Secret Bet (The House of Morgan)

by Victoria Pinder

  Her heart lifted. She believed every word. "Peter, sometimes you are a poet."

  "Only for you." He ran his hands through her hair now. "And never tell anyone."

  "Fair deal." This seemed so unlike her. The lightness inside her chest sent something peaceful and wonderful throughout her entire body. She giggled. "How do I radiate anything?"

  His fingers brushed against her cheek. "It's because you're real."

  Her heartbeat increased as she stared into Peter's eyes. She licked her lips and asked, "That's what drove you to me then?"

  He flinched. "What's that?"

  This wasn't a marriage proposal. Her pulse quickened, but she pressed ahead with the topic. "You clearly spend all your time with fake everything. It left you vulnerable and seeking someone like me."

  A smile grew on his face though he shook his head. Then his lips came closer to hers. "There she is. The woman who is not afraid to be in my arms."

  His muscles pressed against her sent butterflies throughout her stomach still. She closed her eyes and smelled his woodsy scent.

  "You're impossible, Peter Morgan."

  His fingers brushed against her hair. "Only with you."

  Finally he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, and she sighed. He was perfect in some ways. Her toes curled until he ended the brief kiss. Her entire body heated again as he then wrapped his arms around her waist to spoon with her.

  She ran her hands down his tight arm as she said, "Good, I'm happy it's only with me. Otherwise your business would be terribly run."

  His laugh was deep and infectious. He was the perfect Christmas present.

  She stared out the window at the gorgeous sunrise.

  "Will you come to the hospital with me and then later home, to my house?"

  She twirled to stare into his eyes. If he was sick, then they never should have slept together. She took his hands in hers. "Why the hospital?"

  His fingers entwined with hers. "It's a tradition, and I'd like your help this year."

  "Tradition?" Peter spent Christmas every year in a hospital? She pressed her lips together and asked, "What are we doing there?"

  He ran his hands up and down her back. Tingles grew everywhere.

  "Ensuring the families in the hospital can all afford their medical bills."

  Now was not the time for more sex. She sat and took the sheets with her as she smiled. "See. You are a good guy."

  He sat beside her, and ran his hand through his hair. "No, I'm not. It's something I've always done, but it doesn't make me good. I get a tax rebate for the charity. What does your family do to celebrate today?"

  She squeezed his shoulders. Then she stood and stretched her arms. "Nothing now, or I wouldn't be here with you."

  He stood as well and grabbed his pants from the floor. "What did you do for Christmas that made you happy?"

  Unashamed, she picked up the remnants of her bra and underwear off the floor. The dress hung on the chair, so she hadn't ruined the most expensive outfit she'd ever touched.

  She smiled to herself. "After presents?"

  He left the room. She held her bra over her chest as she inched out of the second floor master bedroom. Peter crossed the living room and then picked up packages. He carried a few boxes stacked on top of each other, and she slipped into the bedroom again. She made it to the adjoining bathroom as Peter returned and dropped the bags on the bed.

  "Yes, after presents."

  Those were not presents for her. She knew better. She wrapped the robe around herself and came back. Then she rubbed her head and asked, "What's this?"

  "Answer my question."

  The boxes held her gaze. She sat on the bed and stared at them. "Dad would make the best hot chocolate in the world. Then we'd sit by the fireplace, and he would read me a book. Then we ate some store-bought meal he brought home that tried to recreate a traditional family meal that you see in the movies. Christmas night was always movie night."

  He covered his mouth, and she didn't understand what happened. He then said, "You'll be disappointed with what's inside these, Belle."

  "What is it?"

  He shook his head and pushed one of the boxes toward her. "You can open it. They are all for you."

  She swallowed, unsure what happened. Then she unwrapped the box and said, "It's clothes."

  He crossed his arms. "It's options to wear to the hospital."

  No one ever bought her options for outfits. She wasn't and never would be bought. She stood up.

