“Right.” She hoped Caro was on the level with her. It would be nice to make friends inside his family and she had nothing in common with celebrities.
The shorter assistant motioned for Rebecca take the dress off. Rebecca nodded, but Caro grabbed her hand and stared at her short nails. “Rebecca, what happened to your nails?”
Huh? She glanced down and saw specks of black oil. She tugged her hand away as her face felt hot. “Oh. Nothing.”
Caro tapped her lower lip and then spoke like she was giving orders. “I’ll ensure we have essential lavender and extra virgin olive oil. Let your hands soak in that to get the oil out. Motor oil?”
One of the women who worked for her rushed out, likely to get the supplies.
The shorter one answered the knock as her lunch from room service had arrived.
Rebecca stepped back with embarrassment. “How did you know it was oil?”
Caro lowered her voice and said, “I was a maid for a while. I can get stains out of floors, fabrics and even skin.”
A maid? Caro was seriously a fashion goddess, according to Meli… er, Aurelia’s discussion on the clothing lines she’d overheard. Rebecca’s breathing returned to normal and she said, “Well, thanks.”
Caro’s assistant returned with the ingredients and mixed it together in a bowl. Caro ignored her staff and asked, “Are you and Bart getting serious?”
Rebecca smiled. This was easier to discuss than the job she hadn't told Bart about yet. “He’s wonderful.”
Caro took the bowl and set it on the living room table, pointing Rebecca toward a soak. “I’ll take that as a yes. I don’t know him well, as the family is always adapting, but Kiwi, his newest sister-in-law, has been trying to figure out a life in Italy and Miami both. You should talk to her tonight. And if you want beauty tips, Serenity owns a spa, and she knows more about health and beauty than anyone I've ever met. The… our makeup line will be launching in the spring, but she always makes room for us.”
Makeup. Beauty. Fashion. Aurelia would fit into this world. Rebecca’s hand trembled inside the bowl--this wasn’t her normal life at all. “I will and thanks for everything.”
Caro directed her team toward the door and they started taking out the racks. The taller one hung the green dress on a hanger over the door--was it done? Caro said, “I’m always happy to help the people who brighten my family. The Morgans have been my second family long before I married Luke.”
This life was transformative and completely opposite of anything she’d ever really experienced. She lifted her hand from the bowl and wiped it on a soft cotton towel, then followed Caro out. “How did you transition from maid to fashion goddess?”
Caro hugged her and said, “I was always interested in designing. I teamed up with Victoria, as she had the vision for a company that lets me create. If you and Bart become serious, you’ll find where you fit. I get the sense you’re one of the smarter ones.”
“I didn’t go to college yet.”
“Yet means it’s in the plans, so I stand by my thoughts.”
Rebecca had no grand life vision like Caro, just an idea for a better battery, which might come to nothing and didn’t equal a career. She’d figure it out. For now, she knew how to handle a wrench and an engine and had an interest in engineering. She opened the door for them. “And your husband is the doctor?”
Caro stopped, widening her eyes. “Luke? Yes. Why?”
Rebecca pressed her lips together. No matter what else came of all this, at least she'd helped her friend return to her previous life. She couldn’t say that though, so she chose her words with care. “My… my friend has an appointment with him today.”
“Well, I hope she’s okay. See you tonight.” Caro directed her crew toward the elevator.
Rebecca held the door. “Goodbye.”
They left, and she took her cheeseburger and sat down with the oil. She soaked one hand and ate her meal with the other.
If this picture ever got out to the paparazzi, she could just imagine the gossip--but the burger and fries gave her energy.
Once she was done and the black specks were gone from her nail beds, she showered and changed.
Rebecca wiggled into the dress, hoping no one noticed the slight pouch of her lunch that now showed up. No wonder models didn't eat. Other than the one flaw, the dress sparkled against her skin. Despite the red in her hair and her blue eyes, somehow the emerald was a pretty color on her. She twirled in the mirror to see how the dress allowed her to move, when behind her she heard applause. She turned and saw Bart.
