Instead, he thought they were lovers.

If the idea wasn’t so ludicrous she’d have laughed in his face.

Instead, she almost cried.

What was already a complicated situation had just got one hell of a lot more complicated.

‘Nothing to say?’ Luca prompted behind her.

Although she knew he was goading her, Morgan spun around to face him. ‘Joseph is not my lover! How can you suggest such a thing? The idea is ridiculous!’

‘Is it?’

She angled her chin into the air. ‘Of course it is. The man is old enough to be my—’ She broke off and swallowed. What she’d been about to say was too close to home to utter out loud. ‘He’s a lot older than me.’

‘You aren’t the first young woman to have an affair with a wealthy older man.’

She was so tempted to fling the truth at him she could taste the words on the tip of her tongue. But Morgan forced herself to swallow them back. She’d promised Joseph she wouldn’t say anything. And, while she thought they were digging a deeper hole for themselves by keeping the details of his paternity a secret, she wasn’t prepared to go against his wishes.

It might have been different if Joseph were feeling a hundred percent. But these chest pains were no laughing matter. The last thing he needed was for her to present him with another problem when he already had enough on his plate.

Besides, she owed him.

Joseph had given her so much in terms of love and support. Honouring his request to keep their relationship a secret didn’t even begin to repay him for all that he’d done for her.

‘Except I’m not having an affair with him!’ she flung back at him. ‘You can’t throw around outrageous accusations like that without a shred of proof!’

His jaw squared. ‘I have proof.’

Her insides stilled at the same time as her heart took off at a gallop. ‘You do?’ she choked out, barely able to squeeze the words out past numb lips.

‘You were seen.’ His voice was hard. ‘Together.’

She blinked, swallowed, felt her stomach muscles cramp. Maybe she should have kept quiet and not challenged him. She had a bad habit of letting her mouth run away with her.

‘Who saw us? When? Where?’ she demanded, thinking attack was the better form of defence. ‘I want a list of dates. Places.’

His mouth compressed into a thin line. ‘I’d rather keep that information confidential.’

She slammed her hands on her hips. ‘And I’d rather you tell me!’

His skin tightened across his bones until it looked as if each feature had been carved from the most unyielding granite. ‘Let’s just say it’s someone who works here who has been suspicious about your relationship for some time.’

Morgan couldn’t think of anyone she dealt with here at Da Silva Chocolate who would say such a thing. All the people she worked with were friendly and professional. ‘I see. So you’re taking the word of one person over another? They could just be some kind of trouble-maker.’

‘It is not.’

She bit back a frustrated sigh, tension forcing her shoulders to lift towards her ears. ‘Damn it. This isn’t fair! You’re not giving me a chance to defend myself.’

His head went back, as if he was offended by the remark. ‘I’ll say this much, I believe you’re rather fond of a pub called The Minstrel.’

She nodded. ‘The food is terrific. You should try it some time.’

His eyes narrowed. ‘So you admit it?’

‘I admit we’ve had lunch there together, but that doesn’t mean we’re having an affair.’

His hands clenched at his sides. ‘You kissed him. He kissed you.’

Morgan was sure they had. ‘I’m not surprised. We often greet each other with a hug and a kiss. We often say goodbye that way too.’

His face hardened. ‘That isn’t funny.’

‘I’m not trying to be funny. How do you greet your female friends?’ He didn’t answer, but his expression told its own story. ‘You see. You do it, too.’

‘There are kisses…and there are kisses.’

‘I agree,’ she said with an emphatic nod, trying and failing not to think about the kiss they’d shared several minutes ago. On a heat scale of one to ten, she’d rate it as a twelve: blistering. ‘So, did your informant—’ She made it sound like a dirty word. ‘—fill you in on the details? Did we kiss on the cheek or on the lips? Were our mouths open or closed? There’s a hell of a difference, you know. How long did it last for? Were—?’

He grabbed her before she had the chance to finish, his fingers tight around her shoulders, his face so close to hers she could almost taste the feel of his mouth on hers. ‘I didn’t ask for all the sordid details.’

She reached out to push him away, but somehow ended up holding onto him instead. ‘Then you should have,’ she said. ‘I’m no lawyer, but surely what you’ve just described is nothing more than circumstantial evidence?’

His mouth curled. ‘I’m sure it wouldn’t take much digging to find enough evidence to bury you right up to your pretty little neck.’

‘Don’t do that!’ The words were out before she could stop them. The last thing she wanted was for Luca to start investigating her. It wouldn’t take long for a detective agency to uncover her relationship to Joseph.

He stared at her through narrowed eyes. ‘Why not?’

She scrabbled around for a suitable reply. For a moment her mind remained frustratingly blank. And then the simple answer presented itself. ‘Because you’d be wasting your time, that’s why,’ she said, angling her chin into the air. ‘There’s no way you can find proof of something that doesn’t exist.’

The look on his face told her he didn’t believe her.

She huffed out a sigh. ‘I really don’t know why you find it so difficult to believe Joseph and I are friends. With everything he’s been going through he needs someone to talk to. Joseph has been very concerned about Stefania’s mental state. Although she’s been a real trouper about the IVF treatments, the failure of their latest attempt really shattered her. He doesn’t think she can take any more.’

Luca froze. His eyes glazed with anger.

Morgan clapped a hand to her mouth. She’d done it again! Hadn’t thought before she spoke, her mouth running off before her brain had a chance to catch up.