  "We agreed, Peter. I have my own clothes."

  He nodded his head, like he understood. "My secretary and my sister decided to send them. Don't feel obligated."

  "Do all your dates get this treatment?"

  "I don't normally take my dates to meet my family."

  It was Christmas, and his secretary sounded efficient. She stood and stared at him. "I feel weird. I have a full time job, though I've not had much time to shop."

  He shrugged. "Then don't wear these and give them away."

  Perhaps she was being overly sensitive. Peter was nothing like she'd been warned. She swallowed.

  "It is pretty, though, and red is a Christmas color. I'll wear it. Are the other boxes your outfit choices?"

  "My name is here." He flipped open a box and revealed a gray business suit and a red tie. " This one is for the hospital."

  The dress fit perfectly. Belle fixed her lipstick. It must be nice to have servants that took care of everything, though technically a secretary wasn't. Without knowing even her name, the woman knew her size. At some point, it would be polite to tell her ‘thank you’ as Belle personally hated shopping. She checked her lips in the mirror and then stared at herself. She looked pretty.

  She left the bathroom and saw Peter on his phone WIFI, checking emails. She walked over and took his phone out of his hands. He gazed at her, and she dropped it on the bed. "No working today. You're with me, and you promised brunch."

  He offered her his arm. The second she looped her arm with his though, he leaned over and kissed her cheeks.

  "No one dares me, Belle, ever."

  "Such a pity then."

  As he led her past the bed, he pocketed his phone.

  She pressed her lips together to keep herself from laughing as she said, "Guess they left you for me as they lacked the courage."

  As they descended the stairs in her suite and headed toward the main room, Peter then asked, "How do you know people are generally afraid of me?"

  Her eyes widened, but then she squeezed his arm. "It's how you talk about you being just like your father, and how you describe him."

  He nodded as he held the door open for her. "What specifics have I said?"

  She checked her pocketbook for her electronic key and followed him out. "That you protected your siblings from his wrath and that he told you that your mother didn't love you."

  He reached over and rubbed her arm. "I didn't say that."

  She pressed the elevator key. Her heart leapt in her chest, and she refused to wonder why.

  She swallowed and said, "It's implied. What happened the day your mom left then if your father didn't tell you that?"

  The elevator dinged. Then he answered, "Vicki was about to turn one. We had a birthday party planned."

  They stepped inside and the sound of light samba filled the air. She pressed his arm. "And? Did she walk out the door telling you to fend for yourself?"

  He stiffened and stood taller. As the elevator doors opened, they stepped into the lobby. "She didn't say anything to me. She saw me on the marble staircase as she stormed out of the living area. She had just argued with my father. I thought she'd be right back, but she never walked in the door again."

  Someone snapped their picture. Peter kept his arm at his side and didn't blink. He wasn't a celebrity. She crossed her arms in defense and then stared at his profile. "That doesn't make sense. How old were you?"

  "Four, almost five. And you were righ
t, my father told me not to trust any woman, including my mother, as all women have their price."

  He never broke their stride as he escorted her through the lobby where people were checking out and heading for a cruise. He held the door for her. His limo waited for them.

  The driver held open her door. She nodded as a thank you and then slid inside. Peter then joined her in the backseat. Her heartbeat raced as she thought he should have someone way more elegant on his arm, but then she told herself this whole thing was temporary. She dropped her arms and let her body relax.

  "You do keep looking for my price, don't you?"

  He reached for her hand, so she dropped it in her lap for him to hold. His fingers linked with hers again, and then he kissed it. "I haven't figured you out. Thank you for helping at the hospital today."

  Leaving Washington and coming here had been the best idea she'd ever had. The butterflies in her stomach were still there, but at the moment, less obvious.

  "I don't know how to prove myself. It's a hard sell. My own father is too busy for me these days." She averted her gaze. It was best to change the conversation. "What happens at the hospital?"

