of telling him exactly what she thought of him.
When he pushed, she shoved straight back.
As he settled back against the leather seat Luca realised that that was just the way he liked it!
Morgan stared out of the window, not speaking, so angry with Luca she expected steam to pour from her ears at any moment.
Why didn’t he listen to reason?
Why didn’t he just accept that she and Joseph were friends?
Because he couldn’t, she realised, answering her own question.
Luca had mentioned in passing that his mother had had one affair after another. No doubt in his mind there was no smoke without fire.
He was trying to protect his sister. And if that meant manoeuvring the situation to his advantage then that was exactly what he would do.
And could she really blame him for that?
Wasn’t she doing exactly the same thing to protect Joseph?
Keeping secrets she didn’t want to keep.
Telling lies she didn’t want to tell.
She sighed, wishing things were different. Less complicated.
If she’d met Luca under normal circumstances—
No!
Morgan put a brake on her thoughts. There was no point wishing for something that didn’t exist. She had to deal with realities, not fantasies.
‘I’m sorry I ruined the evening,’ Luca murmured into the silence.
Twisting around on her seat, Morgan searched his face. ‘Are you really?’
He nodded and picked up her hand, his thumb caressing the tender flesh on the inside of her wrist. ‘Yes. I am.’ He paused for a heartbeat. ‘Please try to understand. I want to believe you. I really do. But Stefania is my only sister. She’s too important to me.’
Morgan sighed. Hadn’t she just been telling herself exactly that? It might not be right or fair, but it was understandable—at least to some extent.
Luca stopped stroking her wrist and clasped her hand. ‘If something is going on between the two of you I had to make sure it has ended. For Stefania’s sake. Tonight achieved that. You might not like my methods, but you have to admit that it was the best way to resolve the situation. This way nobody gets hurt. Do you understand?’
Morgan pulled her hands out of his and folded her arms. ‘I understand. But you’re wrong about nobody being hurt.’
‘Am I?
She nodded. ‘How do you think I feel knowing that you think I’m a liar?’
Luca grimaced. ‘Angry and hurt, I suppose.’
‘You suppose right,’ she said, determined not to wrap it up into something it was not just to make Luca feel better.
He raked a hand over his face. ‘I wish things could be different.’
There was no mistaking the sincerity in his voice. His words so closely echoed her own thoughts that tears pricked the backs of her eyes. ‘He’s always going to come between us, isn’t he?’ she whispered.
‘Only if we let him.’ Turning on his seat, he cupped the side of her face and stared deep into her eyes. ‘I’m serious, cara. We won’t talk about it again. We won’t even think about it. It’s all in the past. Over and done with. What do you say?’
She wanted to say yes.
Wanted to say yes so badly that she could taste it.
But logic suggested that she would be a fool to trust him. She opened her mouth to tell him exactly that. Instead, she pressed her cheek against the palm of his hand and whispered, ‘Yes.’
He smiled a slow, warm smile that made his eyes glow. ‘Then let us seal our bargain with a kiss,’ he said thickly.
When he pulled her into his arms and took her mouth with his Morgan wondered why she was listening to her heart and not her head.
Which, of course, begged another question…
Just when had her heart become involved…?
Chapter Seven
F ROM THAT POINT on life became a fantasy for real, with Luca as her very own Prince Charming.
They didn’t discuss the past. Or the future. They just lived for the moment.
The only cloud on the horizon was Joseph. Morgan had overheard part of another conversation between Luca and Stefania—only this time the news
When he pushed, she shoved straight back.
As he settled back against the leather seat Luca realised that that was just the way he liked it!
Morgan stared out of the window, not speaking, so angry with Luca she expected steam to pour from her ears at any moment.
Why didn’t he listen to reason?
Why didn’t he just accept that she and Joseph were friends?
Because he couldn’t, she realised, answering her own question.
Luca had mentioned in passing that his mother had had one affair after another. No doubt in his mind there was no smoke without fire.
He was trying to protect his sister. And if that meant manoeuvring the situation to his advantage then that was exactly what he would do.
And could she really blame him for that?
Wasn’t she doing exactly the same thing to protect Joseph?
Keeping secrets she didn’t want to keep.
Telling lies she didn’t want to tell.
She sighed, wishing things were different. Less complicated.
If she’d met Luca under normal circumstances—
No!
Morgan put a brake on her thoughts. There was no point wishing for something that didn’t exist. She had to deal with realities, not fantasies.
‘I’m sorry I ruined the evening,’ Luca murmured into the silence.
Twisting around on her seat, Morgan searched his face. ‘Are you really?’
He nodded and picked up her hand, his thumb caressing the tender flesh on the inside of her wrist. ‘Yes. I am.’ He paused for a heartbeat. ‘Please try to understand. I want to believe you. I really do. But Stefania is my only sister. She’s too important to me.’
Morgan sighed. Hadn’t she just been telling herself exactly that? It might not be right or fair, but it was understandable—at least to some extent.
Luca stopped stroking her wrist and clasped her hand. ‘If something is going on between the two of you I had to make sure it has ended. For Stefania’s sake. Tonight achieved that. You might not like my methods, but you have to admit that it was the best way to resolve the situation. This way nobody gets hurt. Do you understand?’
Morgan pulled her hands out of his and folded her arms. ‘I understand. But you’re wrong about nobody being hurt.’
‘Am I?
She nodded. ‘How do you think I feel knowing that you think I’m a liar?’
Luca grimaced. ‘Angry and hurt, I suppose.’
‘You suppose right,’ she said, determined not to wrap it up into something it was not just to make Luca feel better.
He raked a hand over his face. ‘I wish things could be different.’
There was no mistaking the sincerity in his voice. His words so closely echoed her own thoughts that tears pricked the backs of her eyes. ‘He’s always going to come between us, isn’t he?’ she whispered.
‘Only if we let him.’ Turning on his seat, he cupped the side of her face and stared deep into her eyes. ‘I’m serious, cara. We won’t talk about it again. We won’t even think about it. It’s all in the past. Over and done with. What do you say?’
She wanted to say yes.
Wanted to say yes so badly that she could taste it.
But logic suggested that she would be a fool to trust him. She opened her mouth to tell him exactly that. Instead, she pressed her cheek against the palm of his hand and whispered, ‘Yes.’
He smiled a slow, warm smile that made his eyes glow. ‘Then let us seal our bargain with a kiss,’ he said thickly.
When he pulled her into his arms and took her mouth with his Morgan wondered why she was listening to her heart and not her head.
Which, of course, begged another question…
Just when had her heart become involved…?
Chapter Seven
F ROM THAT POINT on life became a fantasy for real, with Luca as her very own Prince Charming.
They didn’t discuss the past. Or the future. They just lived for the moment.
The only cloud on the horizon was Joseph. Morgan had overheard part of another conversation between Luca and Stefania—only this time the news
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