Genesis the evolutioneer.., p.7
Genesis (The Evolutioneers Book 1), page 7
It helped that he was still pissed at her, reminding her why she had to ignore these inappropriate urges. From his memories she had learned that Max was used to people exploiting him, used to being cast aside when not needed. He didn’t do emotional. He didn’t play well with others. It was him versus the world and she believed he truly preferred it that way. Which was exactly why she needed to keep their potential working relationship in perspective.
It would be way too tempting to fall into the promise of those lips. Convince herself that she could be the one to “save” him, and forget why he was the man he was. Forget that as soon as she outlived her usefulness, he would most likely get back in his sexy Ferrari and disappear down the highway, leaving nothing but tire smoke and heartache in his wake.
She had to remain focused on the mission, even if it killed her.
“You have one hour, sweetheart,” he bit out and leaned closer, forcing her to tilt her chin higher to retain eye contact. “After that, if you don’t find what we’re looking for, I will leave your ass behind. If you see something, anything, to do with my father, you tell me immediately and follow my lead. I do all of the talking. You understand?”
“Got it.” You arrogant, mouthwatering, son of a bitch. “Now get out of my face,” she snarled back in an act of self-preservation and pushed against his chest. It was either that or close that scant inch between them and kiss him.
Too late, she realized as a self-satisfied smirk curled his lips, she flinched first.
He pressed closer until neither light nor air separated them from breast to groin. “What? Am I invading your personal space? Getting a little too close for comfort?”
His hot breath caressed her cheeks and she locked her knees to keep from melting at his feet like some damn virgin getting felt up by her first crush.
“Is this too intimate for you?” he asked with a wicked gleam in his blue-blue eyes. “You know, we’ve already been intimate once, when you read my mind.”
“I did not read your mind,” she muttered without moving her lips.
He shrugged. “You still pried. I think you owe me. One intimacy for another.”
“Don’t even think—”
Oh, but he did.
His lips closed on hers, not hard and dominant like she expected, but gentle, coaxing, and oh so seductive. If he had groped and fallen on her like a slobbering pervert, her response would have been a swift and immediate knee to his groin. But this gentle conquering was an assault on her senses that made her gasp in surprise.
He pressed his advantage, his tongue stealing inside her mouth to taste and tangle with hers. Chocolate and coffee. Her weakness. And Max was on the verge of becoming another on the list. Strong hands gripped her hips. His long fingers dug into her flanks as he pressed even closer. Lord have mercy. She whimpered and sank into his hold as sweat broke out on her forehead.
His touch was electric. It short-circuited every rational thought, fried all the arguments she made, all of the reasons why she should keep as emotionally distant from this man as possible, and blasted them to smithereens.
“Hey! There are children present,” an indignant mother shouted at them as she passed with her two toddlers in tow.
Max lifted his head with a swift intake of breath. For several long seconds they stared into each other’s eyes. The black of his pupils expanded and shrank as he panted. Thank goodness she wasn’t the only one affected by that kiss.
The tip of his tongue swiped his bottom lip before his mouth twitched in a surprised grin. “You taste like snickerdoodles.”
Crystal blinked as if she were waking up from a deep sleep. With horror she realized her leg was hitched over his hip and she was shamelessly grinding against the weighty bulge in his jeans.
She straightened to her full height, which still brought her only as high as his shoulders, and quickly ducked under his arm. The deep breath she took did little to clear her head, but she would not let him know just how out of control he made her.
“Well.” She pulled the sides of her hoodie together. A trickle of sweat oozed along her hairline, but there was no way she was removing any layers of armor to cool off. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, do you think we can get back to business?”
She didn’t wait for him to answer before spinning on the heel of her boot and heading for the main entrance. All the while she prayed her knees wouldn’t buckle and pitch her face first onto the concrete.
It was a hard battle to keep her posture relaxed and easy. She knew Max’s brain moved at the speed of light. If she touched her tingling lips like she wanted, or clenched her fist to suppress the urge, he’d spot the move in a nanosecond and seize the opportunity to exploit her reaction. She couldn’t allow him to hold any more power over her and call all of the shots.
Dammit, why did he have to be such a great kisser? If he had been lippy or slobbery, she could have brushed it off, no problem. But no, it was perfect, just like the rest of him.
He’s not perfect, she reminded herself. He has commitment issues, a huge ego, and a serious Batman complex. He was far from perfect.
Yeah, just keep telling yourself that, sweetie. Nothing will come of the two of you.
An image flashed through her mind, brilliant in its detail. Teal satin sheets, naked limbs entwined. Max above her with his head thrown back as his hips thrust between her splayed thighs. Under him, she arched her back, her eyes closed tight as she screamed his name.
And just as quickly, the vision cleared, leaving her gasping where she stood as if she broke the surface of the ocean after a steep dive.
Fuuuuuuck.
“Crystal? What’s wrong?” Max laid a palm on her back. “Was it a vision?”
“Fine. I’m fine.” She shook off his touch. “Just a little dizzy from sitting so long. Restless leg syndrome, or whatever. Right.” She all but ran to the ticket booth and hoped he bought the charade. Of course, it would have been a better sell if she hadn’t just ridden his leg as if it were a stripper pole.
