Beyond Temptation - Brenda Jackson [65]
There hadn’t been anything remotely calm about what she and Morgan had shared for the past hour. Even now she knew they weren’t through with each other. It was bad enough they couldn’t get dressed without looking at each other, but there was this surge of nonstop desire that kept flowing through her.
“I know. Do you need to call your mother and check on her?”
She knew why he was asking. She should have been gone hours ago. It was almost eight. She couldn’t recall the last time she stayed away from home that late in the evening. “That’s not a bad idea.” She then tossed aside the blouse she was about to put on and walked over to her desk to call home, not missing the glint of heated desire she saw in the depths of his dark eyes.
Moments later she hung up the phone, shaking her head and chuckling. “What’s so funny?” Morgan asked.
“Mom was on the other line with Ms. Emily and rushed me off.”
“That’s her friend from the day care, right?”
“Yes. Sounds like the two of them are having one whale of a conversation. Usually Mom is in bed by nine, but she said they would be chatting for a while tonight.”
“Sounds like she’s found a good friend.”
Lena nodded. “Yes, it seems that way. I’m glad she’s finally coming around, but she’s been depressed for so long that…”
“That what?”
“Although I always wanted her to come out of it, a part of me wondered if she ever would.”
Morgan nodded. He then crossed the room to stand in front of her and cupped her chin, gently lifting it so their eyes could meet. “And?”
She arched a brow. “And what?”
“And how do you feel about that?”
Sometimes she felt he could read her like a book. “Of course a part of me is happy, Morgan, but then, I’ve gotten used to being there for her, taking care of her, and having her to need me.”
He smiled. “And you’ll always do that—be there for her, take care of her—and she will continue to need you.”
As if he knew she needed a hug he pulled her into his arms and rested his chin on the top of her head. “But I know how you feel. I felt that way when Chance got married again.”
Lena pulled back and met his gaze. “You did?”
“Yes. I would never tell Chance but Bas, Donovan and I have always looked up to him. He seemed to always make the right decisions when it concerned not only the company but us as well. My father was a strict disciplinarian. He was a good man, but strict. He and Bas butted heads more times than I care to remember, and when Bas dropped out of college and had no contact with the family for almost a year, he did maintain contact with Chance.”
Lena nodded. “But why did it bother you when Chance married?”
Morgan smiled. He knew she was asking mainly because Chance had married her best friend. “It bothered me because since Cyndi’s death, he hadn’t really shown any real interest in a woman until Kylie. I thought she would come and disrupt our little family circle.”
“But she didn’t,” Lena said defensively to the point it made Morgan chuckle.
“No, she didn’t. In fact I think she’s the best thing for Chance and Marcus, as well as for us. And now with Bas married and Jocelyn getting ready to manage one of Cameron’s construction companies here, it seems the Steele brothers are getting married one by one, although the jury is still out on Donovan, and will be for a while. He claims he’s having too much fun to settle down.”
Lena inhaled a deep breath knowing whether by accident or intentionally, Morgan had given her the opening she needed for them to start talking about their issues. “Morgan?”
“Yes?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were thinking of running for public office?”
For a few moments he didn’t say anything, and then he released her and took a step back as if he needed full control of his mind and body to respond to her question. “I hadn’t really made a decision. Before I had merely thought about it.”
She nodded. “And now?”
“And now I have made a decision and will officially announce my candidacy next week.”
She inhaled deeply.