Mirin, Christelle - Morgan's Protégé [Bonding Camp 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (3 page)

“I think I’ll drive up tonight. I need to get out of town, go somewhere I can breathe.”

* * * *

Eight o’clock the next morning, Grace stared out the window of the Lincoln Town Car as it wove its way through the trees. The agenda for bonding camp she had read last night had been right about the compound being secluded. She could swear this driveway was a mile long, and still no buildings in sight. Rounding a curve, finally a large building came into view. It was gorgeous. It looked very much like a very expensive estate. As the driver pulled up in front, Grace saw well-manicured paths leading to other, smaller buildings. She wondered what they were. The agenda had mentioned a spa and gym and also one building containing offices so the staff could work off-site. The firm must be doing better than she thought to have this place to use at their leisure.

The car came to a stop. Grace waited for the driver to open the door for her, using the time to breathe steadily and get her mind clear. She had spent all night tossing in bed, dreaming about Morgan Moss hovering over her. In her dreams, he had been the most intense, sensual man she’d ever been exposed to, and the things it did to her body caused her to wake up three times last night in a sweat. It didn’t matter that he was older. He was impressive, leaving a mark on her without even touching her. She wondered what he was like outside of the office if just meeting him for an interview did this to her. This weekend would give her the chance to find out. Problem was, she needed to keep her attraction to him hidden and under control. She didn’t want to threaten her internship in any way.

Most of the men she dated weren’t really men. They were boys who thought they were men. Grace didn’t feel like they were her equal. No one she had dated even had a chance at controlling her. She was too strong-minded. Her parents had raised her that way. She had opinions that mattered and a strong personality that wasn’t easily overpowered. She would love to find a man who could dominate her. A man who could “be” a man with her, show her that, even though she was a strong-willed woman, with him she could be his equal and still allow him to be the man of the relationship. That was why she was so attracted to Morgan. With his powerful presence, she felt as if he could take control of her, if he so wanted. Shaking her head, she tried to erase her line of thinking from her mind. It wouldn’t do to let Morgan know how much she was intrigued by him. Not when she was applying for an internship and would be working for him.

The driver opened the door for her and lent her a hand. She stepped out of the car and moved directly toward the front door with purpose in her step. The door opened before she got to it, and a man dressed in a pale peach polo shirt and khaki pants came out onto the front porch. He had short blond hair and a nice smile. He reminded her of some movie star, but she couldn’t place the name at the moment. Anyway, he had a face that was nice to look at.

“Welcome to the compound, Ms. Moore,” he said, stepping to the side. “I’m Rodgers, the houseman. Please come inside. I’ll take care of your bags after I present you.”

“Thank you, Rodgers. I appreciate it.” She stepped inside the foyer and waited for him to show her which way to go. The “house” was large. She didn’t want to get lost and look like a fool.

“Follow me,” Rodgers said, walking past her and going straight ahead.

They entered what looked like a large breakfast room with a wall of windows facing the woods behind the house. The table was set with beautiful china and crystal, all glimmering in the light of the dual chandeliers that hung above the table.

What really caught her interest was Morgan. He sat facing her, a coffee cup in one hand, a newspaper he was reading in the other.

“Mr. Moss, your guest has arrived,” Rodgers said. He looked at Grace, his eyes a clear blue. “Please, have a seat and Rachel will bring you something to drink.” He waved a hand at the table.

Morgan looked up, his dark eyes flashing. “Grace, come in.” He folded the paper and laid it on the table. “I’m glad to see you decided to attend. Would you like some coffee?”

“I’d love some,” she said, taking a chair directly across the table from him. “Are you the only one here?” She looked around. Rodgers had silently disappeared, and there was no one else in sight.

“Justice is here. He’s in the gym.” He picked up a knife from beside his plate and tapped it against his water glass. The sound of metal against crystal chimed like a bell.

A young woman entered from a doorway to Grace’s left. “Yes, Mr. Moss?”

“Rachel, Ms. Moore would like a cup of coffee please.” He looked at Grace. “Are you hungry? Rachel can bring you some breakfast if you like.”

Grace shook her head. “No, thank you. I had a small breakfast before the car picked me up. Coffee will be fine.” She smiled at Rachel.

Rachel nodded and disappeared through the door she had just come from.

“Is she your cook?” Grace pulled the linen napkin from beside the clean plate set in front of her and placed it on her lap.

“Yes. She’s a very good cook. You’ll find that out this weekend.” He pushed his plate to the side, the remnants of what looked like eggs and toast remaining on it. “I want to apologize for my demeanor yesterday. I know I have a reputation of being intimidating, but I assure you when I am here, I’m much more relaxed.”

“There’s no need to apologize. I thought you seemed very professional. After all, you were in your office and at work. I just hope I didn’t interrupt anything important at the time.” She knew he was in a bad mood yesterday and hoped her interview hadn’t been affected by it. He had said if she made it through this weekend that she could start working for him on Monday, but it was only Saturday and the weekend hadn’t even begun yet, so the jury was still out on whether or not her internship was a “go.”

Rachel returned with a cup of coffee and placed it in front of her. “Will there be anything else?”

“No, thank you. I’m fine.” Grace raised the coffee cup to her lips. The scent was delicious, the taste even better. By the time she looked up, Rachel had disappeared again. “Does she always do that?” Grace asked, placing her cup on the table.

