Free Fall (Elite Force #4)(17)
Author: Catherine Mann

A monkey stole another’s banana and took off swinging from limb to limb. Stella laughed, the sound floating out, echoed by a baboon hanging from one arm.

“So, do you come to Queen Elizabeth National Park often?” she asked, loving the thrill of discovery, of learning even seemingly insignificant details about his life.

“Actually, this is my first time here.” His smile reached his eyes, glinting like the sunlight refracting off the waterfall. “But I do a lot of nature hikes through national parks wherever I travel.”

“Clearly you’re active, given your job.”

His eyes slid over her, lingering just long enough to be complimentary without turning smarmy. “You’re no slouch yourself—given your job.”

“We could compare PT scores.” She tapped his chest just over the Boston Marathon logo on his T-shirt. The well-worn cotton carried the heat of him, and she ached to flatten her palm against his heartbeat. “But I would wager yours beat mine. I’m a code breaker, not a superhero.”

He closed his hand over hers, holding and lowering. Not letting go. “Can we stop with the superhero stuff? I’m just a guy out with a girl on a date.”

“A date in Africa, complete with a helicopter ride.” And hand holding. “But hey, okay, if this is normal for you, I can’t wait to see your follow-up.”

He winked. “Prepare to be dazzled.”

She already was—and it had nothing to do with the grand gesture of a helicopter. It had more to do with his instinctive thoughtfulness, from noticing which flavored water she preferred to remembering how her nose burned in the sun. She didn’t need a keeper, but after taking care of herself since elementary school, she had to confess it felt nice to have someone who… cared.

Leaning back on her hands, she watched the way the sun dappled along the lean lines of his face. “What if I’d given out halfway to the waterfall?”

“Then we would have watched the water buffaloes instead.”

“Water buffaloes are cool. Elephants and lions too.”

“True, true.” He nodded toward the cluster of trees. “But these little dudes? Cooler. Way cooler.”

“Why is that?” she asked, realizing he had a point in bringing her here. This wasn’t a random choice.

For a moment, she didn’t think he would answer. He just stared out over the glistening waterfall surrounded by trees. The wind rippled his T-shirt and khakis as his booted feet hung over the edge. “Every year, my dad gave my sister and me money to buy summer passes to the zoo while he worked. My sister—Bianca—and I would pack a sack lunch and a jug of Kool-Aid. We would spend all day at the zoo hanging out.”

“Sounds like fun.” An idyllic image took shape in her mind. “How old were you?”

“We started when my sister turned eleven and could babysit me.”

“Your mom worked?”

He shook his head, scooping up a handful of pebbles and tossing them from hand to hand. “She was… sick.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, waiting, but he didn’t elaborate. “How many days a week did you go to the zoo?”

“Monday through Friday. We slept in late, then my sister and I headed over. It was walking distance.” He tossed a small rock over the edge into the swirling waters below. “I know. Sounds bad, two kids walking alone.”

“I’m not judging.” Okay, that was a lie, but she wanted him to keep talking. “I’m listening.”

“There were lots of things to do at the zoo that came along with that pass—movies and learning centers. Plenty of places to duck inside if it got hot.” He flicked stone after stone over the edge, never still even when he was sitting. “After a while, the staff knew us, so we got lots of perks.”

“Such as?” She didn’t want him to stop. She wanted to know everything about him.

“Like free train rides around the zoo. I always rode up front and rang the bell. After a while, the tour guide would let me narrate parts of the ride.”

“And you liked the monkeys best. Because?”

“Look at their families.” He pointed. “Look at the mom. Cool, huh?”

The picture came together of a little boy spending all day at the zoo with his sister, all the time wishing his mom was there too. And what about his father? She felt small for thinking no one cared for her as a kid. Her dad had tried, and while her brothers had been obnoxious as hell, they loved her.

Who looked out for Jose? Who’d taken care of him and his sister? Her heart squeezed tight for the boy he’d been and the strong man she was just beginning to know.

Before she could think, she cupped his face in her hand and leaned in to kiss him, just a light brush of her lips to his, but wow, the total rightness of the moment melted over her like warm caramel, pure sugar and indulgence. Then he thrust his hands in her hair and brought her closer to him, his mouth sealing to hers.

She wanted to memorize the moment, but he scrambled her thoughts until she just immersed herself in the moment. The warm sweep of his tongue against hers. The peppermint taste of his toothpaste. The rasp of his afternoon stubble along her fingertips. It was a first kiss beyond anything she’d experienced, special and intense.

And she wanted more firsts with him.

His hand slid from her hair, grazing along her neck in a way that stirred a soft purr of pleasure in the back of her throat. Yes, this was physical attraction at its most elemental, but stoked by so much more.

God, no half measures here. She was all out falling for a man she’d known for only a week…

***

Chattering monkeys called to Jose in the night as he watched over Stella sleeping under the lean-to. It was almost morning, almost time to make their move. He and Bubbles had swapped off watches a couple of times through the night. Now his buddy catnapped against a tree and the student was taking a leak a few feet away. A baboon shouted down from a few branches up.

Jose pinched the bridge of his nose, pushing back memories of another time in the wilds with Stella on their first date. He’d wanted her to understand where he stood, where he came from. While he hadn’t rolled it all out there from the start, he’d laid the groundwork for telling her. He had baggage that dogged him every day. He could never afford to be complacent. Alcoholics lived one day at a time, never taking sobriety for granted.

Honest to God, he’d thought he and Stella could have something.

Sutton zipped up his pants and pivoted back to the camp. He limped over. “Hey, dude, I’m sorry for griping earlier about the rescue operation. I realize we were only there a short time.”