The Naughty List Bundle - Kylie Adams [76]
Morgan smiled. Damn, but he liked Honey. Mostly because the woman had snared his brother with a single look. Sawyer had fought it, Morgan’d give him that, but it hadn’t done him a damn bit of good. He’d gone head over arse in love with Honey almost from the first day. And once Casey had decided he loved her, well, that had put a bow on the package. Sawyer would do anything for that boy, so it was a good thing Casey had taken to Honey the way he had.
Morgan wanted to have a son just like Casey some day—if he ever found a woman he wanted to marry. At thirty-four, he figured he’d waited plenty long enough. He almost had the house done, and he sure as hell was settled enough now, despite what his brothers thought. He had a respectable job and plenty of money put away. It was time for him to get on with his life, his hell-raising days long over.
A bird landed on the porch, right next to where Morgan’s bare foot was braced on the railing. He cocked an eye open, whistled softly to the bird, then watched it take flight again. Obviously the bird hadn’t known he was human—or else it’d thought he was dead. With a grin, Morgan closed his eyes again. He was like that, so still sometimes it set people on edge. To Morgan, it was all about control, taking charge of his life and seeing that things fell into place. He had the future mapped out, and he had not a single doubt that things would be just as he wanted them. He controlled himself, he controlled his future.
Whenever possible, he controlled those around him.
THE MAN was sound asleep when Misty pulled up in front of the huge, impressive log house. It seemed to go on and on forever, sprawling over incredibly beautiful land. On the way in she’d seen a lake surrounded by colorful wild-flowers, an enormous barn and several smaller outbuildings. In the distance, sitting atop a slight rise, was another house, but apart from that, the home was isolated.
Honey had told her a little about the property, but mostly she’d talked of her marriage. Sawyer, her husband-to-be, had rushed things through, and Honey was putting a wedding together in just under three weeks. It had taken Misty a few days to gather her things and join her sister so she could offer some last-minute help. The timing couldn’t have been better, and Misty had given a silent prayer of gratitude that she actually had a place to stay for a short time. Otherwise, she’d have been homeless.
Honey had warned her that the testosterone level would be enough to strangle a frail woman, but still, Misty hadn’t been prepared for the sight of the hard, dark man sitting on the porch. He wore tight faded jeans, the waistband undone—and nothing else. She gulped, seeing a flat, six-pack, slightly hairy abdomen.
Besides being massively built and layered in solid muscle, he was breathtakingly gorgeous. Not that it mattered to Misty, who was twice burned. She’d written men off, and they’d stay written off. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t look. And appreciate what she saw.
She inched closer, wondering exactly how to wake him or even if she should. She’d arrived a day early, so Honey might not be expecting her. But surely there was someone else in the house, and maybe if she knocked quietly…
She was right beside him, practically tiptoeing in her sandals, trying to decide what to do, when suddenly he opened his eyes.
Oh, Lord.
She felt snared, like a helpless doe in the headlights of a semi. She stared, swallowed and stared some more. The man seemed as surprised as she was, and then he suddenly moved, jerking upright. He lost his balance, and his chair went crashing backward with jarring impact.
The string of curses that emerged should have singed her ears, but instead it amused her. She smiled widely and leaned down to where he lay sprawled on the polished boards of the porch. “You all right?”
Still flat on his back, he ran one hand through his dark, wavy hair, eyes closed, and Misty had the distinct feeling he was counting to ten. When he turned his head to face her, she