Morgan sighed. “Evidently. Seems like I have a lot to straighten out when I return to Charlotte tomorrow.”
“I would have to agree. You know Cassandra and her better-than-thou group.”
Yes, he did know Cassandra and her group. He would have thought her broken engagement with Bas would keep her quiet for a while. Evidently now that she had returned to town she was trying to take the spotlight off her and place it on someone else.
“And before you come back to town to roll any heads, I need to remind you of something,” Donovan said, breaking into his thoughts.
“What?”
“If you’re still thinking about running for public office I wouldn’t have my name linked to any negative publicity by stirring up trouble. You know the woman you intend to marry. I wouldn’t worry about what is being said.”
Morgan frowned. “I will worry about it if it involves Lena,” he said roughly. “I won’t have people assuming she’s competing against Jamie for my attention, because she’s not.”
“Then show it in other ways. You know what they say about action speaking louder than words. Besides, once it’s officially announced that you’re engaged to Lena, if Jamie has any class she will bow out of the picture and put an end to this foolishness that Cassandra has started.”
Moments later Morgan hung up the phone. All he had to do was show back up in Charlotte and put this foolishness to rest by announcing his engagement. He knew what woman he wanted and it wasn’t Jamie Hollis.
Chapter 11
It occurred to Lena during lunchtime the following day that she hadn’t made a pit stop by Morgan’s house to clean up those chocolate smudges.
After talking to him on the phone last night and telling him what to expect when he returned she had immediately felt a sense of relief. But upon waking this morning a lot of doubt now filled her mind. Had she really made the right decision? Had she allowed Cassandra’s words to push her into a situation she shouldn’t really be in?
Morgan made it seem like a “marriage of purpose” was nothing new, and maybe it wasn’t to celebrities, high profilers and those Hollywood types. But she was someone who dealt with reality and she didn’t know of any woman in her inner circle who would agree to marry a man and have his baby as part of a business deal. The media would have a field day with that bit of news if they ever got wind of it. And what would his brothers think? His parents? His own friends?
Not knowing what to think herself, Lena brought her car to a stop after pulling into Morgan’s driveway. Unsnapping her seat belt she got out and proceeded to check his mailbox before getting the door key from the lockbox. The least she could do was bring in any mail since it seemed the box was overflowing.
Moments later she was walking inside his foyer and closing the door behind her. She smiled as she glanced around, distinctively remembering the first time he’d brought her here for that tour. And each time she had returned to his home she couldn’t help but think how massive it was for one person. But then, the one he was thinking of buying was just as huge. And now that she’d decided to accept the terms of his proposal, that meant she and her mother would be sharing with him whatever house he purchased.
There were a number of framed portraits that hung on the walls, detailing the vast extent of his valuable art collection. She thought, and not for the first time, that his house smelled like him, a robust scent of man.
Walking into the living room she placed Morgan’s mail on the table in a spot where he would be able to see it when he returned on Sunday. After taking off her jacket and slipping out of her shoes, she noticed a chocolate smudge on the door handle of the French door leading out to the pool and so she walked into the kitchen to get a wet cloth. She hoped and prayed there weren’t too many others.
Standing at the kitchen sink she bit back a smile. One of Ms. Emily’s daughters had called a couple of nights ago saying she planned to take their mother out to dinner and a movie for her birthday and had invited Odessa along. At first Lena had had mixed emotions about her mother going, but after talking to Cora Jessup and seeing how excited Odessa had gotten with the invitation, she had agreed. Hopefully, this would be the start of some sort of social life for her mother.
“You certainly have a way of brightening up my kitchen.”
Lena spun around, holding a hand to her chest, as her gaze connected to Morgan’s. And speaking of chest…his was broad, hairy, well defined and at the moment, naked. In fact it was obvious he had just stepped out of the shower. The only thing covering the bottom half of his body was a velour towel and it wasn’t all that thick. From the look and shape of things, it was obvious he worked out regularly, which was something she herself had begun doing but not with as much zeal and dedication as some people. But she was determined to get there.