“Well, I need to see your license before I can release the car.”
“No problem. I’ll go back and get it. But can you tell me if anything was taken?”
“Car looks fine. The man who arranged for delivery even handed over the keys.”
“Was he about my height, dark-skinned, bald head and could have doubled for a professional boxer?”
“Yep. That sounds like the man. Look, it’s nice talking with you and all, but it’s cold out here and I have a few more pick-ups and deliveries today.”
Trey nodded and smiled as relief flooded through his body. “I’ll be right back with my license,” he said aloud, but mentally added, “And you can have all the cash I have in my wallet.” He grinned as he strode through the doors. His luck was back. Now all he had to do was win Sasha Clayton over.
Three hours later, after a quick tour of the outside exhibits, Trey drew Sasha to a stop in front of a closed portion of the zoo.
“‘Future home of the Golden Lion tamarins,’” Sasha read the overhead banner aloud.
“With your help, this facility will become one of a group of national zoos conducting research to better understand the process of reintroduction of the tamarins into the rainforest.”
Sasha shook her head. “I appreciate the thought, Trey, but you have the wrong person. My research has primarily focused on four-legged mammals. I don’t have much experience with primates.”
“But you do have firsthand knowledge of the Brazilian rainforest. You spent the two years there.”
“I was in the middle of the forest. If I’m not mistaken the tamarins are native to a forest near Rio de Janiero.”
“You’re right, and the zoo brought in representatives from the Brazilian primate centre to help with the design, training and environment recommendations. They’ve got a fully funded team dedicated to care for the exhibit, which will include this indoor space and mixed species, free range wooded area.”
Sasha surveyed the area. “It sounds like a good plan, but I’m not sure I can help you with this.”
“We’re just looking for another pair of eyes and ears, Sasha.”
She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “It’s not because I don’t feel as though I have nothing to contribute. I just feel that we don’t have the right to keep animals in captivity.”
“We’re going to try to make the exhibit as similar to their natural environment as possible.”
“It’s still not the same,” she insisted. “How can you simulate the call of the birds in the morning? How can you copy the fog rising over the canopy at daylight or the downpour of the summer rains?”
He stepped closer to her. “This is a chance to save this species from extinction.”
“They’re almost extinct because of humankind.”
“And you have the chance to help turn it around. The goal here is not only to help repopulate the species but to also show our generation and the next how to be better stewards of the environment.” He placed his finger under her chin and forced eye contact. The sight of her lovely brown eyes made his heart skip a beat. “This exhibit is to show people what they’ll miss if they don’t support conservation efforts like this.”
“I’ve spent my entire life observing animals in the wild, Trey. It’s not a simple thing you’re asking me to support.”
“But it’s the right thing, Sasha. Your godfather felt the same way,” he said.
“Uncle Camden was involved in this?”
“He funded over a quarter of the exhibit.”
Sasha gently pulled her hands from Trey and walked over to the side of the plastic window and sighed. “I’ll need a little time.”
“So you’re not turning me down completely?”
She smiled a little. “Is that possible?”
“If you were my mother it would be a requirement.”
“How is she?”
“Happily planning my grandfather’s birthday celebration.”
“You sound pleased.”
He laughed. “I’m not the only one. My brothers are breathing easier now that she has something to distract her from planning their lives.”
“Sounds serious.”
Trey nodded. “It is. Before she and my father retired, Mom was head of the company’s project planning office. The family jokes that if it’s not on Rose’s plan, then it won’t happen.”
They walked along an outside path. Sasha chuckled. “Your mother sounds a lot like mine. I learned everything I needed to know about planning an expedition just by watching her work. My father would be lost without her.”
“Same for my family. All of the family businesses are headed by Blackfox men, but without our women for support, we’d never make it.”
“It’s not that often you hear high praise like that.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Ask anybody in the family and they’ll tell you the same thing.” He chuckled. “It’s well known that you can mess with Blackfox money, but you can’t mess with our women.”
Surprisingly Trey’s words struck a strong chord in her heart. It didn’t erase the small fact that he had the traits of a borderline womanizer, and the paternalistic overtones of his family rankled her independent nature, but his respectful manner did make her look upon him in an increasingly better light. Before she said or did something she might regret, Sasha returned her attention to the zoo grounds. “So where to next?”
He reached over, placed his arm around the small of Sasha’s back, and pulled her in close. “Just thought I’d round out the tour with a stop in our last indoor exhibit.”
Enjoying the sudden warmth of Trey’s body, Sasha relaxed and smiled up at him. “And what’s in there?”
“Some of my favorites—spiders, snakes and a few praying mantises.”
Ten minutes later after what he’d thought would be a perfect ending to a relaxing afternoon, Trey’s heart stopped as he turned toward Sasha. He didn’t stop because of the soft smile on her face as she examined the exhibit’s ladybugs. “You know, maybe not all bugs are bad. These are actually cute.”
“Sasha, don’t move,” he said calmly.
Her smile dimmed. “Trey, what’s wrong?”
