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  “Dani—”

  “The point is, none of this makes any sense. My job, while lovely to me, is actually really very boring to most. I observe mammals, write reports on their behavior. I feed them and clean up after them. Not exactly glamorous work, you know? I haven’t made any enemies, and though my family is richer than God, there’s no reason for any of them to hurt me. The end.”

  “Ex-boyfriends? Current boyfriends?”

  She looked away.

  “Dani.”

  She was too busy with work to have a real life. Okay, that wasn’t exactly the truth either. She was too busy being independent to let anyone in. “It’s been a while.”

  “How long a while?”

  She winced. Could this get any more humiliating? “Months.”

  “Months.”

  She closed her eyes. “Okay, a year.”

  “A year?”

  “And a half.”

  Silence. She felt her face grow hot, and finally opened her eyes.

  He didn’t look horrified or disgusted. Just patient, and understanding. “Nothing more current?” he said without judgment. “Nothing at all?”

  She hugged herself. “If I had something more current going on, I wouldn’t have kissed you in the closet.”

  “Which begs the question . . .” He shifted closer, put his hand on her jaw, and lifted her face to his. “After all that time of going without, why did you kiss me in the closet?”

  She opened her mouth, and then shut it again. It was a good question, a fair question. But how to explain that she’d kissed him in the closet to kick-start herself, and that mission had been accomplished. What she hadn’t realized was that she’d want another kiss.

  And another.

  And despite his interest, she knew enough to know she couldn’t possibly keep it. Kissing him again, or even explaining the kiss would be like opening a big, fat can of worms.

  “Just an impulse?” he inquired.

  His hand was still on her jaw, and she liked his touch, too much. So much. How in the world did people do this, open up and let someone in, and then casually walk away after one encounter? She needed to work on that. “I dared myself.”

  “Ah.” He nodded. “Okay, then. That clears everything up. Thanks.”

  “Shayne—”

  “Never mind. I get it. We’re . . .”

  “On different playing fields.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means you’re a ten, and—”

  “Not that again.”

  “What did your brother say exactly?” she asked.

  He arched a brow. “Subject change?”

  “Subject change.”

  He sighed. “He said that just because there’s no sign of a break-in doesn’t mean someone wasn’t here.”

  “So he believes me too?”

  The answer was in his eyes. “Oh. I see.” She turned her back to him because she didn’t want him to see her disappointment. “He doesn’t.” She leaned on the couch. “So what about the gun? Did I plant that myself then?”

  “He’s going to see who it’s registered to.”

  “And in the meantime?”

  “Sleep.” He was right behind her. Not quite touching, but she could feel his body heat. “You look like you could use it.”

  She had to close her eyes and work on controlling her voice so that it didn’t shake like the rest of her was. “Thanks. Thanks for being here for me tonight, and thanks for calling your brother. I appreciate it. I’ll be fine, though. You can go.”

  “You’re going to sleep here?”

  “No, actually. I think I’ll go to work and sleep there. I’ve done that before,” she said, hoping to ward off his protest. “A lot. I’m very comfortable there.”

  His hands slid to her hips and turned her around to face him. “How about somewhere you won’t be alone?”

  “I have the animals.”

  “I was thinking of the human persuasion. Preferably female.”

  “I could call Reena,” she said. “But it’s nearly one in the morning. Maybe I could just go knock on Alan’s door.”

  “Is he really your friend?”

  “He bought me pizza on Monday.”

  “Why?”

  “To be nice.”

  He let out a sound that wasn’t quite a laugh. “Dani, guys do not bring pizza to be nice unless they’re gay. Is he gay?”

  “No.”

  “Then he brought pizza to get into your pants.”

  She choked out a laugh. “I don’t think he thinks like that.”

  “Please,” he said with disgust. “With that sexy laugh of yours alone, he’d think like that.”

  She blinked. He thought her laugh was sexy?

  “Yeah,” he said to her unspoken question. “You’re sexy as hell, okay? You’re also smart, you’re beautiful, and you have this way of looking at a guy that makes him want . . .”

  “What?” she whispered, fascinated, overwhelmed. Aroused.

  “In your pants,” he said frankly.

  She concentrated on breathing for a moment. “Is that a compliment?”

  “It’s a fact. What about a hotel?”

  She thought of her checking account, which didn’t really have room for a hotel bill. Maybe a motel. Maybe a really cheap, out-of-the-way motel—

  “My place,” he said. “I’ll take the couch,” he added when she looked at him in surprise. He stood there, big and tall and not quite as easygoing as he’d like her to believe, but the offer was genuine.

  And her immediate response, which was hopeful nipples and a tightening between her thighs, was just as genuine.

  And wrong. So very wrong, because she was not going to go there, not going to give him a chance to do a tap dance on her heart—and her good parts—and then move on. No, thank you. Easier to pass now, to just keep passing.

  “Dani?”

  “I . . .” Desperately want to say yes. “I’m grateful for the offer, but that wouldn’t be fair to you.” Before she could betray herself, she left him standing there and moved into her bedroom, where she changed into jeans and a sweater.

  When she came out, he was waiting. “Fair to me?”

  “I’m not sleeping on your couch, okay?” Even if I want to. “Or in your bed.” Which I really want to. “Or anywhere with you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I don’t want to.” God, she was such a liar. “Okay, I want to. But it’d be a really bad idea.”

  Leaning back against the wall, he crossed his arms, looking bemused. “So you’ll kiss me in the closet when you don’t know me, but now that you do know me, you won’t sleep in my house?”

  “How much longer am I going to have to live down the whole closet thing?”

  “At least until daylight.”

  She sighed. “Look, thanks. Okay? Thanks more than you know. But no to the sleepover. I’m going to my office.”

  Standing there in those sophisticated, elegant clothes that had been soaked two different times over the course of the evening and were still holding up—much like the man—he held out a hand. “Fine. But I’m giving you a ride. Come on,” he said, wriggling his fingers when she hesitated. “Let me help you that much, at least.”

  She slipped her hand into his, and together they went back out into the night.

  The rain had let up. It was merely misting now, falling out of the sky like a silvery spiderweb. The ride was short, and silent, and as they pulled into the zoo parking lot, the place dark and more eerie than she could ever remember it being, making her shiver as the niggling of doubt hit her.

  “It’s not too late to change your mind.”

  Her mind hadn’t changed. She still wanted him. Waaaay too much to sleep anywhere near him. “I’m going to be fine.” She rattled her keys and forced a smile. See? Look at me, all fine.

  Reaching up, he flipped on the interior light of his car and leaned in. “Smile again.”

  “What?” She shook her head. “Why?�€