Around the World in 80 Men Series Boxed Set 1-10

by Brandi Ratliff

  “I could just lay like this for days,” he admitted, brushing the hair from her face. He felt safe to say the things he felt. She probably wouldn't remember in the morning, and it would give him time to practice and think about how he really felt and why she was making him feel all these new things. Before he had met Morgan, he had used Julianne's service, plus that of others. Even part-time girlfriends like Veta. But he would just have his fun, do his job and go back home to his big house and drink a beer on his sofa. He had never even brought a girl to his home, but he had been more than quick to not only want Morgan in his home, but more-so demand it over another stay in a hotel. The hotel was a safe zone. If Morgan had just been a sleazy afternoon delight, he'd have had his fun and never looked back. But every second apart, he had missed her terribly.

  “Me too, Tanner. Me too.” Her words were soft and he could tell she was fading.

  “Hey, I'll be right back, don't fall asleep yet, beautiful.” Nature was calling and he wanted to talk to her a while longer before she gave into the alcoholic slumber.

  “Okay sexy Aussie!” Morgan giggled at her words and rolled over to his spot when he crawled from the bed. “That rhymed. Sexy Aussie.” Those were her last words before she closed her eyes for the night.

  “Not really...” Tanner smiled at the girl, shaking his head back and forth again. Morgan was already asleep before he made it to the bathroom, but he couldn't be upset. It was mostly his fault, but he wouldn't blame himself for being badass at beer pong. He walked back into his room from the bathroom and after he covered the girl up, he decided to go to the kitchen for a glass of water. Only, when he passed the room he had given to Morgan, he saw something that caught his attention.

  “Hmm. What do we have here?” Her pink scrapbook. “Okay, just a little peek.” His curiosity took over and he flipped open the first page. “Jesus Christ!” Finlay looked back at him. It was the first time time he had ever seen any of her other clients. “So, you're the one who has her heart?” Tanner could admit, Finlay was a handsome man, but he knew he had nothing on himself. Although, he hated the inscription under the picture. “My teacher? Psh.” He couldn't take looking at the studly Scotsman any longer.

  He flipped to page two to see himself. “Tanner, I'll never forget to live like I mean it. I'll never forget your wink. I'll never forget you.. Oh, Morgan..” The words he saw written about him meant more than he could even say. At that point, she hadn't known if she'd ever see him again, and it meant a lot to him that he had given her a lesson. He also found out that she loved his wink. His finger traced over her words and he flipped to page three. Dante. He wasn't threatened by the Italian, Morgan had barely even mentioned him.

  “Page four. Sean.”

  Sean was a little more threatening, but still not at Finlay's level. Morgan had mentioned Sean, but not in a “I like him” kind of way. Tanner actually found himself laughing into the empty room at Sean's words. “Props dude. That was genius.” He didn't like the fact Sean had given her plane tickets to return, but obviously Morgan had the option to see Sean and had chosen him instead.

  He flipped to Kole and read about the Woolly Mammoth penis, grimacing as he did so, then flipped to Giovani. “Okay Casanova, button your shirt and find a weight machine.” Giovani wasn't exactly a petite man by any stretch, but Tanner's muscles were bigger so he felt justified in dissing the handsome Brazilian.

  He felt dirty looking through her secret scrapbook, but it was nice to see his 'competition'. The only one he worried about was Finlay. He wasn't sure if Morgan would ever want to be with any of them. Hell, he wasn't even sure if he wanted a relationship, but if it came down to it, Finlay was going to be his biggest problem.

  Just then, he thought the answer to his problem had been delivered. Morgan's phone rang out from his bedroom and he rushed back to silence it, but when he saw the pop-up message and the face that went with it, he couldn't pass on the opportunity. Morgan might be mad in the morning, but I'll take the risk.

  He took her phone into the bathroom and read Finlay's message again. I wish I could be with you right now. I miss you. Fin.