The gleam in his eyes made her heart speed up and she smiled wide.
He crossed the room and bowed in front of her. “You look beautiful, Rebecca.”
Life with Bart was a dream. Her skin buzzed and she lowered her head, uncharacteristically shy. “I’m ready. I just need my shoes and we can go.”
He held her waist and she glanced up at him as he said, “First things first.”
“What?” She blinked.
She knew this party was important to him--would he give her instructions on decorum? He pulled her against him and smiled. “After the party, we’ll spend the evening, alone.”
That she knew how to do. “Sounds wonderful.” Bart's lips claimed hers and she let out a small moan while the rest of the world dissipated into nothing. Temptation had never tasted like this.
Chapter 10
This afternoon’s meetings had been promising. Bart had met Will, who had decent tech experience and a theory that needed more testing, but early figures showed the young man had the potential to cure global warming.
Bart could provide funding for testing in exchange for exclusivity if the technology worked.
He tucked his phone away and glanced around the limo until his gaze landed on Rebecca. She seemed… bubbly and sweet tonight.
He smiled at her as the limo stopped in front of a condo near the beach to pick up Aurelia for the party on Starr Island. She took his hand and he thought of all the fun things he had planned for later but said, “The party already started.”
She pointed to the sidewalk near the glass lobby and the small bench. “Melissa is here.”
The limo driver stopped and Aurelia popped her head in, dressed in all shimmery gold, and her hair done in a twist. She smiled brightly at them but focused on Rebecca. “Wow, you look gorgeous, and much nicer without your jeans you usually wear.”
Rebecca smiled like Aurelia’s words mattered and she’d just received an A on a test. “Thanks… Melissa?”
Huh, he wasn’t sure he could call his sister by any other name. He waited and Aurelia met his gaze with a nod. “We better start transitioning to Aurelia. I met Luke this afternoon. He said he’ll announce my DNA results at the party.”
Perfect. His heart recognized his sister, but it would be good to have evidence to back up the feeling. “That’s fast.”
Aurelia climbed in and sat back with a happy grin. “He said he’d rush it.”
His sister was the younger version of their mother, entirely. He scooted forward. “For the record, I already know you’re my sister.”
She patted his hand. “Good, Bart. I've missed you.”
She even felt a little like Mom, which was strange. She ended the touch and he said, “I wished you’d called.”
Aurelia tugged on the gold knot at her ear and then shrugged. “I thought… I thought I wasn’t wanted, and that I'd been thrown out. It was hard.”
He settled back next to Rebecca, who smelled like roses and lavender tonight. “And wrong. We all want you in our lives again.”
The limo drove onto Starr Island and soon they’d be at the party. Aurelia asked, “So what’s going on with Anthony and why does he need help?”
He glanced at Rebecca, who had no siblings. She was his and he’d keep her. He folded his hands in front of him to explain their brother. “He’s in love with a woman who doesn’t love him back. What’s worse is Jennifer is having, or has had, his child, wit
hout telling him where she is, and she's lied to him for the entire pregnancy about the paternity.”
Aurelia’s eyes widened. “That’s horrible.”
“You thought she was the love of Peter’s life when Jennifer is much more divisive than that.”
“I’ll never believe anything I read about her again.” The limo waited in line to bring them to Axel’s home on Starr Island.
He shifted on the leather seat. “The tabloids can't be trusted. The horrible part is that Anthony emulates our father.”
Aurelia coughed like she’d be violently ill and Rebecca patted her gold knee. “Why would he want to be like him?”
Bart replayed a conversation in his mind he’d had with his brother back in Rome, before Jennifer, but after their mother had died. He repeated Anthony’s words. “Because no one could hurt our father.”
His sister pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. “No one could hurt him because he didn’t have a heart.”
