Page 96 of Kiss an Angel

The activity of the circus had begun to return to normal. Jack was talking with the teacher as he helped her escort the children to the school. Neeco and the others had gone back to work. Sheba walked forward. “Good job, Daisy.”

The words were delivered begrudgingly. Although Daisy thought she saw a glimmer of respect in the circus owner’s eyes, she also had the eerie feeling Sheba’s dislike of her had intensified. Sheba avoided looking at Alex and walked away, leaving them alone with Sinjun.

The tiger stood, tense and watchful, but still regarding both of them with his customary hauteur. She wrapped her hands around the cage bars. Sinjun moved. She heard Alex’s quick, indrawn breath as the tiger began to rub his great head against her fingers.

“I wish you wouldn’t let him do that.”

She reached farther between the bars to scratch Sinjun behind his ears. “He won’t hurt me. He doesn’t respect me, but he loves me.”

Alex gave a thin chuckle and then, to her surprise, enfolded her in his arms from behind as she stroked the tiger. His jaw moved against the top of her head. “I’ve never been so scared in my life.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m the one who’s sorry. You warned me about the cages, and I should have checked all of them. This is my fault.”

“It’s mine. I’m responsible for the menagerie.”

“Don’t you dare blame yourself. I won’t allow it.”

Sinjun’s tongue stroked her wrist. She felt the muscles in Alex’s arms tense as the tiger licked her.

“Would you please take your hands out of that cage now?” he asked quietly. “You’re giving me heart failure.”

“In a minute.”

“I’ve already lost ten years off my life. I can’t afford to lose any more.”

“I like touching him. Besides, he’s a lot like you. He doesn’t give his affection easily, and I don’t want to offend him by backing away.”

“He’s an a

nimal, Daisy. He doesn’t have human emotions.”

She was feeling too peaceful to argue.

“Sweetheart, you have to stop befriending wild animals. First Tater, now Sinjun. I’ll tell you what. You obviously need a real pet. First thing tomorrow, we’ll get you a dog.”

She looked up at him in alarm. “Oh, no, we can’t do that.”

“Why not.”

“Because I’m afraid of dogs.”

He looked stunned, and then he began to laugh. At first it was the merest rumble deep in his chest, but it soon turned into a rich, hearty sound that bounced off the walls of the big top and echoed through the lot.

“It figures,” she grumbled through her own smile. “Alex Markov finally laughs, and it’s at my expense.”

He turned his head into the sun, drew her tighter against him, and laughed all the harder.

Sinjun regarded them both with faint annoyance, then stretched out against the bars of the cage to lick Daisy’s thumb.

Alex shouldered his way through the group of reporters and photographers that had surrounded Daisy following the final show that evening. “My wife’s had enough for today. She needs to get some rest.”

Ignoring him, a reporter shoved a small tape recorder toward Daisy. “What went through your mind when you realized the tiger was loose?”

Daisy opened her mouth to respond, but Alex broke in, knowing Daisy was so damned polite she’d answer their questions till she dropped. “Sorry, that’s it.” Wrapping his arm around her, he began leading her away.

It hadn’t taken the media long to get hold of the story of the escaped tiger, and reporters had been showing up ever since the matinee to interview her. At first Sheba had been happy with the publicity. Then she’d heard Daisy comment that the menagerie was cruel and inhumane, and she’d been furious. When Sheba had attempted to interrupt with the interview, Daisy had looked at her with those innocent eyes and said, without a speck of guile, “But, Sheba, the animals hate being in the menagerie. They’re all so unhappy there.”

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