Forged of Steele Bundle

by Jackson, Brenda

  “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.

  “Good afternoon, Lena.”

  She smiled over at her secretary as she grabbed the mail off the table and began flipping through it. “And a good afternoon to you, Wendy. Did I get any calls?”

  The woman, who was only a few years older, smiled back and said, “Not since the last time you checked earlier, but you did get a package. I put it on your desk.”

  “Thanks, it’s probably those brochures I ordered last week,” Lena said, tossing the junk mail in a basket to get shredded while keeping hold of anything she considered important. “I’ll be in the back if you need me.”

  Entering her office, Lena removed her jacket and then took the time to hang it in the closet before taking a seat behind her desk. She eyed the box sitting in the middle of it, immediately thinking it definitely wasn’t the brochures she had ordered. It was a beautiful gift box, wrapped in red satin-looking paper with a huge white bow.

  She immediately pushed the button for Wendy.

  “Yes, Lena?”

  “Where did this box come from?”

  “It was delivered to you today by a private courier.”

  Lena lifted a brow as she studied the box. There wasn’t a card on the outside. “There’s not a card.”

  “It’s probably inside the box. You know, one of those ploys to keep nosy secretaries from reading it. Not that I would do such a thing,” Wendy said, chuckling.

  “So, you have no idea who sent it?” Lena asked.

  “Don’t you?” was Wendy’s quick response. “It’s your box.”

  Lena shook her head. “I don’t have a clue, but there’s only one way to find out.”

  “Wait! You want me to call for the bomb squad?”

  “Real cute, Wendy.” Lena chuckled as she hung up the phone thinking that her secretary was forever the comic, and Wendy’s comment made Lena see just how paranoid she was being about the box.

  Deciding she had wasted enough time as it was, she reached out and began opening it, not surprised when Wendy came into the room. “If there’s an explosion we blow up together,” her faithful secretary said. “But trust me, it’s probably safe. The guy who delivered it was too cute to be on the wrong side of the law.”

  It was on Lena’s tongue to say “whatever,” but when she removed the tissue paper her heart caught as she pulled out a beautiful handcrafted snow globe. Inside was a miniature replica of Charlotte’s skyline, and with a push of a small button, that skyline became covered as snowflakes seemed to drift from the sky over the city. Amazing.

  A part of Lena’s heart suddenly felt tight in her chest. She knew who had sent the package. Morgan. He had remembered her comments about the snow.

  “Umm, it doesn’t look like one of those explosive devices, so I guess we’re safe,” Wendy said, reclaiming her attention but only briefly.

  “No, it doesn’t and yes, we’re safe.” A few moments later she said, “Isn’t it beautiful?” still in awe of her gift.

  “Yes, if you like snow, and we all know that you’re one of the few strange ones who do.”

  Lena chuckled as she looked back at the box and saw there was something else inside. She placed the snow globe on her desk and pulled out another item wrapped in tissue paper. When she had it uncovered she couldn’t help but laugh. It was her very own Carolina Panthers cap. She then pulled out the card and it said:

  Lena,

  I saw the snow globe in a store today and it made me think of you. Hope you like it. And about the cap. I thought you looked so cute in mine that I wanted to get you one of your own. And I truly did enjoy our walk together on Sunday. We must do it again sometime.

  Morgan

  Emotions Lena wasn’t ready for touched her at that moment. She couldn’t recall the last time someone saw something in a store—other than an outfit Kylie might see that she would tell her about saying it would look good on her. But this was different. This was special. And it had come from a man. Definitely no man had ever taken the time to send her a gift such as this, one that reflected something she truly liked.

  “Before I get back to work, is there something you want to share with me?”

  Lena glanced up. She had forgotten Wendy was still in the room. She pulled herself together and cleared her throat and said, “It’s from Morgan Steele.”

  Her secretary and friend raised a curious brow. “And?”

  “And I think it’s time you got back to work.”

  A cute little frown, one that wasn’t at all convincing, appeared on Wendy’s face. “See if I share my next romance novel with you. From now on you’re going to have to buy your own.” With her head held high, Wendy then turned and walked out of the office, closing the door behind her.

  Lena grinned as she turned her attention back to the snow globe and cap. She then read the note again. She didn’t want to acknowledge the warmth she felt. She clenched her hands together trying to think logically and to fight both the tension and the excitement warring within her. A part of her, the woman in her, wanted to feel giddy at the thought that the very handsome Morgan Steele enjoyed the time he had spent with her walking on Sunday and wanted to do so again.

