Sealed With A Kiss: Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild, page 2
But now that she knew him, she wanted him to get the hell out of here. She felt like she’d been waiting for the other shoe to drop for months. Because she actually wanted him to stay forever.
See? Crazy.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked, looking her up and down. “You should be back in town at Ellie’s with everyone else, where it’s safe.”
She was sure she looked…bedraggled. At best. Because of him. She gave him an oh-you-did-not-just-say-that look. “Get in the truck, Donovan.”
She never fell for guys like this. Not. Ever. And for it to be a guy who didn’t get worked up about breaking bones or bleeding, who routinely got within striking distance of teeth and claws that could kill him, and who seemed to think that things like gravity didn’t apply to him, really made her nuts.
“There’s one more cub,” he said.
She looked around. This road wasn’t well-traveled even in nice weather. It was definitely a backroad. Both sides of the road sloped at a steep incline of dirt and shrubbery. There were trees on both sides as well. How the hell was he going to find a bear cub that didn’t want to be found in this storm? She focused on him again. “So you’re lying next to a dead bear trying to get the cub to come to you?”
“Yep.”
God, he was brave. And his heart for animals was so huge. She’d only known him for seven months but knew that the idea of an orphaned bear cub out here in this storm alone would be killing him.
It was impossible for her to not want him. And to not want to shake him and say, “You shouldn’t be out here alone either.” And to not want to smack him. And wrap him up in a blanket and feed him. And kiss him.
Donovan was also an orphan. His parents had died when he was sixteen. His only family was his older brother Griffin, who was in love with one of Naomi’s best friends, Charlotte. Which was how she knew about their parents and that the guys only had each other now. And that they hadn’t been especially close for a long time.
Dammit. “You’re nuts, you know that?” she asked, crouching next to him.
“I’ve heard that a time or two.” He gave her a wry smile. “Just a few more minutes. These cubs have been on their own a couple days. He’s gonna know to find shelter and food, but he’s young. He’s gonna come back to his mom. It’s bad enough that he’s out here alone. But with the storm, we may never find him again.”
“But—” Naomi started to protest.
“Go look in the back of my truck,” he interrupted.
She glanced at his truck, then back to him. He gave her a nod.
She already knew what she was going to see in the back of his big black Ford Raptor. But she blew out a breath and headed over to the truck.
The truck bed had a cover on it that she needed to fold back. Inside was a live trap with two black bear cubs that were about four months old. Big brown, scared eyes peered up at her from where they were huddled together in the back. Donovan had put fluffy towels down on the floor of the trap and they had nestled into them.
Naomi felt her heart melt. They were little and terrified and probably starving.
She felt her throat tighten. Thank God for Donovan. Not only that he knew how to capture them but also that he cared enough to do it. And yeah, now she was going to help him find their brother or sister.
She put the truck cover back in place and headed back for Donovan, who was still sitting in the middle of the road. “Fine. Have you seen him at least?”
Donovan grinned and Naomi felt her breath catch in her chest.
And he just had to be gorgeous too? Really? He couldn’t just be an animal and ecology activist? He couldn’t just have big muscles? He couldn’t just have a tragic backstory? He couldn’t just have fascinating stories about his world travels? He couldn’t just be funny and charming and optimistic and kind of a ham when there were cameras around? No, he also had to be stop-her-in-her-tracks gorgeous when he grinned. Which he did a lot.
“Yeah, caught a glimpse. He ran off that way.” Donovan pointed to the west as he got to his feet.
“What happened to the mom?”
“Hit by a vehicle, it seems.”
“These poor babies.”
“I know.”
She met his gaze and bit her tongue on, God, you look good wet. She swallowed before saying, “It’s really not safe out here for you either. At least you got two of the cubs. I know it’s heartbreaking to think about leaving him behind, but come on. Your safety is important too.”
He just looked at her for a long moment. Clearly he was processing what she was saying.
Naomi was struck, as she often was, by the fact that he really was thinking about what she’d said. He didn’t do that with anyone else. No one else insisted on telling him to be careful and to take his time and to slow down. But when she did, he seemed to listen. She liked that.
He looked around. “Fuck.”
She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. His skin was hot even through the wet cotton of his shirt. “I know. But you need to be safe too. And if something happens to you, who’s going to take care of the other two bears?”
Of course, she’d do what she could. And there were people back in Autre that would be able to care for the bears—Griffin, for one. His partner, Tori, and their friend, Jill, were both vets as well. But no one had the experience and expertise that Donovan did.
It took a second, but finally he nodded. “Okay.” Then he frowned at her. “Hey, what are you doing out here by yourself?”
She lifted a brow. “I’m not by myself. I’m with you.”
“You didn’t have to come.”
“Someone did,” she said firmly. “And with everything going on in town, everybody else is crazy busy.”
His frown deepened. “Okay, let’s go.”
Wait. Was he suddenly worried about her? That’s how it seemed.
