Acquiring Trouble (7 page)

"That's right Mr. Davies." Morgan smiled seductively and sauntered to the table as the whispers rose around her. She heard the words
Stacy,
breakup
, and
water tower
as she stopped in front of
him and smiled.

Miles
had been
trying to eat his
country ham and
cheese grits when all hell
erupted in the c
afé. He didn't need to get up and look out the window with the rest. He knew why Morgan was here and what she wanted.
She had completed the investigation and found out just how strong his company was and wanted it.
What he wasn't expecting wa
s what he felt when he saw her.

She
was no longer the chubby girl hiding behind baggy clothes, although she still had a penchant
for dressing in black. But the
black suit
she was wearing
accented all her curves
, and boy
were they some
curves. Her breasts were supple. T
he purple silk shirt clung to their roundness and enhanced them in a way
that made him sit up and take notice.

Her skirt was tight and high
wa
i
sted
, showing off
how her slim waist flared out into her rounded hips form
ing a perfect hourglass figure. Her violet eyes dared anyone to challenge her as she announced he
r return to town. Her eyes gobbled him up as she approached him, never once looking away
,
then
stopped in front of him.

"Should I kiss you hello?" Morgan asked him. His groin tightened at the thought even though it was
made
in jest.

"Once was enough, thank you."

"Still holding a grudge?"
s
he laughed. "
I’m
sure Stacy has forgiven you and that you're blissfully happy with your two kids and dog." Miles detected the tightness in
her words even with the smile on her face.

"Stacy dumped me after your water tower stunt. She went to medical school at
Vandy
, met and married a fellow doctor.
However, I don’t think my dog gives t
w
o tail wags that you’re here.
" It still hurt when he said it. He had loved Stacy with the
passion only a teenager could.

"Well, it looks like I finally lived up to my reputation."

Miles tightened his square
jaw and narrowed his eyes at her. "Why don't you meet me at my office in an hour and we'll talk
bu
siness then," he said as he toss
ed some money on the table.

"With pleasure, Mr. Davies. It'll
give me time to enjoy the delicious pancakes Miss Violet is whipping up." She pulled out the chair
across from him, "I'll even
take your seat
since you're leavin
g.”

Morgan didn't wat
ch as Miles stalked out of the c
afé. She sat down in the chair and took a deep breath. Her back
was to the c
afé and she hoped it would signal them to leave her alone. There was only so much pretending she could do and she needed time to regroup before negotiations started with Miles.

She reached into her purse and pulled out her smartphon
e. Morgan started to respond to her email even as she felt Perfect Pam take the seat Miles had just vacated at the small round bistro table. Morgan ignored her. They'd talked enough for one lifetime that night seventeen years ago. There was nothing left to say.

"Morgan?" Pam asked quietly. "Where have you been for the last seventeen years?"

"Here and there," she responded, never looking up from her email.

"What our parents did was wrong
, Morgan." Pam whispered.

"As I recall it, it wasn't just our parents." Morgan looked up when Miss Daisy set the plate of pancakes in front of her. "Thank you." Miss Daisy grunted and wa
lked off as Morgan took a bite.

"Morgan…" Pam began.

"Look, Pam. I'm going to eat my pancakes and go
to my meeting. I won't disturb P
erfect Pam's perfect life. You leave me alone and I'll leave you alone… just like it
was growing up," Morgan spat.

"That's not what I want. Not now. Morgan, where are you staying?"

"At a hotel in Lexington."

"Oh no you're not." Miss Lily
said as she put her hands on her hips. "Come hell or high water you're a Keenestonite and you'll stay here in Keeneston with your family."

"Is there a new five star hotel I don't know about?" Morgan asked in her most superior voice.

"Don't
sass me, m
issy. You'll sta
y at the bed and breakfast and that's the end of it.
" Miss Lily wiggled her finger at Morgan and she could feel her temper rise.

"Funny how things have changed. Seventeen years ago you kicked me off your property and even threaten
ed
to call the
s
heriff if you found me in your yard again, and now you want me to stay with you? Thanks, but no
thanks," Morgan said snottily.

"Morgan, you owe it to your family to…" Miss Lily started, but Morgan had enough. She stood up, effectively cutting Miss Lily off.

"With all due respect, my family disowned me along with the rest of this town. I don't owe you or them anything." Morgan spun on her heel
and walked out of the c
afé le
tting the door slam behind her.

Trouble had definitely come back to town and she was going to do everything in her power to make them feel her wrath. They had turned their backs on her and now they were going to pay. She was going to
take
Miles'
s
company and enjoy ever
y minute of ripping it apart as he sat and watched along with everyone else in town. It may not affect Keeneston directly, but she'd show them she wasn't
some young delinquent to be ordered around anymore.
Nop
e, she was a woman in charge
and Miles was about to find out jus
t how in charge she really was.