“Honey.” He put the emphasis in his voice and took off his jacket. The sight of the yellow-and-dark-striped scorpion crawling up the back of her coat stopped his heart. The closer the scorpion got to her exposed neck, the greater the chance it might sting her.
“Just don’t move.”
“What’s wrong?” she asked again, her voice rose in pitch.
“There’s a scorpion on your back.”
“Did you just say there’s a scorpion on my back?”
“Yes. Now I know you won’t panic, right?” He took a baby step forward.
“I hate scorpions, Trey. I have a phobia,” she nearly screamed. “Get it off me.”
“When I count to three I want you to leap forward. I’m going to knock it off.”
“What if it bites?”
“Just do it, Sasha. One.”
Adrenaline kicked into overtime. “Two…three.”
She moved; he swatted the damn thing. Trey sprinted to the closest trash bin and quickly dumped it in and tied the garbage bag. He’d just finished tying a double knot when he heard a thump.
Trey turned and discovered Sasha crumpled on the ground.
“Damn it,” he cursed and sprinted over to kneel by her side. He quickly checked her pulse and found it steady. For a split second, he considered going for help, but he didn’t want to leave her alone. “Sasha…Sasha.” He gently stroked her face and whispered, “Wake up, beautiful. The scorpion is gone.”
“Trey.” Her eyes opened unfocused. “What happened? Where’s the scorpion?”
“You’re safe. He’s in the garbage bag over there. Now how are you feeling?”
She drew a deep breath before answering, “I’m fine.”
He stared at her incredulously. The woman had just fainted onto the floor not more than three minutes ago
. When she attempted to pull out of his lap, Trey held her still. “No, you’re not. You’re pulse is rapid and I’m surprised you haven’t started to hyperventilate.”
“Okay, Trey.” She swung her head around to face him. “I’m not all right. And I won’t be okay until I get out of this room.”
“One of the directors is out of town for the week. I’ll take you to his office and you can rest on the sofa.”
With his hands underneath her arms, Trey helped Sasha stand. Even when they were both back on their feet, she stood close to him. His arm found its way around her back and she fit perfectly next to him. He’d started out wanting to impress the woman, but had almost gotten her stung by a scorpion. He shouldn’t have brought her into the exhibit.
The slight trembling of her hands tightened his teeth with recrimination. No doubt he’d been frozen with fear when he’d seen it. Trey tried to remember the last time he’d experienced the gut-wrenching sensation and couldn’t find the answer. Not one to ponder long, he pushed his train of thought aside. After he’d gotten them out of the building and halfway to the administrative offices, he asked, “Why didn’t you tell me that you’re afraid of insects?”
“Because I’m not.”
“Sasha, you just fainted.”
She placed her hands in her pockets. “I’m not afraid of insects. I’ve been crawled on by more of them than I care to remember. But I was bitten by a scorpion as a child. I know what it feels like and the thought of having that happen again…” Her voice trailed off into a whisper, and then she reached up and wiped her eyes.
“And yet you still were next to the cage?”
“My career is based on wildlife research. There are scorpions and things that are worse than scorpions out there in the jungle. If I let the fear get to me, I won’t be able to conduct my research.”
“Sounds like you’re ready to get back to work.”
“Not yet. For the moment, Jackson volunteered to continue helping me with Uncle Camden’s pets until I can find a replacement. And I really don’t want to find someone else. I like being woken up with Zaza curled on the bottom of the bed and I feel like a kid again when I play fetch with Darwin.”
Trey opened the door for Sasha and they entered into the zoo’s office building. “Wait here for a moment, so I can tell someone what happened and they can go put your deadly admirer friend back in his cage.”
“You’re funny.”
He flashed a big grin and was gratified to see a ghost of a smile on Sasha’s lips. “What can I say, the little thing had good taste. He saw a beautiful woman and just wanted to get a little closer.”
She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, and then waved him away. “Go. I’ll wait here.”
Five minutes later after he’d dispatched one of the zoo keepers to go and take care of his wayward charge, he let them both into the director’s empty office. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“No, thank you.” She sat down on the sofa. “I think that little scorpion incident is a sign that I shouldn’t take on this project.”
“That was an accident. The tapir habitat is on the opposite side of the zoo.”
Sasha tilted her face and rested her cheek on the palm of her hand.
“To be honest, I haven’t thought of this as helping the zoo. I’ve only thought of it as helping you.”
He sat in opposite of the couch. “If that gets us the help we need than, please help me.”
“That’s the problem. I doubt that I can handle this by myself. I’ve approached Jackson about continuing his role as the animal’s caregiver and estate manager. But honestly, I don’t expect him to stay on. Why would he want to? He was Uncle Camden’s best friend and now he’s financially set. He could retire tomorrow if he wanted to.”
“But he might stay out of loyalty to your godfather.”
“Exactly. I don’t know how I can do this without him, Trey. The attorneys, accountants and bankers manage a lot of things, but I’m still floundering. It’s hard enough to manage my checkbook and a project budget.” She sighed. “Lord, I’m tired of hearing myself whine.”
“Well, I don’t mind listening.”
“Sure.”
