WOLF MOON

By

Alicia Sparks

© copyright May 2005, Alicia Sparks
Cover art by Eliza Black, © copyright May 2005
ISBN 1-58608-583-2
New Concepts Publishing
Lake Park, GA 31636
www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author's imagination and not to be
confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

Chapter One

Jake inhaled sharply as the needle pierced his skin. He should be accustomed to the sensation by now,
but the burning still took him by surprise. It began at the injection site and then worked its way up his arm
until the whole thing felt as if it had been filled with liquid fire. Slowly, he depressed the plunger on the
syringe, watching the amber liquid course through and make its way into his veins.

His breathing would increase now. He pulled the needle from his arm and removed the elastic band that
held his veins tight. Then he collapsed against the back of his chair. The sensation would only last a few
minutes, but those minutes were excruciating. The liquid would first attack his nervous system and then go
straight to his heart.

It would beat wildly, threatening to hammer right out of his chest. And then, just when he thought he
would die from the intensity, it would subside. His breathing would steady. His heart would regulate. And
he would be in control again.

His eyes wandered over to Lucy who lay in her cage, curled around a rock. "Thanks, girl," he managed
through clenched teeth. Lucy flicked her tongue out, as if she understood and was saying "you're
welcome." Once again, she saved his life.

It only took three minutes this time for the venom to move into his system. His fingers grasped the
stopwatch, clicking it when the burning sensation died down. Ten years and it still wasn't any easier. He

wondered if it ever would be. He scribbled a note in the file marked "Confidential" and then slipped the
watch back into his desk drawer.

He washed his hands and slipped on his gloves with a snap and then he reached into Lucy's cage.
Handling rattlesnakes was dangerous business, but the ones he dealt with were mostly harmless. They
were used to the constant attention that he gave them. And in spite of their instincts, they rarely struck at
him anymore. He'd raised most of the current crop himself, working with them since they were tiny, so his
bond with the group was more advanced than it was with the nonpoisonous snakes at the zoo. Then
there was that little matter of his constant injections of their venom, which formed a bond unlike any other
he'd ever had with an animal.

"Well, girl, you ready for me today?" he cooed as he reached into the cage holding the five-foot snake.
Lucy didn't even rattle at him as he gently lifted her from her rock.

He placed her on the table to get her measurements and temperature then scribbled a few notes in her
file. "You're about ready for a fella, huh?" he asked as he wound her around his left arm. Even though she
wasn't a constrictor, she pulsed and squeezed.

Jake had been studying the Massasauga rattlesnakes since he entered college. His love for the snakes
became a career, and he got his doctorate in herpetology. The snakes were growing more and more rare
in their home of Ontario and the surrounding areas in Canada. He commissioned a contract with the
Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario and exported some of the snakes to the States to
study in an attempt to help them adapt to new habitats and captivity.

But most importantly, the snakes provided him with the precious venom he needed in order to survive.
Without them, he didn't want to think about it. The three years he had lived without the venom still
haunted him. He wasn't sure where he had gone or what kind of harm he had inflicted on those nights
when the moon threatened his sanity and everything within him snapped. It was by accident that he had
been bitten. That night, he was sure the snake venom would kill him. Now, he knew it to be a blessing in
disguise.

He turned back to Lucy, who was his pride and joy at the age of nine and was primed and ready for
breeding.

"Well, I think I know just the one for you. See Killer over there? Now, don't get put off by his name. He
just thinks he's bad. He's a gentle soul if you can get past the name. I think he's your type. Needs a
woman like you to set him straight." He laughed at the irony of playing matchmaker for deadly snakes. In
truth, he hoped the breeding between Killer and Lucy would work. If it did and the babies were viable,
he would be on his way to helping save an at risk species of snake--one that didn't really like to mate in
captivity under the watchful eye of humans. And he would have a new crop of venom to research.

"Sounds like someone I know," the deep voice came from behind him. Jake turned slowly to see Paul
Mills standing behind him. Paul occasionally came around to help with the snakes, but he was mostly in
charge of the large alligator exhibit.

"What?" Jake looked over his glasses at Paul, wishing he'd been able to find his contacts this morning.

"In need of a good woman to set him straight." Paul tapped Killer's cage.

"Don't do that," Jake warned. "Ever since Sarah got ahold of you, all you can talk about is me settling
down. I'm fine just like I am."

"I bet your boy here would say the same thing," he indicated Killer.

"No, he wouldn't. He's at the right age to mate and...."

"And so are you," Paul laughed. "I know this really nice girl and...."

"No."

"She's at least as cuddly as Lucy over there."

"I doubt that. Lucy doesn't have fangs. Most of the women I know do."

"You date the wrong kind of women."

"Who said anything about dating?"

That gleam in Jake's eyes was evident. Jake ran around with Paul enough in high school for him to know
that Jake didn't date as much as he slept around. "With anything that didn't crawl," Paul had once
commented.

"So who's the new girl?" Paul asked.

"Who says there's a new girl?" He scribbled a few more notes on his pad and then replaced Lucy, taking
his gloves off with a popping sound.

"If you ain't interested in meeting one, there must be one in your, er, life already."

"Nope," he sighed, stretched his arms over his head and shot Paul a crooked grin. "Just taking a break
for a bit."

"Not slowing down in your old age, are you?"

"Thirty is hardly old." He took off his glasses and placed them in the faux snakeskin case in front of him.

"It ain't young neither." Paul enjoyed teasing Jake about his age, since he was a whole year younger than
Jake and a lot more settled.

"Did you want something or did you come in here just to bother me?"

"Oh, yeah. I did come in here for a reason." Paul reached into his back pocket and pulled out a piece of
paper that was badly creased from being folded several times. "You planning on helping with the day
camp this summer?"

"Day camp?" He scanned the flyer that Paul handed him. Sure enough, the name Dr. Moore appeared in
bold print next to three daily sessions for three weeks. "Who the hell signed me up for this?"

"I figured you did. I thought it was a little unusual for you seeing as how you love kids and all." Paul rolled
his eyes at this comment.

Even though Jake had only been back here for six months, his intolerance for children was apparent. He
hardly ever volunteered to lead discussions with them. They were too jumpy around the snakes, not to
mention the amount of germs they carried around with them.

"This sounds like one of Martin's schemes," he grumbled. Martin, the owner of the zoo, had been trying
to get Jake more involved in the hands-on projects ever since he hired him. "Research is good," Martin
had said, "but our hands-on demonstrations are the lifeblood of this place." Seems Martin planned to
include him with or without his knowledge.

"He's just trying to get you out into the sunlight a little."

"No, he's just trying to get me to take over the reptile exhibit. I told him I'm a research man, not a PR
person."

"You're perfect for the job, especially since Dr. Richards is leaving next week."

"Dr. Richards is leaving?" Jake took off his lab coat and threw it over the back of his chair, exposing a
long blond ponytail.

"Yeah. Let me guess, news to you. Do you even check your mailbox?" Paul eyed the overcrowded
cubbyhole near the desk. It was proof that Jake hadn't checked his mail in a long time. "I don't even
suppose you're going to the retirement party."

"Shit. When is it?"

"Tomorrow night." Paul rummaged through the box, ignoring the few pieces of paper that fell out as he
pulled the invitation from its place near the back. "This is your invite."

Jake snatched it from his fingers, unceremoniously ripping the envelope open. "Well, hell. I guess he is
retiring. Why didn't Martin tell me this himself?"

"Maybe this would explain it," he handed Jake one of the fallen papers. It was a memo dated two weeks
ago. "Seems you have a meeting with Martin in an hour."

"Shit," Jake took off his ever-present cowboy hat and raked a hand through his wayward hair before
replacing it. He had to think of a way out of taking over the exhibit, and a way to avoid day camp.

"So I guess we'll see you there," Paul grinned.

"What the hell's this? Bring a date," he said the last sarcastically as he perused the invitation again.

Paul snatched the invitation from Jake, "Handwritten, too. Seems more of a requirement than a
suggestion."

"You're a real Ray Stevens. I think I hear those big ol' purses of yours calling."

"They're no closer to being purses than yours are to being hat bands."

Jake sank back onto his stool after Paul left. He drummed his fingers on the desk and stared at Lucy for
a minute, wondering what the hell he was going to say to Martin in less than an hour.

In the meantime, he decided to filter through some of the mail in his overcrowded box. Sure enough,
there it was, the announcement that he would be leading the seminars on snakes. The day camp was
being headed by Josie Mitchell, apparently Martin's niece, according to the handwritten note at the
bottom of the notice. The words "Be nice" were also scribbled in there.

Josie Mitchell. The name didn't ring any bells. He didn't even recall Martin having a niece. It was of little
concern to him, he decided, making his way across the empty zoo to the main office. The gates would
open for business in an hour and then they would be swamped.

Jake didn't bother to knock on Martin's door when he arrived. A raised hand greeted him at the door,
indicating that Martin would be off the phone shortly. He relaxed himself in the plush leather chair,
wondering how many animals had to die to upholster the thing. Not that he was an animal activist or
anything. God knew he wasn't a vegetarian, but he did err in the favor of practicality. And leather

furniture wasn't practical in his book. Now leather boots, he looked down at his own scuffed pair, that
was another story.

"Jake, my boy," Martin's big Texas voice boomed from across the room, "glad you could make it. Seeing
as how I didn't hear back from you, I wasn't sure." He extended his hand to firmly shake with the young
herpetologist.

"Wouldn't miss it," Jake went with a safe answer.

"Well, now, I think you know why you're here. I have an offer for you."

Jake took a deep breath and braced himself. He still wasn't sure how to get out of this yet. He figured
he'd know it as soon as the words came out. "What kind of offer?"

"I want you to head the reptile exhibit. I know," he raised his hands again to still any questions Jake might
have. "I know what you're thinking. But your research won't be compromised. I figure someone with
your know-how needs to be heading up the project anyways. Seeing as how you're in tight with the fellas
from up North."

"It's a generous offer, sir," he began, only to be interrupted.

"Generous, hell. Not much money involved. But you know that in advance. The way I see it is if you
were after money, you'd still be in Canada. Since you're here, I figure you either love the job or the
climate or you just wanted to be back home," he laughed.

Jake shifted in his chair. He hadn't taken the job for the money. He had taken it for exactly the reason
Martin had said. He wanted to be back home. Needed to be back home. And it wasn't his love of the
place that did it. This was the one place he knew he would be safe even if the venom failed him. There
were enough wild animals in Carolton to control any bloodlust he might have. And spare any humans
who might otherwise be threatened. "Well, sir," he began again.

"Nope. Don't need an answer right now. You just think on it. The big shindig is tomorrow night at my
place. You come on and enjoy yourself. You can meet some of the people you've been avoiding since
you came here, not that you meant to avoid them. I just know how you like being locked up in your lab.
Anyways, you and your date be sure and come."

Jake wanted to tell him he didn't have a date and he hadn't been avoiding his coworkers, but the large
Texan was shuffling him out the door. Before Jake realized what was happening, he was standing on the
other side of the closed door. Well, hell, he thought. So much for turning the man down.

Jake was too anxious to go back to the lab. Lucy would catch the scent of his agitation quickly enough
and try to bite. Too much venom would probably kill him. He still hadn't fully recovered from his injection
earlier. He'd like nothing more than to go home and sleep until the full moon phase went away in three
days.

Instead, he made his way to the alligator exhibit to watch Paul feed the giant reptiles. The alligators were
separate from the rest of the reptiles, thanks to their status as state yard dog in Louisiana. Still, the
thought of running the reptile exhibit was a daunting one. He had roots here, but did he want to stay
permanently? He hadn't made up his mind about that yet.

He watched the gator, Big Al, chomp down on today's chicken. One bite and the bird had been
swallowed. He watched as Paul sent another one down the feeding chute. His friend saw him standing
there watching and waved.

Paul had it all, Jake thought. Nice job, great girl. Stability. No foreign blood coursing through his veins,
threatening to wreck havoc on his sanity. No long blackouts followed by waking up with blood on his
skin.

* * * *

"I still don't know how I feel about this whole day camp thing," Jake later confessed to Lucy. She was
listening patiently, her head cocked as if she could understand every word. "I ain't much on kids," he let
his Southern grammar habits slip in.

He looked over the packet Josie Mitchell sent to him. It had been stuffed in the bottom of his mailbox
with several other important pieces of information. The main flyer was light pink and smelled lightly of
roses. He wrinkled his nose at the thought of a day camp flyer with a hint of sex appeal. He could picture
Day Camp Barbie, and images of Reese Witherspoon went through his head. How could he take the
project seriously if the woman in charge didn't?

Ignoring the pink itinerary, he glanced through the rest of the information. Three groups of ten kids. The
first group would be ages five and six, the second would be seven and eight and the third would be nine
and ten. Next to each group was a listing of the children's names and suggested activities for each age
group. There were a few handwritten notes in the corners. Next to one child's name was a note "handful."
Another had "shy" written in. Apparently Josie Mitchell knew the kids better than most day camp
coordinators.

Using her suggestions, Jake wrote in a few of his own, having a basic idea of what the kids would expect
based on the knowledge he had at those ages. He always loved animals, reptiles in particular. He had
gotten into a heap of trouble in the third grade when he slipped a snake into Josie Wyatt's desk. She
pretty much hated him from that point on, and he was labeled a troublemaker. He laughed at the
memory. And wondered whatever happened to Josie Wyatt.

* * * *

Josie had only three days left to get everything together for the day camp. She shuffled the papers around
on her kitchen table in hopes of a miracle. How was she expecting to keep the attention of thirty kids for
more than half an hour, much less for half of the summer? She rifled back through Brian's file box. Surely
the answer was in here somewhere. The camp had gone so smoothly in his more than capable hands four
years ago. And now, it was in danger of falling apart.

"I am in way over my head," she spoke out loud, as she often did when she was trying to solve one of her
problems. There had been so many lately. Some days, she thought she should just pack up and go ...
somewhere.

She twisted her hair into a knot, held it up to the back of her head and then let it fall, causing her mass of
dark brown hair to cascade over her shoulders. That was another thing she had been meaning to do for
about four years. Do something with this overgrown, boring hair.

There was a time when she had a little bit of oomph. When she cared about her hair and her clothing.

When she gave a damn about something not connected to the zoo. It wasn't that she hated the zoo. Quite
the opposite. But sometimes she wondered if she was doing the right thing by being here and resurrecting
Brian's idea.

"I think what I need is a little inspiration," she stacked the papers together and straightened the edges by
tapping the stack on the kitchen table. Then she unceremoniously threw the stack back into the box
labeled "Brian's Camp Ideas."

Double mocha fudge could solve any problem. She was pretty sure it could even be responsible for
world peace. She had eaten enough of it lately to know that it was a sure-fire fix for whatever ails you.
And she had the extra twenty pounds to prove it. But tonight, it didn't seem to have any answers. She
stood in front of her open refrigerator-freezer combo and shoved aside the offending ice cream. Maybe
mocha ripple?

The ringing phone interrupted her decision. "What?" she called to no one in particular, refusing to pick up
the receiver.

"Hey, Josie girl. This is Uncle Martin. I just wanted to make sure you didn't forget about tonight...."

She listened as his voice trailed off and then came back. He was calling to remind her about the party in
honor of Dr. Richards, the retiring reptile expert. She glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. Less than
two hours to get ready. She really didn't care to go to the party or to talk to the reptile expert, but she
hoped that the elusive Dr. Moore would be there to discuss the day camp.

If you asked her, they could close down the entire reptile exhibit if they wanted to. She would stand in
line to attend a party as a means to that end. But someone else was taking over. Someone who as of yet
had not returned her calls or responded to her memos.

"I guess you'll have to wait," she said to the ice cream as she pushed the freezer door closed.

The last thing on her mind was trying to find a date for Martin's party tonight. If he hadn't been her
husband's favorite uncle, she would have declined the invitation. She felt like she had to be there, though,
for Brian. Lately, she realized she had been doing a lot of things for Brian.

That guilty feeling gripped her again. She had lost the sound of his voice. She knew that his image would
fade from her mind if she ever dared remove any of his pictures from her walls. Sometimes it would for a
second or two and then she would find herself concentrating, stopping everything until it came back. Each
time, she didn't picture him in an actual real life scenario. Instead, she envisioned him exactly as he
appeared in the photographs.

She may be forced to deal with that reality, but she wouldn't let him down. She wouldn't lose his dreams.
He died too young, and she was bound and determined to do whatever it took to make his dreams come
true. Even if it meant running a day camp at Martin's zoo.

Josie made it a point to get to know the kids who would be coming. They were all from the local Boys
and Girls Club where they went every day after school. She had been hanging out there for the past three
weeks observing them so she would know how to put this camp together. Using the advice from the
counselors there and Brian's notes, she managed to pull together a rough idea about what needed to be
done. All that was left was to put everything into play.

So far, everyone at the zoo responded to her requests for information. All but one. She thought back to
the mysterious Dr. Moore, the man who was taking Dr. Richards' place. He had been on staff at the zoo
for six months, but she had yet to meet him. Partly because she was too busy trying to get things ready

for the summer. The other was her lack of desire to set foot in his personal domain. He ran the
rattlesnake research lab, a place she carefully avoided.

However, Martin assured her that he was a professional and there was nothing to worry about. Her
overactive imagination told her another story. All she could do was worry. Especially since he was
basically a recluse, not really associating with anyone at the zoo other than Paul Mills, the head of the
alligator habitat.

Of course, Josie wasn't known for her social butterfly status, either. That title belonged to her
sister-in-law, Sharon, before she and her husband moved away last year. Josie knew everyone at the zoo
by name, but not necessarily by sight. She was more of a behind-the-scenes person.

She played back Martin's message for good measure. Then she boxed up her notes again, knowing she
wouldn't be looking at them when she returned home tonight. She'd like nothing more than to get
smashed at the party and wake up a whole new person, but she knew that wasn't likely to happen. But
she did know she wouldn't be getting any more work done tonight.

After putting the notes away, she searched through her closet for an appropriate dress. Four years ago,
she would have cringed at the sizes burnished on each one, but she wasn't as worried about her hips now
as she had been at one time. She was a voluptuous, full-figured woman. To hell with the men of the world
who wanted stick thin models. She wasn't one, never would be and had no inclination to be.

And just because she was going solo didn't mean she couldn't wear a knock-'em-dead dress. The little
black number near the back of the closet had always been a favorite of hers. Even if she hadn't had much
occasion to wear it lately. There was that one date last year, which ended in disastrous results. She hadn't
dated since, having felt too guilty about the whole thing anyway.

Josie loved Brian. She reminded herself of this every day, every night. She knew she loved him during the
three years they had been together. Now, four years after his death, she realized she had been without
him longer than she had been with him. She wondered how long she needed to cling to his memory, how
long she would have to live with the guilt that he was dead and she wasn't.

She shook the thoughts from her head. Maybe her shrink was right. Maybe she was just using Brian as a
way to hide from life. If she continued to mourn him, at least in theory, then she wouldn't have to move
on. She wouldn't have to live a life with no direction, no focus. She could just pick up where he left off
and pretend that she was fulfilled.

She was fulfilled, she argued as she drew a bath and plugged in her hot rollers. So fulfilled she was
spending a whole summer with a group of kids--and she hadn't so much as babysat before. Or
completely overcome that fear of snakes...

Snakes were a delicate subject. She had been deathly afraid of them for most of her life. She knew that a
bad encounter with one early on could set in a long lasting fear. That was the only reason why she was
planning to include the snakes anyway. She wanted the seminars to be informative, cautionary and
friendly. The kids needed a healthy respect for the snakes with a touch of fear. But she didn't want them
to have an intense phobia like the one she harbored.

She sank into the water and let it envelop her. What had happened to her? More and more lately, she
was thinking that what she needed in her life was a hot fling. No one would deny her that. Two years
ago, everyone around her--Martin, Sharon, and Brian's brother, Will--had all told her she needed to
move on. She just hadn't done it yet.

She smiled. I'll add that to my list of things to do. Get a life. Get over Brian. Run this day camp.

A good fantasy would be better than any reality she could come up with. She was sure of that. She
hadn't even seen a man in the past four years that resembled fling material. And she wasn't likely to find
one at the zoo. She pretty much had two age groups there. Forty and up and eighteen and under. Very
few people there were her age, and most of them were married.

She let her mind wander. He'd have to be tall. And smart. And would have to be a good dancer. She let
herself sink to the bottom of her garden tub and then come up for air. Water dripping from her head, her
fantasy man took over. He'd have a good, Southern drawl. A cowboy from Texas with hands like silk.

She bit her bottom lip. She could almost see him standing in front of her right now, hand outstretched,
offering to take her out of her boring life and into a world of sex and adventure--but mostly sex.

She eyed the shampoo bottle that sat on the edge of the bathtub. Her pussy was already quivering with
wanting. May as well give it something to quiver about. Her fingers shook as she took the bottle into her
hand. Masturbation was not her strong suit. She had never really learned how to pleasure herself. To tell
the truth, there had been very few occasions this past few years when ice cream couldn't cure whatever
ailed her. But tonight, she needed more.

She slipped the bottle into the hot water and moved it near her aching pussy. She could do this, she
coaxed herself. It wouldn't take much. Just slide it in. Like that. The bottle broke through the barriers and
slid into her wet hole. She slipped down into the water further, raising her knees out a little.

"Ah, yeah," she moaned when the bottle went in as deep as it could. She held it there for a few seconds,
letting her pussy adjust to the feeling of being filled so completely and so suddenly. She'd like a lover like
this. Someone who would take her quickly, without warning.

She leaned her head against the tub pillow and began working her pussy around the bottle, sliding it in
and out. It felt good. Almost incredible. Her pussy squeezed against it, spasming with every movement of
her wrist. She wondered how her cowboy would take her. Would he bend her over a chair? Take her
from behind like a wild animal? Or would he be a tender lover who would look deep into her eyes as his
dick slid in and out of her wet, dark hole?

She pulled her legs out of the water and braced them on the sides of the tub. Her chin was wet now, the
water lapping up around her face as she rocked back and forth to the rhythm her body was setting with
the shampoo bottle.

She wanted to make herself come. In all her years making love to Brian, she'd never had a real orgasm.
She was satisfied. Everything felt good. But an intense, mind blowing, screaming orgasm? No. Not even
once. Making love to the shampoo bottle felt as intense. She knew she was on the edge of something but
had no idea what it was. Or how to get there.

Her cowboy would show her. He would guide her hands to where they needed to be, guide her body.
Play her like a guitar, strumming, coaxing until she twanged with wanting and release.

No. She couldn't come. Her pussy tried. It took the bottle in and out fiercely as if it were hungry for
something, needing to be filled. It quivered; it shook. But it didn't come. In the end, she let out a
frustrated sigh and removed the bottle, feeling emptier than she had before. And wishing for a good fuck.

Who was she kidding? She could think about going out all she wanted to. She could fantasize about the
perfect man. None of it would change the fact that she wasn't going to be dating anyone anytime soon.
And she certainly wasn't going to be living out any wild fantasies.

Chapter Two

Jake managed to contain his excitement over the party. His mood would have been a hell of a lot better if
he had been able to find a date. Most of his coworkers were virtual strangers. All his fault, he knew. If he
hadn't been so wrapped up in his research, he would be able to do a lot of things he'd pushed aside
lately. One of them was find a date.

He gave himself one last glance in the mirror. He cleaned up nicely, if he did say so himself. He pulled his
long hair into a respectable ponytail, unlike the wayward one he usually wore. In his black dress suit and
cowboy hat, he looked ready to step out at a top notch Texas club. Instead, he was going to a retirement
party at a zoo. Fate had a sick sense of humor.

Like all of Martin's affairs, this one was bound to be over the top. He wished one last time that he'd
brought a date as he entered the reception area in the back of the main house. It was basically a large
enclosed veranda surrounded by windows from the floor to the ceiling. One side was open, overlooking
an antique rose garden. The wooden floor was pristine and designed to be a dance floor. It was already
littered with several couples.

An alcohol bar was set up in one of the corners of the room. Jake planned to make this his first stop. He
would have preferred a buffet style dinner, but all of the tables were arranged just so around the
perimeter of the dance floor, and each one had place cards on it.

He groaned and searched for a familiar face. Not finding one, he went with Plan A.

"What can I get for you tonight, sir?" the young bartender asked.

"Whiskey," he said dryly, leaning on the bar, still scanning the room.

"Goes pretty fast," the bartender suggested. "You want something to chase it?"

"How 'bout one on the rocks, too."

"Sure thing, cowboy." He slid the shot glass and the tumbler to Jake.

Jake held the shot up in salute and downed it, feeling the smooth liquid slide down his throat. "Thanks,
man," he called, pushing himself away from the bar. Mingle, Jake. Or at least find your table, he thought.

Jake watched the couples move around the dance floor and wove in and out of them as he searched for
his seat. He couldn't believe all these people were associated with the zoo. After working there for six
months, he only knew about six people. He knew he was a workaholic, but still, someone should at least
look familiar.

He felt out of place even if he shouldn't. His western style black suit and cowboy hat didn't reek of Texas
oil the way Martin's white suit did, but he still felt like a redneck amongst a sea of educated people.
Everyone he met was usually genuinely shocked that he spoke fluent English--on occasion--and that he
was a doctor to boot. His long hair and devil-may-care attitude were as much a reason as his style of
dress.

He was about to give up his search and head back to the bar when a brunette walked up to Martin. Jake
very rarely stopped in his tracks when it came to women, but this one was a knock out. Her brown hair
was swept up into a loose knot and was streaked with blonde highlights. They made him instantly wonder
what she would look like in a bikini. He could even swear that he saw a hint of a tan line at her neck near
the halter top of her dress. He let his eyes travel down her voluptuous frame. Good God, now that's what
he called a woman! She was well proportioned, he decided, taking in the shape of her breasts, the curve
of her hips and those shapely legs.

Jake was a firm believer in love at first sight. Hell, it happened to him often enough. It was the best kind
of love. Instant attraction, short courtship, instant satisfaction, everybody leaves happy. He watched her
smile and couldn't help but wonder how she'd look with that hair spread around her, smiling up at him.

"Well, Jake the Snake strikes again," Paul bumped into Jake's shoulder, interrupting his thoughts. He had
his arm draped around his fiancée's shoulder and looked as if he had already visited the bar a couple of
times.

"Paul," he nodded his head at his friend and then gave Sarah a once-over. Fresh as a Georgia peach, he
thought, noting her soft red hair and yellow gown. She was a lovely girl, but the one in the black dress
outshined everyone else he had seen tonight. "Sarah, you look beautiful." He took her hand in his and
kissed it, hoping the mystery woman didn't disappear while he was distracted.

"Jake, it's nice to see you." She blushed under his approving gaze. "Where is your date?"

"He couldn't get one. All of his women are onto him. They know he's a one hit wonder." Paul grinned,
taking a sip of the champagne he was holding.

"Am not," he argued, searching through the crowd for the woman he had seen earlier. She was nowhere
to be found.

"Tell it to someone who doesn't know better." Paul slapped him on the shoulder. "We're off to mingle.
Don't get too drunk tonight," he warned before disappearing into the crowd with Sarah.

Jake didn't envy Paul, he swore to himself. The same woman night after night. How boring. Predictable.
He was a scientist. He lived with the unpredictable. Chemistry. Biology. Hormones. A man couldn't
control those things. A ring on a finger wouldn't stop them from happening. Why pretend it would? Sure,
some snakes mated for life, but most of them did what nature intended. They slept around.

* * * *

Josie hadn't felt his eyes on her at all. But when she looked up, she could tell that he had been staring at
her. There was something familiar in that stare. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Something
that made her stomach do a little flip-flop. She felt her hand begin to shake. She was grateful that she was
sitting down, otherwise she might faint. She squared her shoulders. Josie Wyatt didn't faint. And neither
would Josie Mitchell.

She swore that the goose bumps crawling up her arms had nothing to do with his rugged good looks. He
couldn't be anything more than an animal wrangler in that cowboy get up of his. Still, she couldn't help but
notice how those tight black pants clung to his thighs or how his long blond ponytail nearly touched the
back of his belt. There was something in his swagger demanding her attention. He diminished everyone in

the room, and they practically parted for him to pass.

He wasn't massive, just commanding. Probably around six feet or so. And his shoulders weren't that
wide. Arnold Schwarzenegger wouldn't be out of a job any time soon. His hairstyle might be 1980s, but
his mustache and goatee combo was very stylish. He had the most sensual mouth she had ever seen from
across a room. She could see just a hint of his lips peering out from the golden blond hair and couldn't
help but wonder how soft they would feel. The black Stetson was pulled down over his eyes, but from
the heated feeling in her belly, she could sense he was coming her way.

It had been a long time since she saw someone from across a crowded room and felt tongue-tied. She
gripped her wine glass with her right hand and then took a big sip as she noticed he was approaching, his
eyes locked onto hers.

Recognition dawned on her.

She let out a haggard breath, "Jake the Snake."

"The one and only," he flashed a devilish smile. Jake's reputation often entered a room long before he did.
Tonight must be another case of the rumor mill at work. Especially since she knew him on sight.