  "We visit patients, see what their needs are. Then we go to my house and have a nice quiet dinner. You'll like Starr Island."

  "What happened to brunch?"

  "Dinner is more intimate."

  "I was promised brunch."

  "That was before you and I made love. Is the change of plans a problem?"

  "No, I guess not." Perhaps her unexpected vacation meant she could continue being someone else like she was with him. "I'd like to see your home. Is it a nice place to see the stars at night?"

  "You might say that. The celebrities have really turned our family homestead into something else entirely."

  She tugged her ear with her free hand. "Now I'm intrigued. I wish I could say yes, but my friend Em made me swear I'd squeeze her in."

  "I'll make sure she and your friends are taken care of and get you to the hotel to meet her."

  Silence clung in the air. She listened to her heartbeat and swallowed. Perhaps he was right. She could pretend to be this nice, sweet Belle version of herself for a short while more.

  "Then let's do it."

  "I think we did it last night, but I'll be ready for more of you this evening."

  "Ha, ha, Peter. Not everything relates to sex." She squeezed his hand that held hers as she shook her head. "We might again, if I'm persuaded you're not judging me."

  "There is something I should tell you."

  His gaze narrowed, and she stilled. Her lips parted, but her eyes didn't quite close yet. Her pulse was raised, and adrenaline ensured all she could see was him beside her. He lowered his head, and his lips came closer to hers. She licked her lips and closed her eyes.

  "Belle..."

  He hesitated, though his face held a slight blush.

  She opened her lips. "Yeah."

  With his lips hovering beside hers, every cell in her body was awake and alive. She knew where he was from how the air around her practically sang with energy.

  She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and said, "I like you."

  Melted butter didn't feel this good. She kept her eyes closed and her lips close to his. "I don't know what's going on, but this is the first Christmas I've enjoyed in a long time. I am afraid of what's happening."

  There was something else that he meant to say. She could see the conflict of light that displayed in his eyes. She swallowed. For now, she'd let him figure out his pace. Whatever it was that haunted him, it couldn't be worse than what his father had done to him. Then his lips brushed hers, and she lost any other thought for that moment. All she could see were stars and him. Peter Morgan was perfect.

  Chapter Fifteen

  With Belle, the jolt through his body hadn't dissipated. Peter Morgan refused to say anything, but near her, he was light-hearted. The smell of apples now tempted him, and her kisses were mind-numbing. No one ever made him feel anything like this. She might even be better than that moment he knew he had won a major battle in the boardroom and the euphoria of being right.

  Nothing about today made sense, but for the first time he could remember, he had been afraid. What if she left when he told her about the bet? It was over now, but his stomach had a knot at the thought that she'd disapprove. The limo stopped at the hospital, and he helped her out.

  As she passed, calmness entered his entire body and settled in his skin. No one here would tell her. He'd find the right moment to free himself and tell her the initial truth about why he had spent the first minute with her. Everything was different now. He took her hand, held the box, and together they entered the lobby.

  Every year since he'd been five, he'd accompanied his father to do this as his mother was no longer part of the family. Even after Mitch's death, this was one tradition Peter didn't mind. Today he helped people.

  They talked to the personnel in the intensive care unit, and he stopped at the first door. At the nurse's station, Jennifer Gonzales, his ex, hovered. His pulse quickened. He turned to Belle. She hadn't seen. He swallowed. He needed to get rid of Jennifer, fast, and with luck, Belle would never find out.

  Adrenaline now pumped in his veins. He handed Belle the first envelope from the box and pointed her to the door. "Belle, go inside and hand the woman in this room these papers."

  She clutched the envelope he had fished out of the box. "Who is she?"

  Jennifer waved at him from behind Belle's head. Peter pressed his lips together and flipped open the envelope. Then he handed the papers to Belle so she could read.

