Ellie hadn’t spoken. Not a word in the last hour and a half. She was still reeling from the events of today and the pounding she took against the foyer wall. So hot. Done up against the wall…trapped by that warm body of his, that hot mouth, that hard cock. God, could the man mess her up both emotionally and physically.
Now, she sat out on the balcony after a hot shower toweling her hair dry in the sun.
“Here sweetness,” Morgan said as he brought her a cup of tea.
Ellie looked up. Again, she was stunned at how hot this man was. All muscle and toned. Those mesmerizing eyes, that mouth that could possess hers so easily. Why? Why did he have to be so…
“Ellie?” he asked.
Her eyes rose to meet his.
“Are you going to keep giving me the silent treatment?”
Ellie let out a sigh and took a sip of the tea. Chamomile. He had the shelves stocked with it, despite the fact he did not drink tea at all. He had all her favorite snacks. There were flowers in every room as he had either brought them everyday when he came home or he had them delivered. He continuously bought her things, despite her attempts to stop him. What would he do without money? What would happen to him? Oh, god. I never knew. I didn’t know I could be the one to cost him everything!
Morgan sat beside her. “Please talk to me?”
Ellie shook her head.
“God! Please forgive me? Ellie…”
Ellie gazed into his eyes. This was somehow really important, but not like anyone would think. She could live like a poor person. She never had much in the first place. She was fine with it actually. Working in the diner and all. She knew she meant a lot to him. But a whole fortune? His inheritance… His billions? All gone because he wanted her? Yes, that was what had been niggling at her. He would lose it all if he kept this up. If he didn’t do what his father wanted.
Morgan grasped her hand.
Ellie set her cup down onto the saucer. “What did your father say?”
Morgan blinked his eyes at her, entirely lost as to her point. “What?”
“When you told him that you would not go through with marrying bitch-face.”
Morgan looked confused. “Nothing really. I left before he could reply.”
“So, what he said to you before college. About disen—disinheriting, that’s the word right?”
Nodding, Morgan stared at her. “This is what’s bothering you?”
She nodded her head now. “Yes. What else would it be?”
Morgan stared at her for a second then laughed with relief. “So, you aren’t moving out?”
Ellie shook her head. “Not unless…”
Morgan sat forward. Worry all over his handsome face. “Unless?”
“If you lose all your money because of me. I won’t be able to live with that. I can’t be the reason you hit the skids!” She stood up and her hand knocked her cup off the table.
It crashed to the balcony and shattered. She stared down at it. The second time today that’s happened. I wonder if I’ll be the reason Morgan gets shattered. Loses everything. Becomes destitute?
Morgan stood with her. “Ellie!”
She started to cry. “I can’t be responsible for that!” She moved away from him. She needed to convince him that this would not work. “I mean to have you stripped of your wealth? NO!”
Morgan grabbed her arms. “Stop. Stop,”
Ellie was flustered, yes she was. She remembered her dad and what a broken man he’d been. Not able to afford the chemo he needed, he maybe would be alive today if he hadn’t been poor? He’d always had jobs where people demeaned him. He lived in that shabby apartment. Drove a beat up car. Never got the respect he should have had. “No! I won’t let it happen to you, Morgan!”
His eyes widened. “Sweetness. Please calm down. Nothing is going to happen to me.”
Ellie shook him off. “You can’t give up your money. You just can’t!”
He stared at her. “This is why you’re upset?”
Ellie sighed. “Of course it is.”
He stepped close again. “Babe…it will be okay.”
Gazing into his eyes, she stated, “You won’t be okay without your money, Morgan.”
He tilted his head at her. “You think that’s what I’m all about? Money?”
Ellie laughed but it didn’t sound amused “Most of what you are about, Morgan. I mean you are a billionaire! You can’t survive without—”
Morgan pulled her close. “I have my own money too.”
Ellie stilled as she gazed up at him.
He nodded. “Chance and I have amassed quite a fortune. Or we have almost done that.”
“But it’s not the billions of Hunt Industries, though is it?”
Morgan hugged her tight. “I’m telling you it will be okay.”
Ellie wanted to believe him. But she did note that he hadn’t fully answered her question. She so badly wanted to believe it. But he had a way of keeping things in. It never bothered her that he didn’t come home and talk about work, or his latest deal. She really never cared much about it. She only cared that he did well, and felt good about what he did.
Then finally, Morgan started to talk to her. He finally shared with her.
Morgan talked about how he was a third generation Hunt. His grandfather had built the company out of nothing, and he wanted it to stay something. He had arranged a wife for his father, Hunt Senior, Edwin. Melanie, Morgan’s mother was the heiress to another huge company, and his idea was to keep the company growing. His father Edwin, when he grew up, did the same. He wanted to arrange a wife for Morgan because he didn’t want an outsider to come into the family business. His father setting up a marriage contract between him and Daphne. It was arranged when Morgan was nine. He didn’t have much of a choice. He admitted that he and Daphne were lovers at one point.
Ellie already knew this part as he’d admitted this back when she claimed she was pregnant with his kid.
Morgan went on to tell her that he and Daphne thought they would rule the world. She was the heiress to the Yearwood fortune and he was the heir to the Hunt throne. However, things changed. Daphne had a diva complex. She wanted everything her way. She grew up being a spoiled brat. Despite their relationship, he didn’t want someone like that. He talked about how it grew stale. She just wanted to inherit her fortune and take what was of the Hunts. After the trip to Rio, he cut ties with her. This was when he met Ellie.
