“Here you go.” Brice handed Morgan a bottle of beer.
“Thanks, man. You sure this is cool? I haven’t interrupted anything, have I?” he asked, noticing his brother’s wet hair, pajama bottoms and T-shirt.
“Not now,” he replied, smiling.
“Good, I’d hate to disturb Brooke. How’s she doing with everything?”
“She’s fine. She hasn’t had an MS flare-up in a while.”
“That’s great. I still can’t get over how well you two are handing Brooke’s multiple sclerosis diagnosis. I’m proud of you, bro.”
“I appreciate that. We’ve made a decision.”
“About what?”
Brice’s face lit up. “We selected a surrogate, and we’re starting the process next week.”
“For real?”
“Yep.” Brice nodded.
Morgan hugged his brother. “Congratulations, man. I know how much you want kids, but I also know how much you need to keep Brooke safe.” He took a long pull from his bottle as he watched Brice’s expression morph from happiness to fear back to happiness again in the matter of seconds.
“Let’s sit down.”
Morgan took a seat in one of the two large wingback chairs across from his brother, who was now sitting on a sofa. “Have you shared it with the rest of the family?”
“No. You’re the first. Mother won’t be surprised, since she’s the one who made the recommendation and found us the perfect agency.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Morgan took another drink from his bottle.
“Because she’s Victoria Kingsley. Now, what brings you out here? You were all cryptic when you called,” he asked, finally getting around to taking a drink from his beer bottle.
Morgan placed his now empty bottle on the coffee table. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs, clasping his hands. “There’s this woman—”
“Oh wow...wait.” Brice held up his left hand and put his beer bottle down on the floor. “You came to see me about a woman?”
“Yeah, so...”
Brice clapped his hands and started laughing. Morgan knew he deserved his brothers’ ribbing after all the hard times he’d given all of them about their problems with women while he incessantly played the field after Bonnie broke his heart, but now really wasn’t the time. He needed his help. Morgan sat back in the chair. “You done?”
“Sorry, man. I’m done. What’s going on and who is this woman who has finally got Morgan Kingsley, the king of the bachelors, Mister No-Woman’s-Worth-the-Drama all twisted up in his feelings?”
“Her name is Kathleen Winston—”
“The trainer from OSHA?” Brice frowned.
Morgan rose from his seat. “That’s the one.”
“Damn, man, she just got there, and you’ve already—”
“No, I haven’t.” Morgan started a slow pace around the room. “I haven’t done anything, and that’s the problem.”
“I don’t understand.”
Morgan released an audible sigh. “Neither do I, which is why I’m here. So, what do I do?”
Brice frowned. “About what?”
“Men...” a small, soft voice called out as Brooke descended the stairs and entered the living room, barefoot and wearing a robe.
Morgan stopped midstride, and Brice stood. He reached for his wife’s hand and pulled her into his arms, kissing her on the cheek. “Sorry if we disturbed you, sweetheart,” Brice stated.
A warm feeling came over Morgan watching the sweet exchange, and while normally such a sight never affected him, he was finding himself thinking about how nice it would be to have such a moment, maybe with a beautiful stranger who he couldn’t even have a real conversation with.
“Yeah, sorry about that, sister-in-law.”
“Don’t be silly—you didn’t disturb me. I was ear hustling from the top of the stairs, and I couldn’t take it anymore.”
Brice laughed. “You were eavesdropping?”
“Well, yeah. It’s rare that Morgan comes to anyone for help about anything and I knew it couldn’t be about business this late. I figured it had to be good.” Brook cupped Brice’s face with her right hand. “I love you, sweetheart, but you suck at translating stories.”
“True,” Brice agreed.
“I knew if I wanted to find out what was going on I’d better find out for myself,” Brooke confessed.
While the exchange between his brother and sister-in-law was cute, it wasn’t helping him at the moment. “I should probably go,” Morgan stated, moving toward the door.
“You will do no such thing. Sit...both of you,” Brooke ordered, taking the twin chair next to Morgan. She angled her body toward him. “Let me see if I got this right. You’ve developed feelings for the OSHA trainer. You’re not sure if you should act on them nor are you sure that you can’t either. Is that the gist of the situation?”
Morgan smirked. “That about covers it. Except I can’t seem to stop thinking about her or putting my foot in my mouth whenever I’m around her.”
“Damn...you got it bad,” Brice teased.
“Stop it,” Brooke chastised her husband. “You’ve never had trouble talking to women. I’m sure she’s beautiful,” Brooke suggested.
“Breathtakingly so,” Morgan confirmed.
“And that’s never been a problem either. What makes this one so different?” Brooke’s eyebrows came together.
Brooke’s apparent confusion merely matched his own. Morgan leaned forward again and briefly lowered his eyes to the floor before returning his attention to his sister-in-law. “She’s so much more. It’s not just her looks. I’ve seen her be strong and she won’t take crap from me or any of those roughnecks around the plant. Talk about smart. Kathleen has an impeccable résumé and she knows the ins and outs of the oil and gas business. Talking business with her is like talking to one of you, which is why everyone seems to respect her so much.” He felt two sets of eyes bore into his face.
