Beyond Temptation
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Brenda Jackson
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17
CHAPTER 1
“Mr. Steele, your two o’clock appointment has arrived.”
Morgan Steele’s pulse immediately kicked up a notch with his secretary’s announcement. He inhaled deeply and deliberately cleared his mind of everything except the woman who was about to walk into his office. Helena Spears.
“Give me a few minutes, Linda, before sending her in.”
“Yes, sir.”
After clicking off the line he stood and threw the papers he’d been reading into his briefcase before snapping it shut and inwardly telling himself to relax. Getting Helena to his office had been the first hurdle, and he was determined to make it over the rest. He was smart enough to know that if at first you don’t succeed you try again, and today he was a man with a more defined plan.
Putting his briefcase aside he found himself glancing toward the door, his pulse kicking up another notch as he remembered the night—a little more than a year ago—when he had first seen her as she walked into that charity ball wearing a very sexy fuchsia-colored dress. There had been something about her entrance that had momentarily taken his breath away, left him awestruck, mesmerized. And moments later when he had gazed into the warmth of her cinnamon-brown eyes, he had felt it. It had happened just the way he’d known it would once he found her—the perfect woman he had been holding out for all these years.
The only thing that hadn’t happened as he’d assumed it would was her acceptance. Lena, as she was known to her family and friends, wasn’t seeing things quite his way. She’d tried to explain to him, in a nice way and more than once, that she wasn’t interested in a man-woman relationship of any kind. She liked her life just the way it was and had no intentions of wasting her time indulging in a meaningless affair. Nor, she’d gone further on to add, was she interested in a meaningful one, either. She had been there, done that, and she’d learned a valuable lesson and had no intentions of doing a repeat.
All that was well and good but she wasn’t dealing with any regular man. At thirty-three he could admit to being arrogant, methodical and unwilling to bend in his pursuit of anything. Once he saw something he wanted and made a decision to have it, he refused to give up until he got it.
And the bottom line was that he wanted Lena.
He had wasted enough time and starting today he intended to use a different approach. He glanced toward the door again when he heard the sound of the knob turning. The moment it opened and his “perfect” woman walked in he couldn’t help but release a breath. He felt the sizzle as heat shimmered all through him. She was wearing a periwinkle-color business suit and she looked good in it.
“Lena, please come in,” he said cordially as his gaze floated over the rest of her with an analytical eye. She had just the right amount of makeup on her strikingly attractive medium brown face, which placed emphasis on the honey brown curls that flowed around her shoulders, giving her the appearance of a Queen Latifah look-alike.
She was five feet ten, just the right height for his six-three stature. Her body was stacked, well endowed in all the right places, full breasts, wide child-bearing hips, voluptuous thighs and the most gorgeous pair of shapely legs he’d ever seen on a woman. He’d once overheard a conversation she’d had with his sister-in-law Kylie, who happened to be her best friend, about what she thought was a weight problem. As far as he was concerned, she didn’t have one. When he looked at her, what he saw was a full-figured, thirty-one-year-old attractive and desirable woman who could start anything and everything inside him to stirring. The woman was temptation at its finest; however, when it came to her he was prodded to look beyond temptation and see something a lot more lucrative and worthwhile. Little did she know but he intended to open up a whole new world for the both of them.
“Thank you, Morgan,” she said, closing the door behind her, and breaking into his thoughts. “I’m here for our two o’clock appointment.”
From the sound of things she intended to be all business, and that was okay for now. He would give her this time because in the coming weeks he intended to get his. She would find out soon enough that she had just walked into a “Steele cage” and there was no way out. He had failed at plan A, but he had just put plan B into full motion.
Lena pressed her lips firmly together as she looked across the room at the man leaning against his desk. Morgan Steele.
She thought the same thing now that she did that night she’d first met him. He had to be the most gorgeous human male to grace this planet, which prompted her to put her guard up even more. The last thing she needed in her life was a man, especially one like Morgan. She’d learned her lesson a few years ago that when it came to “pretty boys” and “fine as a dime” men, she had to watch her step.
