Around the World in 80 Men Boxed Set 31-35 (67 page)

“
Well,
we could finally take that swim in the pool now if you'd like.”
Gil put the last of the items down and moved closer to Morgan. She
looked up and briefly smiled, then looked back down toward the food.
She was growing frustrated at being lured into a swim, which had been
his idea since the day prior, and was then making it sound as if she
had wanted to. “Morgan?” She refused to look up as her
emotions began to rise rapidly without warning.

“Sure.
Whatever you'd like.” Morgan's voice was hardly audible, and
she hated how she sounded. It was just a swim, and he was her future
client. Morgan tried to talk herself into maintaining normalcy in her
world to keep from losing it completely, but she was losing the
battle. Her inner torment had nothing to do with the crash, or any
other person, she simply wasn't ready to be guided into anything.

Gil
put his hand on her shoulder and that innocent connection brought
tears to her eyes. “I'm sorry.. I just... I'm.. sorry.”
Gil shook his head and turned her toward him.

“Instead
of apologizing, tell me what you want.” Gil's world was black
and white, and he hoped to teach Morgan that simplicity usually
cleared up just about everything. “Morgan. This is your life.
It doesn't matter if you're working, playing, dreaming, or
failing.... it's still yours. So tell me what would make you happy
right now, and we can go from there.” Morgan nodded, but wasn't
convinced that what she wanted would work for him. After several
moments of thought, she finally agreed.

“You
know what?” Her head tilted as she thought for a few more
seconds, and then she smiled through her own tears. “You're
right.” She took a step back and inhaled deeply. “I left
this morning to go to the beach. That's where I'd like to go. I want
to swim, look for seashells, call my friends, and...,” she
actually giggled, “I want to get so drunk that I can barely
walk.” Gil nodded and she watched his dimple appear with a
large smile.

“Change
of plans, Sasha.” Gil put his finger under Morgan's glass and
held it there as she finished her wine. “I'll bring her drunk
ass back here later to make dinner.” Morgan wiped her mouth to
catch the last drop that escaped, and she smiled in agreement.

*****

“It's
officially after noon, here ya go.” Gil handed Morgan a full
bottle of Moscato that he'd just opened, and closed the car door.
“And this, is for me.” A large flask, filled with
something that could knock the eyebrows off of anyone in range, was
his drink of choice.

“So,
why are you getting drunk? I mean, I know my reasons... but..,”

“Morgan,
you'll learn that many people go through life and ask
why.
But
leaders,” his smile lifted his lips perfectly as he boasted,
“will usually ask
why not.
”

“Good
enough.” She raised her bottle, and he touched the side with
his own, then she brought it to her lips and took a drink that lasted
several seconds. It was wonderful, and ice cold. “Yep,”
she spoke after finally releasing the lip hold she had, “this
is going to get me in trouble.” Gil nodded and encouraged her
to drink again.

“Take
your sweatshirt off, Morgan.” She smiled and eyed him before
moving. He reached up and grabbed the zipper and she smiled as she
watched him lower it completely. “I usually get what I want,
even if I have to take it.” Morgan laughed and allowed him to
remove the pink hoodie from her body, then watched him take it back
to the car. Yes, she thought, perhaps a true alpha was what she
needed right then, someone to guide her when she needed it and to
back down when she demanded it. Gil, she smiled to herself, fit that
need perfectly.
Yep, maybe I do need a little guidance after all.

Gil
and Morgan walked on the beach, just as she'd wanted to. She found
dozens of shells, and held them all in her hands as she stuffed in
more.

The
waves flowed over her bare feet as she ran to the next cluster of
goodies in the surf, and Gil made sure that she did everything she
wanted. Even, as was more than noticed by Morgan, reminding her that
her Moscato wasn't going to drink itself. It was his fifth or sixth
time of telling her when she held the bottle upside down. “I'm
afraid I've done my share of damage.” Gil didn't respond, he
grabbed the empty bottle, turned on his heels and ran away.
“Something I said?” Morgan giggled, but didn't mind that
he left. “More shells for me!” She ran forward and
dropped to the sand to sift through her finds, and collected three
more purple and white beauties.

She
was on her way to another treasure trove when he returned, and handed
her another opened bottle of ice cold wine. “I love you.
Really.. I've fallen madly in love and I'm never leaving.” She
took the wine and he watched as she tipped the bottle to her lips.

“Well,
if that's the case,” Gil flopped to the wet sand beside her,
“I'd better get a ring and call your dad. I'm thinking we could
get married right here.” He leaned back and looked out to the
water, loving the sound of Morgan's laughter.

“No
can do, buddy.” Morgan took another drink. “I don't have
a dad, and I already have a ring.” She didn't care that she
spoke of Finlay's gift, in fact, she didn't care much about anything
right then. Gil grabbed his heart and fell back dramatically. Morgan
nodded, allowing him to
die
beside her. “That's right,
just let go.” She took another drink, and loved the numbing
feeling that it created. Gil moaned in misery as he took his
last
breath.

“
Don't
tell me anymore... I can't bear the pain...,” he turned to his
side, showing his bare back to Morgan. She giggled again and brought
her foot up to give him one last gentle kick to his back as his
performance came to an end.