Naomi felt a warmth curl through her belly. That was nice. She was absolutely capable of taking care of herself—and a multitude of other people—but having someone feeling protective of her, especially a rugged, outdoorsy adrenaline junkie who put his whole self into being a savior every day, was pretty sexy.
Donovan reached for her arm, but out of the corner of her eye, Naomi saw a flash of something black. She looked to her right and, sure enough, that was fur.
She pointed. “Donovan, there!”
He glanced over, then took off without a word, jumping down the embankment and sliding about two feet before getting his boots under him.
The bear cub darted away from Donovan, but it was disoriented in the storm and weak from trying to survive without its mom. That would work in Donovan’s favor.
Donovan dodged around a tree and ducked under a branch and Naomi lost sight of them. She moved closer to the edge of the embankment… just in time to see a blob of black come barreling toward her.
On pure instinct, she crouched, her arms shot out, and the bear cub ran right into her chest. She wrapped her arms around it, hugging it close.
The bear wiggled but she immediately started talking to him softly.
“Okay, there you go. Shh. It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you. You’re okay now.”
Donovan came up over the crest of the roadside ditch, but pulled up short.
Naomi hunched her shoulders, trying to keep the rain from pelting the cub. He was still wiggling, but he wasn’t fighting. Either he was too weak, he was resigned to his fate, or he sensed safety. Whatever it was, she’d take it. She pivoted, heading for the back of Donovan’s truck.
With long strides, he met them there without a word and opened the back of the truck, then the crate that held the cub’s brother and sister. Donovan’s big, capable hands helped get the cub into the cage and the animal immediately moved to huddle with the others.
Holy. Crap.
She’d just caught and held a baby bear. A real, live, wild bear cub. She hugged her arms against her body.
Donovan replaced the top of the truck bed, then turned toward her, but she quickly pivoted away.
She wanted so badly to throw herself into his arms.
She knew it was a combination of adrenaline, and relief, and an itchiness to get the hell out of here and get them all to safety, and a pulsing desire for this man.
But she also knew once she was in his arms, she wouldn’t want to leave.
She headed for her truck.
“You want to ride back with me?” Donovan called over the wind and rain.
She paused with her hand on her door and shook her head. “I have to get the truck back.”
That was true. She couldn’t just leave it out here. But also, she needed some space from this guy. Every time she witnessed a rescue she felt this combination of emotions.
What Donovan did for a living was amazing. And important. She’d been watching him on television and the internet for a couple of years now. She respected him and was a fan. Of the on screen Donovan. Hell, she’d given fifty percent of the money to build his rehabilitation center here in Autre. She believed in what he did.
But she wanted him. On a very personal level. She wanted him to be safe and happy and…hers.
Over the past couple of months the feeling of being torn in half had grown stronger and stronger. She loved what Donovan did. But…she also loved Donovan. And those feelings fought for dominance in her heart.
“Be safe,” he called.
She sucked in a quick breath. And then worked to keep from showing her shock at those two little words he’d never said to her before.
She had to clear her throat and was grateful for the wind and rain to cover her reaction. “Oh, if I get blown off the road and into the Gulf, I will absolutely appear to Gracie Trahan so she can give you a message from me,” she retorted.
The little girl had lost her dad and claimed that she communicated with his ghost—and others. No one had any reason to not believe her. Even Donovan, who’d just met her a few months ago.
Yeah, him being good with kids was just another reason for Naomi to want him.
She groaned—also covered by the storm, thank God. She didn’t need anything more added to that list.
“Let’s definitely not have that happen,” he called back. “Grace doesn’t need to learn all those bad words at such a young age.”
Ha. Well, he knew Naomi well enough to know she’d be cussing him out if she came back to haunt him. Naomi shot him a grin and then climbed up into her truck.
They made their way back to Autre slowly. He’d only been about five miles out of town, but those five miles took forever. The rain and wind made things precarious and Donovan navigated the roads more carefully than she’d ever seen him drive. By the time they finally pulled up next to the rehabilitation center that Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild had constructed, Naomi made herself take a deep breath and unclench her hands from the wheel.
She grabbed her backpack purse, hiking it up over both shoulders, and then got out. She sloshed through the puddles to meet Donovan at the back of his truck.
“You didn’t have to come over here with me,” he told her.
“You’ve got three bears and two hands. Figured you might need some help.” She took the other end of the crate.
He didn’t argue with her and she was grateful. She really did want to be here with him. To make sure he was okay and didn’t try to head back out into the storm for any reason. And because…as much as she sometimes wished it wasn’t true, she liked being with him. A lot.
When they got to the door of the building, Donovan yanked it open and she ducked inside. They set the crate down and Donovan struggled against the wind to shut the door behind them.
Finally it thudded shut, blocking out the storm.
The building was very basic, but it had been built by Landrys, so was incredibly sturdy. The Landry boys, with Zeke in the lead and Mitch as his right-hand man, knew what they were doing when they put buildings up that had to withstand the weather of southern Louisiana. The rehab center had a concrete floor, steel and wood walls, and a high ceiling. There were windows up near the rafters, but most of the light came from electric lights positioned throughout the building.