But still…although she tried not to stare but couldn’t help herself. She’d been attracted to him from the first. Maybe it was the beautiful coloring of his skin, which reminded her of deep rich chocolate. Or it could have been the long lashes and dark eyes. And heaven forbid if she left out the chiseled jaw, high cheekbones, low-cut black hair and a pair of lips that were too provocative to be attached to any mouth.
The first night they’d met he’d surprised her by coming on to her and asking her out. She had turned him down flat. To this day she really didn’t know why he’d bothered since men who looked like him didn’t go for Amazons. They were usually seen with the slim, willowy, model types. Evidently, once she’d turned him down he’d seen her as a challenge and had asked her out several times after that. But each time she would decline. Finally, she had felt the need to put an end to whatever game he was playing by explaining her position on dating to him. She was too caught up in other things she considered more important than to be added to another man’s list as his flavor for the month.
As with any potential client she had done her research, which really hadn’t been necessary since Morgan’s oldest brother, Chance, had married her best friend, Kylie, over a year ago. Besides, most people who’d lived in these parts for a relatively long period of time knew about those four Steele brothers who ran their family business, the Steele Corporation.
Chance at thirty-seven was CEO. Sebastian Steele, nicknamed Bas, who had gotten married just a few weeks ago, was thirty-five and the corporation’s problem solver and troubleshooter. Morgan was thirty-three and headed the research and development department of the company; and Donovan, at thirty-one, headed the product development division.
Then there were the three female cousins of whom only one—Vanessa—worked in the company as head of PR. The other two, Taylor and Cheyenne, had established careers outside of the family business but maintained positions on the board of directors.
“May I offer you something to drink, Lena? Springwater, juice, coffee?”
Morgan’s question pulled her thoughts back in and she licked her suddenly dry lips and tightened her hand on her briefcase as if it were her block of strength. “No, thanks,” she said, moving closer into the room. “And since you’re a busy man I’m sure you want us to get right down to business.”
“Yes, I prefer that we do since I have another meeting in about an hour.”
She nodded, glad they were on one accord. She hadn’t known what to expect when he’d set up the appointment. From past encounters she assumed he was a laid-back sort of guy. It was refreshing to know he could be strictly business when the situation called for it.
“Would you like to have a seat so we can get started?” he asked, pushing away from the desk and pulling her thoughts back on track.
“Yes, thanks,” she said, forcing the words out from a constricted throat. He was dressed in a business suit that made him look like he belonged on the cover of an issue of Sexy Man magazine. She took the seat in front of his desk, and as soon as she sat down she noted once she tilted her head up she had a direct aim to his face, specifically his let-me-seduce-you dark eyes.
A sensuous shiver glided down her spine when their eyes met. She cleared her throat, determined to stay on track. “I understand you’re interested in purchasing another home,” she said to get the conversation going.
“Yes, I am and you come highly recommended.”
She couldn’t help the smile that curved her lips. “By Kylie?”
He chuckled. “Yes, her too, but I would expect that since she’s your best friend. Actually the person who’s been singing your praises has been Jocelyn. According to her, you found her and Bas the perfect house.”
Lena chuckled. “Finding the right home for Jocelyn was easy. She knew exactly what she wanted.”
“Then I should be easy as well since I know exactly what I want, Lena.”
There was something about the way Morgan had said the words that had heat flowing hot and heavy through her bloodstream. Was she imagining things or had his voice dropped just a little when he’d made the statement? Deciding she was imagining things she took a deep breath and said, “I need to know your likes and dislikes, and to find those things out there’re a series of questions I need to go through to make sure we’re on the same page as to what you’re looking for in a home.” She reached for the briefcase she had placed by her chair, opened it and pulled out a tablet.
“Ready?” she asked, glancing back up at him.
“Yes, ask away,” he said, moving around his desk to take the chair behind it.
“Okay. Are you interested in a single-story or a two-story structure?”
