The Heiress's Secret Romance

by Martha Kennerson

  “I’ll be there soon. Chill.” Hannah ended the call.

  “You should go, sis.”

  Hannah gave a nonchalant wave. “But what?”

  Kathleen ran her right hand through her damp hair. “What if he says no or isn’t interested in me?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “You know I haven’t dated in a while, so maybe I’m misreading the signals.”

  “I’m sure you’re not. If he’s not interested, then he’s weak,” Hannah stated matter-of-factly.

  Kathleen burst out laughing, and before she knew it, she said, “Morgan Kingsley is most certainly not weak.”

  Hannah’s eyes widened, and her whole face lit up like a kid discovering a favorite toy under the Christmas tree. “Morgan Kingsley? You want to do the nasty with Morgan Kingsley?”

  Both hands flew to Kathleen’s mouth. “Dammit!”

  “Girl, you should’ve started with that. Morgan Kingsley is fine as hell, and you’re right. I don’t care what anyone says...they couldn’t have done anything they’re being accused of doing. The Kingsleys are good people.”

  “Wait, you know the Kingsleys?” A horrifying thought popped into her mind. Had her sister and Morgan dated?

  “Of course I know the Kingsleys. We all run in the same social circle. A circle you rarely visit.”

  Kathleen didn’t want to ask, but she couldn’t stop herself. “Have you and him ever...”

  Hannah smiled. “You really do like him. No, we’ve never even met, not formally anyway. I wish you could have seen your face. If I’d said yes, you would have come after me through the phone,” she replied, laughing.

  Kathleen threw up her hands and shook her head. “Not funny, Hannah. Talking to you is like talking to a toddler sometimes.” Hannah stuck out her tongue. “What does ‘not formally’ mean?”

  “He’s escorted his mother and her sister Elizabeth Kingsley to a few charity events that I’ve attended with Dad. You know, the ones you usually refuse to go to.”

  “Not this again. I don’t refuse. It’s just most of the events I’m asked about happen when I’m extremely busy with work, or they’re halfway across the country.”

  “Which is why we have our very own planes, Kathleen.”

  “Cut me a break. I just went to one, remember?”

  “Yes and only because it was about Mom,” Hannah reminded her sister, her voice turning somber.

  A sense of sadness seemed to hit them both at the same time. “Yeah, well, I was there,” Kathleen murmured.

  “We have some obligations that we as a family should address. We just need you to do better when it comes to your responsibilities to the foundation and all of us. Now I’m done. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “Be careful with Morgan Kingsley.”

  “Why do you say that?” Kathleen frowned. She was nervous about what her sister was about to say.

  “I hear he’s not much for long-term commitments.”

  “Neither am I,” Kathleen offered, knowing that was a lie. She’d never really been one to date. Her life had been centered on her work; she had no idea how she felt about commitments.

  Hannah burst out laughing. “Seriously, Kathleen? You’re no virgin, but you’re not a serial dater either. All I’m saying is Morgan Kingsley is the type of man you play with...not marry.”

  “Why do you keep trying to marry me off? I told you, I’m not looking for a husband.”

  “Then what are you looking for...a one-off, a hit-and-run? Are you looking for Mr. Goodbar?”

  Kathleen felt her whole face contort. “What?”

  “A one-night stand...just sex.”

  Kathleen looked away from her sister for a moment before returning to glaring at Hannah. “Maybe. Maybe I want to sow a few wild oats myself.”

  Hannah gave her head a slow shake and picked up her purse. “You couldn’t find an oat if you stood in the middle of an oat field.”

  Kathleen gave her sister the evil eye. “Go to your opening and thanks for the advice.”

  “Anytime. Be careful, and I love you.”

  “Love you more.” Kathleen blew a kiss at the screen and disconnected the call.

  Kathleen turned off the light and lay down on her bed. She thought about everything her sister said and realized she had no idea what she wanted from Morgan. The only thing Kathleen knew for sure was that everything about the man intrigued her and she was attracted to him in a way she’d never been with anyone else.

