SURROGATE : Conception (+18) BOOK 1 (COMPLETE)

| 49| Not At All ||

"What?"

Morgan glanced up at Liam with her typical look of steady calm as she finished folding the blanket that was strewn haphazardly on the leather couch in his downtown office. "I did not say anything, Mr. Rogan."

"You don't have to. I can feel your thoughts."

She stood upright after adding the pillow to the top of her pile. "I don't understand, sir." She made her way to the built in cabinets in his office, opened the door, placed the items inside, then closed the door. "I took the liberty of having your suit dry cleaned." She picked up the covered item that was draped over a chair and hooked it on a peg inside a wardrobe which was part of the built in cabinets. A place where he kept extra shirts, ties and other items at his office just in case he needed to change for some reason during the day.

"Is this why you weren't here yesterday afternoon? Is that why I missed the Water's meeting?"

She cleared her throat and stood up straight. "I was rushing to get your items to the dry cleaner before they closed. However, before I left I did remind you of the water's meeting."

He grumbled because she was probably right, but it didn't matter to him. "I need you here to do your job, and part of your job is to keep on schedule. You should have sent an intern."

"I would have, sir, but due to budget cuts, we did not hire any interns this quarter." She unzipped the drycleaning and examined the work to make sure it met her standard.

"Even so, I need you here. The stakes are getting higher and I need to stay on top of everything."

"Yes, sir. Of course. You do have a meeting in person in twenty minutes." She pulled open the curtains. The late evening sun was shining directly into his office.

"Who is it with?" He let her help him out of the suit jacket, the one he'd been wearing for at least two days, and shrugged into the newly dry cleaned one.

"Ms. Stacy Clearwater."

"Ah, yes. Clearwater, Waters, I get those two accounts confused." She wrapped the new tie around his neck and worked steadily and efficiently to tie it. "How long is this meeting? I have my regular meeting with Chuck this evening."

"Should be under an hour. Ms. Clearwater is known for cutting to the chase."

He nodded and examined her work in the mirror. He looked mostly human. He didn't feel it though. He returned from Japan a couple days ago, but wasn't ready to go home yet. He blamed a backlog of work and slept at the office. He should have rented a room, probably would have prevented the kinks he had in his neck.

"I think I've done all I can and I should get back to my desk to greet Ms. Clearwater when she arrives."

"Morgan," he said before the woman got to the door.

"Yes, sir?"

"Would you get this suit jacket to the cleaners too?" He wasn't sure how long he would need to cower in this hole so he figured he better be prepared.

She nodded and retrieved the item from him. "I will call a courier to do the leg work."

He nodded. "Very good." When she left him alone to his thoughts they immediately drifted to the pending Gala that he was slated to go to with Penelope. Mostly because she kept sending him stupid messages asking him what he was wearing, whether they should dress to complement, showing him images of what she was suppose to wear.

He remembered the design she sent him and he thought she would look fetching in the midnight blue dress with lavender accents.

He frowned when the warmth washed through him. He didn't care! For god's sake just pick something. He wore his usual black and white 3 piece.