Luca’s hands tightened on her shoulders. ‘How do you know about my sister’s infertility problems? Who told you about the failure of the IVF treatment?’

He was so angry Morgan trembled, her heart pounding out fear in her chest. She opened her mouth. Closed it again. She’d dug herself a hole. Saying anything more would merely give him ammunition to bury her.

Besides, they both knew there was only one answer to those questions.

Luca must have simultaneously drawn the same conclusion. His nostrils flared, hands tightening on her shoulders. Then he thrust her away, such a look of disgust and contempt on his face that she shuddered.

‘We both know the answer to that, don’t we?’ he bit out through clenched teeth. ‘The only person who could have told you is Joseph himself.’

Morgan didn’t deny it. She couldn’t. There was no one else who could have told her. Stefania and Joseph had been treated in a private clinic that was paid very well to be discreet.

Luca’s lips curled into a snarl. ‘And you dare to look me in the eye and declare you aren’t lovers. It wouldn’t be my idea of pillow-talk, but that’s obviously when you prised the information out of him.’ He gave her a glacial stare. ‘I don’t know what turns my stomach more. The fact that he’s sleeping with you or the fact that he’s been so indiscreet.’

‘I—’

He held up a hand and she snapped her mouth closed.

‘If you so much as breathe one word of what you’ve learned to the press I’ll sue you for everything you own,’ Luca slated, back in control again as he stalked around the desk and resumed his seat. ‘And if you come within shouting distance of Joseph again you’ll regret the day you ever met me!’

‘You haven’t heard a word I’ve said, Luca,’ Michaela complained, touching him on the arm to get his attention.

She was right. He hadn’t. Not a single word.

His mind was elsewhere.

With Morgan Marshall.

He kept thinking back to their meeting. The more he thought about it, the more it bothered him.

The way Morgan had flung the cheque back in his face disturbed him. Somehow it just didn’t fit with the kind of woman she was. She should have taken the money and run.

Only she hadn’t.

And then there was the way she’d kept on defying him.

That didn’t make sense either.

She should have taken the opportunity to try and attract him, not argue with him. After all, he was far wealthier than Joseph would ever be—not to mention younger and better-looking.

But Morgan hadn’t given a damn what he thought of her.

It was those apparent anomalies that were making it so damned difficult to put thoughts of her out of his head.

It had nothing to do with those wicked black I’m-in-charge leather boots. It had nothing to do with thickly lashed black eyes and slanting cheekbones. And it certainly had nothing to do with the seductive curve of her mouth or how she’d tasted when he kissed her.

‘Luca!’

Luca blinked and frowned at the blonde sitting across from him. ‘What?’

‘I was talking to you.’ Now that she had his attention she was all smiles. ‘As I was saying…’

Luca tuned her out again.

He’d had enough of Michaela. Her company had begun to pall.

Since when? a little voice asked inside his head.

He hadn’t been the least dissatisfied when he’d made love to her the night before. He hadn’t thought about ending things until—he dragged in a deep breath—someone he wanted more had crossed his path.

He stared across the table. Suddenly he saw Morgan Marshall sitting there, with her brightly defiant eyes and flyaway hair.

Irritation, annoyance and anger clamped his jaw tight.

Desire hardened everything else.

‘Luca!’

Luca looked up blankly. Michaela was out. He wouldn’t be sharing her body or her bed again. And he’d tell her exactly that when he—

The phone in his pocket vibrated. Out of respect for the other diners he’d switched off the ring tone on both of the phones he’d brought with him.

Dipping his hand into his jacket pocket, he used his fingertips to sense which phone was receiving a call and pulled it out.

It was the slimline Nokia.

Joseph’s phone.

It had been easy to convince his brother-in-law to leave it behind. Mobile phones could be problematic in other countries. Some worked fine. Others didn’t. Much easier, Luca had suggested, to use the local mobile phones he’d arranged to be ready and waiting for them on their arrival in Sydney.

Stefania had been equally persuasive. She didn’t want Joseph working while they were away. They deserved a holiday. Why not leave the phone and let Luca handle all his business calls?

Luca hazarded a guess this wasn’t a business call.

Not only was the number unregistered, but a glance at the platinum and gold watch adorning his wrist told him it was eight-forty, too late under normal circumstances for any of Joseph’s business colleagues to be calling him.

‘Excuse me,’ he said to a pouting Michaela. ‘I have to take this.’

He put the phone to his ear and pressed the button to connect the call. ‘Hello?’

Silence greeted him.

He pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at the screen, checking to see if the caller had hung up. The display showed the call was still connected, its duration ticking over as he watched.

He put the phone back to his ear. ‘Hello? Is anyone there?’

Still all he could hear was silence. No, he was wrong about that. If he listened carefully he could just make out the sound of someone breathing. ‘Hello? Can you hear me?’

The back of his neck prickled. His fingers tightened around the phone and some instinct made him say, ‘Morgan…?’

He heard a faint gasp, barely a whisper of sound, and then the line went dead.

Luca exhaled sharply as icy fury sliced through him.

Madre del Dio!

The little witch had called her lover despite everything he’d said to her today.

His hands clenched into fists.

He’d let Stefania down once before; he wouldn’t do so again.

It would take someone a hell of a lot smarter than Morgan Marshall to get the better of him.

In the end his will would prevail.

As it always prevailed.

It was time to up the ante.

Oh, yes, it was time Morgan learned just how serious he was about this.

He thrust back his chair and stood up, ignoring completely the fact that they hadn’t finished their meal. ‘We’re leaving!’

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