Page 38 of Secret Crush

Chapter Fourteen

Alice awoke from a dream. She'd been at an office desk, wearing a pencil skirt, hair up, black high heels and a white button-down blouse. She sat across from John Morgan, in a pin-striped navy business suit that clung to his muscles as he winked at her. She swallowed back the visual and wiped the sleep from her eyes. That was a dream she'd never experience. She stretched and then went to the suitcase of clothes.

She chose a sleeveless black cotton dress and crossed her fingers that her mother believed this was in her bag already. Ellie Collins wouldn't know Versace from Walmart, and the knee length was typical.

Today she would go back to the farm, with or without John Morgan at her side. No one uninvited had come to this house last night, so the threat must have been against the President and not John or her as he'd supposed.

It was time to reclaim her life and identity.

She slipped out of the bedroom and made her way to the kitchen.

John's broad shoulders and muscular frame sent a fire through her as he called out from the open refrigerator door, "Morning. I'm getting breakfast."

She went on her tiptoes and then fell on her heels as if movement might stop her lust. She turned toward the kitchen table. "Okay. Did my SUV get transferred here from the parking lot?"

He closed the refrigerator and had a bowl of fruit in his hand. She tried hard not to stare at him until he shrugged. "No."

She wouldn't get stuck with him another day. She couldn't handle it. "Can you drive me to get it?"

"No."

He seemed to be the "king of no" this morning. She took a seat at the round glass-topped table as he brought over the fruit. His clear blue eyes made her tingle. "The threat must not have been against you," she said. "I agreed to one night, not a lifetime."

He walked away, brought over toast, and returned to the table. John slid a plate in front of her as her stomach tied in knots. Even-toned, he said, "You don't know if it was against me or not."

"I didn't hear any disturbances last night. No one came here."

He sat to her right, acting like everything was perfectly normal. "That's because this house is secure."

She squirmed in her seat. She couldn't stay this close to him and not desire more. "Why, because it's yours?"

He poured himself a glass of milk as his shoulders relaxed. "Yeah."

Her spine stiffened. "I'm going home. I'll take a taxi."

He picked up his coffee cup as if it might shield him. "You'd be in danger."

She affected him, too. "It's my life."

He rubbed his eyes. "What's so important at the farm? You said you could work from anywhere. I can have a new laptop here in less than an hour."

The image of her mother's permanent scowl appeared in Alice's mind. "My family. They will want to see me and my dad won't rest easy if he's worried about me after what he saw on the news."

"You said you were moving out and that next week you would have your own condo."

Her body softened. Her stomach wasn't so bad now. She nodded. "I did. Families care about each other, John. I don't want to put them in danger…."

He scooted his seat closer and placed his hand on hers. Her heartbeat became the only sound she heard until he said, "So stay here."

If she stayed, she'd hope to do things she couldn't handle. John Morgan was larger than life, and not for a farmer's daughter. "I can't. They will want to see I'm okay."

"Why not?"

Because she wanted him to take her to bed. She coughed and said, "It's not right, but I still remember how weak my dad was the day he had his heart attack. I can't cause anything like that to happen to him."

His hand feathered up and down her arm, making her feel important. If he kissed her, she'd melt. All he said though was, "If we stay here, it's closer to where you intend to move."

She took her hands back and pushed her hair out of her face. "This isyourhouse."

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