Morgan was astute enough to know that there was more to the story than Lena had told him. He knew of only two people who could possibly know. Kylie was one, but when it came to Lena she had a tendency to be tight-lipped. The other person was Donovan. Donovan usually hung around in the right circles, and if there was something amiss he would be the one to know it.
He quickly keyed in Donovan"s number, and his brother picked up on the first ring. "Yes?"
"Okay, Donovan, what"s going on?"
He heard his brother"s chuckle before he said, "You tell me. Rumor has it that you"re about to become an engaged man."
Morgan smiled. So word was out already. "Yes, that"s right."
"Congratulations. It seemed you got the woman you wanted. I"m not going to ask how you managed and maybe it"s best if I don"t know. But I better tell you the ma.s.ses are taking bets."
Morgan frowned. "Bets?"
Donovan chuckled again. "Yes. It seems a certain part of Charlotte"s elite society group can"t imagine you and Lena as a couple. In fact they"re taking bets that before it"s over you"ll come to your senses and marry a woman they feel is more suitable to your breeding."
Morgan"s frown deepened. "And who"s that supposed to be?"
"Jamie Hollis. It"s my understanding Ca.s.sandra is certain her cousin can replace Lena. I understand she"s even bold enough to tell Lena that."
"Oh, I see." Now he really did. Now he really did. So that"s what had pushed Lena into action. He shook his head. He would take Lena over Jamie any day. And he intended to do that very thing. So that"s what had pushed Lena into action. He shook his head. He would take Lena over Jamie any day. And he intended to do that very thing.
"It appears that all those times you"ve stated you were looking for the perfect woman, everyone was forming their own opinions as to what you wanted."
Morgan sighed. "Evidently. Seems like I have a lot to straighten out when I return to Charlotte tomorrow."
"I would have to agree. You know Ca.s.sandra and her better-than-thou group."
Yes, he did know Ca.s.sandra and her group. He would have thought her broken engagement with Bas would keep her quiet for a while. Evidently now that she had returned to town she was trying to take the spotlight off her and place it on someone else.
"And before you come back to town to roll any heads, I need to remind you of something," Donovan said, breaking into his thoughts.
"What?"
"If you"re still thinking about running for public office I wouldn"t have my name linked to any negative publicity by stirring up trouble. You know the woman you intend to marry. I wouldn"t worry about what is being said."
Morgan frowned. "I will worry about it if it involves Lena," he said roughly. "I won"t have people a.s.suming she"s competing against Jamie for my attention, because she"s not."
"Then show it in other ways. You know what they say about action speaking louder than words. Besides, once it"s officially announced that you"re engaged to Lena, if Jamie has any cla.s.s she will bow out of the picture and put an end to this foolishness that Ca.s.sandra has started."
Moments later Morgan hung up the phone. All he had to do was show back up in Charlotte and put this foolishness to rest by announcing his engagement. He knew what woman he wanted and it wasn"t Jamie Hollis.
Chapter 11.
It occurred to Lena during lunchtime the following day that she hadn"t made a pit stop by Morgan"s house to clean up those chocolate smudges.
After talking to him on the phone last night and telling him what to expect when he returned she had immediately felt a sense of relief. But upon waking this morning a lot of doubt now filled her mind. Had she really made the right decision? Had she allowed Ca.s.sandra"s words to push her into a situation she shouldn"t really be in?
Morgan made it seem like a "marriage of purpose" was nothing new, and maybe it wasn"t to celebrities, high profilers and those Hollywood types. But she was someone who dealt with reality and she didn"t know of any woman in her inner circle who would agree to marry a man and have his baby as part of a business deal. The media would have a field day with that bit of news if they ever got wind of it. And what would his brothers think? His parents? His own friends?
Not knowing what to think herself, Lena brought her car to a stop after pulling into Morgan"s driveway. Unsnapping her seat belt she got out and proceeded to check his mailbox before getting the door key from the lockbox. The least she could do was bring in any mail since it seemed the box was overflowing.
Moments later she was walking inside his foyer and closing the door behind her. She smiled as she glanced around, distinctively remembering the first time he"d brought her here for that tour. And each time she had returned to his home she couldn"t help but think how ma.s.sive it was for one person. But then, the one he was thinking of buying was just as huge. And now that she"d decided to accept the terms of his proposal, that meant she and her mother would be sharing with him whatever house he purchased.
