He dressed for dinner and took an extra few minutes to choose the perfect navy blue tie with pink thread to embellish the curlicue designs, then he had his limo bring him to Kiwi’s condo near the beach.
The humid air was tinged with salt when he stepped out of the back to greet Kiwi as she exited the lobby wearing a silk pink and purple dress.
Without intending, he’d chosen a matching tie—the shade of blush pink was identical.
With her hair pinned in an updo, her cheekbones shone and she was even more breathtaking tonight than he remembered from Paris. The air around her smelled clean and fresh with a scent of her rose perfume as she slid into the limo beside him.
They engaged in polite small talk and he learned nothing about Kiwi, except that maybe she was shy. Soon they were at his American brother’s estate and Kiwi stayed beside him when he rang the doorbell.
She held her clutch pocketbook in front of her until the door opened and her expressive face brightened as she hugged the blonde, blue-eyed woman who hugged her back. Kiwi said, “Serenity.”
Serenity patted her on the back and then once the hug ended, she took her hand and said, “Kiwi, I’m so glad you’re here.”
They stepped inside the door and the blonde asked Kiwi, “Who’s this?”
Kiwi blinked like she’d forgotten her Sunday manners. He held out his hand to introduce himself as Kiwi said, “Gio, this is Serenity Morgan. She’s married to Damien Morgan.”
They each murmured a greeting and shook hands. Serenity waved them farther into the estate where a painting hung that had once been in his mother’s house when they were little, from Raphael. No one else glanced at it. “Si, the French relatives, no?”
“Yes,” Serenity answered. “Damien grew up in Paris. Let’s get you inside.”
He wouldn’t ask for more details even though he wanted to know if parts of the French family’s art hung in the hallowed halls that his father once considered his primary home—seemed Mitch hadn’t cared if his possessions intermixed even if his various families never did.
Kiwi gently patted his arm, reminding him with her presence that the past didn’t matter. What mattered was their future, most especially their relationship and their unborn child.
Paintings were of long ago.
They headed outside to the courtyard and he saw dozens of “relatives” he’d never met, but pieces of his father were in many of the faces.
Kiwi made him feel more comfortable just by being near him.
Soon he’d get her out of here and they’d have time to talk. She squeezed his arm and he followed her line of sight. The sister he’d met just this afternoon walked over to them. He politely took her hand and shook as he said, “Victoria.”
Victoria had a pink drink in her free hand and sipped it, smiling at both of them. “Kiwi, Gio, I had no idea you two knew each other.”
Kiwi tensed beside him as she quickly said, “Oh, we met in Paris during fashion week, at your after-party.”
Victoria’s face went white as a ghost and then she beamed and reached out to hug Kiwi as she said, “Wait. You’re having my niece or nephew!”
“It seems so.” Kiwi met his gaze and her cheeks held a blush as she said, “I told Victoria last week I was pregnant as I needed to take time for doctor’s appointments.”
She didn’t want to admit that, he could tell. He smiled and said, “I should have found you again, much sooner, Kiwi.”
Kiwi blinked. He’d just taken full blame for the situation. They needed to talk about his son or daughter and their future right away.
Victoria stepped back and then patted his other arm as she said, “Gio, now I understand why we lingered in my shoe design department.”
Caught. His face felt hot. And clearly he needed a smart plan of action, though he told his sister politely, “I was hoping to see Kiwi again.”
Kiwi was having his child. They didn’t know each other well, but he’d make her see that family was a serious matter.
Kiwi glanced toward the ocean, avoiding their perusal. “I took the afternoon off so I could get my hair done.”
If he had a chance, he’d get her to open up to him. Gio kissed her cheek and said, “You look beautiful, no matter what you do.”
She turned and gazed up at him, making his insides feel brighter, like he shone for her. “Thanks, Gio.”
Victoria stepped back and pointed toward a dark-haired man with his father’s face that strolled toward them. “Here comes Peter. Gio, no matter what you and my brother discuss, his words are not mine, okay?”
