by Laurel Kerr
She tore her mouth from his. Gasping for breath, she buried her face against his shoulder. When she spoke, her voice was shaky. “Bowie, I think you’re going to kill me with a kiss.”
He tipped up her chin with one finger. “I haven’t even gotten started.” And he let his lips descend once more.
* * *
Bowie’s kiss was like a Long Island iced tea. It had started out with honeyed innocence until it grew into something dangerous to Katie’s sanity. Although she wouldn’t deny its sweetness, it swirled through her like a potent cocktail, weakening her better judgment. Her limbs felt deliciously loose and languid. If Bowie hadn’t held her, she would have collapsed.
But the most perilous part was that it slid past her defenses. Her need went beyond the physical. She wanted him close. Against her. Inside her. Surrounding her.
Without breaking the maddening kiss, Bowie lifted her into his arms—and not how he normally did. Every other time, he’d grabbed her by the thighs so her legs wrapped around him. It was elemental and sexy, and it drove her crazy. This time, he cradled her like a princess…or a bride. This was romance, and it threatened to melt her.
Bowie gently laid her on the air mattress, their lips still pressed together. His body covered her, enveloping her with warm heat. As he ran his hands down her sides, his touch lingered at her breasts. The feather-soft caress triggered a longing deep inside her.
She reached up and stroked his back—not out of lust but out of affection. He hadn’t removed his T-shirt, but she could feel his muscles bunch beneath the material. He shifted, drawing kisses down her jaw and throat. Liquid need spread through her. He slowly unbuttoned her shirt, his fingers brushing against the exposed skin. She shivered at the contact, and his mouth closed over one of her breasts.
Her eyelids fluttered down. Before her brain went mindless with need, she tugged at Bowie’s shirt. He only raised his head long enough for her to pull the fabric from his body. His tongue darted out, circling her nipple, and then she was lost under a sea of churning desire.
* * *
Time faded away as Bowie licked and caressed Katie. His hands danced across her soft skin. Sensations flooded him as he massaged and tasted. He lingered on each breast before dipping his head to tease her between her thighs. Gently, he licked each juncture of her legs and hips. She whimpered, but he did not give in to their desire. Not yet.
Gently, he stroked the delicate skin behind her knees before returning his attention to her neck. Again and again, he explored her body, seeking the closeness she denied them. By the time he entered her, they were both shaking. Still, he kept his pace slow. He almost withdrew completely before he sank deep. Her hips arched toward his. Both of them moaned. Yet somehow, he forced himself not to rush. Not to give in to the pounding of his heart and the rush of blood. He called instead upon the affection pooling inside him. The emotion steadied him, even as it weakened his limbs.
She came first, clutching his shoulders, her body beautifully taut below his. His eyes half-lidded, he still managed to watch her. This woman had become so vital to him, so necessary.
Bowie’s own climax came with a shuddering intensity. The power of it thundered through him, leaving him helpless. He threw his head back, straining against the fiery glory. When it ended, he collapsed against Katie, burying his face in her soft hair. He lay still for a moment, breathing in the scent of her.
When he lifted his head to smile down at Katie, he froze. On her face, for just a moment, Bowie thought he witnessed pure panic.
* * *
What had just happened?
The vulnerability snaking around Katie’s heart had nothing to do with her nakedness and everything to do with the emotions Bowie had just unleashed. The sex had been good. More than good. But it always was with Bowie.
This was different.
He’d opened something inside her. Something she’d wanted closed. She’d started to feel for him again, and not just as friends. There was tenderness…and joy. Feelings that could get a girl hurt if she wasn’t careful.
* * *
Bowie glanced over at Katie as she held Fleur to her chest. They were about to introduce the cubs to the temporary exhibit, and Abby radiated excitement beside Katie. If his daughter hadn’t been holding Dobby, Bowie knew the girl would be bouncing right now. He wished he could share his daughter’s enthusiasm, but he couldn’t shake the memory of Katie’s expression after they’d finished making love.