There were a number of framed portraits that hung on the walls, detailing the vast extent of his valuable art collection. She thought, and not for the first time, that his house smelled like him, a robust scent of man.
Walking into the living room she placed Morgan"s mail on the table in a spot where he would be able to see it when he returned on Sunday. After taking off her jacket and slipping out of her shoes, she noticed a chocolate smudge on the door handle of the French door leading out to the pool and so she walked into the kitchen to get a wet cloth. She hoped and prayed there weren"t too many others.
Standing at the kitchen sink she bit back a smile. One of Ms. Emily"s daughters had called a couple of nights ago saying she planned to take their mother out to dinner and a movie for her birthday and had invited Odessa along. At first Lena had had mixed emotions about her mother going, but after talking to Cora Jessup and seeing how excited Odessa had gotten with the invitation, she had agreed. Hopefully, this would be the start of some sort of social life for her mother.
"You certainly have a way of brightening up my kitchen."
Lena spun around, holding a hand to her chest, as her gaze connected to Morgan"s. And speaking of chest...his was broad, hairy, well defined and at the moment, naked. In fact it was obvious he had just stepped out of the shower. The only thing covering the bottom half of his body was a velour towel and it wasn"t all that thick. From the look and shape of things, it was obvious he worked out regularly, which was something she herself had begun doing but not with as much zeal and dedication as some people. But she was determined to get there.
She cleared her throat after her racing heart slowed down a bit. "When did you get back?" she asked, after she was finally able to speak. The fact that he was standing in the middle of the room looking s.e.xy as h.e.l.l was making her skin feel heated.
He cracked a gorgeous smile. "About an hour ago."
"B-but I talked to you last night. Why didn"t you tell me you were coming back today?"
Striding toward her with a smile so hot it could melt b.u.t.ter, he said, "I wanted to surprise you."
Well, he had certainly succeeded in doing that. She tried averting her gaze from that smile only to have it fall on his chest, and she quickly decided that wasn"t good. And if she moved it lower it would hit another spot. Although that area was covered, staring at it wasn"t a smart idea, either. Definitely not a decent thing to do, but who could think of decency in the presence of a half-naked man?
When he came to a stop directly in front of her, pinning her between his body and the counter, she forced a smile to her lips and cleared her throat yet again before saying, "So, how was your trip?"
His smile became even s.e.xier when he said, "Mmm, let"s talk about my trip later. Right now I"d like the perfect homecoming."
And before she could blink, he leaned forward and captured her lips with his.
The moment Morgan"s tongue took control of hers Lena"s world turned topsy-turvy and blazing hot all at the same time. This was what spontaneous combustion was all about, she quickly decided. He hadn"t given her time to react, to resist, or to think. When he had coaxed her lips apart and seized her tongue, he had been the one to take control. He was a master at what he was doing, and the sensations his skilled lips, tongue and mouth were causing shot straight to areas of her body that hadn"t been touched in a long time or ever. He made the last kiss they"d shared in her office seem tame compared to this. Their tongues were mingling, tangling, mating in a private, sensual and heat-blistering dance.
She wanted to wrench her mind back from all the erratic emotions he was making her feel, all the heated l.u.s.t invading her body. Instead she was being overtaken by some primal elemental force that sent vibrations of deep need all through her.
The air they were breathing seemed to change and she felt her entire body attune to that change. She heard herself moan. She felt herself surrender, and she felt herself being pulled more and more under the mastery of a Morgan Steele kiss.
Then as if that wasn"t enough, his hands moved to her waist, then upward to slip beneath her blouse, unclip her bra and trace hot fingertips to caress her b.r.e.a.s.t.s-kneading their softness and then playing, torturing and tantalizing their taut tips. She heard herself whimper when she became entrenched in desire so strong, potent and deliberate she couldn"t breathe.
It was then that he broke off the kiss. While trying to force air through their lungs their gazes held, locked, with a need that almost bordered on obsession, and she knew what he wanted. She knew what she wanted as well. Here and now.
She didn"t care that they were standing in his kitchen during midday. All that mattered, the only thing that was important, was to finish what they started. Any regrets would come later but not now. Something had taken over, held them in a sensual grip. It was something they couldn"t explain, nor did they want to or feel the need to. It was enough that they both felt it. They both wanted it. And they both intended to have it.
Now.
