His hand was extended to hold hers, but anxiety crawled on her skin like ants. She turned her nose. Why didn’t he believe in love? He’d been so nonchalant in his answer.
She wanted to prove hers, but was that enough? She held her tongue and walked into his arms as she said, “Sure. I'd like to see your sister anyhow.”
Rebecca held his belt buckle, her head bowed, needing to tell him her feelings.
He snapped his fingers. “Wait. One more thing.”
She took her hands off him as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small jewelry box. Her heart skipped. Marriage? So soon? She pressed her palm to her heart and asked, “What’s this?”
“Not a ring.” He handed it to her. “Having a girlfriend is new for me and I wanted to get you something.”
“I’m happy we’re together.” Her face heated and she studied the marble floor. Right. They hadn’t known each other long enough to even think about marriage. Rebecca cracked open the box to reveal a beautiful gold dove with diamonds dangling on a gold chain. “This is beautiful.”
He took it from her and clasped it around her neck as he said, “I wanted to give it to you before we left the hotel, but it slipped my mind.”
Bart kissed her cheek. She swallowed and shook the clouds from her mind. Bart was sweet and wonderful, but she still pursed her lips and asked, “Why did you forget earlier?”
“I was distracted by work but I’m here with you now… do you like?”
“Oh my goodness… Yes. It’s beautiful and I love it. I just wondered why you bought me a necklace. No one’s ever bought me jewelry before.”
He squeezed her side and motioned with his head to leave as he said, “I was in a good mood and the dove reminded me of you. It’s a sign of peace and also the bird in the Noah story that went out first in search of land, like you went out and found me.”
“Now I truly love this. You picked it out yourself. Thank you.” Her heart beat differently as it always did with him. She tried to breathe normally as she stayed in step and they headed downstairs toward the back door. “Did your meetings stress you out? You never said that at the hotel.”
“I’m fine now.” He winked at her. “And today was finally good. I had peace of mind today. After months of horrible meetings, I think I found some interesting tech. You were my good luck charm.”
“I'm so glad.” Rebecca needed to remember her life was good and she shouldn’t let her crazy thoughts run away with her happiness. “And when I put my design on paper, you don’t have to like it or anything. I’ll share because I trust you.”
“Then I’m honored to see it when you’re ready.” Bart treated her like a princess.
Except, she wasn’t a princess.
They walked out of a patio door to a cement patio overlooking the docked yachts, surrounded by luxury. Bart had brought her into this.
Was moving in with him a breach of her own integrity? She’d never wanted to be a gold digger and worked very hard for the security she'd earned.
Her thoughts consumed her and she ignored the scenery until she heard the laughter of his family coming from Axel's home.
Everyone was having a good time. She needed to shake off her crazy thoughts. Bart kept his hand on her lower back and murmured, “Let's head into the party so I can introduce you as last time I was so focused on showing you the yacht and then you told me about Aurelia.”
Right. His family. She was here to make a good impression. She ignored the tremble inside her gut. Her hands no longer had one speck of oil, and she was wearing a token of Bart's affection. “Okay. No one will know what we just did?”
He laughed, kissed her, and the slight scratch of his five o’clock shadow tickled her cheek.
Earlier had been amazing. He led her inside. “Not unless you tell them.”
Her body was still warm and she tapped into the memory of his touch to forget her fears. “Okay, Bart.”
They entered the back of Axel's home and Bart picked up more glasses that she guessed he wouldn't drink. She would follow his lead. He handed her one and then guided her toward more people as he said, “Gio. Kiwi, this is my new girlfriend, Rebecca.”
Kiwi radiated in purple. She smiled brightly and said, “Nice to meet you, Rebecca.”
Kiwi could easily be a model, just like half the women in the room Bart claimed were all related. Rebecca’s pulse zipped. “You, too.”
Before she could ask a polite question, Bart guided her away from them--he pointedly stared at her best friend, who spoke to another man who was only a few inches shorter than Bart. She stayed at his side. “Who is the man that Aurelia is speaking with?”
