Around the World in 80 Men Series: Boxed Set 21-30 (111 page)

“Well
done, pretty girl. I guess you deserve this.” His hand dropped
into the cooler, and it was holding a thick ribeye when he pulled it
out. “And this.” A chilled bottle of Moscato was removed
from the cooler as well. Morgan's mouth dropped open, and before she
could ask, he laughed and began to explain. “I was putting
your bags back in the trunk and a few photos fell from the side
pocket. One of them was of you, and I assume your friend, Angel.
There was a bottle of Moscato on the table and the two of you were
laughing and, well...it seemed as if you were really enjoying the
wine.” Morgan blushed and knew exactly which picture he was
talking about. She and Angel, when they were in Las Vegas, enjoyed
their fair share of Moscato before gambling the night away. The photo
was taken by Cedric.

“How
did you get food...and wine, so quickly?” She was with him the
entire day, aside from a few moments that he spent in the office. He
dug a small grate from the box and walked it over to the fire,
placing it on a few rocks, and over the growing flames.

“I
have skills, Morgan.” She laughed and threw a bag of
marshmallows at him that were also in the box. “Hey, that's our
dessert!”

Morgan
continued to ask how he managed a cooler of food, and wine, as well
as a box of goodies. He kept her guessing, never telling her that he
called ahead while packing their luggage and had a few things
arranged. It didn't really matter to her how he pulled it off, all
that mattered was that they were having a great time together, and it
was exactly what she needed.

He
had also packed a blanket, it was blue and white plaid, and the
perfect size for both of them to sit next to the fire while their
food cooked. She nestled against Manuel, moving every few minutes for
him to flip the steaks or turn the potatoes. Before their food was
done though, a truck arrived with the things they'd need for the rest
of their trip.

“Think
you can handle this while I help unpack?” Manuel handed Morgan,
what looked to her, a very, very large fork.

“I...uh...”
She wanted to tell Manuel that she could probably manage to destroy
dinner if he even looked away for thirty seconds, let alone leaving
the rest to her. Instead, she remembered the things she had cooked in
the last few months and nodded silently.
I can do this.

Manuel
kissed her forehead and set off to help the two men unload their
tent, chairs, sleeping bags and two more coolers. By the time the
three of them had the tent put together, their dinner was completely
done.

“Wow,
do we have some guests arriving that I don't know about?”
Morgan poked her head into the tent, and gasped at how large it was.
“I didn't even know they made five-star tents!”

“Very
funny, Morgan. This one sleeps nine. I think. Maybe ten. I know,
maybe a bit much, but I want you to be comfortable.” Manuel
stepped inside the tent, and pulled her in behind him.

“There's
only two of us,” Morgan smiled at Manuel and gave him a gentle
shove on his arm.” She ran her hand along one side, playing
with each zipper and storage compartment. “And..there
are...rooms?” The large tent had a center dome, and three
extensions on the sides and back, for privacy, as Morgan assumed.
Each compartment had its own zipper and was large enough for a person
to completely stretch out.

“I
figured we could put our food and those kinds of things in one, and
you have one where you can change, we can put our clothes in one...”

“You
just made that up,” Morgan laughed again, and Manuel nodded.

“Was
it that obvious?”

“It's
a beautiful tent.” Morgan pointed at the roof of the tent, and
commented that she hoped she could see the stars at night. The inside
layer was a thin mesh, that was see-through, but there was also an
attachable cover, in case of rain or insects.

“If
not, we just might have to go on a walk,” Manuel winked at
Morgan, and reminded her that their food was ready. Thankfully, she'd
removed everything from the fire, or their steaks would have been
charred, and their potatoes turned to ash.

“Dinner
was perfect.” Manuel took her paper plate and carried it to a
nearby trash bin. The backdrop of a beautiful sunset, the sound of
the river, the delicious food and great company made for a wonderful
evening.

“Better
than one of your fancy restaurants?” Morgan teased.

“Better
than any restaurant I've ever been to.” Manuel grabbed Morgan
by her hands and lifted her to her feet. Their lips were less than an
inch apart, and Morgan could feel his warm breath on her skin.

“Now
I
know
you're full of shit.” Morgan wrapped her arms
around his waist, never moving her eyes from his.

“You
can't buy this, Morgan.” She narrowed her eyes at him and they
both laughed. “Okay, I bought the steaks. But this...”
Manuel moved one hand around them, showing off the scenery. “You
can't buy this.”

Morgan's
head moved in agreement without even trying. Many times, she had felt
like the most wealthy girl in the world during her outings as a
child. Nature could be enjoyed by all, no matter who they were, if
they simply opened their eyes. Morgan's eyes were always open to the
beauty, and Manuel was right, it was a true gift, but could never be
bought.

The
sun was nearly set, and they both felt, for the first time since
meeting, a bit tense about the upcoming night together. Manuel knew
that he could enjoy Morgan in every way right then, considering her
reason for being with him, but he was hesitant to force anything that
didn't feel natural. For both of them. His hand went up to the back
of her head and he gently pulled her to his chest. “How about
we go for a walk, before it gets too dark?” Morgan nodded
against him, and was grateful for a little more with him.

