Rise of an Eagle

by Margaret Way

  The door behind them opened abruptly and a steely male voice sliced the air. 'I wouldn't if I were you.'

  Ty loomed in the doorway, his lean, powerful body emanating male aggression, his blue eyes blazing.

  'Ty!' Morgan exclaimed, trying to check the hectic flush that rose to her cheeks. 'Where did you spring from?'

  His face remained hard. He didn't even look at her. 'And you're—?'

  'Graham Ellis,' Graham supplied. So easily able to dominate in court, he was embarrassed and flustered. 'I take it you're Morgan's cousin. The twins speak about you often.'

  'Say goodnight, Mr Ellis,' said Ty.

  'Yes, I will.' Graham tried to sound casual but failed dismally. 'Goodnight, Morgan. Thank you for a very pleasant evening.'

  It was almost painful to look at him. 'Goodnight, Graham.' She answered more sweetly than she would have. 'I enjoyed it.' And she had. Much of it, But she was back to resenting Ty's high-handedness. It was a powerful tradition.

  Ty stood back while Morgan preceded him through the door. 'You have a definite knack for inciting a wide cross-section of males.'

  'I suppose you might say that,' she returned coolly, though her blood was boiling. 'Couldn't you have warned us you were coming?'

  'Warned you?' His tone was edgy. This penthouse belongs to me.'

  'Sometimes I feel the same way.' Morgan threw her evening bag down on a side-table. 'Was it really necessary to play the heavy with poor Graham?'

  He gave her a derisive smile. 'Personally, I think I moved at the right minute.'

  'You weren't listening, surely?'

  'I wouldn't have missed a word. Hooked on you, is he?'

  'How despicable!' Morgan fumed.

  'Perhaps. I can see through all your little masks. You were starting to panic, but nothing in this world would make you admit it, or the fact you're pleased to see me.' Ty moved lithely back towards the nest of sofas.

  'And you're still the same. I could have moved Graham on.'

  'He looked like a determined man to me. Let me have a look at you,'

  She threw back her head. 'Are you kidding? I was ten limes safer with Graham.'

  'Do me a favour and turn around. That's one heck of a dress.'

  'Considering how little there is of it, it was a frightful price.'

  'Turn around, Morgan. Don't be shy.'

  'Me, shy?' she said disdainfully, and twirled towards him.

  Ty's shapely mouth curved in mockery. 'I know just how he felt.'

  'That's the definition of a woman, is it? To please and attract men? I'm looking for other alternatives.'

  'I know that, and I understand what you're saying but, Morgan, you were subverted. You were reared as a boy with a man's goals. You won't let yourself be happy as a woman.'

  'Oh, please suggest the ways!' She felt as though his eyes were consuming her. She drew a ragged breath into her lungs and pulled the flower from her hair, throwing it down on top of her evening bag. Her head was aching from the unaccustomed champagne and the pins of her hair were suddenly insufferable.

  'I'm not complaining right now,' he said drily, watching her long dark hair uncoil around her face and down her back. 'What kind of a reception is this? You haven't even asked how I am.'

  'I only have to look at you.' she said, deliberately gazing away.

  'Then why don't you? You're prowling around like a little cat.'

  'Oh, God,' she said in an odd voice. His face was full of shadow and light. 'What time did you arrive?'

  'Reception told me I'd only just missed you. Who the devil was that?'

  'You mean Graham?'

  'The oversized schoolboy.'

  'Actually he's a big-time lawyer.' A sense of excitement was making her tremble. Morgan sat down, slipped off her satin shoes and tucked her legs under her. 'See all the flowers around the room? He sent them. Every day. He hasn't missed from when we met.'

  He looked at her, amused. 'Then why were you finding him such a drag?' Morgan sighed. 'God knows. How's Cecilia?'

  'Very well. She sends her love. She really wants you to come home. She can't wait for you two to get going on all that redecorating.'

  'I have lots of ideas myself.' For the first time, Morgan smiled. 'You have no idea of the beautiful things we've seen. The twins have taken me everywhere. I have a splendid new wardrobe.'

  Ty leaned back, the light glinting on his dark gold hair. 'Do show me.'