Bart's face darkened but he slipped his arm around her waist and said, “Anthony, but we’ll circle back to them in a minute.”
He led her toward a young woman with dark hair and a sophistication far beyond her years. He bowed and said, “Valentina, I didn’t know you were here in Miami.”
She waited for him to introduce her, but Bart didn't. Her pulse spiked. The young beauty nodded at her and said, “My father remarried his first wife. Caro is my half-sister and Rafe is my half-brother.”
Bart smiled. “So we’re like family again.”
Valentina grinned in response and asked Bart, “And this is?”
His face flushed, but he squeezed her side. “Rebecca, my girlfriend.”
Valentina offered to shake hands. “Nice to meet you.”
If this woman was competition Rebecca was in trouble. She didn’t fit into this world of beauty queens.
He rubbed her lower back and said, “Rebecca, Valentina also grew up in my small town.”
Valentina laughed. “And Bart was always very sweet.”
Without another word Bart waved goodbye and redirected them toward another man, who was Bart’s size or maybe an inch taller. She couldn’t ignore the buzz of jealousy in her veins as she said, “Valentina’s beautiful.”
He was already moving on. “She was a funny kid. Come.” He directed them toward a man who wore a rather large ornate ring on his pinky. “Lorenzo.”
The man bowed toward her and said, “Bart. You’ve brought the same woman twice now. This lovely lady must be important.”
Her heart picked up. At least his family had noticed. Bart repeated, “Rebecca is my girlfriend.”
She blinked and let her stupid fear go. He’d claimed her to everyone here when he didn’t have to. Her heart swelled with hope that one day he might love her.
His brother winked. “Good luck with this one.”
Wait. Her lips pursed as she turned toward Bart and asked, “What does he mean, good luck?”
He leaned close and hugged her as he said, “He’s teasing. Come, it’s time to meet Anthony.”
Lorenzo backed away. Her friend still stood with the twin Rebecca had never heard of, but she focused on Melissa. She needed a quick dose of reality. She stayed in step beside Bart. “Okay.”
Melissa, Aurelia, knew everything about Rebecca and this was her family. Rebecca’s skin grew jumpy as she joined them. Bart said, “Anthony, Aurelia, it’s nice to see you together again.”
His arm was around her waist. The excitement that carried her because Bart was hers took over her thoughts. She glanced at Aurelia. She needed to speak to her--hopefully she was still Melissa, at least a little, because Rebecca needed her friend right now.
Anthony broke the silence with a challenge to Bart. “Luke said he confirmed she’s our sister because of you.”
Bart’s eyes blazed at Anthony's attitude. “I believed her right away, but there is a lot of money on the table.”
Anthony widened his stance. “You couldn’t let me decide if she was my twin?”
Her head whipped back and forth between the two men and she forgot about her own worries. Would they fight?
Aurelia tugged her twin’s arm. “Anthony.”
Anthony met her gaze and then lowered his head as he said, “Right. Sorry. I’ve had a lot on my mind.”
>
Bart nodded at Aurelia and then asked Anthony, “Any word on Jennifer?”
Anthony shook his head. "Nothing."
A gasp sounded behind her and Rebecca turned to see her favorite actress on the outdoor television.
A few of the Morgans had stopped in front of the TV to watch while Anthony said to Bart, “She fell off the face of the earth it seems. I would have thought that impossible as she’s a famous actress.”
Huh? Rebecca’s head pivoted back to the conversation but she pointed to the TV as she asked, “Jennifer Gonzales?”
Anthony didn’t follow where she directed as he asked, “Yes, you know her?”
Bart turned on his heel. “She’s on TV over there.”
All four of them walked closer to the TV as Anthony asked Peter, who stood with his wife, “What’s she saying?”
Peter said, “She married someone in Vegas.”
Anthony placed his hand on his heart like he’d been shot. Rebecca pressed her lips together. He was clearly the dramatic one in the family which was funny because Matthew Morgan was an award winning actor.