Ellie felt surprised at this part, as she remained quiet, this was so rare for Morgan to share his past, she didn’t want to fuck it up by asking too many questions.
Morgan went on about how after his trip to Rio, he was headed back to New York but the Helix Corp acquisition had come up and he decided to head to Philadelphia first. When he saw the diner burning, he then saw her come out but then rush back in. He couldn’t help but to save her. He didn’t know why. He thought she was crazy but he couldn’t just drive on by when someone might die. He talked about how when she mentioned it was her father, a picture of him she wanted to save, he’d felt envious. He had no love for his father anymore. His father and mother had to end their romantic ties. They were still married, only because the divorce settlement would just be too big of a blow for their companies.
Morgan grew quiet. Wow. He’d never shared so much with anyone. Let alone a woman.
Ellie had been quiet for some time after he bared his soul so to speak, then she asked, “Why me?”
Morgan blinked his eyes at her. “What?”
“Why did you choose me? I mean there are so many women out there—”
He grabbed her jaw in his hand. “There are many women and I have been with many. But there is only one Ellie White.” Morgan then chuckled. She was still so innocent. Her naivety was what drew him to her in the first place. “I couldn’t help but fall for you. You are the angel to my devil, sweet Ellie.”
She looked stunned.
“Now if you promise you won’t leave. I need to make a trip to New York,” he whispered to her hair.
Ellie nodded.
“Promise?” he asked.
She refused to answer.
He pulled back. “Maybe you should go with me.”
Her eyes widened. “I have never gone on a business trip with you Morgan.”
He smiled gently. “There’s always a first time.”
Ellie shook her head.
“Look. I don’t like leaving you alone. I mean something could…” His voice faded away. Yes, like Hillborn. Something or someone could hurt her and he wouldn’t be here. He hadn’t really left her in the last month or so. Dammit, he should hire a bodyguard. Then she would ask questions and he swore he would not lie to her anymore. He never really had about this as it was her secret to keep but keeping the truth from her was the same type of thing.
“Something could what?” she asked staring at him closely.
“I haven’t felt good about leaving you at all,” he admitted. She couldn’t know that he was aware of what had happened to her. He may never tell her. He especially couldn’t now. Not after Daphne came and dropped that bomb. Fucking woman. Someone needed to stop her.
His cell rang.
“Are you going to get that?” Ellie asked.
He sighed and pulled the phone out.
“Have you left yet?” Chance asked.
“Well, hello to you too. buddy,” Morgan teased.
“Well, someone is in a good mood. After they got fucked in the ASS in PUBLIC!” Chance yelled.
Morgan moved the phone from his ear at his shout.
Ellie’s eyes widened “Is that Chance?”
Morgan nodded and put his hand up at her.
Ellie lunged forward and grabbed the phone from him. “Chance?”
Morgan was stunned. Ellie had never been impulsive like this nor had she ever butted into his business before.
Ellie nodded. “Yes, it’s me, Chance. Listen to me. I know that you know everything that goes on with Morgan and his life…” She paused as he spoke. “No. I don’t buy any of that. You know all of it and we both know you keep secrets. Now, you need to tell me the truth.” She again paused.
Morgan stepped close. “Babe, give me the phone.”
She shook her head. “Tell me the truth, Chance. Is Morgan about to lose everything?”
Morgan froze. The woman actually just asked this?
Ellie took another step back as Chance was talking apparently. Her eyes widened. Then she smiled. Abruptly, she handed the phone back to Morgan.
Morgan took it and placed it to his ear.
“What the fuck was that about?” Chance bit out.
“Daphne was here today,” was all Morgan would admit to.
Ellie turned and walked into the bedroom.
“Well, I bet that was like—shit! I’m glad I missed that scene.”
Morgan watched as Ellie moved further away. “What did you answer?”
Silence.
“Chance?” His voice was gritty and low.
“Nothing man. Just that we had an important board meeting.”
“You answered her question with that?”
“No.”
Morgan pushed his fingers through his hair in frustration. “No games, Chance. Just fucking tell me!”
“I lied.”
“What?” Morgan asked.
“I told her that you were nowhere near losing everything. That we simply had a board meeting. No sweat.”
Morgan let out a breath of relief.
“But...I don’t think she believed me.”
Morgan swore aloud and moved out through the bedroom, then the hall. Next, he leapt down two stairs at a time and looked downstairs. Then he heard her car.
Running to the door, he opened it to see the back of her Mini Cooper going down the drive. “Shit!”
“What is it?” Chance was speaking over the forgotten phone in Morgan’s hand.
Morgan raised it to his ear. “I want you to get another detective on Ellie and now. Make that two of them.”
Chance sighed over the phone. “I took care of Hillborn, so there is no worries about—”
“Now Chance. She left me.”
“W-what?”
“You heard me. She thinks she is the cause of me losing my wealth.”
“That’s crazy!” Chance retorted in disbelief. “Or…is it?”
Morgan didn’t answer. “Just hire two of them. You have the description of her car and the plate. I want her safe.”
“Yeah, I get it. And you have to come here to New York.”
“Just do it for me.” Morgan tapped his phone. He clenched his fists as he stared out at the empty drive. “Dammit, Ellie.”