Josie looked up at the man standing before her and third grade came flashing back instantly. That little
boy with the wild blue eyes and closely cropped sandy blond hair still had the same eyes, but his hair was
darker, longer. His skin was still golden and his smile was still as mischievous as it had been so long ago.
The man, it would seem, was still full of himself. "Let us hope there's only one," she bit sarcastically.

"Darlin', I don't know what you've heard, but I swear I ain't that bad." He perched in the chair next to
her, letting his gaze travel down her body one more time. It was nice to take her in from this close.

"I assure you, you are," she argued, trying to ignore that heated feeling in her belly as his eyes ran over
her. He looked like one of his damned snakes about to strike. Worse, he didn't remember her.

She could tell he was scanning his memory, trying to place her. It figures. The one man she'd never been
able to forget. The one man who brought her closer to any kind of physical release than she'd ever felt
before didn't even remember her name.

"So tell me, honey, how do you know me?"

Josie folded her arms and stared at him for a long minute. Right now, she had the advantage over Jake
Moore, an advantage that she had never held before. If she were bolder, she would play this to the hilt
and pretend to be someone else. If it didn't hurt so much that she was no longer a size three. It's the
weight, she decided. That had to be why he didn't remember.

Before she could make up her mind about what to say to her former lover, Martin interrupted, giving
Jake the traditional slap on the back. "I see you've met our Josie," he smiled.

"Josie?" Jake's eyes went from Martin to the girl.

"My niece, Josie Mitchell. She's in charge of the day camp I told you about. You two will be working
together. Josie, this here's the finest snake doctor in the South."

"Herpetologist, but I study them more than fix them."

"Study them, doctor them. All I know is you get closer to them than the rest of us want to. I knew sitting
you two together would be a good plan. Enjoy." With that, he disappeared again.

"So you're Dr. Moore," she said evenly, not wanting to give anything more away just yet. He still hadn't
put it all together yet. Jake Moore had always been a little slow, she thought.

"I assumed you knew that. Not many people call me Jake the Snake," he shot her a half grin before lifting
his glass to his lips.

"The way I remember it, a lot of people call you that. And with good reason."

"Well it never sounded so good as it did coming from those lips."

"Stick around, cowboy. I know a lot of words," she warned, feeling a tiny thrill sneak up her back. When
was the last time she had flirted? And with someone as dangerous as Jake?

"I bet you do."

"You're staring," she finally said, all too aware of his eyes on her chest.

"I'm not trying to feed you a line, but you look awfully familiar to me."

"I should," she folded her arms.

He narrowed his eyes at her. She knew she was being awfully mysterious. He lowered his voice to a near
whisper, "Did you and I ever...."

"Sleep together?" She let out a little laugh.

"Yeah. Or did I ever do anything to piss you off? 'Cause I can't really read those gorgeous eyes of yours.
And if you don't stop licking your lips, I'm afraid I'm going to have to taste them myself to see what all the
fuss is about."

Well, you wanted sexy. Damn. Just hearing him talk was enough to start a fire in her belly. And below.
"You kiss your mama with that mouth?"

"Darlin', I do a lot of things with this mouth. But you still haven't answered my question." He captured her
knee with his hand, and was clearly surprised when she didn't flinch at the movement.

"You used to torment me in elementary school," she admitted, watching as the realization washed over his
face.

"Josie Wyatt? Oh my God." A stunned half grin crossed his lips. His hand immediately left her knee as if
he were trespassing on sacred ground.

Josie nodded and couldn't help but smile. Jake the Snake was speechless. It took a full ten seconds for
him to recover. One Mississippi, two Mississippi...

"You sure grew up," he finally said.

"I hope you did, too, even if you are still playing with snakes."

"Well, hell. It's good to see you." He took in a relieved breath and then leaned all the way back in his
chair.

"Likewise." She kept her smile steady, not wanting to give away the fact that her insides felt like jelly. It
had been more than ten years since she had seen Jake. His last prank had been at high school graduation
when he walked down the aisle with a garter snake wrapped around his wrist. It had crawled onto the

principal's hand when he accepted his diploma, causing the man to jump back a full ten feet at least. He
had been handsome then in his wild way. Tonight, he was gorgeous.

She wouldn't even think about the night after graduation. That party. The sex. Him never calling her back.

* * * *

"Josie Wyatt," his voice was still filled with disbelief. "What have you been up to?"

"It's Josie Mitchell. And I've been keeping busy."

"So are you here alone?" He glanced around, hoping her husband wasn't anywhere near them. She
nodded her answer. "And you're the big guy's niece?"

"By marriage. My husband was his nephew."

"Was?" He wrinkled his forehead and then his memory came back. Martin's nephew Brian had died in a
car accident. He remembered Paul recounting the story to him.

"Yes. Was."

"You want to dance?"

"With you?"

Jake tried not to cringe at the tone of her voice. Josie had always been out of his league. Ever since grade
school. That was probably why he had tormented her so. And she had been with him that night. The night
when his whole world had changed. She had given herself to him that night. Hell, they had both been
drunk, but still, he had drank from the sacred fountain and always wished he could go back. And he
would have if things had turned out differently.

Tonight she looked even classier than she had back then. He remembered watching her all through high
school with her football player boyfriends and her pompoms. He could have been part of that crowd if he
had wanted to, he decided. Instead, he spent most of his time down by the river and in the backseat of
his old Mustang. She had probably fucked him on a dare, he thought. Josie Wyatt couldn't have really
been that interested in him.

The past didn't matter. Tonight, all he wanted to do was dance with Josie. "Yes, with me." He smiled,
hoping to win her over like countless others in the past.

"You haven't got a snake up your sleeve have you?" she teased.

No, but there's one growing in my pants, he thought. "No. No tricks. Just dancing."

"You know I don't trust you."

"Well you're gonna have to seeing as how you and I will be working together next week."

"So you're gonna do the seminars?" Her eyes lit up for the first time.

"If you dance with me tonight, I'll do the seminars."

"You sure you're snake free?" she asked warily.

"You can check my pants if you want," he teased, feeling a jolt of satisfaction at the blush that spread
across her face.

"I'll dance with you."

Jake was an excellent dancer. He had been told as much countless times. But for some reason tonight,
his legs weren't functioning the way they should. He stepped on her toes twice before he finally fell into
the rhythm of the music. His stomach was doing some weird things and he didn't even want to think about
what was going on in his pants. A snake, he thought to himself. If she only knew.

* * * *

That guilt struck again. This time it was enough to make her feel nauseated. It had been four long years
since anyone outside of family had held her. She had forgotten how good it felt to be in someone's arms.
And Jake's clumsy first attempts at dancing only made him seem more real to her. This was a perfect
moment, she decided. Even if it happened to be with the wrong man.

"So where have you been all of these years?" Josie didn't want to snuggle against him on the dance floor
and decided that the only way to avoid it was to talk.

"Canada," he smiled. "I've been studying the Massasauga rattlesnake up there. I have ten of them in my
lab here."

"You couldn't find enough snakes to study in Louisiana?" she wrinkled her nose. God, she hated snakes.

"Not this kind. They're native to Canada. They're at risk, almost on the endangered list. Thanks to
development and such. You're really not interested in this, are you?"

"It's fascinating," she lied. "So, the Massausage rattler?" she tried to sound interested.

"Mass-as-auga," he laughed at her mispronunciation. "And, no, it's not fascinating to you. You're just
being nice."

"I hate snakes, you know."

"Yeah, I know. I guess that's mostly my fault." He shot her a lopsided grin.

"Mostly," she shrugged.

"I'm really sorry about that, you know."

"No, you aren't," she let out a little laugh. "I think if you were nine years old and given the chance, you'd
do it again. But this time, I'd react differently," she assured him.

"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. This time I'd kill the thing and put its lifeless body in your desk," her eyes were dead serious as
she spoke. She wondered if the idea of killing one of his pets rattled him in the least. She had never killed
a living thing in her life, but the idea of trying to shake him a little held a certain appeal that she couldn't

quite explain.

"This I'd like to see," he laughed, meeting her challenge.

"No you wouldn't. I think you love the things too much to see one of them hurt. Besides, I wouldn't really
do it. Even snakes deserve some respect, right?"

"Right," he laughed.

Somehow, Jake had a feeling that the mystery woman who made her way into his dreams at night had
cornflower blue eyes and long dark hair. He couldn't help but wonder how it would be to work so
closely with her over the next few months. If the tightening in his pants was any indication, it was going to
be a hell of a summer.

He held his whiskey to his lips. This time the burn bypassed his stomach and went straight to his groin.
He watched her lick her lips, wondering what she would say next. And wondering how the hell he could
get her into bed again. He'd never been with a woman more than once since high school. Mostly because
of his infection. He wasn't ashamed to admit to himself that he was terrified of telling someone his secret.
It was easier to love them one night and let them go than to risk their lives by keeping them around.

But Josie was pulling hard at his heart tonight, making him wish things could be different. At least he
knew he was good to go for one month. The moon wouldn't be full until tonight, so he had twenty-eight
days of freedom before he had to take the next injection. And next month was the trying month. It was
the one when he would be forced to go without the injection to see if it was changing anything at all on a
genetic level. No, he couldn't risk Josie. Even if she smelled like heaven and threatened to taste just as
sweet.

"I hear you're planning on taking my place," Dr. Richards approached Jake, interrupting his thoughts of
Josie. He had been watching her twirl around the dance floor on Martin's arm, finding himself fantasizing
about that soft skin and how it would feel if he could touch her all over.

"Nothing's definite yet." He tried to act casual, but the truth was, he didn't know how to react to Dr.
Richards. The man hadn't even personally told him he was leaving, making him genuinely feel like an
outsider at the zoo.

"I admire your work, you know," the old man said, a gleam in his dark brown eyes.

"You don't say?"

"No, I don't. Not often enough. Truth is, I rarely share my opinions to those who need them the most.
That's what my ex wife told me anyway. I think leaving the exhibit in your hands is a good move."

Jake turned his full attention to Dr. Richards now. No one had ever complimented him in quite the same
way before. He wished now that he had given himself more of a chance to work with the renowned
herpetologist. "I thank you, sir. For your encouragement."

"Good. And I hope you know, Martin's said nothing but good things about you." He nodded his head in
Martin's direction, knowing that this was exactly where Jake's eyes had been a moment ago.

"I know he's interested in having me do the seminars for the day camp."

"That day camp is special to him. His nephew's idea, really. Brian worked with The Boys and Girls Club

for years and had always dreamed of running a day camp. He did it for one summer before he died."

"I was under the impression this was the first summer for the camp," Jake turned back to Dr. Richards,
thankful that the man was talkative tonight. God knew he couldn't find out this information on his own.

"It's the first summer since then. Up to now, Josie and Martin have been batting the idea around. Martin
gave in and let her do it."

He narrowed his eyes at Dr. Richards, "You mean Josie had to push the idea?"

"It would seem. That's a long story, though. One you'd better get from her. Martin loved Brian like a son,
but he realizes the boy is gone and no day camp is going to revive him. Josie's got to figure that one out
for herself."

Dr. Richards turned, hearing his name behind him. His current wife, a woman ten years his junior, was
calling to him. Jake watched him nod in her direction and then flush an almost crimson red when she
called him by his nickname. "I have to go," he told Jake. "I'm glad you're on board."

"Thanks. Good luck to you, sir."

"Call me Joe. And if you need anything, Martin's the man to ask. He can really make this a smooth
transition for you."

Jake watched him walk into the waiting arms of his wife. For just a moment, the thought came to him that
he wondered how that would feel. He dismissed it as a side effect from having too much to drink and
dancing too closely to Josie. He wasn't a man for nostalgia or sentimental feelings. Not when it came to
humans anyway. For some reason, tonight made everything seem different and anything seem possible.

* * * *

Jake watched Josie approach their table again. She had a huge smile plastered on her face, making him
wonder what she was up to. Or better yet, who had put it there. He hadn't seen her dancing with anyone
who seemed to be of any importance. Mostly her uncle and some of the older men here. No one who
would warrant a smile of that caliber.

She sat across from him, angling her chair so that he could catch a glimpse of her legs as she slid her
shoes off of her feet. "A man invented high heels, you know," she smiled.

"A man with good sense." He swallowed, watching her rub her heels with her hand. He wondered if the
skin there was as soft as the skin on her shoulder. He had dared to touch it earlier as they danced and
was delighted by the feel of it.

"Did you have a chance to look over my notes?"

"Your what?" She caught him off guard by the question.

"My notes. About the seminars."

"Oh. The seminars. Yeah, I looked at them." Well, he had, so it wasn't exactly a lie, but he couldn't
remember anything that was on them. All she needed to do now was break out the ice and rub it on her
body and he would be knee deep in a wet dream fantasy. The way she was rubbing her feet brought all

kinds of delicious scenarios to mind.

"And?" She stopped rubbing to stare at him. "Are you looking at my feet?"

His head snapped up. "No," he said too quickly. "No," he decided he needed to say it firmly. "I was just
thinking about the notes."

"Well, I'm waiting. Say something brilliant."

"They need work." It was the best he could come up with. He was sure they were fine, but any plan
could use an improvement.

Her eyes dropped a bit, her smile fading. "In what area?"

Great. "I have notes back at the lab," he lied. "I can, uh, call you about them or something." She had him
completely off guard.

"The camp starts Monday. Would it be inconvenient for us to go over tonight and have a look?"

Yes! Well, genius, how are you going to get out of this one? "I, uh...."

"Sounds like a great idea," Martin had heard most of the conversation. And what he hadn't heard he had
seen. He never imagined that sparks would fly between Josie and Jake, but the attraction between them
was obvious. The air was practically alive with electricity.

Jake's head snapped up at his boss' appearance. I don't have notes, he thought nervously, wondering
what he could come up with either for suggestions or excuses. "I, uh...."

"You said that already, boy," Martin whispered close to his shoulder. "I think it would be a great idea.
Give you two a chance to get to know each other."

Jake wasn't so sure about that. In fact, right now, he was sure of one thing only. Josie was going to be
trouble. The kind of trouble that's hard to resist. The kind of trouble that reaches out and bites you in the
ass ten years later.

"Fine," Jake stroked his goatee, knowing he was up for a little bit of trouble tonight. And the way she
was looking at him, she just might be up for some, too. Hell, he could at least think while he drove over
there, right? "I need to feed Lucy anyway."

Chapter Three

She never should have agreed to go with Jake to the zoo. She didn't like all of those old feelings he was
stirring up. She especially didn't like the way she had felt earlier in his arms. This was going to be a
difficult summer if she had to see him every day. And now the two of them would be alone in his lab.
Well, the snakes would be there, too, and that was absolutely no comfort.

She watched Jake's headlights in her rearview mirror. He had followed her closely, insuring that the two
of them would arrive at the same time. She had hoped to have a few minutes to catch her breath and
steady her mind before having to walk into his lab. His private domain.

The night watchman waved them both in since Martin had called ahead. They silently pulled into the
employee parking lot, which was near the lab. She took a few cleansing breaths before opening her door
and dropping her keys into her purse.

* * * *

In ten short minutes, Jake found himself sitting behind the wheel of his truck wondering what the hell he
had been thinking. He had agreed to follow Josie over to the zoo, thankful she had insisted on driving
herself. If he had to talk to her before giving himself a chance to get his head straight, he knew he would
blow his lie. For some reason, that bothered him.

Jake had never worried about fooling women in the past. The kind of company he kept was accustomed
to the usual love 'em and leave 'em type that he had become. His work was more important to him than
pursuing anything more than a casual relationship. So when he let them down by not calling, they
expected it. Some had even requested that he not call. Not that he hadn't taken care of business
sufficiently. They had assured him of that. It was just that they were as interested in something more than
a one-night stand about as much as he was.

Josie was different. It wasn't that she was the boss' niece. And it wasn't that he felt obligated to her since
he had tormented her so in grade school. And it especially wasn't because of that one night they had
shared after graduation.

It was the way she held herself, the way she laughed, the way she.... Oh, God. That stirring in his pants
again. He wanted to tell himself that he wasn't attracted to Josie. At least not anymore than he would be
to any other living, breathing woman.

"I could have called you tomorrow, you know," Jake half-heartedly grumbled.

"I know, but this is really important. If you have some ideas, I need to hear them so I can be ready for
Monday."

The softness in her voice was enough to bring any man to his knees. She honestly wanted to do a good
job with this day camp. You would think she was initiating world peace or something by the amount of
importance she was putting on this. Still, Jake was a sucker for those eyes. And that almost pleading tone
in her voice. "I know. I need to feed Lucy. She's getting ready to breed, so I need to be sure she's
healthy." Feeding Lucy could have waited until tomorrow. He was still stalling.

Josie let him lead the way into the lab. He watched her brace herself, clinging to the door as he opened it.
He flipped on the lights and it took a few seconds for the fluorescents to come on. His lab was a plain
lab, but he wished it were cleaner tonight. It was basically tidy yet cluttered with tiny notepads and
instruments. And snakes. Ten cages were occupied and five others were stacked one on top of the other
in a corner. Three tables lined the three walls opposite the door. One of the tables housed a cage filled
with mice.

"I thought you studied snakes," she finally said.

"I do."

"Then why do you have a cage full of mice in here?" She stood in the doorway with her arms folded, still
insistent upon not entering the lab.

"What do you think they eat?" He had noticed her obvious dislike of the place. She hadn't even fully set
foot in there yet. He watched as her perfect lips formed an "o". She hadn't realized what snakes ate, he
guessed. "You gonna come in or let the bugs in?"

"I'm sorry." She stepped fully into the room and closed the door behind her, keeping one hand on the
door.

"They won't bite," he smiled. "They're in cages."

"Can they get out?" she widened her eyes as one of the snakes began to rattle.

"Not unless I let them out," he assured her.

"Are you sure?"

"I swear." The sincerity in his voice was meant to calm her nerves, not to gain an icy stare from him.
"Come on. I promise you they won't get out. I wouldn't have let you in here if they would."

"Why is it doing that?" she wrapped her arms around herself tightly.

"It senses that we're in here. They do that. It's a warning to their enemies. To scare them off."

"Well, it's working."

"They won't hurt you," he said softly, leaning against the table that held the offensive snake.

* * * *

Josie wanted to believe him, but she was still a little wary. "Okay." She dropped her hand from the door
and leaned against the desk that sat there. Thankfully, it was covered with paper and not cages.

"This is Lucy," he indicated the nearest cage. "She is not aggressive. I've raised her from a baby."

"How does she eat?" she only gave Lucy a quick glance. She was more concerned with the snake next to
Lucy who was still rattling and who was now curled up.

"Do you really wanna know?"

She nodded slowly.

"They strike, using their fangs to paralyze it." He watched her eyes widen.

"P-paralyze it?" Her fingers were gripping the desk now.

"Yes. They use it to destroy the victim's blood or to paralyze the nerves," he said matter-of-factly. "I'm
going to have to open Lucy's cage to feed her. She's completely harmless."

"You're not going to take her out, are you?" she asked warily.

"Not unless you want me to."

"I don't," she said quickly.

"Then I won't. I'll even leave the cage closed until I get there with the mouse. I promise, it will be over
before you know it." He shot her one last smile before turning his back to head toward the mouse cage.
He could practically hear her breathing. She was really scared to death here. A twinge of guilt swept over
him. Had he caused her to have such a tremendous fear?

"I'm going to open it now," he warned. "Do you want to go outside?" She shook her head fiercely, though
her fingers were digging in to the desk now.

Lucy's tongue was already hissing in and out, and it was sliding across the side of the cage.

"Lucy, honey, I have dinner," he cooed to the snake.

Josie watched as he tossed the mouse in and then replaced the top of the cage. The snake hadn't as
much as looked her direction. It was focusing on the scurrying rodent that was looking for an exit. Within
a few seconds, the snake had struck, using its powerful jaws to crush the mouse's head. Well, so it
probably crushed its throat, but its attack was precise.

"See, nothing to it." His voice brought her attention back to him. She looked spellbound, both curious
and horrified, at Lucy's attack on the mouse. Lucy was a precise snake, so dinner was an effortless meal.
Some of the others would toy with their prey for a while before moving in for the kill. He was thankful
they had all been fed last week. He didn't think Josie could handle watching a display such as that.

"Nothing to it," she repeated, forcing a smile. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No reason," he shrugged, trying to pretend that the little black dress she wore hadn't been wrecking
havoc on his brain all night.

"Well stop then," she let out a nervous laugh.

"I can't," he admitted.

"And why not?" She wrapped her arms around herself again.

"That dress you're wearing. It's almost see through." He stood to his full height and moved toward her.

"No, it isn't."

"Have you seen it on yourself?"

"That's just your imagination." She lifted her chin, but the defense wasn't enough against the look he sent
her way.

"I have a very vivid imagination. After having you in my arms earlier, I can image all of your curves
beneath it. You know, snakes and people are a lot alike." He inched toward her, giving her a chance to
bolt past out the door if she wanted to. Instead, she stood her ground, raising her eyes to meet his heated
gaze, her cheeks flushing either from embarrassment or interest. He was betting on interest.

"How's that?" she ran her tongue across her bottom lip.

"They can sense heat. That's how they capture their prey." His voice was coming from somewhere deep
inside. He grew hard at her nearness. That dress combined with those lips was enough to send him over
the edge. And he hadn't even tasted her yet. He reached out a hand to capture a stray curl and she
moved her face away from him.

"That doesn't make them like us," she protested, taking a step backward.

"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow as he closed the distance between them with one final step. He saw the flash
of panic in her eyes as her backside made contact with his desk. "I think it does. They feel heat. We feel
heat." He placed her hand on his chest. "You feel that?"

"No."

"I think you do. I think you could find me with your eyes closed. Blindfolded even." He smiled down at
her, the idea sounding very appealing.

"I don't want to find you."

"But you have." He pressed against her, watching her eyes widen as the proof of his arousal made
contact with her skirt. "Snakes have incredible sensors." He lowered his lips so that they were almost
touching hers. "In their jaws. Here," he let his lips brush against hers, unprepared for the shiver the
contact sent through his body. "They can feel," he brushed her lips again, "a candle flame," and again,
"from thirty feet away."

Jake groaned audibly as he bit down on her bottom lip, letting his tongue slide inside of her. Snake
venom had nothing on Josie. It may be one of the most complex mixtures on earth, but the toxic form of
her saliva had entered his bloodstream as surely as if it were a neurotoxin. He couldn't move; he couldn't
think. All he could do was take and take. He felt her flush against him, soft in all the places he was hard.
Wanting in all the ways he wanted. She met the kiss with the same kind of intensity that he gave. He had
intended to trap her, to scare her a little. She had captured him, though. And the kiss rocked him to his
soul.

"I can't do this." She finally broke the spell, pushing away from him a little, panting in an attempt to catch
her breath.

"Can't do what? Kiss me?" He held her arms firmly, not allowing her to escape. When her protest died,
he let his tongue slide down her neck, stopping to nibble at the base where her shoulder connected.

She straightened. "I can't do any of this. Please, Jake," she begged.

He didn't want to stop, but something in her voice, the urgency, made him pull away. "I want you, Josie."
He ran the back of his hand along her cheek and tried to control himself when she closed her eyes and
shivered against him. "From the second I saw you tonight I wanted you. And I know that you want me."

"No, I don't."

"If you didn't, you wouldn't be fighting so hard." He reached down and squeezed her hand, which had
been drawn into a fist. "See, you're fighting it even now."

"I don't even like you," she protested.

"You don't have to like me to want me. It's not a requirement." He smiled, but then he released her hand.
"But I'd like for you to," he admitted before he could stop himself. "That's why I'm not going to push
you."

"Why is it so important to you now?"

"What? That you like me?" He tapped her bottom lip with his thumb. "Because I want you to."

"That's not an answer." She closed her eyes.

"Because I want you to like kissing me, then."

"Jake, none of this can happen, okay?" This time she moved away from him enough so that he couldn't
reach her to tempt her anymore.

"Okay," he shrugged. "You can't blame a guy for trying, though, can you?"

* * * *

For some reason, his answer didn't make her feel any better. That fantasy that she had wanted earlier
was standing in front of her, practically hers for the taking. And she realized that she wasn't as bold as
she had thought.

She should have felt elated that she had made it out of the lab intact, neither having been attacked by a
snake nor continuing to kiss Jake. Instead, she was battling with herself all the way to her car. Jake
Moore had no right to pop back into her life and shake it up in a matter of hours. She didn't even like
him, she repeated to herself. Still, leaving him standing in that lab after those heated kisses was one of the
most difficult things she had ever done.

She had mumbled something about having to go and slipped away, hiding, she knew. Hiding from him,
from her, most of all from that feeling of desire she had felt starting in her lips and finding its way into her
chest and finally pooling between her thighs. How long had it been since she had been genuinely turned
on?

That was her problem, she decided. She hadn't been kissed by a man since Brian and just didn't know
how to react to one. Especially one with sapphire blue eyes and soft, full lips. Not to mention a
mesmerizing smile. Broad shoulders. An incredible dancer. She shook her head. She wouldn't think
about him all the way home. She wouldn't think about him later tonight or toss and turn wondering what
might happen if...

The plans for day camp. She had totally forgotten about them. She turned the key in the ignition. She
wouldn't go back in there now. No amount of wanting or fear of failure or anything else could force her
back in there. She would just have to wing it come Monday morning. She would do just fine without
whatever suggestions Jake Moore might have. He may be the snake expert, but she would run this show
her way. That decided, she headed home toward a sleepless night.

* * * *

Jake stood by the door long enough to be sure that she had made it to her car. He had a clear view of
the parking lot from his lab. He had wanted to follow her to the car, but he got the feeling that it was

important to her to be the one to walk away tonight.

He couldn't help but smile as he watched her hips move. She had tried to walk away quickly and simply,
but every move she made had an underlying sexual tone. Maybe it was just the fact that it had been a
long time since he had been with a woman. He doubted it, though. Everything about her told him that she
was built for the kind of sin he had in mind. All he had to do was prove that to her.

There would be a way to get to her. He would find a way to make her admit that tonight had to do with
more than just a couple of stolen kisses. She wanted him, like him or not. And he had every intention of
having her before the summer was up.

Cinderella had left behind a glass slipper. Josie had only left behind a hint of her perfume. With it polluting
the air, Jake knew he wouldn't get any more work done tonight. Not that he had planned to, but he
hadn't wanted to go home either. For some reason, after sharing such a heated moment with her, home
seemed like an empty prospect.

He didn't want to settle down. But he wouldn't mind a night with Josie Mitchell. That's all it would take to
get her out of his system. That's all it ever took. Women would attract him immediately, tease him with
kisses and then sate his desire. End of story.

He checked Lucy to be sure that she had eaten the mouse with no problems. Satisfied that she would be
okay until Monday, he gathered his keys and headed for the door. He was just about to turn off the lights
when he caught sight of that ridiculous pink paper.

The day camp. He had forgotten all about it. Apparently so had Josie. She hadn't so much as asked
about his plans. Which meant one of two things. Either she was just humoring him or she had been so
wrapped up in their kiss that she had forgotten. He smiled at the thought and then realized that if she had
been as swept away as he had been, she wouldn't have run out on him.

Still, he found himself picking up that pink paper and the rest of her packet before heading out. He would
come up with some ideas for her if it killed him. Something about Josie made him want to make this camp
a success, even if he hadn't known about it yesterday. The fact that her phone number was at the bottom
of the flyer had nothing at all to do with it.

It had taken him half of the night, but Jake had finally come up with some amendments to Josie's day
camp schedule. He didn't know much about kids, but he remembered what had fascinated him as a kid.
Maybe some of those same things would inspire some interest amongst the day campers. And maybe
they'd help displace the fears that Josie still had concerning snakes.

Chapter Four

Jake spent the morning in the reptile exhibit checking in on the spiders and amphibians that had been
stuck in there because they didn't fit anywhere else. As it turned out, the zoo grouped reptiles,

amphibians and arachnids together. And now they were all his. He knew enough about them all, of
course. They just weren't of great interest to him. Still, he felt like it was his duty to get to know them a
little before trying to show them off to the kids. For this reason, he would start the summer with the
snakes and the more docile animals and would move up to the big dogs by the end of the summer.

Considering all of this, it was almost noon before he had a chance to call Josie. He couldn't believe that
his fingers were shaking as he dialed the number. He had never been this nervous about calling a girl
before, but Josie made him feel completely inexperienced.

"Hello?" her voice sounded sleepy as she answered.

"Hey, Josie?"

"Yeah."

"This is Jake. Jake Moore." He twirled a pencil between his fingers and then dropped it, settling for
drumming it on the desk.

"Hi, Jake." She didn't ask what he wanted, but he could hear the "What do you want?" in her voice.

"I, uh, you left last night before I could talk to you about the day camp."

She flushed at the memory. She hadn't wanted him to know how he had affected her, but running out on
him had pretty much guaranteed it. "Yeah. I'm sorry about that. The snakes just kind of weirded me out."

"The snakes," he agreed. "Yeah. I'm sorry about that." His own drumming of the pencil was getting on his
nerves. He finally threw it across the room. "Look, I was wondering if we could get together and talk
today and...."

