Chapter 19 – Ivan
Rayko: All these animals, and we can’t shoot any.
Boris: Protected species.
Rayko: Back home? Food.
Kiril: First world countries are weird.
Me: Shut up, and do your jobs.
Kiril: We’re the biggest threat here, boss.
Boris: Shut up, kid. And quit staring at the birds like that.
Kiril: What? They look tasty!
Boris: I could eat some peacock.
Kiril: You like cock? I knew it!
Me: Enough.
The hot August sun beat down on the packed crowd, creating a melting pot of smells.
Flies buzzed around the stewing trash bins, adding a strong flavor to the scene.
I took the treats from the concession window and moved through the mass of sweat and BO.
Poppy and my son stood off to the side. I shared a look with the beautiful, smiling face, and we seemed to communicate silently that the picnic tables were not where we wanted to sit.
“Here you go.” I handed the boy his yogurt fruit bar.
Poppy helped him tear the wrapper off. Already, beads of juice were dripping down the sides.
“Thank you, tatko,” he beamed and began to devour the treat.
Poppy took hers, and we began to walk down one of the trails, exploring pens and exhibits we hadn’t seen yet.
This trip was…nice. I knew squat about animals.
But my ignorance, my lack of higher education—hell, of any formal education—was hidden through diversion or silence.
This wasn’t like the forks on the table.
I didn’t need to scramble like an idiot trying to fit in.
I could simply stand there, enjoy my son, and partake in the enthusiasm.
The few times I was forced to read the plaques, I avoided stumbling by sounding out the Latin names or other hard words that normal folk wouldn’t be able to pronounce, either.
I ran the flat of my tongue along the base of my cone, catching the vanilla soft serve before it could slough off.
Already, I was making attempts in private to better myself.
By the time my son was old enough to notice I was a dunce, I wouldn’t be.
Keeping his mother from noticing was another matter.
But thus far, I’d accomplished the feat.
“Here.” I tipped my chin. There was a bench under the shade of a mighty maple. It seemed as good as any. “Sit.”
“Why not?” Poppy let out a blissful sigh and leaned into the seat.
“Can I go look at the big cats?” my son asked, pointing to the enclosure across from us.
Poppy squinted at the trees. “Don’t you want to get out of the sun for a minute?”
“No.” The boy shook his head. “I want to see the panthers.”
“Stay where we can see you,” she insisted.
A funny feeling spread through my chest as we sat together. I was keenly aware of how normal this felt. Just a mom and dad, sitting and enjoying a treat, while we watched the tireless soul study another wild creature.
Poppy must have felt the same, because she shot me a look. I took another long lick of the ice cream.
Her breath hitched. The sound was soft enough, it should have been lost to the backdrop of the noisy zoo. But I heard it.
I kept my gaze pinned on the boy as I took another agonizingly slow taste of the treat. Just to be sure I wasn’t imagining it.
Those soft brown eyes lingered on my mouth. The way Poppy watched me made my skin tingle. Awareness spread through me.
“See something you like?” I murmured, shooting a quick look to the side.
She had one of the most expressive faces I’d ever seen, and right now her cheeks flushed a gorgeous shade of pink with the knowledge she’d been caught.
“Nothing,” she muttered, quickly swiveling away. Her lips closed over the tip of the yogurt bar.
A bolt of heat shot through my veins that had nothing to do with the sun.
It became a game. We took turns watching where the inquisitive boy stared through the bars of the great cats’ cage and the unspoken show each of us was putting on.
Her eyes locked on my mouth as I worked my tongue around the soft serve, tracing the edge where it met the cone. I took my time, savoring the cold sweetness against my lips. Something in her gaze shifted, darkened.
“Does yours taste good?” she asked, her voice different than before—lower, huskier.
My low rumble of approval made her shift in her seat. “It’s very good.”
Poppy’s gaze darted away again.
I smiled, watching her take a delicate lick of her own treat. A small drop of berry clung to her bottom lip. Without thinking, I reached over and brushed it away with my thumb. Her skin was soft against my touch.
“Careful,” I murmured. “It’s melting fast.”
She fucking shivered.
I slid the tip of my thumb between my lips, sucking hard.
There was no denying the blatant desire rushing across her face.
I inched closer and lifted my soft serve cone. “Want a lick?”
Poppy shook her head and lifted her yogurt bar.
She held my gaze as she deliberately took another taste, her tongue moving slowly against the creamy surface.
