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

by Brandi Ratliff

  “Fuck!” He grabbed her waist and held her down while he drove himself inside of her. It took only seconds, and his hot release filled her with a throbbing explosion that lasted much longer than it usually did. He continued to thrust himself inside of her slowly until the throbbing that she felt had finally ended.

  She climbed off of him slowly, and bent forward, kissing him fully in appreciation. “That was wonderful.” Her breath caressed his lips as she spoke.

  He was partially out of breath, and fully satisfied. “Lady, you're the one that's wonderful. Damn!” He ran his hands through his thick sweaty hair, and exhaled deeply.

  She cuddled in next to him, and put her head on his chest. His strong heart beat felt comforting against her cheek as she waited for him to catch his breath. She felt him kiss to the top of her head, then he started to get up.

  “Could ya hand me the crutches?” He had already moved his legs off the side of the bed. When she raised her brows in question as to why he would want to get up on his own, he told her that nature wasn't going to wait much longer.

  She got them for him, and admired his strength as he easily stood, and used the crutches to make his way to the bathroom. Of course, she walked behind him with every step, but he made it just fine and she was glad to see that he got around so easily.

  When she heard the toilet flush, Morgan spoke through the door that she would be happy to run him a bath. He said that he would like that, and she opened the door slowly and walked in. He was already sitting on the side of the tub, still naked, and smiling at her as she stopped in front of him.

  He took her hand, and his face took on a more serious expression. “Morgan, I know that you didn't come here to take care of a guy with a broken foot. I'll be more than happy to hire someone to help out so that you don't have to do anything else for me. But please..., “ he took her hand and held it against his cheek, “please don't leave.”

  Leave? I wouldn't leave? His words were shocking, because she never would have thought to end the week early because he had been injured. Morgan dropped to her knees on the floor in front of him. “Tanner, I'm not going anywhere. I'm glad I can help.” She meant it, and the man heard the sincerity in her voice, and saw the honesty in her face.

  “Good.” It was more of a whisper as he planted a soft kiss on her hand. Morgan started his water and held his cast up while he put one arm in the tub, then the other as he lowered his upper body into the water, then the leg without a cast.

  Tanner would have been completely capable of washing himself, but he wasn't going to complain that a beautiful woman was sudsing him down. He found her to be incredibly sweet, and took her for the kind of girl he would would have been happy to take care of without being paid. She was the kind of girl you brought home to your mom....well, under different circumstances, that is. He wasn't looking for love, not even a relationship, but he knew that when the time came that he was ready, he hoped to find a woman like Morgan Holland. For then, he was just going to close his eyes, sit back and enjoy that warm washcloth running over every inch of his aching body.

  The fall had not only broken his ankle, but the rest of his body felt like it had been in a car wreck. Trying not to add to Morgan's guilty conscious, as she believed the fall was her fault, he kept most of the pain to himself, and when he needed to wince or squirm, he played it off as his ankle flaring up.

  Morgan folded the washcloth over the side of the tub and used her hands down his chest, arms and legs to get the excess bubbles off. “I'll let you soak here for a minute while I go call for some more food for you.”

  “No, it's okay, I'm not really hungry,” he lied. She had already done enough.

  “I hear your stomach growling!” she pointed at his rock hard abs for emphasis. Right on cue, his stomach let out another loud growl. “Usually it's mine acting like that,” she held her hands over her own stomach, giggling.

  He agreed to a meal, gave her a wink and another kiss to her hand. Morgan gave him a soft kiss to his forehead and walked into the other room to call room service. She wasn't halfway into ordering him a cheeseburger, no pickles, when she heard a loud crash in the bathroom.

  “Shit! Oh, no, I'm sorry, not you....um...” Morgan's heart was beating wildly as she threw the phone onto the desk, knocking the cradle onto the floor. She ran into the bathroom, bracing herself to see the worst.