"I've been thinking about that," she confessed. "I think it would be best if we just skip the reptiles this
summer. You know, considering my aversion to them and all." The line was silent for a few seconds. The
truth was, she didn't think she could handle being around Jake and not kissing him. And kissing him was
the last thing she wanted to do. Honest.

"I know. And I thought it would be great for you and the kids to learn more about them. You could ease
their fears as you ease yours." He had never considered that she would shut him out of the program. He
hated to admit that it hurt a little.

"I don't think so," her voice was steady even though her heart was beating wildly.

"Come on, Josie. Kids love snakes. You wouldn't want one of them to pick up the wrong kind," he
coaxed.

He had hit her sensitive spot. She wanted the kids to be snake aware. But not like this. Oh, why couldn't
she have settled for a normal job? Brian, that's why. She was doing this for him, she reminded herself.
And snake education was important to him. Still, she tried to stand her ground. "You never managed to
pick up the wrong kind."

He laughed, "You didn't see me the summer of seventh grade. I got bit and almost died."

"You did not," she protested.

"Yeah, I did. I never told because I didn't want anyone to know how stupid I had been. I mistook a
rattler for a king snake."

"So Jake the Snake's not perfect," she quipped.

"Never said I was. So about the day camp...."

"I can't do it."

"Can't or won't?"

"It doesn't matter Jake. The point is, I don't need you anymore. Thank you for your time."

He could sense that she was about to hang up. "Wait." He desperately searched for an answer.

"What?"

"Can we discuss it over lunch?" He heard an audible sigh from her line. He could tell she was thinking it
over, otherwise, she would have immediately said no.

"I'm not changing my mind," she warned.

"We'll see about that."

She had agreed to meet Jake for lunch. Meet. As in, not a date. Still, she found herself holding up one
dress after another, telling herself all the while that a sundress was perfectly fine for a casual lunch. The
last thing she wanted was to look like she was trying too hard. Even if she was trying too hard.

She settled for a yellow sundress with tiny white flowers on it and strappy yellow sandals. Their tiny heel
was enough to flatter her short legs without making her look as if she were trying to be sexy. And she
wasn't. Honest.

She pulled her hair back into a sensible braid. It was too hot outside to wear it down and the humidity
would turn her into a sweaty mess if she did. Especially since she was meeting Jake at Isabella's, an
outdoor café.

She tried not to remind herself that the first rule of dating was not to make yourself seem available. Then
she caught herself arguing that she wasn't dating Jake. She was meeting him for lunch. Nothing more.
Still, the memory of what had happened in his lab last night was fresh in her mind. She could remember
the way he looked just before his lips met hers. His blue eyes had smoldered with desire--something she
hadn't seen in a man's eyes in quite a long time. Something that made her heart beat a little bit faster
today. And it made her desire not to see him even stronger than it had been last night. What was she
getting herself into?

Jake parked across the street from the café. Parking on the ancient narrow street was almost impossible.
It was one of the last remaining brick streets in Louisiana and the town thought it was a sacrilege to
replace the thing. The result was cramped parking and congested traffic, especially during the tourist
season that Carolton was known for.

He immediately spotted Josie waiting for him. She had her hair tied back and was wearing a scrap of
fabric that vaguely resembled a dress. He could imagine sliding those spaghetti straps off of her shoulders
and...

She looked up and waved at him just as he was trying to picture her naked. He instantly felt ashamed,
but not enough to fully give up the vision. She would be stunning naked, he was sure.

"I ordered my drink already," she indicated the glass of iced tea that sat in front of her. "I hope you don't

mind."

"Not at all." He eased into the iron chair across from her. Isabella's had a Mediterranean flair, resembling
a villa. It was a nice touch even if the chairs weren't exactly comfortable. Especially when you were
fighting a raging hard on.

"I didn't know what you would like...." she continued.

You, he wanted to say. A nice tall glass of it, too. "That's okay," he said, noticing that the waiter was
making his way toward them. "Iced tea," he said.

"You ready to order yet?" The waiter was mostly speaking to Josie. Jake tried to fight down the wave of
jealousy that came over him as the twenty something eyed the very same shoulder he had just been
imagining.

"Give us a minute," he said, using his most grown up voice. College towns were always filled with young
studs. He knew what Madonna had said about young guys. They may not know what they were doing,
but they could do it all night long. Hah! She'd never tangled with a real grown up if she didn't appreciate
the older variety of man. He hoped Josie wasn't as intrigued by young men. Judging by her attention to
the menu, he guessed that she was oblivious to the attention.

"I haven't been here in a while," she admitted, scanning the menu. Or at least pretending to scan it. She
was really trying not to notice how the dark blue of Jake's shirt made his eyes look as dark as midnight.
She really had to get a handle on all of this.

"Neither have I." The truth was he hadn't been out much since he'd been back. He stole a glance at her
over his menu. She was gorgeous. What had ever made him torment her so? Deep down he knew. Even
in third grade he had liked girls. And Josie had been pretty back then. In high school, she had become a
knockout. And now ... she made his throat go dry. Where was that waiter with his tea?

They finally ordered. He had a BLT on white and she got the same on wheat. Both had a bag of chips for
the side order. He liked the fact that she didn't order a salad like most women seemed to do. That fact
alone made him feel those weird sensations again.

This attraction to her was becoming annoying. The solution was right there. He knew what it was. All he
had to do was sleep with her once and she'd be out of his system just like the countless others before
her. Then he could get back to work and not wonder what would impress her.

"Do you want to go out sometime?" he found himself saying.

"We are out now."

"No. I mean a date. Would you go out on a date with me?"

She was thankful she was sitting. Otherwise her knees would have gone weak. She had always wanted
Jake to ask her out in high school in spite of their less than perfect past. And now he was and her
stomach was doing flip-flops. Of course, she couldn't go out with him. What would Brian think?

Her flip-flopping stomach dropped. Brian wouldn't think anything. She had to face the fact that Brian was
gone and wouldn't be coming back. And she had to move on. But with Jake Moore? No. He couldn't
offer more than a fling. His reputation preceded him. And the last thing she needed was a fling.

"Josie?" She had been a million miles away and still hadn't answered him.

"What?"

"You didn't answer me."

"Oh. A date. No. No, I don't think that would be a good idea," she shook her head wildly, hoping she
sounded more confident than she felt. A date with Jake. No way.

"You have two choices, then," he smiled that dangerous smile that always meant he was up to something.

"What's that?" she met his challenge, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Either you go out with me or you listen to my day camp ideas and let me do the seminars." Either way,
I'm going to spend time with you, he thought. I'm going to get you into my bed and out of my head.

"I don't have to do either one," she said, taking the last sip of her tea, preparing to stand up and leave him
sitting there. She had already tried to pay the bill, and he had snatched it up, placing it in his shirt pocket.
The look on his face dared her to go after it. If she weren't so attracted to him she might.

"Wait." He sensed that she was going to walk away from him so he seized the moment and placed a hand
over hers. He hadn't expected the wave of electricity that swept over his body at the contact. He almost
jerked his hand away the feeling was so intense. He could tell by the flash of light in her eyes that she had
felt it, too. She sat stone still, but she didn't move her hand.

"What?" she managed, knowing that her voice was coming from somewhere deep inside of her.
Somewhere that had just been awakened.

"I think the kids would like to learn about the snakes." The kids were her weakness. Otherwise, she
wouldn't have made those little notes about them on those papers she had sent over.

"You know I hate snakes." She finally pulled her hand away. "I don't think I will be very helpful."

"Then you can just drop them off at the reptile house and pick them up when it's over. They'll never need
to know," he suggested, his hand suddenly feeling cold without the contact with her skin.

She didn't want to do this. But it was safer than going out with him. She could barely take being in his
presence here in the middle of the day. She would be putty in his hands if she were to go out with him.
Last night had taught her that much. "Okay. I'll do it."

"Do you want to hear my plans?"

"No. I trust you. This is your area after all, not mine. So do what you think is appropriate?"

She trusted him? This was worse than she thought. In less than twenty-four hours, he had gone from
being on her most wanted list to having her trust? She was losing it. In a very bad way.

She trusted him? Those were words Jake Moore never thought he'd hear from the girl who'd screamed
bloody murder in third grade. "I hate you, Jake Moore!" she had yelled. Now she trusted him. Instead of
making him feel good, it made him feel even more self-conscious. He couldn't screw this up for her. He'd
make her proud. Again, the thought that he wanted to make her proud wriggled its way into his head. He
tried to ignore it, but as he watched her stand and walk away, he knew that it would keep him up for the
next two nights while he figured out how to teach kids about snakes.

* * * *

Jake went back to the zoo. He had a ton of work to do if he was going to make this bird fly by Monday.
Of course, he knew that he didn't need to start the sessions right away. The kids would need a day or
two to settle in before Josie brought them over to him. Still, he wanted to be as prepared as possible.

He was familiar with the exhibit, of course. He had been familiar with it before this morning. But he hadn't
gotten to know all of the critters who lived there enough so that he would know which ones were more
docile, which were more aggressive. He had once worked with a garter snake that was a mean little bitch
and a Komodo dragon who wouldn't harm a fly.

"Hey, girls," he walked up to the tank of iguanas. "Which one of you wants to meet a group of kids on
Monday?" He figured he could start slow. Iguanas were usually easy enough to handle. The kids could
become introduced to reptiles and he could whet their curiosity for the remainder of his seminars.

Jake eyed the group of six iguanas. They were all still pretty small. The largest was only about two feet
long. It cocked its head to look at Jake, flicking its tongue in and out. Wasn't there some kind of
commercial a few years back that used iguanas? Oh, yeah. It was a beer commercial. That wouldn't
work.

He reached into the cage, talking softly to the interested lizard. In return, she turned her head. "Just like a
woman," he smiled. "When she gets your attention, she turns the other way."

Still, she didn't struggle as he lifted her. "You're a pretty girl, aren't you?"

"Dude, you need to get out more," Paul laughed, seeing his friend nuzzling the iguana.

"I'm practicing," he said, still using his gentle voice.

"So, she talked you into it, did she?" he leaned against the doorway of the reptile house. Pretty spiffy joint
here, but he preferred his alligator habitat. It had both an indoor and outdoor segment. This reptile one
was all indoors so the temperatures could be better regulated.

"Actually, I talked her into it." He wasn't sure why he needed Paul to know that, probably to wipe that
smile off his face.

"I'll bet. You use that Moore charm of yours? You ain't James Bond, you know."

"Never claimed to be. And, no. I just pointed out why the program needed me."

"It seemed to need you just fine last night without you having to do any convincing. What happened?"

Paul was too perceptive for his own good. "She just decided that snakes aren't her thing."

He laughed. "She really went for the gators, though. Plans on bringing the kids by first thing so they can
watch 'em eat. You know I have those new chutes hooked up. I plan on letting them send the food down
themselves." He was really proud of himself, if that smile was any indication.

"Good for you." He placed the iguana back into the cage. She still seemed uninterested in him. She would
make a perfect specimen.

"So what is your plan?"

"I'm still working on it," he admitted. "I'm trying to figure out which ones of these guys will work well with
kids."

"Not to mention which ones won't scare the pants off of the lady in charge. That is, unless you want to
scare her pants off."

Jake knew the challenge in Paul's eyes. He wanted to know what was going on. He knew that Paul had
seen them leave together last night and this was his way of asking without asking. Jake wasn't going to
give in. "There will be no scaring off of the pants," he assured him. "I just want everyone to be
comfortable."

"I'll bet. She tell you her story?"

"I know her story." He moved on to the cage of tiny newts. They weren't hands-on, but they would be
fun to watch. They were more active than most of the lizards.

"You think you do, tough guy," Paul followed him to the newt cage, goading him. He had seen the sparks
fly last night. Not many people had missed them. Sarah and her ever-perceptive matchmaking self had
made it a point to watch. "I mean her real story."

"I went to school with Josie," he admitted, hoping Paul would give up soon.

"I know. I figured you two had. I mean, seeing as how you're from here, and she's from here. Only one
high school in the area and I figured her for about twenty-nine."

"Thirty," Jake corrected. "She's thirty."

"You know all about Brian, then?"

"I've heard a few stories," he finally gave up. He folded his arms and leaned against one of the cages.
"What's your point?"

"What have you heard? Have you heard that she hasn't dated since him?" He tapped on the glass cage
that housed the only cobra in the exhibit.

"Don't do that," Jake warned.

"I just want to see her stirred up."

"Are you an animal lover or not? She'll hurt herself."

"Naw. Cindy Lou here never gets wound up, do you, darlin'?" he asked the black snake that was curled
up in a corner of the cage.

"Cindy Lou?" Jake cringed. "Who named these things?"

"You want the tour? Dr. Richards' kids named most of the older ones. The newer ones got named by the
summer time crew. School kids."

"I can only imagine," he rolled his eyes.

"It's worse than that. The male cobra we had was Puff Daddy. This boa here is Alice, after Mr. Cooper."

"Shouldn't the constrictor be Alice?"

"Naw. He's Marilyn. After Mr. Manson," Paul laughed. "There was a goth chick here a few summers
ago. Alice had been here for five years at that point, so Marilyn seemed to fit. Or something," he
scratched his head. He'd never quite gotten the shock rock thing.

"Marilyn and Alice. Boys or girls?"

"Both female. And aggressive as hell. The ball pythons are much more laid-back," he indicated the small
tank that held three two foot long pythons. "Larry, Moe and Curly."

"Males?" Jake raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. The three garters here are Blossom, Bubbles and...."

"Buttercup," Jake finished for him with a laugh. "I watch TV," he defended.

"Yeah, but Cartoon Network?"

"What about the iguanas?"

"The one you were holding is female. This batch was named by one of Dr. Richards' daughters one
summer when she was here. That one is, are you ready for this?"

Jake smiled at the face Paul made. "Yeah."

"Erica. The three little ones are Brooke, Liza and Myrtle. The two medium sized ones are Tad and
Adam," he laughed.

"Why is this funny? I mean, they are awful names for iguanas, but...."

"All My Children. The soap opera. She named them after soap opera characters."

"Oh."

"Her daughter, who's now four, named the cobra and two of the turtles." He lead Jake to the turtle pond.
"Meet Yertyl and Horton."

"Dr. Seuss," he laughed.

"Yeah. There are themes here. We got four new scorpions last summer. They are Ozzy, Sharon, Jack
and Kelly. After the...."

"Osbournes," he finished, laughing.

"Yep. And we also have a collection named after Pokemon. Spiders of all things. Spinda, Spider Master,
Ariados and Spinark."

Jake was holding his sides, laughing hysterically. "Pokemon. God help me. I would have thought super
heroes."

"The sea turtles are the super heroes. Hulk, Spidey, Bruce, you get the picture. The group of newts was
named after Disney princesses. You know, Jasmine, Cinderella, Belle, etc. And of course there's the
anaconda. Sir Mix-A-Lot."

Jake laughed, "Let me guess."

They sang in unison, "My anaconda don't want none unless you got buns, hon."

"This is more like a circus than a zoo."

"Well how'd you name your guys?"

"I did it quite seriously," he laughed.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. They're all named after characters in the only novel in English Lit that I could stand. Dracula. All
but Killer, and he's on loan."

"If you ask me, they need new names," Paul shrugged. "Mine are the typical gator names. You know, Al,
Allie. I used to have a Puff Daddy, too, but he's P. Diddy now. And there's Tupak, Biggie and the white
gator, Eminem."

"That's it!" Jake stopped laughing, wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes.

"What's it? Naming them all after rappers?"

"How long before you have to get back to the gators?"

Paul looked at his watch, "I don't have to be back 'til four. I've gotta help move Al. That's it, though. You
know, I run the exhibit, I don't live there."

"Think you can tell me who's who? You know, the sex of the critters and everything?"

"All that stuff is in Dr. Richards' notes. He kept careful notes of who was named what or what was
named who. Whichever." He showed Jake the cabinet where the information was kept.

Jake found the leather bound notebook. More leather in a sea of reptiles. He thought it was strange that
someone could attest to loving these creatures and then make stuff out of them. "Thanks, man."

"No problem. And remind me to finish this talk about Brian sometime, okay? I think it'll explain a lot."

Jake's head was already buried in the notebook as Paul left the exhibit. He planned to get the kids
involved with the animals. The first step was to let them name the creatures. They could "adopt" a pet for
the summer and beyond. It would be a great way to encourage participation and respect. First, he would
find out which names he could change and which ones he couldn't.

He was thankful that Paul knew so much about the animals here. That was the advantage to going to
school at Carolton U and interning here. Plus, Paul was a vet rather than a herpetologist, so he didn't
specialize as much as Jake did. Still, his help today had been extremely valuable.

Armed with a new idea and finally with a sense of value to this day camp, Jake was ready to start naming
animals.

Chapter Five

Jake hadn't been prepared for the group of ten kids that came in on Wednesday. Eight o'clock was early
for him and the bustling group reminded him of why he hadn't settled down yet and had kids of his own.

This first group was the five and six year olds.

He watched Susan lead them in. She was one of Josie's counselors. He had hoped to see Josie today
since he hadn't seen her at all this week, but she had sent someone else instead. It was for the best, he
figured, since he was extremely nervous already.

He had come in last night and made the final preparations for today, part of which had been to cover all
of the cages and tanks with black cloth to keep curious eyes out until he was ready for them. The other
part was to place labels on each cage that not only told the sex of the animals inside but also told
distinguishing features and their names. He left out enough animals so that each kid could choose one and
leave him with enough leftovers to be sure everyone was happy. In all, it seemed like a good plan.

"Okay, children, this is Dr. Jake Moore. He's here today to talk to you about the reptile exhibit. Can we
all say good morning?"

"Good morning, Dr. Jake Moore," the wide-eyed audience crooned, almost in unison with some of the
kids finishing just after the others, making his name sound like "Moooooormoore."

"Good morning, everyone," he smiled, using a softer tone than usual. "I'm Dr. Moore, but you can call me
Jake."

"Hi, Jake! You don't look like a doctor," one bright-eyed kid in the back called out. His nametag read
"Luke." He wondered if this was the one with "handful" written next to him.

"Hi back there. What are doctors supposed to look like?"

"I dunno," the boy shrugged. "They just don't have long hair and wear cowboy hats. Are you a cowboy
doctor?"

"No, I...."

Another kid cut in, "No, silly, he's a horse doctor. That's why he gots the hat."

"I love horses," one of the little girls smiled, the word "horses" coming out "horsies."

"I don't study horses," Jake began. "I want to tell you a little about me and then you can tell me about
you."

"Okay, Jake!" Luke yelled again.

Jake saw Susan give Luke the eye. The one that told him to calm down. "Well, where do I begin? I'm a
herpetologist here at the zoo and...." A hand shot up in the front. "Yes?" he asked the little girl with
blonde pigtails.

"What's a hermelologist?"

"Herpetimagist," the kid next to her pulled one of her pigtails.

"Ouch!" she gave him a nudge. Again, Susan with the eye.

"Herpelolologist," another offered.

"Fartalologist," Luke offered, erupting into laughter, which was soon followed by the rest of the group.

"Herpetologist," Jake finally regained their attention. "Say it with me." Another hand shot up. "Yes?" This

time it was a red haired boy wearing a backwards baseball cap that didn't conceal his mass of curls.

"Do you study herpes? My dad's a doctor and he studies herpes. Is that what a herpestologist does?"

Jake tried not to laugh at the boy's serious expression. The kid was stroking his chin in a manner Jake
was sure he had picked up from his herpes doctor dad. "No, uh, Bryce," he read the nametag. "A
herpetologist studies reptiles." Blank faces. "You know, lizards, snakes."

The boys' faces lit up. One of the girls cringed. "OOOOO. You study those slimy things. Snakes are
gross. Like little boys."

"Nuh-uh. Girls gots cooties," one of the boys chimed in.

Was the hour up yet? Jake watched as the room erupted into an argument over who had what. What had
ever possessed him to do this? He must have been out of his mind. See, that's why you don't get involved
with women like her. They will make you do some crazy stuff. Finally, Jake reached into the tank behind
him and pulled out Erica. He had left her name, figuring it went well with the red nail polish Wendy, one
of the interns, had given her last night.

The room quieted down to a low roar of ooohs and ahhhs. "This," he held her up for them all to see, "is
Erica. She's a green iguana." Another hand. "Yes?"

"My name is Erica," a little girl in a red dress spoke up.

"Really? Erica is a pretty name." Another hand went up. "Yes?"

"Does she bite?"

"No, she doesn't bite," he assured them. At least he hoped she didn't bite. According to her records,
she'd never bitten anyone. If ever there was a group to bite, this was it. "I'm going to tell you a little bit
about Erica and then if you're good, I'll let you all pet her a little. But only if you take turns. And if you're
good," he threw in the good part twice, hoping to get their attention.

The iguana lecture went smoothly. So smoothly in fact that he hadn't noticed Josie when she walked in.
He was knee deep in kids at the moment, all of them trying to touch Erica at the same time. It was all he
could do to keep the kids calm and keep Erica from clawing up his arm. They were obviously enamored
with the idea of touching one of those slimy, gross lizards, as one girl had so eloquently put it.

"Okay, kids, time to go," Susan announced, wrangling the group away from Jake.

Jake turned away from the group and gently placed Erica back in her cage, silently vowing to give her
extra mango for her trouble.

"What do we say to Dr. Moore?" Susan asked.

"Thank you, Dr. Moooooremmooore," they shouted.

"Thank you. I'll see you all tomorrow."

"Great job." Josie couldn't help but laugh as she watched him collapse onto the beanbag where he had
been sitting. He had looked completely out of place amongst the sea of kids. Something like Goliath, only
he wore a cowboy hat and jeans. A slow smile spread across his lips as his eyes made contact with
hers.

"How do you do it?" he asked. "I'm exhausted."

"This was the hardest group. You want me to wait until tomorrow for the others?"

"No. Just give me a minute." He smiled, "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I heard you had the cages covered. I figured it was safe," she shrugged. She was still clinging to the
entryway for the most part. It wasn't entirely because of the snakes. It was because she really didn't want
to be too close to Jake. Dreams of him had kept her awake for five days running now and she didn't
quite trust herself.

"As safe as can be," he teased.

"You have an hour break before the next group," she encouraged.

"Good. You wanna hear my brilliant plan?"

If she heard the plan, would it involve those sparkling blue eyes and seeing her reflection in there? And
maybe some whipped cream...

"Josie?"

"Yeah," her head snapped up. She hadn't realized she was daydreaming about him. Again. And with him
sitting right in front of her. Hmmm. A beanbag. No, no, no. She could not do this. "Your plan. Yes, tell
me your plan." She moved further into the room, careful to avoid any of the cages.

"I'm going to do an adopt-a-pet program," he began.

"You're adopting out snakes?" she wrinkled her nose.

"Not like that. I'm letting them name the animals. And they'll get to help feed them once this summer."

"That's attractive," she rolled her eyes, remembering Lucy's dinner. And then that made her remember
their kiss, which made her face heat up and her lips feel suddenly dry.

"Sure is," he stood now, letting his gaze wash over her. She was wearing a typical day camp director
outfit. Khaki shorts, white T-shirt. But it looked anything but typical on her. He swore the shorts were
too short and the shirt was too tight. He could make out every curve of her body from this angle. Before
he could stop himself, he started moving in her direction.

"So," she cleared her throat, searching for her voice. She knew she had one in there somewhere. "What
else is on your mind?"

"Your shorts."

"My ... what?" She hadn't heard him correctly, had she?

"Your shorts," he said again in that low, sexy tone. "They are too damned short."

"No, they're not," she found herself tugging on the edges to prove her point. He wasn't watching her
hands, though. His eyes were locked onto hers. She knew he was going to kiss her. She tried to brace
herself. Instead, she found herself leaning in toward him even though he hadn't quite closed the distance
yet. She was about to close her eyes when he stopped.

"Josie," he said in a soft voice, "do you trust me?"

What kind of a question was that? She was sure the confused look on her face did nothing for her

appearance. She could feel her eyes scrunching up. "Huh?"

"I asked if you trust me," his voice was still low, almost a whisper. And he was moving very slowly.

"I guess." She still wasn't sure what he was up to.

"Then don't move, okay?" He had both hands out in front of him, palms out. It was the kind of gesture
you would make when you wanted to calm someone down, not when you wanted to heat someone up.

"Okay. Why?" Then she realized where his eyes were. She knew they hadn't been on her. They had been
just behind her. Oh, God! "Jake," there was panic in her voice, but she was stone still. Too afraid to
move.

"Josie, baby, it's okay. Just be still." He was still advancing slowly.

"Jake Moore you'd better be joking," she hissed. "If you are, though, I'll kill you," she could feel the tears
welling up in her eyes.

"I'm not joking, darlin'. Now, please, don't move."

"Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. What is it?" She was on the edge, just about to lose it. Her breath was
coming in slow pants now. She was going to die. Whatever it was, it was bad and it was going to kill her.

"I swear, it's nothing. Just trust me, okay? Please?" he pleaded with her. It was nothing. It was a milk
snake. Completely harmless. But if she saw it, she would scare it and it would strike at her. She would
probably have a heart attack and die right here. How'd the damned thing get loose anyway?

"What is it?" She felt a tear slip down her cheek. She was too frightened to wipe it away. "Please, Jake,
what is it?"

"It's a milk snake. Don't move." He saw the panic at the word snake and had to remind her to stay calm.

"A milk snake. Are they deadly?"

"No. They don't even bite unless provoked. If you'll be still, I'll catch him and you can get out of here,
okay?" She nodded her head fiercely in response. "Good. Now I'm going to move out of your line of
vision. I swear, you're in good hands. I swear," the last he said with such intensity, she couldn't help but
believe him.

Josie counted to ten. Okay, she counted too fast. She took a deep breath and started again. One
Mississippi, two Mississippi...

"I've got him," Jake said gently.

She felt all of the blood rush from her body. "Are there any more?" she asked, still unable to move.

"No. Just this one. And he's now in his cage," he turned back to her after depositing the snake that had
been dubbed Rambo by a former zoo intern. "Josie, you can move now."

"No, I can't," her voice was steady, but her insides were liquid.

He reached out to touch the back of her shoulder and she jumped. "Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?"

He moved back to stand in front of her. His first impulse was to physically turn her around to face him,
but he had never been in a situation like this before. He had never seen anyone paralyzed by fear. "Oh,
honey," he moved toward her.

"Don't touch me," her words were angry, venomous. "Don't you ever touch me." She finally found her
legs. And she did the only thing she could do. She ran as quickly as she could and she didn't stop until
she reached Martin's office.

"Josie, girl, you all right?" Martin hadn't expected the early morning visit. Intrusion was more like it. She
had barged in without an explanation, her face red, her eyes swollen, her breath ragged.

"I want Jake out of here," she demanded.

"Jake? What's he gone and done?"

"I want him gone," the words barely made their way out and when they did, the pain they held was
evident.

Martin pushed away from his desk and walked across the room. He threw an arm around Josie's
shoulder. "Sit down, girl, and tell me what happened. Did he hurt you?"

"He tried." She was shaking all over now as she sank into the leather chair. Her fingers couldn't even
close around the Kleenex she tried to take from the box on Martin's desk.

"Here," he handed her the Kleenex. "Want me to kill the sumbitch?"

"Josie, thank God," Jake came bursting through the door.

"Get out of here, Moore. She's none too happy with you right now," Martin pointed to the door.

"It was just a milk snake," he argued.

"It was a snake and you put it there." Those eyes shot daggers at him.

"You think I did that?" He raked his fingers through his ponytail. That would explain a lot.

"You know you did," she accused, the tears welling up again. And he had made it even worse by asking
her to trust him. Even as he was pulling the prank of his life. She was going to kill him, she decided. Right
now.

Martin managed to grab her as she lunged for the door. He stifled a laugh. He had never seen Josie so
worked up before. Yep, pairing her with Jake was the best idea he had ever had. She clawed, reaching
for Jake. "Settle down. Let's hear his side of it."

"He doesn't have a side," she argued.

"Yes, he does," Jake interrupted. "And I'd like to be able to give it to you."

"What happened, Jake?" Martin had subdued Josie and planted her back into the chair.

"I don't know, Martin. The snake just got out is all I can say. It was there this morning," he raked the
hand back through his hair. When had it gotten out? And how?

"When?" Martin encouraged.

"I don't know. Before the kids got there and...." realization dawned on him. Luke. The kid in the back.
He had that same kind of annoying curiosity that Jake had been blessed with. "I think I know who did it."

"You're not suggesting someone else did this, are you? One of the kids? Oh, Jake, this really is low. Even
for you." Now she was too mad to be scared.

"Tell me about that kid, Luke. What did you write by his name?"

So, he had read her notes. And she could have sworn he had been bluffing that first night.

"Well?" This time, Martin was curious.

"He's a handful. I wrote that he's a handful," she gave in, folding her arms.

"And don't you think little "handful" could have let him out?"

"No, I don't," she raised a defiant chin.

"Well, I do. He reminds me of someone I used to know. Someone who would slip snakes into a girl's
desk."

"Don't you go putting this on Luke," she began, finally finding her legs again enough to stand.

"Uh, Josie, we have an uh...." Susan was standing in the doorway now. The kid in question was shyly
hiding behind her long legs.

"Luke," Josie cried, "what's wrong, honey?"

