Strong And Sexy

“I do other things too. The food and water, the grooming. I keep their environment intact.”

He smiled, another real one.

“I supervise and record the animals’ activities so that we can understand the nuances in their behavior.”

“You evacuate poop.” He was teasing, but there was something else too. Awe.

He was impressed, which made her laugh. “I evacuate poop, and you fly planes. Who should be impressed here?”

“Definitely me.”

Modesty. That didn’t fit into the image she had of him. Or at least of the image she wanted to have of him. Turning, she looked at the sixteen-foot fence lining the zoo, the one that vanished into the hills surrounding the property.

Beyond that gate was her life.

Time to get to that life. She pulled her keys out of her pocket and noticed her car in the lot. “Hey, my car’s back.”

“I thought it was at the mechanic’s.”

“He must have brought it back for me, which means he fixed it for less than the two-hundred-dollar max I gave him.” She felt one of her real smiles crease her face. “Yay me. Thanks for the ride, Shayne. Thanks for everything.” She opened the car door.

“Dani-”

“It’s late. Go get some sleep.” And before he could say anything more, maybe kiss her again and make her melt and agree to sleep at his house, or maybe just give false promises neither of them could keep, she shut the door.

She missed the warmth immediately as she stepped out into the cold, misting night. And not just the car’s warmth, she could admit as she unlocked the gate and let herself in.

But Shayne’s warmth.

Shutting the gate behind her, she let herself look back. She couldn’t help it. Expecting to see the car’s taillights as Shayne drove back down the hill, she found the man instead.

Out of his car, standing on the other side of the gate, only a few feet away.

Watching her.

At her start of surprise, he lifted his hand.

“What are you doing?” she asked. “Get out of the rain.”

“Soon as you do.”

She stepped back to the gate, gripping two wrought-iron stakes, putting her face up close as she contemplated him. “Shayne.”

“Dani.”

She laughed. A miracle in itself, that she could laugh on a night such as this.

He stepped up to the gate too. Put his hands over hers, his face close enough to kiss.

Ah, hell. She met him halfway, and then in unison, they both hesitated. It was only for a second, with their lips a fraction apart, but anticipation shot through her. She wanted to kiss him, God, she wanted that.

So much.

She couldn’t help it. So she leaned in and put her mouth on his through the wrought iron, her breath catching in surprise at the warm softness of his lips, at the scent of him, so familiar now. The surprise of that had her pulling back but his hands tightened over hers on the bars, holding her to him. Ah, damn. Damn, what a mistake, but her mouth clung to his, absorbing the promise in the stroke of his tongue against hers, so that she forgot to keep her head about her, so that she wished there wasn’t a barricade between them.

Remember this, she told herself. Remember the rasp of his rough chin against hers. His tongue in her mouth. The heat of his body a direct contrast to the chill of the bars. The dark, gloomy night all around them as their bodies strained to get closer, even closer. Remember, because this was it.

The last time.

The very last time.

Pulling back, his eyes sleepy and sexy-so damn sexy-his pleasure clearly etched on his face, he sent her a soft but baffled smile. “What was that for?”

She had no idea. None.

Zilch.

But oh God, she wanted another. If he so much as mentioned his bed again, she was on it-

“Good night, Dani,” he said softly, and backed up.

She stared at him, taking a moment to swallow. “How is it you’re such a player, and yet such a gentleman?”

“A player?”

“I’m not the only one with a reputation, you know.”

“Ah.” He looked down at his feet, then back up into her eyes, his good humor gone. “Are you crazy?”

“What? No!”

“Then maybe I’m not what people say either.”

Touche…

Slowly, with one last long look, he turned and vanished into the night.

Watching his tall, lean body move with such easy natural grace, she stood there a moment, rooted by the sudden urge to call him back, to pull him close again. But eventually she turned too, walking the path toward the building that housed the staffing offices.

All around her was a dark quiet, which was exactly what she usually loved about working at night. There was something about being here in the wee hours, knowing that only a few acres away were hundreds of animals in their habitats. Normally it was soothing, peaceful.

Natural.

But tonight, as she let herself in the back door of her building and headed for the stairs, she felt an inkling of unease that made her pick up her steps, eager to get into her office. Hurrying now, she turned down the hallway and found her office light already on.

Odd.

Maybe she’d left it that way, but she didn’t think so, and for a moment she hovered in the doorway, uncertain. She hadn’t heard a thing and yet…

And yet she felt as she had in her apartment.

As if she was being watched.

Chapter 9

Shayne was halfway down the hill, windshield wipers proving ineffective against the mist and fog, when the doubt hit.

Or maybe it’d always been there, from the moment Dani had gotten out of his car. It was just a little niggling, really, but it wouldn’t go away.

She wasn’t safe.

He glanced at himself in the rearview mirror. Shook his head. “Don’t do it, man. Don’t go back.”

But what if…

Damn.

He was going back.

With a sigh, he executed a U-turn. He should have hooked up with friends.

Hit a bar.

Or a party.

There were plenty this late, and plenty that would welcome him. Michelle had been texting him all night, he’d just ignored her. She’d be thrilled to see him and would be willing to show him just how thrilled with that lush body of hers.