Aaron shot Dani a dirty look and snapped, “It’s about time.” She thought she heard him add “bitch” under his breath. But she couldn’t pursue it in front of the guests, who descended on her like a flock of seagulls after a French fry. Her welcoming expression wavered as one indignant woman made no secret of her displeasure.
“Finally, someone who knows how to smile! I don’t suppose you can tell us why these animals have such horrid scars all over them.”
“I certainly can,” Dani replied. “Manatees are slow-moving creatures and it’s not easy to spot them when they surface for air. Unfortunately, that’s a dangerous combination when they’re lumbering along in high-traffic waterways. Tully and Tillie suffered such severe injuries in a boat strike that they nearly died. That’s why they live with us now.”
“Is that one missing one of its flippers?” a teenage girl asked.
“Yes. That’s Tully. And Tillie lost a big chunk of her tail.”
“Why do you feed them lettuce?”
“They’re primarily herbivores, which means they get their energy from eating plants. Manatees in the wild in Florida feed on more than sixty species of plants, including turtle grass, mangrove leaves, algae, water hyacinth, and hydrilla.”
Dani answered a few other queries before most of the horde moved along to another exhibit. Behind her, someone exclaimed, “Oh, how cute!” and then she heard a chorus of giggles and “aaaahs.” She turned and beamed upon seeing Evan and Taco surrounded by children wearing orange T-shirts emblazoned with the logo of a local day care center. When he looked up and grinned back, her heart swelled.
Taco, ever tolerant, let each youngster fuss over her until their teachers herded them off to the stingray feeding. A few of the kids begged to stay and play with the pup, but they were shooed along after the requisite whining and, in one little boy’s case, a tear-drenched, ear-splitting tantrum. Finally, Evan stood alone with the dog. They both looked so adorable that Dani pulled out her phone and snapped their picture.
“I’ve got good news and even better news,” he announced. “Which do you want to hear first?”
“Don’t keep me in suspense any longer. My nerves are shot.”
“You’ll be happy to know the vet gave Taco a clean bill of health.”
“Thank God. What else? Does she have a chip?”
“Yes. Her name was Paco, and she’s three years old. Her elderly owner died a few weeks ago. I went out to the house and nobody answered the door, but a neighbor saw me and came over. The guy, Vince, said the lady lived alone and had no family in town. He’d been taking care of the dog until he could find her a new home.”
“Why wouldn’t he want to keep you, sweetie?” Dani crooned to the Chihuahua.
“He said she’s a great little dog but that his wife is allergic,” Evan explained. “His neighbor really doted on her pet, and he didn’t want to just drop Taco/Paco at an animal shelter. About a week ago, the old woman’s niece and her husband flew in from Indiana or somewhere, cleaned out the house, packed up the furniture and other stuff in a U-Haul, and took off. Vince offered to give them the dog, but they weren’t interested.”
“So Vince didn’t turn her loose, did he?”
“He said she was out in his yard one day and dug under the fence and ran away.”
“Do you believe him?”
“He seemed sincere. He told me about ten times how happy he is that she’s doing well and is with people who love her.”
Dani squealed and threw her arms around Evan’s neck and kissed him soundly, not caring whether anyone saw her. Then she planted kisses atop Taco’s head.
“She responds to her new name so I think we should stick with it.”
Evan nodded. “I’ve already taken care of the paperwork the microchip company required for a transfer of ownership. She’s officially listed as Taco now.”
“Did you hear that, Taco Belle? You get to stay with us!”
“Taco Bell? Like the fast-food place?”
“No. Belle with an e on the end. That’s her new middle name.” Dani nuzzled the Chihuahua. “I’ve always wanted a fur baby like you. This is a day to celebrate, isn’t it?”
Taco must’ve agreed because she wagged her tail and licked Dani’s hand.
“I second that notion,” Evan said and hugged both of his girls.
