Secret Cinderella (The House of Morgan Book 16)

by Victoria Pinder

  Axel had said brother, not half. Axel was one of the French-born relatives who were Mitch Jr, supposedly the spitting image of their father, Damien, Galen and Catherine, and all of them were happily married. And they blended easily into the six Miami Morgans, Peter, who ran their father’s businesses, John, Victoria, Luke, Matthew, the movie star, and Elizabeth who were also all happily married. It seemed the other Morgans were close. He waved again as directed by Caro.

  And soon it was done.

  Despite the crush of people around him, he needed to find a spot away from the others. He walked to a bar on the side behind the steps and the lights stopped glaring in his eyes.

  Someone handed him a glass of champagne, not that he’d ever drank it before, and a man who was almost his height stood next to him and introduced himself. He was dark-haired, like Antonio, but taller. He raised his flute in greeting. “I’m your half-brother Bart. I offer venture capital to inventors in order to find green technology for the future. What will you do, Jack?”

  Noble goal. Half his class who didn’t want to go work for a big company would want the opportunity to change the direction their world was headed. He put his untouched champagne flute on the bar beside him and got his bearings. His brothers were close but all talking to other half-siblings. Bart, Antonio, Gio, Aurelia, and Lorenzo were that branch of the family, but only some were married and other still single.

  Despite all the people, there was only one who captured his imagination. And Charlotte still wasn’t here. He was sure she wasn’t nearby as he knew her smell. “Finish college next year and then figure out how to best use my mechanical degree.”

  Bart asked, “Are you dating anyone?”

  “No,” Jack answered fast as a red-head came over and introduced herself as Bart’s wife.

  Rebecca seemed nice but Jack excused himself to roam the rooms.

  The party had hundreds of people and he needed to find just one. Hopefully Charlotte hadn’t run on him without talking to him first. She had to be in this crowded house somewhere.

  He made his way to the second floor where small balconies like Romeo and Juliet had in that play jetted out of the rooms, but also made scanning the first floor center ballroom easier to study the crowd with the goal to find Charlotte. Another man his height, but with way broader shoulders, offered his hand while he said, “Hi Jack. I’m John. I know there are a lot of us to remember.”

  Technically his birth certificate also read John but he’d never gone by that, ever. He shook the other man’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  He glanced around the balcony but Charlotte wasn’t here either.

  John said, “You seem distracted.”

  Heat rose in his face. His actions had never been noticed or commented on before so he said, “I’m looking for…”

  “A girl?” John asked. “The one who arrived with your mother?”

  He massaged the back of his head but tried not to ruin the style or tug at the clothes, as the bowtie of his black tuxedo clung to his neck. “Yeah.”

  John pointed him back inside. “Look, let me give you a tip, if she’s worth finding, you will, but I’d start in the music room as that’s the last place I saw her.”

  Charlotte was one in a million. Now he had to tell her that she was the only one for him. He turned to go back in and said, “Thanks.”

  He wormed his way around the ballroom where people started dancing on the dance floor. He hightailed it out of there and headed into the next room, searching for Charlotte, but a blonde he’d known all his life bumped into him, and crushed her breasts into his forearm. “Jack Morgan.”

  The wrong Masters. He glanced around her to see who was in the next room while he greeted her out of politeness. “Linda. Where is Charlotte?”

  She rolled her eyes but pressed her hand into his muscles like they were friends and that had never been the case. “Home. She isn’t coming to see you. You’d be better off with me anyhow.”

  Wow. He’d never thought this situation would ever happen. Linda Masters had briefly been into his older brother Finn when he’d played football, but Finn had left for college and that was the end of Linda being around the family socially. And professionally, she’d barely tolerated him at work. No one in the next area was Charlotte. “No… I need Charlotte.”

  Linda caressed his arm muscle and moaned in his ear like that was supposed to be sexy when she said, “Look, I can help you far better than her.”

