Page 7 of Smoke and Mirrors

Forcing a smile. “Sorry, what?”

He laughs, shaking his head. “I’m gonna take these results for the cubs back to the vet clinic. Do you want to meet me on the other side in say…” he checks his watch, “… around thirty minutes? We’re thinking about letting Dad see his new babies through the cage, and try to gauge how long we might have to wait to introduce them properly.”

My head bobs enthusiastically. “Yeah, for sure. I wouldn’t miss that for the world.”

He grins, gripping the papers in his hands. “I’ll meet you over there soon.”

I give him a quick wave, turning my attention back to where I’d seen Kace standing moments before. A frown forms on my face when I realize he’s no longer there. I walk forward, my steps light and dainty as I scan through the small number of people who are at the zoo this early.

We only opened an hour ago, so it’s reasonably quiet, for now.

A flash of blue out the corner of my eye draws my attention, and there he is once again. His back is to me, and there’s another man positioned close beside him now as they stand at the fence of one of the exhibits. Even with my mind telling me over and over not to intrude and to mind my own business, my feet carry me toward them, my running shoes barely making a sound on the concrete path.

The man standing beside Kace is dressed in a suit, a strange outfit for a day out at the zoo. It piques my interest further—the need to know more about this man who lives next door to me driving me forward. His broad shoulders, chest, and trim waist are sexy and inviting. My body shivers as I imagine the power and strength he holds within them.

I’m only a few feet from them now, their voices are whisper-soft, but they carry toward me on the breeze along with the smell of aftershave that delights my senses.

“Friday night,” Kace says simply. “Make it happen.”

“I’ve been trying to make it happen for weeks now. You don’t just get an in, you have to earn that shit,” the Italian-looking man in the suit snaps, his body fidgeting like he doesn’t enjoy being out in the open.

Kace is still and confident like I’d expect anything else from him.

“Make it happen, or I’ll find my own way,” Kace counters with a deadly spark to his voice that sends a chill through my veins. “And trust me, you won’t like it.”

The suited man growls in frustration. “I’ll be in touch.”

With that, he turns, and I jump, snapping my head in the opposite direction like I’m enjoying the view of the makeshift savanna that the zoo has created. I tuck my hands in my pockets, trying to act innocent as he passes by me without a second look. I lick my lips, considering whether I should make a run for it before Kace turns and sees me.

“Anyone ever tell you it’s rude to eavesdrop, Lily,” his voice says loudly, causing my body to freeze in stunned silence.

I risk a glance at him, he hasn’t even turned around.

How the hell did he know I was here?

My mouth moves, but the words are lost on my tongue as I race to try and come up with some kind of excuse. “I-I work here.”

A quiet snort comes from him as he turns, his eyes hitting me with a steely yet amused gaze. “I know.”

I raise an eyebrow. “You know?” I confirm warily.

He nods to my chest, causing me to blush for a moment before I realize he’s pointing out the vet’s pass that hangs around my neck. “Oh, right.”

He takes a purposeful step forward, and I force myself not to move away from his imposing form. He is scary, that much I can admit. But not in the kind of way that I think he’ll hurt me, I don’t feel that at all from him. I’m scared more because he’s unknown—a beast of a man who makes me feel so small in comparison.

He met a strange man here.

That rings alarm bells in my mind.

Who the hell is this guy?

What exactly does he do?

His body’s free of tattoos, and his face never shows anything other than what he wants me to see. He has control—of his body, his senses, his emotions.

Something inside tells me I should stop and run. But unlike him, I can’t control the emotions that I feel, and curiosity is winning over all my other emotions. They say curiosity killed the cat, but damn if Kace doesn’t make me purr.

“So what are you working on today?” He asks the question seemingly so innocently, almost as though I hadn’t just seen him standing with a man making threats.

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