Tonight, at least, he could offer her comfort and advice. And perhaps distract her from her worries, if only for a few hours.
Archer arrived at Morgan’s apartment with a bag of takeout from an Italian restaurant he enjoyed, the perfect comfort food, as well as the black blindfold tucked into his back pocket. He was acutely aware of the newly installed security camera now watching the entrance, though he kept his helmet firmly in place.
Morgan answered the door looking simultaneously stressed and beautiful. Her hair was still damp from the shower, and she wore a baggy t-shirt and leggings obviously ready for a comfortable evening in.
“Hi,” she said, her smile tired but genuine as she moved into his arms. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Rough day?” he asked, squeezing her tight before releasing her to step inside and scan the apartment. The new awareness of the cameras making it difficult to relax his guard. Kane’s installation was professional—the small devices were discreet yet effectively positioned.
“The roughest,” Morgan confirmed, taking the food bag from him. “But better now.”
“I brought something to help you relax.”
Morgan raised an eyebrow waiting for him to elaborate. He nodded towards her arm and carefully pulled the fabric from his back pocket to place in her outstretched hand.
“Is this what I think it is?” she asked, a hint of mischief replacing the fatigue in her eyes.
“I thought we might enjoy a similar evening to the other night,” Archer explained. “You wear this, I take off the helmet. We can eat and talk without the usual awkwardness of me turning away every few bites.”
“I like the way you think,” Morgan said, running the soft fabric between her fingers. “Though I was hoping to see you tonight.”
“There are other ways to see someone,” he said, his voice dropping lower. “Ways that don’t require eyes.”
A flush crept up her neck, and Archer was pleased to see he could still affect her so easily.
“Before we get to that,” Morgan said, setting the blindfold aside, “Can we talk about the attorney situation? It’s been weighing on me all day.”
“Of course,” Archer agreed, concern replacing desire. “What’s happening?”
Morgan explained about the fraudulent invoice, her digital signature being used without her knowledge, and Richard’s strange dismissal of the situation. As she spoke, Archer’s jaw tightened beneath his helmet. This was exactly what his investigative team had uncovered—systematic fraud with different department employees’ credentials being misused.
“I’m worried I’m being set up,” Morgan concluded. “If my signature is on fraudulent documents, I could be held responsible when this all comes to light, especially if it’s been going on for a while.”
“You need a corporate attorney with experience in financial fraud cases,” Archer said decisively. “I know several excellent ones. The best is probably Alexandra Winters at Winters & Zhao. She specializes in exactly this sort of situation.”
“Would she even take my case? Those big firms usually work for corporations, not individuals.”
“She’ll take it,” Archer said without thinking twice.
Morgan’s eyebrows rose. “You have that kind of pull with a top corporate attorney?”
Archer mentally kicked himself for the slip. “We’ve worked together on security matters,” he settled on, which wasn’t entirely untrue. Alexandra Winters had been Sullivan Enterprises’ outside counsel for years. “I’ll send you her firm’s number.”
“I’ll give her a call tomorrow,” Morgan said, seemingly accepting his explanation. “Thank you for this. It helps to have somewhere to start.”
“Of course.” Archer hesitated, then asked, “Is there anything else I can help you with?”
This was her chance to mention the security cameras, the unlocked door, her concerns about her apartment. But Morgan just shook her head.
The disappointment that coursed through him was unexpected, but he realized it was misplaced. As someone who liked to fix problems himself, she may be thinking that she already fixed the problem with the added security cameras, and she’d done nothing to cause him to think she was lying, so he let the frustration go.
“Not that I can think of.” She picked up the blindfold again. “Now, I believe you mentioned helping me relax?”
Archer decided to let the camera issue go. If she didn’t want to mention it, he wouldn’t force the conversation. Kane had installed the system; Morgan’s apartment was now more secure. That was what mattered.
“Dinner first,” he said, nodding toward the Italian food. “Then relaxation.”
Morgan tied the blindfold around her eyes, adjusting it to ensure she couldn’t see. “How’s this?”