  A part of her was too afraid to come out of her protective shell to believe such a thing. It had been that same part of her that had encouraged her to turn down his invitation to go out with him those other times. The way she saw it she had two strikes against her when it came to a man like Morgan. She wasn’t the type of woman someone would associate him with dating, and although it appeared he and her mother got along great on Sunday, and he had even gone so far as to say he liked Odessa, she had no reason to believe he would be willing to take on a twosome if things were t
o get serious between them.

  But then, there was her Gemini twin who was right there in her mind taunting with the questions…But who wants serious? Even if there could never be a forever between you and Morgan, there could be a now. Why not just live each day at a time and take whatever you want?

  Lena knew the answers. She couldn’t think that way because she was the sensible one. The one who thought things through before she acted.

  Which was what she was driven to do now.

  She needed to call and thank Morgan for the gifts. How should she approach that? Should she tell him how much receiving the gifts truly meant to her, or should she hide her true feelings and thank him, making no big deal of it, and move on?

  She reached for the phone deciding to let her conscience be her guide. She took a deep breath to pull back in control, making sure it would be her conscience and not that of her naughty twin.

  “Mr. Steele, Lena Spears is on the line for you.”

  Morgan smiled as he tossed the papers he’d been reading aside. “Please put her through, Linda, and hold the rest of my calls.”

  As soon as his secretary clicked Lena on the line, in a businesslike tone he said, “Morgan Steele.”

  “Morgan, this is Lena.”

  The moment he heard her voice, potent desire slid through every part of his body despite his best efforts to stop it from doing so. He inhaled softly and leaned back in his leather chair. “Lena, how are you?”

  “I’m fine. I was calling to thank you for my gifts.”

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “Yes, I did. It was very thoughtful of you.”

  He chuckled softly. “On occasion I try to be a thoughtful person.”

  “Well, you are. And there’s also another reason I called. The developers of the Palisades and I are close to reaching an agreement about those additional amenities I’m pushing for. I’ve come up with a list and was wondering if you had the time for us to go over them.”

  He raised a brow. “Now?”

  “Yes, now, unless you’re busy at the moment.”

  Morgan looked at his closed briefcase, and then across the room at the golf club resting against the wall where he’d been practicing his swing. He definitely wasn’t busy. Besides, it was time he made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. Using his skill in the area of research and development, for the past couple of weeks he had been researching just what Lena wanted in her life, and without her knowing it he’d put a plan in place not just to develop those wants but to bring them into the limelight.

  For now he needed to continue to stick with his plan, although he was about to sharpen his strategy. “Unfortunately, I’m rather busy at the moment. How about if we got together tomorrow?”

  “Okay, when would be a good time for me to drop by your office?”

  His office was the last place he intended for them to meet, especially when he presented his proposal to her. “My secretary mentioned earlier that my calendar for tomorrow is full and I’m flying out of town on business Wednesday morning and won’t be returning until late Sunday. What about sometime later tomorrow, after my last appointment?”

  “How late are we talking about?”

  He knew she was asking because she had to pick up her mother from the adult day care center by six. “Let’s say around four. You should be able to cover everything in a short while, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. And, Lena?”

  “Yes?”

  “My last appointment is out of the office on the other side of town. I prefer not driving back into this area if you don’t mind. Is there another place where we can meet? What about your office?”

  He knew from something she’d said last week that her office officially closed at four, which meant her secretary would have left for the day. Originally, he’d thought of some pretense to get her to his home and speak with her there, but the more he’d thought about, he’d concluded that although he wanted to be completely alone with her, he was willing to do so while on her turf if it would make her feel more comfortable and in control of the situation.

  “My office?”

  “Yes. Will that be a problem?”

  She paused briefly, then said, “No. My office is fine. I’ll look for you at four.”

  “All right. I’ll see you then.”

  When Morgan hung up the phone he smiled broadly. Tomorrow couldn’t get there fast enough to suit him.

  Chapter 7

  The next day was the busiest Lena had had in a long time. She was excited over a new sale, but on the other hand, every time she glanced at her watch or clock, butterflies would take off in her stomach to the point where she was about ready to pull her hair out. Just the thought that within hours Morgan would be arriving, invading her space, had her unsettled.