“I understand,” he said. His brother Anthony certainly didn’t speak for him.
Gio straightened as the man held out his hand to shake while he said, “Gio, Peter Morgan. Glad we finally get to meet in person.”
Peter Morgan. Gio's mind returned to when he was still a boy and his father always said that Peter was his heir and chosen son. As a kid, the red hot anger had been jealousy, but Gio was now a man who knew his father’s many faults and he hoped to never meet another person like Mitch Morgan. He accepted Peter’s firm grip. “Si. It’s nice to meet our father’s chosen one in the flesh.”
Peter ended the hand shake and widened his stance like he braced for an argument. “I’m not my father.”
If that was true, great, but Gio’s body was tight. “My brother Anthony says the same thing, but his actions speak differently.”
Peter nodded at him and softened slightly as he said, “That’s not me at all;, Anthony is who I wanted to talk to you about.”
Ah. If he was being judged based on Anthony then he needed to show his potential business partner and half-sister Victoria that he was not his brother--Gio preferred to bury himself in his fashion empire. “Anthony?”
Peter crossed his arms though his eyes had a flash of vulnerability he quickly masked. “Yes, he left our brother Luke’s wedding with my pregnant ex-girlfriend.”
“The ex stole my brother’s sperm to get pregnant and ruined his marriage,” Victoria supplied.
Anthony would have smelled weakness in anyone he considered an enemy. He thought like their father. Peter’s story sounded complicated and full of holes. “I didn’t realize Anthony knew any of you.”
Gio’s eyes narrowed. In the distance he spotted Santiago from the local town near his father’s villa. What was he doing here?
Peter then said, “We don’t, not really. But I need to find Jennifer.”
Santiago waved at him, then turned his attention back to a dark-haired woman his age that stayed at his side. Gio needed Kiwi to explain this family’s dynamics and get her insight as she worked for them and clearly knew more than a few members. “Your ex-girlfriend?”
“She’s pregnant with my child.” Peter’s jaw set with determination.
That he understood. His gaze focused on Kiwi. She’d told him about the pregnancy, which said a lot, but if she ran, he’d have to find her. Family protected family and he’d do whatever he could for his child. Family mattered. While his brother Anthony was manipulative, he still fit the same label. Gio straightened. “That’s difficult for you.”
Peter asked, “Do you know where he is?”
“No.” Peter’s expressions were too open to be like their father. And technically speaking, they were all his family here too. Gio met Kiwi’s eyes and then said the truth, “Anthony and I do not keep in touch since our mother died.”
“I’m sorry, Gio,” she whispered and patted his back.
He held her close as he said, “It’s okay. Mama was a good woman.”
Peter and Victoria looked at each other and communicated without words, but then they’d grown up together. Peter asked again, “So you have no idea where Anthony might have taken Jennifer?”
The truth wasn’t a betrayal and it was time to put their father’s lies firmly in the past. Gio wished nothing more than to retire into his own studio and finish work on his upcoming new tuxedo line where he intended to reinvent the word formal. He kept his ha
nd on Kiwi’s back. “If they were not at his villa, then honestly, no. Anthony and I don’t see eye-to-eye on how to run our businesses.”
Peter stepped back with a genuine smile. “Victoria is worried about working with you.”
Gio looked at Victoria.
“But I am excited to try,” Victoria added fast and gave him the same smile that they both must have inherited from their mother because his father’s lips were always thin and plotting when he attempted a joke.
The older woman with Santiago then motioned toward Peter and he said, “I’m needed over there. Talk to you all soon. Enjoy the party.”
With luck, Kiwi would fill him in on the American relatives as clearly Peter was getting intel on him from Santiago. As a boy, Gio had been the artistic one who’d often stayed in the garden painting while his brothers played all manner of sports, making his hobby seem unmanly.
However, his fashion empire now made a billion-dollar profit. If he accepted this deal, he’d have the potential for more money but might lose his privacy. In Italy, he rarely had to deal with family.