  Tanner was halfway in and out of the tub. He had managed to stand with one leg, the hardest part of the maneuver, then he grabbed the towel rack with one hand so he could get better leverage and reach for his crutches that were propped by the door. As he reached farther, the towel rack gave out and Tanner fell forward, ass to the sky. He was in an awkward and painful looking position when Morgan walked in. One leg in, one leg out and his upper body bent over the front of the tub. His arms flailed to reach the toilet to help himself back into the tub to start over.

  “Oh, Tanner! Why didn't you wait, I was just going to be a sec...” her lecture could wait. She went over to him and helped him lift his chest up and fell back to where he had started. This time, Morgan helped him stand, and then she handed him a towel to dry his arms so he wouldn't slip from the crutches. She held them steady and finally, he stepped out.

  “Are you alright?” she was bent over, wrapping a towel around his waist.

  “I don't know, I think my penis is hurt, if...if you could just get a little closer....closer...clos...” he joked with her. Morgan went along with it and had gotten her lips so close, he could feel her breath through the thin towel. She gave him a kiss below his belly button and stood back up. She put her hand on her hip as if asking for an explanation of his stupidity. None would be given. Morgan just summed it up to him being a man, trying to take care of himself and save the bit of pride he had left.

  She got him a pair of gym shorts and helped him step into them, then a knock at the door caught her attention. She pointed at him, “Don't. Move. An. Inch!” He threw his hands up defensively with a devilish smirk and flicked his wrists toward the door. Morgan rolled her eyes as a second knock sounded through the room.

  “I'm sorry about the call, there was a bit of an...uh...accident,” Morgan paused. “Oh, no, everything is fine,” she added when she saw the little woman's concerned expression.

  “Alright, well I hope everything is in order. We weren't sure if we got the whole order,” the woman responded.

  Morgan scanned the contents of the platter, three cheeseburgers, “yep, that's all, thank you,” she signed for a tip then went to the bathroom to help Tanner to the bed. He grabbed a burger from the tray before she had completely sat down beside him. “Not hungry?”

  “Nope,” he spoke, shoving another bite into his mouth. “Hey, you're in Australia, and I'm sure you're dying to see more of the place than this hotel room, and I'm sure you want to do more than take care of me, why don't you go treat yourself to some time out?”

  “No, I don't min....,” Morgan started but was cut off before she could finish her sentence.

  “No, beautiful, I won't hear it. I won't let you spend your whole day in here, staring at each other,” he told her, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

  She thought about protesting again, but his face told her it wouldn't have worked. “Well, will you at least take your medication before I go?” she tried compromising, which she realized didn't even seem like a fair trade. I'll leave if you take your pills.

  His ankle was throbbing under the white cast and his shoulder was screaming at him, “yes, I can do that,” he happily agreed.

  Morgan gave him the little pills and made her way to the bathroom to freshen up a bit. By the time she was done with her change of clothes, and a dab of makeup, Tanner was already asleep. “Man, what the hell is in those pills?” She noticed a note clasped in his hand and a pen in the other, she walked over to retrieve it and read it aloud: Didn't want to bother you, I'm fading fast. Buy yourself something nice, (something sexy?) and if you could grab me
a pack of beer on the way back, that would be sweet, thanks! I could really use one or six! Here's my card, just don't run away with it okay? I suggest going to Westfield, tourists seem to love it. Have lots of fu---

  The last letter was more of a line that ran off the side of the paper. Morgan looked at the sleeping prince with a smile that would have made him sweat more than the pills. She swept away his hair again, this time, careful to sweep it to the side instead of making him look like a rooster and gave him a kiss on his soft lips.

  Morgan picked up his card, then realized she had her own card. I wonder how much I have? She set his card back on the table and grabbed her purse, deciding she was going to buy something nice, but it would be with her own money. She deserved it.

  Chapter Eight

  After a fifteen minute wait on the front sidewalk of the hotel, her cab showed up. She followed Tanner's advice and asked to go Westfield, the big mall down the street.