  'I'm sorry. I don't have complete confidence in either of us.' Some note in his voice made her shiver. 'Have you had anything to eat? Can I get you something?'

  'Yes, please.' He looked at her as she sat, noting the long, gleaming black hair, lustrous, slanting eyes, the sheen of gold on her olive skin; her back was straight, bodice clinging to her small, uplifted breasts, the emerald green skirt flaring around her so that she looked as fragile as a doll. She was anything but relaxed. Under the familiar challenge she was burning with nervousness. 'Morgan?' He saw her tremble.

  'I won't have this, Ty.'

  A slight smile curved his mouth, 'A month is a long, longtime.'

  'I happen to know you've been all over the place, tying up loose ends.'

  He frowned in agreement. 'Believe it or not, E J. left a lot of things in one hell of a mess. We were so used to the brilliance of his heyday, we overlooked the fact he was getting old. 'I've had to double-check everything. Then there was that insane spree designed to create difficulties for me. He dumped a small fortune.'

  'Sounds as if he could have been of unsound mind,' she suggested darkly.

  You ought to check who you talk to. E.J. always prided himself on his devious mind.'

  'I'm not with you,' she protested, seized by panic.

  Try McEwan and Chandler.'

  Morgan took a deep breath and her head went up.

  You mean the solicitor I spoke to took it into his head to inform you?'

  He raised an eyebrow slightly. 'Nothing so unethical. Nevertheless, I heard. Solicitors talk to each other.'

  'I'm shocked.'

  The way of the world, Morgan. Not a damn thing's safe.'

  'So tell me, are we poor?'

  'Would you care?' He looked at her steadily.

  'Yes,' she suddenly admitted. 'It's amazing how easy it is to get used to spending money, Are there problems, Ty? I demand to know.'

  'Sure, there are problems.' he acknowledged. There are problems in any business.'

  'I want to share them.'

  'Of course you do, but not tonight. I feel like relaxing. When things settle down I want to take you around all our holdings. Everything we own. I don't think you're fully aware of the extent of E.J.'s interests. I didn't even know he owned thirty per cent of Nyruna. He seems to have kept so much to himself. He was always a very secretive man, but now I'm discovering things are a great deal more complicated than we first thought. Even Henry is dumbfounded, and he was E.J.'s lawyer for years. It's going to take time to get a clear picture. There's a whole complicated world of real-estate development as well, though one of the companies is ailing badly.'

  Morgan raised one delicate eyebrow. 'So it's even more challenging?'

  His eyes travelled over her. 'Nothing and no one in this world is more challenging than you.'

  Morgan moved abruptly. The very last thing she could do was let loose the wildness that prowled between them.

  'Can't I get you a drink?' she began. Movement was the key.

  'Any Scotch in the place?'

  'Definitely, Claire has an admirer, Bryan Wyndam— you know him. He's very partial to the malts of May.'

  'The twins are well?' he asked casually, his expression another thing. 'Of course. We've had a marvellous time.'

  'And where are they tonight?' Morgan walked quickly into the kitchen for some crushed ice. 'Gone on to a nightclub.' she called. 'It's really not my scene.'

  When she returned to the living-room Ty was slumped deeper into the couch. She passed him the glass and he took it with one hand, pulling h
er down beside him with the other. 'Relax,' he encouraged her, 'Morgan, the cat.'

  The breath caught in her throat. She shook her head and he lifted a hand and ran it around her nape. 'I'll always take the greatest care of you, Morgan. I promise.'

  'Care? Would you call it that?'

  'Running away won't solve our problems.' He tipped the glass towards his mouth and drank. 'Whatever happens, I won't lose total control.'

  'You've got power, Ty. Don't use it.' Tower?' he questioned. 'I'm a fortunate man. It doesn't mean all that much to me.' She laughed, like a splintering of glass. 'That dress of yours.' He regarded her. 'I don't think it comes up far enough.' She looked down, ignoring the swell of her breasts.

  I assure you it's the height of fashion.'

  'It's the kind of dress to cause a raging storm. I want a painting of you. Who's a fashionable portrait painter these days? Rupert Cranston?'

  She stared at him. 'And how would you suggest I pose, like a witch?'

  'I have to admit you look terribly like one.'

