Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
H awk had seen a lot of sunrises, but there was something different about this one. The early rays cut through the dense trees, casting long streaks of gold over the dirt path as he made his way to the clinic. The film crew had gone ahead to set up.
The jungle was alive with sound—birds, insects, the faint rustle of leaves in the humid breeze—it was so different to the traffic and chaos of New York.
When he arrived, the clinic was buzzing with activity, a stark contrast to the quiet building he’d toured yesterday. Cameras, sound equipment, and wires were everywhere. Rex, the director, was barking orders like a drill sergeant while his crew scurried around, setting up. Through the open window, Hawk caught a glimpse of Lexi pacing the floor, her brow furrowed. She looked... anxious.
“How’s she doing?” he asked Rex.
“She’s pretty uptight. We need her to relax and act natural,” Rex muttered, raking a hand through his disheveled hair.
Hawk nodded. “Leave it with me.” Being on camera was daunting if you hadn’t done it before.
He stepped into the clinic, moving quietly enough that she didn’t notice him right away. She’d stopped pacing and was digging through a small makeup bag, her movements stiff and awkward like she was gearing up for battle. Her hair was up in an efficient ponytail again, but tendrils had escaped and floated around her face, softening her, making her look more vulnerable. More approachable.
She glanced up, startled, as he crossed the room.
“How are you holding up?” he asked. “You look a little pale.”
She frowned at the nickname but was too jittery to dwell on it. “I shouldn’t be, with all this makeup on.”
“You’ll be fine.” He took a step closer. “Just pretend we’re not here. Do what you’d normally do.”
“Easier said than done.” She twisted the hem of her surgical coat nervously.
He reached out and took her hands in his. They were small and feminine compared to his large ones, with tapered fingers tipped by neatly trimmed nails. Her eyes flicked up to meet his, but she didn’t pull away. “You’ll be fine.”
“I’m so nervous.” She bit her lip, drawing his eyes. Full, luscious lips. He forced his gaze back to her face.
“Relax. This is no different to any other day at work.” She gave a stiff nod. “You look great, by the way.”
Her expression softened. “Thanks.”
“Ready?”
She gave a hesitant nod.
Hawk called to Dan. “Okay, let’s go.”
A moment later, the director, Rex, called out, “Action!” The cameras started rolling.
Lexi froze. Completely. She stood like a statue, those soft lips slightly parted, eyes darting between Dan and the camera like a deer caught in headlights. Hawk could almost feel the panic rolling off her.
“Cut,” he said gently. Dan lowered the camera.
“I’m sorry,” Lexi murmured, covering her face with her hands. “Maybe we should get Robert?—”
“You’ll be fine,” Hawk said. “What’s the first thing you do when you get to work?”
“I wash up, then check on the gorillas.”
“Then, go through the motions. Don’t look at the camera. Pretend you’re showing me, like yesterday.”
Dan added. “We’ll wait for you to start. Just give us a nod when you’re ready.”
Lexi blinked, swallowing hard, and Hawk could see the effort it took for her to pull herself together.
“You’ve got this.”
She nodded to Dan, then turned to the sink. Slowly, deliberately, she began washing her hands, the familiar motions helping to ground her. Hawk stayed back, out of the camera’s line of sight, but he didn’t take his eyes off her.
When she was ready, Lexi led the crew down the hall to the recovery room, where the two orphaned gorillas were waiting with Patrick. The scene unfolded smoothly from there—Lexi worked with calm precision, checking Mto’s vitals and changing his dressing like she wasn’t being filmed. Hawk stayed just out of frame, but he could see she had it now.
She moved with a quiet confidence, her hands steady and sure, her focus entirely on the animals in front of her. It was almost like she’d forgotten the camera was there. He could see the connection she had with them, the way Mto relaxed in her arms, his soft noises of contentment filling the room.
Misha, the older of the two gorillas, was less cooperative. The little female wasn’t feeling well, and Hawk noticed the way Lexi’s expression shifted—concern creasing her brow as she took the gorilla’s temperature and prepared medication. She didn’t just care about these animals, she felt for them.
When Dan finally called, “Cut,” Lexi let out a breath she’d clearly been holding and gave Patrick more medication to administer later.
“That’s a wrap,” Rex said, glancing at his footage.
Dan grinned. “You did great, Lexi. Seriously. You’re a natural.”
She grimaced. “I felt like I was about to faint the entire time.”
“It didn’t show.” Hawk stepped forward, cutting Dan off. “You were impressive. Really.”
Her eyes flicked to his, skeptical but faintly pleased. “Thanks. I guess it wasn’t as bad as I thought once I got into it.”
Hawk saw his opening and took it. “Now that you’re warmed up,” he said casually, signaling to Dan, “how about a quick interview? Just a few words about the clinic, what you do here.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh, I don’t know?—”
Before she could back out, he pulled a small microphone from his pocket. “Nothing heavy. Just the basics. You’ve got the best perspective on the work you do here.”
She hesitated, weighing her options. “I thought Robert was supposed to handle this kind of thing.”
“We’ll interview Robert later,” Hawk said smoothly, clipping the mic to her shirt himself. Damn, it was a mistake to get this close. He smelled her shampoo, warm and enticing, her heat, her warmth. Those forest green eyes staring up at him.
He cleared his throat. “This is your chance to talk about what matters to you. I promise, it’ll be painless.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. But I’m blaming you if I sound like an idiot.”
“Deal.” He stepping back as Dan repositioned the camera.
The interview went better than he could have hoped. Lexi started off hesitantly, but once she began talking about the clinic and the gorillas, her voice steadied, gaining strength. She spoke with a quiet passion, describing the challenges of their work and the impact of poaching with a mix of heartbreak and determination that was impossible to fake.
Hawk watched, captivated—not just by her words, but by her. The way her face lit up when she talked about something she cared about. The way her hands moved as she gestured, quick and precise, like everything she did had purpose.
By the time Dan called, “Cut,” Lexi looked stunned.
“That was great,” he said, smiling. He meant it.
“I can’t believe I just did that.” Her voice was a little breathless.
“You were incredible,” Dan told her. “I got some great footage. Wanna see?”
Her face softened, and Hawk scowled. He wasn’t even sure why Dan’s easy-going charm annoyed him, or her reaction to it. It wasn’t like he was interested in Lexi, even though he had to admit, she was totally his type. Natural, smart, compassionate and down to earth. He loved the no-drama surrounding her. She was exactly who she appeared to be.
Still, she was here. In Africa.
He was based in New York—and when he wasn’t, he was travelling to some of the most out of the way places on earth.
The best he could hope for was a fling, and while he wasn’t averse to that, she didn’t strike him as the one-night-stand, no-strings type.
“Let’s pack up and leave Lexi in peace,” he barked, sending Dan scuttling back to his camera.
It was ironic, really. Back in New York, women practically threw themselves at him. Yet here he was, thousands of miles from home, fascinated by the one woman who seemed immune to his charm.
He found he was smiling like an idiot as he watched her tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, her focus back on the gorillas. He’d always loved a challenge. If it was the last thing he did, he’d get Lexi to open up to him. There was so much he wanted to know about her, and he didn’t have that much time. A week, tops. But one thing he was sure of was that he didn’t want to leave here without knowing her a whole lot better.