“Or he’s realized there’s no such thing as a perfect woman, like there’s no perfect man. But that doesn’t explain why he wants that person to be me.”
Kylie rolled her eyes. “Aw, come on, Lena. Morgan has shown interest in you since that night the two of you met at that charity ball. He asked you out several times but you turned him down.”
Lena munched on her fry thinking that yes, he had asked her out, but she really hadn’t taken him seriously at first. But when he’d asked a few more times she thought it would be a smart move to break things down to him as to why she wouldn’t go out with him. Now he was asking her not only to marry him but also to have his baby.
“So, are you going to do it?”
Kylie’s question interrupted her thoughts. She knew of all people, she had to be totally honest with her best friend. “Would I sound like an awful person if I said I was really thinking about the idea? Gosh, Kylie, he’s the first man to take Mom into consideration. He actually said he would be proud to have her for his child’s grandmother.”
“Wow, that’s deep, isn’t it?”
“Yes, for me it is.” Another thing that was deep was the kiss they’d shared. Even now if she were to touch her lips with her fingertips, she was convinced she would still be able to feel the warmth of Morgan’s lips there. “But there are other things to consider,” she finally said, sighing.
“Like what?”
“Although our union will be a marriage of purpose, as he put it, he still wants us to project a semblance of realness. In other words, he has no qualms about us sharing a bed.”
“But you do?”
“Yes. No. Hell, I don’t know.” The last couple of guys she’d dated—way back when—took that time to cross her mind. They hadn’t done anything to light a fire within her, at least not to the degree Morgan had with just a mere kiss. “Trust me, it wouldn’t bother me one bit to sleep with Morgan,” she finally said. “But what if we start something that neither of us can finish?”
“Meaning?”
“What if things don’t work out and he decides I’m not the woman he wants to live with or the right woman for the mother of his child?”
Kylie shrugged. “Knowing Morgan I’m sure he’s thought this thing through before approaching you with it. If I were you, the only thing I’d worry about is what decision I’ll be giving him in five days.”
She hadn’t dreamed today, Lena thought, slipping beneath the covers later that night. She lay on her back and stared up at the ceiling as memories flooded her. It was hard to believe Morgan had actually asked her to marry him and have his baby.
After Morgan had left her office she had hung back, unable to leave as she’d planned to do. Instead she had sat at her desk trying to rationalize what had happened moments earlier, replaying in her mind his every word, every stroke of his tongue in her mouth.
In the end when she’d realized she hadn’t been hallucinating, she had called Kylie and asked to meet her at the nearest Burger King after she closed her florist shop that day.
After their talk she had left to pick up her mother from day care, barely remembering what their conversation had been about on the ride home. The only thing she remembered was the one single question that was still floating around in her head.
Why, of all the women he knew, he wanted to marry her?
From the day she had agreed to sell his house and help him locate another one, things had been strictly business between them. Even when he’d had dinner with her and her mother on Sunday he hadn’t shown any obvious signs that he was attracted to her.
Or had he?
She had noted the intense looks in his gazes, but he’d always looked at her that way. In the past she had chalked things up as a one-sided attraction that she could never act on…but today, following his lead, she had.
She doubted that she would ever be able to look him in the face and not be reminded of their kiss. Today she had been introduced to another facet of Morgan’s unique personality. His passionate side. It would be a side she would be constantly exposed to if they were to marry. Sheesh! For over a year he had been her nightly dream and she wasn’t sure she was ready for him to make the jump from being her Mr. Fantasy to taking on the role of her Mr. Reality.
But then, all she had to do was close her eyes to remember the exact moment he’d made his outlandish proposal. “I want you to marry me and have my baby.” The moment he had said the words, although she hadn’t been sure she’d heard him correctly, he had looked at her with that deep, dark gaze of his as a spark of desire had flooded her insides, overheating her senses. And the seductive scent of the cologne he’d been wearing hadn’t helped matters.
And later, right before he had left, he had taken the initiative to step closer to her, and she had boldly walked into his arms. And the exact moment their tongues had mingled, zapping her willpower with tenderness, she had known she was a goner. She knew even now that she would probably be whispering his name in her sleep. But that was okay. She didn’t know of any other man whose name she’d rather whisper.
And as she closed her eyes to peaceful slumber, it was Morgan’s face that occupied her dreams.
Morgan inhaled a steadying breath as he pushed himself out of bed and sat on the edge of it. The kiss he had shared earlier that day with Lena was still heavily on his mind, in his thoughts, embedded so deep in his memory that he couldn’t sleep and was so elemental it made his entire body ache.
The kiss had been everything he had known it would be and more, and she had felt just like he’d figured she would in his arms. Now his senses were incapable of any other thoughts but those of her. At this point if she were to turn down his proposal to marry him and have his baby he didn’t know what he would do.
He stood, deciding there wasn’t much hope of getting a lot of sleep tonight. His only hope was to try and get some shut-eye on the plane, which he would be catching in a few hours. Throwing on his robe, he made his way down the stairs to get a cup of coffee before going over some paperwork for his meeting with Cameron and Ben Malloy.
