Around the World in 80 Men Boxed Set 31-35 (66 page)

Gil
thought for a moment. His favorite place was less than four blocks
down the road, but he remembered what Julianne had reminded him. He
knew Morgan didn't care to be flattered with fine dining, but he
would take the risk anyway. Gil took her hand and in just a few
minutes of walking, they arrived in front of their destination.

“
Wow...”
There was a menu outside of the building and Morgan approached it as
she untied the hoodie from her waist. She scanned the prices first,
and her jaw dropped at the sight. “Forty bucks for eggs?”
Morgan turned toward Gil, eyebrows arched in surprise. “Were
they laid by a royal chicken?” Before Morgan was chosen by
Julianne, she was lucky to spend thirty dollars in groceries for a
week. Granted, she lived on pasta from a package and frozen entrees
most of the time, but nonetheless, Morgan felt uncomfortable for
anyone to be spending that kind of money on one meal.

“
Don't
look at the prices,” Gil insisted, as he helped Morgan zip up
her hoodie. “And it's not just eggs..”

“
They
better come with pancakes topped with gold and diamonds,”
Morgan giggled. “And I'm under-dressed.” She looked down
at her short-shorts and pulled at the sleeves of her hoodie.

“
I'm
wearing jeans and a tee. You're fine, trust me.” Morgan took a
deep breath and nodded as he took her hand and led her to the front
door. Inside, they were greeted by a polite staff, and led to a small
table next to the window. They each told the waitress what they
wanted to drink, and Gil immediately ordered for the both of them.
That was something that bothered her, as she didn't even get the
chance to decide for herself, but the fact he'd ordered everything
she'd wanted anyway saved him the lecture. Finlay or Tanner, even
Angel, would all be able to successfully order for Morgan..but Gil
didn't know what she liked. Thankfully, Morgan wasn't too picky about
breakfast, so she smiled and accepted the gift of making her decision
easy. Also, in the light of a new day, she could see how Gil reminded
her very much of Finlay.

This
could be more dangerous than surviving a plane crash.

Chapter
Ten

“I
told ya, you'd love it.” Gil leaned back and wiped his lips
with the black linen napkin, but Morgan could still see his smile
behind the fabric. She had to agree, it was an expensive meal, but
without a doubt they were the best eggs, hash browns, and breakfast
steak she'd ever had.

“I
need to tell my friend about these hash browns.” She, of
course, was referring to Angel who believed he had cornered the
market on all ways to prepare a potato. “I wouldn't even know
what was in them, but wow!” Gil didn't know either, but he
agreed that the restaurant worked magic with everything they served.
“I really wish I could cook.” Morgan's gaze drifted
beyond Gil's shoulder, toward the window, then to a distance that
only she could see.

“Then
learn.” His simple reply brought Morgan back, and she laughed
under her own napkin.

“I've
tried. In fact,” she gave her mouth one more quick dab before
placing the linen over her plate, “a few of my friends taught
me enough that I wouldn't starve to death if all the restaurants shut
down for a week.” Gil laughed, and immediately found his way to
Morgan's healing.

“Well,
you're in good company then. Because I happen to be a great cook.”
Morgan laughed again at how brazen he was in tooting his own horn,
but appreciated a man that knew what he was about.

“Hmmm
so what could you teach me?” She was ready for some friendly
flirting and light banter, but was given the simple truth instead.

“Anything
you want to learn. I can cook just about any dish you could imagine.
Let's go.” He didn't give her time to think, he simply threw
cash on the table and took her hand before leading her out the front
door.

“And,
we can finally take that swim at the house, since you're dressed for
it this time.” He looked down at Morgan's body and smiled,
remembering exactly how beautiful her body was underneath the hoodie.
Morgan just shook her head, laughed, and agreed to take her first
official cooking lesson for the day.

Gil's
car was brought to them as soon as the valet saw them walk outside.
He had parked it only a few feet from the entrance as a thank you for
allowing a few moments of fun. The handsome tip that Gil gave him was
also well worth the effort.

“So,”
Gil began to ask as he pulled onto the street, “if you could
learn to cook anything... anything at all, what would it be?”
Morgan looked out at the beach, missing her chance at a long quiet
walk, and thought about his question.

There
were so many different meals she'd tried in the past year, and she
was grateful for every one of them, but her heart still longed for
her personal favorite food. “Pizza.” Gil laughed and
titled his head in her direction as if to tell her it was a great
choice.

The
car stopped suddenly in front of a small grocery store, and Gil was
out and on Morgan's side within seconds. “Let's get what we
need.” He helped her from the seat and Morgan looked at the
front windows of the building. It seemed to be a specialty store,
catering in multi-national cuisine.

“Did
that just say, kangaroo meat?” She started to back out but Gil
pulled her next to him.

“Don't
worry, they have everything we'll need. And no, we won't put
kangaroo, baboon butt, or crocodile on our pizza.” She
reluctantly followed him inside, and was relieved when he took her
directly to an aisle that had everything imaginable to put on pizza.

“Black
olives! Pepperoni! Banana peppers! Sausage! Mushrooms! They have
everything!” Gil grabbed every item that she mentioned, and
also, several kinds of cheese.

