“Only when I really want something.” I’m overwhelmed by his spicy masculine scent when he steps closer to me, resting hishand on my shoulder. “Give me two hours, Evie. If you don’t have fun, I’ll never bother you again.” His hand slides up my neck and pulls the band from my hair, letting it fall to my shoulders. Warm breath bathes my ear, his lips hovering a centimeter away while he whispers, “Come with me, Evie.”
Damn. It. All. “Give me ten minutes,” I murmur, surrendering to him. It’s either go out with him or strip him right here. Either way, I know how this will end. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to climbing this man like a tree.
After a quick change into jeans, a red long sleeved blouse, and black converse sneakers, I run the straightener through my hair a few times and call it good. Showing up like this, he’s lucky I don’t go in pajamas.
“You’ll need a jacket, love,” he says with a smile that makes me want to take all these clothes right back off. “It’s chilly.” I grab my jacket, and he takes my hand as I lock the door. “I’m parked down the street,” he tells me, keeping hold of my hand while we walk. I expect a sports car, the sort that screams playboy or mid-life crises, so I’m surprised when he opens the passenger door of a dark mid-sized sedan. A satisfied smile settles on his face as he pulls into the flow of traffic.
“Alright, you’ve got me in your car. Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Your surprise better not include a bed.” Because I don’t have the willpower to say no.
“Well, damn, I’ll have to think of something else.” He glances at me when I take out my phone. “What are you doing?”
“Setting my alarm for two hours.” I can’t help but grin when his laughter fills the car. When he lays his hand on my knee, I don’t hesitate to cover it with mine. We pull into the empty parking lot of the Indianapolis Zoo and he smiles at the confusion on my face. “Is this where you plan to dump my body? Because White River’s probably a better option.”
“And waste a body like that? Never.” He parks at the front of the dim lot and hurries to open my door for me. I wonder if he’s the gentlemanly type in bed as well? “Do you like animals?”
“Of course.”
“What’s your favorite animal?” He wraps his arm around my shoulders as we walk toward the darkened entrance. “Bonobo’s, but Mason, it’s closed. They won’t let us in.”
“I donate to their cause, plus a friend of mine works here. He’ll meet us at the gate. A bonobo is a monkey, right?”
“A chimp. They’re our closest relatives.”
“Reed! About damn time.” A thin blond man greets us at the gate. “Come on back.”
Mason nods at his friend. “Larry, this is Evie, my date.”
Larry grins and shakes my hand. “Poor girl. Would you like me to lock him up so you can escape? Call you a cab?”
“Not yet, but I’ll keep it in mind.” Mason shakes his head, and I laugh. “I like your friend.”
“Watch it, baby,” he growls, pulling us hip to hip.
We follow Larry along a dimly lit path through the exhibits until he stops. “You’re just in time to feed him,” he says, unlocking a heavy metal door.
Feed what? What am I walking into? It suddenly occurs to me I don’t really know either of these men. They could be leading me into a tiger’s cage. Mason squeezes my hand when I retreat. “Feed what?”
“Oh, nothing dangerous, Miss. He’s just a baby.”
Mason wraps an arm around me, and I lean into his warmth. “I wouldn’t put you in danger, love. Trust me.”
Nodding, I allow them to lead me inside. Just a baby, he said, but a baby what? Baby monkey, fine. Baby tarantula or alligator, not so much. When we round the corner, I freeze at the sight of a full grown panda asleep behind a wall of glass.
Larry shakes his head and says, “She’s sedated, poor thing. She’s ill and hasn’t been able to nurse her cub.”
“Will she live?”
“I hope so.” Larry disappears behind a partition.
Mason runs his thumb along my jaw as I stare at the beautiful sleeping bear. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, she’s beautiful,” I exclaim, moving closer to the glass. “I’ve never seen a panda. I heard a zoo in Georgia has one, but…”
“Yes, this is only temporary and the public won’t seethem,” Larry says, returning with a bundle wrapped in a gray blanket. “Tomorrow they’ll be moved to an animal hospital where they’re better equipped to care for them.”