Kiwi turned to him and he knew he frowned as she introduced him to the couple next to her. He recognized Caro Morgan. “Gio,” Kiwi said, “this is your half-brother, Luke. ”
The doctor. Gio shook Caro’s hand and then her husband’s. “Nice to see you again, Caro, and to meet you, Luke.”
Gio patted the man’s hand before the shake ended. Luke then said, “Caro said you were a good man. We’d like to know more about your side of the family.”
Perhaps this was a different tactic? Gio looked at Santiago, who stood with Peter. Clearly Gio was the topic of conversation as he told Luke, “Many of you seem to know Anthony. He’s the third born.”
“Oh? We thought he was the oldest.” Luke walked the group over to a table with some guacamole and chips. “But then again I thought our father was my banker until after he died so clearly my assumptions and what I’m told in this family are subject.”
“Our father lied and assumed everyone else did too.” Gio made a plate for Kiwi and himself. “To clear the air, Bartolomeo is the oldest. I’m next. Anthony is third and Lorenzo is the youngest, though Anthony once had a twin sister named Aurelia—she died when we were young.”
Victoria let out a small huff and then asked, “Are you sure? Our father kidnapped his daughter Catherine from Fiona years ago.”
Aurelia had been a sweet girl. He’d been three when she was born and sixteen when she died though he never thought about that. His shoulders slumped at the idea of his sister being held somewhere against her will. Was that better than dead?
Kiwi tugged on his arm and excused them to his siblings. “I think we should go and talk to Serenity.”
Victoria, Luke and Caro backed away as if realizing that the subject might be a tender one. Gio turned them toward the house, but Kiwi handed him her plate and clutched her stomach, her eyes wide. “Excuse me. Kiwi, you look sick.”
She curled her nose and took a deep breath. “Probably something I ate.”
He put the plates on a tray meant for garbage and returned to help Kiwi. The moon had climbed higher in the sky since they’d arrived and it was probably after ten. He put his hand on her lower back and escorted her out without saying goodbye. “Let’s get you out of here.”
She nodded. “Thanks. I’m sure I’ll be fine. I usually get sick in the morning—then again, I’ve not been out this late since Paris.”
The moment they walked outside his limo service met them at the end of the driveway. He didn’t wait for the driver but opened the door himself as he told Kiwi, “We’ll stay together at my hotel and talk when you feel better.”
“That’s not necessary.” She scooted over to give him room.
Tonight he hadn’t had the chance to show Kiwi that she was important. Meeting the relatives had taken over the evening. Gio held her gaze without blinking. “You’re having my child, Kiwi. There is much to discuss.”
She swallowed like she was barely holding herself together but then held out her finger to demand his attention. “And you can pick me up early in the morning as we have a long drive to West Palm where my mother’s retirement community is.”
“Kiwi, it will be an honor to discuss our future with your mother.” He’d already formulated that he’d have a week in Miami to ensure she was ready to accept him in her life. If not, he’d have to ask Victoria to ensure Kiwi joined them on the second week of the possible merger agreement in Milan.
The limo drove them onto a highway as she asked, “Our future?”
She needed to understand him. Family mattered. Gio shifted on the seat. “Si. I understand entirely why Peter Morgan is desperate to find this Jennifer. Now that I know you’re pregnant, you must know I intend to raise my son.”
She covered her lips with two fingers, her brown eyes snapping. “And if it’s a girl?”
Right. He placed his palm on her knee and leaned closer. “Let me correct myself. My English isn’t the best. I will raise my son or daughter.”
The limo turned onto her street. She lowered her hand, no longer covering her face as she nodded. “Tomorrow morning it is then.”
Without another word she stepped out of the limo and headed inside her condo. His heart beat faster as he watched her disappear into the white lobby. Tonight nothing had gone as planned, but tomorrow he’d drive her himself and they’d spend the day together. She’d see that there was no other choice.
Since the moment he’d lost her, he’d wanted her back and called himself a fool. This time he had a second chance and now that she was having his child, he’d ensure he won. He was a Morgan and his father had once said the world was his for the taking. He didn’t want the world, but he’d do whatever it took to win Kiwi at his side.