Luke's face was wet from crying. All of his five-year-old bravado had gone out the window. "I'm so
soo-soooorrryyy," he sobbed.

"For what?" Josie bent down to soothe the child.

"The snn-snnn-snnnakkkee," he wiped at his eyes.

"What snake, Luke?" Jake had also knelt down beside the kid.

"The one I-I-I let go."

"You let a snake go, Luke?" Josie couldn't believe the culprit could look like a little angel.

"Yeeesss," he cried.

"How?" This was Jake.

"I did it when," he sobbed, "when Erica was ... when she was ... when she peed on you."

Josie smiled in spite of herself, "Erica peed on you?" she whispered.

"The iguana," he corrected. Not the little girl in the red dress. Her mouth made that tiny o that made him
want to kiss her.

"Well, Luke, that was not a very nice thing to do," Jake scolded. "The snake could have been hurt."

"But I heard Josie screaming and I saw her." His tear-soaked eyes met Josie's. "I saw you run out. Did it
bite you?"

"No, it didn't. Jake caught it and put it in its cage."

"But you were scared," Luke offered.

"Yes, Luke, I was scared."

"Are you going to send me home?"

She and Jake exchanged looks. Finally she sighed. "No, I'm not going to send you home. But if you ever
let another animal loose, I will have to send you home. Okay?"

"Okay," he sobbed, wiping his nose on the back of his hand.

"Here," she handed him her Kleenex. "Looks like you need this."

"Thank you for not being mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you, Luke," she assured him. She and Jake both stood. This time, she avoided his eyes.
She watched as Susan wiped Luke's face and got him a drink of water. When he had calmed down
enough, she led him out of the office.

"Well, now. I guess you two need to talk." Martin left, too, before either of them could protest.

"I guess you expect an apology now," Josie didn't turn around to face Jake as she spoke.

"No. I wasn't expecting anything."

"Liar. I jumped to the wrong conclusion and I'm sorry."

"No. I'm sorry." He tilted her chin up. Her eyes were closed. "Open your eyes, Josie."

"I don't want to look at you."

"Well, you're gonna," he lifted her eyelids a little. She finally pulled away and opened her eyes. "That's
better. Now, listen. I need to apologize to you. I had no idea that those little pranks back then could
affect you so much. I'm so sorry."

"It's no big deal," she lied. She had just made a fool of herself over this. The last thing she wanted now
was his pity.

"Yes, it is. I saw you in there. You couldn't move. It is a big deal. And it's my fault," he ran his fingers
along the edge of her jaw.

"Jake, don't." She tried to move, but she was frozen again. And this time for an entirely different reason.

"Don't what? Don't do what I wanted to do from the minute I saw you today? You know," he let his
finger slide down to trace her bottom lip, "I've been thinking about you." He swore he saw her eyes light
up at that notion. The spark was gone before he could react.

"You should stop," she tried again to pull away. What was wrong with her damned muscles? The word
neurotoxin flashed through her head. Did it paralyze the muscles?

"Stop what?" he gently coaxed. "Stop this?" he lowered his head to hers until those lips were just a breath

away. He watched her capture her bottom lip with her teeth. That was when he moved in for a taste. Just
one more and then I'll quit, I swear.

But one more wasn't enough. He knew as soon as his lips made contact with hers that it wouldn't be
enough. He wanted to devour her the way Lucy devoured her prey. She had intoxicated him, paralyzed
him. Had somehow gotten into his bloodstream. And damned if he didn't want her there.

Josie had never felt so many emotions in such a tiny space before. She had been ready to kill Jake earlier
for what she thought he had done. And now, God, now he was ... biting her lower lip. She swore that
she swooned against him as she leaned in a little closer, hoping he would make the kiss harder, deeper.
Her hands instinctively went into his hair, pulling him into her.

Heavenly. The room was spinning as she felt the heat spread down her body and send a shiver of delight
up her back. It took the same trail that his fingers were tracing. She could feel his firm arms around her,
steadying her, yet gently coaxing her into the rhythm of the kiss. She opened herself to him. For just a
moment it would hurt, she swore. She would be able to let him go. All she needed was one more...

"God, Josie," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers, breaking the kiss long enough to take a
deep breath and look into her eyes. The words were almost a moan and were met with the same from
her. This time, he took, knowing he wouldn't be able to get her out of his head.

Josie had just become accustomed to the feel of him fitted against her when he broke the kiss, whispered
her name from somewhere deep inside and then dove in again, pushing her gently against the edge of
Martin's desk. His tongue probed, exploring, as if it were trying to find her core. A million sensations
erupted through her body. She was alive. For the first time in four years, she knew how that felt.

* * * *

Jake hadn't been able to forget that kiss. He had waited all day for her to come to him. They had agreed
to discuss the situation with the kids and the snakes. She had withheld the rest of the groups for today,
just until they could come up with an alternate plan that would insure that curious hands didn't set loose
potentially dangerous creatures. He hadn't been able to work since she left this morning. Too many
emotions were warring inside of him.

He wanted her in a way that he couldn't comprehend. She had done something to him. She had injected
him somehow with her essence, causing some kind of breakdown in his brain, not to mention what she
was doing to his crotch. He had seen the sweet innocence in her eyes when she stood before him,
terrified of the snake earlier. And he had also seen her fear. There was something else there. Trust.

Josie could lie to herself all she wanted. She could scream that she hated him, she could try to attack him
in Martin's office, she could even say that she didn't trust him, but he knew that deep inside of her she did
trust him. If she didn't, she wouldn't have stood so still while he caught the snake. She would have bolted
then. That tiny action betrayed everything that she claimed to feel for him. And it confused the hell out of
him.

"What's got you staring into space? You didn't even move when I came in." Paul wore that same
lopsided grin that he had been wearing since he saw Jake and Josie together at the party the other night.
It seemed to grow with intensity every time he showed up.

"Huh? Oh, I was just thinking. You know, about Lucy. It's time to start trying to breed her." He took off
his glasses and rubbed his eyes, knowing that his lie wasn't very convincing.

"Could've fooled me. Looked to me like you were daydreaming. Wouldn't be a pretty brunette, now
would it?" Paul took a seat on one of the high stools by the snake cages.

"No, it wouldn't," he lied, shoving his glasses into his shirt pocket, trying not to let the lie show on his
face.

"I heard about what happened today. Heard she was really shook up about it."

"Yeah. And she thought I did it on purpose," he laughed, though he really didn't think it was funny.

"It's your reputation. Right up your alley with all the stunts you pulled in school."

"I guess so." Jake quietly studied his friend, wondering if now would be a good time to ask what he had
wanted to know all day, what he had hoped he wouldn't want to know. Finally, he decided to just ask.
"Paul, can you tell me the story? You know, about Brian?"

"Brian's not the story," Paul said. "Josie is the story."

Chapter Six

Jake folded his arms and settled against the back of his chair while Paul recounted the past four years
with Josie. He had known that she was driven, dedicated. He had seen that in school. What he hadn't
known was that she was basically in hiding now. The real Josie had died with Brian, leaving behind
someone who didn't really have her own goals or dreams.

Paul shrugged, "So she just sort of picked up where he left off."

"What did she do before?"

"I don't really know. She always loved kids and wanted some of her own. I know Brian used to talk
about that a lot. She was here a lot, supporting him, working with Martin. I don't know if it's what she
wanted or what she did because she loved him." He studied Jake's serious expression. "She's really
gotten under your skin, hasn't she?"

"No," he said too quickly. "Tell me, how did Brian die?"

"It was a bad situation. Attacked by some kind of wild animal out in the woods by the bluff. They found
his clothes and stuff, you know, covered in blood. But...."

"Let me guess, they never found a body?"

"No, but it's not like that. He didn't just up and leave. Wouldn't do that to her. Something out there got
him and likely ripped him to pieces. Nothing was ever found." Paul's eyes were serious as he spoke, as if

his words were meant to be a warning. Too late for that. Jake had seen enough things that were unable to
be explained, and he knew one thing for sure: There was an explanation for everything, even if it defied
logic.

"So she just gave up after that?"

"Yeah. She says the thing was after her, that Brian protected her."

A sick feeling started in his gut as he listened to Paul talk. Whatever had attacked him so many years ago
had done so right after he and Josie had made love. His stomach threatened to lurch at the thought.
Maybe it had been after Josie all along.

"Thanks, man." Jake stood, hoping Paul would take the hint and leave the office. Tonight was the night
before the full moon. If Jake didn't have to be caged, he would go out into the woods himself and see
what was out there. But he couldn't risk it. He had to know that his formula was working, had to be sure.

"No problem. You know, Josie is pretty special to everyone here for one reason or another. She would
do you some good." Paul shot him a grin as he opened the door.

"Yeah, well you know me. It's gonna take a hell of a lot more than a good woman to settle me down."

"We'll see about that."

* * * *

Jake looked back over his figures. The formula should be concentrated in his system enough for the
moon not to affect him. There was only one way to be sure, though. Whatever had attacked him that
night had changed something on a genetic level. The transformation he underwent was a complete
molecular one, turning man into beast.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on his heartbeat, which was still human. Timing his pulse, he
scribbled the numbers down in his file. So far, everything seemed to be okay. Usually by this late in the
day, his sense of smell was heightened, his breathing labored and his heartbeat erratic. Maybe he was
right and his serum was working.

He watched Lucy slither around her cage, the attempt at mating having been a disaster. She and Killer
were incompatible, each refusing to go near the other. He wished he and Josie had the same problem.
Right now, he could imagine the gentle sway of her hips as she walked, the inviting scent of her perfume,
which was never too heavy, the sweet smell of her...

The knock on the door interrupted him before he could go any further, recalling her body in exquisite
detail as if it had only been yesterday when she lay beneath him calling out his name.

"Come in," he called, frustrated by the intrusion.

The door handle turned slowly and the object of his every fantasy entered. Good God. Today, she had
on another one of those little sundresses. This one was red with white flowers on it and was accented by
her shapely, tanned legs and high-heeled sandals. The woman was obviously not dressed for work.

"Well, well, hot date tonight?" He tried to act casually, tried to pretend that his heart was not raging out of

control.

"Not exactly." She pushed her hair away from her face, the seductive movement almost enough to make
him fall out of his chair.

"Then what's the occasion, darlin'? Don't tell me you got all dressed up just to come see me."

She still stood in the doorway, though she had closed it behind her. "Maybe I did."

He raised an eyebrow at the way her tongue flickered out of her mouth to swipe along her bottom lip,
which seemed poutier and fuller today than it normally was.

"And to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I can't really say." She hadn't moved toward him yet, but her body was screaming an invitation in the
way she stood, legs slightly parted, hands on hips, as if she were daring him to come to her and taste the
neck that she had so generously bared for him.

"Well, honey, all I've got to say is I'm glad you came. You sure do look hot in that dress."

"Hot? You plan on wooing a girl with words like that?"

"I didn't know I was expected to, uh, woo anyone. Why? You here for me to whisper sweet nothings?"
He folded his arms, refusing to take the bait while his heartbeat was so out of control. Sweat was forming
just beneath the rim of his cowboy hat and his cock was already primed and ready. All she had to do
was say the word, slide on over here, sit on his lap and ride him till sunset.

"Actually, no." One of the straps slid down her arm, but she didn't seem to take notice. Instead, her eyes
were intensely focused on him. "I'm not sure why I'm here other than that something inside me told me to
come here today, dressed like this." She spun around slowly, giving him a full view. "Do you like?"

"You look pretty enough to drive a man crazy."

She smiled. "I wasn't looking for pretty or crazy."

"What's your game then? You wanna put it all on the table so I'll know what it is you want me to do?"

"If I have to spell it out for you, Jake Moore, then maybe I came to the wrong man."

He stood then, as if she had challenged him, and watched her eyes change as she took in his height. Jake
knew he had a commanding presence when it suited him, and right now, it suited him just fine to have a
little bit of fear flicker in her eyes. "I can't spell real good, so you'll have to do that for me. What do you
want, Josie?" He looked down at her, wondering what she would do now. Never before had he seen her
act so boldly seductive.

"I want you. Right here, right now."

When her hand covered his crotch, his breath caught in his throat. This was not the Josie he was
accustomed to, but, hey, who was he to complain? "You sure about that?"

"Does this seem sure enough to you?" She guided his hand to her breast and then gave it a squeeze.

"Feels pretty good to me."

"Then what do you say? You interested?" She bit her bottom lip as she asked, as if she was unsure about

his answer. God, the woman didn't know what she was doing to him. Her perfume surrounded him,
blocking out every other scent in the room, save for one. She was wet for him. He could smell her juices
coating her underwear even as he stood here, his hand grazing over her nipple. When she let out a low
moan, his cock reacted, begging to be freed, begging to be buried inside her.

"Darlin', I'm more interested than you'll ever know."

"Why don't you let me see about that?" She fell to her knees before he could protest having her move
away from him. Her breath was hot on his crotch as she looked up at him. "You look pretty interested to
me, but I think I'll have to get a closer look."

His breath caught in his throat and he closed his eyes when he heard her lower his zipper. His cock
sprang forth, painfully swollen, dying to be inside something warm and wet, particularly her body. Every
animal instinct he'd ever had was driving him right now, consequences be damned. There was no
controlling this, especially when she wrapped her hand around his cock and took him into her mouth
without warning.

God, she moaned against him as she slid his cock into her mouth, wrapping those luscious swollen lips
around it, taking it in to the back of her throat. Her moan felt like a low humming as it vibrated against the
roof of her mouth and came back around to caress and tease him. Her hands went around to his ass,
pulling him further into her, as if she couldn't get enough of him. Then her head started moving, sliding him
in and out with an ease as if she had done this several times before.

He couldn't think about that, wouldn't. Not while the goddess he had dreamed of for so long was here
with him, her mouth wrapped firmly around him, threatening to take him somewhere he had only gone
once before.

"Mmmmm," she moaned against him again, her hand now busily stroking his cock as her mouth greedily
took it in again and again.

His hands dug into her shoulders while he longed to tear off her dress and impale her on his lap. The urge
to do so became so strong, so primal, it was all he could do to control himself. Then he realized, the
change was on him. The sun was sinking and soon, he would no longer be a man, he would be a beast.
And rather than sinking himself into her flesh and driving them both toward ecstasy, he ran the risk of
ripping into her flesh with his teeth and destroying the one person he wished to protect.

"Josie, honey." He tried to pull away from her, tried to hold back the impending fangs that threatened to
break free of his gums and land against his bottom lip.

"What?" She looked up at him. "You're not enjoying yourself?"

"I'm enjoying myself just fine, but there's something about me that you don't know." He tried to still his
heartbeat as he spoke, tried to subdue the beast who longed to be free.

"What? You don't have a disease or something do you?" She rose up now and pressed her crotch
against his cock. "Or are you just not interested in a blow job?"

"What I'm interested in is...." God, the pain shot through his skull, forcing him to his knees. He reached
out for her in the midst of his turmoil and gripped the hem of her dress as he fell.

"Are you okay? You're not having a heart attack, are you?"

He groaned, trying to control his body even as he felt the hair grow on his chest, his back. "Get me to the
cages," he managed, the words coming out between clenched teeth.

"The what?" Her eyes were large and filled with fear as she looked down at him.

"The cages. The lion cages. The holding cells. Get me there now."

She pulled him to his feet and managed to zip his jeans. "Jake, what's happening to you?"

"No time. Now. Must go now."

Jake's heartbeat had reached an erratic level by the time they stumbled to the holding cages, just a few
yards from his office. He fell into the closest cell and pulled the door closed behind him.

"Jake?" The panic in her voice was obvious.

"Lock me in," he begged just as he felt the wolf's howl erupt from his chest.

Her hands shook as she fumbled with the keys. From the window, he could see the moonlight shining in.
And he could feel her terror. She stumbled backward, her hands unable to move from the obvious fear.
And he knew she was watching as he turned. For a second, the whole world was a blur. Then, the wolf
came and the change was complete.

* * * *

Josie scrambled to retrieve the keys she had dropped. The scream that was lodged in her throat refused
to come, refused to give her the release she needed. Instead, it stayed right on the edge, holding her
prisoner as she watched the man whom she had just attempted to make love to turn into a beast. Had
she not been watching the transformation, she would not have believed it.

"Jake," she cried out when she found her voice. He answered with a low growl, his mouth fixed on her
and drooling, his eyes showing none of the desire that had flickered there before.

"Oh God, Jake! What happened to you?" He lunged for the cage door and it swung open, putting nothing
between them. Her heart hammered in her chest. She had not been quick enough to lock the door.
Surely he wouldn't hurt her, would he?

He stopped just a few feet in front of her, as if he were waiting for her to run, giving her a chance so he
could hunt her down. Fear paralyzed her as events from so long ago clouded her mind. The thing that
attacked Brian! The scream came now, flooding the room while tears blinded her eyes. She shielded her
face as he leapt forward.

Her heart stopped as she waited for his sharp teeth to sink into her neck, to take her life just as he had
taken Brian's. But the contact never came. When she was finally brave enough to open her eyes, she
knew the reason why. They were not alone. And the other wolf, one who looked even more fierce, had
entered the room with them and was now challenging Jake for the right to feed.

She wasn't sure how she managed, but she scrambled across the floor to the cage and pulled the door
closed behind her. Her hands gripped the keys, trying to place them into the lock as the two creatures
circled one another, testing each other. Only when she heard the lock click into place did she move to the
far corner of the cage and wait, watching in horror as the dance for dominance began.

The gray wolf let out a howl as he approached Jake, his teeth bared, his nose and lips back in a snarl.

Jake let out a howl that sounded much like a warning, as if he were giving the gray wolf a chance to run,
much like he had done with Josie. She shook with fear as she watched the two finally leap into one
another.

The room became a frenzied mass of flying fur and heart-piercing howls. Somewhere during the fight,
sometime after the blood had been spilled, she knew she fainted. Everything went black and the sounds
from the room drowned into a low hum. The keys that she had clutched to her chest fell to the floor.

* * * *

Jake struggled to his feet as the first rays of light found their way into the room. His whole body ached
from the night before, from the struggle with whomever it was who had come to fight him for dominance.
Wolves were territorial and he couldn't help but think that this one was doing more than just marking off
an area. He was after Josie.

Reaching for the extra clothing he had brought to the room early yesterday, he dressed quickly and then
used a broom to pull the keys from inside the cage. Josie mumbled as he lifted her body from the floor
and pulled her to him. She was so cold from having slept there last night, but at least she had been safe.
Neither he nor his enemy had been able to reach her.

Her head fell back on his arm and her body felt like deadweight against him as he carried her to his SUV.
When she didn't wake, he noticed the bruise on her forehead and the knot on the back of her head.
Somehow, she had hit her head against something and knocked herself out, which meant this situation
was more serious than just a bump to the head or a hard night's sleep. His instincts told him to take her to
the hospital, but to be honest, he was afraid that whatever had been after her would find her there. He
could protect her, he vowed, so he took her to the one place he knew she would be safe: his house.

As part of his training as a vet, he was required to take a few hours in human anatomy and medicine as
well, so he knew he could handle a head injury. And he knew that in a case such as this as long as there
was no internal bleeding, Josie would be fine as soon as she woke up. But something inside him hoped
she would lose her short-term memory and be unable to recall what she had witnessed last night.

He watched her sleep and wondered what had come over her yesterday. She had been like a woman
driven by lust, something he had never seen in her before. Except once. Their one night together. He
pushed her hair back from her face and tried to think back to high school. She had done the same thing
then. He remembered her being the least happy cheerleader he had ever seen, but then sometimes, she
would change, be outgoing, flirtatious, almost to a maddening state. When the other girls were busy
jumping up and down, she was dancing to a seductive rhythm of her own making.

Jake had watched her back then. A lot more than he'd like to admit. He had almost forgotten how soft
and shiny her hair looked and how all he could think about during prom was how it would feel to loosen
it from its restraints and have it spill all over his pillow. He could almost feel the silk winding in his fingers
then as he danced with his date.

And her dress. It had been a short black number that tied behind her neck. He remembered watching the
velvety fabric sway and stretch. He got hard now just thinking about how perfect she had looked then.
How stupid he had been. If he hadn't been so busy trying to score with every girl he saw, he might have
had the guts to challenge her boyfriend. He might have been able to erase that awful past.

And then it had happened. He couldn't recall the day of the week, but it had to have been under the light
of the full moon. That was the only explanation for what had attacked him in the woods. But what he
didn't understand was how Josie was connected to all this. If Brian had been attacked under a full moon
by the same creature that attacked him, then it made sense that Josie was the key to everything. She had
been with them both and had been here tonight. And by the look of lust in the other wolf's eyes, she was
the intended target.

He didn't believe in fate, but something was forcing him to think about second chances and destiny.
Something with cornflower blue eyes and long brown hair. Something that looked incredible in a sundress
and even better in khaki shorts. And something that was starting to stir in his bed.

Chapter Seven

Josie's head ached as soon as she became aware that she could feel again. Her entire body felt so cold,
so out of sorts, as if she had been submerged in a strange dream. She snuggled into the warmth that
surrounded her, wondering where it had come from all of a sudden. Then she felt the hand on her
forehead, big and strong, strangely calming. When her eyelids fluttered open, she saw Jake staring down
at her, his mustache covered lips turning up into a crooked smile.

"Good morning."

"Morning?"

"Yes. How are you feeling?"

"Fine," she tried to sit. "Where am I?"

"You're in my bed."

She groaned when his hands held her firmly against the mattress. "Let me up."

"You need to take it easy. You fell and hit your head last night. I don't want you to move too fast."

Struggling against him took too much effort, so she gave in and rested against the pillows, his hands still
on her chest. "Did I sleep here last night?"

"Yeah, you did. But you're okay, so don't worry. Your honor is still intact."

"Somehow I doubt that." She remembered what had happened last night, and her honor had very little to
do with it.

"Well, trust me. All is well. Do you remember last night?"

"Of course I do. I made a fool out of myself and you rejected me." She avoided his eyes as she spoke,
not wanting to admit to what she knew was true. If Jake had wanted her, he would be lying in bed next
to her right now.

"I didn't reject you."

"No?" She folded her arms, not believing him.

"No. I told you, you fell and hit your head."

"Even worse. A girl can't even attempt to seduce someone without turning it into a big deal."

He laughed, low and long. The seductive sound vibrated all through her body. "Seduce me, eh? Is that
what you were planning?"

"I thought it was obvious."

"I'll tell you what's obvious." He sank onto the bed next to her, the heat of his body a welcome invitation.

"I'm a big girl. I can handle the truth."

"Can you handle that somebody tried to kill you last night?"

"What are you talking about?" Her heart began to hammer in her chest. Kill her? Who would want to kill
her?

"I'm talking about last night. You and I left my office and went to the holding cells for the lions. And then
somebody came in there, something came in there and...."

"Wolves...." The memory was vague, as if it had happened in a dream. But she did recall seeing two
wolves challenge one another. One was gray and the other was golden blond, the color of Jake's hair.
"There were two wolves."

She watched as he swallowed, the lump going all the way down his throat. "Yeah, there were some
wolves."

"And, oh God...." She pulled away from him as quickly as possible. "You were one of them!"

Jake moved toward her, his eyes focusing on her just as they had last night when he had lunged for her,
threatening to rip her throat out. "Josie," he held out his hands, trying to calm her.

"No! Don't do that! Don't treat me like a fool. Who are you? What are you? And what do you want with
me?" She refused to cry, refused to become a victim to his sick game. Before he could answer, she
reached for the door, determined to escape whatever madness it was that had taken over him.

"You aren't going anywhere," his hand closed over the doorknob before she could grab it.

"Are you going to kill me now?" She would not let him see her terror.

"I'm not here to kill you. But something out there is. And I think it's tried more than once. You've got to
listen to me. I can protect you."

"You! You're one of them. And I don't even know what they are. This makes no sense at all! I know
what I saw, Jake, and it's crazy." The tears were coming now. Even though she tried to swallow them,
tried to ignore the stinging in her eyes, she couldn't.

"It's crazy, but it's true. I am one of them. But I am going to protect you." His arms closed around her,
and even though she tried to shake him off, she found herself giving in to his embrace. As the sobs shook
through her body, she clung to him, as if he really could help her.

"This can't be happening again."

"Again?"

"Yes. Again. I thought it had ended. But now, oh God. Now, I don't know anything anymore." The sobs
interrupted her words, making it difficult to understand. How could she explain to Jake? How could she
make him see what had happened, what she was? She pulled away from him and wiped her eyes on the
back of her hand.

"Josie, you have to tell me everything you know."

She nodded. "I will. But first, you have to be straight with me about a few things, too."

"Anything."

"Would you have killed me last night?"

"I would rather die than hurt you, you've got to believe that. But I think you're in danger. In fact, I know
it, but the danger ain't from me."

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean that wolf last night, the other one, I think it knows your scent."

Her head throbbed, unable to focus on his words, which really made no sense to her. She was a wolf's
target? No. That wasn't possible.

"Tell me how Brian died." The words slowly made their way into her system as she looked up to face the
man who had uttered them. She didn't like talking about Brian, especially to someone like Jake.

"I can't. What does he have to do with this?"

"I think a hell of a lot more than you know. I need to know the truth, Josie. The truth."

She swallowed hard, knowing Jake didn't get rattled over nothing. Something big was happening here,
something she couldn't quite wrap her mind around.

"He was attacked by wolves." The memory was as raw now as it had been for the past several years. It
should have been her. Ever since that night, she knew it should have been her.

"I thought so. What if I tell you I was attacked, too? After our first night together."

"No. None of this is real." She shook her head, determined not to believe him. This couldn't be real. All
those childhood dreams she'd had, they had all been dreams. Wolves howling at her window, scratching
in the middle of the night. Claw marks on the bedroom door her mother kept locked tightly. Oh, God!
What was happening?

"It's all real and we have got to figure it out." His voice interrupted her train of thought.

"It's never going to stop." The words came out before she realized she had said them.

"What isn't?"

"They want me. They've wanted me ever since I can remember. And now, they've taken Brian and you. I
can't deal with this." She dragged herself from the bed, determined to fight, determined to do something

about this weirdness that had situated itself in her life.

"I am here to protect you. You tell me who's after you."

Jake's arms were around her before she could stop him. She didn't have the energy to push away from
him, even if she had wanted to, which she didn't. All she wanted right now was to fall into his arms and
forget that any of this had happened, forget the past she had denied for too long.

His blue eyes were her anchor, pulling her down, holding her steady, promising a future. But he was the
one thing she had avoided, what she had sworn she wouldn't fall prey to.

"I would never hurt you," he whispered against her hair. It was all the encouragement she needed. Pulling
his head down, she tiptoed and brushed her lips against his. God, this was like coming home. It had been
too damned long, and she could no longer fight the desire to hold him in her arms and give herself to him
again.

"Promise me that," she said when she broke the kiss.

"I promise."

Chapter Eight

"This is going to sting." Jake tried to be gentle as he slid the needle into her arm, still he felt her body
tighten as she winced.

"It's okay. I'm okay."

"I know, sweetheart."

"So, this is going to tell us what we need to know?"

He had lay awake all last night trying to figure this out. Holding Josie in his arms had given him more
questions than answers, but sometime during the night, the pieces began to fall into place. Brian had been
attacked by wolves, he had been attacked with Josie's scent on him. They were after her.

All it took was a few minutes to get the answer he knew her blood would give them. Sure enough, the
vial turned green, a sign that she also held the lupine gene.

"What does it mean?" She bit her bottom lip as she asked.

"It means you carry the gene. You were attacked by wolves."

"No," she shook her head, her brown hair flying wildly as she moved. "I would remember it if I had been.
There has to be another explanation."

"There is only one other. I don't know of anyone in all my research who was born with the gene. You

could be the first."

"Wait. You know of others like this? Like you?"

"Others who change with the moon? No, I don't know them personally. But I do have detailed records
of sightings. Strange changes in mental patients who break loose at night. There's a long history of
werewolves in this country. I happen to be one of them."

He delivered the lines so calmly, as if he had practiced them. To tell the truth, this was the first time he
had ever used the word "werewolf" in describing his condition. Until now, he had treated it as mere
speculation. But now, God, he didn't know what was happening.

"I never knew my father." She had wrapped her arms around her knees and looked like a child sitting
there in her long dress and sweater. Everything inside him ached to protect her.

"Does your mother...?"

"She never mentioned him. I always assumed...." her voice trailed off.

"Assumed what?"

"I think she was raped."

"Shit." He hadn't meant to open up a big can of worms, and he never wanted to see that stricken look on
her face. She was made of steel, though, the way she held her head high when she said the word, not
wanting him to know how much it affected her. But he could feel her. It was as if he had been living inside
her head all day, feeling her ups and downs, her pain, her panic.

"It's not a big deal, not to me anyway. I don't care how I got here."

"But you do care who your father is."

"Not particularly."

"You can't lie to me, Josie. I can feel your stomach churn as you think about it." He rose and walked
across the room and then knelt down in front of her. "I know your pain."

"What, are you in my head now?"

How could he explain to her that every breath she took seemed to flow through his body.

"I am here to protect you," he repeated his earlier vow as he pulled her into his arms. "And I will, I swear
it. With my life if I have to."