  Kathleen had to find out why and what it meant. Was it just physical or might it go deeper than that? But first, Kathleen needed to see if the picture everyone painted about the Kingsleys was accurate, and she had to figure out how. As Kathleen closed her eyes, an idea started to take shape.

  Chapter 7

  The next morning Kathleen dressed in her favorite gray Vera Wang pantsuit. It showcased her curves and gave her an added level of confidence whenever she was a little nervous about the day’s outcome. She paired it with a scoop-neck white blouse, offering only a hint of cleavage, and low-heeled gray shoes. Kathleen told herself that she was just changing up her wardrobe and dressing up had nothing to do with the fact that she was expecting Morgan to attend her eight o’clock class that day.

  From the moment Kathleen arrived at the plant, she found herself staring at all the time-tracking devices in her wake. If it wasn’t the watch she wore on her wrist to help track her steps, it was the large clock on the wall and every computer screen she passed in the Kingsley training center. They all read the same, sending her a clear message. It was ten forty-five in the morning, and Morgan was nowhere to be found.

  Kathleen was using the small training room, which usually held fifty individuals; today there were only thirty people in attendance. Normally she’d have a packed house, but she was competing with another required policy training session down the hall. Kathleen had considered that Morgan might have forgotten he needed to be there instead of her safety training class, so she checked. After finding out that he wasn’t there either but on the grounds, she deduced that he’d changed his mind and blown her off. Kathleen couldn’t figure out what angered her the most, the fact that Morgan hadn’t shown or that her disappointment was overpowering and purely personal.

  “Five minutes, everyone. You should be wrapping up your test now,” she announced to the class.

  “I’m done. Easiest test ever,” one of the trainees stated, his voice loud and full of pride.

  Kathleen smiled. “We’ll see in four minutes, won’t we?”

  Everyone laughed, then suddenly the room fell silent, and everyone’s attention returned to their computers. Kathleen, standing with her back to the door, could feel the presence of someone behind her as the mood in the room shifted. She turned to find Morgan standing in the doorway wearing a pair of blue coveralls and work boots. While most of the men who worked in the plant wore the same uniform, it was something about the way he wore his. It fit his tall, fit body like a well-cut suit. Morgan took three steps into the room, and like a magnet, Kathleen was drawn toward him, matching his movement.

  Kathleen’s eyes roamed his body, and her mouth suddenly became dry as a desert, her mind going blank. Only one word snapped in her head and unfortunately escaped her lips before she could stop it. “Yummy.” Dammit. Kathleen was thankful that the trainees couldn’t hear her. Too bad Morgan did.

  The corners of Morgan’s mouth rose as he stared down at Kathleen. “What was that?”

  Kathleen gave her head a quick shake, pushed her shoulders back and stared up at him. “May I help you, Mr. Kingsley?”

  Morgan took another small step forward, ignoring a few of his onlooking staff. “You just might be able to, only now isn’t the time or the place,” he replied in a hushed tone.

  Kathleen cleared her throat and bit the inside of her lip. “Is that so?”

>   Morgan nodded slowly. His eyes scanned his team, sending them an unspoken message to mind their own business. Kathleen folded her arms across her chest. “You’re late. You promised you’d come.” Kathleen knew she was sounding more like a disappointed girlfriend than a professional trainer, not to mention a top investigator for one of the government’s most trusted and respected agencies, but for reasons she couldn’t explain she just didn’t care.

  Morgan reached for Kathleen’s hand, sending very familiar shockwaves throughout her body. He led her out into the hall, closing the door behind him. Morgan didn’t release Kathleen’s hand, and she didn’t bother pulling herself free. “I apologize for not showing up. I should’ve sent someone to explain where I was. We had a situation in one of our tanks that needed my attention this morning and you can’t make calls from inside the tanks. Whenever one of my people could be in danger, I need to be on-site.”