Chapter 5
Kiwi finished buttoning the green and yellow dress that she usually kept for church outings and checked her makeup. Lashes, liner, gloss.
She was going to see Gio again.
Her heart raced so fast she feared it might harm her baby.
She gripped the cabinet and closed her eyes.
Somehow, she needed to calm down. What was she worried about?
The father of her baby was a Morgan, which meant her child would have more advantages to everything in life.
She headed out of her bathroom and gazed at the closet.
If she ran away before Gio got here, she wouldn’t have to deal with today. Introducing her mother to Gio had been her plan, but right now, this idea didn’t seem well thought out.
The thought of running percolated as she shuffled toward the refrigerator for a snack, glad she wasn’t sick right now.
But she could sure use sugar. She pushed past the fruit and picked up a chocolate bar she had hidden behind the yogurt for emergencies.
Facing Gio was an emergency.
Kiwi bit into the sweet milk chocolate and let the taste melt down her throat. Not even the burst of sweetness stopped her jitters. She finished the bar and went to her bedroom and the jewelry armoire to switch out her gold necklace for the silver flying bird pendant.
Done. Then she walked to her kitchen and unplugged her cell phone taking it back to the closet with her.
If she ran, she’d avoid today. She took out her empty suitcase.
If she ran, she’d need to pack a few things.
If she ran, she might never see Gio again.
She unzipped the bag, but dialed her best friend as she muttered to herself, “There is no way.”
Serenity heard her because the phone clicked and she said, “What is wrong? What’s no way?”
Caught. Kiwi took her blouses from the closet and began to fold them neatly as she ignored the tremble in her hands. “Sorry, Serenity. I am packing my bags—I’ve decided I’ll be out of town for a while.”
Her bestie might not be here in person, but her tone carried enough nuance that Serenity asked, “Why? What’s going on?”
“I can’t face Gio.” Wow,
she sounded weak just from uttering that sentence, but that was why she’d called. Kiwi stopped folding and sat on the brown carpet of her condo. She leaned against the wall in her closet, her dresses pressing in on her as if they might shield Kiwi from her weakness. “Inviting him to meet my mother was a stupid idea. He makes me act completely out of character.”
Serenity exhaled. “So, you’re leaving town because Gio is coming over to your place? You seemed like you were together, last night.”
“Pretending to be strong is what I do.” Last night had been a double-edged sword. Knowing his name, and that he fit into the House of Morgan, was enough fuel to use in the getaway. She closed her eyes. “I felt bad for him. It seemed like all the family stuff with the Morgans hit him like a ton of bricks.”
“So you stuck with him.”
“Yeah.” Kiwi didn’t like seeing someone kick at a dog or a cat either. She’d hated that he’d been so uncomfortable, but that had nothing to do with today.
Today his family wasn’t around and it would be just the two of them—and then, her mother.
Serenity asked, “But now you’re running?”
“Don’t mix the two things up.” She spoke fast and defensively. No one saw her heart or what was inside her. No one needed to ever know who she truly was when she looked in the mirror.
“Kiwi, you called because you wanted me to check you, right?”
Bingo. She opened her eyes and rubbed her belly as she said, “Yeah. I need to be calm.”
“He took you home because you were sick,” Serenity said. “Did something happen during the car ride?”
“No.” Kiwi pushed a royal blue dress out of her face as she stood up, left the closet, and stretched. She then closed the suitcase though she hugged her waist. “He didn’t even kiss me.”
“Oh!” Serenity said like she’d solved some major crime case. “That’s the problem then.”
Was it? She winced. Last night hadn’t been a date. It was more like she’d been a witness in the House of Morgan. Her presence had done nothing but prove to her that being with a Morgan was a bad idea. Gio's passion in Paris replayed in her mind and she tingled as nothing like that had happened yesterday. She finally let out a sigh. “No… well, maybe.”
Secret Match Page 4