“Two-story.”
She nodded as she jotted the information down. “Do you anticipate doing a lot of entertaining?”
“Why?”
She glanced up. “Because if you are, you might want to consider a home with a courtyard, a swimming pool or a larger-than-normal living room area.”
“Umm, I have a swimming pool at my present home so I’d want to purchase a house with another one. Do you swim, Lena?”
She looked surprised by his question. “Yes.”
He nodded. “I’d like another pool and a nice yard. It really doesn’t matter how big the living room is as long as the house has a nice-size bedroom. That’s where I plan to spend most of my time.”
Figures, she thought, jotting the information down. She couldn’t help the visual that suddenly flashed through her mind of a sleeping Morgan tangled in silken sheets. “What about the size of the kitchen?”
“What about it?”
She tried not to roll her eyes to the ceiling. “Do you cook a lot? If so, then you might want a home with a large kitchen.”
He shrugged. “No, I don’t plan on spending a lot of time in the kitchen but my wife might.”
She lifted her head from the paper and met his gaze. “Wife?”
“Yes, or perhaps I should say future wife.”
“Are congratulations in order?”
“No. But I’m making sure I cover all bases since I don’t intend to move again. Whoever becomes the future Mrs. Morgan Steele will be moving into that house with me.”
“What if she doesn’t like the decor?”
“Then she’s free to change it.”
Lena nodded. “What about your present home?”
“I want you to sell it.”
“All right. Anything other than the swimming pool and large bedroom that you’re looking for in the new house? Do you have a preference for carpet or wood floors?”
Again he shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me. Which do you suggest?”
She shrugged her own shoulders. “Either is fine, it’s a matter of taste.”
“All right, I guess you can show me both.”
“That won’t be a problem. Now, for your present home, I would need to see it and I prefer that you’re there with me when I do.”
“Why?”
“So you can point out some things about it that I might overlook, key selling points. We can do a tour and you can tell me things you like most about your house that might hook an interested buyer.”
“Okay, you can arrange a date and time with my secretary,” he said, trying not to sound too anxious. “I’m flying out tomorrow on a business trip and won’t be back until the end of the week.”
“That’s fine and I’ll get on this right away.”
“Thanks, I’d appreciate it.”
She stood and glanced over at him. “Any particular time frame you’re aiming for to be in your new home?”
“Not particularly. How long do you think it will take?” he asked, coming to his feet as well.
“I don’t anticipate it taking long. There are several new subdivisions going up around Charlotte. Is there a certain price range I need to stay in?”
“No. If it’s something I want, then I intend to get it.”
Another heated sliver passed down her spine with his comment. It seemed he had been looking directly in her eyes when he’d made the statement, but of course she knew she was again imagining things after studying his impassive expression. “All right, then. I’ll be in touch when you return. I hope you have a nice trip.”
“Thanks.”
She gathered her briefcase and headed for the door.
“Lena?”
She glanced back over her shoulder. “Yes?”
“How’s your mother?”
Lena couldn’t help but smile. No matter when she saw Morgan, he was always kind enough to inquire about her mother. “Mom is fine. Thanks for asking.”
“You’re welcome.”
Lena quickly made it to the door. Without looking back she opened it and stepped out, grateful for her escape. She could handle only so much heat shivering down her spine.
When Lena made it to her car she leaned back against the seat, letting her neck relax against the headrest before snapping her seat belt in place. She had been in Morgan’s presence less than thirty minutes, but from the way her heart was beating it seemed longer.
There were times when a part of her longed not to be the responsible and sensible person she was. Every once in a while she was tempted to become her Gemini twin, the one who wasn’t the good girl; the one who wouldn’t hesitate to let her hair down, throw caution to the wind and walk boldly on the wild side. And the first thing she would do is take on a man like Morgan Steele and see if she could hold her own with him. Just the thought of having a one-night stand to feed the sudden, intense hunger she would get whenever she watched a romantic movie, or indulged in those romance novels her secretary would pass on to her, made her breasts tingle.
