The Naughty List Bundle - Kylie Adams [135]
The idea was tempting. From afar, his house looked wonderful. It wasn’t quite as large as the house he shared with his brothers, but it had just as much character. The exterior appeared to be cedar, and few of the mature trees had been displaced during the building. Every morning when she went to the lake, she looked at his house. Its position on the hill would prove a stunning view. “Why do you want to go there?”
He shrugged. “I just want your opinion, to see if you like it. No other woman has seen it yet, except for Honey. But the two of you are so different, I thought it’d be nice to get your reaction, too. The house will be done before much longer. Gabe works on it off and on, and I get up there whenever I can. All the major stuff is done, now it just needs the finishing touches.”
Misty chewed her bottom lip. She wasn’t stupid; she knew if she was alone with Morgan for any length of time, they’d probably end up making love. She’d honestly believed no man could ever tempt her again, but she hadn’t counted on a man like him. She’d thought him incredibly sexy from the moment she saw him, and since then, she’d also discovered what a wonderful man he was, inside as well as out.
He was always honest with her, and she knew deep in her heart she’d never meet another man like him. She was through with lasting relationships, and as soon as she could save up a little money, she was going to move away. By the time she returned for a visit, Morgan might well be married and on his way to having his own children.
She shook her head, saying mostly to herself, “I don’t know….”
His hands cradled her face. “I won’t lie to you, Malone. I want some time alone with you. I want to be able to talk to you without one of my damn brothers nosing in, or someone at the station staring at us.” He looked at her mouth. “And I want to kiss you again. We’ve barely seen each other all week. At this rate, no one is going to believe we’re involved. Already I’ve had people questioning our relationship.”
He said the last with a growl, and she almost laughed at him. “What people?”
His frown deepened. “No one you need to know about. I made it clear you weren’t free—like we agreed, right?”
“Uh, right.” Morgan was in a very strange mood, she decided. It was almost as if he was…jealous.
“It’s Nate’s fault. He’s running around telling people we hardly talk, much less act involved.”
“Nate, your deputy?”
“Yeah.” Morgan looked suspicious. “And that reminds me, has Nate been flirting with you?”
Startled, Misty shook her head. She’d met Nate her first day on the job. He was a good-looking young man, not a whole lot taller than she was, with brown hair and green eyes and full of smiles. He’d asked her to lunch during her break, but she’d declined, choosing instead to eat at her desk—an apple and a peanut-butter sandwich she’d packed. After that, Nate usually brought a bagged lunch, too, and visited with her while they ate.
Morgan generally had appointments during that time and ate on the road. The amount of community work he did astounded her.
Morgan gave her a long sigh. “Are you sure?”
She scoffed at him. “He’s only a boy, Morgan.”
“He’s twenty-two years old, Malone, old enough to be my deputy, and only two years younger than you.” Morgan’s tone was exasperated. “Would you even realize it if Nate was flirting?”
“Well, I assume so.”
Morgan put one arm on the wall beside her head. “For some reason, I think you’re just oblivious to the way you affect men.”
“Maybe that’s because, so far, you’re the only one claiming to be affected. That only makes you the oddity, Morgan, not the norm.”
He didn’t look at all insulted by her comment. His large hand spread out over her middle, making her suck in her breath as a shock of awareness rolled through her. His fingertips, angled downward, nearly touched her hipbones. His palm was hot and firm against her.
Very softly he asked, “Now, how can that be true, when I know for a fact at least one other man chased you down? You didn’t get pregnant all by yourself.”
She couldn’t reply. So many feelings swamped her