  No. She wanted his newly acquired money. It was all Linda spoke about at the superstore, and how she’d do anything for a man with cash. He tried to pry his arm out of her grip as he said, “I don’t need help from anyone.”

  Her gaze narrowed behind him and then she said, “Yeah you do. I can’t believe it but Charlotte’s here, and she’s talking to Antonio.”

  His entire body turned toward the direction Linda had been looking, but he didn’t see Charlotte. His heart raced. “Where?”

  Her fingers curled into his like they were holding hands. “I’ll go with you.”

  He took his hand away but stayed next to her to see if she gave anything away. “Linda… just point to where you saw them.”

  She led him to a small, private balcony that had no people on it and closed the door. “We’re alone here.”

  Jack had no time for games and needed to be clear. He pushed his fingers in his pocket to keep from touching her in any way and said, “I’m still not interested.”

  She placed one hand on her hip and held his gaze as she blocked the exit. “Your loss, but I think you’re losing your shot with Charlotte too, if you ever had one.”

  He moved to go around her and she opened the door, but kissed his cheek.

  Linda did nothing for him other than confuse him as to why she was in the way.

  He scanned the room and at last found Charlotte but she was in Antonio’s arms, hugging him.

  His heart thundered as he wanted to march over and drag her away. Linda tugged him and he said without thinking, “He promised…”

  But then he stopped.

  Linda wasn’t a friend.

  Charlotte and Antonio backed away from each other, the greeting over. Linda said, “Come now, Charlotte wanted him too. I saw how she flirted on the security camera.”

  On that Linda was mistaken. He’d seen Charlotte himself and yes she’d been infatuated, but she wasn’t the type that threw herself at anyone. He shook his head and said fast, “You’re wrong.”

  Linda stayed next to him as he crossed the room, his focus on Charlotte with her hair swept up in curls on the top that framed her cute nose. Her blue dress shimmered and showed off her curves when she moved. Linda said, “Am I? Girls don’t fall for guys in the friend zone.”

  Point for Linda. He slowed and did his best to ignore the pulsating in his veins. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  She grabbed his arm and held him next to her for a moment. He’d not be violent to get away, but she made his skin crawl. Linda said in his ear, “Look Jack, you might not be what Charlotte wants, but you’re exactly what I want.”

  The smell of her rose perfume confused him. He had a good memory of the scent since Charlotte had worn it for the prom.

  He gently uncurled Linda’s fingers from his forearm. “How is that?”

  She leaned closer so her lips were a fraction of an inch from him as she said, “Because you and I are both alike. Far more than you admit. We both want more than what we were dealt. And I never put you down because I always thought you were cute. Now I’m allowed to tell you.”

  And then she let him go. He nursed his arm like she’d bruised him though she hadn’t. “I… want Charlotte.”

  Linda rolled her eyes in her typical, she was annoyed and about to get mean fashion. “Why are you here, with me?”

  “Good question.” He slipped away from her.

  As he approached Charlotte and Antonio the air around him stilled and he stared into the brown eyes of the one woman that ma
ttered. The crowd around them quieted in his ears as he said, “Charlotte.”

  Her face was tight like she was indigested and her step lacked her usual energy when she asked, “Jack, were you just kissing Linda?”

  No seemed too trite, but yes wasn’t the right answer either. He took a second, calmed the adrenaline rushing through him and said, “She kissed me. What are you doing with Antonio?”

  Her face had a sparkle he’d never noticed before and he thought he knew her every expression. Hopefully this meant she now wanted to live her life more fully, out of the store. “Giving him back his phone.”

  Was this liveliness she displayed her attraction toward another man? His body was spiked and ready to fight to keep Charlotte. But then her sister popped into the conversation again as she asked, “What phone?” Linda held out her hand for Antonio to shake. “Hi, I’m Linda Masters, Charlotte’s sister.”

  Charlotte stared at their handshake like she wanted to rip them apart and clarified, “Stepsister.”

