Beyond Temptation (Forged of Steele #3)

“I need you to buy it, Don.”

“Aw, hell, Morgan, why me?”

“Because Chance, Bas and Vanessa already have homes, and Taylor and Cheyenne never stay in one place long enough to own anything but the clothes on their backs. You’re my only hope.”

“But I don’t understand. If you like your house, why are you selling it in the first place? You never did answer that question, although I have an idea.”

For a moment Morgan didn’t say anything. Then he said, “And your idea is probably right. Selling my house is part of my current plan and that’s all you need to know. I’m really hoping things don’t get that far, that Lena will realize my present home is the perfect one for us. But just in case things don’t go the way I want, I need to have a backup and I want you to be it.”

Donovan leaned back in his seat and released a long sigh, the second one in a matter of less than thirty minutes. He studied his brother, the one known to want the perfect everything. Three years ago he had built what he’d touted as the perfect house, and now he was willing to risk losing it for what Morgan saw as the perfect woman. Go figure.

“Is she worth all this, Morgan?” Donovan asked, truly needing to know.

Morgan didn’t say anything for a moment. It wasn’t that Donovan’s question had him thinking, it was just that he didn’t know what he could say to make his brother understand. But he believed that although Donovan didn’t have a clue how it felt to be undeniably drawn to one woman, one day he would. But for now the only thing he could do was answer the question as truthfully as he could.

“Yes, Donovan, Lena Spears is definitely worth it.”

Chapter 2

After glancing around the room for the second time, Lena finally looked over at Morgan. “How can you even think of selling this place? Your home is simply beautiful.”

Morgan smiled, pleased with her compliment. Her question was similar to the one Donovan had asked him last week, but of course he couldn’t provide her with the same answer. However, it sent a jolt through his stomach that she liked his home. He’d been hoping she would. “I’ve outgrown the place and would like something bigger, more elegant. Your job is to find me something more perfect than what I already have.”

He watched as she scanned the room again. It was just the living room. She hadn’t seen the rest of the house, and he couldn’t wait until she did. More than one person had offered to buy his home on the spot after seeing it, yet he had never once considered selling…until now, and only as a last resort. A part of him was still holding out that Lena would love it and want to live in it with him. But if she preferred living some place else, then he would gladly move.

“I’d like to know how you can outgrow something like this,” she said, reclaiming his thought. “In my line of business I’ve been through plenty of homes, but none ever took my breath away from the moment I walked through the front door like this one did. There’s no way this place won’t sell quickly.”

Her last statement was something he didn’t want to hear, which was the main reason he’d gotten Donovan involved. “Come on and let me show you the rest of it.”

An hour later he and Lena were sitting in his kitchen sipping glasses of iced tea. He tried not to make a big deal that technically this was the first drink they’d shared together alone. They had shared a drink that night at the charity ball, a glass of punch, while standing near the buffet table. And then at Chance and Kylie’s wedding they had stood next to each other drinking champagne. The same thing had occurred at Bas and Jocelyn’s wedding. But now he had her alone on his turf, and as he sat across from her watching her take slow sips of her tea, he couldn’t help noticing how her eyes seemed to take on a darker shade in the March sunlight. Seeing her eye color change did things to his insides. And then there was her scent, a luscious fragrance that nearly had him groaning.

“I know you get tired of hearing me say this, Morgan, but your home is gorgeous,” she said, breaking into his thoughts. “I’ll be able to find a buyer with no problem, but to be honest with you I’m not sure I’ll find a place better for you to live. It’s just something about your home, the way you have it decorated, the layout. Even the yard is huge and just take a look at this kitchen.” She glanced around. “It’s a cook’s dream. Any woman would love to lose herself in here. How long have you lived here?”

He pulled his gaze away from her mouth. He’d been watching every word flow from it while thinking of a million things he’d love to do with it, and every one of them was increasing the rate of his pulse. “For about three years now. I bought the land six years ago but didn’t get around to building the house until then.”