  When she got to the mall, her first order of business was grabbing a bite to eat. She settled on a Mexican restaurant and after putting a large burrito, she was almost too stuffed to shop, but decided the best way to feel better was to keep moving or she'd be ready for another nap.

  She walked by shop after shop. Without realizing it, she was still on frugal mode. Her eye would catch a price tag and she would determine that she couldn't shop in the store. She hadn't been brave enough to look at her bank balance. Morgan knew she still had most of the $5000 that Julianne had set her up with and she knew she wouldn't go anywhere near that amount. She was safe, but she assumed the amount had to have been at least double by then, if not triple.

  It wasn't until she came across an electronic shop that she realized what her gift to herself would be. A camera. Morgan regretted not getting pictures of the things she had seen so far, and made a note that she wouldn't miss any more of those moments again.

  She picked out a nice pink camera and a matching leather case and a few extra memory cards. The next store was a boutique of sorts. Candles, perfumes, fancy picture frames and...

  “A scrapbook! I'll make a scrapbook!” The idea came to her when she spotted a pre-made one on display. She gathered all of the necessary materials and knew right away what she was going to do with it. She'd dedicate a page to each of the men throughout her career so she could always remember them in their own special way. I'm gonna need a bigger book! That was a problem she welcomed, but she would face it if the time ever came.

  She picked up a portable scanner and an extra stack of white paper so she could print off the photos. First photo of business, Tanner's famous wink. Then a picture of his cast. That was a memory for the books for sure.

  Morgan paid for all of her supplies and the shop owner agreed to letting her leave her bags there so she could shop without lugging it all around. She thanked the man and found her way to the lingerie shop. The whole way there, she cursed herself for wearing high heels, as her toe still screamed at her with every step.

  “That one's nice!” a young curvy woman told Morgan, twirling her finger for her to spin. The dressing room attendant had noticed Morgan was alone, and being the overly friendly girl she was, she had enthusiastically suggested Morgan model the little lacy corset for her.

  “You think so?” It was nice for Morgan to talk to another girl. Even if the girl spoke with a thick Australian accent and Morgan would never see her again, it was nice to converse with someone who didn't have a dick. Not that she minded dicks. At all.

  After six more outfits, Morgan decided on three of them, thanked the chubby girl for her help and opinions and made her way back to the boutique to pick up her items. Moments later, she found herself back in the cab and heading to the big hotel.

  She checked her watch as the elevator doors were about to open. “Shit!” She had been gone for five hours, and Tanner needed his medication every four hours. “Hurry up!” She yelled at the door, grateful that she was the only person in there at the time. When the doors finally released her, Morgan ran down the hall, and quickly opened the door. She peeked her head around the door's opening, and looked toward the bed. Her Aussie was still sound asleep.

  The heavy bags were placed on the table in the kitchenette, and she kicked her shoes off of her swollen and sore feet before she walked to the bed. She only took a few seconds to rub her sore toe before calling his name.

  “Wake up, Tanner. Come on sleepy head, you need to wake up.” She pushed his tan shoulder a few times until he opened his eyes.

  “Ah, you're something a man could never get tired of seeing when he wakes.” He playfully pulled her down to the bed beside him and asked if she had a nice day. She told him about the mall, knowing of course that he already knew everything about it, and about her purchases. The camera and scrapbook were her most prized possessions, but Tanner took interest in the lingerie that she said she had bought.

  “Well, I'll have to model them for you when you're up to it.” They both laughed, because Tanner was always up for anything that involved her flesh. “But first, you need to take your pills.” She picked up the first bottle and Tanner shook his head.

  “No, I can't take them unless I eat first. How about we order something and eat in bed together.” His smile made her forget what she was about to do. Then she remembered the pills, and realized also that she forgotten his beer. Not that she wanted him drinking while taking medication anyway. Hopefully, he would forget that he asked about it.