“Who?” Anthony asked.
Peter’s wife gave Anthony a look of pity and said, “The press is saying it’s someone she just met.”
“I have to go.” Anthony marched out of the house.
Aurelia called, “Anthony!”
Bart gently bumped into his sister and said, “Let him go. She’s not pregnant which meant she had the baby.”
Aurelia's brow lifted in confusion. “I’m worried.”
Bart hugged his sister and said, “We all are--but the rest of us are glad you’re here, Aurelia, and I promise we’re not so… involved with drama.”
Aurelia crossed her arms. “Anthony was always super sensitive, though he was good at pretending he was macho and nothing affected him.”
“I understand.” He released Aurelia and returned to Rebecca. Aurelia gave his hand on her waist a pointed look. “I’m going to get a drink and speak to Valentina. Lorenzo promised me a ride home so you two can spend some time together.”
Her heart sped up. She needed to clear the air with Aurelia quick. She needed her friend. She patted his arm on her side and asked, “Bart, can I speak to your sister alone for a minute?”
Aurelia didn’t move.
Good.
Bart kissed her cheek. “I’ll be right over there.”
Life with him was unbelievable and amazing. She needed to get a grip but that required changing more than she already had. She waited until he walked a few feet away and steeled her nerves.
Aurelia leased close and asked, “What’s going?”
Rebecca put her untouched glass down, tension filling her as she stalled and said, “Nothing. I wanted to check on you. There are a lot of Morgans. Are you okay?”
Aurelia exhaled and blew a lock of dark brown hair off her forehead. “I’m glad to see everyone again but it’s surreal for me--I thought for so long that I wasn't wanted."
She remembered the sadness that never seemed to go away and hoped now her friend could heal. "It is good that you are here."
"How is Bart treating you?”
This was it. Her hands shook a little. “He’s… been introducing me, as his girlfriend.”
Aurelia glimmered in gold in the dim lighting. “Good! I’m happy for you.”
Rebecca turned her back to the others in the room and whispered, “He doesn’t know my dad owns a garage, or that I work in one.”
“Lying isn’t you at all.” Aurelia's flushed face lost some of its color when she asked, “Why didn’t you tell him?”
Seriously? They'd grown up next door--that neighborhood was nothing at all like this. She had to see how different this family was to everything Rebecca knew. “It just hasn’t come up in conversation yet. Bart’s life is nothing like mine and I’m struggling to explain how different we are, but I will.”
Aurelia touched her gold earring--a nervous habit. “I know you will. But Bart had to deal with my father, which left scars. It seems everyone in the room did.”
Rebecca had no idea how it was to be raised by an evil man. Her father was great and her mother, absent. But that didn’t stop the ice racing through her veins as she thought about telling him that she worked with her hands as a mechanic. “What if it's a deal breaker?”
Aurelia nudged her shoulder. “If he treats you bad about your family, let me know.”
She still seemed like her old friend, Melissa, and the new name would be hard to get used to. “Please don’t tell him. I want to tell him myself.”
Aurelia raised her hand up like a girl scout. “Good. I won’t say a word, Rebecca. I trust you’ll make the right decision, as you always do.”
Finally. She could breathe again as she said, “Thank you.”
“We’re friends.” Aurelia straightened.
Rebecca hugged her and then they quickly said goodbye. Rebecca walked to where Bart stood, alone. “Are you and Aurelia done?”
Tell him about her past? Maybe. Once she proved her love she’d explain her poor beginnings. She looped her arm with his as she said, “For now. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”
He tugged her to walk with him as he said, “Good, because the car is outside. We have one more night at the hotel.”
Wow. They hadn't stayed long. They said goodbye to Axel and Emily, as if they were regular folks--but they weren't.
Talking to stars seemed surreal.
They walked outside and the tropical breeze relaxed her. Bart stopped her near the musical fountain and said, “This time when we take that dress off, you won’t have to put it back on.”
