My heart did a silly little flutter when the fingers he’d curled around my wrist slid down to thread with mine. We walked around hand in hand, peering at more of the many animals.
I was downright thrilled when we finally reached the Pallas’ cat enclosure. I’d watched a documentary about them once, and they absolutely fascinated me. They’d been branded the most expressive cats in the world, because they made the oddest faces.
One was curled up on a rock, staring at everything and everyone as if they were completely beneath it. No one could do “disdain” like cats. “I want to take it home.”
Behind me, Dane settled a hand on my hip. “You’ve said that about almost every animal you’ve laid eyes on.”
Someone knocked on the plastic fence, and the feline peeled back its upper lip.
I chuckled. “How amazing are these cats?”
“They’re odd.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” cut in the woman beside us, eyeing Dane with sexual interest. “Their eyes are so humanlike they freak me out.”
I sniffed and started snapping photos of the cat, ignoring how the woman kept talking to Dane like she’d known him for years, even though he completely blanked her.
Was it annoying to have to deal with this crap? Oh, yes. But I had the comfort of knowing he’d never respect anyone who’d flirt with a man who was taken, so I didn’t have to worry that she’d snatch his interest.
“I can’t see any of the other Pallas’ cats,” I said. “Can you?”
Shuffling closer to me from behind, he rested his chin on my shoulder. “No. They’re probably inside. Are you finished taking pictures of this … are you sure it’s a cat?”
“I’m sure. I’ll bet it’s called Dane.”
“What?”
“It’s the perfect name for cranky creatures.”
He snapped his teeth at my ear. “Ready to eat now?”
“Yep. Then we’ll go find the rhinos and the red pandas.”
We settled on the grass in the outdoor picnic area and dug into our lunch. It was only sandwiches, potato chips, bottled water, pots of fresh fruit, and mini chocolate muffins, but it all went down well.
Done, I stuffed our rubbish in the disposable lunch bag. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was.” I looked at my fake husband, who was lying on his side, propped up by his elbow. “You’re enjoying yourself. Admit it.”
“Watching your reactions to the animals is interesting. You blushed when a chimp flashed you. You shivered from head to toe when a praying mantis moved one leg. You squealed when a bat flew at you in a rage … even though it didn’t really fly at you, let alone in a rage.”
“I felt its hatred.”
He shook his head. “Only you, Vienna. Only you.”
“Come on, be honest; you’re not as bored as you thought you’d be.”
“Hmm.”
It might be a non-committal sound, but … “I’ll take what I can get.” I cocked my head. “Did you mean it when you said the New York trip didn’t have to be all about work, or did you just say it for Simon’s benefit?”
He eyed me suspiciously. “Why? Where do you want to go?”
“The Museum of Natural History. I’m not asking you to go with me—I know you won’t want to. I was just hoping you’d agree to free me up a few hours so I can go.”
His brows pulled together. “You can’t go strolling around New York on your own.”
“Why? It’s not a warzone, it’s a city.”
“Where any number of things could happen to you while you’re alone. If we can find the time to go, we’ll go.”
“We?”
“We.”
I put a hand to my mouth. “Oh, God, you really are sick, aren’t you? How bad is it? Should we be picking out eulogies?”
He tugged on my hair. “Brat.”
Once we were ready to continue our walk around the zoo, I threw our bag of rubbish in the trash. “I need to use the bathroom. You?”
“No, I’m good.”
“According to the map, the closest restroom’s over there,” I said, pointing to the nearby restaurant.
He walked me to the entrance. “I’ll wait here. Don’t be long.”
Like I planned to paint my toenails in there or something? I just shook my head and went inside. Just as I’d anticipated, the place was packed with people ordering their lunch and searching for empty tables. Yep, I’d made the right choice by bringing a pre-packed lunch.
I made a beeline for the bathroom, where I quickly did my business, and then walked back into the restaurant. I carefully shouldered