It had to work. She’d done what Cal had urged and gone with her gut. Surely her years of experience and knowledge would shine through. The Rosenthals would see what she saw in this house and fall in love. Then she’d score another large client and move on to the next house.
Morgan stopped as the thought held her. Was she going to leave? Maybe she could stay in Harrington for a while. Take a mini vacation to recharge, and see if they could build a life here. It was possible. Anything was possible.
He loved her.
She hugged the knowledge to her heart. That night, his simple words had buried deep inside her and claimed her forever. He wasn’t a man to give love easily. But once he did, Morgan knew she’d be his own personal queen, because that was the way he made her feel every day and every time he looked at her.
“Morgan? Are you up there, baby?”
His voice echoed through the house. She climbed the stairs and looked into his beloved face. His dark tan had lost some of its color from the turning of fall but was still a golden brown. Tiny lines bracketed his eyes and mouth, confirming his nonstop schedule and little sleep gotten within the past weeks. His T-shirt was dusty, and his jeans had a hole in the knee.
“We alone?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“Good.” Cal reached out and snagged her around the waist, dragging her into his arms. His lips feasted on hers with a raw hunger that still held an edge, as if he’d never get enough of her. She clung to his hard strength, enjoying the scent of male sweat and spice that drifted from his skin. She kissed him back with open enthusiasm that ripped a growl from his mouth.
“We doing dinner tonight?” he asked.
“Yes. I told your brothers they could join us.”
He groaned and nipped at the curve of her neck. She shivered. “Princess, I’m sick of those bozos eating with us all the time. I have a great idea. Let’s go back to your hotel and order room service. Let them fend for themselves.”
She laughed. Funny, she was rarely at the Hilton anymore. Her nights were spent over at Cal’s, along with weekends when they could catch a few hours of downtime. They’d gotten in a routine, including his family, that made her soul happy. “I promised. The Rosenthals come in tomorrow, so tonight is our last dinner for a while. I’ll be tied up with them finalizing details, completing paperwork, and making sure they’re settled in Harrington.”
He blew out a breath. “Fine. But I’m kicking them out early.”
“Fair enough.” They gazed at one another for a moment, and she caught an odd light in his eye. “What’s the matter? Is something wrong?”
Cal cocked his head, as if wondering if he should say something. “Yeah. I don’t want you to go when this project is over, Morgan. I want you to stay with me. Do you want that, too?”
Her heart surged at the same time that guilt struck her. She remembered his words to Sydney. He wanted a big family. He was owed the truth before they promised each other anything. “Yes. I’m in love with you, Cal. I want to work something out, because everything about us feels good and right.”
He tried to pull her back into his arms, but she backed off. Wrapping her arms around her chest, Morgan gathered her courage to tell him her story. “What’s the matter, baby? You don’t look happy. Are you worried about work? I don’t intend to tell you to stop doing something you love. Look at this house. It’s amazing, and you put your whole heart and soul into it. It’s not just a house anymore. You actually made it a home without one person living in it yet.”
She blinked back the sting of tears. Damn the man. “Thank you for that. No, I have to tell you something I’ve been holding back. It never seemed like the right time, and I wasn’t sure what would happen between us. I never expected to fall in love with you.” She gave a half laugh, trying to gather her thoughts. “I don’t want you to think I deliberately kept this from you for any other reason than I just wasn’t ready.”
“Okay. I’m listening.”
Morgan dragged in a breath. “I can’t have any children, Cal.”
A frown creased his brow. He scratched his head and probed her face with his gaze. “Baby, of course you don’t want children now. Did I scare you when I told Sydney I wanted a football team?” He grinned. “I’m sorry, I was talking about the future. Way in the future. Nothing to worry about now, I swear.”
“No, you don’t understand.” She fought her nerves and pushed forward. “I can’t have children. I’m not able to have children; I’m infertile.”
He shook his head as if trying to make sense of her declaration. “Okay. I’ve heard of this before. When it’s the right time and we decide we want to try and get pregnant, we can go to fertility experts. We’ll look into options together.”