.

you know. How long did it last for? Were—?’

      He grabbed her before she had the chance to finish, his fingers tight around her shoulders, his face so close to hers she could almost taste the feel of his mouth on hers. ‘I didn’t ask for all the sordid details.’

      She reached out to push him away, but somehow ended up holding onto him instead. ‘Then you should have,’ she said. ‘I’m no lawyer, but surely what you’ve just described is nothing more than circumstantial evidence?’

      His mouth curled. ‘I’m sure it wouldn’t take much digging to find enough evidence to bury you right up to your pretty little neck.’

      ‘Don’t do that!’ The words were out before she could stop them. The last thing she wanted was for Luca to start investigating her. It wouldn’t take long for a detective agency to uncover her relationship to Joseph.

      He stared at her through narrowed eyes. ‘Why not?’

      She scrabbled around for a suitable reply. For a moment her mind remained frustratingly blank. And then the simple answer presented itself. ‘Because you’d be wasting your time, that’s why,’ she said, angling her chin into the air. ‘There’s no way you can find proof of something that doesn’t exist.’

      The look on his face told her he didn’t believe her.

      She huffed out a sigh. ‘I really don’t know why you find it so difficult to believe Joseph and I are friends. With everything he’s been going through he needs someone to talk to. Joseph has been very concerned about Stefania’s mental state. Although she’s been a real trouper about the IVF treatments, the failure of their latest attempt really shattered her. He doesn’t think she can take any more.’

      Luca froze. His eyes glazed with anger.

      Morgan clapped a hand to her mouth. She’d done it again! Hadn’t thought before she spoke, her mouth running off before her brain had a chance to catch up.

      Luca’s hands tightened on her shoulders. ‘How do you know about my sister’s infertility problems? Who told you about the failure of the IVF treatment?’

      He was so angry Morgan trembled, her heart pounding out fear in her chest. She opened her mouth. Closed it again. She’d dug herself a hole. Saying anything more would merely give him ammunition to bury her.

      Besides, they both knew there was only one answer to those questions.

      Luca must have simultaneously drawn the same conclusion. His nostrils flared, hands tightening on her shoulders. Then he thrust her away, such a look of disgust and contempt on his face that she shuddered.

      ‘We both know the answer to that, don’t we?’ he bit out through clenched teeth. ‘The only person who could have told you is Joseph himself.’

      Morgan didn’t deny it. She couldn’t. There was no one else who could have told her. Stefania and Joseph had been treated in a private clinic that was paid very well to be discreet.

      Luca’s lips curled into a snarl. ‘And you dare to look me in the eye and declare you aren’t lovers. It wouldn’t be my idea of pillow-talk, but that’s obviously when you prised the information out of him.’ He gave her a glacial stare. ‘I don’t know what turns my stomach more. The fact that he’s sleeping with you or the fact that he’s been so indiscreet.’

      ‘I—’

      He held up a hand and she snapped her mouth closed.

      ‘If you so much as breathe one word of what you’ve learned to the press I’ll sue you for everything you own,’ Luca slated, back in control again as he stalked around the desk and resumed his seat. ‘And if you come within shouting distance of Joseph again you’ll regret the day you ever met me!’

      ‘You haven’t heard a word I’ve said, Luca,’ Michaela complained, touching him on the arm to get his attention.

      She was right. He hadn’t. Not a single word.

      His mind was elsewhere.

      With Morgan Marshall.

      He kept thinking back to their meeting. The more he thought about it, the more it bothered him.

      The way Morgan had flung the cheque back in his face disturbed him. Somehow it just didn’t fit with the kind of woman she was. She should have taken the money and run.

      Only she hadn’t.

      And then there was the way she’d kept on defying him.

      That didn’t make sense either.

      She should have taken the opportunity to try and attract him, not argue with him. After all, he was far wealthier than Joseph would ever be—not to mention younger and better-looking.

      But Morgan hadn’t given a damn what he thought of her.

      It was those apparent anomalies that were making it so damned difficult to put thoughts of her out of his head.

      It had nothing to do with those wicked black I’m-in-charge leather boots. It had nothing to do with thickly lashed black eyes and slanting cheekbones. And it certainly had nothing to do with the seductive curve of her mouth or how she’d tasted when he kissed her.

      ‘Luca!’

      Luca blinked and frowned at the blonde sitting across from him. ‘What?’

      ‘I was talking to you.’ Now that she had his attention she was all smiles. ‘As I was saying…’

      Luca tuned her out again.

      He’d had enough of Michaela. Her company had begun to pall.

      Since when? a little voice asked inside his head.

      He hadn’t been the least dissatisfied when he’d made love to her the night before. He hadn’t thought about ending things until—he dragged in a deep breath—someone he wanted more had crossed his path.

      He stared across the table. Suddenly he saw Morgan Marshall sitting there, with her brightly defiant eyes and flyaway hair.

      Irritation, annoyance and anger clamped his jaw tight.

      Desire hardened everything else.

       ‘Luca!’

      Luca looked up blankly. Michaela was out. He wouldn’t be sharing her body or her bed again. And he’d tell her exactly that when he—

      The phone in his pocket vibrated. Out of respect for the other diners he’d switched off the ring tone on both of the phones he’d brought with him.

      Dipping his hand into his jacket pocket, he used his fingertips to sense which phone was receiving a call and pulled it out.

      It was the slimline Nokia.

      Joseph’s phone.

      It had been easy to convince his brother-in-law to leave it behind. Mobile phones could be problematic in other countries. Some worked fine. Others didn’t. Much easier, Luca had suggested, to use the local mobile phones he’d arranged to be ready and waiting for them on their arrival in Sydney.

      Stefania had been equally persuasive. She didn’t want Joseph working while they were away. They deserved a holiday. Why not leave the phone and let Luca handle all his business calls?

      Luca hazarded a guess this wasn’t a business call.

      Not only was the number unregistered, but a glance at the platinum and gold watch adorning his wrist told him it was eight-forty, too late under normal circumstances for any of Joseph’s business colleagues to be calling him.

      ‘Excuse me,’ he said to a pouting Michaela. ‘I have to take this.’

      He put the phone to his ear and pressed the button to connect the call. ‘Hello?’

      Silence greeted him.

      He pulled the phone away