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An All-Consuming Passion Page 18


  ‘Happy?’ Morgan uttered a smothered groan, and slid his arms around her. She was naked beneath the silk sheet, and his hands spread possessively over the downy curve of her hips. ‘Happy is such an inadequate word to describe how I feel,’ he told her huskily, against the silken flesh of her shoulder. ‘Sometimes I wonder what I’ve done to deserve such happiness.’

  ‘That’s good.’ Holly lifted her shoulder to facilitate his touch and shivered, but it was not with cold. ‘Well—if you really must go …’

  ‘You are a temptress, do you know that?’ said Morgan roughly, lifting his head to look at her. ‘You do realise Jon and Jeff are waiting for me, don’t you?’

  ‘They’ll understand,’ said Holly confidently, caressing his nape. ‘Or at least, Jon will. He and I are good friends.’

  ‘They both think you’re something special, and you know it,’ retorted Morgan unevenly. ‘I know it’s thanks to you they’re even considering taking their exams. They’d practically given up the idea of school, before you came on the scene.’

  ‘Well, I just pointed out that if they left home and got jobs, they’d have little time for learning to drive, or holidays; that sort of thing,’ said Holly innocently, and Morgan shook his head.

  ‘Bribery and corruption,’ he told her. ‘It never worked before.’

  ‘Perhaps you just went about it the wrong way,’ declared Holly mischievously. Then, after a moment’s hesitation, she added, ‘And, well—I don’t think living with their mother was much fun.’

  ‘Which is something else I have to thank you for,’ put in Morgan softly. ‘You handled Alison beautifully.’

  ‘With my father’s help,’ said Holly modestly. She laughed. ‘How did you manage without me?’

  ‘I don’t want to think about it,’ exclaimed Morgan, crushing her back against the soft pillows. ‘I only know the concept of work used to be the most important thing in my life. Now, here I am making excuses not to leave you!’

  ‘Well, that’s how it should be,’ averred Holly blissfully, and Morgan did not contradict her.

  ISBN: 978-1-472-09965-5

  AN ALL-CONSUMING PASSION

  © 1985 Anne Mather

  Published in Great Britain 2014

  by Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited

  Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

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