Malloy was an entrepreneur with multifaceted interests. A year ago Morgan had approached him and Cameron in regards to what he saw not only as a sound business opportunity but also as a way to give back to his hometown’s dying community. His latest venture was to open several shopping malls within urban areas of several handpicked communities around the country.
In recent years there had been an explosion of growth within the suburban areas of various cities, but there seemed to be a constant neglect within the downtown areas—where a number of African Americans lived. Most business owners—although they considered themselves rather astute—failed to recognize or acknowledge the potential growth in urban areas, and as a result, their narrow-mindedness had left the residents, those people living in the neglected areas, with limited access to shopping, adequate housing and entertainment.
Magic Johnson had brought attention to this issue when he opened several theaters within the urban communities across the country. And what Morgan, Cameron and Ben were posed to do was something similar with the development of a mall in St. Louis. Ben had asked their support and their aid in pouring a substantial amount of money into the project, and after doing a considerable amount of research they had determined it not only would be a worthwhile financial investment, but it would also be a way to help place development in those overlooked areas.
Morgan glanced at the clock when he entered his kitchen. It was three in the morning and he had a flight out at eight. After he’d left Lena he had come home to pack, prepare a quick dinner and savor the memories of his first kiss with the woman of his dreams.
Moments later as he sat at his desk, he absently stirred his coffee while trying to read the report Cameron’s secretary had faxed earlier. Instead of concentrating, his mind was stuck on other things, namely Lena. Would she agree to his offer of marriage? He smiled thinking once he had her in his bed there were no limitations to just what he could do and would do.
Chapter 9
“How’s that Steele boy?”
Lena smiled as she shoved in her briefcase the documents she needed to go over with a potential buyer. Funny, although she knew her mother’s usage of the word boy was just a term, Lena couldn’t visualize Morgan as a boy. She saw the person who had kissed her almost senseless yesterday as being a man in every full sense of the word.
“If you’re asking about Morgan, I guess he’s fine,” she said, trying to keep her voice light, neutral and nonchalant.
“So when will he be coming back?”
Lena lifted her head and met her mother’s gaze with an arched brow. “How did you know he was going somewhere?”
“He told me when he called a few days ago,” Odessa said, as she sat at the kitchen table and took a sip of her coffee.
Lena, with an incredulous look on her face, shut her briefcase with a click. “Morgan called you?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“I told you it was a few days ago. Monday, I believe.”
Lena sighed. “And when did he call on Monday?”
“In the afternoon. Before you got home.”
Lena leaned against the kitchen counter. “He called to tell you he was leaving town?”
“No. Actually he called to thank me for dinner on Sunday, and then he mentioned he was leaving town.” Her mother took another sip of her coffee, then asked, “Why all the questions?”
Lena rolled her eyes heavenward wondering if her mother had forgotten that she was the one who’d brought up Morgan in the first place. She decided to jog her memory. “Mom, you’re the one who asked about Morgan. If you had spoken to him this week, then why did you even ask me how he was doing?”
“Because I thought that perhaps you had talked to him since then.”
“Yes, I saw him yesterday at my office. You know I’m selling his home and helping him find another.” Until she decided how she would handle his proposal she didn’t want her mother to get any ideas, so she added, “Our relationship is strictly professional.”
“If that’s true, then why did he come to dinner?”
Lena sighed. “Because you asked him, and like he told you, he hadn’t eaten a home-cooked meal in a long time. No man would have turned that down.”
“Maybe, but I think he came for another reason altogether,” Odessa said, matter-of-factly.
“And what reason is that?”
Her mother’s lips parted into the barest of smiles. “You. That Steele boy likes you. Any fool can see that.”
Later that day Lena’s mind was filled with Morgan’s proposition. He would see their marriage as a business venture. Could she do the same? What if she began developing feelings for him and he walked in one day and declared that he wanted out of the marriage? What would she do then?
She was jolted from her thoughts with the ringing of her telephone. She picked it up. “Yes, Wendy?”
“Vanessa Steele is on the line for you.”
Lena raised a brow. She and Vanessa had worked together on several community projects around town. Like her own father, Vanessa’s father had been the victim of cancer, so it wasn’t unusual for them to participate in fund-raising activities to benefit the American Cancer Society. The same thing applied to Chance, whose first wife had died from cancer.
Lena liked Vanessa. She thought she was a person who wasn’t just beautiful on the outside but on the inside as well. And unlike some people whose family had a lot of money—namely someone like Cassandra Tisdale—Vanessa Steele didn’t have a “better than thou” bone in her body.
“Thanks, Wendy, please put her through.”
Lena only had to wait a few moments before the sound of Vanessa’s exuberant voice came on the line. “Lena, how are you?”
“I’m fine, Vanessa, and how are you?”
