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.
‘Luca!’
The voice came from right beside them. Morgan jumped back as if she’d been burned, her face flaming when she saw who it was.
‘Olivia,’ Luca said. ‘What a surprise!’
Morgan glanced sharply at him. There was an edgeto his voice. It was subtle, but it was there. It was as if his words were forced in some way.
At first she thought it was because he was uncomfortable having someone from Da Silva Chocolate witness him in a serious clinch.
But then she remembered who she was thinking about.
Luca was confident and assured; he would not be embarrassed so easily.
He met her look with a bland expression, and just like that she knew. Knew that he’d set this up.
Olivia glanced backwards and forwards between them. ‘Isn’t it?’ She spoke pleasantly enough, but there was a hard look in her eyes. ‘I didn’t expect to see you here, either. And with Morgan. I didn’t know the two of you were seeing each other. I thought—’ She broke off and issued a false laugh. ‘Well, I guess it doesn’t matter what I thought.’
As soon as the other woman spoke it dawned on Morgan that Olivia was Luca’s mysterious source. She was surprised she hadn’t thought of it before.
Olivia was ambitious. She’d suggested to Joseph several times that he bring the marketing function back in-house for her to manage. Joseph had always vetoed the idea.
With Joseph temporarily out of the picture had Olivia seen another way of attaining her goal?
Morgan didn’t want to think badly of anyone, but her gut instinct warned her that that was exactly what had happened.
She inclined her head. ‘No, Olivia. It doesn’t matter what you thought.’
She didn’t wait for a reply, spinning on her heel and storming off the dance floor. As she departed, shevaguely heard Oliva say, ‘Well! What on earth is wrong with Morgan?’
Morgan paused beside their table only long enough to scoop up her handbag. As she pushed through the crowd towards the exit she thought she heard Luca shout her name, but ignored him.
Tears pricked the backs of her eyes.
Of all the stupid things to do.
Somewhere along the line she’d let herself be seduced into believing the fantasy was real.
Only it wasn’t…and never would be.
The scene Luca had just orchestrated proved it!
Luca tried to follow Morgan, but Olivia grabbed hold of his arm. ‘If you’ve got a minute, Luca, I’d like a word with you.’
‘Not now.’ He didn’t even spare her a glance, his eyes focussed on the pitch-black crown of Morgan’s head as she wound her way through the crowd towards the door.
The fingers curled like talons around his arm didn’t let go. ‘It will only take a minute.’
‘I said no.’
Without another word, Luca pulled out of her grasp.
He had to follow Morgan.
He’d seen the look on her face.
She knew what he’d done…and she despised him for it.
At that very moment Luca despised himself.
Which was quite patently ridiculous, of course.
His family had to come first. He had to protect them—no matter what the cost.
Except, he realised, heart twisting, that he wasn’t prepared to accept the cost of Morgan running out on their arrangement!
Morgan didn’t get far. She was no more than five paces from the red rope that cordoned off the entrance to the club when a hard hand curled around her shoulder from behind.
‘Don’t touch me,’ she spat, spinning to face him.
‘Calm down.’
‘No, I won’t calm down. I’m so angry I could hit you.’
‘I know you are.’
Morgan stamped her foot. ‘Don’t agree with me, damn it!’
‘Would you rather I disagree with you?’
‘That isn’t funny.’
‘I know it’s not.’
The gravity of his tone and the shadow of regret in his eyes made her
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.
‘Luca!’
The voice came from right beside them. Morgan jumped back as if she’d been burned, her face flaming when she saw who it was.
‘Olivia,’ Luca said. ‘What a surprise!’
Morgan glanced sharply at him. There was an edgeto his voice. It was subtle, but it was there. It was as if his words were forced in some way.
At first she thought it was because he was uncomfortable having someone from Da Silva Chocolate witness him in a serious clinch.
But then she remembered who she was thinking about.
Luca was confident and assured; he would not be embarrassed so easily.
He met her look with a bland expression, and just like that she knew. Knew that he’d set this up.
Olivia glanced backwards and forwards between them. ‘Isn’t it?’ She spoke pleasantly enough, but there was a hard look in her eyes. ‘I didn’t expect to see you here, either. And with Morgan. I didn’t know the two of you were seeing each other. I thought—’ She broke off and issued a false laugh. ‘Well, I guess it doesn’t matter what I thought.’
As soon as the other woman spoke it dawned on Morgan that Olivia was Luca’s mysterious source. She was surprised she hadn’t thought of it before.
Olivia was ambitious. She’d suggested to Joseph several times that he bring the marketing function back in-house for her to manage. Joseph had always vetoed the idea.
With Joseph temporarily out of the picture had Olivia seen another way of attaining her goal?
Morgan didn’t want to think badly of anyone, but her gut instinct warned her that that was exactly what had happened.
She inclined her head. ‘No, Olivia. It doesn’t matter what you thought.’
She didn’t wait for a reply, spinning on her heel and storming off the dance floor. As she departed, shevaguely heard Oliva say, ‘Well! What on earth is wrong with Morgan?’
Morgan paused beside their table only long enough to scoop up her handbag. As she pushed through the crowd towards the exit she thought she heard Luca shout her name, but ignored him.
Tears pricked the backs of her eyes.
Of all the stupid things to do.
Somewhere along the line she’d let herself be seduced into believing the fantasy was real.
Only it wasn’t…and never would be.
The scene Luca had just orchestrated proved it!
Luca tried to follow Morgan, but Olivia grabbed hold of his arm. ‘If you’ve got a minute, Luca, I’d like a word with you.’
‘Not now.’ He didn’t even spare her a glance, his eyes focussed on the pitch-black crown of Morgan’s head as she wound her way through the crowd towards the door.
The fingers curled like talons around his arm didn’t let go. ‘It will only take a minute.’
‘I said no.’
Without another word, Luca pulled out of her grasp.
He had to follow Morgan.
He’d seen the look on her face.
She knew what he’d done…and she despised him for it.
At that very moment Luca despised himself.
Which was quite patently ridiculous, of course.
His family had to come first. He had to protect them—no matter what the cost.
Except, he realised, heart twisting, that he wasn’t prepared to accept the cost of Morgan running out on their arrangement!
Morgan didn’t get far. She was no more than five paces from the red rope that cordoned off the entrance to the club when a hard hand curled around her shoulder from behind.
‘Don’t touch me,’ she spat, spinning to face him.
‘Calm down.’
‘No, I won’t calm down. I’m so angry I could hit you.’
‘I know you are.’
Morgan stamped her foot. ‘Don’t agree with me, damn it!’
‘Would you rather I disagree with you?’
‘That isn’t funny.’
‘I know it’s not.’
The gravity of his tone and the shadow of regret in his eyes made her
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