Taming the Carefree Billionaire - Marie Higgins Page 0,31

she did remember taking his picture, so she was sure Joslyn had interviewed him at one time.

“Sorenson,” Thomas said in a tight voice. “What fire?”

“You both were rushing out of here so fast, I wondered if there was a fire.” Sorenson chuckled.

Thomas threw the man a glare. “What are you doing here?”

The man with sandy colored hair and a nose that looked like a pelican’s beak chuckled lightly and sipped his wine. Morgan didn’t think the man was very good looking, and now that he stood in front of Thomas, the poor beaked-man’s appearance failed miserably.

“I heard you were throwing a party, so I had to come to see for myself.” The man grinned cockily. “I guess the rumors are true.”

“And what rumors are those?” Thomas asked.

“That when you throw a party, most of Napa Valley is in attendance.”

Thomas’ arm was still around her, but there was a definite irritation in him. He was too stiff. It was obvious that Thomas didn’t like the man very well.

“Yes, that’s very true.” Thomas nodded.

The man’s gaze moved up and down Morgan’s attire, making her feel uncomfortable.

“Powers, are you going to introduce me to your date?”

“Oh, I’m not his date,” Morgan quickly said before she could stop herself. In this instance, she shouldn’t have cared if this man thought she and Thomas were going out. “We are just friends.”

“Friends?” The man’s eyes widened when he turned his attention back to Thomas. “I’ve never known you to have women friends.”

“Morgan,” Thomas’ voice softened when he looked at her, “this is Garth Sorenson. He owns Sun Winery.”

Morgan hitched a breath. That’s how she knew him. But... why would he come to Thomas’ party? The two wineries were competitors. From the interview Joslyn had done, it sounded as if Garth Sorenson wasn’t very happy with Powers Enterprises.

Immediately, her mind shifted. What was the real story that the owner of Sun Winery was here? To find Thomas’ secrets, perhaps? Very interesting...

She struggled to smile, but she had to be nice. “I believe we met before. I work at the Tribute. I’m the photographer.”

Garth’s eyes widened. “Yes, that’s right. I do remember you now. But, I must say,” he paused, sweeping his gaze over her body again, slower this time, “I don’t remember you looking this gorgeous.”

Thomas’ arm tightened around Morgan’s waist. “Well, Sorenson, make sure to drink plenty of my wine tonight, because when you return to your winery, you’ll have to drink your mediocre wine and yours will come up lacking.” He shrugged. “Sadly, there can only be one great wine in this country.”

When Thomas tried to move past Garth, the man stepped in front of them, stopping them again.

“Now where are your manners, Powers? We’re at a party, and since this gorgeous woman isn’t your date, I would like to dance with her.” He tried giving her a smoldering look. It didn’t work. “If it’s all right with the lady, of course.”

She really didn’t want to. On the other hand, being away from Thomas would help clear her mind. So, perhaps it was a good idea to dance at least once with him.

“What do you say, Morgan?” Thomas asked, his voice soft as silk again. “Do you want to dance with him?”

“Well, I’m not used to turning men away when they ask me to dance.” She grudgingly pulled away from Thomas. “I suppose one dance isn’t going to hurt.”

Garth offered his hand, and she took it. As she left with the man, she glanced back at Thomas. He appeared to be more angry than hurt. There was no way he was jealous, which was a good thing. Heaven forbid a man like Thomas became jealous of any man.

Thankfully, the song that had started playing on the overhead speakers wasn’t slow, but the foolish man insisted on taking her in a loose hold, nonetheless. She’d keep an eye on him to make sure he didn’t try anything. It had been a while since she put the lessons she’d learned in a self-defense class to use.

“I’m surprised to see you at an event hosted by Thomas Powers,” she began the conversation, hoping to get more information out of him. There was a story between the two competitors and she couldn’t wait to find out what it was.

“Tommy and I go way back to our younger days. Both of our fathers were in the wine business, and so for as long as I’ve known Powers, we’ve competed for everything. Not only that,” he laughed, “but I enjoy making