“Our staff here at the compound tends to be invisible unless we call upon them. It’s the way it is here.” He picked up his paper and began to read.

Grace stared at him. Had she just been dismissed? She watched him for a moment, allowing herself to study his face. He was very handsome. From what she had read, he was thirty-four and had never been married. Probably because he acted with women just as he was acting now. Private and untouchable. Well, she was not going to let him dismiss her so easily. He may be untouchable right now, but by the end of the day, she was going to be his right-hand girl, whether he liked it or not. Clearing her throat, she caught enough of his attention for him to look at her. “What’s the next step, Morgan? What do I do now?”

He looked past her, toward the doorway where she had entered. “Rodgers, is the paperwork ready?”

She turned to look. Rodgers was standing behind her, hands in pockets, a serene look on his face. When had he entered the room?

“The paperwork is on your desk. Can I be of any other assistance?” Rodgers asked.

Morgan folded the newspaper again, laid it on the table, then stood. “Would you show Grace to her room? And later, I may call on you.” He gave Rodgers a nod.

Rodgers smiled, nodded, then looked down at Grace. “Come with me, please.”

This was strange. She wasn’t exactly sure how to act in this situation, but it looked like Morgan was in control of everything that went on around here. She rose from her chair and turned to Morgan. “I’ll be seeing you later then?”

“Yes. I’d like to meet with you in my office in an hour. Rodgers will give you a map of the compound so you can find your way around. Feel free to explore.” He gave her a small smile that looked a bit forced.

Unsettled, Grace nodded and followed Rodgers from the room. They entered the main hall just off the foyer where Rodgers turned to the left, leading her down a long hallway. The house was amazing and beautifully decorated. It reminded her of a swank hideaway hotel. About halfway down the hall, Rodgers stopped and opened a door on the right. “Here is your suite, Ms. Moore.”

She stepped through the door and surveyed the room. A queen-size bed was comfortably made up in shades of mauve, the pillows propped perfectly for lounging at the head of the bed. Fresh flowers were in a vase on a table by the window, and another door led off into what was probably her own bathroom. She wasn’t going to have any trouble staying here. The layout was awesome. She noticed her bags were in the corner. “Thank you, Rodgers. I’ll just get unpacked and then meet with Mr. Moss.” She turned toward him.

He had the strangest look on his face, serene yet a hint of intrigue. “You’ll find a map of the compound in the drawer of the nightstand. If you have any questions at all, just dial the operator. It will ring in to either my phone, or Rachel, who you’ve already met, or Missy, our personal trainer on staff, will answer. We’re here to help you during your stay. Don’t hesitate to call on us at any time.”

“Thank you. I’m sure I’ll be fine until I have my meeting with Mr. Moss.”

Rodgers turned to leave, stopping at the door. “It was nice to meet you, Ms. Moore.”

“Please, call me Grace.” She smiled at him. “Ms. Moore is too formal, I think.”

“Grace. Such a lovely name.” He nodded and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

Grace turned toward the room, placing her hands on her hips. Best to get some things done then freshen up for her meeting with Morgan. As she unpacked her clothes, thoughts of Morgan filtered through her mind. Her attraction to him was growing by the minute. His aloof demeanor just made her want to get his attention even more. Most men she met paid her too much attention. Her young look combined with her full curves caught their attention more than she liked. She couldn’t help the way she looked. What she wanted most was for men to take her seriously, and though her looks hampered her in that arena, she’d be damned if she’d walk around in ratty clothes, bare-faced without her makeup.

Clothes put away, she reached into the nightstand drawer and pulled out the map of the compound. “This place is like some high dollar getaway,” she said, looking at the map. There was the main house, a garage area, a spa with a gym, the office complex, and walking trails through the woods. She wondered how many acres the compound covered. Getting it straight in her head where she needed to go, she refolded the map and tucked it back in the drawer. As long as she knew her way to the office complex and back to the main house, she’d be fine for a while. Maybe later, if it was at all possible, she’d ask Morgan to walk with her in the woods.

Entering the bathroom, she checked her reflection in the mirror. Her makeup looked fine, and her hair, short cropped, laid perfectly with small wisps accenting her large brown eyes. She hadn’t worn foundation today and wondered if the sprinkle of freckles across her nose made her look too young to be an intern for the firm. Shrugging, she conceded that it was going to have to do for today. She wasn’t going to smooth on more makeup at this point. Morgan had already seen her this morning, and she didn’t want him to think she had redone her makeup for the meeting. She didn’t think it would look professional. With a sigh, she turned from the mirror and headed out to find the office complex.

“Hello, Sarah. I didn’t know you’d be here,” Grace said, entering the office complex.

“Good morning, Ms. Moore,” Sarah said from her desk. “Mr. Moss is in his office. He said to bring you on back when you arrived.” She rose and turned toward a door behind her desk.

Grace followed, wondering just how large this complex was. Did they work from here often? She was impressed. She could imagine working from here when her presence wasn’t required in the city. Mentally crossing her fingers this meeting went well, she smiled as she followed Sarah to Morgan’s office.

Sarah knocked twice then opened the door. “Ms. Moore has arrived.” She turned to Grace. “Go right in.” Stepping back, she let Grace pass.

Morgan was sitting behind a desk that looked exactly like the desk in his office in the city. “Come in, Grace.” He looked at Sarah. “I am unavailable until I call you. No interruptions.”

Sarah nodded then silently closed the door behind her.