  Tanner took a deep breath and tried to stop his fingers from working, but he lost the battle. His whisper filled the dark bathroom as he spoke the response that he typed back to Finlay. “She's in my bed, I doubt there's room for the three of us. Tanner.”

  Chapter Four

  “Shit! Shit! Shit!” Tanner stared at Morgan's phone in disbelief. In a moment of rare jealousy, he had made a mistake that he couldn't take back. He ran his hands through his hair and sat on the side of the tub as he stared again at the screen. He could send an apology to Finlay, he could put the phone back and hope that Morgan never found out, or he could wake her up and admit to what he had just done. “Shit!” It was a situation that Tanner wasn't used to being in, making a mistake with someone he cared about.

  “Morgan!” He made his final decision and called her name as he walked back into the bedroom. “Morgan, wake up.” He sat on the bed and shook her from her drunken sleep.

  “Mhmmm you're back. Come here and cuddle me.” She smiled and reached for him, but he grabbed her wrist gently and pulled her up to sitting position.

  “Morgan, I need to tell you something.” He scooted closer and looked down at her phone.

  “What? What's going on?” Her sleepy voice made him feel even more guilty, and he had to shake off the urge to hold her and tell her to go back to sleep. He instead, did the right thing. Tanner told her what he had just done, and then apologized profusely for offending Finlay, and disrespecting her privacy.

  “I'll call him right now and apologize, or text him, or whatever you want me to do. I shouldn't have done it, Morgan, and I really am sorry.”

  “You...you.....told him that I was...” Morgan couldn't finish her statement, the giggles took control and she fell to her side in absolute hysterics. Each time she tried to finish her question, she would nearly snort in laughter and had to hide her head in the pillow.

  “I'm glad you're taking it so well.” Tanner was confused...amused...but still confused.

  The only thought in Morgan's mind was how silly the situation was, and all she could think about was how for once, she was the mature one in the room. There was also no way that she would judge his bad decision, she had more mistakes under her belt than she would ever care to admit to. When she finally gained the ability to speak again, she told him through teary eyes that it was alright, and that Finlay was a big boy and could handle it himself. “So, on that note, good luck when he writes back, because you'll be the one to deal with him.” She giggled again as she kissed his cheek and snuggled back under the shark comforter once again.

  Tanner moved from the bed and shook his head as he stood. It wasn't exactly the response that he thought she would have, but he should have known not to predict anything about Morgan Holland. He laughed quietly as he carried her phone back to the dresser, and started to turn it off so that it wouldn't interrupt her sleep. However, a text came through before he put it down, and he couldn't resist a peek to see if Finlay had responded. He did.

  Tanner? The wee Aussie who treats her to pizza and beer? Good to know ye have jokes mate, at least that's something ye could offer her.

  Tanner didn't respond to Finlay, but the Scot's words hit him harder than he cared to admit. It was true, he had only given Morgan the most basic of entertainment, and the most basic side of himself. Beer and pizza. That just about summed up what the two of them had shared beyond themselves, and guilt had kept him awake for most of the night. The fact that he had treated women better on a first date than he had treated Morgan was too much for him to deal with. She had taken care of him when he hurt himself showing off, she had sat in the hotel and never complained about not seeing the city, and she came back to him and all he had done is show her around one day and then play beer pong in his back yard. She deserved the world, and he had no excuse for acting like a frat boy with a woman that
he cared so much about. Those thoughts played over in his mind until he finally fell asleep with the rising of the sun.

  *****

  Morgan's eyes slowly opened as the smell of bacon and eggs aroused her senses. She smiled as she stretched her long legs across Tanner's empty side of the bed. Her stomach growled right on cue and she was grateful for the treat of breakfast that he was obviously making for them. Although, he had warned her the night before that cold pizza would be on the breakfast menu if she didn't finish the last slice. But, she did finish the last slice, and a real breakfast was calling her name from the first floor.

