Beyond Temptation (Forged of Steele #3)

“You’re welcome.” He crossed the room to get his jacket, and she came from around her desk. She decided to ask him the question she’d been pondering since he had arrived. “How did you get in here?”

“Your secretary,” he said, slipping into his jacket. “I was walking in when she was leaving.”

“Oh.”

He smiled. “Was she supposed to hang around and announce me or something?”

“No, I was just surprised when you arrived,” she said, walking him to her office door.

He raised a dark brow quizzically. “Had you forgotten about our appointment?”

Hardly. “No, I hadn’t forgotten.”

Now she stood in front of him at the door, and as usual he appeared overwhelming and his eyes were on her, as if he was studying her for some reason. The intensity of his gaze made her flush. “You’re going to St. Louis, right?” she nervously asked.

He nodded. “Yes. You still have that business card I gave you with my cell phone number and e-mail address in case something comes up or if you need to ask me anything about my proposal?”

“Yes, and you still have mine, right?”

“Yes, I still have it.”

“Well, don’t hesitate to contact me if you want to withdraw your offer of the marriage thing.”

He chuckled. “I won’t be withdrawing it.”

Lena toyed with the button on her jacket thinking he sounded pretty sure of that. “I hope you have a safe flight, Morgan.”

“Thanks, and I promise to have an answer for you regarding the sale of my house when I return.”

“Okay. Although I’ve been showing the Edwardses other places, I think they like your house the best.”

The smile that tilted his lips widened. “That’s good to know. I’ll keep that in mind when I make my decision, and I hope you keep it in mind when you make yours.”

Lena sighed, trying to ignore the intense stare in Morgan’s eyes. She held out her hand. “Goodbye, Morgan. I’ll see you in a few days.”

He didn’t take her outstretched hand. Instead he continued to stare at her, hold her gaze, rattling her already shaken composure. “I want to do things different this time, Lena,” he said, his voice low, seductive.

Mesmerized, she dropped her hand to her side. Her palm suddenly felt warm and sweaty. And when he took a step closer to her, an aching need, that throbbing desire that had awakened her last night, was there, clawing at her, and she took a step forward as well.

“I think we can do better than that,” he said in a warm, husky tone, which was barely above a whisper, pulling her total concentration back in.

Before she could release her next breath, he lowered his mouth to hers with a quick, clean sweep of his tongue across her lips. He captivated her then and there, snapping her composure and destroying the last hold she had on her control.

She placed her hand on his chest when his mouth closed hungrily, greedily over hers, almost eating her alive and unleashing a degree of passion she didn’t know she had. Her naughty twin had passion, yes, but her, no. But this was not her twin who felt the smoldering eruption deep inside her as Morgan’s tongue sent her senses reeling from the mastery of his lips.

Nor was it her twin whose moans escaped her lips beneath Morgan’s demanding mouth while he grasped her around the waist in a tight hold of possession, bringing her closer to him and making her aware of how masculine and strong his body was.

A part of her was totally stunned at the depth of her need, her passion, her desire, but then another part wasn’t. The recesses of her mind taunted that this was Morgan, the man who had invaded her dreams for the past year. Morgan, who practically made her catch her breath every time she saw him. Morgan, the man who wanted to give her the baby she’d always wanted; and Morgan, the man her body was instinctively, unashamedly arching against.

She uttered a low moan of protest when he finally raised his head, and when he pressed her face against his chest she realized the impact the kiss had had on him as well. She heard his heart racing, felt the irregular beats beneath her head and heard the sound of his ragged breathing being forced from his throat. She buried her face deeper into his chest, feeling warm and contented. Moments later she sighed when she felt him rest his chin on the crown on her head.

They stood that way for a while, neither ready to separate, too mesmerized and filled with raw emotions to say anything. Then he reached down and lifted her chin with the tip of his finger, meeting her gaze, and then lowered his mouth to hers again. This kiss was gentler but was filled with a high degree of passion nonetheless.

When he finally released her mouth again, he let out a shaky breath and murmured softly, “I’d better go and please think about my proposal.”