Part 10 (2/2)

What Norah saw, she would never forget.

Her throat thickened and her heart warmed as she watched Mike Kraft in action.

Throughout the pen, construction workers built a playground. Cemented in the ground, huge electrical spools stood up like tabletops, great for climbing. A twenty-foot commercial water pipe al owed Houdini and Hermes an opportunity for hide-and-seek. The goats could trot the ful inside length and surprise each other at the opposite end.

Their bleats would echo inside the pipe.

A low narrow beam would show off Houdini's gymnastics skil s. Set in the far corner of the pen, a wide staircase curved around the base of an ancient Banyan tree, climbing to a tree fort. The structure was intriguing. Houdini would be highly entertained. He'd never be bored again.

Amid the commotion, the little buck stood beside the contractor. Houdini's horn had been wrapped in gauze.

Mike gently scratched the buck's ears.

Wide-eyed and twitching, Houdini was alert to Mike's every order and movement. Hermes peered from the barn, taking shelter against the shouting and whirring buzz saws.

Through it al , Norah focused on Mike in his gray T-s.h.i.+rt and jeans. He wore a black basebal cap backwards, dark sungla.s.ses, and a tool belt on his hip.

With his back to her, she took in the tempting bunch of his muscles along his shoulders, the flex of his biceps, his amazingly tight b.u.t.t as he hunkered down and helped anchor the last of the three tractor tires.

Houdini bleated, looked to Mike as if asking permission to play. ”It's al yours, buddy,” Mike said, as he and the other workers stepped back.

Houdini ran wild. Bleating, trotting, prancing, the little goat tried every piece of playground equipment once, then started over again. Hermes joined him, al sniffing and twitching, and slower in her exuberance.

It didn't take long for both goats to play tag.

Houdini won the game by climbing the boulder mountain and bleating his superiority. Hermes p.a.w.ned the base, waiting for him to come down and go a second round.

To the west, clouds thickened and the sky bore a purple haze. Humidity weighed heavily, the air in need of a cleansing rain.

”Hey, boss, we're going to take off,” one of Mike's workers cal ed to him. ”It's going to storm.”

Mike had hoped for rain. He'd noticed Norah's arrival.

The harder it rained the better. He wanted her wet and wil ing and needing him bad.

Mike dismissed the last of his men, then turned to the zookeeper. She leaned against the fence, a smal woman wearing a white tank top, black jeans, and a big smile. In that instant he realized she meant something to him.

Beyond their attraction, he liked her as a person. She cared for her animals as strongly as a mother for any child.

Mike hoped she'd care for him, too.

Even Houdini had gotten under his skin. Mike wished the little buck would b.u.t.t Norah in his direction now, but it didn't take the goat to draw Norah to him. She came on her own.

She entered the pen, amid a clap of thunder and the first fat drops of rain.

Hermes bleated Houdini off his mountain and coaxed him to the barn. Mike swore the buck winked at him in his retreat.

”Two by two,” he said as the pygmy goats took shelter.

Norah looked up at him. ”Life's better with a mate.”

He nodded his agreement.

Tucking her into his body, he kissed her long and slow.

She tasted of cleansing droplets, deep need, and shared happiness.

As he held her tightly, Mike thanked the heavens for rain and romance. He was also grateful to Houdini, a pygmy goat with a whole lot of att.i.tude and a mischief for matchmaking.

He faced a future with the zookeeper.

Along with al her incredible animals.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.

Dianne Castel He loved this woman with al his heart and that was the problem.

Rex Barkley held on to a last bit of control as he kissed the soft inside of Jane's delicious thighs. He wanted to make this good for her, prove his love for her, not that making love did that al by itself.

”Rex! I need you now! You're driving me crazy.”

Thank G.o.d, he thought, his lips devouring hers and he slid into her soft wet heat. He loved her and she loved him .

. . probably. d.a.m.n! Did that word have to pop up now?

In one last stroke she climaxed, taking him with her. The whole city of Savannah tilted, least it felt that way every time he made love to beautiful, intriguing Jane Louise Garrison.

”What you do to me, Rex.” Jane sighed as he rol ed them over, her on top, her pearl necklace swaying gently as her long auburn curls tumbled down around their faces. She smiled, her brown eyes clouding with dreamy euphoria that turned his insides to fire. He stroked his hand down her spine, the sweet scent of their lovemaking fil ing his head and his smal apartment over the clinic. His love for her fil ing every part of him.

But did Jane Louise feel that way about him or was he just . . . convenient? A love of the head more than the heart.

”You're perfect, you know that, sugar.” Her pink inviting lips formed the words an inch from his. ”You're strong, steadfast, loyal-”

”Honest, trustworthy, faithful, low-maintenance.” He pointed to the little black and white dog of questionable parentage perched on the dresser. ”Just like Maxwel . Your dog and I are two of a kind.” Did he real y just say that?

She giggled. ”And don't you go sel ing my pup short, now. He's the best, just like you.” She buried her face against Rex's neck, her lips kissing and sucking and doing magical things to his earlobe. His insides clenched, and his limp d.i.c.k lost its fatigue. See, that was more of the problem. He was consumed by her, but was he just good old Rex to her? Always there when she needed him? Wel , he'd find out soon enough . . . like today. Before he and Jane Louise got any more involved, he had to tel her what was going on in his life and the only way they'd get through it was if she loved him way beyond probably.

”We need to talk,” he said in his most even voice as he tried to ignore his clenching gut. What if she ditched him?

Turned him down flat? What if she thought he was out of his freaking mind! He'd had that thought once or twice himself.

”You'd better not be tel ing me you're married and have a wife and kids tucked away over in Beaufort. If you do, I swear on Mama's blueberry cobbler I'l cut your heart out with her silver serving spoon.” She glared but there was a twinkle in her eyes. He hoped it was there ten minutes from now. ”So, do I go get out the spoon and desert china?”

”No tableware needed. A sense of humor might help or a love of adventure depending on how you look at it.”

”You know my family, humor and adventure are constant companions. That's why I adore you, Rex.” She grabbed his shoulders and brought her mouth to his, her nipples hard and firm and delicious. When it came to s.e.x, he and Jane Louise were perfect together but what about the rest of the time? He kissed her. The real-life times when they weren't in the sack.

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