Chapter 20
Dressed in yoga pants and an oversized T-shirt with an orca on the front, Tara curled up in her rocking chair with a Jane Austen novel and a cup of honey lavender herbal tea. She’d be spending most of her evenings like this now because she didn’t feel safe going out by herself after dark. And she’d been so wrapped up in SWADS that she hadn’t had the time or the inclination to make lasting friendships outside the group.
Besides, the only person she wanted to see had a bull’s-eye on his back that limited his freedom to come and go as he pleased.
Tara took a sip of tea and cracked open her book. She read for about thirty minutes before her doorbell rang, sending her into a barely controlled panic. She approached the door and stood off to the side as she asked, “Who is it?”
“It’s Flipper.”
Tara took a peek through the peephole to be sure and then unlocked and threw open the door. There he stood, looking like her sexual fantasies come to life. He flashed a lopsided grin that made her want to hurl herself into his arms. And so she did. Then she kissed him until they both reeled.
“Wow,” he said, smiling against her lips. “If I’d known I’d get such a warm welcome I’d have come a lot sooner.”
She pulled back and felt a sudden stab of nervousness and brushed back the hair falling out of the clip. Maybe she could dash into her bedroom to change clothes or at least put on face powder and lipstick.
“You’ll have to excuse the way I look. I wasn’t expecting company tonight. I—”
He cut her off with a quick kiss and an appreciative once-over. “You look terrific. I especially like the way you wear those clingy pants. Turn around and let me see how they fit in the back.”
He grinned, and Tara had the sudden urge to climb him like a tree and swing from his branches. The thought made her blush, and his smile grew even wider as if he’d read her mind.
Trying to tamp down her libido before she did something to further embarrass herself, Tara narrowed her eyes and asked, “Where are your bodyguards?”
“One plans to sit in the company vehicle all night, while the other intends to camp out in front of your door. The security firm will send two guys to relieve them in the morning.”
“They didn’t try to talk you out of coming here?”
“I didn’t give them a chance. I told them I was leaving with or without them, so they brought me here in their Hummer.”
“What about your bosses at the aquarium?”
“What about them? They don’t get to decide what I do with my time and who I do it with when I’m not on the clock. You’re all I can think about. Let’s stop making it so complicated and just be together.”
No man had ever risked so much for her, and she intended to show him just how much that meant to her. She launched herself at him again, thrusting her tongue inside his mouth and slipping her hand beneath his shirt to seek the warmth of his skin. When he pulled her even closer, she reveled in the way they fit. She’d never been sexually aggressive, not even with Steven, but now she yearned to grind against the prominent bulge in Flipper’s jeans and beg him to touch her everywhere. Could she be that bold?
Only one way to find out.
“I want to be with you, too,” she whispered. Then she put a hand on each of his shoulders and boosted herself up so she could wrap her long, lean legs around his waist. “Take me to bed, Flipper. Make love to me.”
He appeared surprised but pleased, and then his expression heated, nearly sending her up in flames.
“It would be my pleasure. And yours, too. I guarantee it.”
She buried her face in his neck and breathed him in as he ca
rried her down the hall and into her bedroom. Her whole body vibrated in glorious anticipation.
He fumbled against the wall. “Where’s the light?”
“Leave it off.”
“But I want to see you.”
She tapped the switch and then slid the lever to dim the harsh glow of the bulbs in her ceiling fan. As he approached the bed, he nipped her ear and blew on it lightly, and then trailed kisses down her neck. She let her feet fall to the carpet and, with trembling fingers, lifted his Gulf Shore Aquarium T-shirt over his head. But when she reached for his belt buckle, he stilled her hands and gave her a quick but firm kiss.
“Wait just a second, sweetheart. You need to lose your shirt, too. It’s only fair now that I’ve shown you mine.”
Her pulse quickened as he shed her top and traced the lace of her carnation-pink bra with his fingertips. She didn’t realize he’d unhooked it until he peeled the undergarment from her and tossed it over his shoulder. His gaze caressed her as he breathed a single word of admiration.