  "My secretary wrote that her name is Mrs. Bembry. Her husband is on life support for a heart attack. She has three children and two grandchildren with one more on the way. She hasn't seen them. The papers say both that her bills will be taken care of by the Morgan Foundation and that all of her family will be here tonight."

  Belle refolded the envelope. Jennifer lifted her head higher. He needed to get rid of his ex fast. Today was about Belle and that jolt he had near her.

  Belle waved the envelope in front of Peter's face. "Are you sure you don't want to? This sounds like a great gift."

  For the rest of the day, Belle would have his undivided attention. Right now he placed his hands on her back and pointed her toward the room.

  "No, Belle. They will more likely to accept it from you."

  She turned to him. "Come in with me."

  There was nothing else he'd like to do. He then tugged his ear. "I'll be right in. I just need to take care of something first."

  She shrugged. Clearly she hadn't seen Jennifer as she bounced into the hospital room. "Okay. Hurry back."

  Belle's voice echoed in his ear as she said greeted a mother. He clenched his hands and his shoes twirled toward Jennifer.

  Jennifer heaved her big chest at him, and he stepped away. He massaged his chin. "What are you doing here?"

  She pouted. "I came to help you, like I always have."

  Again she stepped closer to him, and he sidestepped her. Then he puffed out his chest as he'd never run from any challenge. "Jennifer, you have a boyfriend. Rafe is a good guy."

  Her lips tisked as if he had said something distasteful. "Rafe is a good guy, but he thinks I'm not over you."

  "He's the smartest cop in Miami PD." Belle didn't need to deal with one minute of Jennifer and how most people placated her. He pressed his lips together. "Look, I'm busy and Belle's here with me this Christmas."

  Jennifer flipped her hair and placed her hand on her hip. "Now that Vicki's wedding is over, you don't have to entertain the jilted bride anymore just because the groom made some bet with you. Peter, we used to be good together."

  He opened his mouth to tell her to get off him as she placed her hand on his arm. Then Belle's voice rang in his ears.

  "What did she say?"

  He turned around and reached for the one woman who made his stomach flutter. "Belle, you can't believe..."

 
; She swatted his hand away from her. "I can."

  He left his box of cards at the nurses' station and followed her as she ran down the hall. At the elevator bank, he found her and said, "Wait. Belle, I went over to tell her to leave."

  She rolled her eyes and pressed the elevator button. She shifted from side to side as she avoided his gaze. "Why? She's clearly here for you."

  This was not how he had intended to talk about the bet. He pressed his hand on her shoulder, and she stopped being so jittery. "I came here with you. What she said is her grasping at straws."

  Belle turned right into his muscles. He didn't budge.

  She licked her lips. "What?"

  Her blue eyes had no internal mask. He knew where he stood with her. He reached down and took her hands in his.

  "She wants my money, Belle. Don't let Jennifer or anyone else interfere with us."

  She swallowed. "She's your ex. Peter, if you want to be with her..."

  Huh? His heart beat so fast in his chest. Had she not heard about the bet?

  He squeezed her hand. "That's not it at all. You're the first woman in a long time that has challenged me. Please stay, Belle."

  The elevator dinged. She stayed still and stared at it. "Are you sure?"

  Her fingers laced with his felt right. "Yes."

  She turned to face him, and her eyes were wide. "There are no hard feelings, Peter. If you want to go back to her, I'll walk away."

  He held his breath and stared at her. Belle's openness blew every other woman out of the way.

  He swallowed. "Absolutely not."

  She turned and they slowly walked hand in hand to the nurse's station. "Why did your friends bet you to go out with me?"

  Adrenaline raced. He should have told her the truth. Coming from Jennifer, it sounded worse. His heart whispered to tell the truth. He ran his hand through his hair.

  "I don't know their intentions. The moment we spoke, I never thought about the bet or why ever again."

  She stared at his profile until he turned toward her. "Why did you forget?"

  She'd never believe him, but he had to somehow explain why he was drawn to her. "You were too real and honest."