Da Silva's Mistress by Tina Duncan Page A

didn’t let her finish. He was every inch the predatory male as he backed her up against the front door, his mouth moving on hers as if he couldn’t get enough of her.
    Morgan could feel his heart racing in tandem with hers, could feel the press of his erection against her. His excitement triggered an answering response deep inside her, and what little sanity she had slipped away.
    Luca lifted his head and stared deep into her eyes. ’Look me in the eye, cara, and tell me that you want me.’
    She opened her mouth. Closed it again. Dragged in a breath and then another. ‘I can’t…’
    ‘You can.’ Luca pressed his hips closer to her. ‘Feel what you do to me.’
    Her body pulsed. ‘I—’
    He pressed a hard kiss on her mouth to silence her, then lifted his head. ‘Say it.’
    Confusion washed through her. What was she doing? This wasn’t supposed to be happening.
    She tore herself out of his arms and put some distance between them. ‘I haven’t changed my mind. I think it’s time you left.’
    ‘I don’t think so. We didn’t get a chance to finish our conversation earlier.’ He sat down on the couch, makingit clear that he wasn’t about to leave. ‘I apologise for the interruption. Did you stay on the line long?’
    He’d tried to sound casual but didn’t quite pull it off. If it hadn’t been for the look in his eyes—which Morgan would describe as watchful—she might have been fooled. He wanted to know how much she’d heard. Wanted to know if she knew Joseph was ill.
    Gut instinct warned her to keep what she knew to herself. It might prove useful—although how she could use it to her advantage she wasn’t quite sure.
    She tossed her head. ‘No, not long. I called you a few choice names, then slammed the phone down.’
    He flashed her a smile. ‘That sounds like you.’
    ‘It does, doesn’t it? Now, what are you doing here? You said we hadn’t finished our conversation, but as far as I’m concerned we had. My answer was no, remember?’
    ‘How could I forget? It’s a long time since a woman has turned me down.’
    ‘Going on the size of your ego, it sounds as though it’s well overdue,’ she fired back at him.
    Luca threw his head back and laughed. ‘I’m going to enjoy taming you.’
    ‘You’re not going to get the chance.’
    ‘No?’ Confidence oozed out of every pore.
    She shook her head.
    ‘Oh, I think I am.’ He stared at her in silence for a moment before saying softly, ‘I’m here to call your bluff.’
    Her breath hitched in the back of her throat. ‘What…what do you mean?’
    ‘I think you said no to becoming my mistress because you doubt I’ll go through with my threat of telling Joseph and Stefania about your affair. You’retaking a gamble in much the same way a poker player does.’ He looked her straight in the eye. ‘As I said, I’m going to call your bluff.’
    ‘Meaning?’
    ‘Meaning that unless you agree, here and now, to being my mistress I’m going to tell them.’ He extracted his mobile phone from his jacket pocket and held it up in the air. ‘Do I use this, or not?’
    For a moment Morgan couldn’t breathe. Then her brain kicked into gear. Luca didn’t really mean what he said. He couldn’t. It would be inhuman to confront Stefania and Joseph while Joseph was sick in the hospital. He might be hard, but he wouldn’t be that cruel—at least not to his sister.
    But that was the point, wasn’t it? She wasn’t supposed to know about Joseph’s illness, was she?
    Luca was no doubt counting on that—that was why he’d been so interested in how much she’d overheard.
    He was doing exactly what he said. He was calling her bluff, hoping she’d fold without putting his claim to the test.
    He was clever.
    Devious…but clever.
    She couldn’t help but admire his determination, even though it infuriated her.
    She looked away from him.
    Her eyes landed on the oversized mug sitting in pride of place on the sideboard. It was bright yellow, with