“
Well,
there isn't much to tell anyway.” Morgan took a long drink and
continued. “Finlay loves me, I know he does... but...,”
Gil turned back over and propped his body up on one elbow as he
listened. Morgan turned her head enough to look into his face, and
smiled widely. “But, he has way too much going for him to
settle for a girl like me. I mean, I'm not a bad girl. I just.. I
could never fit into his world like a... well... a better woman
could.” Morgan nodded as she agreed with her own words. Gil
watched her, waiting for signs of regret for speaking the words
aloud, but he saw nothing but confidence. Even as she nearly
dismissed herself, she was still confident.

“
Morgan,
I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that.” He didn't need
to know anything about her past to realize that any man would be
lucky to land a woman like Morgan. If he were in the market for
something long term, he would certainly try for himself.

Morgan
smiled again, but didn't say anything else on the topic. Not because
he asked it of her, but because she simply didn't want to. Then
again, she thought, how could she ever explain that she had been
chased by a crazed killer? Locked in a shed and beaten? Had been
linked to his murder that her friends committed for her? Then almost
died in a plane crash, just to be attacked by the crazed killer's
brother?
I let him die. That's the same as murder.
No, she
shook her head slightly at the thoughts, she wouldn't let the weight
of her past keep her down right then. “Let's go swimming!”

Gil
laughed when she stood and leaped over his body, and brushed the sand
from his chest that she'd intentionally kicked on him in the process.
“You'll pay for that!”

Morgan
turned as she ran through the surf, and laughed. “I hope so!”
He caught up with her quickly and picked her up by the waist from
behind. His smiled faded as he brought her close against his body.
Morgan leaned her head back and allowed him to guide her through the
water, and simply let her mind go numb as the ocean licked every
square inch of her body.

His
arms reached completely around her waist and he brought her up to
speak only to her. His lips moved to her ear, and he spoke the words
that she would remember for the rest of her days. “Morgan,
always remember what I'm about to tell you.” Her eyes opened
slowly as his voice sounded softly against her wet skin, and she
stared out to the waves, as she listened. “Anything you carry
in your heart, good or bad, is what you'll die with. So... if it's
worth that, then keep it. If not, let it go. Decide, Morgan. Decide
what stays with you for the rest of your life... and beyond.”

Morgan's
heart felt as if it would pound right through her chest.
Decide.
Her eyes narrowed, and her flesh warmed at the thought of choosing
her own feelings. Her own destiny.
Decide.
It was up to her.
All of it. The memories that crashed through her mind at night, the
sudden fear of strangers, feeling inadequate in certain situations;
she owned it all.
Decide.
In Gil's arms, staring at the waves
playfully peek over one another in the distance, Morgan Holland made
her decision. “I'm free.”

“
You
are.” Gil turned her in the water and grabbed her thighs,
wrapping her legs around his waist. “You always have been.”
Morgan nodded, understanding his words, and wrapped her arms around
his neck. “And you can remain free of your past torments, no
matter what they are, for all time.” Morgan, again, nodded as
she smiled. “And now is a great time to celebrate that
freedom.”

Gil's
mouth moved slowly to Morgan's lips, and his warm breath brushed her
cheek before taking the kiss that he'd longed for.

Morgan
moaned against his mouth at the heat that instantly soured through
her veins. His hands moved down and cupped her ass as she pushed
against him. Her desire for him fueled his every move, and Morgan
moaned slightly again when she felt him tug on her bikini bottom. “Do
you want this, Morgan?” His words meant more than she knew. He
wanted to make sure that it had nothing to do with being a client,
and all to do with just two people who couldn't wait another moment.
Morgan nodded as she took his lips between her own, and he removed
her bikini in seconds, and tossed the two pieces behind them in the
surf. He then did the same with his own suit.

He
raised her slightly, just enough to take her breast into his mouth,
and a passion that Morgan hadn't felt in far too long took total
control. She didn't care that people were a hundred feet away on the
beach, or that there were boats that could pass by at any moment, all
she wanted was the man in her arms.

“Say
it, Morgan.” She kissed him again, then moved to his neck. The
salty sea water was intoxicating, and she moved from the area under
his ear, to his collar bone. “Say it.” His hard cock
bobbed in the water, looking for the place that would give the man
absolute satisfaction.

“I
want you, Gil. Now.” She wrapped her legs completely around his
waist and moved until he was positioned at the entrance to her
throbbing need.

White
hot desire coursed through his body as he pushed Morgan down, and
impaled her small frame completely.

Morgan's
arms clamped tightly around his neck, and her chest collided with
Gil's as his cock filled her. For just a moment, he held himself
there, allowing her to feel the throbbing of his body inside of her
own. “Don't tease me, Gil.” She felt him smile against
her salty skin, then slowly, he pulled out and plunged inside of her
once again.

“
Like
this?” His hips moved in a slow rhythm at first, each plunge
deeper that the last. “Faster, Gil.” Her breath was hot
on his cool skin, and her words added fuel to the fiery pleasure they
shared. Morgan's arms moved to his back as she arched her own,
allowing Gil to reach her magic spot inside.

One
of Gil's hands moved under her back, holding her up. The other moved
to her breast before he took it in his mouth once more. “Fuck!
Yes!” He gave her what she asked. His thrusts were hard, each
one bringing a splash of water around them. Morgan's hands moved from
his neck, to his back, to his ass as the pleasure escalated through
her body. She squirmed against the sand as his touch brought her
closer and closer to the edge of climax.

“
Come
for me, Morgan.” His words vibrated against the swollen peak of
her breast, and Morgan felt her body begin to shake with the first
wave of pleasure. “Mmm...Gil...” His hand moved to her
swollen bud down below.

“
This?”