Around the World in 80 Men Boxed Set 31-35 (14 page)

“I'm sor...,”

“Get your fucking hands off of her!” Tanner
approached John from behind, seeing only ten seconds of the
interaction. All he knew was that Morgan was trying to leave and a
man was holding her there. John spun around in shock, and his head
moved up to meet the rage in Tanner's eyes.

“
What makes you think you can put your hands on
her?” Tanner stood between Morgan and John, and was mere inches
from his face. If Tanner hadn't stood at least four inches taller
than the man, they would have been eye to eye.

“
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...” John took a
step back and lifted his hands defensively.

“
It's fine, Tanner. It's fine.” Morgan
grabbed his arm and pulled him a few inches back. “He's just
hitting on me, and I'm not in the mood.” She knew she had
overacted, even if he was rude. Tanner took another step back and
looked to Morgan, and a smile actually spread across her lips. He
always had a way of making her more comfortable. She also knew, if he
hadn't shown up when he did, she probably would have walked right out
of the restaurant or continued yelling.

“
It's not fine, he had his hand around your...”

“
He was trying to apologize. Look,” Morgan
looked to John and directed her attention to him, “You're an
asshole, but I did overreact.” That's all she was going to
offer, because apologizing would have been a lie. Tanner looked
between the two of them. If she was calm, he wasn't going to go any
further with it. “It's alright... really.”

Morgan shook her head and sat back down at the table and
picked up a fry. Men said things like that to her all the time, and
it had never bothered her before. What made it different? Because
they
paid
to say those things to her? When she had first met
Tanner, he had stood in front of her, and jokingly suggested a blow
job, but she had laughed about it.

“
I'll just get my food and go. I'm terribly sorry
that I offended you.” John glanced at Tanner, making sure it
was safe to move, then grabbed for his lunch.

“
No, it's okay. Sit down.” Morgan pointed
toward his chair, then added, “if you want to.” She and
John laughed, and he nodded.

“
If it's okay with your boyfriend.” He
realized Morgan had never answered him, but it was obvious her
relationship with the newcomer. Tanner shook his head and laughed, he
was reminded once again that he would never understand women.

“
You get me a beer, and I'll call it even.”
Nobody told John the truth, and it didn't matter. He bought Tanner a
beer, and all was forgotten for the rest of their meal.

Chapter Two

“I have an idea.” Tanner took Morgan's hand
and led her to the back door of his house. They had only been there
for a few moments, after their somewhat awkward lunch and an
afternoon of shopping in Sydney. Tanner wanted to have several back
up chargers to carry with him, and he also needed food for Morgan's
stay. Morgan, on the other hand, bought a new bikini and a pair of
sandals. They didn't speak of Morgan's ordeal, and they were both
more than aware of the absence of topic.

The day was beginning to end as the sun settled quickly
behind the trees that surrounded Tanner's property. Morgan looked
out, hoping to see
his
kangaroos, but no luck. “Where
are we going?” She truly didn't want to get back in his car,
and was happy that they passed it in the driveway. “Tanner?”
His truck was in the grass beyond that, and it appeared as if that's
where they were heading. “I don't.. can we...?”

“Come here.” Tanner walked to the back of
the truck and put the gate down. She smiled as his arm reached toward
her and her hand moved almost on its own to join his. He didn't want
to go anywhere, he just wanted to climb in the back of his truck and
watch the day turn to night with her company.

“Wow.” Morgan turned her back to the gate
and wedged her behind up into the bed of his truck. He had already
placed a blanket and several pillows down for the both of them, and
an ice chest full of beer was also waiting. Obviously, he'd set it up
that morning, and had been waiting for them the entire day. “Thank
you, Tanner.” He watched as her eyes glistened, and heard
sincere gratitude in her voice. He knew that she wasn't thanking him
for beer and blankets. She thanked him for knowing what she needed,
and for caring enough to take the time.

“Relax, beautiful. It's been a long day.”
Tanner joined her and was on his back in seconds. She leaned in, on
her side and propped by an elbow as she looked down into his face.
She had missed those moments with Tanner, and it was absolutely
wonderful to be back.

