The Blake Legacy (The Blake Boys) (7 page)

Tate gave her an appreciative once over. “Well, you look great. I can’t even tell you had a baby a few months ago.”

“Did Seth tell you to say that?” She squinted her eyes at Tate.

“Seth didn’t tell Tate to be looking at his woman,” Seth grumbled.

“He can get so sensitive.” Tate laughed.

“Your backup singers are very sexy,” Morgan said.

Tate laughed again. “Those are Tate’s Angels. Did you see the one in the middle?”

“Yes, she set off my skank-o-meter.” The singer in the middle was the one whose skirt was dangerously short.

“That’s Misty. She used to have a thing for your husband. I told her three times today that he was happily married with a child.” Tate smiled widely at Seth.

Morgan looked at Seth, who shook his head.

“How’s my nephew?” Tate walked over to the bar to grab two beers.

“He’s fine. I put the Future Country Western Singer T-shirt you bought on him once a week.” Morgan grinned.

“Please.” Seth huffed.

“But I especially like the My Daddy’s a Cowboy shirt.” She scrunched her nose at him. “So what’s new with you, Tate?”

“After the tour is over I’ll be headed to California. I’m thinking about signing with a new record label. I have a meeting with Kate Garrison at Atlantis Records.”

“You’re a busy man. Teri-Lyn told me you’re doing some redecorating at the cabin to make it more woman-friendly. Is there a particular woman you’re making these changes for?” Morgan smiled.

“It never hurts to be prepared in case the day hell finally freezes over.” Tate winked at her.

Morgan saw the flicker of emotion in his stormy blue eyes. Tate looked like he was at odds with himself about something. Seth wouldn’t go into detail whenever she asked about Tate’s past. He simply said that a man shouldn’t have to carry around as much baggage as he did.

“So what made you think about one day settling down?” Morgan asked.

“When I was writing that new song, it made me think about much happier my friend has been since he met you. Contentment can do wonders for a man’s soul. I’ve been thinking about being open to finding some of that myself.”

“You may find it sooner than you think.” Seth looked his friend in the eye.

Tate held up his beer bottle. “I’ll drink to that.”

* * *

Morgan and Seth got on the road after a big breakfast with Tate. Morgan saw a sign for an outlet mall and asked Seth to stop, hoping to add some essentials to her wardrobe. She was making steady progress with her weight loss but still felt uncomfortable in her old clothes. They walked around until a pretty dress in a boutique window caught Morgan’s eye. But it didn’t fit, so she tried another one. Then another one. After about an hour of nothing fitting right, Morgan sat on the bench in the fitting room, suppressing the urge to cry.

Sure her breasts were bigger, but her waistline had expanded, and her arms were fuller. Fitting into her normal size six seemed like an impossible dream these days. How she looked had never occupied her mind so much before because she’d rarely changed. She owned the same pair of perfect jeans since high school. They accentuated all the right places and were very comfortable. Last week she’d tried them on again but this time Seth didn’t have to help her out of them. That was some progress.

Morgan leaned her head back and closed her eyes while she waited for the salesgirl to come back with another pair of jeans.

“Is this some kind of shopping meditation that women do?”

Morgan opened her eyes to see Seth standing there. “Praying for the next pair of jeans to fit. What are you doing back here?”

“I intercepted the grandma clothes Tiffany was bringing you and picked out some things for you to try on.”

“You didn’t.” She sighed. The clothes he held in his hands—tops with deep V-necklines and soft fabrics meant to cling to the skin—were not meant to hide post-pregnancy fat.

Seth entered the small dressing room and yanked on the thick silk cord holding the curtain in place. “What is going on with you and clothing lately?”

“In case you haven’t noticed my body is going through some changes. The exercises are helping, but I’m still not where I want to be.” Morgan pouted. “And please don’t say one nice, sweet word to comfort me.”

“Is that what the shrine to your favorite pair of jeans in our closet is all about?” Seth laughed.

“It’s not a shrine.”

“Really? I don’t know how many people put a pair of jeans on a gold hanging rack and shine a spotlight on it.”

Morgan crossed her arms. “You are such an exaggerator.”

