She
moved to the doorway, glancing round, suddenly aware that Alex was making his
way towards her. She didn't want to talk to him now, and she breathed a sigh of
relief as one of the numerous relatives waylaid him, slipping out of the room
unnoticed by any but those ail-seeing grey eyes.
Mrs
Ford was in the nursery with Courtney, cuddling the unusually fretful baby. 'I
think he ate too much,' she smiled as Morgan came into the room.
'Probably,'
she
smiled,
knowing
her
nephew's appetite well.
'Would you like to go down to the
kitchen and get yourself a cup of tea?' she offered. 'I'll stay with Courtney.'
Well, if you're sure...?'
'Very,'
she nodded, knowing that after Janet Fairchild's vehemence Courtney's innocence
was what she needed.
"Thank
you,' Mrs Ford smiled. 'I won't say it wouldn't be very welcome.'
Morgan
took the crying Courtney from the other woman, her expression softening as she
gazed down at his cherubic features; he had filled out in just the last week.
He stopped crying as soon as she took him into her arms.
'He
knows.' The nurse looked down at them, her own expression softened by the
lovely picture Morgan made holding the baby.
Morgan
was bemused by the perfection of the tiny human being in her arms; she never
ceased to be amazed by how beautiful her nephew was. 'Knows?' she echoed
softly, deep blue eyes staring up at her as Courtney sucked on his fist.
"That
you love him,' Mrs Ford murmured. 'Oh, I love him too, but he senses that it
isn't the same as what you feel for him. Babies are very intelligent when it
comes to the people who care for them.'
She
wondered if that were the reason Courtney invariably cried when Rita Hammond or
her daughter picked him up. And why he slept in Alex Hammond's arms? Alex was a
part of this hateful family too, and yet Courtney instinctively trusted him.
'I
shouldn't be long,' the nurse nodded.
Morgan
didn't mind how long she was, she had no inclination to go back downstairs and
join the vultures, would much prefer to spend the time with Courtney.
But
she couldn't stop herself from looking for some resemblance to Mark in the
sleepy features beneath her. The bright red hair was strictly Glenna, the blue
eyes, normal in most newborn babies, could have come from either parent. Of
course there was the determination in the little chin that the nurse at the
hospital had noticed, but Glenna had been very forceful, and Morgan had a
stubborn streak herself. No, there was not one feature to distinguish Courtney
as a Hammond.
'I
thought I might find you here.'
She
looked up at the sound of that familiar raspy voice, looking straight into Alex
Hammond's harsh face. He leant against the door-jamb watching her. She wondered
how long he had been standing there; she hadn't been aware of his presence
until he spoke.
Colour
flushed her cheeks as she recalled her thoughts of a few minutes ago. Did this
man also think Glenna had had an affair, that Courtney wasn't his brother's
child? He gave no indication of harbouring any such thoughts about Glenna, but
then he wasn't a man who gave away much of his thoughts, about anything. And
perhaps if it were the truth his mother's resentment towards Glenna needed no
further explanation.
'I
couldn't stand that circus any longer, she told him coldly, at once on the
defensive.
His
mouth tightened, but he gave no other indication of his anger, and his voice
was mild when
he spoke. 'Would you rather
no one had shown their
respect?'
'Respect
I could understand. That,' she nodded in
the
direction of downstairs, 'is no better than a farce.
They act as if this
was a party!'
'Would
you rather they all stood about crying?'
'At
least it would be more natural!'
He
gave an impatient sigh. 'You call hiding in here natural?' he scorned. 'You can
put Courtney down now,' he derided. 'He's been asleep for several minutes.'
She glanced down at the sleeping baby, then stood up
to place him in his
crib, putting her hands awkwardly
together
now that she had nothing else to occupy them.
She faced Alex
uncomfortably across the room.
'Why is it wc always meet in the nursery?' he asked
softly.
Morgan moistened her lips. 'I—I spend a lot of my
time in here.'
'I
wasn't criticising,' he said gently, 'Merely stating a fact.'
'The
facts are, Mr Hammond, that the funerals are
no
more than a valid .excuse for your mother to act the
gracious hostess,' all her resentment came to the
fore to be
directed at this man,
'and that I have just been highly
insulted by your sister.'
'Janet?'
he frowned.
Do
you have another one?' she derided.
'What
did she say to you?' His eyes were narrowed to grey slits.
'It
isn't important that you know her exact words,'
she shrugged dismissively; the enormity of what Janet
Fairchild
had said to her was still too new to take in—or share with this man.
'Some of it wasn't unlike the remarks you made to me when you came over to Los
Angeles,' her head went back in challenge. His mouth tightened ominously.
'I thought we'd agreed that I regret
that remark.'
'You
agreed,'
she said aggressively. 'I said nothing.'
'Morgan
---
•'
'Yes?'
She met his gaze defiantly,
A
pulse beat erratically in his dark cheek. 'I'm trying hard to understand that
your behaviour is
because of the pain and
loss you must be feeling today,
but don't push me too far,' he warned
softly.
'Don't pushjyow too far?' she repeated incredulously,
angrily. 'I'm supposed
to take any sort of insult this
family
dishes out, and you say
I'm
pushing
you
too far!
Well, I have news for you—Oh!' she gasped
as she was
pulled roughly against the hardness of his body.
'Alex?' Her eyes were wide with apprehension at
the
fierceness of his expression.
'Yes—Alex,'
he ground out, his eyes darkening
almost to
black as he looked down at her with savage
intensity. 'God, Morgan, you're
so beautiful!' he frowned, his head lowering as his lips claimed hers.