Without uttering a word he reached out and tugged the blouse over her head, then freed the bra completely from her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. As he tossed both aside, his hands then moved to her hips and on bended knee he unceremoniously yanked down her skirt, leaving her standing in the middle of his kitchen wearing nothing but a thong.
"Mercy."
Lena heard his growl.
Heat drummed through her when she felt his fingers move slowly up her legs, kneading her flesh while making her body burst into flames. But it seemed it didn"t intend to let her burn without him. The next thing she knew was that he was sensually stroking the back of her knee with one hand while tracing his fingertips up her inner thigh with the other. When he reached her thong, his hand slipped beneath the satin barely-there covering and touched her.
She fought the fiery sensations that single touch caused by closing her eyes, throwing her head back and pressing her knees together. She had never felt such intensity, such vulnerability, so possessed with need.
"Lena?"
Deep in the recess of her mind she heard her name. She slowly opened her eyes and looked down and met his gaze, recognizing the look in their dark depths. That look stole her breath, sent even more indescribable sensations shooting through her and made liquid heat, which she could actually feel, pool right smack between her legs where his finger still was located.
"I want you, Lena," he whispered in a husky voice, still holding her gaze. "I want you on the table."
She stared down at him. He was leaning back on his haunches staring back at her. There was a high degree of heat in his eyes, and then suddenly she felt hot all over again. He stood, laced his fingers with hers, positioned her body close to his and turned her slightly and begin inching her backward toward the table. It was then that she noticed his towel had dropped and he was as stark naked as she was.
"I"ve been fantasizing about you spread out on my desk, but I"m going to make this table work," he whispered huskily into her ear.
They came to a stop when the table was at her back. Morgan remembered how his brothers had joked about him having such a huge table in his kitchen. Now he knew why it was there. It was perfect. His need, his desire and his want for her had built up over a long period. She had become an obsession that nearly bordered on madness.
He wanted to marry her. He wanted her to have his baby. He wanted her to be a part of his life forever.
He loved loved her. her.
That stark realization ratcheted through him, nearly knocking him off balance. That was the reason why he had come up with those crazy plans, and why, even when Donovan had teased him mercilessly about Lena not giving him the time of day, he hadn"t let her rejection deter him one bit from making her his priority.
He knew at that very moment that he had probably fallen in love with her the moment he set eyes on her that night, and he had dreamed about her every night since then. She had fascinated him in a way no other woman had ever done before. He saw a beauty on the outside that he knew radiated from the inside. Her dedication to her mother and those she considered friends was monumental. He admired such a high degree of loyalty and devotion. Her involvement in the various community projects around town that were geared to benefit others was a testimony that she was a person who cared. This was the type of woman he needed in his life, to walk by his side, to be there with him when the going got tough. She didn"t know it yet but he had high plans for their future, and they would have a rewarding future together-she might as well bank on it.
He reached down and lifted her bottom and sat her on the edge of the table, then gently scooted her back on it. He stepped back. She was lying flat on her back with her gorgeous legs dangling off the sides, naked and opened for him. Just like he"d imagined in his fantasy.
Morgan inwardly groaned. All that naked flesh only heightened his desire. "You"re beautiful, Lena," he whispered and felt the truth of his words all the way to his toes.
He watched as she slid a glance at him, smiled and said, "You have a way of making me feel s.e.xy, Morgan Steele."
"Because you are s.e.xy. And your s.e.xiness has a way of driving me wild. Pushing me over the edge and making me want to do things I normally don"t do," he said truthfully.
He came back to the table, leaned over her and kissed her. Thoroughly. Deeply. And then he was between her spread knees, easing them apart even farther.
The scent of her drove him crazy, made him lose control, made his body even more aroused. He stepped closer, rubbed his hardened shaft against her wet core, teasing it, tantalizing it, provoking it in an enticing way.
"I think this is where I ask if I need to put on a condom," he whispered huskily, as he continued to rub himself against her. "As much as I want to give you my baby, now isn"t the time to do it. There are too many number crunchers around here to suit me."
She smiled and slowly shook her head. "I take the pill to regulate my periods, so I"m safe, but if you prefer to-"
"No, I don"t prefer. I want to be skin to skin, flesh to flesh with you. I want to know the exact moment I let go and fill you with me, Lena."
