Beyond Temptation - Brenda Jackson [66]
“This afternoon at dinner. And then tonight, which is why I came over here. But I kind of got distracted.”
They both had. She moved across the room to stand at the window. Opening the blinds she looked out. Like him she needed full control of her mind and body. After several moments she turned toward him. “I hope you know this changes everything and I can no longer agree to your business proposal.”
Immediately, she felt his inner tension. “One has nothing to do with the other, Lena.”
She shook her head. “Yes, it does. I’m not cut out to be a political wife.”
“I think you are.”
“You need someone else by your side, Morgan. Someone who would complement you and—”
He crossed the room. “What the hell are you saying?” he asked angrily. “Don’t you think I’m old enough to know what I want and need?”
“Yes, but when you had made that decision things were different. Then all you needed was a woman who would have your baby. Now you need a…”
“Trophy wife?” he asked in a tone of voice filled with even more anger.
She sighed deeply. “Yes, if you want to refer to it as such.”
“So me wanting you as the mother of my child means nothing?”
“It did before but not now.” Lena felt a tightening around her heart when she added, “Don’t you see what I’m trying to do?”
“Honestly, no, I don’t. Mainly because I know what I want and who I want, and let me tell you something else, Lena. I refuse for you or anyone else to decide my future for me.” He crossed the room to the coatrack and got his jacket and slipped it on. “Come on, I’ll walk you out.”
Lena knew he was angry but she didn’t know what else she could say or do to make him see reason. Why couldn’t he understand that things needed to be back on a professional level between them?
When they reached her car, he asked before opening the door, “So what was tonight about, Lena?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yes, you do. Why did you let me make love to you tonight if you knew things would be over between us?”
When she didn’t say anything he shook his head, understanding completely. “So it was one of those kinds of nights.”
She raised her head and met his gaze. “What kind of nights?”
“Nothing but sex, pure sex and nothing but sex.”
She cringed. His words had made it sound so dirty. “Why are you giving me a hard time about my decision, Morgan? I would think you would be overjoyed.”
He stared at her before moving aside and opening the car door for her. “Yes, you would think that and you know what, Lena? I’m going to announce my candidacy without you or anyone else beside me.”
When she got inside the car, she watched as he walked over to his own, and instead of getting in he stood there, staring at her. She held back the tears that threatened to fall. Why couldn’t he see that everything she was doing was because she loved him?
“Let me get this straight,” Kylie said, glaring at her best friend. “You actually told Morgan you couldn’t marry him because he’s decided to run for public office?”
Lena was glad they were the only two in the house. They were in the kitchen. She was sitting at the kitchen table when Kylie stood at the counter folding laundry.
Chance was out playing the usual Saturday morning basketball game with his brothers; Marcus and his latest girlfriend had left earlier for the mall, and Tiffany had gone to spend the weekend with her grandparents.
“Calm down, Kylie. I wouldn’t want Chance to blame me if you went into labor early. And yes, I told him I couldn’t marry him. It would not have been a real marriage anyway.”
Kylie tossed the items she was about to fold back in the laundry basket and came and sat across the table from Lena. “And just what do you mean it would not have been a real marriage?”
Lena sighed. She knew that Kylie would be upset because she had held all the facts of her pending engagement to Morgan from her. “First promise that you won’t get mad.”
Kylie rolled her eyes. “I won’t promise you anything because I’m already mad. I can’t believe you let Cassandra Tisdale and her band of Merry Hussies get to you.”