  'Except, of course, 'I'm not wicked.' She looked around her helplessly. She had to move before her emotions mastered her.

  'No, stay.' His arm shot out and encircled her narrow waist, pulling her inexorably towards him so that she was forced to come to rest against his shoulder. He tossed off the contents of his glass and set it down on the long, glass-topped coffee-table.

  'I went to see Marcia,' she told him, as though it were terribly important.

  'And?' This time he drew her across his body so that he could look down into her face.

  'There's a lot I didn't know.' She couldn't help herself. She let her eyes move hungrily over the fine bones of his face, chiselled cheekbones, cleanly defined mouth, firm yet sensual, the little sun lines fanned out from his brilliantly blue eyes. He hadn't shaved since early morning, but the faint shadow of his beard only emphasised his virility. She had to question herself deeply. Why was she allowing herself to lie in his arms, staring up into his eyes? What frightened her so much was her uncontrollable fascination.

  'Well?' he prompted gently, a sensual quality to his voice.

  'Did you know my father was in love with Cecilia?'

  'That's old news, Morgan.'

  'No one told me!

  'Sorry. From all accounts, everyone was in love with my mother. It happens like that sometimes. Certain women are given dangerous gifts.'

  'Men, too.' Morgan stared up at him, desire searing her.

  'What else did she tell you? Or rather, what did she continue to keep hidden?'

  Morgan's eyes flickered. 'Hidden? She said she rushed headlong into marriage with my father. A rebound situation, for both of them. Obviously it didn't work out. 'I'm afraid I upset her. I asked her who exactly in the family I was like.' His sleek eyebrow shot up. 'A tricky one.'

  'What's tricky about it?' she wanted to know. 'How long did she take to ponder?' His blue eyes, so intense, became hooded.

  'I'm like my grandmother. Marcia's mother.'

  'She has means of demonstrating this, of course?' Morgan frowned, her green eyes bewildered. 'Suddenly there's mystery in the air. I've gone all my life thinking one thing, now I'm being forced to consider another.'

  'All that's happened, Morgan, is you must see things as we do.'

  'Who's we?' Her head came up.

  'No one you need worry about.' He stared into her eyes, 'There's my mother. And me.'

  'And you think you're on to something?'

  'It depends entirely on what you want, Morgan.'

  She fell back again, against his arm, 'Well, I handled that badly, didn't I?'

  'Tell me what you mean.'

  'You're out to prove I'm not E.J.'s granddaughter?'

  'I thought you were the one trying to prove that.'

  'Oh, my God!'

  'Don't run off the rails,' he warned her, bluntly.

  She gave a little wild laugh. 'Why is everyone suddenly interested in the past? No one was before. No one ever questioned my rightful place. Until now. Camilla Ogilvie talks to me. "How strange you are!" I've suddenly grown two heads.'

  He groaned. 'Whatever you are, it's fine with me.'

  'You're an arch manipulator, you know that?'

  'Uh huh.' He looked down into her eyes. 'Little did he knew when you grew up we'd have all these problems.'

  'We wouldn't have had a problem at all, if you hadn't hissed me,' she said immediately.

  'You lie!'

  'I do not! We were doing OK. A few fights.'

  'A few hundred,' he contradicted her.

  'I really don't remember.'

  'No wonder, there were so many of them. Then I kissed you.'

  That took care of everything,' she said.

  'Absolutely. Maybe it was the drama of the day, or I'd been waiting very patiently.'

  'I'd like to find out why,' she suddenly said passionately. 'And that brings us back to E.J.'s will. Are you sure he never told you?'

  'Now, then.' Ty said crisply, 'are you doubting my word?'

  'Did he tell you anything?'

  'Of course.'

  'I knew it!' Morgan pushed back her head and stared up at the ceiling. "All that privileged information, and I never heard a word.'

  'What he told me was I was totally overlooked. Even Henry didn't know he had made an about-face. I never suspend Morgan, he had arranged things as he did.'

  'So you decided to make love to me?' she suggested, green eyes outraged. 'And you couldn't have been more co-operative.'

  'Oh, you demon!'

  'Call me Lucifer,' he mocked. She pushed up, hovering helplessly, as he pinned her. 'You deliberately covered every angle.'

