Paradise Revival Part 16

"I don't know. You tell me."

She bent forward and whispered, "You and I are not involved other than s.e.xually,

and that's only for the duration of your time here."

Irritation p.r.i.c.kled on his skin. "I see. So, in other words, what we've been doing together is purely physical, and the sooner it's over the better."

She lifted her chin. "That's not what I said."

"Hey, no problem with me." He'd been looking for a way to disentangle his emotions from Morgan. Here was his opportunity. "I think I've done more than enough to get you back to a s.e.xual comfort zone."

Her eyes narrowed. "Fine. As far as I'm concerned, we can be finished now."

" Work s for me. We're done." Now he was p.i.s.sed. So much for 'thanks for helping me get through my aversion to s.e.x'. They'd gone from intimate sharing of s.e.xual pleasures to done-and-over-with in less than a day.

He felt used. If that thought wasn't so pathetic he'd laugh out loud. He'd never met a guy who wouldn't sell his soul to be used s.e.xually by a beautiful woman. What an idiot he was. He looked for Morgan for a response, but she'd closed her emotions and he couldn't read her. Her lips were tight, her shoulders thrown back as she stood.

"I've got work to do," she said, her gaze not meeting his. "I'll pick you up at the front desk in an hour. Choose the adventure you'd like to tour."

After she walked away he was half tempted to partic.i.p.ate in some s.e.xual adventure. That would show her he had no feelings for her. Problem was, he wasn't the slightest bit interested in having s.e.x with any one, or two or three for that matter, other women.

He really was pathetic. The only woman on his mind was Morgan.

Morgan viciously applied her signature to the doc.u.ments in front of her. She could barely hold the pen because her hands were shaking.

How like other men Tony was. She should have known better. Put an attractive woman like Tara in front of him and he was. .h.i.tting on her before the sheets on her bed were cold from their lovemaking.

Correction. It wasn't lovemaking they'd shared. It was s.e.x. f.u.c.king, to be more precise. After their beach s.e.x this morning, Morgan had realized she was in trouble. Falling headlong into emotional attachment to Tony. And that couldn't be. She'd stood outside and watched the ocean after that, contemplating how to break things off between them. She couldn't-wouldn't-fall in love with him.

And now it looked like she'd made the right decision. To him, she was another

notch on his keyboard, and that was all she'd ever be.

She lifted her head and smiled when Tara knocked softly on her open door. "Come on in," she said.

Tara chewed her bottom lip. "I need to talk to you about earlier."

Raising a brow, Morgan motioned Tara to sit in the chair across from her desk.

"Sure. What's up?"

"I wasn't flirting with Tony Marino, honestly."

Watching Tara wring her hands together nervously, Morgan said, "I didn't think you

were."

"I know, but you seemed so upset and I didn't want you to think I would ever hit on your man."

"He's not my man." Never was, never would be.

Tara tilted her head. "I thought you two..."

"You thought wrong. Really, Tara, you have nothing to worry about. I was merely

trying to keep him from asking you too many personal questions."

Tara relaxed her shoulders and smiled. "You know me, Morgan. I talk too much, anyway. He wasn't asking. I was over-volunteering information."

Morgan wasn't buying it. She knew Tony was a hard-hitting journalist and would pry

as much as he could get away with. Either way it didn't matter. He hadn't been given

the opportunity to bug Tara for too long.

"I'm glad he didn't make you feel uncomfortable, then," she said, hoping to end the conversation by returning to her paperwork.

"He sure is good looking."

Morgan's head shot up and saw Tara's grin. "Yes, he is."

"Great body, too."

Didn't she know it. Every square inch of it, in fact. "I guess so."

Tara pursed her lips and raised a brow. "And you're not involved with him?"

"No."

"Well, why not? He's perfect for you, Morgan. Smart, handsome and funny. You really need to find someone." Morgan set the pen down and laced her fingers together on top of the papers. "Why do you think that?"

"Because you're lonely."

This was something new. Tara had never gotten personal with her before. Friendly,

always, but never pried into her personal life. "I'm not lonely."

Tara's lips crooked into a half smile. "Yeah, you are. You just don't know it. We're all lonely. Unless you have someone, we're all kind of isolated here."

"Then why don't you find someone?"

Tara turned her gaze to the window behind Morgan. "Some people aren't meant to

have a someone."

Yes, Morgan thought. Some people like her.

Returning her gaze to Morgan's, Tara said, "But I think you have found someone.

And if he's the right someone, don't let him go."

Morgan thought about what Tara said as she headed out of her office to meet Tony.

Had she been giving off signals? Somehow Tara had gotten the impression that

Morgan had some sort of relationship with Tony.

Okay, maybe she did look at him more than she'd ever looked at another man at the

resort. And maybe they had been spending a lot of time together the past several days, but that was due to his job. He was there to interview her, after all.

Right. Like there'd been any interviewing going on. No, her time and attention hadn't

been spent on Tony the journalist. She'd been focusing on Tony the man.

For someone who'd always managed to keep her personal life personal, she'd been doing one d.a.m.n lousy job lately.

Spying Tony loitering at the registration desk, her heart thudded against her chest.

As it did each and every time she saw him. He was such a beautiful man, so tall, dark, roguishly handsome.

h.e.l.l. No wonder Tara suspected something was going on. She was all but drooling as she approached Tony.

He offered a tentative smile. "You ready?"

She nodded, distracted by the memories of his body on hers.

"If this is a bad time..."

"No, it's fine. Have you decided which event you'd like to check out?" She tried to keep her tone impersonal. They'd officially ended their intimate relationship, and Morgan was going to make d.a.m.n sure they didn't pick it up again before he left.

"Yeah. How about Sensuous Spanking?"

Why did it have to be that one? "Fine. Let's go."

She turned, but Tony's hand on her arm stopped her. "Is this event going to bother

you?"

When she didn't respond, he added, "You know? Personal memories and all?"

She shook her head. "Not at all. Follow me."

Bother her? Attending Sensuous Spanking would bother her all right. But not in the