“This,” she looked around and back to him,
“is perfect.” Tanner's hand moved to the back of her neck
and he pulled her to him, her lips against his, and kissed her
deeply.

“No, Morgan. That...,” he kissed her again
as she smiled against his lips, “was perfect.” He pulled
her the rest of the way to his side, and she easily found her spot on
his chest to rest her head.

For the next hour, as the sun finally disappeared, the
two remained entwined as they spoke of life outside of the ordeal.
Tanner told her about a few of his men that she had heard prior
stories about, and Morgan brought to life the crazy stories that she
had concerning Angel. He loved listening to her, and hearing the love
for her friends in her voice. She moved on to the news about her
house, and he listened to all that she planned to do with her new
home. He couldn't have been happier to hear that she had planted a
few roots in a place that she had already loved, but was also a
little jealous that she wouldn't need her room any longer.

“
What's that?” Morgan sat up quickly, and
her elbow dug into Tanner's stomach as she did so.
“
That
was my fucking kidney!” Tanner sat up just as quickly, and
rubbed his violated midsection.

“
No, that sound!” Morgan didn't even
acknowledge his pain, and leaned over the side of the truck to
investigate the noise. “Holy shit! Oh my god!” She
covered her mouth as the
noise
came into view and slid
backwards on her ass, until her back touched the other side of the
truck.

“
Shit!” Tanner covered Morgan as a loud
thump rocked the truck. “Let's go!”

“
We have to stop them!” Tanner shook his
head and jumped out of the truck, and reached his arms out for Morgan
to jump.

“
Ya can't stop them, Morgan.” He took her
hand in his and ran away from the truck as another thump rocked the
vehicle. Two enormous male kangaroos were fighting, and the one
losing had his back against the truck while the other held him down
and kicked him with its massive hind legs.

“He's going to kill him! We have to stop it!”
Morgan stopped running and turned to face the fight, using only the
moonlight to see. The smaller kangaroo was getting weak, but tried to
push the other off and received another blow to his stomach.
“Tanner!”
“Morgan, there's nothing we can do.
We could be killed if we got in the middle. You have no idea what
they're like!” He'd been lucky to have the three around that he
did, and the fact they were so docile and accepting of humans was not
common.

Morgan couldn't watch as the smaller kangaroo was
kicked several more times. It wasn't until she heard heavy thumps
speeding across the grass that she looked up. Jack was racing across
the yard, toward the scene. Morgan turned back toward the fight, as
Jack got to their side. He lifted high on to his back legs, and his
arms went above his head. Like a referee, he ended the boxing match.
As if nothing had ever happened, the two males hopped away from one
another, and after a few moments, Morgan could see neither of them.

“They stopped! He didn't even touch them! Why did
they just stop? They could have fought him!” She was glad they
didn't, but in disbelief.

“
I knew if Jack heard, he'd end it.” He
smiled down at Morgan and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He'd
seen the male break up other fights, and he was never challenged. “I
have no idea what the males are like outside of my yard,” he
motioned briefly to the vast land beside his home, “but around
here, Jack is the man.” He laughed as Morgan continued to
process the fight.

“
That was scary.” Morgan shook her head and
wrapped her arm around Tanner's back in return.

“
I bring you outside for a relaxing night, and of
all nights! They do this shit. Right there!” Tanner and Morgan
laughed as they watched Jack proudly hop away.

“
I don't mind. But I would love a shower.”
That was her cue to go inside, and Tanner nodded. He faced her, and a
slight smile tempted the corner of his lips as he walked in her
direction.

Morgan backed up slowly, shaking her head back and forth
as her smile took hold of her face. “Oh no... I know that
look.” Tanner stepped forward, never taking his heated gaze
from her eyes. “You're up to something, and I don't know
wh...,” Morgan was quickly lifted from the ground and thrown
over Tanner's shoulder. Her legs kicked as she laughed loudly, the
sound being lost in the darkness around them. “Tanner! Put
me... put...,” her laughter was too much, and the push to her
midsection by his large shoulder was almost knocking the wind from
her body. She was laughing to the point of tears by the time Tanner
carried her up the stairs of the back porch, and into the kitchen.

