Around the World in 80 Men Series: Books 11-20 (2 page)

The
voice on the other end, however, was quick to soothe her jitters.
“Morgan...it's Sean. How are ya, Love?”

“Sean!
I'm great, how are you?” Morgan sat back against the wood
headboard and settled in for a conversation with her handsome Irish
friend.

“Haven't
talked to ye for awhile, I just wanted to see see how you were
getting along.” She could practically hear the smile in his
voice, and that made her smile even more. Just as she was about to
answer the man, another man finally returned to the room from his
phone call in the hallway.

“Who's
on the phone?” Finlay joined her on the bed, and pointed to
her pink phone as he spoke.

“Hang
on for just a sec.” She put the phone to her chest, and
whispered to Finlay that she would just be another minute. Returning
the phone to ear, the over sized Scot made it clear that her answer
wasn't good enough.

“Is
it the Australian lad?” Morgan huffed and put her hand over
the phone, telling him that it was not the Australian lad, and that
she would be done in just a minute. “Then who is it?”
Finlay laughed and pretended that he was going to take the phone away
from her, but Morgan swatted his hand away and got off of the bed.

“Sorry
about that. I'm great..I'm in Florida right now, and I'm heading to
Canada in a few days. What's going on with you?” Morgan was
already pacing back and forth, trying not to look at Finlay as she
spoke.

“Ah,
someone is there with you. Could ye do me a favor then?” His
beautiful Irish lilt would have warranted him any favor, and she
agreed to whatever it was that he wanted. “Could ye put Finlay
on the phone? I need to ask him something.”

“Fin...ya
want...what?” How did he know he was there? Did he hear him?
What the hell was he talking about? Those questions kept her planted
in the middle of the room while she stared over at the lounging, and
quite amused, Finlay.

“Morgan,
I know. I've known since ye were here. Before ye ask, it was Finlay
that gave it away. Muh mate would never have come to my house in the
pouring rain over a job. And, he's never asked me to go to the site
before, not ever. I knew he wanted ye. I figured ye had a bone to
pick with him, and...well...I thought ye could use mine.”

Fury,
that would be the only word that Morgan could have used to describe
what she was feeling right then. Sean knew the whole time that she
and Finlay had something going on, but never said a word. The only
remaining question she had was whether or not Finlay knew.

“Fin.”
She managed a sweet smile as she walked slowly toward the man.
“Someone wants to talk to you.” She handed him the
bright pink phone, then crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for
her answer.

He
put the little device to his ear, his confusion was clear, and he
answered. “Hello?” From there, she watched and listened
as he mumbled an, 'aye' or just nodded briefly as he spoke, and then
handed the phone back to Morgan. She ended the call with Sean rather
quickly, telling him that she would call him soon, and sat on the bed
again.

“Well?
What did he want?” Morgan wanted to yell at both of them, but
she still wasn't sure if Finlay was in on it.

“He...he....how
did he know? Did ye tell him? About us?” When Morgan shook
her head back and forth, Finlay let out a laugh that shook the entire
the bed. “He knew, the bastard!” He was still laughing
when he walked to the little refrigerator to get another beer.

“Ah,
he just wanted to tell me about a job we're doin' together. But he
really jus' wanted me to know that he knew...about us.” His
laughter had finally gotten to Morgan, and her smile finally won over
before her own giggles took over. She also had to laugh at his new
stride, one that was clumsy and full of beer, something that he
wasn't used to drinking.

She
didn't like being out of the loop, not for any reason, but she had to
admit that Sean was pretty good at keeping secrets. He was going to
get an earful the next time she spoke to him, but for right then, she
and Finlay would just enjoy being busted by their Irish friend.

Chapter
Two

“Ye
like scary movies, aye?” Finlay walked over to his bag, then
looked over his shoulder at Morgan as he produced three horror
movies. Morgan couldn't help the quiet
awwww
that escaped her
lips.
He got scary movies!
Even though Fin was acting and she
knew it wasn't his style to sit down and watch a zombie flick with
her, she was excited at the thought of cuddling in bed with the
handsome man and watching people eat each other.

“Of
course!” Morgan ran over to his side and grabbed all three
movies, then jumped into the bed before he had a chance to speak.
When he walked back toward her, she handed him the movie of her
choice. “This one! It's sick, you'll love it!”

Finlay
told her he had never seen it, then she watched his backside,
primarily his ass, as he fumbled with the DVD player. “How do
ye work this bloody thing?” Morgan giggled and got up, then
pushed him to the side with a hip bump. He watched her easily put the
DVD in the player and it was rolling through the previews in seconds.
Finlay sighed loudly, which made Morgan giggle again. How can someone
so filthy rich have no idea how to play a DVD? Did he even watch
movies? Morgan knew he had to have picked up the movies on the way to
her hotel. Along with the pizza and beer, and his bright blue swim
trunks that was nothing like his style. It was sweet he had put so
much thought into it all.

Morgan
found her warm spot back on the bed and Finlay managed to
successfully cook a bag of popcorn for the two to enjoy. He poured
the bag into a big bowl, then dropped it off beside her and told
Morgan he was going to change. She nodded and grabbed a handful of
the buttery treat, but when she realized Finlay wasn't changing in
the bathroom, the popcorn didn't make it to her mouth.

