Chapter 9 Lucy
LUCY
“You’re doing so great, mama.”
I smile as I continue to praise Mali as she nurses her cubs, which are a few weeks old and growing like weeds.
After polishing off the leftovers I brought for lunch, I push up from the floor and lean against the wall outside of the enclosure the tigers are in.
In a few months, the family will be moved to a more permanent enclosure, where they’ll remain until the cubs are old enough to be transferred to another zoo.
At that time, Mali will be reintroduced to Ozzi, our male tiger.
A few minutes pass before I start to make my way out of the staff viewing area. Just as I open the door, Trevor, the zoo’s photographer, appears, holding his camera.
“She’s still nursing,” I tell him. “If you hurry, you can probably get some good shots. Just make sure you turn off the light so she can’t see you through the glass and get upset.”
“Always do,” he quips with a grin. I’m stepping around him when he snaps his fingers. “Almost forgot… there’s someone waiting in your office to see you.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I frown. “Who?” I ask, not expecting anyone.
Trevor shrugs. “No clue. Carolyn just asked me to let you know.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“No problem. When I’m done here, I’ll send you the pics for you to check out,” he says. “I know you like to see what’s going to go up on the website ahead of time.”
“Thanks, Trev,” I say. “You’re the best.”
I continue toward the wing of the building where my office is, and when I shove open the door, I come to a screeching halt.
“Zombie… or do you prefer Brad?”
The man is standing near the far wall where I’ve got several collage frames filled with pictures of me with various animals, along with my framed diploma and credentials. He whirls around, grinning like a fool.
“Zombie, please. Brad makes me feel like I should be a better man than I am. You really love your job, don’t you?” he asks, and I’m taken aback by the question.
“Yes, of course, I do.” I try to swallow, but my mouth is bone-dry, so I do my best to clear my throat. “What are you doing here?”
Taking a step toward me, he crosses his arms over his chest. He’s a large man, a very sexy man, and I can’t ignore the heat that pools in my belly at the sight of his muscles bulging beneath the fabric of his long sleeves.
He’s wearing a black cut, dark wash jeans, and black boots.
His outfit is the complete opposite of what he wore at the gala, and I find that I like this version of him much better.
“You told me I could stop by,” he says. “I know it’s been longer than I anticipated, but I was hoping the invitation was still good.”
I remember our brief conversation. Shit, I remember every second I was in this man’s presence at the gala. He’s pretty unforgettable. I just didn’t expect him to actually follow through and show up.
“Right.” Walking around my desk, I take a few deep breaths before sitting. “So, what can I do for you?”
He arches a brow. “That’s a loaded question,” he says, his tone flirtatious, as he sits in the chair across from me. “But if you really wanna know…” We both let his words hang in the air, and it’s he who breaks the silence. “How much did Sam tell you about me?”
“Dr. Binks?”
“Yes.”
“Nothing.” I think back over the years but can’t recall a single time he ever even mentioned Zombie. “Why?”
“On the one hand, I’m fucking thrilled to know he was able to keep his mouth shut,” Zombie admits, causing my mind to race with confusion. “And on the other, his good judgment makes this conversation slightly… difficult.”
An uncomfortable feeling wells inside me, and I lean forward with my elbows on my desk. “I suggest you spit it out because I really need to get back to my animals.”
It’s a lie, for the most part, but my attraction to him is slowly turning into a nervousness that I don’t like.
Zombie stares at me for a moment, then he glances around my office as if only just realizing we’re in a professional setting. “I think this might be easier to discuss somewhere else.”
My hackles rise. “Mind-blowing orgasm aside, we are strangers, and I’m not going anywhere with you unless I know what this is all about.”
“Mind-blowing, huh?” he counters.
“Again, Mr. Conners, I don’t know you from Adam,” I say, standing. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”
I walk to the door and stand there, waiting for him to take the hint. He doesn’t move for a solid sixty seconds—yes, I counted… so what?—and when he does, he gets to his feet before turning to face me with a scowl.
“I’m not someone you want to make an enemy of, Miss Thomas,” he retorts, his tone steely.
“I’ll leave for now, but I’m not done with you.
” I don’t say a word as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his cell.
After tapping the screen a few times, I hear the unmistakable ping of a notification on my own device, which is on my desk.
“There, you have my number. I suggest you use it, sooner rather than later.”
With that, he stalks past me and down the hall. Leaning through my doorway, I watch him walk away, my eyes glued to his perfect ass and tree-trunk thighs.
Hussy!
Before I have time to analyze the interaction, or even give it a second thought, my name comes over the intercom requesting my presence at the zebra enclosure.
It isn’t until much later, when I’m home and curled up on my couch watching reruns of Supernatural that I let myself look at the text from him.
Unknown: Call me
I save the number in my contacts as ‘Lion’s Den Fuck’, refusing to use his actual name as some sort of act of defiance.
For less than a minute, I debate on calling him but decide against it.
I don’t owe him anything, and if Dr. Binks really wanted me to have some sort of professional relationship with him, he’d have told me long before the gala.
Right?