“Wow. I wasn’t sure I’d live to see the day,” Brice said in a hushed tone.
“I was,” Brooke acknowledged, smiling.
“What are you two talking about?” Morgan’s frustration with himself and his family was rising. He needed answers.
“You’re falling in love,” Brice stated.
“I’d say he’s already fallen,” Brooke corrected.
“No... I’m not. Hell, I can’t even talk to her,” Morgan declared.
“We know,” the two replied in unison.
“Look, Morgan, just ask her out. I bet you’ll be surprised to find that she’s into you too.”
“At first I thought she might be until she found out who I was,” Morgan informed, feeling annoyed with himself and remembering the moment.
Brooke’s forehead creased. “What does that mean?”
After explaining his first encounter with Kathleen, Morgan added, “Ever since that day, things have been just professional.”
Brooke rose from her chair, and Morgan and Brice mimicked her move. “You’re a smart guy with a good heart. Show that side of yourself to her. Find a way to push past your fear and think of a clever way to ask her out. Life is too short to miss out on or run away from...” Brooke’s eyes cut to her husband briefly before landing back on Morgan “...any opportunity that could change your life and bring you untold happiness.”
Morgan hugged Brooke. “Thank you. My brother is one lucky man.”
“We’re both lucky.” Brooke kissed Brice before she headed back upstairs.
“She’s right, you know,” Brice added.
Morgan shoved his hands in his pockets. He still couldn’t believe how twisted his insides were behind a woman he’d spent nearly no time with at all. “I know she is, but I still don’t know what to do about it.”
“You can start by taking a no
njudgmental interest in what her training program has to offer.”
Morgan glared at Brice. “You think I should sit through her touchy-feely training to do what? Get her to like me...to go out with me?”
“If that’s what you want. Is that what you want?”
Morgan stared at his brother but held his tongue while his body stirred, making its opinion known. “Thanks, man. I’m going to head out.”
“Anytime.”
Morgan walked out Brice’s door, contemplating the answer to his brother’s question. He knew what he wanted and what he had to do to get it.
* * *
Kathleen sat with her back against the headboard of the king-size bed in her Port Arthur hotel room. The entire room was half the size of her bedroom at home, but Kathleen didn’t mind. She never reveled in her wealth and privilege, unlike her siblings. Kathleen spent most of her time focusing on righting perceived injustices in the world within her reach. Although she did have one vice: collecting art, antiques specifically.
Having just showered and changed into a long nightshirt, Kathleen settled in for the night. When her phone rang, she stared down at the screen and froze. Morgan Kingsley was calling her. Kathleen wasn’t sure if she should answer it or send him to voice mail but before she could decide the ringing stopped. A feeling of disappointment came over Kathleen until her phone beeped, alerting her to a newly received message. Her disappointment quickly was replaced by a mixture of excitement and fear. Kathleen pushed out a quick breath and played back the message.
“Good evening, Miss Winston. This is Morgan Kingsley. Forgive the intrusion, but I want you to know that I’ll be joining your training session in the morning. See you tomorrow.”
Morgan’s smooth, baritone voice sent a warm feeling throughout her body. Kathleen replayed the message several times, not because it wasn’t clear, but because she was enjoying what his voice was doing to her body, specifically to the lower half of her sexually deprived body. All of her fantasies about Morgan were closing in on her.
Kathleen closed her eyes and ran her right hand across her breasts and down her stomach to her sex. Morgan’s handsome face and the sound of his voice filled Kathleen’s mind. Her hand slipped under her panties and slid through the fine hairs to her core. She lay flat on her back, spread her legs and inserted one, then two fingers inside as she thought about Morgan and all the sexy things they could do together. Before long she’d found temporary relief to desires he’d managed to tap into.
“You’ve got to stop this, Kathleen,” she murmured between breaths. “You can’t keep using this man to get off. He could be a criminal, for goodness’ sake.” It was a statement she knew probably wasn’t true and one that hurt to consider seriously. Kathleen’s heart and body ached for a man she couldn’t be one hundred percent certain was innocent.
Kathleen took another shower, only this one was as cold as she could stand it. She was hoping to drown out the smoldering desires she was still experiencing for Morgan. After several minutes, Kathleen dried herself off, wrapped her body and hair in thick towels and sat on her bed. Kathleen knew she had to get her feelings under control and she needed advice on the best way to handle her situation with Morgan. She reached for her phone and called her sister. For the first time in her career, Kathleen was afraid that she was about to break a cardinal rule in investigation. A rule she’d always believed in and followed. It was the first thing her boss told her when she started: never get emotionally or physically involved with a target. Deep down inside, Kathleen knew she was about to do both.
Chapter 6
Kathleen set her phone on the nightstand while she changed back into her nightclothes. She was using her towel to squeeze the excess water from her hair when her video call connected. “Kathleen, why am I looking at one ugly-ass lamp?” Hannah asked.
