Taken by You by Connie Mason Page A

family.”
    “How astute of them,” Morgan said evenly. His face held a sharp edge that did not bode well for Luca.
    “I know I advised you to take your fill of the chit, Morgan, but that was before I came to know her story. She’s innocent in all this. Don’t hurt her.”
    Morgan’s thoughts turned grim. “Hurt her? You know me better than that, Stan. We’ll play this little game out to the bitter end, but I assure you I will win. Eventually the bogus little saint will be returned to her bridegroom, but not before I relieve her of her virginity. When I do, I assure you she will be a willing participant”
    “Don’t do it, Morgan, don’t do that to Luca. She doesn’t deserve such shabby treatment. What if you plant your child in her? What kind of life will await her at home if you ravish her? You know how rigid those Spanish bastards are about such things.”
    Morgan tried not to think of his child growing inside Luca. He knew he could claim no child carrying Spanish blood in its veins. What he did concentrate on were his years of forced slavery on a Spanish galleon, of daily beatings and starvation rations, and being tortured beyond endurance. No one had pitied him during those years he was made to feel less than human, so why should he spare Luca? But there was a more pressing reason for demanding his pound of flesh. One he had never shared with anyone before.
    “I have never told you this, Stan, but the galleon that attacked the ship carrying my family was a ship of the Santiego line. I even saw Luca’s father once when he visited the ship while I was a slave. I must do what my pride demands,” Morgan returned shortly. “Go about your business and leave Luca to me. I will not hurt her physically, if it will ease your mind. She is a very good actress, and I’ll let her play her game for awhile longer, but in the end I will have my way.”
    He smiled then, a genuine smile, one that bespoke his pleasure for the task he set for himself.
    Seduction.
    If a twinge of regret lingered somewhere in the vicinity of his heart he tried to ignore it. He would not hurt Luca, oh, no. He would wind a sensual web around her senses and bring her pleasure, more than she had ever known before. When he finished with her she’d forget all that nonsense about wanting to be a nun. Later, when he sent her back to her family in shame, he would count it as one more act of vengeance against his Spanish enemies. If he was a brutal man he would have slain Luca immediately, just as her countrymen had killed his family. But as Crawford said, Luca was truly innocent in all this, and he didn’t wish her harm. Truth to tell, if he didn’t want her so badly he would leave her untouched and ransom her for an enormous sum. But he had lost that option the moment he kissed her and felt desire.
    “Enough about Luca. Did Rouge seem content when you left her in Havana?”
    “Content enough with the money and gifts you gave her,” Stan said, “but angry at the abrupt way in which you sent her away. She’ll land on her feet though, her kind always does.” He gave Morgan a placid smile. “She made the voyage to Cuba quite pleasant for me. She’s good, Morgan, damn good. ‘m surprised you sent her away. Once Luca is gone it will be damn lonely on Andros. You should have kept Rouge around to amuse yourself during your visits to the island.”
    In his mind’s eye Morgan pictured Luca, her dark eyes sparkling with anger, her cap of black curls hugging her head in charming disarray, her lips lush and swollen from his kisses, and he knew he could never want Rouge in the same way he once did.
    “‘Tis for the best” he said without offering further explanation.
    Luca and Morgan ate dinner that evening in the formal dining room. The rain which had begun during the afternoon looked to continue well into the night. Luca fidgeted nervously, leery of the way Morgan was staring at her, as if he wanted to devour her along with the meal. She thought he