  “Oh... I understand.” Kathleen had heard that Morgan would never ask anyone to do anything he was not willing to do himself and if something dangerous was happening, he was always lending a helping hand.

  Morgan pulled Kathleen closer and intertwined their hands. “I didn’t make you a promise. I made a statement that I hoped to be able to keep. For me a promise is personal, and I keep my promises, which is why I rarely make some.”

  Kathleen lowered her head, and a sense of disappointment was suddenly upon her, fighting the desire she had for the man who was openly holding her hands. Morgan freed his right hand, captured her chin with his thumb and index finger and raised her head. He gazed into her eyes and said, “The promises I make to you, Miss Winston, I plan to keep.”

  They stood staring into each other’s eyes as Morgan ran his thumb slowly across her lips. It was like he was lighting a match. Kathleen knew the fire he’d ignited inside her could consume them both if she weren’t careful. Needing to break the connection, Kathleen closed her eyes, pushed out a slow breath and took a small step backward.

  * * *

  Morgan was afraid he might have gone too far too fast. He knew he had to act. Now that he’d decided to pursue Kathleen there was no way he was giving up now. “Is it too late?”

  “Too late for what?” she whispered.

  “To join your training. Would you prefer to try again tomorrow morning?”

  “No. It’s not too late. In fact, you’re right on time.”

  Morgan opened the door and gestured for Kathleen to enter. “After you.”

  “Thank you.” Kathleen walked back into the room. “Excuse me, everyone. Now that you’ve finished with the sectional quiz, I assume you’re all done and passed.” She scanned the room for signs that anyone hadn’t. Having found none, she continued. “Now I would like to move on to our next test.”

  Everyone moaned, and Morgan raised his hand. “Excuse me. There’s a test? Do I need time to prepare?”

  The room broke out into laughter. “It’s not that type of test,” Kathleen said, smiling up at Morgan, sending his heart and mind racing. Kathleen turned her attention to the rest of the class. “The new regulations require that you be able to put your protective gear on in less than two minutes during a level-three emergency.”

  “And we can,” Morgan declared proudly. “Some of us can do it in under a minute.”

  “Really?”

  “You doubt me?”

  “As a matter of fact I do,” she replied, winking at the class. “I think you’ll need to prove it.”

  “Excuse me, Kathleen,” one of the male trainees called out from the front row.

  Morgan was irritated by the casual nature of how he addressed Kathleen. It seemed a little too personal. Morgan’s eyes lasered in on the trainee. He walked over to the young man and read his badge. “Bloom, is it?”

  “Yes, sir,” he replied, sitting up in his chair.

  “We haven’t met yet. I’m Morgan Kingsley, and I’d prefer it if you were less casual when you address our guest.”

  “It’s fine—”

  “No, it’s not. It’s either Miss Winston or Miss Kathleen. It’s more appropriate in this setting,” he instructed.

  “Yes, sir,” the young man replied.

  Morgan could feel Kathleen’s eyes boring into his skin. He knew she didn’t agree, but he didn’t care. He didn’t like the idea of anyone getting too personal with Kathleen. Morgan turned toward her. “Shall we continue, Miss Winston?”

  “We most certainly can. I need everyone to join me at my exhibit area.” Kathleen walked over to a long cafeteria-style table positioned on the side of the room and covered by a red tablecloth. “As I was saying, you need to be able to change into all of this gear in two minutes or less.”

  “And like I said, with the exception of a few new people in the room, most of my men can.”

  Kathleen folded her arms at her breast. It was a move he loved and hated. “When was the last time you had a level-three crisis at this plant, Mr. Kingsley? You know, severe weather, explosions and fires.”

  * * *

  “Yes, I know. Never, but we have monthly drills, so if it happens our brain will kick in, and thanks to the repetitiveness of our actions, we’ll know just what to do,” he stated confidently.

  “Yes, the brain stores repetitive actions. However, that area of the brain is like any other muscle. If you don’t use it on a regular basis, it can go limp when you need it the most.” Kathleen heard gasps and snickers spread throughout the group and she instantly regretted her choice of words. She was hoping she wasn’t turning as red as her tablecloth.

