Diamond Legacy. Monica McCabe

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      “Are they still here, too?”

      “In a sense. They died when I was fourteen.”

      “Oh.” She turned silent for a moment then added, “I’m sorry.”

      “It was long ago.” And now time to change the subject. “What about you?”

      She shrugged. “I’ve lived in San Diego most of my life, though traveled quite a bit. My dad was a big game veterinarian, and I followed him around from the moment I learned to walk.”

      “So that troublesome curiosity struck you early in life?”

      She laughed softly. “Yeah, I suppose so. As I grew older, I traveled extensively with Dad as an unofficial assistant. While other kids spent their summer vacations playing ball or attending camp, I spent mine behind the scenes in various zoos or reserves. I knew half the established techniques long before I ever started college.”

      “Shouldn’t you have returned the favor and brought Pops along instead of the boy wonder assistant?”

      Even in the dim moonlight he could see her brief flash of pain. “Dad had an accident several years ago that left him in a wheelchair. He no longer practices. And don’t let Jason’s fun-loving enthusiasm fool you. He’s very intelligent and has a strong knack for veterinary medicine. By far, he’s the best college intern we have at the zoo.”

      “So…what? Are you his mentor or something?”

      “Sort of, but not really. I see a bit of myself in his understanding of animal behavior and try to keep him steered in the right direction. His potential is boundless, and the exposure he receives on these trips can be invaluable in his career.”

      “And you?”

      “What about me?”

      “What motivates you? It’s an odd bit of a career choice, isn’t it? Flying the globe in search of zoological gum disease?”

      She smiled at his attempt at humor. “I don’t have to search far. Most places find me, though it’s been a while since my last trip. I’m stationed permanently in San Diego these days.”

      “But why dentistry?”

      “I’ve been hooked since the day Dad got a call to perform a root canal on a gorilla. He had to take a crash course in dental technique and that started me thinking. It’s a fairly new branch of veterinary medicine, and there aren’t many of us specializing in the field. Like Katanga, I take extensive notes on every animal I work on, the procedures, their reactions, and their environment.”

      She had a passion for the job. It was easy to see. “Is it just you and your Dad? Or is this a family affair?”

      “Dad and I were the only ones bitten by the zoo bug. My older sister is an accountant at Universal Studios and my mother is retired, staying home to care for Dad. Mom’s work has always been sporadic, especially when we were younger and traveled a lot.”

      “Is your sister like you?”

      “Not even close.” A sudden gust of wind ruffled Miranda’s hair, and she brushed the loose strands behind her ear. “Erika practically faints at the sight of a bug,” she said with disgust.

      Matt could hear the loving affection beneath her scorn, and for the umpteenth time, he wondered what it would be like to have grown up in a normal family atmosphere. His upbringing had been far from conventional. And his parents, though they’d loved him, had been so wrapped up in their work that he had learned independence young. Good thing, too. He’d needed it during the years spent with his starchy uncle.

      “I saw you in the hippo pool.” It was a mundane thing to say, but he needed to put things back in perspective. “Rob Jenkins gave me a tour of the place, and we stopped on the viewing platform. That hippo looked madder than a hornet, and you were only a few feet away. Pretty risky business if you ask me. It must be hell getting insurance.”

      She laughed outright. “I’m lucky I’ve still got all my fingers.” She wiggled them in front of her to prove it. “Probing inside a carnivore’s mouth comes at no small risk.”

      “Ever get tired of it?”

      “Honestly? No. I love my job. Love working with animals, the challenges of facing them in their environment. Love working outdoors, in the mud, the rain, it doesn’t matter. I even love the smell of a stable.”

      It was easy to see her work was her life. It was the same for him. With one key difference. He was driven by vengeance.

      There on the bench, with the night surrounding them and the scent of rain in the distance, he suddenly realized why he found her so enticing. It was the purity of her emotion, the earthy sensuality that radiated from her. She glowed with a vital and natural energy. Sitting sideways on the bench like she was, one arm propped on the back and her fingers threading through her shoulder-length hair, she was damn near magnetic. He wanted to reach out and pull her to him, wanted to trace the line of her jaw with his lips and lay her down on the soft grass. More than that, he wanted to peel away every inch of fabric and explore the length and depth of her curves in agonizing detail.

      “Penny for your thoughts,” she said.

      Not a chance. He wasn’t having her running scared before he had an opportunity to explore a taste of those charms.

      “All that dedication doesn’t leave much time to search for Mr. Right, does it?”

      Her eyes cut sharply to him and narrowed. “I’ve had my share of dates.”

      “Anything serious?”

      She shrugged in a noncommittal way.

      He changed tactics. “So what do you do for fun?”

      “Fun?” She frowned, as though the concept was too hard to conceive.

      “Yeah, off duty, toes in the sand, serves-no-purpose kind of fun?”

      His only answer was the tree frog’s call along the river’s edge. Her struggle to find a response was revealing enough. Miss Dedication needed to cut loose.

      “When was the last time you did something just for the heck of it?” he asked.

      “I ate a ham and cheese sandwich with you.”

      “Nice try.” He smiled in anticipation. “Doesn’t count.”

      “Fine.” She drummed her fingertips on the back of the bench. “I went for a swim in the elephant pond with Daisy.”

      “Daisy being the elephant?” When she nodded he said, “Sounds like work to me.”

      “Well, I… What’s the point of this question?”

      “The point, Miranda, is this.” He leaned forward and brushed her lips with his own, a mere sip for a thirsty man.

      When a soft gasp escaped her, he shifted to gauge the reaction and stare down into her wide eyes. “I’ve wanted to kiss you since the airport.” The pad of his thumb caressed the soft sensitive СКАЧАТЬ