“Beautiful.”
Then he dipped his head to tease her nipples with his tongue before drawing each taut tip into his mouth. She clasped his head to her chest and arched her back as he continued to suck, first with a light pull and then with more insistence. Awash in sensation, she protested when he moved away, but he gently pushed her into a sitting position on the bed and urged her to lie back. As she complied, he knelt on the floor and drew her yoga pants down her legs. And then he nudged them open wider and kissed her through the only scrap of lace that still covered her.
Tara jerked as if an electrical charge coursed through her and let out a moan. She closed her eyes as her carnation panties hit the carpet next and heard his quick intake of breath. Cracking open one eye, she found him taking a full survey of her body.
“You are without a doubt the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen,” he said with reverence.
Tara doubted that, but his blatant expression of lust convinced her to take him at his word. She relaxed, until he began playing with her. The sweet pressure building inside awakened every nerve ending. Instinct had her pumping against his hand, straining toward her release.
“C’mon, honey, let yourself go,” Flipper coaxed. “Clear your mind of everything but the way my fingers feel on you and in you. That’s it. You’re almost there. Just let it happen.”
She heard herself cry out, and the pleasure that flooded her senses was too delicious for her self-consciousness to penetrate. She’d held back so much with Steven because the first time she’d screamed as she climaxed, he’d admonished her not to be so “theatrical.”
When Flipper started loving her with his tongue, she threw her head back, dug her heels into the bed, and yelled his name as her orgasm chased every coherent thought from her head.
“Oh, my God, that was…spectacular,” she gushed, prompting a “yeah, I made you do that” grin to flash across his face.
“The best is yet to come. Scoot up onto the pillows while I shuck these jeans.” When he joined her on the bed, he held up a strip of condoms, leaving her to wonder how many he hoped to use tonight. She propped herself up on one elbow and drank in the sight of him.
“Wow,” she managed and tried not to drool. Much.
His eyebrow went up in question. “That’s it? Just wow?”
“You’ve rendered me speechless. Which, as you’ve probably noticed by now, isn’t easy to do. You are far and away the most tempting man I’ve ever seen.”
The corner of his mouth quirked. “You’ve seen a bunch, have you?”
She blushed. “Well, no. But I know one when he’s kneeling in all his glory in front of me.”
“And here I just thought you found me sexy.” Flashing her a cocky grin, he covered her body with his, and she responded by wrapping herself around him like a warm tortilla.
“Honey, you’re so incendiary I’m surprised this bed hasn’t spontaneously combusted.”
She couldn’t hold in a throaty laugh. “You’ve already got me where you want me, so there’s no need to impress me with your sparkling vocabulary.”
“Damn, and I was so hoping to dazzle you.” As he gazed into her eyes, his smile faded. “You think I’m feeding you a line about how seductive you are, don’t you?”
“No. I just…you’ve probably”—he frowned as she struggled to express her feelings—“okay, here it is. There are loads of women out there more desirable than I am. And I’m sure you’ve dated some of them. Or maybe a number of them.”
His look pinned her to the pillow. “Listen to me, Tara. You’re the one that I want. Oh, cripes, that sounds like something out of Grease, doesn’t it?” She giggled. “I don’t know what you’ve heard about me—”
“None of that matters now,” she assured him.
“None of what matters?”
“How many women you’ve slept with.”
“You might not believe this, but I can count them on one hand.”
Her eyes widened.
“You thought I was a real horndog, didn’t you?”
“Isn’t that what you’ve wanted people to believe?”
He sighed. “In the past, yes. I like women, it’s fun to flirt, I was single. But it never meant anything until I met you.”
“Was single? Did you sneak off and get married behind my back?”
“No, but I’m definitely off the market. This, you and me together, is what matters. You get that, don’t you?”
