Dangerous Kisses (Siren Publishing Classic) by Tonya Ramagos Page B

moving next to her. “I don’t like doing it, but it could be the only way to move it safely.”
    Megan glanced at him. “Let’s not if we don’t have to.”
    He nodded once. “When Tracey gets back, we’ll put her operating the lift. You and I will go diving, guide the shark into the harness, and make sure it’s secure before Tracey starts to lift it. You up for that?”
    In other words, am I up for going diving with the fourteen-foot tiger shark that attacked Paul last night?
    “Yeah, I’m up for it. Let me go suit up and we’ll get started.”
     
    * * * *
     
    Drake ran a hand through his hair and gazed into the now-empty shark tank. It was late afternoon by the time they got the fish, rays, and sharks moved to the holding tank. Everything had run smoothly like clockwork, each act methodical and skillfully achieved. Terry and Mark didn’t have the extensive education or experience that he and Megan had, but they understood what to do and listened when instructed how to do it.
    “We’ll take a quick break, then get this tank cleaned out so we can refill it and get everything back in.”
    They would be here half the night. He had expected that. What he hadn’t foreseen was being rushed to get the job finished so the exhibit would be ready for viewing tomorrow. It could be done, it would be done, but they still had a lot of work ahead of them to make it happen.
    Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned and couldn’t help but laugh. Megan had pulled the hair tie from her ponytail, bent over at her waist, and was shaking her head like a dog, her long blonde strands slinging water everywhere.
    She straightened, met his gaze, and grinned.
    “Feel better?”
    She nodded. “Much. If it’s all the same to you, I’m going to get started on cleaning out these grates around the tank. I’ve still got too much energy for a break.”
    Drake waved a hand toward the grating beneath his feet. “Be my guest. Some way to spend your first day of vacation, huh?”
    She pursed her lips, seeming to think about that for a moment. “You know I’m enjoying myself. I prefer not to think about the circumstances that put me here, the reason we’re having to do this, but working here again, even for today, was just what I needed.”
    Drake suspected he knew exactly what she needed, and it didn’t fall under the category of any sort of work, but he kept the comment to himself. Paul had been right about their shared ambition. His friend had also been right when he said they were channeling it in the wrong direction. He knew because he had spent the last year doing it himself. Burying himself in work had kept his mind off of Megan, off the need churning inside him to be with her, to fuck her.
    You could have fucked her last night.
    Yes, he likely could have. He didn’t believe she would have stopped him if he had attempted to take it that far. But what would it have done to her? The uncertainty of that was what had forced him to stop. He didn’t want to hurt her, at least not in any way that didn’t deliver her insurmountable pleasure, but did he want to keep her? Hell, did she even want to be kept?
    For all he knew, the submissive vixen in his grasp last night had been out for a one-night stand. He could go for that, but he had walked away from her last night wondering if it would be enough.
    He watched Megan pull on her diver gloves as she rounded the top of the tank, his gaze drinking in every spectacular contour and toned muscle her wetsuit put on a mouthwatering display. He was letting his attraction to her run the show. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but a part of him he didn’t yet want to acknowledge was starting to whisper that the sensations clawing at his insides went deeper than mere lust.
    And that could be a bad thing.
    Across the top of the tank, Megan kneeled and laced her fingers through the grate. She lifted the first section, the muscles in her arms flexing as she set it