“I’m doing great. I just got a call from the principal at the high school I graduated from requesting that I spearhead this project, and after hearing it, I immediately thought of soliciting your, Jocelyn’s and Sienna’s help.” She chuckled, then added, “Kylie’s pregnancy saved her from me pulling her in as well, and we don’t have a lot of time to pull this thing together.”
Lena’s interest was piqued after hearing the excitement in Vanessa’s voice. “What sort of project is it?”
“A mini career fair. Only thing is that the head of the school’s business department wants it held in a few weeks. If we wait until next month we’ll be competing against prom time. Sorry for the late notice but it was something she thought of doing just last night, but I think it’s a wonderful idea to showcase local employment opportunities for those who might not be considering college as an option right now.”
“I agree, it’s a wonderful idea. How can I help?”
“I’m going to need your business to participate by having a booth. It would be nice for the students to see the wonderful opportunities in real estate.”
“Do you have a date picked out yet?”
“Yes, the thirtieth of this month. That’s a Friday. I’ve talked to Chance, and to kick things off the Steele Corporation will host a sit-down dinner for all the businesses that will be participating.”
“Well, consider me in,” Lena said, smiling.
“And consider it done. I’d like to have a meeting this weekend, something informal. How about my place on Saturday evening? Are you available?”
Lena didn’t like to commit herself to being somewhere until she made sure her mother would be fine staying alone. So far her mother’s condition had improved over the past month or so, and she was taking her medication when she was supposed to, making it easier for her to get around. “Let me get back with you about that meeting on Saturday.”
“That’s fine. Do you still have my number?”
Lena quickly checked the Rolodex on her desk. “Yes, I still have it.”
“Good. I hope to see you if you can make it. If you can’t I’ll understand and I will call you the early part of next week and go over what was discussed.”
“Thanks.”
After hanging up the phone, Lena couldn’t help but feel good that Vanessa had included her on the committee.
Morgan entered his hotel room after having dinner with Cameron and Ben. Moments later he had set up his laptop on the desk in the room and called home to speak with Chance before going into the bathroom to take a shower.
According to Chance, things were running smoothly back at the office, and Chance was glad to hear that Morgan would be returning home late Friday night instead of Sunday. That meant he would be home for the brothers’ weekly basketball game Saturday morning.
After his shower, Morgan sat down at the desk and booted up his computer, immediately checking his e-mail to see if his secretary had sent him the documents he had requested of her earlier. She had, and after downloading all the attachments and reading through most of them, which took almost a full hour, he clicked on his Instant Messages, mainly to see if Donovan was online. His younger brother had a tendency to pick up dates online as well as off.
It appeared Donovan wasn’t, but someone else was, he thought, when Lena’s screen name popped up. He glanced at the clock radio near the bed. It was almost two in the morning. What was she still doing up?
He remembered her once mentioning that because of her mom, she typically got into bed early. He hoped that whatever reason she was still awake and on her laptop he wouldn’t interrupt, because he intended to drop in.
Lena smiled as she continued to read the messages her goddaughter, Tiffany, had sent her earlier that day over the computer. Tiffany was excited about the prospect of becoming a big sister to a baby girl or boy, and before going to bed each night she would send Lena information on all the things she planned to do in her new role.
Tiffany
had also written to tell her about this guy from school that she simply adored. Although Kylie had lightened up some on Tiffany now that she was sixteen, her best friend was still trying to make sure Tiffany didn’t make the same mistakes she had made as a teen, which was understandable. These days Kylie was handling the situation in a different way, one that would not alienate her daughter. Chance and Kylie, along with Tiffany and Chase’s son, Marcus, were one big happy family.
Lena leaned back against the headboard and balanced her laptop on raised knees, remembering what had awakened her at two in the morning. She had had a dream of her and Morgan together, in bed. A shiver ran down her spine at the memory.
In her dream Morgan’s kisses had been just as heated as the one in her office. And when he had placed her on the bed, she had watched as his eyes changed from a dark brown to a hot brown as she succumbed to his magnetic pull and sexual appeal. Her breath had become shallow as he slowly removed her clothes, and desire consumed her, sending blood gushing through her veins like water through a fire hose. The eyes that had stared at her while he’d gotten undressed had had her pulse escalating, had made a certain part of her beg for him to take her over the edge. Her tension had mounted when he placed his body over hers, the scent of him sending her senses into overdrive. Her thighs had parted, and mere seconds before he was to enter her she had heard her mother cry out for her father, thus shattering the moment.
Lena sighed, thinking maybe that had been a good thing. She couldn’t imagine how things would have been if Morgan had completed the task and made love to her. She was about to log off the computer when an Instant Message popped up on her screen, almost startling her. The message asked What are you doing up so late?
She frowned, lifting a brow, pondering the identity of the individual who wanted to know. She was not a person who indulged in Internet chats or instant messages unless it was Kylie or Tiffany, and she knew both of them were in bed asleep now. Her gaze was drawn to the screen name, and her heart almost stopped—MDSteele. She immediately sucked in a huge breath upon recognizing the screen name belonged to Morgan Darien Steele.
Forged of Steele Bundle Page 50