Had he imagined it? It had vanished so fast that he couldn’t be sure. He’d been so focused on being the inspiration for the Self Doubt cartoon that he could easily have projected an emotion Katie didn’t feel.
But what if she did? What if the idea of intimacy with him frightened her?
And that…that was like getting kicked in the sternum by an angry camel.
But Katie didn’t seem bothered now. She was laughing as she and Abby headed to the opening that connected the nursery to the cubs’ exhibit. She seemed fine. Normal.
Trying to act the same, Bowie followed them. Holding Tonks, he climbed in last and deposited the kit on the floor with her siblings. The cougars sat still for a moment, their little tails twitching as they surveyed their surroundings. Then Tonks jumped on one of the platforms. Dobby came by to sniff at it, and Tonks batted him with her paw. He jumped back and scrambled up a nearby log to assume a better attack position. Fleur explored more cautiously, but soon, she joined the fun. It wasn’t long until all three were jumping on each other, chirping happily.
“I think they approve of their new home,” Katie said.
Bowie nodded. “Yeah. Seems like it.”
“They’re so cute!” Abby said. “I just want to snuggle with them.”
“I know, Abby, but we’ve got to let them grow up and be cougars, which means less handling,” Bowie told her.
“I know. I know,” Abby said a little glumly. “I remember when I had to stop playing with the coyotes.”
“How does Sylvia handle it when the orphans no longer need her?” Katie asked.
“Pretty well,” Bowie says. “Capybaras are social animals, so I make sure she has plenty of interaction with the other animals at the zoo. She and Rosie get along pretty well.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Yep,” he said. “Rosie likes to ride on Sylvia’s back. So do Bonnie and Clyde, our monkeys.”
“I’ve got to get a video of that,” Katie said.
“And she likes hanging out with the prairie dogs,” Abby added.
“It’s a wonder they don’t think she’s some sort of god. She looks like a giant one of them.”
Bowie laughed, but it didn’t come as easily as it normally did. “I don’t think they knew what to do with her at first, but they’ve come to accept her.”
“I’m glad she won’t be lonely when the cubs grow up.”
No, Sylvia would be fine, but the question that truly bothered Bowie was how he and Abby would deal with Katie’s departure from Sagebrush.
* * *
The day of the festival arrived bright and cloudless, but even that didn’t calm Bowie’s nerves. At least his schedule didn’t leave much time for worry. He’d risen before dawn to check on the tents he’d pitched the night before. Then he’d had to make sure everything was in order when the vendors arrived to set up their stands. He honestly didn’t know how he would have managed to pull off the event without Katie and June buzzing about. Those two women could organize a colony of prairie dogs into military precision.
And as much as Bowie hated to admit it, Josh had also helped. He’d shown a couple of the older vendors how to manually accept credit cards using their smartphones without the need for extra hardware. The computer whiz had even downloaded the proper app and explained the fees involved. Bowie was fairly certain that seventy-year-old Mabel Gregory, who was selling handmade quilts, had deve
loped a crush on the Californian.
Josh had also pitched in when Bowie set up the tent for the craft activities Katie’s mom was overseeing. Although Helen had planned the details at home, she’d arrived at the zoo early in the morning to organize the volunteers Katie had drummed up. Although Bowie had sunk quite a bit into art supplies, they’d already recouped the loss and then some with the presale tickets.
And the moment Bowie had seen Lou’s face light up at the sight of the huge crowd, he had known all the preparation had been worth it, even if they hadn’t been raking in money. The older man’s eyes had filled with tears. He hadn’t said anything, but he’d squeezed Bowie’s shoulder, silently thanking him. Although Bowie could never repay Lou, the fact that he had finally managed to fill the zoo triggered a sense of accomplishment.