If she ever became her wannabe mischievous twin, that meant having the courage to trade her sensible four-door sedan in for that two-seater convertible she always wanted—and turning her nighttime fantasies into reality by behaving in such a way that would blow a fuse just thinking about. She didn’t want to dwell on all the naughty pleasures she would have.
Lena immediately dismissed the thoughts of her less than sensible twin, knowing she could never do anything like that. Her life was what it was and she couldn’t change it. She wasn’t the mischievous twin, she was the good one who had responsibilities that took precedence over anything else, including her desire to have Morgan Steele in her bed. Her mother came first.
She was her mother’s sole caretaker and had been since her father’s death six years ago. Her mother’s health began failing her soon after her husband passed, making it hard for her to get around at times. A part of Lena believed it was due more to loneliness than anything else because a lot of her mother’s problems were more emotional, especially the bouts of depression.
Her parents had had a rather close marriage and Lena was born after they had already been happily wedded for close to twenty years. A number of miscarriages had convinced her parents they would spend the rest of their lives childless, and Lena had been a big surprise to her forty-three-year-old father and her forty-year-old mother.
Growing up in the Spears household, she had always felt loved and cherished by her parents and she missed her father dearly. For that reason she clearly understood the depth of loss her mother felt and the bouts of occasional depression that had followed. Even now on occasion, Lena would wake up during the night and hear her mother calling out for her father in her sleep, and it always brought tears to Lena’s eyes that anyone could have loved someone that deep and strong. It was on those nights after getting her mother settled back down that she would acknowledge the depth of her own loneliness and restlessness and give in to her fantasies of Morgan.
She inhaled deeply as she started her car. She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. In a few hours it would be time to pick her mother up from the adult day care. She went there twice a week for social enrichment and interaction on the recommendation of her mother’s social worker. Although it had put a huge dent in her budget, so far it had been a month and Lena hadn’t received a call from the day care’s director letting her know her mother had begun withdrawing, which usually was a clear sign that she was headed for another bout of depression.
Lena smiled thinking she had an idea as to why. Her mother had been talkative a lot lately when Lena had picked up her, and had told her about Ms. Emily, a newcomer to the day care. It seemed that she and Ms. Emily, who was also a widow in her early seventies, had struck up a friendship and Lena was glad about that. Her mother was someone who didn’t warm up to people easily.
And speaking of warming up…she allowed her thoughts to return to Morgan. Everything about him spoke of the dynamics of a man who was used to having his way. Well, unfortunately, she had shown him the few times he’d come on to her that she wasn’t putty in any man’s hand. The only thing the two of them could ever share was friendship. And after her last serious talk with him about three months ago, he hadn’t asked her out again, so she could only assume that he’d finally gotten the message if today was anything to go by. He had acted strictly business.
The last few men she’d fancied herself as possibly having a serious relationship with had painstakingly informed her that as long as she came with extra baggage—namely her elderly mother—no man in his right mind would be interested in marrying her.
She had decided if that was the case, then she would live the rest of her life single and not worry about indulging in a committed relationship because she and Odessa Spears were a package and would remain as such until their dying days.
Deciding she didn’t want to spend the rest of the day thinking about the things she would never have, she shifted her thoughts to the things that she could have—namely a big sale if she located Morgan the house he wanted, and if she sold the one he now owned. Pulling off such a feat would pay a hefty commission and she would do her best getting him just what he wanted. And she knew exactly what she would do with the money. She would get her mother involved in even more enrichment programs for senior citizens as well as plan a cruise for the both of them. It had been a while since they’d gone on a vacation together, and it was time that they did.
“You’re late, Morgan. You know I don’t like keeping Shari waiting.”
Morgan slid into the booth across from his brother and glanced up into Donovan’s annoyed features and rolled his eyes. “Shari today, Kari tomorrow, whatever. Besides, it couldn’t be helped. I had an important meeting that I needed to keep.”
