Now, I’m a twenty-four-year-old virgin, with a kid and no dating experience. What the hell do I know about dating a guy like him?
“Now, let’s go see the flamingos,” he says, pulling me from my thoughts by putting me in front of him, my back to his chest, and placing his hands on the outsides of mine, which have automatically grasped the bar of the stroller in front of me. As we begin to walk again, I wrap my hands tighter around the bar so I don’t fall on my face as Jax walks behind me, occasionally nuzzling my neck, sending sensations through my body that cause my core to throb. Reaching the area where the flamingos are, I bend and check to see if Hope is still sleeping, which she is.
“Let’s just come back here when she wakes up,” I tell Jax over my shoulder.
Nodding, we move down the pathway, following a sign to the gorillas. When we reach the bottom of a small hill, there’s a rock formation that looks like a large cave. Going inside, there are three large glass panels, where you can watch the gorillas that are out lazing in the warm fall sun. On the other side, there are benches lining the walls, so you can sit in the cool air.
Moving the stroller to a bench, I sit next to Jax when he pulls me down to his side, and then I adjust Hope’s stroller in front of us, so we can keep an eye on her. Leaning my head on Jax’s shoulder, I watch the families coming and going until one of the large gorillas comes to the glass across from us, looking directly at me.
“I think you’ve got a new admirer, baby,” Jax grunts against my ear, making me smile. Getting up from the bench, I walk toward the glass, keeping my eyes on the large creature in front of me and the way he backs away then stands up on his legs and pounds his chest.
“I can see why he’s fascinated by you. You’re very beautiful.” Jumping at the voice next to me, I turn my head, coming face-to-face with a very handsome man about ten years older than me, with caramel-colored skin, dark hair, and startling green eyes, holding a young boy in his arms.
“I…thanks,” I mutter, taking another step away from him as I notice something in the way he’s looking at me is off.
“Baby, c’mere.” Turning to look at Jax, I see his eyes are on the man next to me. “Babe,” he repeats, holding out his hand. Ducking my head, I walk to him and place my hand in his. As soon as I’m in his grasp, his hand goes around my waist and he moves me to the other side of his body, the side farther away from the man and his son, then leads me outside while pushing the stroller with one hand.
“Are you okay?” I ask, feeling the muscles of his body draw tight.
“I’m good,” he says, giving my waist a squeeze as we move back up the hill we just came down. “I didn’t like the way that guy was watching you before he approached you.”
“I didn’t see him,” I admit.
“I know; you were watching the gorilla when he came in, but it wasn’t like he came in to see them. It was like he came in to watch you. I don’t even think he knew I was there until I called you over,” he says, sending a chill through me.
“I heard you on the phone this morning. You said another girl was taken,” I confess quietly while leaning over to make sure Hope is still asleep.
“Yes, another girl was taken. Her family contacted me. The police can’t do anything yet, because it hasn’t been more than seventy-two hours. She was hoping we could look into it.”
“What are you doing here? You should be out looking for her.”
“All of my guys are on it, and at the risk of sounding like an asshole, baby, you’re more important to me than any of that. I needed to come make sure you were okay,” he states.