True. The limo stopped in front of Axel's house. Rebecca began to inch forward but he wrapped his arm around her to hold her as he told his sister, “Don’t tell Fiona, his French mistress, that.”
The door opened, and the three stepped out onto the pavement of the modern mansion as his sister asked, “Why?”
Rebecca stayed at his side and didn’t say anything--he felt her tension.
He’d get her alone in a minute so she could relax, but he quickly told his sister, “She was apparently in love with our father in a way neither our mother nor his actual wife ever was.”
“Why?” Music from Axel’s band, Indigo Five, played as they headed up the walkway.
The sprinkles of water in the fountain danced to the music on both sides. His French relatives had mixed rock and roll with Versailles in design. Bart explained what he knew. “I’ve no idea, but Mitch the third, Damien, Axel, and Galen are all nice men. Their sister, Catherine, was kidnapped and raised away from her mother and brothers.”
He rang the bell. Aurelia asked, “Will she be here tonight?”
A servant opened the door and they heard laughter inside. They stepped over the all-white threshold and into the bright lights of the party. He pointed toward the blonde woman at the bar talking to young Valentina, whom he hadn’t seen in ages, but he hadn’t been to his family’s villa since his father had died. “She’s over there. The blonde. The dark-haired girl is Valentina, from our village.”
“I remember Valentina.” Aurelia pulled away from them. “Wish me luck. I want to go introduce myself to the others.”
Bart would let her do this her way. Aurelia was safe here, among their family, and right now his girlfriend had somehow deflated. “Rebecca, come.” He held out his hand.
She met his gaze, but stalled when he tried to direct her. She picked up the pace a moment later and stayed beside him as they walked through the party. “Where are we going?”
He shook hands, greeting people as he directed her through the house and toward the backdoor that led to the coastline with a sidewalk beside the docks. His brothers were busy in conversation and hadn't noticed him. Rebecca’s skin had a glow to it. “You look more and more beautiful. I wanted to steal you away for a little.”
She clasped his hand as he led her away from the mansion. She looked backward over her shoulder toward the doors. “But we just arrived?”
They'd have to go in and be social but he massaged her lower back and said, “A small walk and we’ll return.”
“To your yacht?” She pointed toward it in front of them.
He directed her past the yacht. The moon shone in her bright hair as he held her tight and his pulse sped up. “No. To the house I liked the best.”
She sucked in her breathe as they passed the hedges “Oh. Okay.” She tugged on his suit jacket and turned away from the pool that overlooked the water as they went up the back pathway. “Wait. This is next door.”
True. Axel had bought his next to Mitch’s, across from Peter’s, and two doors down from Elizabeth. Then four houses down another set of Morgans all lived. He didn’t explain all that but summed it up with, “Most of the island is now Morgan property. If we buy all the houses here, then we can shut down access to anyone not related.”
He walked her toward the backdoor that was supposed to be unlocked for him as she asked, “Is that the plan?”
He twisted the knob and the door opened without an issue--he led her inside the dark house. Instinctively he turned to the right and flipped a switch, letting the main room fill with white light. “Not necessarily. A few neighbors that aren't related here and there might be good for the soul.”
She circled the room, her gaze on the ceiling that was three floors high. Each wing had its own smaller apartments and uses. “I see.”
He walked her toward the bar that had wine glasses and a bottle of merlot from his brother Gio’s estate. He poured. “So what do you think of this house?”
She took the glass he offered and nodded. In the quiet space, in her designer green dress, he could envision Rebecca as his lady. Until she’d found him, he never thought once of settling down with one woman. But with her at his side, he wanted to be a better man.
He followed her as she walked around the room again, pausing to study a landscape of the Italian countryside as she said, “I think it’s lovely. This living room could host your entire family.”
He sipped his wine and stared at her figure. Rebecca was the one accessory he needed right now. Bart put his glass down, practically untouched, and wrapped his arms around her waist. “And there is also room for my yacht--but I didn't want to agree without talking to you. What is your style?”