She smiled and nodded, and he appeared relieved.
“Why are we wasting time talking when we could be doing way more enjoyable things?”
Instead of answering, she raised her head and flicked her tongue along his throat, and then nipped his bottom lip. He groaned and captured her mouth in a scorching kiss that left her so aroused she yanked his head down for another torrid lip-lock. They both looked stunned when they finally stopped to catch their breath.
“Tara, Tara, Tara. What am I going to do with you?”
She knew the question was rhetorical but responded by rubbing against him.
“I can think of a few things right off the top of my head.” She wiggled a little, and he groaned again.
“You mean like this?” Flipper feathered kisses from her collarbone down to her breasts. After he’d given them both the attention they deserved, he rose to his knees again and, as Tara watched through hooded eyes, ripped open a packet and rolled on a rubber.
“Are you ready?” His hand glided down her body to explore between her legs before he dipped a finger into her wetness. “You feel ready.”
“I’m beyond ready.”
His face lit up with amusement and raw hunger. “Well, then, far be it from me to keep a lady waiting any longer.”
Tara winced when he slid into her, and he paused to let her body adjust.
“You okay?”
“Yes. It’s just been awhile.”
“I can slow down if you need me to.” He began to pull out, but she clamped her thighs around him to preserve their physical connection.
“Flipper, please. I need this.” She hoped she didn’t sound as desperate as she felt. She shifted her body to take him deeper and—finally—he started to move. She met him thrust for thrust, and before long they fell into a rhythm that excited them both. Tara felt herself hurtling toward a big payoff, and judging from his panting, Flipper was on the fast track there, too.
Frantic to fall over the edge, she urged him to pump harder until, with a cry that ripped from her throat and surprised her probably as much as it did him, she plunged and dragged Flipper over with her.
*
Tara wore the hint of a smile as they cuddled beneath her patchwork bedspread. Flipper wouldn’t admit it to some of his braggart softball teammates, who thought they were sex gods, but he liked lying together like this afterward almost as much as he enjoyed the main event. “Almost” being the operative word, because the only thing that beat a round of sweaty, headboard-banging sex was taking it slo
w and tender with a woman who cradled his heart in the palm of her hand.
And she just happened to be sprawled atop him, her head nestled on his shoulder. Unable to resist the urge to stroke her satiny skin, he let his fingers drift up and down her bare back. She stirred for a moment but didn’t open her eyes, and Flipper pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head.
He could stay like this for hours. Which was exactly what he planned to do, unless she awoke in the mood for some middle-of-the-night delight. He’d never say no to that. He always felt revved and willing when it came to Tara.
Flipper let his mind wander to one of his favorite daydreams of late. Gulf Shore Aquarium had just promoted him to supervisor of marine mammals, and Tara had landed a job there as a graphic artist. She’d given up her activist activities, admitting the lives of the animals under his care were as fulfilling as possible. After she’d moved into his beachside cottage, they’d mapped out their future together, which included a child or two and a house of their own, with a sunroom for her, a man cave for him, and maybe even a playroom for the kids.
Throw in a dog and he had himself a Hallmark made-for-TV movie.
He tightened his arms around her as if holding on to that happy scene. The odds of his being promoted were between nil and none, at least for the foreseeable future. In fact, he’d probably be lucky to hang on to his current position once his relationship with Tara became public.
And that worried him because the aquarium job market, especially for marine mammal trainers, remained ultra-competitive and limited. He might have to step down a peg or two for a while. But who knew if and when something better would open up? He didn’t want to leave Gulf Shore, but he might have to in order to find any type of work close to his field.
At least Tara didn’t need to live anywhere in particular to ply her trade. Flipper wondered how open she’d be to leaving Orlando. She couldn’t have many happy memories here, with the way things had turned out with Steven and SWADS.
A voice in his head cautioned Flipper not to get ahead of himself. But on this night, anything seemed possible.
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