She laughed and hugged his neck and shoulders. He lowered his face to kiss her and she batted her eyes. “Bart?”
“Yeah?” He held her close and she could feel his hardness already.
How was he ready so fast? But a thrill raced through her, stronger than a spark. “I’m happy.”
“Good.” He claimed her lips.
His kiss burned into her soul. Life as his girlfriend for now was more than enough. Love came later, with patience.
Chapter 12
Bart untangled himself from the white sheets that still held Rebecca and tried to stay quiet.
He glanced down at Rebecca’s cherry-red hair with blonde streaks underneath splayed across her pillow.
Last night they'd come together many times, so she had to still be tired.
She was beautiful, sweet and kind. At the party she’d maneuvered beside him as an expert, not getting bogged down in too many conversations. The skill was valuable in his life, and she was a natural.
He kissed her cheek and headed into the shower. As the water hit his body, he sang an Italian love song he hadn't heard in years.
Bart never sang, but for once he had almost everything. A good woman, a promising tech, and a way to leave a lasting legacy that might somehow cure all the evil his father had privately done.
Today, he was buying a house closer to his Miami family, which wasn’t something he'd intended to do, but now that he had Rebecca, it was like he had a right to stay here and take his place as a real Morgan, not one that lived on a different continent.
Rebecca was still asleep when he returned to the bedroom and found his suit. He dressed and ordered breakfast for them.
He decided to wait for her in the dining room and took out his tablet to work.
Birds sang outside his window and the heat of the day warmed his skin as he sipped his coffee in the air-conditioned suite.
Life was good with a good woman beside him. He hadn’t realized the truth of that until now. He read the reports with a smile on his face until he heard Rebecca’s footsteps. He put his tablet down as she entered the dining room with plates under silver cloches. He stood for her to join him and said, “I ordered us breakfast.”
She took the seat and smiled brightly once she had her coffee in her hands.
Rebecca was like a beacon of sunshine on a cloudy day. His life had b
een murky until she'd showed up. She ate some scrambled eggs in silence but stopped when she saw him staring.
His face felt hot and he picked up his fork. “Let’s finish breakfast.”
When they were done, Rebecca poured them both a second cup. He said, “I have one more meeting with the inventor and our lawyers in the conference room. Can you wait here until I’m done or do you want to go somewhere?”
She studied him with her deep blue eyes. His skin prickled like she might be upset, but then she pursed her lips and asked, “I… how long will you be? I was going to head to FIU to learn my way around with Mel… Aurelia.”
This was his job. He found inventors and technology to invest in and made huge profits when the inventions took off. He stroked his chin. “I’ll be about two hours. We can meet when you get back. You said was?”
“Aurelia texted that there was something pressing at work she had to deal with today.” She played with the dove necklace he’d given her and rearranged her plans for the day. “Okay. I want to go visit my dad and reschedule my tour. So I’ll meet you back here for lunch then?”
“Whatever you want is fine with me.” His shoulders relaxed. She was thinking about her family, not his work. He finished his coffee and got to his feet. “See you soon.”
“Okay, my love.” She stood, wrapping her arms around him.
Love? His ears buzzed. He glanced down his nose at her. “Wait, what?”
Her face turned red and she trembled in his arms. “Nothing. Have a good day.”
She rose on her tiptoes and kissed his lips.
He pulled her into a deeper kiss and demanded more. She tasted like heaven and he didn’t want it to end.
It was difficult but he left the presidential suite--her voice with the word "love" like a fly trapped in his mind.
Love didn’t exist. At least not for him. What he saw in movies was nothing to how he'd been raised. His mother had loved them, but her involvement with his father had been poison. The mixture meant he was better off never loving anyone and not passing along his father’s tainted blood to any other generation.
He arrived in the conference room and sat between his lawyers while they discussed the paperwork until the door cracked open and the young gangly inventor came inside, wringing his hands.
Secret Admirer (The House of Morgan Book 13) Page 10