She clung to him then, the tears she had refused to shed spilling down his neck and shoulders. As her
body shook in his arms, he knew he had fallen in love with her. Hell, he had known it the second he first
saw her after all these years. Now, the realization hit him in the chest. He loved her, and he would protect
her.

"Thank you, Jake. Thank you for telling me the truth. But now, I think I need to go. I've got some things
to figure out."

"I understand."

"Thanks."

"Meet me tonight. For dinner. I promise there won't be a repeat performance of last night's encounter
with the wild man, okay?"

"Okay."

* * * *

Josie had dreaded meeting with Jake. She took her time with the kids that afternoon, waiting with them
for their parents. She usually let the individual teachers stay with them, but she had wanted to talk to
Luke's dad about the snake incident and assure him that everything was okay. At least that's what she
told herself. She really just wanted to put off her talk with Jake.

It had nothing to do with going into his lab, seeing the object of her fear. It had to do with that other fear.
The one that had started the other night with a kiss and had come full force today with that complete
surrender of herself to him. Then there was that little matter of genetics and werewolves. Still, she
couldn't quite wrap her mind around it all. It was too much to try to deal with. And her emotional state
wasn't the best it had ever been.

She had gone off the deep end where he was concerned. And she had to force herself to get back on
track before she really lost herself in him, becoming too involved, losing herself completely ... like she had
done with Brian. Like she had done with everyone before Brian. Her heart sank at the thought. She had
always become completely wrapped up in whoever she was with. So much so that she didn't really know
herself. She was thirty years old and had never done anything that wasn't just to impress someone else.
For as long as she could remember, that had been the mode of operation. And she was suddenly sick of
it.

Something had happened to her since she found out about the genes and the change. And it had very little
to do with their existence. It had to do with that man. That beautiful, incredibly sexy man who ... was
walking this way.

"We need to talk," the words were a low growl.

Her eyes darted around, looking for something else to do other than talk to him, but all the kids had been
collected, the teachers dispersed.

"I know," she finally found her voice. She hadn't expected that lump in her throat to form and was even
more surprised by her physical reaction to him. She could feel her desire for him, from the unwelcome
tingling in her lips to the very unwelcome rush of blood from her head. She didn't want to be attracted to
him. She couldn't deny the feeling she got when she looked into those blue eyes of his. Damn the man.

"I don't suppose you'll come with me to the lab?"

"I don't think so." She folded her arms, tried to act uninterested in him. The last thing she needed was for
him to know that it was taking all of her strength not to touch him.

"Where? You have some place in mind?"

His formality gave her caution. Why was he acting this way all of a sudden? Were those the same lips
that had tormented her just a few hours earlier? "Not really."

"Your place, then," he suggested, folding his arms.

"I don't think...." she tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth, trying to think. Trying to do anything other
than be mesmerized by those eyes.

"I do. Either your place or the lab." He leaned toward her, and she practically jumped at his nearness. He
smelled so good, so inviting. And she wanted nothing more than to lean into him and take a taste of that
bottom lip that teased out from beneath the edges of his mustache.

"Fine," she dropped her arms. There was no use arguing with him. And her place wasn't all that far from
here. At least she'd be on her territory. And there was no danger of snakes there. Just the danger of a
wolf lurking beneath his skin. Suddenly the snakes didn't seem so threatening. Dressed in his cowboy
snake wrangler gear, Jake looked downright irresistible and completely hazardous to her health.

"Should I drive?" he raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"No," she realized she had spoken too soon and flushed a little. "No," she said again, calming her voice.
"Just follow me."

It only took five minutes to get to her house. It was what Brian had called a "starter house," one that
needed to be fixed up. They would move to a larger one when they got ready to start a family. Her heart
sank, recalling her plans with Brian, the future that had been taken away from her so brutally. She would
never have the family that they had spent hours talking about, planning for.

Those children they had named wouldn't be hers. Someone else would have babies with bright green
eyes. She might see them passing on the street and think of Brian. She shook the thoughts of him from
her mind. She really did want to move on. Today was the first day that she had realized it. She couldn't
very well have children until she knew what was going on with her body. She wanted something beyond
this life that she had. This life that seemed so incomplete.

She sighed, pulled into her driveway and hoped that she would have the nerve to face Jake. Really face
him. What was she so afraid of anyway? She knew as she pulled the keys from the ignition. She couldn't
deny that physical draw between them. Something in her subconscious had agreed to let him come here
today. And she had to admit that she was wondering as she walked to the door how it would feel if she
gave in to those physical cravings.

"This is it," she dropped her keys on the table in the tiny hallway and led him inside. She watched as he
took in the hardwood floors and whitewashed walls. Most of the furniture was used but not worth much
more than sentimental value. She and Brian had reupholstered almost all of the chairs and he had been
responsible for reconditioning the floors.

"Nice place," he said, obviously scanning the collection of pictures on the wall. There were several of
Brian by himself, one of their wedding and a couple of Brian's brother and his wife.

"You want a drink or something?" She rubbed her bare arms, hoping she didn't look as uncomfortable as
she felt while Jake scrutinized her family photos.

"Naw, that's okay," he followed her into the living room.

"You sure?" She sat on the edge of the sofa, clearly uneasy. How could she let a man like him get to her?

"I'm sure." He sank down on the sofa next to her, forcing her to move over unless she wanted her leg to
brush his--which she didn't.

"We need to find a new place for you to hold your seminars," she began. Look casual, throw your arm
across the back of the sofa. Turn to face him, angling your hips so that you aren't so damned close to
him.

"Where do you suggest?"

"Maybe under the pavilion. I don't want them back in the habitat. Not for so long anyway. I'm afraid we'll
have a repeat performance. You know, with the snakes."

"I agree. Too many kids there and too many snakes. How am I supposed to keep them under the
pavilion, though?" His eyes were on her as she nervously licked her bottom lip.

"I'm going to help," she announced. The idea didn't sit well with her, but she felt like she had no choice.
Besides, it would take her mind off of this attraction for Jake.

"You?"

"Yes. Me. I'm thirty years old. It's time I got over this fear of mine. Besides, it's kind of silly
considering.... You know, considering what I saw with you, what I am now."

"I agree. You know, I could make it easier for you. I could give you, uh, one-on-one lessons or
something. You know, get-to-know-you sessions." He looked down at her left hand, which was tracing
tiny circles onto her bare leg. She stopped, feeling his eyes on her.

"Okay." She could tell she surprised him because he finally met her eyes.

"Okay?"

"Yes. Okay. I've done a lot of thinking today. And I know I need to make some changes. So, I'm open
to suggestion."

"Just like that?"

"I guess so. Why, does that surprise you?" He really needed to stop looking at her like that. She knew
that look. It was the same one he had earlier before he kissed her. Her fingers went up to her lips,
remembering the heat that had stayed there long after his lips had gone.

"There are a lot of things about you that surprise me," he admitted.

"Oh?" She didn't want to flirt. Really, she didn't. But she was drawn to him just as easily as a mouse is
drawn in to the snake's hypnotic sway.

"Yeah," he leaned into her, draping his arm on top of hers across the back of the sofa.

"Jake, I...." I what? I want you! She stopped. She didn't know what to say to him. "Never mind. You
sure you don't want something?" she meant to drink. That wicked gleam in his eyes indicated something
else. She instantly felt her nipples hardening against her shirt.

"I want something, all right," his voice was strained. "Josie, we're both adults here," he rubbed her
shoulder with his fingers.

"Your point?"

"My point is I'm beyond the point of playing games. I want you. I still want you. What happened between
us doesn't change anything. In my mind, it makes us stronger, gives us a bond. All you have to do is say

the word."

Those words teased her, igniting a fire somewhere deep within her. As if it hadn't already been lit! She
practically burned everywhere that his fingers touched. God, right now all she wanted was to feel him.
She closed her eyes. All she had to do was say the word and he would be hers. But for how long? Could
she be a one-night stand kind of woman?

"You're not serious."

"More serious than I've ever been before."

"I'm not interested," she lied, avoiding his eyes.

"You seemed pretty interested earlier."

"I was extremely stressed earlier. Happy just to be alive. I would have kissed anyone."

His hand forced her to face him, "Would you have moaned for anyone?"

That voice was made for seduction. He could probably read the newspaper to her and sound sexy. The
word moan sounded like a moan on his lips. "Jake...."

"Would you?" He leaned into her, so close she could feel his breath on her face. "You smell like
peaches."

"I can't do this," she finally said, pulling away from him.

"Why not?"

He was like Eve tempting her with the apple. She knew how helpless Adam must have felt now. She
could give in to him and not think twice about it. She could give him everything. "You should go," she
stood, turning her back to him. She was ashamed to face him. Ashamed of what she wanted to do so
badly. In a perfect world, Brian wouldn't matter and she would be able to do what she wanted to do.
There would be no consequences for her actions. But this wasn't a perfect world. And she remembered
how actions and consequences went hand in hand.

"I'll go now. But I'll be back. You and I have a lot of unfinished business, lady. And I plan to finish it."

Josie let the tears run down her cheeks as she heard Jake's retreating footsteps. His words echoed in her
head as she sat there, staring into space. She could hear the echoing sound of the closing door long after
he had gone. The house felt even emptier now than it had this morning when she had left for work. Her
insides felt emptier, too. She sank to the sofa, wondering what to do.

* * * *

The photo album was packed with as many moments as can be collected in three years. She had
mementos from trips, dates and outings. A four-leaf clover was crumbling and faded on one page.
Tickets to a concert were edged with wear from where they had been stuffed into Brian's pocket and
washed. Pictures covered every page.

She and Brian had lived. They had packed a lifetime of memories into three years. She had loved him

with everything that she had and for so long after he had died, she had felt completely empty. She had
fallen into a depression. She had lost interest in everything.

Josie slowly drew herself out, realizing that she was wasting his memory by moping around. What she
really needed to do was keep his memory alive by following in his footsteps. She could do all of the
things he hadn't been able to do. She figured she owed him that much.

Brian's death was her fault. She had always thought so. No one would ever speak those words to her,
but she knew they were true. If it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't have been out in the woods. If he
hadn't tried to save her from whatever it was that attacked them that night.... She stopped. No one ever
knew what it was that had attacked them.

Her hand went to her side, the place where the teeth marks still rested. They had only grazed her before
Brian interfered. Maybe she fainted. She really wasn't sure. All she knew was that somehow she had
managed to end up back in the car. And Brian was never seen again.

His clothing was found later in shreds, his blood covering it. Though his body was never found, he had
been declared dead. Josie had always hoped. Had always thought that somehow he had escaped from
whatever it was out there that had attacked them.

Was it possible that he had been attacked by wolves? That he was now a werewolf? No, it was
impossible. But she had seen some impossibilities, and now Jake thought she was the intended target. A
woman born with a werewolf gene? Now, why hadn't her pediatrician zoned in on that one?

"Brian, I don't know what to do," she cried, running her fingers along the edges of their wedding photo. "I
can't even picture your face anymore without a photograph. I can't hear your voice. I can't remember
how it used to feel to kiss you."

The sobs were taking over her body. She shook uncontrollably. Brian was dead. Even if he did live
somewhere as a creature of the night, he was not coming back to her. She couldn't remember when she
had stopped jumping every time the phone rang expecting it to be him. Or when she had stopped calling
for him when she came home. Or when she had buried herself in his work so that she wouldn't forget
him.

"I love you, Brian. But I have to let you go."

* * * *

Jake waited for the full moon, his every instinct on alert. He had locked himself in one of the large cages
used to hold the big cats while they were waiting for transport or for the vet. Tonight, it would hold him,
would insure that he would not escape, just in case the serum he had been injecting himself with didn't
work. He couldn't risk Josie's life again. But every hair on the back of his neck stood at attention.
Whatever had attacked him before could be out there, lurking, waiting for Josie.

His Josie.

Who was he fooling? Jake couldn't compete with the late, great Brian Mitchell. He was out of his league
and wasn't sure why it mattered. He hadn't wanted a relationship with Josie. He just wanted to sleep with
her, to get her out of his head. But now, the thought of just having sex with her wasn't enough. He wanted
more, and he didn't want to be haunted by the ghost of Brian Mitchell, a man Jake wasn't even convinced

was dead.

What was it about her anyway? She was smart, beautiful. There was more, though. She did something to
him. She made him feel something that he couldn't quite explain yet. And he wanted to take his time
exploring, testing the waters to see exactly what it was.

Chapter Nine

Josie didn't look any worse for the wear when she appeared the next morning. Jake would like to say
that he hadn't been watching for her, but he found himself looking out of his window onto the parking lot
every few minutes. He stretched lazily. He had timed how long it would take for her to reach his door
and was prepared for it to open any minute now.

Jake pushed the mini blinds back one last time. It was just in time to catch the view of her backside as
she walked past him and to the pavilion where the day camp met. This was the same pavilion where he
would be holding his seminars from now on. Under her watchful eye.

He shoved his glasses into his shirt pocket and raked a hand through his ponytail, a habit to help work
out some of the tangles. He thought for the first time in a long time that he might as well get it cut off. His
haggard appearance wore the proof that he had been up half the night. Damn the woman. Ever since she
slithered back into his life, he hadn't been able to sleep worth a damn. His nights were filled instead with
either trying to form a plan to impress or thinking about her pressed into him. Neither was working.

Jake pushed his chair away from his desk and picked up his keys. Sliding them into his pocket, he took
one last deep breath. He would need all the strength he could summon to keep his hands off of her.

She hadn't seen him coming. He could tell by the look of surprise that washed over her face as he
loomed over her. Disappointment crept in as her face held its stony expression. She may be able to write
him off without so much as a second glance, but he couldn't do the same. All he could think about was
winding that silky hair around his fingers and making those lips yield to his kisses.

"Morning, Josie," he smiled and then seated himself next to her, ignoring the half turn that she did in the
opposite direction in order to return to her clipboard.

"Morning," she half-heartedly answered, scanning her notes for today's groups.

"You should really talk to those people at Old Navy," a smile tugged at his lips.

She turned back around, her brow knit with confusion, "Huh?" So it wasn't the most intelligent response
she could come up with, but considering that she had no idea what he was talking about, it would have to
do.

"Your shorts," he tugged on the hem, carefully grazing her skin with the back of his hand as he moved.
"They're too short again."

"Oh?" she stared down at his hand, wondering if she should dare move it. The thought crossed her mind
that she should just cover it with hers and lead it up a little. Then she realized where she was and who he
was and thought better of it. "And when did you become an authority on shorts?"

"Since I started watching you wear them all the time." He was aware of her gaze on his fingers. He
wondered what she'd do if he continued to rub them along the soft flesh of her thigh. He felt his physical
response to that question almost as soon as it occurred to him. He had to get this woman out of his head.
Just one night with her and he'd be able to think straight, he just knew it.

"You're out of line," she steadied her voice, hoping that her fingers didn't shake as she moved his hand
from her leg and dropped it into his lap. She may want Jake Moore in a way that she couldn't even begin
to explain, but she wasn't about to let him hit on her here in the open. And at Martin's zoo.

"Sorry," he threw her a lopsided grin before pushing himself back up to his feet. "I guess I'll go sit in my
corner 'til you need me." He turned to walk away and then pivoted on his heel. "And, Josie? You will
need me."

I already do, she thought as she watched him walk away. The pencil that she had been holding between
her fingers was about ready to snap from the pressure she had been putting on it. She felt as if she would
snap from the tiniest touch of his lips or his breath. Yesterday's kiss was so fresh on her mind, she really
needed to clear her head. Otherwise, she would find herself thinking about him instead of the kids.

She watched as the group started ambling in for the morning. Luke was among the first kids there and
already had Jake involved in a rather lengthy discussion about the benefits of putting snakes in his mom's
laundry basket. Apparently, she had thought it was about as funny as Josie had the day before.

"You shouldn't do that, Luke," she heard Jake say. The gentle tone of his voice made her chest ache.
"She could really hurt herself or the snake. And you wouldn't want that, would you?"

"No, but he was cold," Luke's five-year-old logic sounded watertight.

"Snakes don't warm up the way we do, though," Jake explained, kneeling down to the boy's level. God,
he saw so much of himself in those crystal blue eyes.

"They don't need blankets?" Luke's eyes were wide.

"No, they don't. What snakes like is the sun. A snake's favorite place is curled up on top of a rock in the
sun."

"Then how come you got them in cages? How do they get sun in there?" He kicked at the dirt clinging to
his tennis shoes.

"You remember those big rocks in their cages?"

"Uh-huh," the boy shook his head wildly.

"Those are special rocks that heat up. They feel like they would if they were out in the sun." Jake glanced
past Luke to see Josie watching him. As soon as his eyes made contact, she jerked her head away,
turning back to her notes. He smiled and turned his attention back to Luke. "That's how they stay warm."

"So they don't like the laundry basket?" he dropped his eyes.

"No, they don't. And I bet they'd hate the washing machine even more." He saw Luke's eyes light up at
that suggestion and quickly added, "And they don't like dryers."

"But they're hot," Luke argued.

"Too hot. It would be like placing him on a fire. It would kill him."

"Oh," his face dropped again. Jake saw a smile spread on the boy's face before he lifted it, "Could I see
one of those rocks?"

"Yeah. I think we can arrange it. But later, okay? I think I see your teacher coming." He stood and
nodded in Susan's direction. She smiled in return and then waved for Luke to come join the group. One
disaster avoided at least for today.

* * * *

Josie didn't like the way Susan had been watching Jake. She had tried to ignore it yesterday, but today it
seemed extremely obvious. She was sitting too close to him, crossing and uncrossing her perfectly tanned
legs at just the right time, flipping her long ponytail just so. She laughed too hard at his jokes and stared
too intensely at his lecture. No wonder Luke had been able to set the snake free yesterday. Susan had
been flirting with Jake.

"And that's how pythons catch their food," Jake explained, running a hand along Moe's backside to calm
him. One of the kids in the back raised his hand. "Yes?"

"Are we gonna get to see him eat?"

"Even better. You're going to get to help feed him."

Josie thought she would drop her clipboard at this announcement. She thought she had made it clear that
they were to scrap all of the old plans they had about the day camp since Luke's little escapade. Of
course, come to think of it, she wasn't quite sure if they had made it that far. This is what happens when
you take your mind off of work. She tightened her lips as the group of eight and nine year olds broke off
into a low rumble of "cool" and "awesome."

"Each one of you," Jake explained, "will get a chance to help feed one of the animals while you are here."
He raised a finger to all of the hands shooting up into the air at this suggestion. "Wait, wait. Let me
explain what we're gonna do." He waited until the chatter died down before continuing. "Next week, we
will do a walk through at the reptile house. You'll get to choose an animal from the ones that haven't been
named and you will get to learn more about that animal. After we learn all about them, you will get to
name them and have some hands-on time with them. And you'll get to feed them."

Josie was sure she hadn't heard him correctly. Hands-on time?

"We get to touch them?" one of the boys near the front asked.

"Yes, but only after you learn about them. We're going to practice picking them up and taking care of
them. And we're only going to be working with the ones that aren't poisonous."

Thank God for that. At least the man had some sense.

"Now, what I want you to think about," he continued, "is what kind of animal you like best. Do you like
snakes? Turtles? Lizards? Frogs?" He heard a chorus of "yes" with each animal that he named. "You

decide and be ready to tell me on Monday, okay?"

"Okay, everyone, let's thank Dr. Jake for talking to us today. And thanks to you too, Moe, for being so
nice," Susan led them in a practiced refrain of "Thanks" before asking them to line up so they could get
ready for their arts and crafts.

Jake smiled as he watched the group return to their arts and crafts area. The younger kids were with Paul
today at the alligator habitat and the next group was riding the zoo's train. It only took a second for him
to bring his thoughts back to Josie who was sending him icy stares from across the pavilion.

He replaced Moe, letting the snake slide out of his hand and back into the cage. Carefully, he put the lid
back on and locked it down. He felt Josie's eyes on him the whole time, probably wondering if he was
putting the lid on properly. He took his time ambling over to her side of the pavilion.

"You don't look too happy," he smiled, hoping it would be contagious. It wasn't.

"I'm not," she met his eyes evenly, a tough chore considering her warring emotions.

"Did I do something to offend you?" he lowered his voice, knowing that he was probably the source of
her ire.

"I didn't give you permission to take the kids back into the habitat. Or to touch the animals."

"You told me you trusted me," he shoved his hands into his pockets. If he didn't do something with them,
he was likely to reach out and touch that curl that had escaped from her hairclip. It was dangling over one
eye just begging to be stroked.

"That was before...."

"Before what?" he interrupted. "Before I made you mad or before I kissed you?"

"Before you let the snake get out."

"Oh, so that's my fault again. Okay," he held his hands out in surrender, "I'll take the blame. My fault for
not watching them close enough."

"I bet you had your eyes on something else," she mocked.

"Such as?"

"You know what such as. I've seen those looks between you and some of my workers. I don't want you
messing with them on my time," she forced the words out through clenched teeth.

He leaned forward and let his words carry over to her, "Would you rather I messed with you then?"

"I would rather you do what you're getting paid to do."

He laughed. "Then I would be over at the exhibit or with Lucy because nobody's paying me to be here
with you."

Josie clenched her eyes shut as he walked away. The words had been spoken so softly, but she could
see the heat in his eyes. It was better this way. At least maybe she wouldn't spend every waking minute
thinking about him.

"Everything okay?" Susan had wandered up after leaving the kids to do their sand paintings.

"Everything's fine," Josie forced a smile. "I just have a headache is all."

"Oh. I think I have some aspirin in my bag," she offered, her cheerful smile glowing straight up to her
eyes.

"That's okay. I'll be fine."

"Just let me know if you change your mind," she shrugged.

Josie could tell that she wanted something by the way she was shifting from one foot to the other. "Did
you need something?"

Susan blushed a little, but recovered quickly. "Yeah, I guess I do."

"Okay?"

"I was wondering, uh, about Dr. Jake. Is he single?"

Josie swore her heart dropped. The petite blonde could probably have her pick of men. And she had
zeroed in on Jake. A classic combination of innocence and seduction, Susan was the kind of woman men
went to war over in the old days. She had Jake's attention, Josie was sure. As much as she wanted to lie
to her, she found herself admitting what she hoped would end this fascination with Jake once and for all.
"As far as I know, he's single."

Susan's face lit up, "Do you think he'd go out with me?"

"I don't know," Josie admitted. Probably. "You'll have to ask."

"I don't think I could ask. Do you think you could...."

No, no, NO! She wouldn't set Jake up with Susan. She couldn't with that knot in her throat threatening
to cut off her air supply at any moment. Panic seized her as she stared into Susan's anxious eyes. "Sure,"
she managed, choking the word out. "Sure."

That headache was getting worse.

* * * *

"Get a grip, Josie." She splashed cold water on her face and then looked at her reflection in the mirror.
She couldn't compete with a twenty-year-old siren. She shouldn't even try. She patted her face dry with
the paper towels, cringing at their rough texture against her sunburned face. Of all the days to forget her
sunblock, today would be it. Everything else had gone her way today, she thought, sarcastically.

She should be thankful that Susan was interested in Jake. She had hated the idea this morning when she
thought Jake had been watching Susan, but now, it seemed like the answer to all of her problems. She
kept reminding herself how it was the only way to get Jake out of her system. He had to be unavailable.

That in mind, she decided to go over to the lab now and talk to him about Susan. She stared at her
reflection again. She couldn't go in there with the snakes. She had barely made it through his presentation
today, and then had only done so from way across the pavilion. She had been grateful that they'd moved
the seminars from the small confines of the reptile exhibit into the open air. Only half of it was to keep her

distance from the snakes.

"You can do this," she said steadily. Still, the thought of going in there almost paralyzed her. She had seen
Lucy eat. She knew the snake was harmless. And she knew those in there were less likely to get out than
the ones in the exhibit.

She wouldn't even have to go inside, she decided when she was halfway there. She could just go to the
door, open it, deliver the message and leave. It would be that simple. She had no reason to have to set
foot inside. She slowed her pace as she neared the lab, trying to decide what she was going to say.

She tightened her fingers into a fist. All she had to do was knock. She loosened the fist, flexed her fingers
and tried again. This was the easy part. Just knock on the door. She raised her hand to the wooden door
one last time. She hadn't even made contact when the door swung open and she practically fell against
that warm wall of maleness.

Her heart stopped in her throat as she struggled to right herself. She only made matters worse, practically
pushing him back into the lab. In her struggle, he managed to lose his balance and fall backward, catching
himself on the edge of the desk and closing the door in the process.

"If you wanted me, all you had to do was ask," he teased, looking down at their tangled bodies. Lucy
and Killer had nothing on this mating dance.

"Get your hands off of me," she demanded, pushing against his hard chest.

"You started it." He kept his arms firmly wrapped around her waist, still struggling against the wood of
the desk.

"No, I didn't. Now let go." This time she managed to haul herself off of him. She self-consciously
straightened her tank top and tugged on the hem of her shorts, not that they were too short.

"Whatever you say," he laughed, raising himself to his full height. "Did you, uh, need something?" he raked
a hand through his hair, not sure of what else to do with his hand. He knew what he wanted to do. Her
hair had practically fallen out of its restraints in their struggle and his fingers were itching to feel it.

"Yes, but not here." She realized for the first time that the door had closed and not only had she entered
the lab, but she was now confined here. She immediately started backing away toward the door, her
hand out behind her feeling for the knob.

Jake's smile teased her as he leaned back against his stool, half sitting on it. He folded his arms,
wondering what could have possessed Josie to come into his lab. "I'm not going anywhere," he argued.

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Fine. Have it your way."

"Promise?" he teased.

"What is wrong with you? Hitting on one woman isn't enough for you?"

"What are you talking about?" he met her gaze and then rolled his eyes. "Is this about that flirtation thing
again?"

"You're full of yourself," she pushed against him, causing him to almost fall over backwards. She stifled a
laugh as he struggled to gain his footing again.

"I bet you won't come over here and do that again," he warned.

"No, I won't."

"Unless I tell you that you're crazy. Yeah, that's it. Insane in love with me," he clicked his tongue.

"Only in your dreams," she rolled her eyes.

"I got your dreams right here." Something about that low growl made her stomach do a little flip-flop.

"I'm not touching you again," she promised.

"No?" he took a step toward her. "Then how 'bout I touch you?"

Josie wanted to move but found herself frozen as he moved toward her. She hugged her arms around her
chest and shifted her eyes to avoid looking at him. "Don't you dare." She knew it was an idle threat. Had
she been serious, she would have faced him instead of looking away like a coward.

"You ever play truth or dare?" He was so close now he could feel the heat coming from her body.

"I'm not doing this. I'm not playing this game with you." She met his eyes and then wished that she hadn't.
Why was it that impossible men had the most beautiful eyes?

"You started it." He reached for her hairclip, freeing the masses that it held back and then inhaling sharply
as they tumbled down around her shoulders. "Truth or dare, Josie," he crooned.

She captured her lower lip with her teeth. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. "Truth," she licked
her lower lip. God, it had become awfully dry in a matter of two seconds.

"You want me." It was a statement, punctuated by those smoldering eyes.

"No, I don't," she raised her chin, hoping he wouldn't reach out and touch it. He didn't. Instead, he
reached for her hair, gently tugging at the curls beside her face.

"I dare you to prove that."

"I chose truth," she argued.

"And I choose dare." He pulled her to him, using her hair as his leverage. Ever since he had seen her this
morning with it piled on top of her head, he had wanted to free it and wrap his hands in it. Using it against
her only heightened the sensation. He watched her eyes widen as her face came so close to his.

He saw a flicker of desire just before he brought his lips to hers. She muffled a cry of protest just before
she opened up for him. After that, all protests ended as she clung to him. She arched herself into him,
pressing her firm body up against his. He swore he heard a moan as her thigh came into contact with the
proof of his arousal. God, this woman was driving him crazy.

Her hair spilled all across his hands, winding itself around his fingers, holding him captive. He hadn't
hoped to escape. Still, he felt himself becoming sucked in by her sweetness. She opened and parted for
him, allowing his tongue to probe and search. To taste. To take. And to want. This wasn't enough. The
realization slammed into him. It would never be enough.

He pulled her with him as he leaned back against the stool. Using it for leverage, he lifted her, cupping her
bottom in his hands. He squeezed and felt her body begin to quake beneath his touch. All this from a
simple touch, a tiny kiss. He could only wonder what she would be like writhing beneath him. He had to
know.

He pulled them fully onto the stool, her in his lap, his hardness pressed into her so tightly he could feel her
heat. Just like snakes, he thought. His body was fine-tuned to react to the heat of her body. He had
sought her out, had found the warmest part of her.

He loosened his hand from her hair and let it trail down her arm, her side. He traced her ribcage back up
to her breast. He could feel her nipples straining against the flimsy fabric of her tank top and bra. They
ached to be touched. And he would grant them their wish.

He flattened one palm against her breast, lightly squeezing the mound of flesh. His lips continued a slow,
deadly assault on hers. Still, he waited for her moan, her arched back before he continued to explore. "I
want to see you," he groaned against her lips. In response, she slid his hand down to where her shirt met
her shorts. She helped him raise the tail of the shirt up, exposing the skin of her stomach.