“This
should do it. I have everything for the dough at home. Ready?”
Morgan nodded and tried to grab a few items from his hand to lighten
his burden. “I got it. Look around for anything else you might
want, alright?” She nodded and hit the pizza section one last
time. Morgan saw a large jar of alfredo and decided that dipping her
crust into the thick creamy sauce would be perfect. “No, we
don't buy that.. we make it.” Morgan was truly impressed, and
to learn how to make her own alfredo sauce would be amazing.

“
Thank
you for doing this for me,” Morgan spoke once they were moving
in the car once more.

“
For
pizza?” Gil cocked a brow sarcastically.

“
Well,
I'm pretty particular about pizza, so I can't thank you for that
yet.” Morgan placed her elbow on top of the door, and stretched
her arm into the wind. It was something she always did when she was
younger, and the memory of Gran's words brought on a full smile.
Get
your arm back in the car young lady, before you lose it!
Morgan
turned back to Gil, still smiling. She wasn't sure how to get around
it, so she just spoke her mind. “I know what you're doing, and
I appreciate it.”

“
And
what is it that I'm doing?” His car sped past several others
and Morgan brought her hand back inside the vehicle, where it found
its place on the interior handle of the door.

She
offered another smile and tilted her head to the side. “Getting
my mind off of everything.”

“
You're
the one who is willing to accept my company.” Gil turned to
Morgan briefly, and she understood his meaning with just a look. Gil
wasn't paying for Morgan's company for another day, yet she accepted
his offer to spend time with him anyway.

“
Well,
you do have wine at your house.” Morgan giggled and reached
across the car to give his leg a playful squeeze.

“
Ah,
mystery solved. She likes me for my wine!” Gil gave the
steering wheel an
ah-ha
tap with his palm, then captured
Morgan's hand on his lap and held it there.

It
hadn't been a very long time since he'd had female company, and truth
be told, he didn't even
need
Julianne's service. He could
easily walk into a bar and have his pick, and every so often, he did
just that. Just like most of the clients, he was busy with his life,
and when it came time to take care of one's desires, Julianne was an
easy no-strings-attached go-to. What he had expected from Morgan was
the same from any other time he'd used the service. The women gave
him the intimate company he needed for the week, but in the end, they
were just doing their job. Gil appreciated their professionalism and
their company, but in just two days, Morgan had already proven to be
very different that the rest.

He
could tell she'd been through a lot, and a part of the beautiful
woman was hurting and reserved, but she still had a fire about her
that could never be extinguished. Even through her pain, Gil could
feel Morgan's warm heart, and saw the kindness in her eyes. She
wasn't just doing her job and going through the motions, he'd learned
that already.

Gil
pulled into his driveway as his thoughts still reeled about in his
head. He released Morgan's hand, and got out of the car, then to
Morgan's side. He smiled down at her as she climbed out, and resisted
speaking his thoughts out loud.
It would have been fun to just
meet you, and know that you simply wanted me.
Yes, Gil was cocky,
but the fact Morgan thought for herself and didn't just do what he
wanted turned him on more than he even understood. He would wait for
her to want him, and just that thought alone sparked a fire that only
he could feel.

“
I'll
get the groceries, you go on in and see a girl about some wine.”
Gil laughed when Morgan's face lit up at the magic word, and then
again when she said he didn't have to tell her twice. He watched as
Morgan made her way to the front door, and was only brought to
reality when she was finally inside. “Damn, you're beautiful.”
His words were only heard by his own ears, but he meant them.

Inside,
Morgan was once again greeted by the three small dogs, and as usual,
she couldn't resist giving any dog some loving. “Easy, Sammy
will lick your face off if you let him.” The voice was not
recognized, and Morgan turned to the hallway to see an unfamiliar
woman. “Oh, I'm Sasha, I didn't get to meet you yesterday, but
I've heard all about you.”

Sasha
had a thick English accent, and even thicker hair, filled with curls
that would have made Angel jealous. Her perfect skin, the shade of
dark melted chocolate, glowed in the sunlight shining in from the bay
window. “Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you!” Over
breakfast, Gil had explained that he had two maids and two
groundskeepers. Sasha was the only live-in help though.

“
Likewise,
Morgan.” She called the dogs away from Gil's guest, and
motioned for Morgan to follow her to the kitchen. “And what
would you like?” Sasha knew already that her boss had sent
Morgan inside for something, and she guessed that it was most likely
something from the kitchen.

“
I'd
love some Moscato, if you have it.” Morgan took a seat at a
small table near the patio doors, and watched as Sasha opened the
wine. “I know, it's not even noon... but I...”

“
One
thing you'll learn about me, Morgan...,” she carried the full
glass to the table and set it down, “I don't judge.” She
walked back to the counter and returned the wine opener to a drawer.
“We all have our own path to follow, and it's not up to me to
stare at each step someone takes. It's your path... therefore...
there's never a wrong time for wine.” Instantly, Morgan made a
friend.

“
Then,
walk my path with me and have a drink.” She raised her crystal
glass from the table and Sasha smiled at the gesture. Both women
broke into loud laughter as Sasha took another glass from the
cabinet.

“
Oh,
we're drinking on the job now, huh?” Gil joined them at the
table and tapped Sasha's glass with his index finger.

“
I
don't know who the
we
is that you're talking about, but
I
am enjoying a drop before I make lunch.” Gil took her glass and
helped himself to a sip, then returned it with a nod of approval.

“
Don't
worry about lunch.” Gil looked at Morgan and reached under the
table to give her leg a squeeze. “We're having pizza.”

Chapter
Eleven