  'I'd like to. Oh you!'

  'Why, you devious .'

  'Go on Excite yourself.'

  She whirled on his lap, meeting his vivid blue eyes, 'You are the very last man in the world I would give myself to. Ever!'

  'You're already mine,' he said with deceptive lightness. 'And if I am. I’ll never face it!' She was nearly crying with rage,

  'Of course you will… No one can say I'm not patient, Weil take it very slowly.' One hand came up to encircle her throat. 'Keep still, Morgan, I don't want to bruise you.'

  'I think you'd enjoy it.' She gritted her small teeth. 'No. There's absolutely nothing I would do to hurt you.'

  'Except hypnotise me when it bloody suits you.' she accused him

  'Language!' he tutted. His blue eyes burned into her. 'You are so beautiful.'

  Their faces were barely inches apart. She could feel his warm breath on her cheek. She loved him so much, she wanted to weep and weep. Instead she drew a little shuddery breath, then leaned forward to touch his mouth with her own. She realised it was dangerous, but it was something she couldn't control. Everything about them was so highly charged.

  Ty kept very still and Morgan pressed her mouth on his. She put up her hands and rested them on his shoulders. She'd never thought she would do such a thing. Yet she had. But her subconscious had only allowed her to pursue her hidden yearnings in half- remembered dreams. He might have been a statue he sat so still, but his mouth was was warm and so desperately exciting. She wanted to trace the clean raised outline with the tip of her tongue, but she had scarcely began before he turned her back violently over his arm, dominating her with his body and crushing her mouth in a hot wave of male desire.

  The same force that impelled her now controlled him. He was holding her, kissing her with an exultant triumph, driving her head back so that he could explore her mouth more deeply. She was pinned by his lean body. He had placed it precisely for his enjoyment. Passion was a wildfire, writhing and curling and leaping, gaining ground by the moment' She wanted him to crush her like this. It was unbearably exciting.

  The tiny bodice of her evening dress had moved down, almost exposing the nipples of her breasts. The gleaming emerald material seemed to be stretched tighter as her flesh swelled in sexual arousal. The thought of his touching her made her whole body
shake. If this was what it felt like to be a woman, it was terrifying, like a free fall from a mountaintop.

  His mouth ran down her throat and the curve of her body. He lifted her, expertly finding the side zipper' though it was totally hidden, and moving the lightly boned bodice down around her waist. Now, even as his hands moved to capture her breasts, she cried out, magnetised yet aghast at the searing thrill that lanced through her.

  Her body, her breasts, were so highly sensitised, the lightest brush of his hands was exquisite pain. If he set his mouth to her nipples... She arched back instinctively, her small cries unrestrained but he only proceeded to lift her higher in his arms so that he could take her in the way that totally subjugated her.

  Her nails raked his sleeve, the paisley velvet of the sofa. Anything. If he had not been holding her so tightly, her whole body would have thrashed.

  'Morgan.'His voice was tight, tense, matching the ruthlessness of his expression.

  'Please,' she gasped wildly. 'I can't stand this.'

  'I want you.' His blue eyes devoured her, her face, her throat, her delicate torso. His hand drove down her heart-shaped body, moving over her silken legs, and she gyrated madly.

  'No, Ty, not I won't let you.' Her whole body was flaming, shockingly alive in every nerve, every cell.

  His hands moved over her legs, over and over again, as though he was seeking to control the remorseless urge to know her body.

  'Oh, please, Ty, no more.' she begged. 'What do you want me to say? I love you.'

  'This is hell!' His eyes were furious, blazing.

  'I can't believe what we're doing.' She pressed her half-naked body to him, pleading for reassurance.

  'I hadn't planned it this way, but it will happen. Every time we're together. I want to take hold of you every time I lay eyes on you. I’m shocked at what I feel. Do you really think you're the only one? I will have you, Morgan. You know it. It's inevitable.'

  'Do you have to take everything?' she asked wildly. 'Can't you do something when you see this coming?'

  'What would you suggest?' he asked violently. 'Seduce a total stranger? I want no other woman, but you. I didn't want it. It happened.'

  'I must get dressed.' she told him in an agonised voice.

  'No, don't. Let me look at you.' His voice startled her with its tenderness,