In one quick motion, barely breaking their kiss, he pulled the shirt over her head. He inhaled sharply as
he imagined how beautiful her breasts would look once he freed them from their restraints. His expert
hands found the clasp of her bra between her breasts. With one hand, he unsnapped the clasp and felt
her spill out onto him.

"Josie, you're beautiful," he whispered against her cheek, letting his gaze fall onto her chest. Each tiny
rose bud was waiting for his mouth, puckered, teasing. When he took the first one, he felt her cling to
him, pulling his mouth tighter around her breast. He flicked his tongue before sucking gently. She moaned,
shifting in his lap, causing an instant reaction. "Grind yourself against me," he moaned.

She shifted again, rubbing herself into his crotch. She threw her head back in sweet abandon as she felt
the fabric of her shorts tease her delicate skin. She was ready for him. He could take her here and now
and she wouldn't have a complaint. Gently, she rode him. Then with a frenzy. A thousand shivers
wracked through her body.

"That's it, Josie, let yourself go," he coaxed before continuing his assault on her other breast.

She felt herself come and then collapsed in his arms. This is not what she had wanted. This isn't what she
came here for. Her senses came back to her at once. She could hear the lazy rhythm of the lab
instruments monitoring the temperature. She could hear the slow movements of Lucy in her cage. She
could smell the mice who were scurrying around in their cage. Oh, God. She hadn't just done that in a lab
surrounded by mice and snakes.

She snatched her shirt off of the desk with one hand and used the other to close her bra. She practically
sprang from Jake's lap, ignoring that lazy smile of satisfaction that lit up his eyes. Before he could move to
take her into his arms again, she had put her shirt back on and was moving for the door.

"Where are you going?" He wasn't through with her yet.

"I, this is not, I didn't come here for this," she stammered.

"Well, you shouldn't come here for it again. Any time you want," his eyes twinkled.

"Really. I didn't," she was reaching behind her again for the doorknob.

He folded his arms, "Then what'd you come here for?"

"To ask you about a date," she managed, not realizing that she was still panting, trying to catch her
breath.

"You name the time and place," he grinned.

"No. Not for me. For," God she was such an idiot. "For Susan."

"Susan?" he raised an eyebrow. "She send you in here to get me ready or something?"

"You are a jerk."

He shrugged, "I've been called worse. Now, what does Susan want with me? And why'd you have to
come check out the goods first?"

Josie winced at his emphasis on the word come. "It's not like that."

"Then how is it? I know women talk."

"Not like that, we don't."

"Truth or dare, Josie?"

"Go to hell, Jake." She narrowed her eyes at him. "I came here because Susan wants to ask you out on a
date. I told her I'd pass along the message. End of story."

"Consider me asked, then." The smile disappeared from his face. In its place was a mask that she
couldn't read.

"Go to hell," she said again for emphasis. She had wanted to slam the door harder, but her fingers were
having trouble grasping the knob. What had she just done?

Josie's fingers trembled, almost dropping her keys as she attempted to unlock her car door. After three
tries, she hit the keyless entry button on her key chain, thankful that she had let Brian talk her into having
that installed. Brian. Her thoughts certainly hadn't been on him just a few seconds ago.

She sank into the fabric seat of her car and flipped down her vanity mirror. The evidence of what had just
taken place was all over her face. Her eyes still looked hazy; her lips were swollen and red. Tiny marks
from Jake's stubble played around the edges of her mouth and down to her neck. She leaned the visor
forward a little to view her chest. They were there, too. God, she felt like he had touched every part of
her.

Annoyed, she flipped the mirror back up and turned the key. The blast from the music she had been
listening to on her way to work this morning instantly assaulted her. She hadn't been thinking when she
had popped in the old Def Leppard CD, but as Joe Elliot crooned out, "Have You Ever Needed
Someone So Bad," a thousand emotions played through her. Her first instinct was to hit the eject button
on the CD player. She even had her finger on it, threatening to put an end to the serenade. But something
had stopped her. Need. That's all this was. She needed someone. It had nothing to do with Jake
personally.

She latched her seatbelt into place, adjusting it between her breasts. They still felt heavy from the love
play, causing her to groan. She needed someone. Jake would do, right? Jake would do perfectly. He had
amazing lips. They looked pretty darn good, but they felt even better. And those eyes. She could imagine
looking up into them when she.... Hell, why was she feeling so shy now? The guy had her shirt off less
than five minutes ago and had practically felt everything she had to offer.

"Thanks, Joe," she mumbled to the radio, a plan forming in her wild imagination.

It had been too long. No one would hold it against her if she moved on with her life, would they? No, she
knew they wouldn't. They had all encouraged her enough, especially during the past year. And the beauty

of a plan like this was that no one would ever have to know. All she needed was one night to get these
urges--which had nothing to do with Jake--out of her system. Then she could go back to being herself.
No guilt. No explanations.

Chapter Ten

Jake dropped his keys at the front door, ignoring the blinking light on the answering machine. He stalked
to the kitchen to grab a beer, hoping it would drown some of the thoughts he had been having about
Josie. What was with him anyway?

He popped the cap off of the bottle and rested it against his forehead, thankful for the cold. Maybe he
should pour it down his pants. There was a raging inferno there that he didn't know how to calm. Well,
he did, but that would take cooperation from someone else. Someone who wasn't very cooperative.

He pulled the leftover pizza from the fridge, folded two of the slices together and took a big bite. Nothing
like cold beer and cold pizza to set the world right again. Diving onto his sofa and searching for the
remote, he hoped there was a game on tonight. A replay would be fine. Anything to take his mind off of
what had happened yesterday. Anything to take his mind off of the silky smoothness of her skin, the feel
of her hair in his fingers, the feel of her willing body pressed against him.

He couldn't help but smile. She had been willing. She could lie to herself all she wanted, but he had seen
the desire in her eyes. She had wanted him as much as he had wanted her. And the way she rocked
herself against him... The phone shook him from his reverie. He had forgotten about the machine.

He heard the soft voice on the machine, not recognizing it at first. "Hi, Jake, this is Susan. I was
wondering, since it's Friday night. Are you ... can you call me later? My number is...." He smiled as he
heard her subtly seductive voice. How long had it been since a woman had called to ask him out? He
reached for the phone before she could hang up.

"Susan?"

"Oh, Jake," the surprise in her voice was clear. "I didn't realize you were home."

"I just got in," he smiled.

"Oh. Well, Josie said it would be okay to call you and...." There was a long pause. Jake almost made it
easy for her and asked her out instead. Then he thought better of it. Let her call the shots, he decided.
"Are you busy tonight?"

"Not really. Nothing that can't wait anyway. What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know. I just thought maybe we could get together and...."

"And see what happens?"

"Yeah."

"I haven't had a more tempting offer today." He could hear her relief on the other end. Maybe Susan was
just what the doctor ordered. By the time he replaced the receiver, he had completely forgotten about the
answering machine. All he could think of was getting a woman off of his mind.

She had backed away from him since their little discovery, and the impending sense of danger he felt had
only grown. She wouldn't talk to him, though. He thought they were really getting somewhere. But now,
he really didn't know what to do about Josie. The fact that he loved her only made things worse.

* * * *

Dating in Carolton was very limited. The town's entertainment catered to the younger college crowd.
There was a movie theater with three screens and four nightclubs. There were also five restaurants that,
though they weren't four star, were considered nice places to take a date. The bowling alley and the
skating rink had long been taken over by the high school crowd leaving very few options.

Jake mentally ran through the list as he walked to his truck. This still wasn't the kind of evening he had
hoped for. Josie had been watching him all day. He had felt her eyes on his back and had even caught
her staring at him a few times. Each time, he had sent her a picture worthy grin and she had slightly
nodded her head in recognition.

She had worn her hair down today, delighting in the cold front that had moved through last night making
the temperatures outside a bearable eighty degrees. Every time the wind danced through it, he imagined
his hands there the day before. And felt himself grow hard.

Aside from the distant flirtation, there had been no attempt by either of them to discuss what had
happened or what could happen if they would give it a chance. That was the only reason why Jake was
taking Susan out tonight. If Josie really wanted him, she wouldn't be playing flirtatious head games. At
least, that's what he had been telling himself all day.

Susan looked like an All-American girl when she opened the door to her duplex apartment. Her long
blonde hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and her tan was accented by the yellow sundress she
wore. Jake wanted to kick himself for imagining that yellow dress that Josie had worn to the café. And
remembering the way one of the straps kept sliding down her shoulder, begging to be tugged off.

"You're early," she smiled, opening the door a little more to let him inside.

He checked his watch before following behind her. "I thought I was right on time."

"Come on in. You want a beer or something? I'm just going to freshen up and then we can go," she led
the way into the kitchen.

"A beer would be nice." He glanced around the tiny apartment. It was a testament to the fact that Susan
was still in college. Her sorority insignia was emblazoned on almost everything that wasn't moving.

She opened the fridge, careful to bend over just so as she reached in. She handed Jake the bottle,
brushing her fingers lightly against his, sending him a look that couldn't be mistaken. Was this the shy
Susan from the zoo? It couldn't possibly be. "Here you go," she fluttered her lashes.

"Thanks," he managed, pulling away slightly.

"I'll be just a sec. Make yourself at home."

He walked back into the living room and sank down onto the sofa, moving the Pi Alpha whatever pillow
to the side. He had never been impressed much by sorority girls. His college dating experience was
usually limited to the brainiac type. Smart, reserved, inner hellions. A smile teased the corners of his
mouth as he remembered countless nights in biology labs, libraries and at late night movies. The thought
of the biology labs brought him back to his zoo lab and to Josie.

"Okay, I'm ready," Susan announced, coming back into the room, turning once so he could check her
out. "You like?"

"You look great," he smiled. She did. She had a body that was made for sin. Made to be appreciated in
the way that he knew he could. And that dress looked awfully low cut. It was completely opposite of the
khaki shorts and polo shirts she wore to work. They covered up too many of her assets.

"Thanks. You do too." She took a step forward, making his throat tighten. "What would you like to do
tonight?" she traced her fingers along his arm, watching the goose bumps appear.

"I'm starving," he announced, pulling away enough so that it didn't look obvious. "I thought we'd go eat
first. Then, we'll see what happens."

This was met with an approving smile. Shy Susan? No way. He wondered if the act had been for his
sake or for Josie's sake. He had a feeling Susan could have handled the situation just fine without having
Josie run interference. That made him wonder why she had even bothered.

"I'm glad you were home," she began when he opened the truck door for her.

"Me too," he closed it before heading over to his side.

"Josie told me I should call you," she turned in her seat, giving him a clear glimpse of thigh in the process.

"Oh, she did?" He put the truck in gear, trying to ignore that tanned flesh.

"Yeah. She did. Said as far as she knew you weren't seeing anyone."

"I'm not," he looked straight ahead, wishing Susan would stop talking now. He didn't really want to hear
any more about how Josie was practically riding him last night and then telling Susan to call him.

"That's good," she reached out to trace her fingers along his arm again.

He flinched at her movement. Ordinarily, she would have turned him on just looking at him. But now, that
turn on was being interrupted by thoughts of another woman. Susan had a few advantages over Josie.
She didn't have that annoyingly long dark hair. Hers was a respectable length, just below her shoulders.
And she was a blonde. Two points for Susan. Her breasts were perky and firm beneath the cotton of the
sundress. Not too big. Thank God. More than a mouthful is a waste, he reminded himself, thinking of
Josie's ample chest. That's three points, right? But, damn it, he knew he was in the wrong place right
now. What the hell had he been thinking?

"You like Chinese?" he finally asked.

"As long as I don't have to eat with chopsticks," she laughed.

"No. I never quite mastered those either."

The Friday night date crowd either hadn't arrived yet or had decided to go somewhere else. The

restaurant was practically empty when Jake eased his truck into the parking lot. He had learned a lot
about Susan on the way over. The main thing was that she really wasn't interested in a date.

The conversation between them had dwindled down to nothing during the short drive over. What had
increased was her contact with his flesh. A squeeze here, a light touch there. A show of leg. A glimpse of
cleavage. The woman had one thing on her mind. And it wasn't food.

Dinner conversation was light, as well, making him wonder what he had ever seen in talking during dinner
anyway. It was much more interesting to watch a woman eat. Several times during the meal, she had
abandoned her fork, opting to use her fingers to slide the foods in between her painted lips. Other times,
she used the fork to help her wind the noodles around her tongue. She was a walking advertisement and,
combined with the sake, was going straight to his head.

"So what does your fortune say?" She had slipped her shoe off and was tracing circles on his lower leg.

"It says to be prepared for a surprise." He relaxed in his chair as her foot went higher. Cocked and
loaded, he thought.

"MMMmmm. I like the sound of that," she licked her lips to punctuate the point.

"And yours?"

She folded the piece of paper in half and then slid it down the top of her dress. "You'll have to find out
for yourself."

Jake was on autopilot as he took them home. He wasn't drunk. Light headed maybe, but a lot of that
could be blamed on the siren sitting next to him. He wondered why he hadn't noticed her before. There
was no missing her now. Not with her legs spread apart slightly, lips open and ready for him. The
five-minute drive to his house seemed to be taking too long.

"We're here," he finally announced, stepping from the cab of the truck to open her door.

"Nice place," she smiled. He shrugged in return as he headed for the door.

"You want a drink?" He dropped his keys by the phone.

"Not really." She took his hand and guided it to the top of her dress. "You never did see what my fortune
said."

Jake let her slide his hand into her dress. He wanted to be hot for her. God, how he wanted it. He was
hard, but he could get hard looking at a magazine. That wasn't an issue. It was the rest of it that just
wasn't happening. He closed his eyes as she leaned him against the wall.

She slid the straps off of her dress, and his hand was frozen. He wasn't exploring her chest the way she
expected him to be. His eyes were still closed, his mind assaulted with images from yesterday.

"Jake?" She had moved away from him.

"MMMmmmm?"

"Open your eyes, Jake," the seductive tone was gone from her voice. She stepped away and pulled her
top back up, folding her arms across her chest in the process.

"Why'd you stop?" he tried to sound innocent, but he knew why.

"You're not into this, are you?"

"I'm plenty into it," he lied. "Come here," he grabbed her around the waist and hauled her into him. When
his lips took hers, there was nothing gentle about it. He probed, he explored, he tried like hell to enjoy it.
God, what was wrong with him?

Susan stopped, planted her hands on his chest. "I must have misread you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I thought you were into me."

"I am. You're gorgeous." He ran a hand along her bare arm.

"Yeah, but I get the feeling gorgeous isn't enough for you."

"It's not that. It's just been a while. I think I just need some coaxing is all."

She raised an eyebrow. "You want me to take the lead? I can do that."

He braced himself for her touch. She leaned into him, gently bit his lip and then trailed her lips down his
neck. Her hands were at work on the buttons of his shirt. When they finally came into contact with his
bare flesh, he felt his stomach protest. This wasn't what he wanted.

He grabbed her wrists, pulling her into him again. Assaulting her mouth once more. Hoping for a miracle.
Expect surprises. This was a surprise, all right. When had Jake the Snake ever not been turned on by a
gorgeous, willing blonde? He was losing his touch. Panic seized him. He was trying too hard.

"Give me a minute," he stepped away from her, leaving her standing in the hallway.

"Get a grip, Jake," he cursed to himself as he splashed cold water on his face. He was in the bathroom,
hiding out. "What the hell's wrong with you?" he growled down at his flaccid penis. It had been hard.
Well, harder than it was now. And now, it just lay there.

His knuckles turned white as he gripped the sides of the porcelain sink. "Just breathe," he told himself.
"Imagine her naked. God, she'd look fabulous naked. Imagine her writhing beneath you," he continued.

Nothing.

Josie. She had done this to him. She had cursed him in some way. Those kisses of hers, those
magnificent breasts. The way her bottom had felt rubbing up against him. The way she had thrown her
head back when she came.

He groaned. He remembered. All of him remembered, apparently, as his penis was now armed and
ready. Ready for Josie.

"Susan?" he called as he headed back down the hall to the foyer where he had left her.

"Susan?" She wasn't there and she hadn't gone to the living room, either. He called her name again only
to hear the silence echo back at him. She was gone.

He walked back to the front door to see if she had stepped outside. On his way out, he saw her note on
the hallway mirror. Written in red. "Called a friend. Some other time. S." She had left her fortune from the
restaurant next to the answering machine.

He picked it up and smiled in spite of himself. "Things will not turn out as you hoped." Sure as hell right
about that, he thought.

The blinking light on the machine finally caught his attention. The number two showed in the display.
When he hit the button, he expected Susan's earlier message to play. Then he remembered that he'd had
a message when Susan had called earlier.

"Jake, it's me. Josie. I was wondering if you're busy tonight. I have a new bottle of red wine and I can't
drink the whole thing myself. You interested? I'll be up late."

Not a hint of seduction in her tone. Not a hint of anything other than straightforward Josie. Still, his
johnson jumped into action like it had earlier just thinking of her. Before he could think, he grabbed his
keys and shut the door behind him, a silly schoolboy grin plastered on his face.

Josie had wondered all day how to approach the subject of sex with Jake. What did you do? Did you
just call up a guy and say, Hey, I want to have sex? No, she was sure it wasn't done that way. Nothing
like straightforward honesty to kill any thoughts of attraction.

She had watched him all day, trying to get a sense of how to approach the topic. She wasn't sure if he
was interested. Even after what had happened between them yesterday. It could have been a fluke,
couldn't it? She was so incredibly nervous about the prospect that she had talked herself out of it at least
a hundred times already. She was out of her mind to think that she could invite Jake Moore over for sex.

I have some wine. You want to come have sex?

There wasn't a right way to do this. By the time four o'clock rolled around, she knew she wouldn't do it
face to face. She had wanted to. Had even gotten up the nerve to do it twice but had chickened out both
times. So, she went for the next best thing. She'd call him. But she hadn't thought he'd stay at the zoo so
late.

Nine o'clock had come and gone and her carefully chosen sexy, not too revealing dress was wrinkled
from lying on the sofa watching chick flicks on the women's cable channel. Her Chinese take out littered
the floor and the bottle of wine was mostly gone. And her fortune cookie was dead wrong.

She snarled at the offending scrap of paper even as she stood to go change her dress. If he hadn't shown
up by now, he wasn't going to. The clock showed ten thirty. If he showed up this late, she wouldn't let
him in. She'd pretend to be asleep or something. That would serve him right for making her wait all night.
And for having to sit through a lonely hearts' club movie marathon. Okay, so she had only made it
through one and a half movies, but that was bad enough.

She threw the dress over the back of a chair and took one of her favorite nightgowns from her dresser.
She could at least wear a sexy nightgown even if no one would see it. It would make her feel better
anyway.

And with the wine going to her head, maybe she could just satisfy herself tonight. She'd done it often
enough in the past four years. But nothing was quite as satisfying as the feel of a man. Still...

She let the silky fabric slide onto her skin. Erotic thoughts ran through her head at the thought of how it
would feel to sleep without underwear. In the nude even. She had put the satin sheets on her bed last
night after her interlude with Jake. It may sound really outdated, but there was something to be said about
the feel of satin against bare skin.

Even though she knew she would be returning to the living room to finish off her bottle of wine and watch
the late news, she decided to take off her panties. Just for effect. Maybe the Playboy Channel was
showing something that would suit her mood.

She snatched up the bottle of wine, took another long swig and then danced her way back into the living
room. Eat your heart out, Jake Moore. You'll never know what you missed tonight.

* * * *

Jake couldn't make it to Josie's house fast enough. The clock in his truck said eleven o'clock. He cursed
himself for not checking the message earlier. He had wasted the entire night with a woman who held little
appeal for him. Still, he stopped at the all night grocery store to snag a half dozen roses from the florist.
They may not be first class, beautifully arranged roses, but they would convey the same message.

Looking at the pink petals reminded him of her naked breasts. He shifted from one leg to the other while
the other late night shoppers placed their twenty items or less on the counter in front of him. Eleven thirty.
God, he hoped she was still awake. He finally paid the guy at the check out and snatched the flowers up
without waiting for his change.

Here I come, Josie.

He had to knock three times before he heard any movement in her house. He finally heard the padding of
feet on the hardwood floor. He raked a hand through his wayward hair just as she opened the door.

His throat instantly went dry. Apparently Josie wasn't as shy as he had thought either. Talk about a
surprise. Her red satiny nightgown clung and plunged in just the right places. He could see her tight
nipples peeking beneath the fabric. One hand clung to her trim hip, accenting it while the other held a
bottle of wine.

"Glad you could make it," she smiled, swooning a little against the doorframe.

"Are you planning on inviting me in?"

She looked at the watch that was still on her wrist. "Almost midnight. I wonder if I should." She touched
a finger to her lips.

Jake couldn't help but notice how red they were. It was probably an effect of the wine. It made them
look as if she had already gone several rounds with a lover. That combined with the lazy look in her eyes
was enough to cause an instant reaction in his pants. "I got these for you," he remembered the flowers he
had in his hand.

She took them from him and turned, leaving him to either follow her into the house or stand out in the
porch light. He followed, noting the seductive sway of her hips. It wasn't until they reached the living
room that he realized she had been moving in time to the music that was playing. "I was watching TV,"
she announced without turning around.

"I can see that," he took in the sight of the Chinese food and the TV whose volume had been turned
down and replaced by the soft music coming from the CD player. The thought of her sitting here
watching TV, dressed like that, brought to mind several interesting thoughts.

"Would you like some wine? I'm almost empty, but I have another one chilling in the kitchen." She ran her
tongue along the mouth of the bottle before holding it out to him.

He took it from her hand and watched as she sank down onto the sofa, her back against the arm. She
put her legs on the sofa and then bent them slightly, causing them to pull in to her chest and make her
breasts strain against the gown. He held her eyes as he brought the bottle to his lips. As soon as the
sweet nectar hit his throat, he joined her on the sofa.

"So, what did you have in mind for tonight?" he asked.

"Nothing much," she smiled, wondering if the smile looked as seductive as it felt.

"Oh. You know, I could be insulted by that," he teased.

"Somehow I doubt that."

"Lifetime TV?" he asked, nodding his head toward the silent TV.

"No. The women's channel. It's not very exciting tonight, though." She draped her arm across the back of
the sofa and then ran a hand through her hair, concentrating on twirling a strand around her index finger.

"That would explain the music."

"You like Chris Isaak? You know, some of his music is really sexy."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I'm sure you've heard 'Baby Did a Bad Thing.'" She threw her legs off the sofa and stood.

"I can't say that I have." His eyes followed her as she moved toward the CD player.

"I don't have remote control," she explained, pressing the button.

If Chris Isaak hadn't won an award for this song, he needed to, Jake thought as the music began. Maybe
it was the woman, but there was something raw and sexy about the music. And the lyrics. It made him
wonder what kind of bad thing baby must have done to warrant this kind of anthem.

"You wanna dance, Jake?" she asked, moving her hips in time to the music.

"I'd rather watch you." He turned so that he was facing the back of the sofa.

"What would you like to watch me do?"

Everything! Was she really trying to seduce him? He hadn't had that much to drink, he swore. Otherwise,
he would have never been driving. He took those things seriously. Still, his head was cloudy. He was
certain that he was misreading this entire situation. Josie Wyatt wouldn't seduce him.

"Well?" she was waiting for an answer.

"I'd like to see what you're wearing under that gown," he finally managed.

She smiled and then turned her back, still moving with the rhythm. "Do you see any panty lines, Jake?"

No, he didn't. God, could she be naked beneath that flimsy piece of material? "No, I don't."

"I didn't think so."

She turned back around. "Do you know why I asked you to come here tonight?"

"No." But I can guess.

"Sex, Jake. I asked you here tonight so we could have sex."

Chapter Eleven

Jake's throat went dry. She had said it. He had never expected Josie to be so blunt. "Come here, Josie,"
he crooked his finger at her.

She danced forward and leaned over the back of the sofa. "What do you want, Jake?"

"You," he growled, pulling her over the back of the sofa onto his lap.

All of the body parts that hadn't been working earlier were standing at full attention now. He held her
face just inches from his, his hand under her chin. He searched her eyes for an explanation. All he could
see was desire. She bit her bottom lip and he took that as a sign to take her.

He let the kiss happen slowly. This was a sure thing. He had all night. He knew that neither of them
would back out this time. If she had invited him here tonight, for sex, as she claimed, then she had been
thinking about this all day.

She was moving against him, pressing her breasts into his chest, her lips into his. He licked her lips,
coaxing them open so he could explore. She tasted like the sweet wine he had been drinking. Better. A
thousand times better. Her tiny moans only added to the sweetness.

He groaned and captured her in his arms, holding her so she couldn't continue to slide up and down his
chest. Crushing her breasts into him, he took her mouth completely, probing deep inside, waiting for her
to gasp for breath.

He could feel her hair spill around his face. In one quick motion, he shifted, pressing her back against the
back of the sofa, turning onto his side. He wanted to drown in her.

Josie's head was spinning. Too much wine. No, it wasn't the wine. It was the man. He ran a calloused
palm down her arm, causing tiny shivers in its wake. She couldn't move, not that she would want to
escape. But her fingers were itching to explore his chest, to tangle in his hair. To pull him in to her.

She tried to free her hand from the prison of his chest. He was pressing her against the sofa so hard that
she hadn't been able to undo the fist that she had formed. Unable to press her hand against his chest or to
free it, she gave up the struggle and let him lead. She could feel him smile against her mouth.

"You're incredible," he whispered against her neck as he moved lower, nipping at her shoulder.

"Let me touch you," she begged.

"Not yet, Josie. I want to touch you first. All over. Will you let me?" She nodded her answer. "Which
way to your bedroom?"

"Just down the hall."

Jake lifted her from the sofa, feeling for the first time that she really wasn't wearing underwear as his hand
brushed against her backside. He pushed the door open with his foot and inhaled the scent of woman as
he carried her to the bed.

"Satin sheets?" he raised an eyebrow.

"They feel good when I sleep naked," she teased.

"God, woman, you're going to kill me," he groaned, knowing that he would imagine her sleeping naked
forever.

He quickly shed his shirt and shoes and placed his prized cowboy hat on the vanity chair before joining
her on the bed, falling into her waiting arms. He was rewarded with her arching her back into him. He
could feel the heat radiating through her gown. He was rock hard. And it had never felt so good.

He fisted his hands in her hair and braced himself on his elbows. She looked amazing spread out on her
black satin sheets, her red gown tangled just below her hips. He saw a spark of panic in her eyes that
disappeared almost as soon as it appeared. They were both too far gone now. He bent his head down to
take her lips again, ready for her.

Josie ran her hands along his magnificent chest. No one would ever guess that a body like this lay
beneath that cowboy exterior or the lab coat that he often wore. His chest was perfectly chiseled and his
abs could have only come from hours at the gym. His broad shoulders and chest tapered down to a small
waist and trim hips. And between those hips...

She could feel him pressing against her. She wished he would have taken his jeans off. Instead, he was
using the rough fabric to tease her even more. He was pressing against her, causing her wetness to coat
the satin fabric of the gown. She could feel her clit growing with every movement that he made. He was
almost thrusting against her when he finally pulled her gown down around her breasts.

At first, he just looked at her, watching the nipples grow hard beneath his gaze. He didn't even need to
touch her to turn her on. Then he lightly blew on each bud, watching it grow tighter, pucker for him. He
took both nipples between his fingers and rolled them, gently at first and then squeezing so hard that she
let out a gasp. A thousand shivers went through her body at the sensation. Never before had she felt a
direct line from her nipples to her crotch.

When he finally took her into his mouth, she let out a tiny scream. She hadn't expected him to take her in
so fully. He sucked and teased, biting into her flesh. She arched her back, pressing herself more firmly
into his mouth.

"I can't wait for you, Josie," he warned.

"Then take me," she purred.

"No. I have to...."

"Later," she captured his face in her hands. "Unless you have other plans for the weekend."

He raised himself above her, pulled the condom from his wallet and then shed his pants. Her hands went

to him immediately. She took the condom from him and slid it over his shaft.

She spread her legs for him, waiting for him.

"I have to see you," he begged.

"Just take me," she demanded, bringing herself up to meet him.

Jake had always had self-control. Until now. He plunged into her without ever having touched her. He
didn't need to see her or feel her. He found her without using a hand to guide him. She gasped as he filled
her. He pushed hard and harder, moving further into her. She clung to him while he settled in.

Self-control, Jake. Self-control. He couldn't. His mind was racing. She was already starting to buck
against him. He could feel her smooth skin pressing around him. Her wetness was coating his balls as he
pulled himself out. If he slammed into her the way he wanted to, he would lose it right now. He didn't
want it like this. He wanted to last. He wanted all night. God, he wanted forever. That thought was
enough to push him over the edge. Then she did something he hadn't expected.

She reached down and began to rub herself, teasing her clit. He could feel her hand rubbing against the
base of his penis. He wasn't strong enough to handle this. She wanted hot. She was going to get hot.
Even if it lasted for ten seconds.

He let himself go, pounding into her. The sound of their lovemaking was enough to send him over the
edge without the constant contact of her hand. Or the fact that he hadn't touched her yet, hadn't felt her
yet. Hadn't tasted her. He couldn't even feel the hair covering her, which only brought to mind the thought
that she was bare. God, he hated condoms.