She considered this and set her glass aside. “It’s modern.”
Italy was drenched in history. Rebecca was different and he needed another taste. He kissed her delicate, sweet skin at her nape until she turned around in his arms and offered her lips. Then, like he was starving in the desert, he claimed her mouth like he’d found salvation. She sighed and moaned, “Oh.”
This morning, he’d heard her orgasmic screams and he needed that again. He directed them up the stairs and toward the master suite. He didn’t bother to flip on lights. “And this would be our bedroom.”
She stepped out of his arms, walked toward the window, and opened it.
He flipped the light on to watch her as he wasn’t sure what she was doing, but then she waved for him to join her and asked, “What’s that sound?”
He crossed the room with a frown. “You shouldn’t hear the party or anything in here.”
She reached for his arm and smiled as she said, “No. Listen. It’s the ocean. It’s lovely.”
Rebecca melted the hardness inside him and his skin prickled. He stood beside her and asked, “Will you live here with me?
She nibbled her lower lip and scanned the room, taking in the white sheets on the bed with light blue trim. “This is prettier than I ever imagined.”
He pulled her closer and asked, “Is that a yes?”
“Yes. Of course.” She hugged him tighter. With Rebecca, he had everything.
Her perfume made his body harder as he wanted to see her naked, right here, right now. He forced himself to slow down. “Good. I’ll want to meet your father soon.”
Her eyes narrowed as she stepped back. “My father?”
Bart hadn’t meant to say anything like that, at least not yet. He unknotted his tie. “Yes. He cares for you, and I want him to know that I’m not like my father.”
"Not necessary." She massaged her temples. “He doesn’t know your father to compare you.”
The last thing he wanted was to scare Rebecca away. He kissed her cheek and reached for her zipper at her back. “One search on the internet will have him alarmed. And he doesn’t need to worry about you.”
She moved to help him unzip her dress but glanced over her shoulder at him as she said, “I’ll be sure he knows I'm okay. He trusts my judgment because he taught me to take care of myself.”
; Success. He pulled the zipper down. Her clear skin had been made for tasting--she was addictive. He teased her body. “Good, because I’d like for you to come with me and visit Italy soon and an American woman should never go outside in Rome… by herself.”
“Why?”
“You’d be pursued by all as a goddess.”
“I don’t need that. I just want you--but what about my classes?” She didn’t move his arms away.
He kissed her neck. “Can be scheduled and arranged so you don’t miss anything you need.”
She sighed and held him tighter--her eyes blazed with desire as she said, “You’ve thought of everything.”
“I do own a jet.” They needed to work out. Everything about Rebecca created an ache only she could heal. He guided her toward the bed. “I’m hoping you’ll help me test this mattress and decide if this room has the right acoustics for you.”
“I’m not a singer,” she said before she kissed him.
Her lips were like berries he’d just discovered. He laughed and once he finished his attention on her bottom lip he said, “We’ll have to work on that scream of yours.”
“Bart!” She joined him in passion.
Their bodies uniting this morning was a good memory, but he needed another time. It was possible that he’d never get enough of Rebecca.
Chapter 11
Rebecca’s heart raced. She’d held herself back from screaming that she loved Bart while they’d been in that bed.
And hopefully this was their bed because if she didn’t wash those sheets later, someone might find out what they'd been up to.
Her recital of that old superstition probably worked in the same rationale of packing extra underwear for a trip in case you need it. She’d never needed it, but always packed it.
Bart walked out of the bathroom, putting his tie back on. She was already in her green dress and walked over to him to help him fix it. As she reached for the knot, she asked, “Bart, do you believe in love?”
He shrugged, fixed his shirt and shook his head. “No. Not really. Are you ready to go back to the party now?”
Secret Admirer (The House of Morgan Book 13) Page 9