From bottom to top, her tongue slid across the frozen surface.
My heart quickened. The sounds of the zoo seemed to fade away.
While my son stayed in my field of sight, I focused on the vibrant temptation at my side.
“Do that again,” I growled.
Poppy smirked. “Do you see something you like?”
A groan stuttered in my chest. “Yes.”
She flicked a quick glance at the exhibit, always the protective mother, before she turned back to me. Her tongue carved another agonizingly slow path up the bar. At the top, she swirled it across the tip, before sticking the treat in her mouth—and sucking hard.
“Fuck,” I hissed.
The treat came out with an audible pop.
“We should start walking. He’ll want to see what’s over there.” Her words were a touch breathless.
We rose, but the game wasn’t over. As we walked, Poppy changed her tactic, sinking her pretty little teeth into the treat and consuming it with gusto.
The exotic animals lost my interest. I became the beast, stalking after the dainty prey that walked slightly in front of me.
“Don’t get too far, Brady,” Poppy warned as he darted ahead, eager to see the wolves farther down the trail.
She paused by a trash bin, leaning over to toss the empty stick away. Her tee rose along her belly, exposing an inch of sun-kissed skin. Suddenly, I lost all taste for my cone. I popped the last piece of flavorless, soggy waffle in my mouth, obsessed with the idea of touching something else.
But it had to wait a few more minutes as we trekked along the zoo’s path. What she might not know yet was that I had her in my sights. Poppy was already mine, and I would have her.
The enclosure that held the bears had a man-made rocky viewing area that visitors could duck into to see the cave where the great beasts slept.
While my son raced up the faux rock steps to sit high and watch, Poppy paused to read.
I was done trying to make sense of the letters, but I came up behind her.
Leaning down, I whispered, “Studying your kinfolk?”
Poppy’s breath caught. She tried to move, but I was blocking her on every side.
“What do you mean?” she stammered, voice equally low.
My lips grazed the shell of her ear. “The way you watch over him. You’re exactly like a sow with a cub.”
“Oh, thank you.” She swallowed hard.
I brushed the back of my hand down her arm. “Did you know that sows keep their young away from the fathers?”
Poppy nodded. “The males have been known to eat their young if they’re hungry enough.”
“Well, I’ll tell you a secret, little flower,” I breathed, stepping right behind her and making our bodies touch. “I’m starving after such a long winter. But I hunger for you.”
Reaching around her as I spoke, I let my index finger graze along the strip of skin that kept teasing me. The touch was feather-light as I ran my finger along her belly from one hip bone to the other.
“Ivan,” Poppy warned, shooting a look to the rocks where Brady had his face smooshed against the thick glass, then to the half dozen people around us.
“Hmm?” I murmured, running my nose against her ear. I couldn’t get enough, couldn’t stop touching her. My other hand reached under her shirt, fingers splaying over the hot skin of her belly, while I continued to trace a line back and forth with the other.
“We shouldn’t be doing this.” She caught her lip between her teeth, not fighting, not pulling away. No, my little flower leaned back into me, her body betraying what her cautious mind wasn’t ready to admit.
“Probably not here, in such a public place,” I agreed. “But it’s only fair you should know, I am hunting you, Poppy. And I’m getting close, ready to pounce. When I finally catch you, I’m going to sink my teeth into your flesh and mark it as mine. This is the only warning you’re getting.”
Her hands dropped to catch my wrists. Gripping me tight, she tried to push away. I didn’t budge.
“You have no idea what you’re doing to me.” I nipped her skin, letting my teeth score the flesh. “But you feel the same, don’t you? That pull between us.”
Poppy shook her head vehemently. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Let’s make an agreement right now not to lie to each other,” I growled, a dark warning lacing my words.
“I’m not—”
“Poppy,” I warned. “If I slid my hands lower, what would I find?”
She swallowed hard. “A grey pair of cotton panties. Sensible and moisture-wicking.”
Shock stilled me. But only for a moment. Then a laugh snorted out. “Damn, woman, you know exactly how to give a guy a fantasy.”
Poppy made a face. “They aren’t cute or sexy. They’re practical.”
“On you, anything is sexy,” I promised. All my fingers splayed over her belly, reaching to encompass as much skin as possible. “How wet are they?”
Poppy wriggled.
“You’re not escaping. Now answer the question.”
She let out a frustrated huff. “Well, if you must know the answer to something grossly inappropriate, it’s hot and we’ve been walking for a couple of hours.”