Lifelong Affair (12 page)

Morgan
could see the other woman's curiosity was aroused as she and Alex once more
retired to his study, but neither of them offered an explanation for going.

Alex
seated himself behind the desk this time, at once putting them on a
businesslike footing. His gaze was intent on her composed features. 'Did you
come to a decision while you were away?'

This
time she was ready for his directness, and she answered calmly. 'Yes,
 
did.'

Something flickered in his eyes and then
faded. He sighed. 'I can understand your saying no, you don't even know me, and
it would be a lifetime commitment to a stranger.' He stood up to pace the room.
'A life without love and---'

'I'm
not going to say no, Alex,' she put in softly.

He
turned to face her sharply, his eyes narrowing. 'You aren't?'

'No.'

'Why
not?'

She
gave a mocking smile at his surprise. 'I must say you aren't being very
flattering when I've just accepted your proposal of marriage,' she taunted.

He ran a hand through the thick darkness of
his hair. 'It's unexpected
'

'Don't
you want me to marry you?

'Of
course,' he said stiffly.

"Don't
you consider yourself eligible?' she mocked.

'I've
never thought about it!'

'Then
you should. I accept your proposal, Alex. I'll marry you.' She was coolly
composed.
He blinked. 'When?'

She
shrugged. 'As soon as my work in America has finished, I suppose.'

'Very well,' he moved to sit behind the desk
once
more, 'I'll make all the arrangements
   
'

I
haven't finished yet, Alex,' she interrupted softly. 'I'll accept your proposal
with certain changes made in the agreement.'

'Yes?'
He was wary now.

Morgan
laughed softly and stood up, very slender in a dark bottle-green dress that
made her hair look like a flame, her eyes deeper in the reflected colour.
'Don't look so worried, Alex,' she taunted. 'I'm not going to ask you to sign
over the family fortune to me.'

'Mary-Beth
would,' he derided.

Her
mouth twisted. lf Mary-Beth threatened
you
I have a feeling she'd
come to a nasty end,' she grimaced. 'My first change is that I won't be in
Power
Trap
after
this season. I've asked to be written out of it, and the producers have
agreed.'

'You're
giving up your career?' he frowned.

'Yes,'
she nodded. 'For now, at least. Courtney needs a full-time mother, not a
part-time one. That's another change I would like to make.' She looked at him
challengingly.

Alex
sat back in his chair with a look of resigned expectation. 'Yes?' he prompted.

'I
want to take care of the baby myself, no nanny. Yes, Alex,' she insisted as he
went to protest. 'Mrs Ford will be leaving soon, and I do know how to look
after Courtney.'

'I
don't doubt it,' he said gently. 'It's just that caring for a baby is a big
responsibility, a twenty-four hour a day job.'

'One
I shall love. I'll make a deal with you, Alex,' she told him. 'If after a month
you don't think I can cope you can get him a nanny. How's that?'

He
sighed. 'By the confidence in your voice I would say it's a one-sided deal.
Okay,' he gave a rueful shrug, 'if that's what you really want.'

'It
is,' she nodded. 'Now I come to the last change I want to make.'

'There's
more?' he groaned.

She
swallowed hard. 'Yes. I—This part could be a little embarrassing,' she
chewed on her bottom lip.

His icy gaze searched her face, his mouth
tightening. 'I understand," he bit out abruptly. 'You
would rather we didn't have a physical relationship,' he sighed. 'I'm a little
skeptical that a marriage can work without it, but I
------
'

'Alex,
you have it all wrong again,' she told him impatiently. 'Stop jumping to
conclusions.

'Sorry!'

She
smiled at his sarcasm. 'I'm arguing with you again, aren't I?'

'Yes,'
he sighed.

'
don't mean to. I just want you to listen to me.' She straightened her
shoulders. 'I want you, Alex. I want you very badly.' She saw the ruddy hue
colour his cheeks. 'I've thought of nothing else but you since I went away. I
want to be your wife, Alex, but not as a part-time lover. I want to share a
bedroom with you, not have to make a trip across a corridor or through a
connecting door.' She gave a half smile. 'If I did that every time I wanted to
spend the night with you the carpet between our two rooms would be worn away!'
she attempted to joke.

He cleared his throat, obviously unnerved by
her bluntness. 'I—You
    
'

She
gave a self-derisive laugh. 'Now I've embarrassed you. And I didn't mean
to, she sighed. 'But I've never felt this way before, never wanted a man the
way I want you. I wanted to be honest about the attraction, that's all.'

'I'm
not embarrassed,' he dismissed. 'A little surprised perhaps, but not really
embarrassed. Did you see Sam while you were away?'

She
frowned at the unexpectedness of the question. 'Yes . ..'

'And
that didn't change the desire you feel for me?'

'No,'
she answered instantly.

He
turned away, staring down into the fireplace. 'If we're dealing in honesty I
think I should tell you I feel that electricity between us too. I've tried to
push it to the back of my mind the last few days, but I haven't been able to
forget the feel or taste of you. What I'm trying to say is that I share your
need, that I'd like to protect the carpet at all costs,' he made an attempt to
lighten the tension that suddenly filled the room. But it didn't work, the
electricity sparking a fire between them. 'Morgan . . .!' he groaned.

She
went into his arms willingly, meeting the hunger in him with one of her own,
kissing and touching
him
as fiercely as he touched her.

'Will
you come to my room with me now?' he groaned raggedly. 'I need you!'