There were pens and kennels of all sizes to house the various animals that Donovan brought in for rehabilitation. Each one had a door that opened to an outside pen as well. Of course, today, all of those doors were not just closed but had been secured with additional plywood.
There were also some interior play and exercise rooms and Donovan had an examination room and an office in the building as well.
Naomi had been here a number of times. She’d somehow ended up as the head videographer for the Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild. They put their videos up on the animal park’s website and other social media pages. She’d filmed Donovan here working with the animals several times over the past few months.
She hadn’t intended to get involved with the park beyond her anonymous donations, but she hadn’t been able to stay away. Her best friends Charlotte—Charlie to her family and friends—and Jordan, were running the animal park and sanctuary for rescued domestic animals like donkeys, horses, dogs, and even a couple of camels. Naomi suspected the guys—Griffin, Charlie’s boyfriend, and Fletcher, Jordan’s husband, as well as Owen, Josh, and Sawyer, the Landrys who actually owned Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild—realized the girls were slowly transforming their simple petting zoo into a full-blown animal park. But as big and rugged and protective as the Landry men were on the outside, when it came to the women they loved, and the women their women called friends—not to mention cute animals in need—they were all big, sweet, jelly donuts.
It was hilarious.
Naomi had known them all most of her life. Her family was close to all the Landrys and seeing the rough and tumble boys who had raised hell on the bayou since they’d been old enough to walk and talk getting all soft and squishy over women and animals was something she was delighted to witness.
Donovan headed for the examination room with the cubs and Naomi followed.
He set the crate on the large exam table, then crossed to the cupboards to pull out two towels. He tossed one to Naomi.
“I’ve got extra clothes here,” he said as he wiped his face and then ran the towel over his hair. “Never know when I’m going to get dirty or bloody or both.”
She smiled. “I’m sure that’s true.”
“Want a t-shirt? Maybe some shorts that have a drawstring would work? We do have a washer and dryer. We have to launder blankets and towels and rags all the time. We can throw our stuff in.”
“Yeah, that’d be great.” She was definitely feeling uncomfortable in the wet clothes that were now clinging and cold. Her socks were squishing inside her boots and even her bra and panties were wet.
Donovan ducked out of the room and Naomi toweled off as best she could.
She knew Donovan had everything he needed here. There was a locker room with a shower. There was a microwave, coffeepot, and small fridge in his office along with a couch she knew he crashed on often. He spent a lot of nights up here when he had an especially sick or hurt animal in his care.
Yes, she knew a lot about his habits. Because Charlie talked about him a lot because Griffin talked about him to Charlie a lot.
And because Naomi asked about him a lot.
She worried.
Yes, she was in love with him too. But he didn’t know that. No one knew that. She’d barely admitted it to herself. But she also worried about him. Donovan was not just an adrenaline junkie who took crazy risks. He also seemed…restless. Like he needed something but wasn’t sure what it was.
She suspected it was family. Roots. Home. A place to belong.
He’d been wandering since his parents had died suddenly when he was a teen. But she saw him now in Autre with his brother, and the Landry family, and her family. He loved it here. She could tell.
She really wanted him to want to stay.
Kind of.
At least when he wasn’t wrestling alligators and making her question his sanity.
He came back a few minutes later, dressed in a pair of loose gray athletic pants and a dark green t-shirt. His feet were bare.
Naomi felt her stomach muscles—and muscles lower—clench.
She’d seen him without a shirt on a number of times. He had a very nice chest and amazing abs. He also had a really hot tiger tattoo that wrapped from the middle of his back to the middle of his stomach.
But there was something about him in simple sweat pants and a t-shirt that made her want to step forward, press her face against his neck, and just breathe him in.
She was losing it.
“These might work.” He handed over another t-shirt and a pair of shorts. “Locker room’s third door on the right.”
She took the clothes and nodded. “Be right back.”
In the locker room, she stripped out of her cold, wet clothes. All of them. Every piece of clothing she’d had on was soaked. Standing naked in front of the huge mirror, she shivered. She was cold, for sure. But that wasn’t why her nipples were beading and her skin was covered in goosebumps.
It was because Donovan was only a few feet away and they were stuck in here together. Alone. And because the dirty dreams she’d been having about him had been getting more frequent. And more graphic.
And because…dammit…yeah, she was in love with him.
This wasn’t just an infatuation anymore. It had started that way. She’d known who he was from his TV show. She’d thought he was hot. It had been a pretty simple celebrity crush. But then it had morphed into more. He’d become a friend.
And now…he was going to break her heart.
She pulled the shirt on over her head. It was white and the front was covered with the Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild logo with the otter face in the middle. It hit her at mid-thigh and in spite of the brown otter and the teal circle surrounding him, her nipples were still prominent behind the soft cotton.
