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

| 51 | Thwack ||

It'd been five days.

Five entire days in which he was engulfed in meetings, data, conversations, high stakes deals, millions of dollars, shaking hands, making big moves; yet, in any moment of silence he was back to the morning before he left for Vegas.

Five days and yet it still felt like just yesterday that she kissed his cheek before breezing out the door, no doubt heading to that job of hers. It happened so fast that he didn't get to marvel in the majestic sprite-like quality of it; yet, it left a sizzling heat in his guts.

He knew without someone telling him that it was a phantom memory from some lifetime before, but he couldn't shake the sensation. He couldn't shake the warmth that washed through him. Warmth not from lust, no that was the sizzling tingle. There was that warmth that spread, slow and steady from his chest outward through his body.

Despite his denial, he had been a bit hungover that morning and feeling every bit of it now that he was no longer a young man. He was grumpy no doubt, but that single gesture changed the trajectory of the day.

He frowned anger filling his every cell.

No!

He couldn't think like this, it wasn't--

He growled and smashed the call button paging Morgan.

"Yes, sir?"

"My office, now." He was back to feeling ornery. If he wasn't slinging dicks in meetings, negotiating, lying out facts and earning clients then there didn't seem anywhere to put the pent up frustration.

There was a light pause. "Is everything alright, sir?"

"Would I be calling for you if everything was alright?" He ended the call abruptly and turned around in his chair, his back to the door.

He felt so alone.

He paused at that thought.

That was a sobering moment, but only tempered his frustration for a fleeting second. He often felt alone, but this was different. Sitting in that chair at the end of the day debating on whether or not he wanted to go home or just stay a night in a hotel near the office made him feel, well, made him ornery and frustrated.

He heard the door open, then close and the paced steps of his administrative assistant filled the silence until they stopped. She sat in the chair in front of his desk.

He steepled his fingers, his focus still out the window opposite Morgan. "The data you sent over about the jewelry competitors in Dallas don't seem complete."

"Yes, sir. I mentioned that I was--"

"That meeting is in two weeks. We must be prepared." He turned around in the chair. "Thick competition on that one with a bounty that goes beyond this one account."

"I'm aware of the stakes. We will be ready, sir." She adjusted herself in the chair. "I spoke with the data analysis team this morning, they are receiving additional data in two days. I can have the raw data on your desk once we get it if you'd like."

He exhaled his consciousness, unable to hold back the message that his sharp tone was ill placed. "No, no that's fine, have the data team authenticate and scrub it, please." He pushed out of his chair and strolled over to the window. "That's all Morgan, thank you."

From his peripheral he saw her nod and stand. She paused after taking a few steps, turned around to face him and stood there until he met her steady gaze.

"Perhaps it's not my place to say this, but I've always been nothing if not honest with you, Mr. Rogan."

He straightened up to fully face her, giving the woman all his attention. She had a way about her, didn't she? He trusted her, depended on her and she never let him down. He knew, however, that he wasn't going to like what she had to say.