He stood and took a seat next to Sasha on the sofa. “I’m serious. In fact I find this conversation fascinating. Most women I know would be on a plane to Milan for retail therapy. Yet you’re here trying to find a way to get back to the edge of civilization.”
“You’re not going to let me feel sorry for myself, are you?”
“Not today. We need you here at the zoo and you need a new focus. It’s a win-win situation.”
“What’s in this for you, Trey? Why are you pushing this zoo project so hard?”
“Truth?”
“Truth.” She looked him dead in the eyes.
Trey racked his brain to come up something as she sat back and folded her arms underneath her bosom, making her hint of cleavage irresistible to his eyes. In the beginning there had been only one thing on his mind when he’d come up with the idea of approaching Sasha with the project, and he couldn’t tell her that yet. He pulled his gaze upwards and his dilemma went from bad to worse as those beautifully discerning eyes and pouting lips jumpstarted his libido.
He leaned back against the armrest and managed a grin. “I don’t think you can handle the truth.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I think you’re stalling.”
He shrugged. “My motives for wanting you to help won’t matter if you’re hell-bent on leaving town.”
“I’m not leaving town until I feel confident that Uncle Camden’s wishes have been met.”
“All right. Then you can help us out until then. Sasha, we’re this close to being accepted into a national breeding program. If we can add your name and credentials to the proposal, we’ll have the tapir exhibit set up with a small population before the end of the year.”
“You won’t give this up, will you?”
“Nope,” he grinned. “When I was growing up my mother would give us a new dictionary word every day. Once after I refused to eat liver, she called me obstinate and made me look up the word in the dictionary and write it a hundred times. Personally I don’t see it. I think I’m a big pushover. Now my brother, Marius, he’s more stubborn than my grandfather’s old mule Gracie.”
“I’ve heard that stubbornness is a genetic personality trait inherent in males,” she reasoned.
Just then, the door swung open and someone entered the room “Trey, Mike told me that a scorpion got loose and attacked a visitor.”
Sasha recognized the voice in an instant and stood up as old memories came flooding back into her consciousness.
The visitor stopped in his tracks and his eyes widened. “Sasha?”
She smiled and held out her hands. “Kenneth.”
He strode toward her and instead of taking her hands engulfed her in a big hug. “What are you doing here? No, that’s not important. You’re the visitor that was almost bitten, aren’t you?”
Sasha tried to speak but couldn’t with her face pressed tightly against the side of Kenneth’s sport coat.
“Are you alright?” he asked after a moment. He relaxed his grip yet still held her arms.
“I’m fine,” she stated for the tenth time in the past half hour. “I don’t know if attack is the right word. Let’s just say he got a little too close for comfort,” she replied ruefully.
“Did it sting?”
“No. Trey managed to get it off me.”
Kenneth took her hand within his. “I’m surprised you were in the exhibit. I thought you hated bugs.”
Annoyed with being ignored, Trey stood up. “I take it that introductions are unnecessary?”
“Sasha and I went to graduate school together.”
“I thought you went to business school,” Trey responded.
“I did. The veterinary school was right across the walk. We met at an on-campus mixer. It’s been over five years but even after all this time, you look
lovely.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you busy? I was going to head out for lunch before an afternoon meeting. Why don’t we grab something to eat and catch up?”
Sasha started to answer, but Trey spoke first. “Sorry, Kenneth, but I’ve got to get back to the clinic and I’ve got a few things to run by Sasha before I leave.”
Kenneth reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card, and laid it in Sasha’s hand. “Promise me you’ll call today.”
“I promise.”
“It’s great seeing you again, girl.” The man leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Trey stood up and kept the smile on his face until he’d managed to close the door behind Kenneth. When he turned around and relaxed his face, he thought his face might crack from the release of effort it had taken him to keep a neutral expression.
He’d never thought of himself as the jealous type. He dated his fair share of women who’d carried the trait and until he’d learned to give out an upfront disclaimer that he had no plans of making any woman in his life the next Mrs. Blackfox, they’d made his personal life a textbook case of drama. Yet, when Kenneth had pulled Sasha close and kissed her on the cheek, he’d wanted to smash his fist into the man’s jaw.
“Old friend?” He sat down again in his chair and frowned.
“Sometimes. Depends on the situation.”
“And how would you find the situation you’re in now?”
She rubbed her brow with her fingers and sat back on the sofa. “Very awkward. That’s how I would define this, Trey.”
“That wasn’t exactly the kind of answer I was looking for.”
“Then tell me what you’re looking for, Trey. Help me figure out what’s going on between us.” She waved a hand in his direction. “If there is something between us.”
Trey didn’t even deign to answer her statement with a verbal response. Instead he pushed out of his seat and before she could open her mouth, he’d pinned Sasha to the couch with his arms on both sides and crushed his lips with hers. He slanted his mouth over hers and didn’t wait for an invitation; he demanded it and when her lips yielded against his and the hands that had seconds before pushed against his chest clutched his sweater, Trey wanted to shout his triumph. Instead, he wrapped his hands about her back and pulled her closer, pressing her breasts against his chest.
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