“No, I’m not. It would be different if Roxie hadn’t assigned you as Nevaeh’s personal Protector, though. You might not be totally on your game, but changing diapers and doing bottle feedings shouldn’t be too hard for you.”
He snorted. “True. Actually, I really do have to thank you for putting me on babysitting duty. If Roxie hadn’t had the silly idea of me taking Nevaeh to the zoo today, I never would’ve met Michaela.”
“So I guess that means you’re no longer pissed with me for agreeing with Roxie.”
Kye chuckled. “No, I’m not.” He backed away. “I’m going up to my room. I have another big day planned for tomorrow.”
Spinning on his heel, he left Saskia and Eli alone. He shook his head as he thought about Jaden being pregnant. The dynamics of his “family” were going to change once again when the baby arrived.
Chapter Five
Michaela prepared buckets of fish in a workroom for the penguins near their exhibit. It was late morning and she expected Kye would more than likely arrive soon. She couldn’t wait to see him again.
Ever since he’d left her the night before, she’d done almost nothing but think about him. She couldn’t seem to get him out of her head. And every time the remembrance of what it’d been like to be held in his arms, having him touch her in the most intimate of places played in her head, it made her body heat with desire. It also made her long to have more of Kye.
Michaela had also done a lot of thinking about Kye’s declaration, of him basically wanting a long and lasting relationship with her. She still found it hard to believe he could know his feelings were that solid for her only after a day. Though she had to admit, she had deeper feelings for him than she’d ever experienced with any other man she’d just met.
Finished filling the buckets of fish, Michaela took them outside for another animal keeper to feed the penguins. She ducked back into the workroom and washed her hands.
Outside again, she left the habitat and headed for her next job at the other end of the zoo. At this time of the day it wasn’t too crowded, which made it easier for her to look at all the faces of the people who wandered nearby. So far, she hadn’t found the one she wanted to see.
Arriving at the big cat exhibit, she felt a wide smile spread across her face when she saw Kye standing a little away from the lions’ habitat. She increased her stride until she stood directly behind him.
“So you did come,” she said.
Kye turned to face her. He looked at her, heat seeming to flare in his eyes. “There you are. I wondered if I would have to search the entire zoo to find you. I took a lucky guess that you would be with the big cats.”
“Actually, I just got here. I was over at the penguin exhibit. I helped get their morning meal ready.”
He sniffed the air. “That would explain the faint fish odor surrounding you.”
Michaela lifted her hands to her face and breathed in, but only picked up on the scent of the soap she’d used. “Really? You can smell fish on me? I can’t.”
“It’s not strong or anything. I just have a sensitive nose when it comes to things like that.”
“Just as long as I don’t reek.”
Kye chuckled and stepped closer. Leaning in—leaving some space for Nevaeh, who he carried in her baby sling across his chest—he gave her a kiss that made her wish they were alone. “No, you definitely don’t reek.”
“Good.” Taking a quick look around to see if anyone watched them, she asked, “So how is Nevaeh today? Is she more alert this morning?”
He looked down at the baby. “She’s awake. And so far, she hasn’t decided to make a mess in her drawers for me, thank god.”
Michaela stroked a finger along Nevaeh’s soft cheek. The baby smiled. “She does seem happy. I have to say she has gorgeous blue eyes. I think she’s going to be a heartbreaker when she grows up.”
Kye chuckled. “That’s what her mother thinks. Her father hopes that won’t happen. He’s already not liking the idea of his daughter dating.”
“I don’t think any dad does,” she said with a laugh. “I had to sneak out for dates when I was a teenager. If mine had his way, I still wouldn’t be allowed to go out with a man.”
“From my standpoint, I’m quite happy he isn’t.”
Michaela chuckled. “Yes, I can see that you would.” She stepped closer to the chain-link fence as one of the male lions came pretty close to it. “So have you had a chance to look at the exhibit?”
Kye shook his head. “Not yet. I’d just arrived close to the same time you did.”
“Well, come and take a look. Isn’t he gorgeous?”
“He is a majestic-looking beast. I don’t know if I like you calling another male gorgeous, though.”
“Would you feel better if I said I’m more attracted to you than him?” she asked with a giggle.
Kye shifted closer until he stood at her side. “Most definitely.”
The male lion opened his mouth, showing his sharp teeth, and in an aggressive manner, rushed at the fence directly in front of where Kye stood. His loud growl filled the air. Both of them jumped back and Nevaeh whimpered. Kye took a few more steps away from the fence, and the lion seemed to settle right down.
“I wonder what got into him?” she asked. “Tunya usually doesn’t act like that.”
Kye shrugged. “Maybe he took an instant disliking to me. I think I’ll give him some space and stay back here.”
“Yeah, that might be a good idea. Do you want to go see the tigers?”
“Actually, I think I’d prefer to skip the rest of the big cats today.”
“All right. Sorry to say, but I have some work to do here. If you’re still going to be around in an hour, that’s when I get my lunch break.”
“I’ll be around then. Should I meet you here?”
“I can join up with you at the café, if you want.”
“Sure. I don’t want my presence to piss off any more lions. One of them might try to escape just so he can take a chunk out of me.”
Michaela grinned. “We can’t have that happening. It wouldn’t look very good for the zoo.”
“I guess not. I’ll let you get back to work. I think I’ll go show Nevaeh the penguins.”
“I’ll see you later then.”
She lifted her face for the kiss Kye brushed across her lips just before he walked away. Michaela turned to look at Tunya. He’d moved off farther inside the enclosure. She still had no idea what had gotten into him, but whatever it was, it hadn’t lasted very long.
Kye resisted the urge to adjust himself inside his jeans. Christ, just being beside Michaela gave him a hard-on. And it hadn’t helped any that, as predicted, he’d had one erotic dream after another of her during the night. He’d taken a cold shower this morning, hoping it would cool his libido, but all it did was cause him to break out in goose bumps from the cold water.
Being with Michaela again, all he’d wanted to do was pull her to him and kiss her until neither one of them remembered their name. Of course he couldn’t, given the fact that, one, they were in a public place where she worked, and two, he had a baby strapped across his chest. He didn’t think Roxie or Beowulf would appreciate Kye giving her a lesson in human sexuality, not that Nevaeh would care one way or the other. Nor would she even remember it.
He arrived at the penguin exhibit in time to see them being fed by another animal keeper. It was kind of cute the way the birds clumsily waddled around. But in the water, that was where it ended. They could swim, turning on a dime, not once colliding with the others around them.
Next, Kye went to see the kangaroos and koalas. At least, his presence didn’t seem to disturb them, not like the lion. He had a feeling the male had acted so aggressively because he’d smelled another predator. Kye would’ve been deemed as competition. It didn’t matter that he was in his human form, he still carried a werewolf’s scent.