Da Silva's Mistress. Tina Duncan

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СКАЧАТЬ 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, СКАЧАТЬ