Beyond Temptation (Forged of Steele #3)

Today she would take this, the casual versus professional rapport they were sharing. When they saw each other again it would be business as usual. But today was nice and she planned on making today’s pleasantries, as well as Morgan’s own special blend of kindness, a very special memory.

Chapter 6

“We’ll be able to finish up things once Morgan brings his attention back to the meeting.”

Morgan snapped his head up to look into his older brother’s intense dark eyes. He glanced around the room and saw that Bas, Donovan and Vanessa were staring at him as well. So okay. He’d been caught daydreaming. No big deal. But with the smirk he saw on Donovan’s face he knew that his younger brother would make it a big deal. And Morgan didn’t have long to wait.

“In defense of Morgan, he can’t help that he has a lot on his mind. The woman of his dreams, his perfect woman, still can’t seem to notice that he’s alive.”

“Go to hell, Donovan,” Morgan said, glaring over at his youngest brother.

“Okay, you two, knock it off. If you want to go at each other, save it for the next Saturday we’re on the court,” Chance said.

Morgan nodded. It was a family tradition that he and his three brothers got together every Saturday to play basketball, mainly to get rid of any competitive frustrations they might get from working together. Depending on the depth of their frustrations, the game could get downright mean and ugly. “My pleasure,” he said, giving Donovan a look that clearly said…next time we’re on the court, your ass is grass.

“Who’s his perfect woman?” Of course Vanessa had to ask. At twenty-six she was the oldest of the three girl cousins and headed the PR department. It had been challenging for the Steele Brothers to keep an eye out for their younger female cousins while growing up, especially when Vanessa and her best friend from high school, Sienna Davis Bradford, were always getting into trouble.

“Lena Spears is his perfect woman,” Donovan was more than happy to say.

A smile touched Vanessa’s lips. “Lena Spears? I know her and she’s a jewel. We’ve worked together on several community projects. Now, why doesn’t she notice that Morgan is alive?”

“Can we get back to the meeting?” Morgan asked, deciding he didn’t want his personal business discussed, especially if everyone had to hear Donovan’s take on things.

“You mean you want to get back to the meeting that wasn’t holding your attention anyway?” Bas said, rolling his eyes.

When Vanessa laughed, Morgan glared over at her. “Did I happen to mention that I was in Atlanta with Cameron a couple of weekends ago and he asked about you, Van?”

Morgan watched the amusement die on his cousin’s face, knowing he’d said something that would shut her up for a while. All it took was the mere mention of Cameron Cody’s name. Vanessa couldn’t stand the man.

“Okay, knock it off, all of you,” Chance said, taking the role as leader. “Let’s get back down to business. We have important things to discuss.”

An hour later when the meeting ended Morgan was the first to stand and head for the door. “Where’s the fire?” Bas called after him.

Morgan smiled as he kept walking. Oddly enough, he felt there was a fire. Every time he thought about Lena a part of him would erupt into a smoldering blaze. It didn’t take much effort to recall their walk on Sunday. Even though there had been other people around walking and jogging, there had been something pleasingly intimate about strolling beside Lena, talking to her, listening to her talk. And on those occasions when their arms would occasionally brush, he’d felt a sharp sensation all the way to his toes.

He checked his watch as he stepped onto the elevator. His smile widened. Lena would be receiving a package from him in about an hour and he hoped that she liked her gift.

…If you want a baby, too, then you’re going to have to find a man who’d be more than willing to get you pregnant….

Morgan’s words from yesterday still weighed heavily in Lena’s thoughts as she walked into her office. She would even admit that at one time she’d had thoughts of visiting a sperm bank. From a recent article she’d read in a magazine, more and more single professional women who were feeling the ticking of their biological clock were considering just that option. But of course being the ultra-traditional person she was, she had dissed the idea. She’d grown up in a home with both a loving father and mother and couldn’t see cheating a child out of a chance to have that as well. That reasoning always put her back at square one.