No Chance by Lisa Suzanne
CHAPTER 24: BRETT
There aren’t pandas at this zoo, which is unfortunate since now I want to buy her a fucking panda bear. Except apparently they’re pretty fierce and have strong jaws that could tear apart a human, so maybe a panda as a gift is not a great idea.
Seeing her let go of some of the weight that’s been dragging her down today has been eye-opening. I’ve heard actual genuine laughs out of her today, always a sweet, tinkling sound that’s musical and charming at the same time with an addictive quality about it. But just beyond the polar bears, we find the Tropical Discovery, home to the dope ass Komodo dragons.
I don’t have any sort of emotional attachment to the Komodo dragon, but when Hannah went into the restroom to change Chance, I looked up what the animals represent mostly so I could report back to Hannah and impress her with my witty knowledge once we’re in front of the dragon’s enclosure.
I shouldn’t be surprised by what I find, but I am.
Komodo dragons apparently represent trusting your own survival instincts and they’re a reminder that you have the power and agility to go for what you want. The animals are fierce and deadly, but when you dream about them, it means new opportunities are coming your way.
My instincts have been proven wrong before, but today they’re directing me toward the girl and the kid. Today, it felt right to do something I thought these two would enjoy. Is that my instinct? Or is that just me trying to fit into this new life where I find myself?
And I have the power to go after what I want...I’ve always known that. The issue this time is that I don’t know what I want.
I thought I did.
I thought I was happy with my life the way it was. I thought I didn’t want anything to change. I thought I wanted the plastic women with the huge tits and the plumped up lips and the tight dresses and the sky high heels, and I thought I wanted a new one of those in every city. Same basic formula just in a new setting. I thought it filled the void.
And then this beautiful woman and this kid who’s always smiling even though he lost everything dropped into my life from out of nowhere, and the two of them upended everything I’ve ever known.
Those voids aren’t there anymore when the two of them are around.
As we walk from the polar bears toward the Tropical Discovery, the urge to grab her hand and hold it in mine overwhelms me.
I fight it.
As she ducks close to the glass to get a good look at some iguana, the urge to brush a stray hair off her cheek washes over me.
I fight it.
As she bends down to look at a tarantula in the bottom enclosure, the urge to touch her—to smack the ass that’s sticking up in the air, or to move in behind her and bump my hips gently to hers, or to simply cradle her hip—crushes into me.
And still...I fight it.
Because today’s not about giving into whatever’s building between us. As much as I’m starting to want it—as much as I can’t really deny any longer that I want her, not after what I witnessed last night, I have to think about her.
We’re only on the third stop of this tour, for one thing.
She hasn’t shown a shred of interest, not really, but she’s also not in a place to just hop into bed with me. She technically works for me, and this entire life is all brand new to her. The last thing we need is a quick fuck followed by an awkward three months on tour if it doesn’t work out.
And yet...today feels like a date.
It feels like we’re building something.
I haven’t even told her the news from our band meeting yet. But when I spotted her tear-stained cheeks on the balcony afterward, I couldn’t just pretend like everything was normal. It was time for a change of scenery, and the first thing that came to mind was the zoo. I don’t know why. For the kid?
But now that we’re here, and everybody is smiling...I realize I needed it, too.
I glance at my watch after we’ve viewed the seals, some horses, and camels, and we’re standing in front of some weird thing that looks like a mix between a zebra and a donkey. “Shit,” I murmur.
Hannah turns toward me. “What’s wrong?”
“I need to get back,” I say with reluctance. I glance at the sign by the exhibit. Okapi. My guess would’ve been more along the lines of zonkey. “We, uh, have soundcheck in an hour.”
She nods. “Let’s go.”
“You two can stay if you want,” I say. “I’ll arrange a ride back to the hotel and maybe you can come to the show tonight.”
“I should stay with Chance,” she hedges.
I shake my head as a smile curls my lips. “We need you there, you know, as our official band photographer.”
Her jaw slackens. “As what?”
“I showed off your pictures this morning and everyone was beyond impressed. We want you to photograph us at our gigs, at private events, practice, meetings...everything. Amanda is happy to keep an eye on Chance while you work, Dustin has a camera you can use, and Karl’s working up a contract now. You know, if you’re interested.”
Her slackened jaw falls all the way open, and the shock on her face is absolutely fucking priceless. “Are you kidding me?”
“Dead serious,” I say, holding up my hand like scout’s honor.
She tosses her arms around my neck. The feel of her breasts pushed up against my chest mixed with her coconut-scented hair tickling my chin is nearly enough to break the fight I’ve put up all day. I wrap my arms around her small body, and we cling to one another for a few beats. Then she pushes up onto her tiptoes and kisses my cheek.
My stomach clenches and my chest tightens.
“Thank you,” she whispers against my skin, the heat there unbearable as my dick hardens at her proximity.
Images swirl in my mind’s eye. Her face twisting, her body hidden beneath a sea of bubbles, her lips parting as a little moan escaped her.
She finds her balance again and I’m forced to let her go. “Don’t thank me,” I mutter. “You’re the one with the talent.”
She lets out one of those addictive laughs at that. “That you only got to see because of your talent,” she amends modestly.
And it’s as we walk away from the okapi exhibit when I can’t fight it any longer. I reach over and grab her hand, and her fingers twist with mine as we walk toward the exit.