When Bowie stepped inside the cubs’ temporary new home and gave a jungle cry, he didn’t feel as ridiculous as he’d thought he would. The Tarzan costume seemed fitting, festive even. Through the large picture window, he could see people waving. He raised his hand in greeting before he launched into his opening statement. Katie and Josh had set up speakers so the crowd could hear, and in the corner of the exhibit, Katie crouched out of view as she live-streamed the event. Bowie kept his initial comments brief as he warned everyone not to tap on the glass and frighten the little guys.
Lou opened the gate that connected the back nursery to the front room. Dobby’s nose appeared first, his little head swiveling back and forth as he surveyed his surroundings. Bowie had let the cubs explore their new home the last couple of nights, but the place was still new to them. Tentatively, Dobby put one paw forward and then another. Suddenly, he scampered into the area. Fleur entered even more cautiously, but Tonks bounded right inside, ready to attack her siblings. As the cubs explored the branches, rocks, and ropes, Bowie talked about the need to protect the cats and a little about the trio’s personal history. Fleur scampered over to him and batted him with her paw. Even with the glass separating them, Bowie knew the crowd had just broken into one long awwww.
He was trying to cut back on the cubs’ interactions with humans, so he didn’t pick up the little girl, but he did bend down to stroke her fur. As he did so, the other two surrounded him. As they took turns pouncing on his knees, he explained how play allowed baby animals to learn important survival skills.
By the time he concluded his talk, the cubs had completely charmed the visitors. With one last jungle cry—this one modulated a little softer to avoid startling the cougars—Bowie exited the exhibit. Katie ducked out behind him. They’d leave the kits to play for a while longer before returning them to the main nursery.
“I think that went even better than your performance with Rosie this morning,” Katie told Bowie.
Lou, who’d walked over to join them, nodded at her comments. “I haven’t seen crowds like this in years. And everybody seems to be having a good time.”
“I’ve overheard more than one parent say they need to bring their children more often,” Katie added.
“Let’s hope they do,” Bowie said.
Beside him, Lou nodded. “It’s a darn shame how kids these days don’t get enough exposure to real animals. They’ll watch that video of the panda sneezing over and over, but you can’t get ’em excited about seeing animals in person.”
Katie shook her head. “Lou, I never should have introduced you to viral videos.”
“It seems like a lot of the crowd is from out of state. Your ad campaign must have worked pretty well,” Bowie told her.
She nodded. “Hopefully, they’ll review us positively on TripAdvisor. I included a spot in the festival program asking them to rate us.”
Lou patted her on the shoulder. “You’ve been a lot of help this summer, young lady. And it’s been a pleasure working with you.”
Katie smiled. “Thanks.”
“So have we convinced you to stick around Sagebrush?” Lou asked.
Bowie tensed at the question. He’d wanted to ask it himself. Many times. But he hadn’t. Not when it could push Katie away. He still couldn’t shove from his mind the panic he thought he’d seen in her expression when they’d slept together after finishing the cubs’ exhibit.
Katie gave a noncommittal laugh. “We’ll see.”
“Now what’s that supposed to mean?” Lou asked.
“Honestly, I’m not sure. My parents want me to stay, obviously, even though Dad’s doing much better now. I’ve drummed up more work than I thought I could in Sagebrush, but there’s only so much I can do here. I’d have to build up a customer base outside the town.”
“Have you received any interest from people who liked your video campaign for the zoo?” Bowie asked.
“A little,” Katie said. “I guess I’d need to be more proactive about marketing myself as a business. I’m not sure it’s worth the effort if I’m going to get another job. Josh will be keeping his ear out for open positions this fall in San Francisco.”
Josh again. It took all Bowie’s efforts not to snarl like Fluffy. “Have you considered using his connections in the tech world as an opportunity to promote your freelance services instead?”
The words flew out of his mouth before he considered them. Luckily, Katie didn’t appear taken aback. Unfortunately, she wasn’t ecstatic either.
“I guess that’s a possibility,” she said slowly. “I hadn’t really considered it.”
“Well, you should.” Lou patted Katie on the shoulder again. “We like having you around.”
