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

| 38 | The Land To Return To ||

"Penelope?" Liam called when he walked into his house. He hung his keys on the hook near the door as he came in from the garage. He went into his office and tossed his briefcase in there before wandering back out into the hall, loosening his tie. "Penelope?" He called again finding his way to the kitchen.

Maybe she was out by the pool.

He slid open the patio door, but the water was still. No sign of any kind of life now or recent. He closed the door and made his way to the bottom of the stairs. "Penelope are you up stairs?"

Where was the woman?

He checked his watch. It was just after noon.

He made his way into the dark, cold basement. It too was vacant. Her SUV was in the garage, where the hell was she? He pulled out his phone with every nerve to message and ask her where she was, but thought that might sound a little overbearing.

He decided to take a shower instead which he was happy he did. Felt good standing under the hot water, correction, his hot water. Other places couldn't quite get as hot, or the pressure was never quite right.

What a week, and he wasn't even done yet. In a few short days he would be off across the ocean. He didn't usually have any feelings about his trips, they were just a part of his job, but for some reason he was loathing it.

When he got out of the shower and into comfortable clothes, he made his way back out into the house. It was still quiet so he went into his office planning to wrap up some things from his meetings in San Francisco.

He picked up the reports he had Morgan print out that he was supposed to read on the plane for a potentially new client he was set to meet with next month. He put his reading glasses on and leaned back in the chair digesting the charts and reports. He scribbled notes right on the paper and noted things he wanted Morgan to dig into deeper just for clarity.

"--look, I'm home. I'll call you in a couple days, okay? Mhm, will do. Bye."

Liam's chest squeezed around his lungs when he heard Penelope's voice coming up from the basement?

"Penelope?" He called when she walked past his door.

She leaned back and looked into the office before walking backwards and leaning at the doorway. "Oh, hey. I wasn't expecting you back until this evening."

"Yeah, my meeting actually ended on time so I caught an earlier flight."

"Nice." She strolled into his office and he couldn't stop staring. She was polished. Her hair was pulled up into a tamed puff on top of her head with some coils out in the front framing her face. He could tell she was wearing make-up, but only because he'd studied her face without make-up. It was smooth and subdued. Her skin looked even deeper brown than he remembered. She must have been spending time out by the pool. Memories involving said pool made him adjust in the chair. She was wearing a white blouse and a grey high-waisted pencil skirt. She was carrying high heels in her hands.

He cleared his throat. "You look nice."

"Mhm, I was at work this morning." She emphasized the word.

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "Were you now?"

"Yup." She emphasized the "P" on the word."

"Working hard?"

She smirked their mind recalling her message. "You bet. That's why I got off early and took the Lambo for a little joy ride."

His eyebrows raised up. "Did you? That's good. How did she ride?"

"He."

He frowned. "Huh?"

"The Lambo is a he for sure."

He laughed. "I'm glad you took it for a drive."

She smiled, making the light in the room brighten a few watts. "Yeah, probably shouldn't have now I'm going to have to work my entire face off to get my own."

"Mmm." Noted. She liked the Lambo. "So, what do you do at this job of yours?"

"I'm a receptionist slash admin assistant. It's a small office so you know."

"Hmm. I could see that. You keep your boss's calendar, set up meetings, that sort of thing?"

"Yep. Among other things. Basically just make sure her day runs as smooth as possible." She perched on the edge of his desk, put the tip of her toe on his chair and turned him slightly to face her. "I'm especially good at keeping a calendar."

"Mmm, that right?" He looked up at her, a smile pulled at the corner of his lips even as the heat started flowing through him.

"Mhm." She took his glasses in her delicate long fingers and placed them on the tip of her nose. "I've been spending a lot of time with your calendar, Mr. Rogan, and you know what you're late for?"

He exhaled and leaned back in his office chair joy filling him from the inside out watching the pretty woman as she scrolled through her phone as if to check something.

"What?"

She looked at him over the glasses making him laugh. "Yep, says it right here." She fought a smirk pointing to the screen.

"What does it say?" He crossed his arms and fought to keep his face neutral.

"A massage. A deep tissue massage." She hooked her feet in the arms of his chair and pulled him closer to her. "Followed by therapy."

Laughter filled him. "That right?"

"Mhm." She stroked up and down his leg with her foot holding his steady gaze which was not an accurate depiction of the millions of lightning bolts that were going through his body in the moment, at her touch, her nearness, her scent, her heat.

"What kind of therapy exactly?"

The corner of her mouth lifted. "Sex therapy."

He was hoping she'd say that. He pushed out of the chair and grabbed the tempting woman by the back of the neck and angled his mouth over hers. She pulled the glasses off and set them next to her before grasping onto his shoulder, fingers roaming, exploring just like the first night they spent together.

Heaven.

She unbuttoned his shirt while he peeled her out of her clothes. His lips parted when she kissed his neck and trailed down, his body, lower. He moaned and untied the wrap that bound her beautiful coily locks. He tossed the thing somewhere behind him when her hair fell free around her shoulders. Some of it seemed to be held fast in place.

"Take it down."

She pulled her mouth off his body and looked down at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Please. Your hair is so pretty. I want to see it down."

She held his gaze a moment longer, then exhaled and went to work on unpinning her hair. It was thick, dense, and needed teasing to coerce it out of the updo.

He clasped the nape of her neck and pressed their mouths together. "Thank you." He whispered when he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers.

"Mmm." She responded a mischievous look flashed in her eyes.

Slowly, the corner of his mouth pulled up. He had many ideas so many nights he thought about what he was going to do when he got her in his hands again. He grabbed her up and carried her over to the couch where they shared each other's bodies last. He rubbed up her knees and pulled her legs apart, then dipped his head to press against her soft mouth giving lips.

|:|A/N|:|

Speaking of, I think I'm about due for a deep tissue massage ;) hehe

Bing Bing Bing round... what round are we on now? *shrugs* losing count!

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See you in the next installment.

-ALEX