“Oh sorry. Hold on a second.” Kathleen pulled her hair up into a high ponytail and reached for the phone. She smiled at Hannah, a near mirror image of herself. “I was getting ready for bed.”
“Bed?” Hannah checked her watch. “It’s only nine.”
“Yes, in California. I’m in Texas, remember, and it’s eleven here.”
“Oh yeah. I forgot.”
“Where you going all dressed up? Not like you need much of a reason.” Kathleen laughed.
“True, but tonight I have one. I’m going to the opening of a friend of mine’s new restaurant.”
“Oh...well I guess we can talk later,” Kathleen replied, trying but failing to hide the disappointment in her voice.
“Oh no, you don’t. I know that look. What’s going on?”
“I don’t want to keep you from your friends.”
“Stop that.” Hannah leered at her sister and sat down. “You know the rules. Family comes first. I got lots of friends but only two sisters. What’s up?”
“Thanks, Hannah, and I’ll be quick.”
“Don’t worry about it. What’s going on?”
“I need your advice about something, but for you to help me, I have to share some things with you about my work.”
“Okay.” Hannah’s eyes widened with surprise just as Kathleen expected.
Kathleen knew she had to keep the specifics of her investigations secret. However, Hannah had to know that she had developed feelings for someone and the situation around that person but not his identity, to know just how complicated things had gotten.
“I met this man...” Kathleen watched the small smile spread across Hannah’s face as she searched for the right words. “He’s the target of my investigation.”
Hannah’s smile disappeared. “What? Kathleen, you’ve been without a man for a long time, and the first one you fall for is a criminal?”
“Don’t call him that. He’s not a criminal.” That was a conviction that had started taking root in her mind and heart the more time she spent with Morgan. The revelations about Mr. Silva didn’t hurt, either.
“He can’t be a Boy Scout, either, if you’re investigating him. You’ve never been wrong about the targets you’ve gone after before. Don’t let hormones screw up your professional success. Trust me when I say mixing business with pleasure doesn’t work.”
“This isn’t about you, sister dear. Now can I finish?”
Hannah crossed her arms and pursed her lips. “This should be good.”
Kathleen was having second thoughts about sharing the dilemma with her sister until she remembered Hannah’s response was coming from a place of love and real concern. “Ever since I met this man I can’t seem to stop thinking about him...dreaming about him.”
“That’s your hormones talking. Maybe it’s just a bad boy phase you’re going through. You’ll get over it,” Hannah concluded.
“It’s not a bad boy phase, and I told you he’s not a criminal. Morgan’s strong...a man’s man. He’s extremely smart and family oriented. He reminds me of Dad.”
“Then why are you investigating him?” She raised her left eyebrow.
Kathleen knew her sister’s question was rhetorical, but she couldn’t leave it out there in the universe like that, so she said, “All I can say is that a claim was brought against his company and not him personally.”
“Remember what Dad always says?”
“We are our company,” the two women chorused.
“Yes, Hannah but that’s our company. I think this family is much like ours in that regard. There is no way his mother would do anything to hurt her company or their reputation.”
Hannah frowned. “His mother?”
“Never mind that, what do I do?”
“About what?”
“These feelings...”
Hannah dropped her arms. “Do you think he’s into you too?”
“I think so...maybe.” Kathleen released an audible sigh. “I don’t know.”
“Well, if you’re really into h
im, ask the man out.”
“I thought about that, but I don’t want to taint my investigation.”
Hannah reached for her ringing phone. “Isn’t it already tainted?” She sent the caller to voice mail. “You are having what I assume are sexy dreams about the man.”
Yes, they are. “The dreams just started, and I pretty much have my answers regarding the investigation.”
“Putting your hormones aside for minute. Can you honestly say with one-hundred-percent certainty that he is innocent of whatever it is you’re investigating?”
“I’m ninety percent there.”
“Then I recommend that you find that other ten percent before you do anything,” Hannah stated.
“Looks like I’m about to get that chance tomorrow.” She nodded in agreement.
“If you do, then bring him to Vista.”
“Vista?”
“Yeah, that’s the restaurant my friend is opening in Houston this weekend. It’s their soft launch, so it won’t be too crowded, no press and I’m his guest chef. That way I’ll be able to check out the man who finally reminded my beautiful sister that she’s a woman.” Both women laughed. “But promise me one thing.”
Kathleen was afraid to ask but replied, “What’s that?”
“You won’t do anything until you know for a fact that this man and his company are innocent of whatever it is that they are being accused of, okay? I know you, Kathleen. If you’re wrong about him, you’ll hate yourself.”
Kathleen knew her sister was right and she couldn’t put the lives of others in jeopardy because she was suddenly all hot and bothered for Morgan Kingsley. “I promise. I won’t make a move until I’m one-hundred-percent sure.”
“Good.”
“But...”
“But what?” Hannah’s phone rang again.
Kathleen rolled her eyes. “Please answer your hotline.”
“Hold up.” Hannah put the caller on Speaker. “Yes?”
“Hannah, where are you? Everyone’s waiting,” the frantic-sounding person on the line asked.
The Heiress's Secret Romance Page 5