Seth turned her to face the mirror. “In Texas, we specialize in tall tales and short, fiery women.”

“Well, I’ve had those jeans since high school, and I am determined to wear them again.”

“Morgan…”

“Not a word.” She closed her eyes and bit her lip.

“Morgan, open your eyes.”

Seth wrapped one arm around her waist as he slowly liberated her from the blouse she’d thrown on when he came into the dressing room. Morgan was wearing a purple bra and panty set; he loved how the vibrant color accentuated her brown skin. Her breasts were fuller, giving her already ample cleavage the appearance of two sensual globes barely being contained by the satin and lace. Seth started with a kiss behind her ear, then slowly slid his tongue down the side of her neck and continued down the slope of her shoulder, removing the strap with his teeth. Her breast spilled out of the bra even more, and he reached up to gently roll her erect nipple between his fingers. Morgan gasped, so he whispered in her ear the necessity for quiet, so they wouldn’t get busted in the dressing room. She smiled at that, then pressed herself against him, rubbing until his cock twitched and was at full attention. She turned her head to meet his mouth, their tongues entwining in a sensual kiss. Seth reached up, unsnapped the bra, and threw it on the floor. He covered her breasts with his hands, giving them the full attention they deserved. With each tender stroke, Morgan became more pliant in his arms, leaning back for support. She reached behind her and pulled at the zipper on his jeans. He broke the kiss and let her go, amused at the pouty glare she gave him.

Seth got down on his knees, pushed her against the wall, and gave her panties a good tug. He put his hands on her hips and trailed kisses down her stomach, paying special attention to the small paunch that remained from her baby weight. Morgan’s soft exhale encouraged him to go further, so he took her leg and propped it up on the wooden bench attached to the wall. Before she could protest, Seth spread her open with two fingers and a long gliding movement, then dipped his tongue inside her folds. He leaned closer and deepened his connection until Morgan was grabbing his hair, pulling him to her. He loved imposing the erotic torture on her. He would pleasure her this way for hours at home, coaxing multiple orgasms from her. But he also knew that when she reached her boiling point, everyone in the boutique would know what was going on in there. He rose and pulled down his jeans and boxers.

She came toward him, but he shook his head and stopped her, turning her around to face a wall with a bar attached to it. He put her hands on the bar and stood back a bit, resting his cock on her ass. Seth pushed her legs apart, then slid into her from behind, in one swift move. He grabbed her hips, which helped him control the slow, sensual rhythm they created. The heat from their bodies connecting was making him sweat, but he’d be damned if he let go of her to take his T-shirt off. Morgan pushed back to meet his thrusts. As quiet as they both were, the sounds of ecstasy began spilling from them. Seth bit down hard on his lip to quiet himself. He took one hand off Morgan’s hip to cover her mouth while caressing her clit with the other. His thrusts became frantic as he held back as long as he could. Finally, he lifted her off her feet with the final thrust, his mind going blank from the intensity of his orgasm.

He stayed connected with her for a while, until their panting returned to normal breaths. Seth, drenched with sweat, pulled up his boxers and jeans and took a seat on the bench, then pulled Morgan onto his lap.

“You do know we’re going to have to buy one of everything in my size in the boutique,” Morgan mumbled as she kissed his jawline.

Seth chuckled. “A small price to pay to show my wife how hot she is.”

Morgan cleared her throat. “What are the chances we can walk out of here like nothing happened?”

“Baby, I don’t think that’s possible, but we can try not to blush at the register.” Seth kissed her nose.

Tiffany, the sales woman assisting Morgan, gave them a sly, knowing grin when they came up to the counter. She carefully wrapped Morgan’s items and asked the fateful question: was he Seth Blake. Morgan looked like she wanted to go through the floor but Seth defused the situation by giving the woman an autograph and showing her a picture of Jake. Tiffany nodded that she understood how difficult it was to have time alone with a baby and showed them pictures of her son. Morgan smiled when Seth remarked that they weren’t so different from any other couple.