Josie's release began a full second before his. He could feel her spasm against him. Even with the
condom on, he could feel her every movement. He could feel the muscles tighten, milking him. He had
never felt a sensation like this before. And he wanted more.

He collapsed on top of her, trying to catch his breath. He shivered as she ran her hand along his arm.

"Are you okay?" her voice sounded as smooth as whiskey.

"Fine," he managed, rolling off of her.

"Mmmmm. Good." She stretched out like a cat next to him.

"I have never felt anything so incredible," he said, looking up at the ceiling. "Josie?" he turned to see her.
His eyes had adjusted to the light. Aided by the light coming in from the window, he could see that she
had fallen asleep. "Oh, hell."

Jake had every intention of slipping away. He made his way to the bathroom and then went to the living
room to turn off the TV and the CD player. Seeing the Chinese food sitting there made him feel guilty, so
he started gathering the containers to put them in the fridge. He saw the scrap of paper lying in the midst
of the containers. "Oh, what the hell," he said as he picked it up and unfolded it. A huge lump gathered in
his throat as he read it. "A cherished wish will come true."

Surprise.

He didn't want to leave. The thought came slamming into him from out of nowhere. For the first time
ever, he had just made love to a woman and wasn't attempting to sneak out the window. Something was
wrong with him, that was for sure. He let a grin tease the corners of his mouth. She said he had all

weekend. He may as well stay, enjoy himself. He was sure that by Sunday he would be running for the
door.

Josie awoke to the darkened room feeling as if she had slept for a week. Never before had she felt so
relaxed. She stretched, throwing her arms over her head, feeling a little surprised when her hand made
contact with something beside her. Someone. Jake. She turned and snuggled against him and was
rewarded when he enclosed her in his arms.

"You're awake," he said softly.

"Mmmmhumm," she nodded. "So are you."

"I didn't fall asleep," he teased.

"Oh," she said lazily. "Oh!" A touch of panic seized her. She hadn't realized that she had fallen asleep.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was a roll over and fall asleep kind of girl."

"I took it as a compliment."

"It certainly wasn't a complaint."

"I need to tell you something," he took in a deep breath.

"I'm not interested in talking," she rolled over and straddled him, placing her hands on his chest.

"Then what are you interested in?"

"I want to see what you look like with your hair down."

A smile teased the corners of his lips. "You what?"

"I want you to take your hair down," she began tracing tiny circles on his stomach.

"God, if you go any lower, I'll do whatever you want," he groaned.

"I thought you wanted to run the show this time."

He covered her hands with his, stopping her motion. "Who are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you can't be the same girl I kissed the other night." She shifted, causing him to instantly grow
hard as he felt her bare flesh brush across his jeans.

"And why not?"

"'Cause you're fearless."

"I'm not exactly fearless," she confessed, pulling her hands out of his.

"Then what are you?"

"I don't want to talk," she reminded him. "I just want to enjoy this weekend."

"And then what, Josie?"

"I don't know," she confessed.

That flicker of panic showed in her eyes again. Jake's heart dropped at her confession. She wanted a
weekend with him. That was all. Hell, just a few days ago, all he wanted was one night with her. He had
sworn then that he'd get her out of his system and then be able to move on. He wasn't sure what had
happened since then, but it was something.

Jake brushed a hand along the side of her cheek. Her skin was so soft. And she was waiting for him to
do something, to say something. He circled her waist and sat up, holding her on top of him as he moved.
The light from the moon was shining in enough so that he could see the emotions as they played over her
face. He reached behind him and pulled the black elastic band from his hair. He watched the smile
spread across her face as his hair feel forward. It was a mass of one length, unkempt hair, testament to
the fact that he had been growing it for ten years.

"Nothing special about my hair," he mused.

"I wouldn't say that," she reached out to pull him to her, using his hair for leverage. His lips met hers, his
mustache tickling her again. There was something so primal about feeling his hair rubbing against her. She
could only wonder how it would feel in other places. Other freshly shaven places.

He must have read her mind. Before she knew it, he had moved forward, pressing her back against the
bed, bending her legs behind her. He held his weight off of her as he repositioned her so that her legs
were now on either side of him. He trailed kisses down her neck and to her breasts. Rather than lavishing
his attention there the way he had earlier, he continued to move lower, alternating between kissing, licking
and gently biting.

"Josie," he scolded gently, "what have you done?" His hand found her clean-shaven mound.

She arched her back against him as he pressed his hand into the flesh that he had discovered. She had
always wondered how wicked it would feel to have a man touch her there without hair in the way. In her
wildest dreams, it wasn't even close to the reality. His fingers went lower, teasing first at her clit, rubbing
gently. Then, he searched out her wet opening, flicking his fingers along the folds.

She wanted him to take her, to make love to her with his mouth, but he hesitated, placing himself above
her so that his breath blew across her. Shivers wracked her body as his hot breath made contact. She
could feel his hair falling into his face, teasing her skin. God, his mustache would feel incredible. She
arched against him again, coaxing him. Rather than giving her the release she desired, he pressed her to
the bed with one arm and continued to linger over her.

"Behave, Josie, or I'll have to tie you to the bed," he teased, not expecting such a response from her. She
moaned and twisted her hips at the suggestion. "You like that, huh?" She moaned again, trying to buck
against him. He could feel how tightly she was wound. All it would take was one touch....

He began by placing gentle kisses around her clit, but it was taking all of his strength to hold her to the
bed. Finally, he gave up, released her, and took all of her into his mouth. He delved in with his tongue,
lapping up her sweet juices. His head felt fuzzy. She was incredible. He continued his assault, delighting in
the shivers that she sent down her body and into him. He had never felt anything like this before. Had
never known anyone like her.

He slid his fingers into her, feeling the last of her spasms around him. She was incredibly tight. He closed
his eyes to the sensation. This woman was doing something to him beyond making love to him. She was

everything he had ever imagined. Her rhythm against him was growing. She had her hands in his hair,
pulling, clinging. When she finally came, she let out a tiny scream.

He had to be inside of her now. The urgency came on him all at once. He fumbled with his jeans,
reaching into his wallet for another condom. Panic seized him when he realized he didn't have another
one.

"God, Josie," the frustration was clear in his voice.

"What's wrong?" her voice came in gasps.

"I'm out of condoms."

Condoms. She hadn't thought about that one. In all of her planning, she had just assumed. What? She
and Brian hadn't used them. Hadn't needed to. She had assumed that someone like Jake would carry
around a box of them with him. She ran through the options in her head. Then a smile came to her lips.
She could take care of this one.

"Then let me take care of you," she offered, her voice more seductive than she ever remembered it being.

"What are you talking about?" He wanted to laugh at his own stupidity. He had come to spend the night
with Josie and had only packed one condom. He had assumed that once would be enough.

"I'm talking about, let me take care of you." She slid beneath him so that her legs were practically up
against the headboard. She gently rolled him over onto his back and then lowered her head to him, taking
him into her mouth.

"God, Josie," he practically jumped off of the bed as soon as her mouth closed around him. Most women
teased with their tongues first. Not this one. She took him all in, all at once. And sucked hard.

Josie didn't have much practice with this one. Even if she had, she would be incredibly out of practice.
So, she let instinct take over. All she could think about was bringing him the same kind of pleasure that he
had just brought her. She wanted him to have his release.

She felt her mouth stretch over him. All men were not created equally, she thought. Still, she couldn't
stop. He felt incredible. Maybe it was the wine or the wicked new shave, but something was bringing out
her inner sex goddess. And she loved it. She had never felt so much power, so in control. She gripped
his hips as she moved her head up and down, taking him in, letting him slide back out. Licking, teasing,
nipping here and there.

When she felt his back arch and heard his breath stick in his throat, she knew he was close. He fisted his
hands in her hair, holding her head steady as he pounded into her. No one had ever done this to her
before. She couldn't breath. All she could do was let him continue to make love to her. And take in all of
the sensations. When he came in her mouth, she swore she would faint from the intensity.

"You're incredible." He pulled her up to him, his body still wrenching from the spasms. He covered her
mouth with his, encircling her in his arms. As soon as he woke up, he swore he would go buy a giant box
of condoms. Until then, he planned to hold her in his arms. And not wonder about tomorrow.

Chapter Twelve

Jake slipped out before Josie could wake. He had left a note telling her he would be back with breakfast.
He hadn't realized he was whistling until he had made it to the bakery. Everything inside of him wanted to
impress her. Everything wanted her to ask him to stay. But to what end? He wouldn't think about that
yet. He wasn't a settle down kind of guy. Surely a few weeks of sex with Josie would be enough to cure
whatever it was that was taking place. A summer fling. That would be enough, wouldn't it?

A huge lump was settling just above his stomach. What would Josie do after the summer? What had she
been doing? No one seemed to know. And if they did, no one was answering him. Four years was a long
time to do nothing. He wondered why she had hid herself behind Brian's memory. Why did she still have
the wedding pictures? He imagined that everything in the house was exactly as it had been when Brian
was there. Including the satin sheets.

She had probably made love to Brian in that same bed. Hell, no probably to it. It was a given. He had
been in her house, on her turf. What was he thinking? He wasn't, obviously. If he had been, he would
have reminded himself that Jake Moore didn't live in anyone's shadow. He made his own way.

As incredible as last night had been, the sour mood that was settling on him made him realize that he had
been fooling himself. There wouldn't be a repeat performance. No matter how much he thought he
wanted it. And it would be better this way.

He considered picking up some flowers for her. He doubted that would help her mood. He was simply
going to explain that he had to go in and check on Lucy and then he would be sure that there was some
kind of an emergency that would take all day. He'd promise to call her later tonight. And then he'd do
what he always did, he wouldn't call.

It had just been sex. That's what she had invited him over for. She had made that clear enough last night.
Nothing had changed since then.

* * * *

Josie tried not to be disappointed by Jake's absence. He had offered to take her with him to the lab. And
she had almost accepted. But she still hadn't come to terms with the snakes yet. She wasn't sure if she
ever would. She liked the snake wrangler, though. From his out of style hairdo to his battered cowboy
boots. Not to mention the way he had been last night. She regretted that they had run out of condoms.
She swore that she would go out and pick some up later today. For when he came back tonight.

She was half way through her shower when she heard the bedroom phone ring. She'd have to remember
to turn the ringer off before tonight. She didn't want any interruptions. She grabbed a towel and trailed
water from the bathroom, hoping to catch the phone before it stopped. Just in case.

"Hello?"

"Josie, girl. I was wondering if you were up yet," Martin's voice boomed from the other end.

"Yeah, I'm up."

"Good. You think you can get on over here to the zoo. I need to talk to you today about something."

"Sure. I guess I can." She sat on the edge of the bed. "What do you need?"

"Oh, I just need to talk to you about something. A little party I'm putting together."

"I'm not much of a party planner, Uncle Martin," she reminded him.

"Oh, I know that. I need your input though."

"Can you tell me what it's about?"

"It's a surprise. You'll like it, though. I just know you will. So, can you come on over?"

"Yeah. Give me a half an hour. I was in the shower."

"Okay, darlin'. See you then."

* * * *

Josie hadn't been looking for Jake's truck when she pulled into the employee parking lot. At least that's
what she told herself. Still, her eyes scanned the area for the black Chevy. When she didn't spot it, she
felt her heart sink a little. Maybe he had finished early and had gone home to take a shower and change.

She had to walk past the lab to get to Martin's office. The thought crossed her mind that she should drop
in and thank him for breakfast, but she quickly decided against it. That would look too desperate.
Instead, she walked by as slowly as she could, giving him a chance to look out his window and see her.
He wasn't there, though. His truck was pretty hard to miss and it had definitely not been in the lot.

"Hi, Clara," Josie spoke to Martin's secretary as she entered the office reception area. "He's got you here
on a Saturday?"

"You know Martin. Once he gets an idea...." the pretty redhead rolled her eyes. Josie had always thought
Clara was sweet on Martin, but she had never said anything and Clara hadn't made a move yet.

"Yeah, I know," Josie smiled. "So, what is the idea?"

"Top secret," she placed a finger over her red lips.

"How am I supposed to help if it's top secret?"

"All I know is we're planning one heck of a party."

"Josie," Martin stepped from his office and held his arms out to Josie.

"Uncle Martin," she gave him a squeeze and followed him into the office.

"Hold my calls," he called to Clara.

"Sure thing, hon," she called back.

"Have a seat," he said as Josie sank down into the leather chair.

"So what's this all about?"

"It's about you."

"What about me?" She was sure the confusion showed on her face.

"Tell me something, girl. What do you plan on doing after the summer?"

"I haven't really thought about it."

He sat across from her, forming the church and steeple with his fingers. "Do you have any dreams?"

None I can share with you, she thought, last night flooding her mind. "Sure I do," she shrugged.

"You care to share them with me?"

"Where is this going?"

"You are thirty years old," he began, choosing his words as carefully as he could. He had never been
known for tact. "It's time you decided what you want to do."

"And you're having a party to help me decide?"

"No. How's the day camp going?"

"It's fine, Uncle Martin. Now, really, what's this about?"

He avoided her eyes. Surely a man who had amassed a fortune by the time he was thirty could come up
with a way to broach this subject. "I want you to quit the zoo." He watched as Josie's face dropped.

"What do you mean?" There was a touch of panic in her voice.

"I mean after this summer, I want you to quit working here."

"You're firing me?" The panic was full-fledged now.

"No, I'm not firing you. I want you to find something. I want you to do something that you want to do."

"I want to work here."

"No, you don't. This was Brian's dream, not yours."

He was the first person who had the guts to say it to her face. And hearing it said out loud was like
having cold water thrown in her face. It had been Brian's dream. Not hers. "What's your point?" she tried
to even out her voice, but she knew it was cracking.

"My point is, you should be living. Brian's dead. We all hate it. I hate it. I loved him like a son." He stood
and began to pace with his back to her. "You've got to let him go and move on."

Like I did last night, she thought. "I'm trying," she could feel her heart breaking as she spoke the words.
She was trying. But she was going about it the wrong way.

"Then what do you want?" his voice was soft, his face red.

"I don't know."

"What did you want to do when you were in school?"

She played with the arms of the chair. "I wanted to be a nurse."

"How far did you get before you married Brian?"

No one had asked her that before. No one had acknowledged how she had given up everything for him.
"I made it to clinicals."

"Can you get back in?" he sank back into his chair.

"I don't know. Maybe," she shrugged.

"Does Carolton U have a nursing program?"

"I don't know. I never really looked." She and Brian had been in school in Baton Rouge.

"Look. I'll pay for it all. No, I know what you're gonna say," he cut her off before she could protest.
"You know that money is yours. The life insurance. And I want you to take it. I want you to do whatever
you want with it."

"It's blood money," she said softly.

"He took out that policy for you. It's not blood money."

"I don't want it."

"I don't care. You know Brian would hate to see you doing this. Why are you doing this? You're
punishing yourself."

Josie couldn't fight the tears. Everything he said was right. It was all right. And it was everything that she
had already realized. She just didn't want someone else telling her about it. "I know," she finally said.

"It wasn't your fault."

"If I wouldn't have run out of gas, he wouldn't have been on the road."

"No. He would have been in bed. Maybe it would have been a break in. You don't think these things
happen by accident do you?"

"I don't know how they happen." She reached for the box of tissues.

"Neither do I. I do know that the money is yours. And I want you to use it. Find what you want out of
life and go get it. Four years is enough. Let yourself live."

"What about you?" she wiped the tears from her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it's been ten years since Rhonda died and you still haven't asked Clara out."

"What would Clara want with an old coot like me?"

"Sixty is hardly old these days. And I see her looking at you."

His back straightened. "You do?"

"Yes, I do."

"Clara, huh?" his gaze wandered to the door. A slow smile spread across his face. "So, you got a grip
yet?"

"Yeah," she smiled as she dabbed the rest of the tears from her eyes. She was amazed that she didn't
have as many now as she'd had just last year.

"I want to talk to you about what I'm doing with this land behind the zoo."

"Is that what you called me here for?"

"Mostly, yeah. Come here." He walked over to the conference table. "You see this?"

"You mean the black cloth?" she asked from behind him.

"Yeah. This," he removed the cloth to reveal the model for the amusement park, "is what I'm building
there. To honor Brian."

Josie took in the tiny model park. It was a water park and amusement park in one. There was a gate
connecting it to the zoo. She could see the tiny figures of tourists gathered in front of a miniature Ferris
wheel and water slides. An amusement park. A smile spread across her face. Brian would have loved it.
"And this is what the party is for?"

"Yeah. I figured we could have a fourth of July blow out and break ground. What do you think?"

"I think he would have loved it."

"So you'll take the money, go back to school?"

"I'll think about it," she promised.

As she left the office, Josie realized that she was slowly replacing Brian. It was time, wasn't it? Four years
was long enough. Still, there was a certain amount of guilt. Guilt that she hadn't felt last night. Last night
hadn't been about Brian. It hadn't been about exorcising demons or replacing his memory. It had been
about lust.

When she passed Jake's lab this time, she decided to stop in and say hi. The truth was, she just really
wanted to see him again. She pushed on the door after turning the knob. It didn't budge. When her
knocks weren't answered, she decided to try the reptile exhibit. Her hands were sweating as she pushed
the door open.

All of the cages were uncovered and visitors were spread throughout the area. She didn't see Jake's
imposing figure anywhere, though. Even if she had, she wouldn't have been able to move beyond the
doorway. Her last encounter in the snake house was still fresh in her mind.

"Josie." Wendy had spotted her standing in the doorway and was advancing toward her.

"Hi, Wendy," she called back, trying to decide whether or not she could move into the room. The nearest
snake was probably ten feet away and looked enormous slithering in its cage. She let out the breath that
she had been holding when Wendy crossed the room.

"What are you doing in here?" the pretty redhead smiled. "I mean, not that we mind and all, but you're
not a usual visitor."

"I know," she blushed, remembering her snake encounter. "I was looking for Jake, actually. I needed to
talk to him about the camp."

"Oh," she folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at Josie. Looking for Jake and in the snake house? It
was curious indeed. "I haven't seen him."

"Oh. I was just thinking he might be here. I had a meeting with Martin and thought I'd check," she let her
voice trail off, wondering why she felt the need to explain.

"He hasn't been in all day. He had a date with Susan last night, so you know what that means," she
wriggled her eyebrows.

A date with Susan? "I see," she tried not to let her emotions show on her face, but she knew she was
gripping the doorknob tighter than she should be. Her stomach sank. She had to get out of here. If she
didn't, she was likely to let her emotions overrule her good sense. "Thank you," she managed before she
turned and left the house.

I won't cry. Not yet, she promised as she made her way back to her car.

"What were you thinking?" she eyed her reflection in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were glittering with
unshed tears. She wouldn't give in to them. She was stronger than that. Gripping the steering wheel, she
headed out of the parking lot.

* * * *

It was time. She had spent too long living in the past. She knew that she should be crushed by Jake's
whatever it was. She couldn't call it infidelity. Dishonesty, yes. But she had been willing last night. More
than willing. And she wasn't some wilting flower that needed a man. That was the reason why she had
lived like this for so long. It was a defense mechanism. And as soon as she let those walls down and let
someone in, something happened.

For all general purposes, last night had been amazing. She had felt alive in a way that she had never
dreamed would happen again. And it had nothing to do with Jake particularly. He just happened to be
the guy who was there. Any guy would do. Nothing special there.

In a way, he was doing her a favor by coming to her after he had been with Susan. It guaranteed the kind
of no strings attached relationship that she had wanted. Strings led to love and that led to what? Years of
feeling empty inside? Well, not anymore. She felt alive. And, damn it, she was going to live.

* * * *

Jake was bound and determined to stick to his original plan. He wouldn't go back to Josie's house. No
matter how his body was reacting to his memories of last night. He had left things unfinished. He knew
that. He was taking the coward's way out. Jake Moore had never been a coward before, but something
about this whole situation was causing him to go against his nature.

When had he ever cared about a woman's past? Never. None of the things that were bothering him
today had ever had any affect on him before. Maybe Paul was right. Maybe he was getting old. That was
the only explanation that he cared to ponder. He'd rather admit to getting old than to any of the other
possibilities rolling around in his head.

He picked up the phone and then replaced the receiver. He held his beer bottle to his lips and took a
nice, long swig. He willed the phone to ring. If she called him, then he could justify talking to her again.
He could suggest that she come to his place tonight. He could do things right that way and not have to
worry about anything.

It was ten o'clock when he finally gave in. She wasn't going to call him, he wasn't going to call her. They
were at a standstill. That nagging feeling in his gut had been there all day. Now, it was suggesting that she
really didn't care. That last night had meant nothing to her. He had been just a means to an end.

He pushed himself onto his feet and stalked through the house to find a clean shirt. If he was going to feel
sorry for himself, he sure as hell wasn't going to do it here alone. He tore the black elastic band from his
hair, remembering Josie's request last night to see it down. He groaned at the memory of running it along
her body.

A wicked smile crossed his lips. He'd take care of the raging in his pants the old fashioned way. He'd find
someone to do it for him. Someone who didn't have long dark hair and blue eyes. He let the steamy
water hit his skin and inhaled deeply. Use one woman to get another one off your mind. That was the
way of the world, wasn't it?

He toweled off and slid on a clean pair of Levi's and his scuffed boots. The tangles in his hair were almost
impossible to comb out, but he gave them a sufficient effort. Finally, he was able to work them out. They
were one of the hazards of constantly wearing his hair pulled back and then tucking it into his lab coat.
He dried it as quickly as he could and then replaced the ponytail holder. He buttoned his blue silk shirt
and put on his black cowboy hat.

Deciding that the day's worth of growth around his goatee and mustache made him look even more
dangerous, he left it, vowing to shave tomorrow. He shot himself a smile as he turned off the bathroom
light. Tonight would be about forgetting Josie Wyatt Mitchell. Maybe a nice redhead, he thought as he
headed out.

He wasn't particularly drawn to country music, but in a town like Carolton, there wasn't much else
available. There were a couple of dance clubs where the college kids hung out, but he wasn't interested in
a college kid, even one who looked like Susan. He pulled his truck into the parking lot of The Queen of
Spades, hoping to avoid the crushed bottles that littered the pavement.

The music enveloped him as soon as he set foot through the door--twangy, melodic guitar coupled with a
banjo and maybe even an accordion. The tiny dance floor was tightly packed, but there was still room for
a few more bodies seeing as how all the couples were dancing practically on top of one another.

Jake pulled his hat down over his eyes, hoping to make it to the bar without incident. He had only taken a
couple of steps when he spotted the target for tonight. He decided to forego an introduction for a while
and just watch the woman from afar. That in mind, he ambled up to the bar to order a beer.

He watched her as he tipped the bottle to his lips. She was practically fighting them off. Even though her
back was turned to him, he was drawn to her. Her red hair fell just below where her bra would have
been had her blue dress not been cut so low in the back. He smiled as he took in the crisscross ribbons
that went from her shoulder blades almost down to her waist. A daring dress. He wondered what it
looked like from the front.

He wondered what she looked like. He let his eyes wander down her body. Perfectly shaped. He smiled
at the light blue strappy sandals on her feet. Men had indeed invented high heels, he thought. Yep, this
was the one. If anyone in here could get his mind off of what's-her-name, this was the one.

He waited until the crowd around her dispersed before he decided to make his move. He was almost
upon her when she turned around. The first thing he noticed was those soft blue eyes.

"Hi, Jake," she let his name slide off her lips as easily as if they were casual acquaintances.

"Josie, what the hell did you do to your hair?" his fingers gripped his Bud bottle.

"You like it?" she tossed it over her shoulder.

"It's okay," he managed, trying not to spill his beer all over himself. Or worse.

"Well, I like it. And you know what? It's a lot more fun to be a redhead anyway," she reached into her
glass and produced a cherry, which she then slipped between her lips.

Jake gulped. Those same lips had worked magic on him last night. His body responded instantly to the
memory and the current stimulus. "When did you?"

"Today. After you left."

Her meaning was clear. She knew that he had left. "I, uh, was going to call you today," he managed,
wondering why he was suddenly tongue-tied.

"Yeah, I know," she lazily ran her finger along the rim of her glass. "But you didn't. So I decided I'd make
a few changes." She watched his expression change. His half smile had been replaced by a thin line. "It's
no big deal, Jake. It's not like you and I had anything." She waved her hand in front of her.

He pulled out the chair sitting next to hers and turned it around backwards before sitting in it and then
glared at her, lips tightly clenched. "You and I need to talk."

"Yeah, we probably do. Tell me, Jake," she leaned into him, placing her hand on his knee. "Tell me, did
you and Susan have fun last night?"

"Is that what this is about?"

"What what is about? You think I did this because of Susan?" She let out a little laugh and then squeezed
his knee. "You flatter yourself."

"Who the hell are you and what did you do with Josie?" He stared at her, hoping to find an answer
somewhere in those eyes. All he saw in there was that she'd had a couple of drinks and was looking at
him as if he were on a menu.

"I am Josie," she emphasized each word. "You know, I didn't know that for a long time. But now I do.
Thanks to you." She saw the confusion cross his face as he moved her hand from his knee and then
turned back to his beer bottle. "It's a good thing, Jake," she patted his knee and then smiled at his stern
expression.

"How is this good? You changed your hair. You're in a bar."

"I know. And I haven't done anything like this in a long time. We should celebrate," she pulled out
another cherry.

"Celebrate what? The fact that you've lost your mind?" He tried not to lick his lips when that cherry went
into her mouth but found that it was almost impossible not to. His mouth felt so dry.

She looked past him and waved. She saw his eyes follow hers then she leaned into him again, "I
promised him a dance. I'll be right back."

Jake wanted to stop her, but instead he found himself mesmerized by her movement. She had breezed
right past him. Was this the same woman who had clung to him in the night last night? Who had done
wicked things to his body that he couldn't even understand? Who had apparently done something to his
good sense, too.

His hand tightened into a fist. He wanted to punch the cowboy who was holding her so closely right now,
letting his hand linger just below that open back of her dress. She threw her head back and laughed,
probably at something George Strait over there had to say.

Josie with red hair ... the thought was an interesting one. She looked so different, but it was different in a
good way. It was like her entire being had been lit from within. And it didn't look like just a hair color.
Everything was different. Her flirty manner, her easy laugh. What had happened to her? Women usually
only acted this way ... when they were in love.

And men usually acted like damned fools, didn't they? Getting jealous of strangers. Getting jealous of
former husbands, living or dead. No, that was not what was going on here. He hadn't even known her for
that long. He was not in love with Josie. Still, he found himself standing and stalking across the room to
cut in. He had about had enough of that man's hands on her.

"I'm cutting in," he said in a low drawl when he approached them on the dance floor.

"It's okay," she looked at her dance partner. "He's a friend."

"No problem. I know who you're going home with," he whispered close to her.

Not close enough. Jake's hands were about ready to tighten around George's throat. Instead, they
gripped Josie's waist and pulled her to him. "Want me to show you how it's done?"

"I thought you already had," she bit out, placing her hands on his chest, trying to put some distance
between them. The heat of his body against hers brought memories of last night rushing back. He had
been incredible.

"Put your head on my shoulder, Josie," he coaxed.

"And why would I want to do that?"

"'Cause you want to hear my heart beat," he growled and felt the shiver go up her back in response.
"Your hair smells good," he breathed in her scent.

"It's the hair color." She tried to ignore his breath in her hair.

"You look incredible as a redhead," he smiled, inhaling again, wondering how her fiery hair would look
spilling across her bare breasts. He felt himself tighten against her at the thought. He heard her moan in
response. She could fight it all she wanted, but she was attracted to him still.

She pulled away from him as soon as the music ended. What was happening to her? Her insides felt like
jelly again. "I have to go to the rest room," she managed as she moved away from him, feeling his fingers
slip from her skin.

"Hurry back," he called after her.

Josie made her way through the crowded bar to the back and swung open the door to the ladies' room.
She gripped the edge of one of the porcelain sinks, hoping to calm her erratic breathing.

"That cowboy you were with, is he yours?" the blonde standing next to her was touching up her lipstick.

Josie looked up and started trying to rearrange her hair. "Which one?"

"The tall one with the long hair."

"No, he's not mine," she shrugged her shoulders. "Just a guy from work."

"Oh. You two looked pretty cozy. I thought I'd ask before moving in on you," she smiled and replaced
the lid on her lipstick.

"Be my guest," she smiled back at the blonde, hoping she wasn't as transparent as she felt. What was she
thinking? Did she think that this new lease on life could cover up all of her feelings? She had taken down
all of Brian's pictures and put them in storage. She had taken Martin's advice and accessed the life
insurance account to buy some new clothes, pay for the hairdo. She had moved on. And run straight into
a six-foot three-inch brick wall with shoulders of steel and kisses as smooth as whiskey.

She was in love with Jake Moore. The thought was enough to make her want to throw up her dinner.
Nobody ever gained anything from being in love with Jake. He left a string of broken hearts behind him if
the talk she'd heard in the last week was right. And then there was the fact that he had been with Susan
last night before he came to her. He wasn't to be trusted. And she could fight these feelings for him
because they had nothing to do with love.