She nodded. “I’ll think about it, but we’d better get a move on. There’s a performance with the capuchins scheduled in about thirty minutes.”
As Bowie left Katie and Lou to collect Bonnie and Clyde, he forced himself not to dwell on the conversation or the fact that Katie still seemed set on leaving. Thankfully, he had plenty to distract himself. Still, he couldn’t help but notice that some of the brightness had faded from the day.
* * *
June and Katie had just left June’s booth at the zoo festival when Katie heard it: the high-pitched, mocking laughter of a group of mean girls. She’d recognize the sound anywhere. An uneasy feeling snaked around her heart and squeezed. Grabbing June’s arm, she steered her in the direction of the sound. Sure enough, she spied poor Abby cornered by three girls. Two eleven-year-old boys stood off to the side.
“Oh look,” the female ringleader—most likely the infamous Clarissa—sneered, “it’s trying to look pretty.”
To her credit, Abby stuck out her chin and tried to sidestep around the group of preteens. But Katie couldn’t miss Abby’s sheen of tears. And she knew the eagle-eyed girls wouldn’t either. Clarissa shifted so that she blocked Abby’s path.
“Are you sure you’re not a monkey that your father found and put in a dress?” Clarissa asked. The girls laughed in unison, and even the boys snickered.
“I’m going in,” June hissed.
Katie grabbed her arm. “June, you’re an adult. If you say anything, you’ll make it worse.”
June shook her head. “Katie, I’m well acquainted with these girls. Why, I’ve given talks at their Girl Scout troop for years. I’m like a cool big sister.”
Before Katie could stop her, June freed herself and strode over to the group of children. With a groan, Katie followed—although she didn’t know what damage control she could manage short of pulling June away.
When Clarissa and company caught sight of June, they froze. Pretty smiles replaced the snide grins. June greeted all of them, but she was especially warm to Abby. Clarissa shifted her chin to an even haughtier angle as if she sensed a threat to her power.
“Abby, I’m glad I caught up with you,” June said. “I wanted to tell you how cute you look in that outfit. I like it even better than when you tried it on in the store.”
“Thanks,” Abby said, a grateful smile on her face.
Clarissa shifted and crossed her arms, looking decidedly bored at the interchange. Obviously, she didn’t appreciate the attention being taken away from her. She reminded Katie keenly of Sawyer at that age. Now, it was Sawyer’s daughter who needed help fending off the mean girl.
June must have also noticed Clarissa’s bid to bring the focus back to herself. “Katie and I should get going. Abby, we’ll have to go shopping again soon. I just love your fashion sense.”
“You like her fashion sense?” Clarissa blurted out, her surprise clearly outweighing her strategic politeness around adults.
“Yes, why wouldn’t I?” June asked, her confusion sounding real. “She has a natural ability to pick what looks best on her, the way Parisian girls do. And nobody dresses better than the Parisians. It’s refreshing that she’s not a slave to fashion magazines like a lot of kids her age.”
Clarissa colored, and one of the other girls laughed. Clarissa shot her friend a dirty look. Although the preteen sobered, she couldn’t completely remove her smug, satisfied smile. Obviously, at least one of Clarissa’s minions would like to see her dethroned.
“Abby, have you told your friends about helping to raise the cougar cubs or feeding the bear?” June asked.
The boys perked up. One asked excitedly, “You’ve fed a bear?”
Abby nodded. “I help take care of all the animals.”
“Isn’t it scary? Especially for a girl?” the other boy asked.
“Not for me.”
“Do you throw the bear raw meat?” one of the girls asked. “Isn’t that gross?”
“I get to give them their treats. Frida—that’s our bear—loves ice blocks with fruit or vegetables in them. Would you like to see her eat one?”
“Yes!” all the kids chorused, except for Clarissa.
As the group started to follow Abby, Katie heard one girl ask, “What about the cougar cubs? Do you get to hold them?”
“Well, they were cuddlier when they were real small, but yeah, I still play with them all the time.”
“What other animals do you get to touch?” another child asked.