  “Did ya remember my beer?” He smiled at her, knowing that she had forgotten.

  After a quick lecture about not drinking while taking pain killers, Morgan told the man that she wanted pizza again. She really didn't care either way, but when Tanner took her out after their day on his boat, he had talked non-stop about how that place had the best pizza in the world.

  “They said it'll take an hour.” Tanner sat up after ending the call to the pizza place, and asked again for his crutches. “When I'm in there, I'll run a hot bath for you.” The wink.

  She wasn't going to argue with him, but she stood outside the bathroom door, ready to dash in if he fell again. But all went well, and five minutes later, Morgan was relaxing in a tub filled to the brim with bubbles.

  As she rested her head on a folded towel, her mind drifted to the last time she had taken a bath with a man in the vicinity. Fin. His face appeared in her mind, and the memory of his hands brought a warmth through her that she dare not entertain. But his memory lingered, and suddenly the memory of their recent texting returned.

  Like a girl with something to hide, she listened carefully for the sound of crutches on the floor outside. Nothing. Then she reached down to her jeans that were beside the tub, and took her phone out slowly, stopping every few seconds to make sure the coast was clear.

  When she clicked her messages, a large smile spread across her face. Glad to hear that you haven't hurt him. Be easy on the lad. Fin.

  “Fin! He called himself Fin!” She quickly put her hand over her mouth, and looked at the door to see if Tanner would walk in to find out what she was blurting out. She waited. For several moments, she stared at the door and listened for any movement. In a whisper, she finally told herself, “loud much?”

  She answered the text I won't hurt him. Especially not the important parts. Morgan As she smiled at her phone, a message was returned.

  Where are you? Her face began to heat as she answered his question.

  Bubble bath. Morgan waited for the notification.

  Lucky bastard bubbles. She giggled out loud at his reply, and stifled herself again. She sent one more text to say that she was getting ready to eat, and that she would call soon.

  When she got out and dried off, she rifled through her suitcase that she had drug into the bathroom that morning. She decided to go with the relaxed look, since it was only pizza and television on the agenda for the night. She pulled on a pink tee and white shorts. Perfect for cuddling after a long day. Her hair was brushed out, and hung straight
down her back.

  “Damn! Tee shirt and shorts and you still look like a fucking goddess!” She laughed as she walked across the room to join him in bed.

  “Well, that's what I've been thinking all day. You're ankle is broken, you're drugged out most of the time, and all you're wearing are shorts and a tee shirt. So I'll see you're damn and raise you a holy shit!” They playfully argued about who was better looking until the pizza arrived.

  There were twelve slices in the large pizza box, and Morgan had two. It took only twenty minutes for the box to be empty, and for Morgan to give the man another wide-eyed look at his eating habits.

  She laughed as she told him, “I swear, if I ate like that I'd be huge!” He laughed with her and explained how he got away with it.

  “It's easy to do. Morgan, the trick is, you have to live life like you mean it.” He looked into her eyes, the humor faded for just a second as a serious expression crossed his face. Then, just as quickly, the amusement returned.

  It was clear that he wanted her to remember that, and just as clear that he didn't want to lecture her or let his conversation get too deep. Live life like you mean it. She rolled the words around in her head.

  When she tilted her head to the side in question, he took a deep breath and explained more.

  “If you're going to be here...living I mean..then do it with everything you have. Eat well, play hard, work hard, do all the things that you want to do and everything will even out. See, I could eat ten thousand calories in a day if I wanted to, because I normally never stop. I burn it off with just living life. That is, when I'm not held prisoner in bed. Morgan,” he put his hand to her face, and looked her in the eyes, “life is meant to be enjoyed. Laugh loud, be adventurous, try anything that you're interested in, and eat as much as you want. The more you try to enjoy it, the more you'll...well...enjoy it.” He kissed her nose, then reached for the remote.