Morgan glanced around. The Racetrack Café was a popular place in town to grab something to eat and to wet your lips with a drink. Owned by several race car drivers on the NASCAR circuit, it had become one of Donovan’s favorite hangouts mainly because his best friend, Bronson Scott, was now one of the drivers on the NASCAR circuit.
Donovan finished off what was left of what he was drinking. “So you did have your meeting with Lena?”
Morgan frowned. “How did you know about our meeting?”
Donovan gave his brother one of his cocky smiles that was known to grate on his nerves before motioning for the waiter to bring him another drink. “To answer your question, I knew something was up with you this morning at the meeting in Chance’s office. Most of the time you sat there like you were zoned out. I figured you either had had a rather good night or you were finally putting together a solution to your problem.”
They paused in conversation long enough for the waiter to drop Donovan another drink off and to take Morgan’s order before Morgan turned narrowed eyes back to his brother. “My problem?”
Donovan chuckled. “Yeah, and don’t play dumb. All of us know how you have the hots for Lena Spears.”
The hots didn’t come close to covering it, Morgan thought, leaning back in his seat. However, Donovan, who didn’t yet know the meaning of one woman for one man, was the last person who needed to know that. “And just who is all of us?”
Donovan grinned. “Me, Chance and Bas, mainly. We’re the ones who’ve been putting up with your bad-ass moods since meeting the woman. Some days you act like it’s our fault that she’s not interested in you.”
Morgan didn’t like Donovan’s assumptions. “She is interested.”
“Could have fooled me. In fact she’s doing a good job of fooling a lot of people since she hasn’t given you the time of day. How many times has she turned you down for a date, Morgan?”
“None of your damn business.” The waiter placed his beer in front of him and it was right on time, Morgan thought, taking a swallow straight from the bottle. It was either that or smashing Donovan’s face in.
“Well, you know how I feel about any man running behind a woman. Downright disgusting. It should be the other way around,” Donovan said, taking a sip of his drink. “And I understand you’re going out of town for a few days to hang out with Cameron in Atlanta. I’m sure sometime during your visit the two of you will have a pity party since he’s just as messed up over Vanessa as you are with Lena.”
Morgan’s features grew dark as he glanced across the table at Donovan. “Cameron and I are meeting to discuss a business venture we’re both interested in and not for any damn pity party.” When Donovan merely shrugged Morgan felt the need to add “I hope I’m around when you suffer your first heartbreak.”
“Sorry to disappoint you but it won’t happen. There isn’t that much woman in the world, Morgan. Why settle for just one when the world is filled with so many of them? And now that the Steele Corporation has signed on as one of Bronson’s sponsors for NASCAR, and I get to go to many of the races, the pickings are even better. I never knew so many good-looking women were interested in fast cars. Man, if you could only see them. They look just as good with their clothes on as they do with them off. There’s this one sista who has a tattoo on her—”
“Hey, spare me the details, Donovan,” Morgan said, holding up his hand.
“You don’t know what you’re missing.”
Morgan shook his head. “Trust me, I believe I do.”
Donovan leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin as he studied Morgan. Within a year’s time two of his brothers had made it to the altar, and it seemed Morgan was hell-bent on making it three. He liked his sisters-in-law true enough and was happy for his brothers, but his dream girl was one who was no more interested in marriage than he was. Like him the only thing she was interested in was a good time.
“So tell me, Morgan, why did you want to meet here instead of back at the office?”
“Does there have to be a reason?” Morgan asked, putting his bottle down.
Donovan released a long-suffering sigh. “For you, yes. So spill your guts. Get it out.”
Morgan glanced away for a moment and when he returned his gaze to Donovan he saw the questions lodged in the darkness of the eyes staring back at him. Knowing he couldn’t waste any more time he said, “There are two reasons that I wanted to meet with you. The first is to let you know that I met with Edward Dunlap again.”
Donovan nodded and lightly rubbed his chin, regarding his brother intently. “Does that mean you’ve finally made a decision about running for that city council at-large seat in the fall?” he asked his brother.