Typically,
all Morgan had to do was allow her mind and body to do what it
wanted, to simply enjoy each moment with her clients. Living in the
moment had become quite easy for her, but it was starting to feel
different with Manuel. She was attracted to him, but thus far,
hadn't felt the usual sparks and physical desire that she expected
when she opened herself up to the inevitable. As he moved back and
grabbed her hand, beginning their walk, she took a silent deep breath
and wondered if she could conjure
feelings
for the man before
he expected more than a stroll through the woods.

They
silently walked along the path that was close to their site, and both
looked at the beauty that unfolded with each step they took. Morgan
was worried, and her mind never stopped as they made their way back
to the campsite.

I
don't need
feelings.
I just need to do my job. That's it. I
don't need sparks. I just need to crawl into that tent and...
Morgan
was watching Manuel, as he unrolled two large sleeping bags inside of
the tent. They were no longer
bags
, instead, he had unzipped
them, to where one king sized sleeping bag was for them to lie on,
and the other to cover up with.
Shit. It's like a bed.
Morgan
knew what he expected. It would be cuddling, that turned to kissing,
that turned to touching, that eventually turned to...

Morgan
smiled nervously when he called her into the tent. The thought of
suggesting another walk through the woods crossed her mind, but that
was pushing it. She knew that another walk wouldn't give her
those
feelings, and putting it off any longer wouldn't do any good.

“Ready
for bed so soon?” Morgan ducked her head and walked through the
door to the tent. She didn't know why she was hesitant, she didn't
know why her feelings were different, and she didn't know what to do.
He's gorgeous, sweet, smart...what is wrong with me?
Even as
she watched him shed his shirt, to the bare muscular body underneath,
Morgan felt no
spark.
At least not what she was supposed to
feel. She still felt the desire to touch his body, to feel the curve
of his abs under her fingertips, but it wasn't what she was used to.

“Yeah,
I'm tired. If you want to stay up, I suppose we can keep the fire
going and...” Manuel's pants dropped to the ground, and he
stood in just his boxers in front of Morgan. Only the moonlight from
outside gave them light, but it was enough for Morgan to see that he
was near naked.

“No,
no...I'm tired too.” Morgan nodded and took another step
inside, and zipped up the door behind her. She turned to face Manuel,
and slowly lifted her shirt over her head.
Acting.
His bright
smile could still be seen in the darkness and it brought a smile to
Morgan's lips as well.
That's all I have to do, act.
Her mind
took her to the beginning, to when she had met Julianne, but before
she was a call girl. Acting is what she knew she would have to do.
There wouldn't be spark with every man, she knew that, but when there
wasn't, she would have to put on a good show.

I
can do that.
Morgan took a few more steps, until she was right in
front of Manuel, and just as slowly as her top, she undid the button
of her shorts, and slid them down her legs.

“Come
here, Morgan.” Manuel took her hand, and guided her to the spot
beside him. “We don't have to do anything...” He placed a
finger under her chin, forcing her eyes to his.

Morgan
nodded, and placed her hand on his face. His goatee was no longer
perfect, and a five o'clock shadow took over his face in a sexy
stubble that she couldn't resist.

Manuel
tucked an unruly lock of hair behind Morgan's ear, then moved his
hand to the back of her neck. His lips came down on hers, his warm
mouth sending chills down her spine.

Suddenly,
it all made sense to Morgan. Why there was no
sexual spark
and
why she couldn't
just
have sex like she usually did. He wasn't
like her usual client, and she didn't have her usual feelings.

Shit.

Chapter
Four

Morgan
pulled the blanket to her chin as a strong chill shook her body. The
chill wasn't from the cool night air, it came from within her own
thoughts.
I like him.

Manuel
was handsome, sweet, kind, and had done all he could to make her
comfortable. It was, however, much more than that.
I forgot why I
was here.
Manuel made her feel like....just Morgan. And that, as
she shivered again, was dangerous.

Manuel
pulled her against him as he slid his arm under her head. She easily
nestled her cheek against his chest and let out a long breath against
his warm skin. His hand moved from her arm to her waist and she
closed her eyes when his fingers rested atop her hip. His warm soft
skin easily molded against her, and the soft kiss he placed on her
head was the last thing that Morgan felt as she drifted to sleep.

*****

Morgan
rolled over, tucking her hand under the small pillow as she opened
her eyes. A small smile curved on her lips, as she expected to see
Manuel next to her but he was already gone, and his boots were no
longer in the corner of the tent. She sat up, pulling the sleeping
bag over her chest and realized it was very early. The sky was a hazy
pink and orange, as the sun was still rising over the horizon. “Ow,”
Morgan whispered to herself and rocked her head back and forth,
hoping to work out a kink in her neck. “Manuel?”

The
sound of metal hitting...
something...
followed by a string of
curse words made Morgan giggle. “Didn't mean to wake you.”

“You
didn't,” Morgan yelled back and slowly got to her feet, still
stretching, then walked to one of the
rooms,
to her suitcase.
“What are you doing up so early?”