She stepped under the awning of the ticket booth and blinked against the spots in her eyes caused by the change in lighting. “Two adults, please,” she told the girl behind the glass partition.
“That will be twenty-one dollars.”
“Sweetie?” She batted her lashes at Max.
“Sure, darling,” he drawled and pulled his wallet from his jacket pocket. He flipped it open and pulled out two crisp bills from the fat stack.
She tried not to choke and sputter at the wad of cash he carried on him. Jesus, how much had he been sitting on? Was he so wealthy he carried twenties around as if they were loose change?
Or was he so paranoid he only used cash so there wouldn’t be a paper trail?
Sadly, it was probably the latter.
Did he always live on the run this way? Although she had seen events from his past, it wasn’t the entire picture. His memories were only snippets, glimpses. She didn’t know what he had felt, what he had thought. He could be perfectly happy being the lone wolf, although how anyone could be was beyond her. There had been so many times in her life that, if she had been on her own without her sister to fight for, she would have curled into a ball and given up.
Max accepted the tickets and turned toward her. Behind those baby blues she could see his brain working, measuring her, wondering how she fit into his world. As his assessing gaze drifted over her face, his tongue swept his lower lip as if remembering her taste, her texture.
Gah! There she was again, getting sucked into the intrigue that was Matthew Maxwell Madden III. She swallowed hard and marched ahead of him, determined not to go down that road.
“So, what are we looking for?” he asked, catching up and matching her stride. A predatory mask tightened his features as he looked around, scoping out the area. “Informants? A deal going down? Evidence stashed someplace inconspicuous to be picked up later?”
She rolled her eyes and sighed. “I’ll tell you when I see it.”
His hand brushed hers as they walked and she bit her tongue to keep from telling him to back away. No need to break his concentration now that it was no longer focused on her.
Their footsteps clipped along the sidewalk as they passed the restaurant area and mountain goat enclosure. The zoo was surprisingly empty for the middle of the day, but then again, who would want to be out in the unusually hot summer sun instead of a comfy air-conditioned house?
The trail forked near the otter exhibit. Bobbing on top of a cool pool of water, a half-dozen slick, furry creatures floated on their backs with their eyes closed in bliss. A rock archway was to the left on the path, and she followed her instincts and walked past the cove.
The delicious aroma of fried food teased her nose as they passed a food stand decorated in bags of pink and blue cotton candy. The few scones she had eaten for breakfast had long since been absorbed into her body, and her stomach rumbled in a plea for a corn dog dipped in spicy mustard. She took one step toward the stand then veered back on course. Max would probably throw a conniption fit if she deviated from their task.
Children dressed in brightly colored shirts with the name of a local day camp emblazoned across the chest crowded around the penguin exhibit. All of their attention focused on a man standing in the center wearing a blue shirt with the zoo’s logo. He held two small penguins in his large hands as he educated the children on the birds’ environment. They laughed as he encouraged the birds to perform a few simple tricks, and their teachers swooned when he turned his brilliant smile on them.
He stood tall and broad, like Gulliver among the Lilliputians. His tan skin crinkled around his cornflower blue eyes, which sparkled as if he knew exactly what the female teachers were daydreaming about. Shaggy blond hair lent him an animalistic air that could give a woman ideas about hot sweaty sex up against a tree trunk. A scar ran up from under the collar of his shirt along his neck and more scars crisscrossed his forearms, but they only added to his dangerous appeal. The muscles in his biceps bulged, stretching the sleeve of his cotton polo shirt as he gestured around the exhibit. He was a glowing picture of health and male vitality.
Crystal gasped as she took a second and third look at the man. He wasn’t just glowing.
He glowed.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Max, when you look at me, do I glow?” Crystal asked, excitement quickening her breath.
He opened his mouth to answer then snapped it shut and frowned. “What?”
“When you look at me, can you see a blue glow around me, like an aura?”
He blinked once. “Are you taking any narcotics or medications I should be aware of?”
She threw up a talk-to-the-hand gesture. “Never mind.”
Max didn’t see the halo?
Interesting.
Was this a new ability of hers? First herself, then Max, and now this stranger. People with freaky blue halos were not a common occurrence.
Seriously, there was something extremely intriguing about this zookeeper that went beyond his Malibu Ken good looks. A devious smile curled her lips. It would be remiss of her to not investigate further.
A round of clapping and cheers broke out when the man concluded his demonstration. When he dismissed the children, they scattered like Skittles hitting the floor of a movie theater. Their teachers chased after them as they rushed past Crystal and Max, corralling them as effectively as, well, a herd of children.
Crystal removed her hoodie and tied it around her waist. Taking a second to straighten her shirt to present her cleavage at its best, she fluffed her hair before sauntering over and popping a hand on her hip, thrusting it out in an enticing fashion. Yes, she wasn’t above using her feminine curves to her advantage.
“Your penguins are so cute,” she called out to Mr. Hunk.