He’d known that for years a number of the African American leaders around town wanted Morgan to strongly consider a political career. He had charisma, charm and an ingrained sense of doing what was right. His community service—as well as his public service record—was astonishing and included such notable accomplishments as leading Charlotte’s Economic Development and Planning Council.
Another plus was that Morgan had been born and raised in Charlotte. The Steeles were one of the first families to begin a black-owned business that now employed a lot of people and who didn’t hesitate to pay their employees a very decent salary.
Another plus Donovan knew Morgan had in his cap was the Steele Corporation’s infrastructure. They were a company that believed in being loyal to the people who worked for them. When they had a chance to make a bigger profit by outsourcing a lot of their production department, they had refused since it would have meant putting over five hundred people out of a job.
Yes, there was no doubt in Donovan’s mind that if Morgan ever decided to seek a political office he would get it. Some even had him pegged as the man who would eventually become the city’s first black mayor.
Only a selected number of individuals were born to be public servants, and he’d always felt that Morgan was one of them. And although Morgan downplayed such, Donovan knew that deep down Morgan did want to become a political candidate mainly because of his ingrained sense of always wanting to help people.
“No. I haven’t made a decision, but I am giving it more thought than I did before. Dunlap feels the time is right. He’s also afraid if I don’t run, Roger Chadwick will, and both you and I know if that happens he will hurt the city more than help it.”
Donovan chuckled harshly. “That’s an understatement.”
“I have to know that I have certain things in place before making my final decision, and one of them involves you,” Morgan said.
“Me?”
“Yes. You. I’d like you to be my campaign manager if I do decide to run.”
Donovan smiled proudly. That meant Morgan being a candidate was a high likelihood. “Consider it done.”
Morgan nodded. “Thanks. Now for the other reason I wanted to meet with you. I met with Lena today because I’ve decided to sell my house and plan to buy a new one. She’ll be handling both transactions for me.”
Donovan looked at him and shook his head. “It’s your house to do as you please with, but I’m surprised you’d want to sell it. You’ve always talked about how much you like your home. According to you it was the ‘perfect’ house.”
“It still is, which is why I wanted to meet with you.”
Donovan leaned back in his chair. The expression on his face was one indicating he was clearly confused. “Evidently, I’m missing some point here, so maybe you ought to go ahead and tell me what I got to do with you selling your house.”
Morgan picked up his beer bottle and took another sip. “Lena mentioned that once I put my house on the market she’d probably begin showing it to a lot of people.”
Donovan rolled his eyes toward the ceiling. “Yeah, that’s usually how it works.”
“That’s all well and good,” Morgan said, ignoring his brother’s sarcasm. “But I don’t want anybody to buy it.”
“Then why in blazes are you selling it?”
Donovan waited for him to answer and when he saw Morgan wasn’t quick with any answers, he couldn’t help but laugh when he figured things out. “You’re pretty damn desperate to resort to putting your house up for sale just to get on Lena’s good side.” Donovan’s brows shot up. “But you still haven’t told me what any of this has to do with me.”
Morgan took another pull from his beer bottle. “I want Lena to try to sell it, but in the end I want to feel comfortable knowing the person buying it will take care of it.”
“And?”
Morgan sighed. “And I want you to be the one to buy it.”
First a grin spread across Donovan’s face as he thought Morgan was joking. But after studying his brother’s features and seeing Morgan was dead serious, Donovan began shaking his head adamantly. “No can do, man. I don’t need a place as large as your house. My condo is just fine.”
“But don’t you want your space?”
Donovan took another swallow of his drink and said, “I have enough space, thank you very much. I do one woman at a time, so that’s all the space I need. Besides, your house is on an acre of land. I don’t do yards. I never got along with grass. I don’t own a mower and don’t plan to buy one. It doesn’t bother me to pay those exceedingly high association fees for the golf course in my backyard, although I’m not a golfer. It goes with my image, one I want to keep. Besides, I always thought your place was too big for one person. I still do.”
“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.”