He leaned in closer to her ear, letting his warm breath touch her skin underneath when he whispered, "In other words, I want to soak your insides to the point that even next week you"ll still know that I came for a visit."
And then he kissed her in a long, drugging kiss that automatically had her eyes closing while the desire within her crested, seeking fulfillment.
"Look at me, Lena," he said in a soft command after pulling back.
She opened her eyes and smiled at him. It was then that she saw that he was on the table with his body straddled over hers. The light shining through his kitchen blinds made him appear as the man he had been-her nighttime fantasy-and into the man he now was, her daytime reality. At that moment she was aware of everything. The way he was staring down at her, the way their breathing was being released in the quiet stillness of the room, the way his shaft was resting between her open legs and the s.e.xual, hot sense they radiated.
He leaned down and placed a light kiss on the tip of her nose and smiled. "I think I"m going to keep this table forever," he said, chuckling softly. And then his expression turned serious and he leaned down and whispered, "Got to have you. Now."
He seemed to rise even higher above her before he sank back down in one fluid motion inside her.
"Oh," she gasped, her sensation one of total fulfillment and extreme gratification, knowing their bodies were connected this way. He moved deeper, going inside her to the hilt, inside her while reaching under her and bracing her voluptuous bottom, holding it tight to the fit of him.
"Does it hurt?" he asked, whispering softly against the thick luxuriousness of her hair.
"No, you feel good," she said, smiling up at him. "Okay, big guy. Show me what you can do." And with the agility of an acrobat, she lifted her legs to lock her ankles in the center of his back.
He grinned down at her. "Remember, you asked for it."
And then he began moving slow at first, easing in and out as if savoring each stroke, liking the feel of his shaft work its way inside her. And then the tempo suddenly changed, and he began pumping fast. Then faster. Relentless with need. Unbelievably detailed with each and every intimate and intense caress.
"More, Morgan. More. Don"t stop," she begged.
It was on the tip of Morgan"s tongue to tell her that at this point he couldn"t stop even if he wanted to. So he continued to pump into her, ignoring the hard feel of her heels in the center of his back with each thrusting motion. He felt her climbing the same ladder of pa.s.sion that he was climbing, knowing what awaited them at the top was one h.e.l.l of an o.r.g.a.s.m. And when she arched her back, he didn"t know how it was possible but he drove deeper into her, hit something and whatever it was had her screaming her release.
He felt it, the tensing of her muscles, the pull, the clenching, and at that moment she became the epitome of everything sensual to him. She was one h.e.l.l of a woman. His woman.
And then he reached the top with her, clung to everything, felt sensually trapped tight within her inner thighs, wishing he could stay a captive forever. He felt his body explode, shatter, flood her. And he bucked once, twice, a third time, appreciating the st.u.r.diness of the table, grateful it was genuine wood and not gla.s.s. He was shattering enough. He didn"t need the table to shatter as well.
He threw his head back and growled incoherently. He felt like the wolf claiming his mate and all the innate rights that came with that possession. And as his body began to slow down, he started feeling an inner peace, one he"d never felt before. He could only think of one word for what had just taken place on his kitchen table. Perfect.
He sucked in a deep breath, trying to reclaim a semblance of strength. He gazed down at her and he wanted her again. Just like that. Just like this. But the next time he wanted it in the bedroom, in the bed. This table was of good quality, but it could only take so much.
He leaned down and pressed his mouth gently to hers, not ready to separate from her. Her saw the aftermath of a s.e.xual glaze in her eyes, watched a satisfied smile touch the corners of her lips. Grinning proudly he wanted to beat his fists against his chest. Instead he reached down and cupped her face in his hands. "Tell me," he whispered throatily. "What are you thinking?"
She grinned back at him, still trying to catch her breath. "Are you sure you want to know?"
"Yes."
"Mmm, I was just thinking that you have one h.e.l.l of an organ, Morgan."
He laughed. He actually laughed and the ripples from his body went straight through to hers, making them aware they were still joined.
"Besides being a s.e.xy lady, you"re also a poet, I see."
She chuckled. "Sometimes. How about this one? Why waste it when you can taste it? Why waste it when you can taste it?" And then she was pulling his head down for a kiss that sent an aching need through him. When she released his mouth she smiled up at him, pleased with what she"d done.
"Arrogant woman," he teased gruffly. "You know what I think?" he asked, leaning down and brushing a kiss across her lips.
"No, what?"