Page 22 of Tropical Heat

I had two choices. I could follow Zak’s example and hope eventually he saw how right we were for each other; or I could admit it was time to move on.

God knows I had tried. Zak understood me better than anyone and was a great friend. But I was not a man who could be happy in a platonic relationship. Without a physical connection, that was all there would ever be between Zak and me.

As I pulled onto Knights Key Boulevard, I thought about Morgan Lewis. Perhaps the best way to get Zak out of my head was to spend more time with the beautiful doctor. Although I generally prefer men, she was an interesting option.

Not that I viewed her as a consolation prize. She was intelligent, independent, and let’s not forget how incredible she was in the sack. Having witnessed the compassion and warmth, she showed her patients; it wasn’t difficult to imagine what my life could be like with her in it. But she had been very upfront about how she felt about love, which should have been a red flag. But how boring would life be if you didn’t take a risk occasionally?

Nothing draws a crowd like a cop’s funeral, and St. Brendan was standing room only. I did not expect Morgan to be in attendance. After all, she had only been Coop’s doctor for a few hours. But as the department chaplain gave his eulogy, I spotted her standing at the rear of the church. Her black dress showed little skin and was perfectly suitable for the somber occasion. But even a flour sack could not hide her luscious curves. For a moment, I forgot where I was, and almost got out of my seat to approach her. After the priest gave the benediction, we carried the flag-draped casket to the hearse.

I caught up with her just as she was getting into her car. “Hello Dante. I hope you don't mind me showing up like this. When I woke up this morning, it felt important I be here.”

“Not at all. I am sure Patti appreciates it. Are you going to the cemetery? We could ride together.”

“I wish I could, but I have to be at the hospital by noon.” She put a hand on my arm. “I would like to see you again, though.”

“How about Wednesday?” I asked.

“I have plans on Wednesday. But I’m free on Thursday?”

“See you at your place then, Say, around one o’clock?”

“Perfect.” She kissed me and purred, “I am looking forward to it.”

The woman had an effect on me that was hard to ignore. As I made my way to the car, I hoped no one noticed the tightening of my trousers.

I was looking forward to hooking up with Morgan again, but according to Zak, women expected you to take them somewhere first. So I planned what I considered to be the perfect date.

My optimism lasted as long as it took for me to pull into the parking lot of Paradise Fishing Lodge. Before I was even off the bike, the door to room 104 burst open and Morgan popped her head out. “Absolutely not. No way in hell. I'm not getting on that thing.”

“You're not being a very good girl.” I smirked.

“Don’t even try. That stuff only works when we're in bed.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe you thought picking me up on a motorcycle was a reasonable thing to do. I see people come into the ER, seriously injured by those things, every week.”

“Fine.” I had clearly underestimated how serious her concerns about safety were. “Give me twenty minutes. I'll go home and get the Mustang.”

“V-8 convertible I suppose.” I nodded, and she shook her head again. “Never mind, I'll drive. My Civic has a five star safety rating.”

“Are you sure? It's a bit of a way to where we’re going.” She tensed and asked where. But when I told her up north, she relaxed again.

“That’s fine. I get terrific gas mileage. Come on in while I finish getting ready. Help yourself if you want something to drink.”

We had gone maybe thirty miles when she turned down the radio. “You’re an honorable man, Dante, so I want to be honest with you. I'm seeing someone else.”

I said nothing for a long time. Why had she agreed to go out with me if she was seeing somebody else? Recalling what Zak told me about the woman he was dating, I wondered if all women now considered monogamy an outdated concept. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable being your side piece.”

She sighed. “I understand you're upset, but there's no need to be rude about it. You’re not a side piece, because there's no main piece.”

“Are your needs so great that I can not satisfy them by myself?”

“No Dante, my libido is perfectly normal, and you are a wonderful lover. But you are more than simply great sex. You take the responsibilities of your job seriously. And beneath that gruff exterior, you are a very compassionate man. I could see myself developing feelings for you. But as I have already explained, I can not and will not allow that to happen.”

“This might sound weird, but I hope you can understand my logic.” I turned to face her, so she would know she had my full attention. “I figure it would be difficult for me to fall in love with you if I am seeing someone else.”

“You’re right. That does sound fucked up. Do you have feelings for this other guy, too?”

“I do, but I can no more fall in love with him than I can with you. If you can’t deal with that or want more than I can give, I will understand if you don’t want to see me anymore.”

“Who is he?” I asked.

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