  Maybe he’d misread her supposed attraction as Linda's cheeks flushed, in anger. He knew she was upset as Linda let out her little snort she thought was cute, but neither he nor Charlotte did. “Are you using those labels now to minimize your family, Charlotte?”

  Something had happened earlier in their home, he would bet on it. Linda could be cruel. He reached for Charlotte. “Charlotte, let’s just get out of here.”

  Charlotte accepted his offered grasp and a spark rushed through him. She was his and he’d never let another man have her. “Yes, Jack, we need to talk. You never told me you were a Morgan.”

  He hugged her close to his side to get her to a private nook and explain. “It didn’t matter, until today. I couldn’t get to you. Nancy blocked me this morning at your house, and then kept you busy in the store.”

  He guided her away from Antonio and her stepsister to an alcove past the hall of mirrors where they could talk in relative quiet on one of those balconies overlooking the veranda. He found a dark corner away from the crowd and opened the door to guide her out, despite the slight snip of autumn in the air. They wouldn't be long and no one would see them above the party. He closed the glass door with shades to ensure they had privacy. She placed her hand on his chest and said, “I’m here now.”

  Jack was a Morgan by birth and he’d been told that he could have anything he ever wanted. That would be Charlotte, the only woman for him.

  Chapter 8

  Charlotte’s entire body trembled. And it wasn’t due to the temperature drop, though she wore only a dress with no jacket outside on a small balcony that overlooked a vast estate with the full moon above them. This reaction was all because of Jack. She always trembled when she was nervous but this was more. Until today, she’d never had a day without believing that Jack would be there.

  Now his life soared and could take him far away from her.

  Her stomach was in knots over his revelation tonight. When Patricia had driven to the mansion in her new car, Charlotte's shoulders had been tight as she'd searched for Jack in the crowd.

  Morgan money meant his world could be extraordinary and Charlotte’s small life in a store didn’t matter to people like him or his famous family.

  Despite being escorted in like an important VIP, when she'd heard that Jack was a Morgan, she’d been a wreck. It felt like she’d been punched in the face hard enough to be knocked her off her feet when Axel Morgan had made his announcement. Worse of all, she’d been on the sidelines, not in his circle.

  Her heart pattered as they stood on the balcony together.

  Jack smelled so good. A new cologne, but also it was just his essence. His brown hair was now styled but that goofy grin of his that always put her at ease and made everything okay flashed at her. His muscled body in the black tux looked way classier than his suit he'd borrowed for prom.

  Her hands were in fists and she prayed that he would fix this huge gulf between them. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Had he wanted to be in an estate protected by security where she couldn’t just walk out the door? Was that a horrible thought? She wasn’t sure of anything right now as Jack clasped her fingers and a spark rushed through her as he asked, “That I was a Morgan?”

  Bingo. She held still and wished there was a way past this as it felt like he’d tricked her and she didn’t like it. “Yeah, we’ve talked every day of our lives for the past ten years.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and stepped away. It was hard to believe that he’d lied. “You were there for me when my father died and not once did you mention your own father.”

  His blue eyes seemed softer in the moonlight with a party underneath them like the lights of the sky were below instead of above them. “We left him when I was six. I don’t remember much about my father except my mother said we should never talk about him and it was better we forgot all about him.”

  She inched near him again and his skin was so close to her that it electrified her. “So?”

  He glanced over the balcony to the party as he said, “My mother said he could destroy our family and rip us all apart. He seemed like a monster and I was loyal to my mom so I just avoided talking about him.”

  “Your mother is awesome.” Patricia O’Conner ran her house in a way she’d wish to one day, so Charlotte reached for his fingers. “Your family has always been so close.”

  The balcony door opened and she stared into Linda’s blue eyes with hints of red. Linda kissing Jack just minutes ago brought on a trail of ice that raced up her spine and into her bones. Charlotte closed the door, keeping Linda in the hall, and Jack checked to ensure the door was locked. He said, “Because my mom chose for us to be only hers and not take a dime of my father’s money.”

