Morelli's Mistress

Morelli's Mistress
Anne Mather

A forbidden affair…Five years ago Abby Laurence would have given anything to be Luke Morelli's mistress. The taste of his lips and the burn of his touch offered a safety and sanctuary she craved more than anything. But Luke's love was off-limits, because Abby was married to another man……no longer denied?Now Luke is back. He's never forgotten Abby's betrayal and he's determined she will pay for her lies. Finally free of her husband, there is only one way that she can make amends… An affair might have been illicit once, but she's Luke's for the taking now!

Abby stared at him. ‘So—you seriously expect I would be willing to be your mistress?’

‘Why not?’

Luke spoke succinctly, and she clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms.

‘Just because I let you make love to me the last time you were here it doesn’t mean I’ll do it again!’ she retorted angrily, despising herself and him in equal measure.

‘Well, forgive me,’ he said sarcastically. ‘Only it’s hard to feel sympathy for a woman who’s cheated on her husband in the past.’

‘You know nothing about my marriage to Harry.’

‘And I don’t want to know,’ he retorted, reaching for his jacket. ‘Perhaps you’re right. Perhaps I should get out of here.’

‘Perhaps you should,’ said Abby, striving for indifference.

But before Luke could grab his jacket and leave he trailed his strong fingers down her sleeve and flipped them beneath the hem of her shirt. She tried to back away from him, but the temptation of Luke’s touch was too much for her.

And when his hand spread against her bare midriff, warm and possessive against her soft flesh, every nerve in her body went on high alert. She wanted him to touch her, she admitted despairingly. Her limbs were melting in anticipation of his caress.

Without giving her a chance to break his hold, he pulled her down onto the sofa again and, pressing her back, covered her body with his.

ANNE MATHER and her husband live in the north of England in a village bordering the county of Yorkshire. It’s a beautiful area, and she can’t imagine living anywhere else. She’s been making up stories since she was in primary school and would say that writing is a huge part of her life. When people ask if writing is a lonely occupation, she usually says that she’s so busy sorting out her characters’ lives she doesn’t have time to feel lonely. Anne’s written over 160 novels, and her books have appeared on both the New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller lists. She loves reading and walking and browsing in bookshops. And now that her son and daughter are grown, she takes great delight in her grandchildren. You can email her at mystic-am@msn.com (mailto:mystic-am@msn.com).

Morelli’s

Mistress

Anne Mather

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

To Sally Fairchild, for her encouragement, and to my editor, Joanne Grant, for making the book live.

Contents

Cover (#u5ff74f45-93e4-57d9-8fcb-9a247598c32b)

Introduction (#ue3028aaf-708a-50e8-bea1-a549878cc3bd)

About the Author (#uf2011d88-0c94-52cd-a782-3a172e27d685)

Title Page (#u6f75c1bc-fbb6-5ffc-9257-dd93d5418915)

Dedication (#uf69df4cb-1664-56fb-9120-939bb91f45d4)

PROLOGUE (#ufc4b8777-8b77-528f-a698-1d5e9e231938)

CHAPTER ONE (#u6ccff728-69b9-5420-a9d5-5705934d0ffb)

CHAPTER TWO (#u70415a96-0f9e-5d0c-8326-be5dd997ebe2)

CHAPTER THREE (#u6a320f76-971d-5be0-8d32-c8ad4219665b)

CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

PROLOGUE (#ulink_fd228af3-f545-548e-9775-eeb192ec5f4a)

LUKE NOTICED HER as soon as he went into the wine bar.

She was anchored to a stool next to the bar, a cocktail glass with slices of fruit curving over the rim and a tiny coloured parasol propped inside beside her hand.

She didn’t appear to have drunk much of the liquid in the glass. She was simply sitting there, staring into space, ignoring the loud voices and even louder music that filled the overcrowded room.