Part 5 (1/2)

As she drifted off to sleep, her last thought was that she'd just have to find some other excuse to see Larem Jones again.

Larem stared at the flyer on the shelter bulletin board and cursed. It had been two days since he'd last seen Sasha after spending an afternoon with her down at the piers. Forty-eight hours of spinning his wheels and getting nowhere on his a.s.signed mission of further befriending her. Torn between wanting to spend more time with her for his own selfish reasons and his guilt over the whole idea of spying on her, he'd considered and rejected several ideas.

He pulled the paper down off the board to study it further. There was going to be an outdoor concert at the zoo to raise money for various animal-related causes. It was exactly the kind of event that would appeal to Sasha, not to mention himself. Dr. Isaac even had tickets for sale right there on the premises-so it couldn't be simpler. Just buy the tickets and make the call.

But were the G.o.ds smiling upon him or out to drive him crazy? Only one way to find out. He reached for his phone and started dialing.

Larem waited at the edge of the rose garden by the zoo entrance, trying to find Sasha in the milling crowd. The early evening air was heavy with the perfume of the flowers. He slowly filled his lungs, enjoying the calming combination of their scent and incredible beauty. As always, it seemed as if everything in this world was more intense, more vivid, than back home in Kalithia. His world had its own beauty, but it was definitely different.

”Hi, Larem. I hope you weren't waiting long.”

He opened his eyes and smiled down at Sasha. ”Not at all. We have plenty of time before the concert. I thought you might enjoy a stroll here in the rose garden before we go inside.”

”I'd love that.”

As they walked along, neither of them said much, but the silence felt comfortable rather than awkward. After a bit, she stopped to admire a particularly spectacular blossom. He had no idea what it was called, but it was the color of fire-a burnished gold center deepening to a dark red along the edges of the petals.

It reminded him of Sasha's hair, set off to perfection by the dark purple s.h.i.+rt she wore with a long white skirt that swirled around her ankles as she walked. Once again she'd twisted her hair up on top of her head. He pictured himself kissing the elegant curve of her neck just before he removed the wooden sticks to set her hair free.

He'd dearly love to see it down loose around her shoulders-or better yet, spread out on his pillow as he kissed that sprinkling of freckles on her nose. Something of what he was thinking must have shown in his expression, because when Sasha glanced in his direction, she blushed and immediately hurried on toward the next bed of roses.

But she did take his hand and tug him along in her wake. That small gesture vanquished the knot of nerves in his chest. For the moment, it was enough to pretend they were just an ordinary couple out to enjoy an evening of music and each other's company.

The concert was winding down, the musicians putting one last burst of high energy into their encore. Sasha couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed a night out more. Larem had produced a blanket from his pack for them to sit on. After they'd staked out their spot, he'd gotten each of them a lemonade and a piece of strawberry shortcake.

Watching him savor the sinful berries heaped high with whipped cream had been an amazingly sensual experience. It was almost as if he were tasting the decadent dessert for the first time.

She barely knew the man, but there was just something about him that stirred emotions in her that had lain dormant for a long, long time. First college and then her heavy work schedule had left little time for a social life. Or at least that had been her excuse. The truth was, when she'd met David Booker, she'd fallen fast and hard for him. Although she'd known the risks of getting involved with a Paladin, she'd hadn't been able to help herself. And when he'd died, it had almost destroyed her.

Yet here she was, risking the same kind of pain all over again. At twenty-eight, she should be old enough to know better, but obviously not. The more time she spent in Larem's company, the more reckless she felt. How would it feel to kiss that stern mouth? What kind of lover would he be? Maybe she should just toss the dice and see where the night led them.

Despite its being late summer, there was a chill in the air as the sun went down. Larem noticed when she s.h.i.+vered and leaned toward her. ”Are you cold?”

”A bit. I'm not used to the way the temperature drops here at night.”

He hesitated, then wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close, sharing the warmth of his body.

”Is that better?” His voice was a deep rumble near her ear, sending a whole different kind of s.h.i.+ver through her.

Oh, mama, yes!

But she kept that comment to herself and just nodded. Too bad the concert was about to end. She could've happily spent hours sitting right there, enjoying the night with Larem.

When the song ended, the crowd surged to their feet, applauding loudly. She reluctantly joined them, immediately missing Larem's touch.

He folded up the blanket and stowed it back in his pack. ”The zoo is open for another hour. Want to wander around a bit before we call it a night?”

”Sure.”

It seemed only natural for him to take her hand, especially with the jostle of the people surrounding them. In just a few seconds, the crowd thinned out, leaving the two of them wandering down a path with only a handful of others nearby.

”Did you like the music?”

Larem nodded. ”Very much. We should do this again sometime. I think they do a whole series of concerts here.”

”I'd like that.” A lot.

When a smaller path branched off to the left, Larem took it. The sign said it led toward the animals of the African savanna. As dark as it was, they'd not likely be able to see much, but at the moment she didn't care. She was really hoping Larem was more interested in finding them a bit of privacy than seeing what the zebras were up to.

Sure enough, when they were alone, he dropped his bag on the ground and turned to face her in the faint glow of a distant lamppost. His big hands gently came to rest on her shoulders. She responded by sliding her palms up the hard planes of his chest. His pale eyes stared down into hers for the longest time.

”I hope you don't mind, but I've been wanting to do this all evening.”

Before she knew what he was going to do, he tugged the chopsticks out of the knot on top of her head. The heat in his smile climbed several degrees as he finger-combed her hair, sending the unruly waves spilling down around her shoulders.

”I knew it would feel like silk. You should wear it down all the time.”

”It gets in the way when I work.”

His accent thickened considerably when he murmured, ”Then wear it this way just for me.”

Then he kissed her-finally. His lips settled over hers, gently at first but then with considerably more fire. He tasted hot and male and potent. Grabbing on to the soft cotton of his s.h.i.+rt, Sasha held on with all the strength she could muster. The feel of his hands as they touched and tempted warmed her from the inside out. The man sure knew how to heat up a cool Seattle night.

She liked that about him. Before she could tell him so, he lifted her off the ground and carried her backward several steps.

”Uh, Larem?”

”The bench,” he murmured.

Then he sat down and settled her across his lap. Oh, yeah, he was just full of good ideas. She kissed him hard and deep, the tip of her tongue inviting his to play.

Sasha didn't know about Larem, but she was about to go up in flames as his fingertips brushed across the curve of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She arched into his touch, asking for more. He didn't hesitate, cupping her breast in his palm with a gentle squeeze and coaxing her nipple into a hard peak with his finger and thumb. Immediately a need for so much more pooled deep inside her, making her wish they were somewhere more private.

Then his hand settled on her ankle before stroking upward, slipping under the hem of her skirt. He hesitated just below her knee.

”Sasha?”

Her name became both a caress and a question on his lips. Her breath caught in her chest as she read the intent in his eyes. She should stop him. It was too much. Too fast. Too soon. But she couldn't find the words or the will to hold back. Instead, she buried her face against his neck, drawing in the scent of his skin.

Larem took that as a yes. Smiling against her hair, he pressed a soft kiss on her forehead as his hand resumed its journey. She sighed and closed her eyes as he took his time to learn the soft curve of her knee.

”Kiss me,” he demanded as he stroked the top of her smooth thigh.

Her lips found his, opening for him like roses in the bright light of the sun. Oh, yeah, this moment was so perfect, her response to his touch beyond anything he'd hoped for. He eased his hand between her legs, going slowly to give her a chance to protest. She didn't, not even when he sought out the center of her heat.