  Sounded fair. She’d have done the same in an abusive situation and her spine relaxed, but her heart still ticked a little different. Maybe it was because she was here now, with Jack, dressed for a party rather than work. They both had been changed by the truth. “I admire her even more than I already did.”

  He massaged his scalp and asked, “Yeah?”

  Wait. Was he nervous? She placed her hand on his chest, which she’d done countless times, but now her lips tingled and she wished… for a kiss. “She raised you, your brothers, your sister, all alone and ensured you knew you were loved.” She’d only kissed Jack once and that was when they’d both had braces and they’d been stuck for what felt like hours untangling the bands. Neither of them had braces now. How would he kiss? “My stepmother couldn’t accept me. Love me. But this doesn’t answer my question.”

  His gaze narrowed and her body reacted with goosebumps of desire. He knew how to push all her buttons. “I think it does.”

  She stood on her tiptoes to be closer to him. “I thought we were best friends and that we trusted each other with all our secrets. Now I see you had a big one.”

  He held her sides like he’d stop her from falling over which was good. She wasn’t a ballerina but she ached to be closer to him when he said, “My birth father wasn’t important in my life and I never thought about him, to be honest. It wasn’t a lie…he wasn’t part of my story until my siblings discovered us, and wanted to include us in the family because of a will.”

  Her lips puckered for his kiss, and she wanted to forget this whole conversation. What a strange reaction. Her mouth never tasted his before and wanting now didn’t change anything. Tingles of anticipation fired up her chest but he let her go and she went back on her heels.

  Someone knocked at the glass door. “I guess I understand.”

  He pointed toward the way out but stopped and said, “There is something you need to know.”

  She batted her eyes. “What, Jack?”

  Someone knocked on the door again.

  He ignored it and took both of her hands. “Charlotte, when you told me about Antonio and how you’d reacted after you met him… I was jealous.”

  Like she’d been a few minutes ago? Her hair stood on end but she swallowed as her inner tempera
ture grew. “But why? I’m like a sister to you.”

  His face flushed red and he squeezed her fingers. “How I think of you is nothing like how I think of Lucy. Charlotte, you’re the only girl in my heart.”

  More knocks shook the door. She let out a breath and said, “I… I never thought about us… romantically.”

  His nostrils flared like she’d insulted him. “Do you hate the idea?”

  He almost let her go but she held him firm despite how someone rattled the doorknob. “No. No, that’s too strong, but I’d like for you to dance with me now.” She wanted to be in his embrace.

  He wrapped his arm around her back as he’d done thousands of time, but tonight it was different. She was his for as long as this lasted. He said, “I’ll do whatever you want.”

  They opened the door and Mickey, Linda, and worst of all Nancy, waited there. Their soulless, hateful expressions suggested she’d lied to them, and if they had a chance they’d kick her out despite how they were dressed in black gowns designed to show off their figures.

  Her heart hammered as Nancy’s gaze bore into her soul.

  Tonight would end badly, if she was to be homeless, but she couldn't think beyond tonight so she’d live and have fun, with Jack.

  Jack whisked her to the side and down the stairs, away from her family before anyone had a word to say. They brushed shoulders and sides of people in their dash to the dance floor, but everything about tonight had been a whirl.

  A moment or two later, she was in Jack’s arms and her favorite new romantic song started that normally had her humming along. She held Jack’s gaze when he placed his hands on her back like he knew what to do. She laughed. “Last time we danced, you stepped on my toes.”

  He gave her a wink like he had another secret when he said, “I won’t do that again…”

  Jack guided her in a turn and she almost crashed into him until she let him lead. His shoulders were wide enough to protect her from seeing anyone else but him, creating a magical experience. On the dance floor. With Jack. At the chorus she said, “I can see you’ve been practicing.”