Miles slammed his car door and took a deep breath. What was it about Morgan Hamilton that got him so
worked up?
He had tried to put her out of his mind from the second she broke that kiss on graduation night. She was nothing but trouble to him, yet it was her memory that haunted him along with his nightmares of war.

He had gone to college and thought he had fallen in love. But, when he kissed her it was Morgan's eyes he saw and her mouth he tasted. That was the ironic part. It was only one kiss in high school and he still wasn't over it. When he joined the Rangers he took his time off base seriously and tried to erase Morgan's memory with
the women who frequented the bars around
Fort
Benning
, Georgia.
It hadn't
worked and he had grown more and more frustrated.

When he joined Delta Force, he didn't have time to think about women. He was just trying to stay alive. He had gone on countless dangerous m
issions and had frozen his emot
ions. He showed no fear, no anxiety, no hate, no love. He was the team leader and with that he was responsible for bringing back every member of the team. He forgot
about love, lust, and happiness.

It had worked. He only lost one team member in the four yea
rs he was on duty. However, the
day that Cade was taken a crack appeared. He had fought it, but it was there. Miles had been asked to stay on for another four years, but he knew he couldn't pretend an
ymore. He had lost the
edge he depended on. That cold calculation
he
used when dispensing the enemy.

Miles enjoyed the corporate world
—t
he negotiations and the team mentality of supporting the farmers in the state. However, even he knew he was having problems. He hadn't slept in years. He hated to sit with his back to doors. When entering a building he always looked for escape routes and sniper positions.
Certain smells and sounds would also send him flashing back to those mountains and Cade
being held hostage.

So, to avoid the dreams and anxiety he found himself thinking about Morgan. She was never going to
come back into his life again and that made her safe to think about. To
build a story around, to relive
that kiss, her hand on his manhood without any consequences. No
chance of a
messy breakup. N
o sleepless nights worrying about trying to explain
to a woman
why he didn't sleep
.
But now she was here and feistier than ever. Not to mention hotter than ever. She was so voluptuous
. He
wanted to explore every inch of her. Instead h
e had to break her down and toss
her out. She was
trying to take his company and he couldn't allow that.

Mile
s
started
the car
and
began
the short drive to Lexington. He had Claire gathering as much background on
Morgan
and Top Producers as she could before the meeting, but he needed more. Marshall was usually his go
-
to guy
for hacking computers, but
he
was preoccupied
with
planning
his wedding just a couple months away
in March
. Well, he did have more than one brot
her with a talent for
i
nternet
snooping
.
Miles picked up the p
hone and punched in the number.

"Cade, it's Miles.
Do you have a minute?”

“
Sure. This is my planning period so I have forty-five minutes.” Cade was not only the football coach at Keeneston High School, but also taught biology a
nd other science classes there.

“Thanks.
Are you by a computer?" Miles told him about Morgan and Top Producer
s as he drove the winding road.

"
No problem.
Give me just a minute to look her up.
I can’t believe Morgan is back. I
bet the c
afé was crazier than
all get out.
" Miles heard Cade pounding away on his laptop. "Phew," Cade whistled. "This girl has done a lot in a little time."

"Like what?" Miles asked. The Morgan he kn
ew in high school wasn't the go-
getter type.

"
No arrests, not even a parking ticket, which is amazing considering parking problem
s
in DC. She lives in an upscale condo complex
—a
lone. Has a gym membership that she uses sporadically. Seem
s
she really liked yoga, but stopped taking
classes
a year ago. S
he’s
in multiple charitable organizations. Wow, didn't see that one coming. She helps animals, kids
,
and old people. This doesn't sound like the girl
I’ve
heard stories about," Cade said between typing.

"What happened after she left Keeneston?" Miles asked as he pulled onto Main Street in Lexington
.

"
She was admitted
to Georgetown. She graduated in three years while working part-time at a
lobbying firm. Upon graduation she earned her MBA in one and a half years and scored
a very lucrative position as a lobbyist
on Capitol Hill. She regularly lobbied Congress and even had a couple of meetings with the
P
resident. She worked there for six years un
til Top Producers came calling.

"She entered as an
associate
and on track to make partner
.  She was promoted two years ago to
Director
of Mergers and Acquisitions where she has taken over, broken apart, and rebuilt
eight companies
under the Top Pr
oducer's brand.
Geez bro, I think you may have met your match."
 

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Cade." Miles said sarcastically as he pulled into his reserved parking space.
He heard
his brother chuckle
as he
hu
ng up.