  Downstairs, Tanner was still reeling about Finlay's text. It hadn't left his mind one time since the night before. Fuck! I've spent more on bait when I've gone fishing than what I've spent on her. Tanner figured Morgan was only content with him because that's what she expected. Since the first day, he had done what he likes and hadn't thought about what she liked. I bet she expects more from Finlay. In fact, he knew it. He would bet money on the notion that she'd never go to his house and accept playing beer pong or eating leftover pizza the next day. Tanner didn't have a problem affording a category two, classy, lifestyle, and he planned on changing things up a bit to show Morgan that he could be classy.

  “Good morning, Angel. How's your head?” Morgan appeared around the corner of the kitchen, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her disheveled hair and lack of makeup made her all the more beautiful.

  “Oh, it's not hurting at all actually. I slept like a baby!” She yawned loudly and stretched her arms above her head, then walked behind Tanner, who was still standing in front of the stove. “I knew I smelled bacon!” She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his back. The vague memory of Tanner waking her up crossed her mind and the giggles began again. “What was it that you told Finlay again? There was no room for the three of us?”

  Finlay's name on her lips felt like a dagger in his heart. What he would give to take it all back, to never have texted him in the first place. “Yeah,” was all he managed to softly speak.

  His tone caught her attention, something else must have happened. “Did he say something back to you?”

  Tanner actually had to laugh. He was the one who messed up and Morgan was actually defending him. “Nah, it's nothing, beautiful. How do you like your eggs?” He changed the subject and Morgan didn't press any further. She told him how she liked her eggs and they had a very enjoyable breakfast together, followed by an even more enjoyable, hot, steaming, shower.

  “I've got an errand to do, but I'll be right back,” Tanner told her when they were dressed for the day. Again, she offered to go with him, but he declined. He needed to go arrange things for the night; step one in the wooing process.

  “Fine,” she crossed her arms and gave him a pouty-lip, then sat in the shark's mouth on the bed.

  “Oh, don't give me that. I'll be back before you know it. But...while I'm gone, find something nice to wear for tonight. I have a little surprise for you,” he walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders, then leaned down for a kiss to the top of her head. Her lip receded and she nodded slowly, and a grin threatened on the corner of her lips. A surprise? Hmm... she had no idea what Tanner was up to, but anything from the carefree guy was sure to be a blast.

  *****

  “Oh!” When they pulled in front of the five-star restaurant, Morgan was actually disappointed. She had no idea what he had planned, but going out for fine dining hadn't even been a passing thought. Maybe the surprise is inside? Not that she was upset about him taking her out for dinner, but the fact that, up to that point, Tanner had avoided places like that like a disease ridden leper, was the reason she liked him so much in the first place. She had never felt the need to play 'dress up-napkin tuck' with him. He played 'let's get naked and if we end up under the back porch, that's cool'. “This place is beautiful,” she realized her silence and spoke up as he helped her out of the truck.

  Her long white gown tickled the ground as she walked and her brand new matching pearl heels were sure to be the death of her by the end of the night. She couldn't resist another peek at her date...the whole ride to the restaurant she had been staring him down like a honey badger who found an open bag of pistachios.

  And she wanted to do him badass.

  Goddamn. His hair, long enough to grab a handful-which she knew all too well- was slicked back. It was something she had never seen from him, usually it hung softly around his face, and she had also never seen him wear anything other than jeans and a tee. That night, he wore a suit. One that would have given Finlay a run for his money. His green eyes contrasted sharply against the stark black suit and his tanned skin stood out even more so.

  “Have I told you that you look fucking sexy as fuck right now?” Morgan couldn't help herself.

  “Once or twice,” he winked at her, smiling wildly. He planned on doing it even more since he knew she liked it. He also enjoyed the reaction from her, regarding his 'new look'. “You look fucking sexy as fuck too.” And she did. He hadn't seen many women in his life who could properly wear a silk gown, the kind that showed off every single detail of a woman's body. Morgan pulled it off...no, not just that, she nailed it. The dress hugged her ass, and the halter top showed off her shoulders and chest beautifully. Her long blonde hair was lightly curled, which hung down her bare back.