  She had tried talking Wendy into working late, but since it was Wednesday, prayer meeting night at church, her friend had refused to stay, saying she needed all the prayers she could get to be blessed with a good man.

  As Lena settled back in her chair to go over a new contact she’d acquired, her thoughts drifted to last night. Unlike with the other nights, it hadn’t been her mother calling out for her dad that had awakened her. It had been an ache deep within her, gnawing away at her to the point it made her stomach tremble. She had wanted to blame it on nervous energy, but she knew it was more. The inner turmoil and fierce turbulence she’d felt had been a stark reminder of just how empty, unfulfilling and unsatisfying parts of her life were.

  She was thirty-one, a relatively healthy young woman, single—a point her mother still reminded her of on occasion. She knew it downright bothered her mother that she didn’t have a man in her life.

  Maybe her naughty twin was right about some things. If she accepted that her life would remain as it was, then why couldn’t she become involved in someone just for sanity’s sake? It would be someone who on occasion would take her to dinner or a movie, someone who could be her escort to the different social functions she attended during the year, and someone who would eventually become her exclusive lover.

  She tried recalling the last time she’d shared a bed with a man. Had it been over six years ago? Not since the death of her father? Sheesh! No wonder she was having sleepless nights with feelings of emptiness that wouldn’t go away. She possessed a healthy sex drive like the next woman, and should she deny herself a relationship with a man just because she never intended to get serious about one?

  She sighed deeply and rubbed the back of her neck, wondering if those were the thoughts of her naughty twin or thoughts of her own. For the first time in a long while she was convinced that she and her twin were on the same page. And she knew the reason.

  Morgan Steele.

  Morgan had a way of making her acutely aware that she was a woman, a living, breathing woman with real needs. Being around him at times unsettled her. All it took was one of his warm smiles, the sound of his deep husky voice or even one of those impersonal glances he could send her way to drum up heat deep inside her. He could look at you with an intensity that took your breath away, strip you of every wall you wanted to erect and pull you to him like metal to a magnet.

  And those were the very reasons the thought of being alone with him today was so unnerving.

  “I’m out of here, Lena.”

  Lena glanced up at the doorway and saw her secretary standing there smiling. She then glanced at the clock on her wall. “It’s not four o’clock yet.”

  Wendy chuckled. “I know but I didn’t take a lunch and decided to check out early to run by the cleaner’s. Do you need anything before I leave?”

  Yes, for you to knock some sense into me. Instead she said, “No, I’m fine here. I don’t expect Morgan to stay long, so I should be leaving within a few minutes myself.”

  Wendy nodded. “Okay, then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Lena settled back in her chair and began making a list. She had placed Morgan’s file on her desk. First they needed to
discuss the amenities for the home he was interested in buying, and then they would go over the potential sale of his home. He would need to make a decision and soon as to whether or not he wanted to sell his house to the Edwardses or his brother Donovan. Then there was the decision of whether he wanted to place a binder on the new house contingent on selling his present one.

  When she heard someone in the doorway, assuming it was Wendy, she didn’t glance up when she asked, “Forget something?”

  “No, I don’t think I’ve forgotten anything.”

  Lena snatched her head up at the sound of the deep, masculine voice. She sucked in a deep breath at what now filled her vision. There standing in her doorway was Morgan with a sensuous air surrounding him. And he was staring at her with a very opulent look in his eyes. Today he appeared more overpowering than ever, and she met his stare with a leveled gaze while heat rushed through her body.

  She released a shaky sigh and slowly stood to her feet. This was supposed to be a business meeting, but at that moment discussing business was the furthest thing from her mind.

  He wanted her.

  That thought was most prevalent in Morgan’s mind as he tried to rein in his control, desires and temptation. Just looking at her did all sorts of things to him. But the last thing he wanted to do was give the impression that the only thing he was interested in was something physical.

  He watched her come around her desk as if she were floating on air, moving with sophistication, style and grace. Men who thought there wasn’t anything sexy about a full-figured woman needed to take a second look. Here was a woman who was smart, confident and savvy. Combine all those things with a voluptuous figure and what you got was all the woman any man could possibly want.

  He took a deep breath thinking that his first rule of seduction was to take control of the situation with authority, from beginning to end. In the past he’d made the mistake of letting Lena decide their future, but not anymore. By the time he left her office today he would have placed his stamp on at least one part of her.