When we reached the end of the hall, a wide staircase with stone walls led down to a lower level. Christian held my arm, and I gripped the rail since the lights were dim in all the rooms. The sound of burbling, rushing water grew louder, and an earthy smell filled the air. As we reached the bottom, blue lights rippled across the cement floor and stone walls. Dim track lights in the rocky ceiling provided just enough light to see, but the real show was the massive glass wall in front of us. This was like being at the bottom of a river or ocean, only the best part was I didn’t have to get wet. Sapphire-blue lights illuminated the aquarium where fish swam around a large animal.
“Whatisthat?” I asked.
“A manatee. They’re sea cows.”
I approached the glass and spotted a sea turtle at the bottom beneath some twisted roots.
“This is really amazing. I’ve never been here before.”
“Wouldn’t matter if you had. They just finished the aquarium last fall. Ehm… don’t tap on the glass.”
I chuckled and looked over my shoulder. “Are you going to arrest me, Poe?”
He put his hands around my waist and stood behind me. “Come on. Let’s go this way.”
Christian led me down a hall and into a less Jurassic Park–looking room where there were numerous fish tanks, each lit up. We passed by jellyfish, starfish, seahorses, and several types of exotic creatures that he dished out all the facts on.
This wasn’t a date; it was a field trip.
There was a nice café down there, and I decided that I might have to come back in the summer. It might be a fun activity to get everyone out of the house, and Hunter would have a blast. We could even bring Switch, who could use the trip as a teaching opportunity.
There were small tanks and a massive tank in the center with round windows. We walked everywhere, and I pressed my face to the glass like a kid. It was the most fun I’d had in a long time and a different type of experience to be having with Christian. One that didn’t involve daggers, criminals, undercover jobs, or helicopter chases. A date that wasn’t in a noisy club, packed bar, or run-down diner.
After briefly going outside and visiting the penguins, we returned through a long, domed tunnel with glass all around. Sharks glided above and beside us. Another set of steps led down into an aquarium with massive floor-to-ceiling windows like the first one.
I stopped when I noticed the table and chairs. Christian walked up to the table and pulled out a chair, gesturing with his head for me to sit.
“Why didn’t you tell me this was a date?” I shucked off my trench coat and hooked it over the back of the chair. “I would have dressed up. Maybe run a comb through my hair and put on lipstick.”
After seating me, he stood by the table. “I wouldn’t want you any other way. You don’t have to doll yourself up for me to appreciate how ravishing you are.” He lifted a silver dome from my plate, revealing a hamburger and onion rings.
I laughed. “This reminds me of the first time we met.”
When he moved out of the way to sit, I noticed a bed farther back in the room by the rock wall. Not just a mattress on the floor or an inflatable, but an entire bed with the comforter and everything.
He lifted the silver lid off his plate, and the only thing there was a wedge of watermelon.
“No wonder my dad made me skip dinner to help him pack,” I said before biting into my burger. “He was starving me for this date.”
Christian cut into his watermelon with a fork and knife. We had fish swimming all around, watching us eat.
“Maybe to them,we’rethe zoo,” I suggested.
“To be sure.”
We dined on burgers and watermelon, talking about animals and plans for the summer. We didn’t mention Fletcher or Lenore. We didn’t even mention the case we just finished or the substantial paycheck in our accounts.
After dinner, Christian lifted a pie box off the seat of the extra chair and presented a pecan pie. He didn’t care for eating, but he didn’t dislike it. I enjoyed watching him eat, and it was strange how a simple activity made us feel like a normal couple.
Once we reached our limit on pie and washed it down with lemonade, he escorted me to the bed. Christian undressed me slowly, kissing my shoulders, elbows, hips, and every part of my body that wasn’t sexual. Deciding I liked where this was heading, I did the same for him. After removing his shirt, I placed feather-soft kisses on his pecs. Then I removed his trousers, caressing his strong thighs before pulling off his boxer briefs.
Completely naked, I rested my hands on his shoulders and we fell into a passionate kiss. The way he moved his tongue while his fingers curled against my skin made me tremble. He gripped my ass, pulling me to him like a promise of what was to come.
I glanced up at a security camera. “How do you know someone isn’t watching?”
“I don’t.” He gave me a crooked grin. “They’re not allowed to record.”
“On that note,” I said, crawling across the sheets to the opposite side.