Still, she couldn't help that heartbreak at seeing Jake tangled up on the dance floor with the cute blonde
she had just been talking to in the restroom. She stalked across the room, mirroring his earlier action.

"Now it's my turn to cut in," she narrowed her eyes at Jake. He just gave her one of his half smiles and let
his partner slide from his arms.

"I thought you said he wasn't yours," the woman argued.

"He's not, but I need to borrow him."

"You come on back, darlin'," he slapped her on the butt for emphasis before folding his arms and
narrowing his eyes at Josie. "What do you need to borrow him for?" his eyes twinkled.

"I think you know," she managed.

"Do I, now?" He raised an eyebrow before sweeping her into his arms, pulling her flush against him.

"Yes. I want to know if you went to the pharmacy today."

* * * *

This time, things were on his terms and he still didn't feel good about them. He lay next to her on his king
size bed, panting, exhausted. They had used three of the condoms in the past few hours. He hadn't

realized he had it in him, but every time he came, all he could think about was being inside of her again.

She rolled to the edge of the bed, pulling the sheet with her.

"Where're you going?" he said with a lazy drawl.

"This is the part where I leave," she said, pulling the sheet off of the bed and wrapping herself in it.

"What do you mean where you leave? I thought you said we had the whole weekend." He raised up on
one elbow and looked at her in the candlelight.

"We did. The weekend's pretty much over. And I thought I'd leave before it gets awkward and you end
up either falling asleep or asking me to go."

He tugged on the edge of the sheet, pulling her back to the bed, "I was hoping to ask you to stay."

"Why?"

For a second, their eyes locked and he wasn't sure what to say. He swallowed the lump in his throat, but
it seemed to stick there. "I thought we might cuddle or something," he shrugged.

"You don't look very cuddly." She pulled on the sheet, causing it to slip from his fingers.

"Then I thought maybe we could talk."

"I don't think you're interested in talking to me," she turned toward the bathroom.

"I want to know about you, Josie," he called from behind her.

She knew she was making a mistake when she turned and saw the vulnerability in his eyes. Yes, she
could fall for this rugged, snake wrangling, cowboy dressing, 80s hairstyle man. But she wasn't going to.
"What's to know?" she shrugged.

"Tell me about Brian," he opened his mouth and the words came out before he could stop them.

She inched toward the bed and sat on the edge, her thigh brushing against his fingers. "I loved Brian."

The softness of her voice caused another lump to form in his throat. He was going to choke to death if
she didn't stop having that affect on him. "I know you did."

"You don't know," she shook her head. "I gave up everything for him. Did you know I was a redhead
when we met?" She settled against him, letting him encircle her with his arms.

"I like you as a redhead," he murmured.

"He liked me as a brunette. Said the red looked too wild. I guess he was right. It sure feels wild."

"It sure looks wild," he let out a little laugh. "Where did you meet?"

"In college. I moved from here to go to LSU and met him down there. He had been away at Prep
School, so we didn't know each other before. Well, you know that," she said, remembering that she and
Jake had gone to high school together. "Anyway, we started dating, fell in love, got married. You know
the rest," she shrugged.

"What were you studying?"

"I was in the nursing program. Had made it to clinicals, but then we moved back here so he could work
with the kids. Social work, you know."

"MMMmmhmm," he mumbled against her.

"Are you falling asleep?"

"No," he smiled. "I just like to hear you talk."

She tried to pull away from his iron grip, "I really have to go."

"I want you to stay."

"You haven't had enough of me yet?" she laughed.

"No, I haven't."

She turned in his arms and looked up into his eyes. This was so dangerous. She almost wished she were
wrestling a rattlesnake right now. The way her heart was drumming in her ear, she was sure he could hear
it. She was going to fall for him. There was no way around it. If she let him keep rubbing his thumb along
her shoulder, keep his legs entangled in hers... She was going to lose her heart to him.

"Jake, I really can't do this with you." This time when she pulled away, he let her go. She felt her heart
sink as she gathered up her clothes and went to his bathroom to dress.

"What are you doing?" she asked her reflection, hoping the woman staring back at her would have an
answer for her behavior. Everyone she knew would say that she had lost her mind. That she had gone off
the deep end. But no one knew who she was before Brian, for those few months when she had been
completely on her own and able to discover who she really was.

That sinking feeling was coming back. One person would understand. For some reason, she knew that
he had always seen her a bit differently. She wasn't sure why, but she knew. And she really wished she
didn't.

She felt him watch her as she found her keys and made her way to the front door. He followed her in
silence, letting her gather her purse. He didn't close the door until she was safely in her car. She swore
she saw his head drop for a second as she drove away. Everything in her wanted to go back.

Chapter Thirteen

Josie was sitting in Martin's office waiting for him on Monday morning. Her newly red hair was pulled
back into a ponytail and she was wearing her usual day camp gear. But there was something very
different about her today. And it had to do with more than just her hair color.

"What the hell did you do to yourself this weekend?" Martin wrinkled his nose and then leaned in to kiss
her.

"I made some changes," she hugged him, ignoring his scowl.

"About damn time," his face erupted into a huge grin.

"I've made some decisions, too," she began. Tell him now, while you've got the nerve. "I'm going to sell
the house and move out of Carolton."

He pulled his executive chair away from the desk and sat down before answering her. "You don't have to
do anything so rash," he cautioned.

"It's not rash. It's about time, don't you think?"

"That's not what I had in mind," he folded his hands in front of himself.

"I know. But it's what I need. I need to get out of here."

"Why? I mean, I can understand selling the house, but you can't just up and leave your family."

"I don't have any family here."

"I'm here."

"I know. And you have your own life. I just don't feel like I have anything for me here anymore, you
know? I mean, my parents are gone, I have no brothers or sisters, no aunts or uncles. I'm it. And I need
to go somewhere else."

"You're not gonna find family in some strange place, you know."

"I'm not looking for family," she avoided his stare. If she had to look into his eyes, she would cry. And
the new Josie wasn't going to cry.

"Then what do you want, girl?" his voice was soft.

"I want to get out of here. I mean, I'm living in Brian's shadow."

"Only because you want to."

"Do you like my hair?" she could feel the tears building.

"Yeah, I do. What's that got to do with anything?"

"My hair was red when I met Brian." Here came the flood. She reached for the tissue at the same time
that he handed the box to her.

"No one is going to think that you're not honoring his memory. Josie, I love you like a daughter, but
you've got to let yourself live. Nobody ever expected you to stay single. Nobody expected you to live his
life. You did that. And you can undo it. Sell the house, but stay in Carolton." He reached out and
squeezed her hand, his voice soothing her.

"I don't think I can," she cried, trying to wipe at her tears with the tissue.

"Sure you can. You just do it."

"It's not that easy," she argued.

"Look, finish out the summer here and then see, okay?"

She twisted the tissue in her fingers. "That's another thing," she said softly. "I can't finish the day camp."
She couldn't tell him why either. There were two reasons. One, she had fallen for Jake, and two, she was
part wolf.

"What do you mean?"

"It's okay. I'm turning it over to the director at the Boys and Girls Club. We've already spoken. It's a
done deal."

"Well," he took another big gulp of the pink medicine before replacing the cap, "I wish you'd have
thought about this some more."

"I have," she reached for his hands. "I know this all seems sudden for you, but something happened and
I, I just woke up or something." She shook her head, "I can't explain it."

"I understand," he squeezed her hand. "I know you don't believe me, but I do. When I met Isabelle, my
world turned upside down, but in a good way." He smiled, remembering his first wife. "It was like I finally
knew who I was, what I was meant to do. That's when I got into oil and cattle. We would still be
together, too, like you and Brian, but she was taken from me. The world's a strange place. And when
you find something that does that to you, you have to grab it up with both hands," he grasped the air to
emphasize his point.

"It's not that I've found something. It's just that I feel something. I feel so much. I really can't explain it,"
she shook her head again. No words were sufficient for what she wanted to explain. She had changed,
and now she needed to figure out who she was.

"You know, my mama always said there were moments in life where everything makes sense. If it makes
sense to you now, then you do what you have to do, okay?"

"Thank you, Uncle Martin."

"One favor though?" They both stood and he put his arms around her.

"Anything," she smiled up at him.

"Don't leave until after the dedication ceremony for the park, okay? I want you to be part of it."

"Okay," she agreed.

* * * *

"Have you seen Josie?" Even though he wasn't doing a seminar today, Jake had been scanning the day
camp area for her all morning. It wasn't like her not to show up. This was only her second week.

Maryanne shook her head, "No, I haven't. Mrs. Blake is in charge now. She's from the Boys and Girls
Club. She told us this morning. I guess you didn't get the memo," she laughed.

"What do you mean, she's in charge?" He fisted his hands and held them at his sides.

"I mean, she's in charge. Ask her. I have to get my group ready. We're feeding the gators this morning."

"You must be Dr. Moore," a young African American woman came up behind him.

"Yeah, I'm Jake."

"I'm Tonya Blake. I'm running the camp now," she extended her hand.

"It's nice to meet you. What happened to Josie?" he tried not to sound rude, but he was both hurt and
offended that he hadn't been informed.

"She's moving away, I think. Anyway, I have those lists you wanted from the kids so you could get their
animals ready. They are really looking forward to your project." She handed him three large manila
envelopes with the information he had asked about last week.

"Thank you," he took the envelopes from her and tucked them under his arm. "It's nice to meet you, but I
need to go get this ready."

"Thanks, and it's nice to meet you, too."

Moving away. No. There had to be a mistake. So much had happened in such a short amount of time.
He couldn't process all of this. His heart felt as if it had been ripped from his chest without anesthetic.
God, it hurt to walk the short distance to his lab. He fumbled with his keys, finally unlocking the door.

No, no, NO! She couldn't leave. Not now. Not since he had been thinking about her all weekend. Not
since he had regretted letting her slip out of his arms Saturday night. Not since he had realized the reason
why.

He threw his keys onto his desk. That was when he noticed the trademark pink stationary sitting there,
folded, with his name on the outside.

Josie had been here. Josie who was so terrified of snakes she couldn't even set foot in here before
without extreme coaxing. This was worse than he thought. He sank into his chair and tore open the
envelope.

She was gone. Leaving anyway. Her note said thank you for the past few days and thanks for helping
with the day camp. It was very casual, not mentioning exactly what they had been doing the past couple
of days.

Jake turned the paper over and over again in his fingers, hoping for some kind of clue as to what had
gone wrong.

"I know what you're thinking," he heard Lucy rattling behind him. "You're thinking I should go after her,
aren't you?"

The snake wriggled in response, flicked her tongue in and out along the glass. Her breeding had been
successful. All was right with the world. All except for this.

Jake should feel relieved. He hadn't wanted any kind of attachments anyway. He hadn't even decided if
he was going to stay here after the summer. Sure, his family was here, but he still didn't see them as much
as he should. Still, it was nice to be in a place where he had roots. It was a place that was supposed to
be safe from the distractions of the world. He hadn't come here to fall in love.

"Okay, okay," he finally gave in to Lucy's encouragement. "I'll ask Martin if he knows where she is," he
let out a deep sigh. He had never felt heartbroken before, but there was a lump in his chest that couldn't
be explained any other way.

* * * *

Hot Springs had seemed like just the ticket just a few days ago, but now it felt like she was running away.
It was meant to be a retreat, not an excuse. Josie was determined not to feel sorry for herself. That was
why she had ordered the double mocha fudge ice cream. And, if the doorbell was any indication, it had
arrived.

She tightly pulled her white robe around her and went to the door.

"I heard you ordered ice cream and knew it was time to send in the Calvary," Sharon Watson-Mitchell
stood at the door of the hotel room looking as flawlessly beautiful as ever, one hand on her hip, the other
holding said ice cream.

"Sharon! Oh my God, how did you know I was here?" Josie stumbled backward as her sister-in-law
entered the room.

"Word travels. You gonna hug me or stand there with that towel falling off your head. My gosh, girl, what
did you do to your hair?"

Josie felt the towel sliding off, revealing the reddened locks. She pushed it back into place only to have
Sharon knock it back off when she hugged her. "I colored the hair," she explained.

"Well, I can see that. Here, I brought two spoons," Sharon handed her the pint of ice cream and one of
the spoons.

"Thanks. You came all the way from Dallas to bring me ice cream?" she eyed her sister-in-law before
settling onto the bed, crossing her legs.

"No. I came all the way from Dallas for a facial. I found you in the bargain."

"You expect me to believe that?" she dug into the gooey ice cream. It had practically melted in the heat.

"I don't care what you believe," she shrugged. "All I know is I'm here to get you in a better mood."

"Who said I'm in a bad mood?"

"Nobody said bad. I'm just saying better." She eyed Josie's hair. "You know, the color's not so bad."

"Thanks," she managed through a mouthful of ice cream. "I thought you said you had two spoons."

Sharon settled next to her on the bed, "I did, but I didn't say I was eating that." She pulled a pint of
vanilla bean ice cream from the bag she had been holding. "This is more my speed."

"So you came here to talk me into coming back?"

"Nope. I'm just here to spend the week with you. Catch up. It's been a while since we had some girl
time."

It had been a while since Josie had had any girl time with anyone. She didn't have any real friends to
speak of in Carolton. Another reason why she needed to leave town and start over. And since Sharon
and Will moved to Dallas two years ago, Josie hadn't exactly kept in touch. "Girl time sounds good," she

finally admitted.

"Good. It'll give you a chance to get that good looking snake cowboy out of your head."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Josie protested.

"There's no use hiding it," Sharon waved away the panic in Josie's eyes. "Martin called Will, who told me
everything."

"What does Martin know?" she folded her arms, narrowing her eyes at Sharon.

"Let's just say that Jake the Snake has had a few problems since you left."

"What kind of problems? Is he okay?" She hoped there wasn't as much panic in her voice as she heard.

Sharon laughed. "See, I told you." She pointed her spoon at Josie. "You can't hide from a woman who's
been there, done that."

"I'm not hiding," she shoved her spoon into the ice cream and let it stay there. She had lost her appetite.

"I know that. That's why you're here at a luxurious spa instead of there making out with him."

"I haven't been making out with him," she blushed.

"Yes, you have. And he's nuts about you."

"He's nuts, all right. But not about me. This is just sex to him. Hell, he's even seeing someone else, too,"
she shrugged, hoping it was a convincing gesture.

"I'm still not buying," Sharon put the lid back on her ice cream and then walked over to the in room
freezer. "You want yours in here, too, or you want it to melt?"

"I don't care," she handed the pint to Sharon.

"Them's fighting words," she winked. "Now, tell me all about Jake Martin."

"There is really nothing to tell," she said before recounting the past week to Sharon.

"MMmmmhmmm, I see," Sharon narrowed her eyes at Josie.

"No, you don't." Josie wandered over to the window that overlooked one of the pools. She folded her
arms around herself. Sharon didn't see anything because there was nothing to see.

"Josie, I'm your friend. And probably the only person who'll be completely honest with you," she
softened her tone. "I know you feel guilty about Brian, but I think you really have a shot at something
here. Take it," she urged.

"A shot at what?" Josie turned around. "A man who sleeps around? No thanks. I got what I wanted from
him and now I'm done."

"Do you really believe that?"

"I know it. That's why it was so easy to walk away. I made a clean break because there was no
attachment. We had a nice weekend. That's all."

"Yeah, that and the fact that for the first time in four years you felt alive," she threw the words Josie had

used earlier back at her.

"I still do. But that doesn't mean anything," she argued.

"Honey, it means everything. Four years and nobody even turned your head. After two nights with this
man, you felt alive. That's a big something. I know. I feel the same way about Will."

"I don't want to talk about him anymore," Josie sank into the chair near the window.

"Fine. You want to go shopping?"

"No. I have a massage scheduled in thirty minutes."

"Well, you don't want to be late for that, do you?" Sharon winked.

"No, I don't. Can I meet you after?"

"Sure. I'm in room 440. Call me when you're done. If you feel up to it."

"Okay. Thanks for being here, Sharon," Josie hugged her sister-in-law before she left.

A massage would be just what the doctor ordered. Josie hoped it would soothe the headache she had
been harboring for a few days. Nothing else had worked, and she learned that all the double fudge
mocha in the world couldn't ease her tension.

She had done the right thing by leaving the way she had. She didn't regret it. The kids were in completely
capable hands with Tonya Blake. She had degrees in social work and early childhood education. And
she was more than willing to step in and take over the program.

Still, she had an ache in her gut coming from her guilt over leaving Jake the way she had. The note was a
sucker's way out. She should have just confessed to him about what she was feeling. The only problem
was the feelings were all still so confusing to her. Her solution was to come to Arkansas to think.

She rubbed her temples, feeling a mounting headache. And she wished she possessed the courage to just
pick up the phone and call the zoo. She knew Jake would be there. Where else would he be?

Instead, she picked up her purse and went to the spa.

* * * *

This was Josie's first massage. She felt tense as she slipped out of her clothes and into the thick white
towel offered to her earlier by the attendant. At least the masseuse was a woman. If she had been a man,
Josie's nerves would have gotten the better of her. As it were, her stomach was already in her throat, and
her sweaty palms were little comfort.

As instructed, she settled herself onto the massage table. She still clung to the front of the towel where
she had tucked it in. The uncomfortable position wasn't very conductive to a relaxing massage, but she
still wasn't ready to peel away all of her inhibitions.

Her breath caught in her throat when she heard the door open and close again. There was nothing to this,
she reminded herself as she felt the woman near her. She slid her hand out from under her, allowing the

towel to be pulled down her back.

"You can breathe, darlin'," the sensual voice above her assured.

Her heart completely stopped beating. That was the only reason she could think of for all loss of rational
thought. Had she been standing, she would have probably swooned, Scarlett O'Hara style. Instead, she
brought her hand back to the towel, clutching it tightly and rolled over in one swift motion.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"Hell if I know." He smiled his usual crooked grin before gently tugging on the edge of her towel. "But I'm
glad I came."

She sat up, her eyes shooting wildly around the room in search of her clothes. "Did Martin tell you I was
here?" She scooted off of the edge of the table and hid behind the oriental screen. In one swift motion,
she had pulled her jeans on.

"What makes you think that?"

"How else would you have found me?" She emerged from behind the screen finishing the last button on
her white top.

"Ah, so you admit it," he smiled, folding his arms and giving her an all-knowing glance. "You were hiding
from me."

"I wasn't hiding from you," she shook her head. She carefully remained with the table between them.

"Then why did you quit your job and run off to Arkansas without letting me know?"

"I don't know. Why did you go out with Susan and not let me know? Or even better, why did you
pretend to have business at the zoo and run into hiding yourself? Huh? Did you think about that?" Her
indignant hands were on her hips.

"Fine, you got me," he held his hands up in surrender. "But I'm here now and I want to talk to you."

"I have nothing to say to you." She cocked her head to the side, "Well, maybe I do. But not here. I
suppose my massage has been cancelled."

"Uh, yeah, you could say that," he shoved his hands into his pockets, reminding her of the guilty little boy
he had once been.

"Fine. Buy me a drink and we can talk." She marched past him, hoping she was doing so confidently.
Inside, she felt like jelly. He had that effect on her. And, damn, he looked good.

"After you," he mumbled as she sashayed by him.

* * * *

"I'll have a beer," he said, seating himself across from her at the hotel bar. They had chosen an off to the
side table that was practically hidden behind a couple of large plants. It was intended to be a secluded
spot for couples, but the one seated there today seemed too edgy to have romance in mind.

"White wine," she gave the cute waiter an award winning smile before turning a soured expression onto
Jake.

"You said you have stuff to say," he started.

"Yes, I do. I want to thank you," she held up her hand to quiet his open mouth. "Uh, not until I'm done.
As I was saying, I want to thank you for helping me get out of my shell. The past four years have been
tough. And you showed me that all I really needed was a good, hot fling."

"A good, hot fling," he repeated, his raised eyebrow indicating his uncertainty.

"Yes. A fling. And the truth about who I am. Jake, I want you to help me find my father. I want to know
what's going on here."

"Prove it." Her head shot up at the suggestion.

"Excuse me?"

"I said, prove it. If this is just a fling as you suggest, then prove it."

She laughed. "And how am I supposed to do that?"

"As nature intended," he lowered his voice, sending chills up her arms.

"And how's that?"

"Come over here and I'll show you."

He leaned across the table and gathered her hair in his hand and pulled her toward him. In one gentle
motion, he brushed his lips against hers. She tried to fight the moan that was building in her chest, caused
by the combination of the touch and the manly smell that assaulted her senses. When he moved away
from her and sat back down, she wanted to pull him to her, to deepen the kiss, to give and to take.
Mostly to take, she smiled.

"What's that for?"

"What?" she tried to sound casual.

"That smile. I think you liked that kiss."

"You call that a kiss," she let out a little sarcastic laugh.

"Not really. I can do better. Much better. You game?" he raised a wicked eyebrow.

"You want me to sleep with you to prove that you mean nothing to me?"

"That about sums it up."

"Fine," she downed the last of her wine. "We'd better make it quick, though. I'm meeting someone for
dinner in two hours," she threw over her shoulder as she stood and started toward her room, leaving him
to pay the tab and quickly follow.

* * * *

Make it quick, my ass. He shoved a wad of bills onto the table before taking off after her. She had
another think coming if she thought he was going to just do the deed--and quickly at that--and be on his
way.

He listened to the cadence of her sandals along the marble floor as they made their way to the elevators.
She still hadn't turned to look at him. He could tell by the way she moved that she knew he was still
behind her. There was something of a glitch in the gentle sway of her hips. It was as if she wanted to be
sure they didn't swing too seductively. Anyone walking by would never guess the challenge they
presented to one another.

She was going to let the elevator door close on him, but he grabbed it with his hand, setting off the sensor
and pushing it back into place. Her eyes didn't meet his as he entered the compartment and stood an
arm's width away.

"Tryin' to lose me?" he bent his head down, letting the words travel the distance to her shoulder. He
smiled as a slight shiver ran up her back.

"No." She looked straight ahead and punched the button to her floor.

"Good," his smile turned into a chuckle. She was clearly uncomfortable, rubbing her arms slightly and
clinging to her side of the car.

"Why did you follow me here?" She still didn't turn to face him.

"I thought we covered that." He let out an exasperated sigh before reaching out and hitting the stop
button on the control panel.

"What did you do that for?" her panicked eyes sprung up.

"So we could talk before we head on up there." He folded his arms, standing with his feet slightly parted,
looking her up and down as if she were lunch. "You really want to do this? Just jump in the sack like it's
nothing?"

"It is nothing," she tried to reach for the stop button to start the elevator again, but he moved to stand
between her and it.

"You're a damned bad liar." He reached out to stroke her cheek and shuddered when she closed her
eyes to his touch. What could that mean? By the tight lines of her face, he couldn't tell if she were fighting
against him or herself.

"Jake," the word was barely a whisper. She slowly opened her eyes and stared into his. Something about
that look shook him to his soul. This was different. She was different. He had known it when he came
here.

He dropped his hand when she pulled her cheek away. If she stepped back, he swore he'd give her
some space, see her to her room and then leave. If she came forward, if she even hinted that she felt
anything near to what he was feeling, he would follow her up and not let her go. It was her move.

Josie backed against the compartment, separating them. Jake's hand clenched into a fist. Unwittingly, she
had cast the die. "You want to know why I'm here?" he was doing the best he could.

She slowly shook her head.

"I'm here because Martin sent me." The lie tasted bitter on his tongue. "He thought I could talk you into
coming back." He turned and punched the button, staring the car again.

"Why didn't he just call?"

"I think he thought the snakes were the reason you left. He doesn't know about us, does he?" He
narrowed his eyes, hoping to see something in hers to tell him what to do next.

"No, he doesn't know anything about what happened between us."

Not us, what happened. All the clues were there. Jake was choosing to ignore them. She couldn't even
admit there was an "us." He took in a sharp breath as the elevator car stopped.

She pushed past him, turning on her heel as she stepped out. "You coming?"

It was an informal request, but his body leapt in reaction. She was inviting him in for sex. They agreed
upon it downstairs and now the moment of reckoning was here.

Chapter Fourteen

Josie felt her heart sink as the elevator door closed. He hadn't even answered her. Instead, he had tipped
his hat in her direction and watched as the door closed, separating them.

She fumbled with the door, hoping she could manage to slide the key card into place and open it before
she fell apart in a fit of tears.

She hadn't expected him to come here. She never even thought he would try. They meant nothing to each
other, after all. Nothing, she lied. She didn't know when she had fallen in love with him or how. All she
knew is that it hurt more than anything she had ever imagined.

Maybe this is what happens to the body when it awakens after a long, emotionless sleep. Everything is
felt tenfold. All things are more intense, more severe. And pain is excruciating.

She let the first teardrops fall as she pushed the door open. She fumbled with the "Do not disturb" sign
before finally placing it on the knob. Then she punched in the combination to alert the front desk to hold
her calls. Now that she was completely safe from interruption, she sank into the queen size bed and let
the sobs wring through her body.

Love was not supposed to hurt. She could have prevented it. She could have dragged him in, whatever
she had to do. A little more seduction and he could have been hers. Instead, she had treated the
proposed encounter as a cold arrangement, a challenge. Not something that she would feel down to her
soul.

She only thought she had been brought to life by her nights with Jake. She hadn't. She had been brought
to life by her feelings for him. And she had lied to herself about them.

Jake obviously didn't feel anything for her. Sure, he was here, but she could picture Martin sending him
after his wayward niece. Maybe Martin thought that the problem really was the snakes and wanted Jake
to talk her into coming back. It seemed logical enough.

Something in her gut protested this logic. Would Jake have really come this far just to talk to her about
her fear of snakes? It didn't seem likely.

Jake. The name shattered her heart. She should have known it would be broken if she got close to him.
He was the reason she had left. She knew she was getting too close.

She pulled herself off of the bed. Lying here sobbing wouldn't do any good. She was made of sterner
stuff. She had survived a horrible loss when Brian died. She could survive this, too. She didn't need Jake
Moore.

She dragged a hand through her hair as she walked over to the window. The sunny Arkansas day was
beckoning her to come outside. No, it was taunting her, mocking her swollen red eyes. She hugged her
arms around her body, rocking slightly, hoping to dull the ache in her chest and her head.

"I can do this," she murmured. "I can beat this feeling."

She pried open the fridge door, which seemed to be stuck thanks to the heat of the day. She reached in,
feeling around for her ice cream and settled her fingers around the pint. She smiled slightly, remembering
that Sandra Bullock line from Miss Congeniality. She was about to get chip faced. Except this was fudge
ripple, not chocolate chip. Semantics, she decided, going back to the bed and sitting with a hard thump.

She didn't need Jake Moore, she reminded herself one last time.

To hell with him.

* * * *

Jake's conquest of one problem only led to another, this one far more difficult than the previous one. It
took every ounce of strength not to set foot outside of that elevator. It took even more to sit here at the
bar pretending as if the woman who had driven him to this level of insanity wasn't upstairs right now.

He glanced up at the ceiling, not saying a silent prayer, but rather muffling a silent curse. He hadn't
expected to find anything back in Carolton. Nothing even close to what he had found in Josie Mitchell.

He slowly sipped the shot glass of whiskey, letting the flavor linger on his tongue. It reminded him of a
woman, heated, sweet, smooth. He felt himself harden at the thought. It was a feat that six months ago
would have had him jumping for joy and heading for the local pick up joint. Not tonight. Tonight, it made
his entire body ache with longing.

To hell with it. He threw the liquid back in one swift motion and then tapped his glass on the bar to
indicate another. The bartender silently poured a third glass of the amber liquid and placed it in front of
him. He turned back to wipe down the other end of the bar, leaving Jake to attend the glass in solitude.

"I was wrong." Her voice caught him by surprise.

"What the hell do you mean?"

"I mean I was wrong. About you, about us. I'm in love with you, Jake. And I can't handle all that's
happened. I need answers. I have so many questions."

"And you think the way to those answers is to push me away?"

"No. I just don't know if I can handle the truth."

"The truth about me or about you?"

"Both."

She sat on the barstool next to his and reached out for his hand. He didn't resist.

"You have to trust me."

"I do trust you."

"I love you, Josie. I will help you find your father, and I will help you solve this riddle of your life. But you
have to do me one favor."

"What's that?"

"You have to let me into your life. All of it. I'm not a fling."

"I know that. I shouldn't have said it. I wanted to protect myself."

"I told you once before that it was my job to protect you. If you come back home with me, I will make
sure that whoever is looking for you won't get to you. I will protect you. With my life. Do you understand
that?"

She nodded and gave his hand a squeeze. "Yes, I understand it."

"Good. Now, you said you had a dinner date. You wanna cancel those plans?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

Epilogue

Returning to Carolton was easy, but facing what Jake knew they would face there wasn't going to be. All
the research he had done, all the stories he had gathered led him to one conclusion: the werewolf threat
there was real. They hadn't made themselves known to the public yet, but he knew they were there, lying
in wait.

And he held the one thing they wanted most of all: someone born with the gene. Protecting Josie was
going to be more difficult than he had ever imagined. But now that she was his wife, his bond with her
went beyond loving her. She was his, and he would protect her.

No matter the cost.