It
was the last thing she had expected from this
man,
and her mouth parted in a gasp of surprise as his lips met hers, allowing him
to deepen the kiss, to go
further, deeper, into the moist recesses.
She had melted at his first touch, felt pleasure at the
intimacy
of his kiss as he continued the slow druging
movement, curving her body into the
hardness of his, his hands moving restlessly from her thigh to her breasts.
The kiss might have gone on for ever, might have
become more than a
kiss, both of them caught up in
the
breathless moment of passion. But the sound of a
gasp from the open
doorway had them pulling apart, to see Rita Hammond looking at them in horror.
CHAPTER
FOUR
Morgan
was the first to move, pulling out of Alex's arms. For a
moment they tightened about her, then he released her, turning to look at the
woman in the doorway with steely eyes. 'Did you want something, Mother?' he
asked coldly. Morgan had to admire his cool. Frankly, she was a little
disconcerted herself. The kiss from Alex Hammond had been totally unexpected,
her reaction volcanic. In fact, she couldn't ever remember responding to anyone
as she had responded to Alex. Rita Hammond's interruption had been achingly
unwelcome. Her mouth still throbbed from Alex's possession, her senses still
aroused.
His
mother drew herself up to her full impressive height. 'I came to tell you Uncle
Simon is leaving. I had no idea I would be interrupting—something,' she
looked at Morgan with haughty disdain, as if it were all her fault that she had
walked in and found her son kissing her.
Alex
strode over to the door. 'Shall we go downstairs, Mother?' he prompted hardly,
giving no answer to her pointed reference to him kissing Morgan.
'I'd
like to talk to Morgan—— 'It can wait,' he bit out abruptly.
'But
---
'
Til
talk to you later, Morgan.' Alex turned to her, cutting off his mother's
protest. 'All right?' His voice had gentled. Er—yes,' she swallowed hard.
'Okay.' Alex took his mother with him, his hand firm on her
el
bow.
Morgan was relieved at his thoughtfulncss; the last thing she needed was a
run-in with Rita Hammond. Besides, she needed to assimilate her own feelings.
Alex
Hammond had always seemed so distant, so remote, she couldn't believe he had
kissed her with tuch passion. And she had kissed him back. It hadn't been an
ordinary kiss cither; his mouth on hers had affected her like no other. She was
adult enough to realise that something momentous had happened to her when Alex
kissed her. She was also adult enough to realise she didn't welcome the
complication of being sexually attracted to him. How could she even attempt to
fight him over Courtney when he affected her this way, when he would only have
to touch her for her to melt in his arms and give him anything he asked for—
including herself! It was unbelievable, incredible, and yet she knew it was
true.
The
guests were starting to leave when she at last went downstairs, and she saw
with some relief that Janet and her husband had already left. Although Rita
Hammond eyed her with dislike, and Morgan couldn't quite meet that accusing
gaze, feeling almost guilty. Which was ridiculous. Alex had initiated that kiss—
she bad merely responded! And she would again if he should ever want to kiss
her again; she knew that even though they argued constantly that Alex was the
first man ever to elicit that unreserved response from her. Rita Hammond
watched the two of them closely during dinner, almost as if she expected them
to be unable to keep their hands off each other. Morgan held back her amusement
with effort, although Alex looked angry by his mother's behaviour.
'Will
you
come
to
my
study
for
a
while?'
he requested huskily of
Morgan after the meal. 'I'd like to talk to you before you leave tomorrow.' Her
pulse began beating faster at the thought of
being alone with him again, and
she wondered if he would kiss her.
'Surely
whatever you have to say to Morgan can be said in front of me, Alex?' his
mother put in curtly.
'No,'
he pulled back Morgan's chair for her as she stood up, 'I don't think it can.'
The
older woman flushed. 'Why not?'
He
viewed her arrogantly. 'If I were to tell you that I wouldn't need to talk to
Morgan alone.'
'Then
----
'
'If
you'll excuse us?' Alex said tautly.
'But, Alex
---
'
'Later,
Mother,' he dismissed hardly, manoeuvring Morgan out of the room with his hand
firm on her elbow.
Morgan
studied him beneath lowered lashes. He certainly was forceful! When he said no
one argued with him, he really meant no one. Rita Hammond had looked furious!
And
Alex looked magnificent, his black dinner suit fitting him superbly,
emphasising the lean strength of his body, the white silk shin making his skin
appear darker. Morgan wondered why she hadn't been aware of his attractiveness
earlier.
A
small fire had been lit in the study, the evenings beginning to cool to autumn
now. Morgan moved to the chair opposite his across the desk, unconsciously
graceful in the clinging black dress, her arms and throat bare, the dress
caught over one shoulder in a Grecian style.
'Come
and sit over here,' Alex invited huskily, standing next to the leather sofa in
front of the fire. 'It's more comfortable.'
She
frowned, but stood up to move to the sofa anyway, feeling a sense of surprise
as he sat next to her, his thighs almost touching hers. Almost .. . That made
her more aware of him than ever! 'Do I need to be more comfortable?' she asked
lightly.
He
grimaced. 'For what I have to say, yes, I think to.'
Morgan
instantly tensed. 'It sounds ominous.'
'I'm
hoping not,' he said dryly. 'My talk concerns Courtney.'
'Of
course. Now why should she feel disappoint
ment in that? Courtney was the only reason she was in England.
Wasn't he ...?
'Although
my problem of solving the problem is unorthodox,' he added reluctantly.