  “Trust me—that would never happen,” Morgan stated in a lowered tone.

  Kathleen needed to bring the room back under control. She picked up a pair of glasses and headphones. “To ensure that it doesn’t, you need to do your monthly drills under similar circumstances as a level-three emergency.”

  “And how do you suppose we make that happen?” Morgan asked.

  “By using these.” Kathleen held up the glasses and headphones for everyone to see. “The eyeglasses offer a blurred view, and the headphones will play the noises you’d expect to hear during such emergencies. While wearing these, you’ll have to put all your emergency gear on in less than two minutes.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes, it is. Does everybody understand?” Everyone nodded, except Morgan. “So who’s first?”

  The room went still, and all eyes landed on Morgan. “Looks like I’m it.”

  The room broke out in loud cheers and claps. “In under a minute,” Kathleen reminded Morgan.

  Morgan smiled. He turned his back to his staff and lowered his voice. “Once I get all that gear on, even with the distraction, in less than a minute, you’ll allow me to take you to dinner.” Morgan held her gaze as he waited for Kathleen’s response.

  Kathleen couldn’t think rationally whenever he set his gorgeous eyes on her. “Fine. And if you don’t, I’ll take you out, and I get to pick the place,” she replied, deciding to take her sister’s advice.

  Morgan offered Kathleen a brittle smile. He took the glasses and headphones out of her hand and went over to the table. “When do we start?” he asked, looking down at everything before him.

  “Once you put the glasses and headphones on, I’ll tap your shoulder, and you can begin.” Kathleen held up a timer that was also on the desk. “We’ll track your time with this. Ready whenever you are, Mr. Kingsley.”

  Morgan put the glasses on first. “Wow, I can’t see a thing with these on. Everything’s all fuzzy.”

  “Yes, I know. The glasses are designed to distort your vision the way smoke or excess water coming down on you might.”

  “Water?” one of the female trainees asked, touching her hair.

  “Yes, from the heavy-duty sprinkler system the plant must have in place. Trust me, in such an emergency the last thing you’ll be worried about
is how your hair looks.” Kathleen replied.

  “Unless it’s on fire,” she rebutted.

  “Which is why you’ll be grateful to have those sprinklers functioning properly and ready to go... They are ready to go, right?” she asked, scanning the room for any tempered responses. Kathleen felt ridiculous for even asking the question, but she couldn’t seem to turn off the investigator in her.

  A number of different positive responses came flying at her. “Would you like to see the schematics?” Morgan asked.

  “That won’t be necessary.”

  “Let’s get this show started,” Morgan said, placing the headphones over his ears.

  Kathleen tapped Morgan’s shoulders and hit the start button on the timer. She stood back and watched as Morgan selected each piece of clothing and safety apparatus, slipping them onto his body as if he could see where each piece lay. It took him fifty-eight seconds to become fully dressed, having put each safety piece on in its appropriate order. The order in which things should be put on was a little tidbit she usually held back so she could see how much each person knew and understood. Once he finished, the room broke out in a loud cheer, and Morgan removed his glasses and headphones.

  “Congratulations, Mr. Kingsley. That was quite impressive,” she stated, surprised he was able to complete the task so quickly.

  “Thank you,” he said as he placed the glasses and headphones back on the table.

  “I’ll go next,” Bloom offered, making his way to the table.

  “Sure. Why doesn’t everyone partner up? There are four sets of gear. One can dress while the other keeps time.” Morgan had removed all his gear and was now standing close to the door.

  “Going somewhere?” Kathleen asked, secretly hoping that he wasn’t.

  “Of course not. I’m here for the duration of the class. If you don’t mind?”

  “’Course not.” Kathleen suddenly felt very warm and extremely happy.

  “So how’s Friday?”

  Kathleen tried to hold back her broad smile but couldn’t. “Friday’s fine.”