They picked up Jake at her dad’s house early in the afternoon. Morgan confessed to Seth that the few days away from Jake had passed like an eternity. They got back to the penthouse in time go to through his daily routine of feeding and a bath. Morgan told him all about Uncle Tate’s concert well after his bedtime while Seth watched them. When Jake was finally down for the night, Seth and Morgan picked up where they’d left off in the dressing room.

Chapter Four

Morgan grabbed the mail from the counter and took a seat on one of the couches in the bookstore. Her hand began to tremble as she read the letter from the library. She read it twice. The library had accepted her proposal for an internship program to keep a steady flow of readers in the library. Morgan took out her cell phone, took a pic of the letter, and sent it to Seth. A minute later his ring tone played on her phone.

“Hey baby, congratulations!” Seth said.

“Thank you. Can you believe this letter?” She sighed, looking at it again.

“I am so proud of you. Enjoy this moment.”

“I’ll be home around four.”

Morgan was getting ready to get back to finalizing details for a book signing to be held later that week when Michelle hustled into the store.

Morgan handed Michelle her letter. “Look what I got in the mail.”

Michelle skimmed the letter and started bouncing around like her shoes were on springs. “Congratulations! I can see college kids jumping all over that as course credit.”

“Thanks.”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you I made some progress with scheduling the book fair at the assisted living facility near your dad’s house.”

“Great. Did you send them the questionnaire on the types of books they want us to bring?”

“Yep. They emailed it back today.” Michelle reached behind the counter to retrieve it.

Morgan pinched herself. “Is this really happening?”

“It’s really happening. Reading Builds Bridges is taking flight.” Michelle smiled and gave her a pinch too, for good measure.

* * *

Seth carefully removed Jake from the rear of the Range Rover so he wouldn’t wake him and walked into the building. Father and son had developed a rhythm when traveling and it was now a natural thing to take Jake wherever he went.
Sports Page
magazine had been gracious enough to push back his interview a week, and he didn’t want to put them off any longer.

Morgan had volunteered to reschedule her meeting at the library to stay home, but he’d refused her offer. The decision not to get a nanny often made her wring her hands with guilt when situations like this arose, but he reminded her that they both agreed to juggle responsibilities as working parents. He enjoyed the time he and Jake spent together and was grateful for the experience.

As soon as the elevator doors opened on the fifth floor of the building, he could hear the music pulsing. That normally wouldn’t have bothered him, but Jake was taking a nap, and he couldn’t risk him getting off his schedule. Seth whipped out his cell phone and dialed Celine, the contact at the magazine that was waiting for him.

“Celine, this is Seth Blake. I’m down the hall, but I need a favor…”

Two hours later Seth was posing, in an elegant suit, for his cover photo. Celine had graciously transformed the atmosphere from nightclub to nursery. When the music had died down and he’d made his way to the loft, a nursery rhyme was playing on the sound system and the usual titillating honeys that always seemed to be in the vicinity of places like this were walking around in respectable clothing. Seth found a good space for Jake’s car seat and didn’t have to worry about him for long. The women surrounded him and
oohed
and
ahhed
for at least a half hour before they began shooting. Jake continued to sleep while his fan club kept watch over him. That time gave Seth a chance to talk to Celine about the photo shoot. Instead of a salacious cover, he thought he’d take a different approach. Celine looked a little disappointed but Eddie, the photographer, assured her that, clothed or not, Seth was still hot.

It surprised him too that he didn’t want to show some skin. He was proud of his body. He stayed in shape for work, and he took pleasure when Morgan stared at him with that hungry look in her eye. But there were greater things to consider now. Did he want his kids to pick up a magazine and see Daddy half naked on the cover? The perception his children would have was now important to him.

Eddie cursed under his breath about the nursery rhyme music.

“You can change the music if you like. I just don’t want to wake him from his nap. His momma would kill me.” Seth smiled.

“Any special requests?” Eddie perused his iPod.

“He’s partial to jazz and some of his uncle’s songs. Do you have any of Tate McGill on there?”

“Do I? I’m his biggest fan! I absolutely love his track from his third CD, ‘I Lost My Soul at the Candlewood Hotel in Houston.’ Tate McGill has inspired many a sleepless night for me.” Eddie fanned himself.