“Well, ladies, look who just showed up,” Vanessa said to the three women in her kitchen.
Everyone turned and stared at Morgan, but it was Lena who held his gaze the longest. “Hello, everyone. I just decided to pay Vanessa a visit, so don’t mind me,” he said.
Jocelyn, who was still trying to get to know her husband’s family, smiled over at him and said, “It’s good seeing you, Morgan.”
“Same here, Jocelyn.” He then glanced over at Kylie. “And how are you, Kylie, besides pregnant?”
She made a face at him before saying, “Fine and counting. One more month to go and I’m free.”
He nodded. He then crossed the room to Lena. She was standing alone near the sink. Remembering their last conversation he wasn’t sure how her attitude would be toward him. “Hello, Lena.”
“Morgan.”
“How’s your mother?”
“She’s doing fine. Thanks for asking.”
He nodded. “I told Vanessa I would make myself useful while I’m here. I’ll be outside trimming her hedges if you need me for anything.”
She lifted a brow. “If I need you for anything?”
He smiled. “Yes.”
Lena stared at him, remembering what Kylie had told her just that morning. The only reason Morgan had hired her to sell his house was that he had wanted her, although she and Kylie had a difference of opinion of just what the word want actually meant.
“I’m glad you came here today since I was going to seek you out tomorrow.”
She watched the smile spread to his eyes. “You were?”
“Yes. There’s something I needed to tell you, and if you have time, since the meeting hasn’t started yet, maybe I can do it now.”
His smile widened. “Sure. Let’s go into Vanessa’s study for privacy.”
Lena nodded and then glanced around the room at the other ladies, not surprised to find them staring at her and Morgan. Evidently there weren’t too many secrets in the Steele family. Had all of them known of his obsession to have her in his bed? “If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I need to speak with Morgan about something.”
She followed Morgan to Vanessa’s study, and the moment the door was closed, she inhaled deeply, feeling angry and frustrated.
He leaned back on Vanessa’s desk and smiled at her. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”
She crossed the room, trying to hold back her anger and the hurt she felt. “It has come to my attention that you hired me as your real estate agent for an indecent reason and I just want you to know that effective today, I quit.”
Then without saying anything else, she turned and walked out of the room.
Chapter 16
On Monday morning Morgan was standing at the window in his office thinking about what Lena had told him on Saturday. Since the meeting had started he hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to her after that because as soon as the meeting was over she’d left.
But then, what exactly could he have said? He couldn’t deny that he’d had ulterior motives for hiring her as a Realtor. But she was wrong about any of it being indecent.
He was in love with her, but he knew he would have a hard time convincing her of that now. He had talked to Kylie yesterday and she had convinced him that the best thing to do was to just give Lena time to come around. Well, he didn’t want to give her time. He wanted and needed her like he needed his next breath.
His secretary’s voice on the intercom intruded into his thoughts.
“Yes, Linda?”
“There’s a Ms. Jamie Hollis here to see you. She doesn’t have an appointment but indicated she’s Senator Hollis’s daughter.”
Morgan rolled his eyes. Like he gave a flip, and he was ready to tell Linda to advise the senator’s daughter he was too busy to see her. But then he decided what the hell? He needed to set Jamie straight once and for all. “All right, Linda, please send her in.”
A few minutes later Jamie walked in with her expensive perfume almost choking him. She was dressed in an outfit that probably cost a pretty penny, and she looked the epitome of a wealthy, sophisticated, aristocratic lady. He had to admit she was an attractive woman, but he was able to see beyond that beauty to someone he wouldn’t be attached to even for a billion dollars. “Jamie,” he said, with a forced smile, crossing the room to give her a formal handshake. “What can I do for you?”
She smiled up at him as she took the seat he offered. “The question, Morgan, is what I can do for you. I’d like to make you an offer I don’t think you’ll be able to refuse.”
He lifted a brow and leaned back on his desk. “Really, and what is it?”