Page 44 of All Night with the Cowboy
“Yeah, starting to be. I suppose they’ll brief us if it’s not safe to stay here, but I’d rather have a plan for getting out if we need to. I’ve emailed my travel agent to see if we can book somewhere on the mainland for a couple of days just in case.”
Lauren skimmed through the news and could see why Tanner was so worried. “I hate the idea of being so close to the water here if it gets bad.” She stared at him and saw that he was probably more worried than he was letting on.
“Let’s just enjoy breakfast and go for our walk. I’m feeling good and I’m looking forward to pushing a bit harder today.” Tanner walked toward her, his hands falling to her shoulders as he looked down at her before placing a slow, warm kiss to her lips. “If we need to leave, I’ll have a helicopter sent over to collect us. We’re going to be fine and they’ve probably got the forecast all wrong anyway.”
She looked up at him. “What about all the people who live and work here?” she asked. “I hate that we can just get airlifted out but…”
Tanner placed a finger to her lips. “I’m as worried as you are, and if anyone here needs my help, they’ll have it.” His smile reassured her. “Now let’s go and eat pancakes and bacon. I’m starving.”
“Pancakes? Not a chance,” she argued. “Fruit, omelet—”
“Sorry, sweetheart, but if I eat another goddamn omelet again I’ll throw it back up. I’ll swallow those turmeric tablets without complaining, but I’m eating pancakes and bacon and there ain’t nothing you can do to stop me.”
Tanner stole another kiss and slapped her butt, and itwas almost impossible to scowl at him as he winked and walked backward out of the room.
“Hey, I just noticed that you’re hardly limping,” she said.
Tanner looked down and she watched the recognition slowly pass over his face.
“Damn, you’re right.” He laughed. “I’m sore, but in a different kind of way. Like my muscles are aching but I don’t feel like an old man so much.”
Now it was Lauren’s turn to laugh. “It definitely must have been the great sex then.”
“Hell yeah.”
She stood alone in her bedroom laughing as Tanner disappeared, wondering how the hell she was ever going to forget the man she loved for a second time.
Loved.There was no pretending otherwise, because she hadn’t simply loved him once. She’d loved him then and she loved him still; she was playing with fire and she had no idea how she was ever supposed to extinguish it.
She decided to pick up the phone and call Casey, needing to just talk to someone else. Being here with Tanner had been amazing, itwasamazing, but they’d been isolated and living in this little bubble of wonderfulness, and all she could imagine was how hard it would be when this island world of theirs started to unravel.
It rang six times and Lauren was about to hang up when a breathless Casey picked up.
“Lauren!”
She smiled into the phone, leaning against the glass to look out at the beach. It was so good to hear her friend’s voice again. “Hey, stranger.”
“How’s Fiji? Are you ever going to come home or are you going to stay forever? It must be so gorgeous.”
“It is. I don’t think I’ve ever been anywhere like it before,” she said honestly.
“And the company? I’m guessing you’re all loved up with your sexy cowboy?” Casey teased.
“He’s hardlymycowboy,” Lauren said, lowering her voice. “But yes to the loved-up part.”
Casey sighed. “Ohhh, I’m so jealous. You’re on a beautiful island with a beautiful man, and I’m stuck here dealing with work and life.”
She wanted to sayBut you’re not about to have your heart broken when it all ends, but swallowed her words instead. “So tell me about home? Anything going on?”
“Well, my boss is still an asshole, and I keep fantasizing about leaving my job, but other than that? Not much different than usual.”
Lauren smiled. “Well, maybe we should plan a girls’ trip somewhere tropical,” she suggested. “Something for us all to look forward to.”
“Definitely! Hey, I have to go, but can’t wait to hear more. Talk soon?”
“I’ll call you another time. Bye.”
As Lauren hung up and dropped her arm, phone clasped in her fingers, she wondered if she was ready for the fall that was coming. Having a fling was one thing, but letting Tanner go all over again was something else entirely.
