Kye's Heart by Marisa Chenery

with a laugh. “I had to sneak out for dates when I was a teenager. If mine had his way, I still wouldn’t be allowed to go out with a man.”
    “From my standpoint, I’m quite happy he isn’t.”
    Michaela chuckled. “Yes, I can see that you would.” She stepped closer to the chain-link fence as one of the male lions came pretty close to it. “So have you had a chance to look at the exhibit?”
    Kye shook his head. “Not yet. I’d just arrived close to the same time you did.”
    “Well, come and take a look. Isn’t he gorgeous?”
    “He is a majestic-looking beast. I don’t know if I like you calling another male gorgeous, though.”
    “Would you feel better if I said I’m more attracted to you than him?” she asked with a giggle.
    Kye shifted closer until he stood at her side. “Most definitely.”
    The male lion opened his mouth, showing his sharp teeth, and in an aggressive manner, rushed at the fence directly in front of where Kye stood. His loud growl filled the air. Both of them jumped back and Nevaeh whimpered. Kye took a few more steps away from the fence, and the lion seemed to settle right down.
    “I wonder what got into him?” she asked. “Tunya usually doesn’t act like that.”
    Kye shrugged. “Maybe he took an instant disliking to me. I think I’ll give him some space and stay back here.”
    “Yeah, that might be a good idea. Do you want to go see the tigers?”
    “Actually, I think I’d prefer to skip the rest of the big cats today.”
    “All right. Sorry to say, but I have some work to do here. If you’re still going to be around in an hour, that’s when I get my lunch break.”
    “I’ll be around then. Should I meet you here?”
    “I can join up with you at the café, if you want.”
    “Sure. I don’t want my presence to piss off any more lions. One of them might try to escape just so he can take a chunk out of me.”
    Michaela grinned. “We can’t have that happening. It wouldn’t look very good for the zoo.”
    “I guess not. I’ll let you get back to work. I think I’ll go show Nevaeh the penguins.”
    “I’ll see you later then.”
    She lifted her face for the kiss Kye brushed across her lips just before he walked away. Michaela turned to look at Tunya. He’d moved off farther inside the enclosure. She still had no idea what had gotten into him, but whatever it was, it hadn’t lasted very long.
    * * *
    Kye resisted the urge to adjust himself inside his jeans. Christ, just being beside Michaela gave him a hard-on. And it hadn’t helped any that, as predicted, he’d had one erotic dream after another of her during the night. He’d taken a cold shower this morning, hoping it would cool his libido, but all it did was cause him to break out in goose bumps from the cold water.
    Being with Michaela again, all he’d wanted to do was pull her to him and kiss her until neither one of them remembered their name. Of course he couldn’t, given the fact that, one, they were in a public place where she worked, and two, he had a baby strapped across his chest. He didn’t think Roxie or Beowulf would appreciate Kye giving her a lesson in human sexuality, not that Nevaeh would care one way or the other. Nor would she even remember it.
    He arrived at the penguin exhibit in time to see them being fed by another animal keeper. It was kind of cute the way the birds clumsily waddled around. But in the water, that was where it ended. They could swim, turning on a dime, not once colliding with the others around them.
    Next, Kye went to see the kangaroos and koalas. At least, his presence didn’t seem to disturb them, not like the lion. He had a feeling the male had acted so aggressively because he’d smelled another predator. Kye would’ve been deemed as competition. It didn’t matter that he was in his human form, he still carried a werewolf’s scent.
    The hour nearly up, Kye changed Nevaeh’s diaper in the men’s restroom. They had one of those baby changing tables that