His assessing gaze caressed her from head to breast before he turned up the wattage on that killer smile. “If they knew just how popular they are, they’d demand more fish.”
She smiled back at him. “Do they mind being out in this heat?”
“What are you doing?” Max whispered from behind her.
“These are Humboldt penguins,” the man replied. “They’re native to the Peruvian coast, so this is perfect weather for them.” His nostrils flared as he looked between her and Max. “It’s a nice afternoon for a midday date.”
“Date?” She tossed a glossy lock of her hair over her shoulder. “No, we’re just…friends.” She leaned closer as if she were imparting a great secret. “He just got out of prison. I thought it would be best to slowly reintroduce him into society by bringing him to where there’re animals, like he’s used to.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Max grumbled while the man tilted back his head and let out a hearty laugh.
The man—who bore some resemblance to a Nordic god, in her opinion—winked at her as if he recognized a fellow smart-ass. He nodded at Max’s leather get-up. “So, what were you in prison for? BDSM scene gone wrong? Lost out for best costume at a Matrix convention and caused some trouble?”
Max scratched the side of his nose with his middle finger. “You two are hysterical,” he replied in a deadpan voice that was as dry as the desert.
Actually, Crystal thought Max looked kind of badass, but seriously, the man should have left the duster in the car. She nudged him out of the way and murmured, “I’m working on something.”
“I can see that,” he replied with full sarcasm.
She sidled closer to her target. “So, what exactly do you do here? Do they actually call you a zookeeper?”
He settled his hands on his lean hips. “I’m the lead veterinarian. ‘Zookeeper’ is kind of outdated, plus most of our workers are volunteers.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. “Hey, do you want to come inside? I’ve got something to show you.”
“I just bet he does.”
She ignored Max’s rumble of discontent. “Don’t I have to go through training or something?”
“Nah.” He winked. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”
“I’d love to.” She jabbed her thumb in the direction of the simmering tower of man beside her. “But he has to come too.”
He gave Max another scrutinizing once-over. “All right. Give me a minute to put these two away. I’ll be right back.” He scooped up the penguins and disappeared through the door.
She took two steps forward to follow before Max hauled her back with a firm grip. “What are you doing, Crystal? I did not let you drag me down here so you could flirt with a blond hulk.”
She pulled free from his possessive grasp. “I’m investigating.”
“Who is he? Was he in your vision?”
“Possibly. That’s what I’m investigating. Look, your conversational skills suck, so just follow my lead and stop being—” she eyed his permanent scowl—“you.” She pushed down on his stiff shoulders. “Relax a little.”
The marked door opened and they were waved inside by her new friend. Concrete lined the walls and floor, which were stained with fluids she didn’t want to think about. Disinfectant and animal dander tickled her nose, making her eyes water.
“I’m Crystal. This is Max.” She held out her hand. One second, that’s all she needed to find out this man’s secret.
“Ripley.” He slapped a pair of latex gloves in her open palm. He raised a blond brow at Max, who stood with arms crossed over his chest. He laughed at the lack of response and snapped on his own pair of gloves over his huge hands. “Follow me.”
They passed several closed doors and a kitchen area that rivaled most restaurants. A volunteer tore the top off a plastic bag and poured thousands of wiggly mealworms into a cracked plastic container. Another volunteer used a large butcher knife to portion out a side of beef. The rhythmic thwack of the blade hacking through flesh squelched any appetite Crystal may have had.
She glanced inside an exam room and felt her heart stir at the sight of a cougar lying in the only occupied cage. It stared blankly around the bars, its head resting on his paws. Brown fur, once a sleek shiny maize color, appeared dull and gray in the low-watt institutional lighting.
“What’s wrong with the cougar?” she asked.
Ripley shook his head. “I’m not certain yet. He’s very old. I believe he’s suffering from dementia.”
“Really?” she squeaked. “That can happen to animals?”
“They’re really not that different from you and me, gorgeous.”
“Where are all the rest of the employees?” Max asked, his gaze combing every shadow.
“Isn’t it amazing how many people suddenly fall ill and call in sick on such a lovely day?” Ripley smirked.
He led them through another door and into the back of the penguin habitat. It was a haven of rocks and cubbyholes, jetted Jacuzzis, and a wave pool that emulated their native land in Peru. Or at least tried to emulate. Cement slathered over chicken wire was still cement and could never replace the natural rocky shoreline of their origins.
Several of the penguins dove into the water like rockets, riding the waves on their slippery feathers. Krill and plankton floated on the surface like a convenient buffet.
“Why are those ones naked?” Max pointed at two birds that rested in the shade and brayed at each other like donkeys.
“They lose all their feathers when they molt. They’re getting ready to mate.” Ripley stepped over a few birds that refused to move from their path.
“That just looks like all kinds of wrong,” Max muttered.
Crystal bit her lip to keep from giggling. Whether he liked it or not, Max was intrigued with their surroundings.
Ripley stopped at an alcove and slid open the top of a wooden box. “Look here.”
Two baby chicks sat side by side and immediately began to bawl for attention the moment Ripley moved closer. Black eyes peered out from their little brownish-gray faces as their heads swiveled around.
