Page 30 of Tropical Heat

“No. At least not yet.”

“So what do we do?” he asked. “Keep our feelings for one another a secret?”

“No, I respect Morgan too much to lie to her.” I said emphatically. “And you need to realize I’ve never lived my life in a closet and I don’t intend to start now.”

“I would never ask you,” he said, squeezing my hand across the table. “But what do we say to Morgan?”

“I'm glad you asked.”

When I finished explaining, he looked at me like I might be crazy. “How do you even know about such things?”

“I've got friends down in Key West that run a resort which caters to throuples. It’s called Mango Cove. Polyamory is much more common than you know.”

“There's no way Morgan would agree to a—what did you call it?”

“Polycule and I hate to break it to you, but we're already in one. Morgan started it when she decided to date both of us. Right now she is the center of the V in that we are only having sex with her. We would just be changing the dynamic of our polycule to that of a triad. In other words, all three of us would be in a relationship together.”

“You mean we would all three have sex together?”

I was happy to see how quickly he had caught on. “That’s something we would have to discuss. But yes, if you and Morgan agree, it would definitely be a part of it.”

“I like the sounds of that.” He smiled and licked his lips. “But I think the only way you are going to get Morgan to agree to something like that is if you get her drunk first.”

“I think you underestimate your lady friend,” I smirked. “She's quite the adventurous one.”

“But promise me whatever you do, you won’t use the L word tonight. Given her past, it would just drive her away at this point.”

“Agreed.”

Seventeen

Morgan

By 3:00, halfway through my shift, I still did not know what to do about Zak and Dante. The way I saw it, I had three choices. None of which would make me particularly happy.

I could continue dating both men, as Zak suggested. But now that I knew they lived together, I feared jealousy would put a strain on their friendship. Having two men fighting over me was not the turn-on it was for some women.

I could break things off with one of them. But how could I pick one over the other? Who should I choose? Dante, the dark and brooding alpha who taught me release, comes from submission. The man who helped me escape the guilt which had consumed me since Tammy’s death.

Or sweet, sensitive Zak, whose intelligence and sincerity made him easy to talk with. He’d shown me how to laugh again. We shared so much in common and, just as important, he was a kind and gentle lover.

No matter who I picked, someone would be left hurt and resentful. It was a thought I could not bear. Together, they had made me whole again.

The last option, the only one that made sense and which I dreaded the most, was I to stop seeing both of them. It was the responsible thing to do. The only way no one got hurt. At least no one but me.

It was an impossible choice, but it was not the only thing on my mind. A few days earlier, I had made an offer on a cute one-bedroom condo, with a stunning view of the canal. The real estate agent called me shortly after I arrived at work to tell me the owner accepted a competing offer.

Dejected, I called Monte at the Paradise Fishing Lodge to give him my bank card information since my relocation stipend would run out the following week. He assured me it would not be a problem, but said he could only accommodate me until the 14th of the month. “All the rooms on the island have been booked since last year for the big lionfish tournament.”

I did not know what a lionfish was or where I would go, but assured Monte I would be out by the 13th. Elenora, who had overheard both conversations, reminded me she still had the room above her garage available. I politely changed the subject. The nursing supervisor had issues with boundaries, and even though the apartment had its own entrance, I was not eager to have my personal affairs the topic of discussion among the staff.

With the housing shortage in Turtle Key so severe, I had few options. But it was not like I would end up living out of my car. The hospital paid me a good salary and there were towns further north where housing was more plentiful. But it would mean a lengthy commute on top of the long hours I already worked. I thought about calling the Realtor back and telling her to expand the search area. But I was not ready to give up hope yet. I loved Turtle Key and wanted it to be my forever home.

The rest of the day seemed to drag. It was unusually quiet in the ER, which gave me plenty of time to think about Zak and Dante. I had the nagging feeling there was something I was overlooking. But no matter how hard I tried to come up with a solution, I could not find one.

By the time I left work, I had resolved to end things with both men. In the shower at my motel, I rehearsed what I was going to say. While getting dressed, I visualized myself walking through their door. Resolute, I would explain my decision and ask them to limit our future contact to hospital matters only. At which point I would kiss them on the cheeks and leave. It was not a scene I was eager to play out, but did not believe I had any other choice.

All day long, thoughts of my cousin Cynthia had been popping into my head. I found the timing strange. Cynthia and I had been close growing up. But I had not seen her since my sister’s funeral, when she and her husbands, Jay and Trent, had made the trip from Tennessee. And although we had stayed in touch after that, I had not spoken to her since coming to Turtle Key. So why was I thinking about her now?

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