“Good
God, Fin! I've never seen an ass so...wow.” Her last word came
out in more of a sigh and Finlay looked over his shoulder again at
her as he deliberately and slowly pulled a pair of drawstring pants
over his muscular legs. Morgan shook her head at his teasing, and
brushed all the popcorn off her lap that had missed her mouth. She
saved one of the little white puffs, aimed carefully and tossed it
right at his ass, where she inevitably missed by nearly three feet.
They both laughed at her horrible shot, then Finlay finally met her
in the bed.

“No,
lass. You have the most fookin' perfect arse I've ever seen.”
His hand slid behind her back and Morgan wiggled to find a
comfortable spot against his warm body. He grabbed a single piece of
popcorn and brought it to her lips. When she did the same for him,
something caught his attention. “I see your wee bracelet has
grown.” Finlay grabbed her wrist gently and with his other
hand, he slid the silver links in a circle, examining all of her new
charms.

“Sean...”
Fin stopped at the sheep and took it between his fingers as if he
were hiding it. Knowing that his best friend had bought her a charm
tore at his heart even more than it had knowing that the Aussie lad
had bought her the bracelet in the first place. “Ye liked my
mate, did ye?”

Morgan
looked down at her bracelet and smiled. There were a lot of memories
with the little piece of jewelry, and the truth was, yes. She had
liked his friend. Very much, actually. She nodded slowly and pulled
her wrist from his grasp and rested her hands on her lap. “Sean
is a good man, Fin. I'm not going to apologize for having a good
time.”

“Take
it off,” Finlay spoke with not even a little hint of amusement.
His words struck Morgan like a bolt of lightning.
He can't be
serious,
she thought, but the look on his face said nothing
other. Initially, she wanted to laugh, but he reached for her wrist
to go through with his demand and her emotion quickly turned to
anger.

“You're
fucking with me?” Morgan still held out for the hope that he
was just messing with her.

“No.
I want you to take the bracelet off. I don't want to think about you
with other men while I am here.”

“Well
then don't think about it!” Morgan was furious. He had no right
to tell her what she should do. She crossed her arms and looked
straight ahead at the television.

Finlay
sighed and laid his head against the backboard. “Just take it
off, it's not a big deal,” he said without looking at her.

“You're
right, Fin! It's not a big deal.” Morgan looked at him with her
eyes narrowed, daring him to tell her again.

“I
don't want to see it,” he told her.

“Then
leave and you won't!” Morgan sat up completely. She couldn't
believe it. He was getting angry over a silly bracelet. Maybe it was
the beer? Maybe he was upset that his friend had bought her a charm
before he had? She didn't know, but she wasn't going to have him show
up and tell her what to do.

“Aye,
I will then!” He got up from the bed and stomped over to his
bag and exchanged his pajama bottoms for a pair of jeans and threw a
t-shirt over his head. Morgan fought the urge to tell him to stay.
She had to be strong, but it was hard. After he went to the fridge
and grabbed another beer, he picked up his bags and left the room
without saying another word.

Morgan
winced at the sound of the heavy door slam shut and instantly, a
single tear fell from the corner of her eye. Just like that, he was
gone. The girl slammed her hands down on the bed beside her and an
unladylike growl followed. “I don't even know what just
happened!” She was in shock. They were perfectly fine, enjoying
time in the hot tub, joking around, about to watch a movie, then bam!
He was gone. Just like that. “Bloody bastard!” she yelled
into the empty room, mocking his Scottish accent.

“I
need to talk to Angel!” It was only a one hour time difference,
so she knew the sexy little man was probably still flitting around
for Gio. She grabbed her phone and in two rings, her friend answered.

“Sticky!
Are you enjoying the Outback?” His thick accent came though and
was soothing for the girl. She laughed through the tears that were
still burning her eyes and corrected her friend.

“The
Outback is still in Australia, Angel. But I'm still in Florida right
now, and Finlay showed up...” she waited for his response
before she continued.

“Fin!?”
Angel shrieked into the phone so loudly that Morgan had to pull the
speaker from her ear. “
The
Fin? Like, Fin-lay-me-down,
Fin? Sticky, why the fuck are you on the phone with me then? Oh no,
something's wrong. What's wrong Boo Boo?”

She
wasn't even going to ask how he knew. He was probably wondering why
she wasn't currently licking some type of dessert off his chest right
that minute. “We had a fight, and I kind of told him to leave.
I...I don't even know what happened. He wanted me to take my bracelet
off, and I said no. So he left.”

Angel
tsk'd
dramatically into the phone. “Don't worry,
babydoll. He'll be back.”

“I..I
don't think he will, Angel. He seemed really mad...”

“Trust
me, he'll be back in the morning. I'd bet you that sexy piece of meat
from Australia that he'll be back,” Angel calmed down, trying
to reassure Morgan.

“I'm
not betting Tanner on it!” Morgan finally giggled and nodded
into the room.
I hope you're right.

“Fine.
I still want that straightener though!” Angel then told her
that PoPo had just taken a chunk out of the chandelier and he had to
go. They said their quick goodbyes and again, Morgan was left in
silence in her room.

“Guess
I'll find out.” The girl got up, grabbed her cheesecake from
the fridge that she had ordered earlier, pressed play, and enjoyed
her zombie movie alone.

*****

Morgan
watched the credits roll across the screen, still debating on whether
or not she wanted to stay up to watch another movie, when she jumped
at the soft knock on the door. A quick check of time told her that
room service wouldn't be knocking after midnight, and her heart raced
at knowing who was on the other side of the door.