“My dad is an accountant, and my mom stayed home with us when we were little, but now she works part-time at the library and volunteers just about everywhere she can.”
Heath led her to a gate where a tall blond man who looked to be in his late thirties was waiting for them.
“Heath, good to see you again.” The man shook Heath’s hand and smiled at Ally. He had a friendly smile, the kind that said he clearly understood that this was a special evening for them. “You must be Allyson. I’m George. Nice to meet you.”
“Hi, George. Nice to meet you, too.”
They followed George into the zoo, and he locked the gate behind them. “Okay, guys, enjoy. I’ll be waiting here when you’re done.” He pointed to a bench where a pregnant blond woman was sitting. Heath waved, and the woman waved back as Heath guided Ally in the opposite direction.
“That’s his wife, Julie,” Heath explained.
“He’s just going to let us wander around? What if we do something bad, like jump into an animal’s enclosure?” They walked along the wide path toward the animal habitats.
Heath laughed. “I think he trusts my judgment. Should I trust yours?”
He draped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her against him. Moonlight cast a hazy glow over the pavement. “You said you’d never been to a zoo. I thought it was something we could do that was different.”
“This is different, all right.” She stopped walking and touched his chest again. “This is so special. Thank you, but you didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”
“Well, don’t get too excited yet. We may not see any animals this late at night.”
“I don’t care if we don’t see any animals. It was such a thoughtful thing to arrange. Thank you, Heath.” She went up on her toes, and he met her halfway in a sweet kiss. His lips were warm and moist, inviting. As he deepened the kiss, her body melted against him, and she didn’t want the kiss to end. His hands splayed against her back, and she could feel his strength through his chest, his biceps, his thighs pressing against hers. When their lips finally parted, she was breathless for more.
“I sure like you, Allyson,” he said softly.
“Ditto,” was all she could manage.
As they neared the animal habitats, musky scents hung in the air. Without the road noises or people milling about, Ally was focused on Heath. His stride felt easier, as if he wasn’t on alert, ready to fend off strangers, like he seemed to be when they were out on the busy streets. Ally thought they’d hear animal noises more clearly at night, but there weren’t many discernible animal sounds, just the sounds of their shoes on the pavement and every now and again a random feral noise in the distance.
They walked through the aviary, and she was delighted to hear the sounds of wings flapping, as they must have scared a bird into flight. Ally’s sense of smell and sound were heightened, but while she tried to focus on spotting birds, she was distracted by the man standing beside her and the feel of his shoulder pressing intimately against hers.
Heath was right: They didn’t see many animals, but just being together was nice, walking in the moonlight, having the zoo all to themselves. Knowing that he cared enough to go to the trouble of pulling whatever strings it took for him to get George to open the zoo made Ally feel special.
She marveled at the way her heart skipped a beat when the glowing eyes of deer appeared in the tufted deer habitat. Deer were fairly common. Why did this feel so magical? Heath kissed her temple, and she had her answer. Being with Heath was magical. Everything else—the animal sightings and sounds—was a gift.
As they made their way through the zoo, the otter and porcupines were not curious enough to appear when they passed. They continued along the path, and Ally felt like every minute brought her and Heath closer together. She glanced at him, and he smiled down at her. Each time he caught her sneaking glances, he pulled her in closer, and she felt as though they were becoming more than just physically close. They were both relaxing into their surprise coupling.
“You were cute in the lab today,” Heath said as they walked around the temperate territory, where the snow monkeys and red pandas were kept.
“Cute? I was so nervous. I had no idea you worked there.”
They stopped at the stone wall by the snow monkeys, and he tugged her in close again. “Nervous? What worried you?”
“Well, let’s see. You and I were both looking for a night of no-strings-attached fun, which somehow turned into two nights, and then you somehow got me to have phone sex with you. Then you top it off by walking into the lab where I work. What about all of that sounds comfortable to you? I wasn’t sure if you’d be pissed that I worked there, or, for that matter, if I would be that you worked there. I was kind of shocked, to be honest. I had just written you off.”