She
wanted to—she could imagine nothing more ecstatic than spending the night
in his arms, in his bed. And yet she held back from that final commitment,
wanting her wedding night to be the first time she knew his full possession.

'No?'
He sensed her reserve, and pulled back, the flush of passion to his cheeks.
'Are you just like all women after all, I wonder? he rasped. 'You admitted
wanting me, but that admission drew one from me in return,' his mouth twisted.
Til never be controlled by the use of a physical attraction, Morgan,' he
snapped, pushing her fully away from him. 'No woman's body is worth losing even
one ounce of self-respect or self-control.'

He
 
spoke
 
with an
 
inner
 
bitterness
 
that
 
caused

Morgan
pain—because he spoke from personal experience! Now she knew the reason
for his aloofness, his solitariness. There had once been a woman in his life, a
woman he loved, who had used her body to blackmail him in the relationship.
Only rime would show him that she wasn't like that, that she was as weakened by
wanting him as he would be in wanting her.

'I
accept all your conditions, Morgan,' he rasped coldly, distant from her now.
'I'll inform my mother of our marriage in the morning-'

At
least she would be spared the other woman's wrath for one more night.
 
But what about Alex's

coldness? She put out a hand to him. 'Alex
  
'

He
evaded that hand without being too pointed about it. 'I have some work to do
now,' he dismissed abruptly.

She
nodded. 'I shall be free of all commitments in

America in two weeks' time. I
 
'

'Does
that include Sam?' His eyes were glacial. 'Of course,' she flashed. 'I intend
being a faithful wife, Alex. You may do what you please.'

His
hand was painful on her arm as he swung her round roughly to face him. 'I shall
be faithful to you for as long as it takes for you to tire of being a wife and
mother and look for other amusements,' he ground out fiercely.

Morgan's
head was back proudly. 'I don't envisage that ever happening,' she bit out
tautly.

His
mouth twisted derisively before he released her. 'We shall see.'

'I'm
sure we shall,' she nodded. Til leave you now if you want to work. I leave
tomorrow evening, by the way. I'm afraid your mother is going to be
disappointed when she knows I'm coming back—to stay this time,' she mocked.
'I would say the likelihood of my mother having

hysterics
when I tell her we intend marrying is about a hundred per cent,' Alex drawled.

'You
don't sound concerned.'

His
expression was arrogant. 'My choice of bride is no one's affair but my own.'

'But
you know I'm the last choice she would make for you!'

'I'm
way beyond asking my mother's permission for anything I do," he snapped.
'She may say what she likes, do what she likes, but I intend marrying you in
two weeks' time.'

'As
soon as I get back?' Morgan gasped.

He
raised dark brows. 'Is there any reason for us to wait longer than that?'

'None
at all,' she replied tautiy. 'My father still isn't well enough to travel, no
matter when we marry.'

'We
could be married from your home if you would prefer.'

She
frowned. 'You would do that?

'If
it's what you want,' he nodded.

'But Courtney-
'

'Is
not coming on our honeymoon with us,' he dismissed hardly. 'Mrs Ford can stay
on and take care of him until we get back.'

'We're
going on a honeymoon?

'I
believe it's traditional,' he taunted. 'I thought Barbados for a couple of
weeks. We could visit your parents on our way there if you would prefer that.'

Rita
Hammond was going to have enough reason to dislike her without denying the
woman the opportunity to have her eldest son married in England. 'I think
that's a better idea, she agreed.

'Very
well,' he nodded distantly, dismissively.

The
coldness of his expression wasn't very encouraging, but Morgan remained
undeterred, reaching up on tiptoe to kiss him lingeringly on the lips.
'Goodnight, Alex,' she murmured throatily. 'I
will
make you happy,' she
vowed.

He
made no reply, but went to sit behind his desk, taking some papers out of his
briefcase, concluding the conversation.

Morgan
went slowly up to her room. The woman in Alex's past had hurt him very badly,
had used the attraction he felt for her as a weapon against him. She couldn't
envisage what sort of woman could do that to a man. She had been brought up in
an openly affectionate environment, had always been honest in her relationships
with men, and she couldn't imagine any woman being so devious as to use her
body to flaunt a man's weakness at him.

But
Alex had been badly scarred by such a woman in the past, had a distrust of
giving even body attraction freely. It complicated their relationship to such
an extreme that she wondered what chance their marriage would have. While she
had been in America she had decided that even though they didn't have love, a
warm and giving physical relationship would make them a good marriage. But
although Alex might give the pleasure he had no intention of giving the warmth.

But
it was done now, her word was given. And maybe in twenty years time, when she
still melted bonelessly at his touch and asked nothing he didn't want to give, he
would come to believe it was him and him alone that she wanted.

Morgan
wasn't even out of bed the next morning when Rita Hammond burst into her
bedroom unannounced. The maid had brought in her coffee a few minutes earlier,
but one look at Rita Hammond's face told her she would be wiser to put the cup
down out of harm's way; she was likely to get the contents tipped all over her
if the hatred in the other woman's face was given full vent! She certainly
didn't need to be told that Alex had told his mother they were getting married!

'So
you're more devious than I would give you credit for!' the other woman attacked
viciously.

Morgan
swung her legs out of bed to stand up, feeling at too much of a disadvantage
sitting in bed. Her white nightgown flowed silkily about her slender ankles. 'I
gather you aren't pleased about the wedding?' she derided.

'Pleased! It's obvious it's only for
Courtney's sake
 

my
son has been stupid enough to take to heart the suggestion of the press that
the two of you marry for

the baby's sake. Well, I
'