  She returned a smile and took a deep breath. This can't be so bad. When they walked into the restaurant, her feelings changed. It was fine. Not fine like the restaurant Gio had taken her to. Not fine like Dante's place. Not even fine like the places she had spent time with Finlay. This place was F.I.N.E. Tanner was saying something to a person that had greeted them at the door, but Morgan couldn't even focus on their conversation. She held her breath as she scanned the room, afraid to make a sound. The place was nearly silent, with the exception of soft elevator-type music and the occasional soft scrape of a fork or a distant stifled cough...in which Morgan could only assume they had probably regretted either action for the sake of disturbing their company. Morgan wanted to tell Tanner right then that fine dining was not her idea of a good time, but the way that he beamed, she couldn't break it to him.

  As they walked to their table, Morgan imagined the menu to be chocked full of things she couldn't pronounce and they probably wouldn't even have Moscato. She was right on both accounts. Tanner ordered them both a drink, something she had never heard of. When the server walked away, she grabbed her menu and gave it a quick look. She didn't want to embarrass herself and say that she didn't know what anything on the menu actually was, so she settled for the next best solution. “I'll trust you, pick something good,” she whispered across the table. Even her whisper seemed to be too loud. Are people just supposed to sit in silence? If those are 'manners', I don't want them!

  He nodded with a smile and she forced a smile back to him, hoping that it looked sincere. He must have bought it because when the waiter returned, he ordered their meal. “I hope you like Châteaubriand,” he whispered back to her.

  What the fuck is that? Instead of asking, she nodded. “Of course!” What am I doing? She had no clue what kind of food she was about to receive, and her wine was red. RED. She hated red wine. She had even tried to be mature and take a sip, but she had spit it back into the glass without him noticing. So far, the night wasn't too fun, but it got even better.

  When the food arrived, she nearly burst out laughing. There were two slivers of bright pink meat, merely two inches wide, and a tiny pile of green things, in which she assumed were asparagus. The plate was decorated beautifully with swirls of red and yellow drizzled around and bright green leaves acted as the bed for the pathetic morsels of meat. Morgan couldn't even imagine how much the meal, which couldn't even pass as an appetizer under normal conditions, must have cost, and if she remembered correctly, the meal was supposed to feed two. She looked up to Tanner and resisted the urge to laugh again. The man who she had seen devour nearl
y a whole pizza like nobody's business was supposed to be full off of that?

  “It's good, trust me,” Tanner cut into one of his pieces, and put a bit into his mouth. If she had been looking, she would have seen that the look that followed didn't match his 'it's good' statement. While Morgan cut into her own piece, Tanner found a napkin to spit the bite into and tried to think of a way to pretend he enjoyed the fancy dinner. When she took her bite, it was clear that she wasn't even going to pretend.

  Morgan quickly grabbed the first thing she could, her water, and spit the bite out. She hated rare meat and never should have been so foolish as to try it. “I...I'm so sorry, Tanner. I...I just...I don't like...fine dining.” She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but there was no way she could eat her dinner.

  His reaction surprised her. He laughed. Not a quiet laugh, but a bellowing, loud laugh that gathered attention from nearly everyone in the restaurant. Even Morgan had to giggle. There's my Tanner.

  When the server approached the table and asked them to lower their voices for the sake of not disturbing the other guests, Tanner broke out in even louder hysterics. Without looking at the waiter, Tanner looked at Morgan and asked her a one word question: “Burgers?”

  She had never been so happy to hear the word in her life. Morgan nodded enthusiastically and with that, Tanner put money on the table and they left the restaurant hand-in-hand. Tanner didn't speak again until they were in his truck. “I fuckin' hate fine dining.”

  They both laughed, but then Morgan wondered why he would even take her if he hated it. His answer to that came in an explanation about Finlay's text; how it had made him feel like shit.. He told her that he thought that's what she wanted and he wanted to give her something more than just doing what he liked. “I mean, he said my 'humor' was the only thing I can offer you. I just wanted to give you more than that.”