equally bright red lettering on the side which read ’Get Well Soon.’
Joseph had presented it to her, along with a big container of chicken noodle soup he’d bought at a local Chinese restaurant, when she’d gone down with a heavy dose of the flu soon after she’d come into his life.
The poor man hadn’t been able to understand why she’d burst into tears the minute he’d explained why he’d shown up unannounced on her doorstep. But the simple truth was that the caring gesture had meant more to her than he could ever know. Her mother had always treated her childhood illnesses as a hassle that she, Sheila, had to endure rather than her daughter. She’d whinged to such an extent that Morgan had soon learned to pretend she was feeling well even when she wasn’t.
The memory of Joseph’s kindness that day made tears sting the backs of her eyes. He’d made her feel more welcome and more loved in the short time she’d known him than she had in the entire time she was growing up.
Last night, when Luca had given her his ultimatum, the scales had been balanced between two equally unsatisfactory options.
Her father’s illness changed everything.
Now one option clearly outweighed the other.
If Luca was her only link to her father then she had no choice.
But he wasn’t going to have it all his own way.
‘OK, Luca. You win. I’ll be your mistress.’ She paused and dragged in a breath. ‘But only if you agree to my conditions.’
His frown deepened. ‘What conditions? You’re hardly in a position to demand anything.’
She ignored the last bit. ‘Condition number one, we have equal rights within this relationship. How it will be conducted is up to both of us to decide. You don’t get to order me around.’
For a good minute Luca just stared at her through narrowed eyes. Then he sighed. ‘I suppose that’s fair enough. Stefania is forever telling me how bossy I am.But it goes with the territory. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I was scared of making decisions or telling people what I want. So don’t expect me to change overnight.’
‘I won’t. But you will try?’
He nodded. ‘As long as it’s within reason. You’ll just have to remind me whenever I get too overbearing.’
‘I will. You don’t have to worry about that!’
Luca grinned. ‘I didn’t think I would. I’ve already noticed you’re not afraid of saying what’s on your mind.’
She cocked her head to one side. ‘Is that a compliment or a criticism?’
‘What do you think?’ he countered.
‘It has to be a compliment. You’re not exactly shy about coming forward yourself!’
Luca inclined his head, then raised an eyebrow. ‘Just how many of these conditions do you have?’
Morgan swallowed and squeezed her hands together. ’Just two.’
‘Two?’ he repeated. ‘What’s the other one?’
The tips of her ears began to burn. The nature of the remaining condition was something she wasn’t quite sure how to put into words.
‘The thing is—’ Her eyes found his, then nose-dived away. Her fingers fiddled with the long gold chain hanging around her neck. ‘The thing is…Well, the thing is I don’t want to sleep with you just yet.’
Luca stared at her and kept on staring.
Then he threw his head back and laughed.
‘That is—’ He was laughing so hard he had to stop speaking for a full minute. ‘That is the funniest thing I’ve heard in years.’
‘It’s not funny,’ she said stiffly. ‘I’m dead serious.’
The gravity in her voice wiped the smile from his face and made him jump to his feet. ‘You can’t be. The whole idea of becoming my mistress is so that we can sleep together.’
She blinked big dark eyes at him. ‘I know, but…but…’
She reminded Luca of a deer he’d caught in his headlights once. It had given him that same wide-eyed, frightened stare just before it had taken off into the forest.
‘But what?’
‘But I just can’t do it.’ She was really pulling on the chain
Joseph had presented it to her, along with a big container of chicken noodle soup he’d bought at a local Chinese restaurant, when she’d gone down with a heavy dose of the flu soon after she’d come into his life.
The poor man hadn’t been able to understand why she’d burst into tears the minute he’d explained why he’d shown up unannounced on her doorstep. But the simple truth was that the caring gesture had meant more to her than he could ever know. Her mother had always treated her childhood illnesses as a hassle that she, Sheila, had to endure rather than her daughter. She’d whinged to such an extent that Morgan had soon learned to pretend she was feeling well even when she wasn’t.
The memory of Joseph’s kindness that day made tears sting the backs of her eyes. He’d made her feel more welcome and more loved in the short time she’d known him than she had in the entire time she was growing up.
Last night, when Luca had given her his ultimatum, the scales had been balanced between two equally unsatisfactory options.
Her father’s illness changed everything.
Now one option clearly outweighed the other.
If Luca was her only link to her father then she had no choice.
But he wasn’t going to have it all his own way.
‘OK, Luca. You win. I’ll be your mistress.’ She paused and dragged in a breath. ‘But only if you agree to my conditions.’
His frown deepened. ‘What conditions? You’re hardly in a position to demand anything.’
She ignored the last bit. ‘Condition number one, we have equal rights within this relationship. How it will be conducted is up to both of us to decide. You don’t get to order me around.’
For a good minute Luca just stared at her through narrowed eyes. Then he sighed. ‘I suppose that’s fair enough. Stefania is forever telling me how bossy I am.But it goes with the territory. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I was scared of making decisions or telling people what I want. So don’t expect me to change overnight.’
‘I won’t. But you will try?’
He nodded. ‘As long as it’s within reason. You’ll just have to remind me whenever I get too overbearing.’
‘I will. You don’t have to worry about that!’
Luca grinned. ‘I didn’t think I would. I’ve already noticed you’re not afraid of saying what’s on your mind.’
She cocked her head to one side. ‘Is that a compliment or a criticism?’
‘What do you think?’ he countered.
‘It has to be a compliment. You’re not exactly shy about coming forward yourself!’
Luca inclined his head, then raised an eyebrow. ‘Just how many of these conditions do you have?’
Morgan swallowed and squeezed her hands together. ’Just two.’
‘Two?’ he repeated. ‘What’s the other one?’
The tips of her ears began to burn. The nature of the remaining condition was something she wasn’t quite sure how to put into words.
‘The thing is—’ Her eyes found his, then nose-dived away. Her fingers fiddled with the long gold chain hanging around her neck. ‘The thing is…Well, the thing is I don’t want to sleep with you just yet.’
Luca stared at her and kept on staring.
Then he threw his head back and laughed.
‘That is—’ He was laughing so hard he had to stop speaking for a full minute. ‘That is the funniest thing I’ve heard in years.’
‘It’s not funny,’ she said stiffly. ‘I’m dead serious.’
The gravity in her voice wiped the smile from his face and made him jump to his feet. ‘You can’t be. The whole idea of becoming my mistress is so that we can sleep together.’
She blinked big dark eyes at him. ‘I know, but…but…’
She reminded Luca of a deer he’d caught in his headlights once. It had given him that same wide-eyed, frightened stare just before it had taken off into the forest.
‘But what?’
‘But I just can’t do it.’ She was really pulling on the chain
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