Finally, after carrying her into the living room, she
was dropped on the sofa like heavy luggage. “Shower later, I'm
hungry.” Tanner turned and dropped to the floor in front of the
fireplace. Morgan started to stand, to join him there, but without
turning around he asked her to stay where she was. “It's going
to get pretty cold tonight.” Tanner quickly started the fire
and stood tall afterward, showing his pride in what Angel would be
quick to call a
puffy chest.
Morgan smiled and kicked her
shoes from her feet, then brought her legs up on the couch. Tanner
was amazing, and she loved him for all that he was doing.

She had no idea why he left the room, and only heard
ruckus in the kitchen. “Do you need some help?” Morgan
giggled, knowing that she probably wouldn't exactly be help when it
came to food.

“No. You just stay there.” Tanner returned
right then with his hands full of heaven. Potatoes wrapped in foil to
be thrown in the fire, shrimp and vegetable kabobs, along with graham
crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows for dessert. “And
don't say one word about shrimp on a barbie. Not. One. Word.”
Morgan held her hand over her mouth and pretended to be holding her
words back as her muffled sounds made him laugh out loud. Morgan
wiped her tears and leaned back again. Yes, she thought, Julianne had
been right to think that she needed that time with the Tan Man.

*****

“
You should have let me help with something. I
think I could have managed a s'more.” Tanner took her plate and
laughed all the way to the kitchen. He tried to imagine the disaster
of Morgan doing anything that involved preparing food, and images of
chocolate covering his floor and walls made him laugh even more.

“I can totally hear you!” Morgan laughed
and planned on telling him that she had a little more experience
under her belt when it came to the kitchen. Not to mention, she
wanted to add, that she had been making the graham cracker treats
over a fire since she was a little girl.
Mannie liked my s'mores.
That thought, she didn't plan to share.

She stretched out on the floor in front of the fire and
let out a very long, very loud yawn. She pulled a pillow under her
head and watched the flames dance within the large opening.

It had been a perfect day and night, one that she
decided would be mentioned in her scrapbook.
I really need to work
on that.
Photos, ticket stubs, letters, and memories were all
waiting to find their place in the book. Morgan was mentally
arranging all of it when her eyes closed for the last time that
night.

Tanner returned after the kitchen was in order, and
found Morgan curled in a tight ball on the floor. The fire had warmed
the room completely, almost too warm, but there she was hugging
herself as if she were cold. “Or scared.” It broke his
heart to see her like that, to appear so small and afraid. “You're
safe, Love.” He sat on the sofa and watched her sleep for quite
some time.

She would mumble words that he couldn't hear, and she
would curl up even tighter. He'd never known her to talk in her
sleep, or even be a little restless. “I'm sorry, Morgan.”
The horrible ordeal had changed her, but he didn't know to what
extent. That, he decided right then, he would have to find out.

An hour passed before he joined her. He had watched and
heard enough to know that her mind still carried torment from that
night. Tanner brought a few blankets into the room, and stretched out
beside her. She felt his presence, even through sleep, and moved
toward him until they were touching. Tanner wrapped his arm under her
body and pulled her closer until once again, her cheek rested against
his shoulder. It was nearly three in the morning at that point, and
he was exhausted, but he still managed to stay awake for another half
an hour to simply hold the woman he loved.

By the next morning, both of them were regretting their
choice of bedding. “Okay, ow. Yep, bad idea.” Morgan sat
up slowly, and rubbed out the pain in her hip and back from sleeping
on the hard floor. “That was nice, but you have an amazing bed
that I think we should opt for next time.” Both of them
laughed, as Tanner also rubbed away the stiffness in his body. She
openly stared at his bare chest, and smiled as she was tempted to
yank his jeans to the floor. Obviously, he had taken his shirt off
and unsnapped his jeans before going to sleep. Her body, however,
needed a little more time to stretch before she would attempt a move
like that.