communicate with each other in their own unique language, were reduced to the level of performing dogs.
âArenât they beautiful?â Kitty sighed, smiling as the trainer held a fish over the tank, which the dolphin leapt up to take gently out of his hand.
âIn the open sea, yes,â Siri said vaguely. âHere, imprisonedâ¦â
âIt beats having them slaughtered by Japanese fishermen,â Hawke remarked, watching her closely.
She nodded as she met his probing eyes, amazed at the way he had of reading her mind.
âShe doesnât like zoos, either,â Hawke told their two companions with ahalf smile. He caught Siri by the hand and pulled her along with him. âIâll take her downstairs to see the turtles.â
âDo people eat sea turtles?â Siri asked as they went down the steps to the darker level of the building.
âYes, honey, they do. But not these,â he added. âGod, youâre a little crusader.â
âI canât help it if I donât like to see things caged,â she muttered.
He turned her to him by the wall, out of the way of other tourists, and looked down into her flushed face. âIncluding people?â
âIncluding people,â she said reluctantly. âIâ¦I donât like being a possession,â she added uneasily.
His big hands moved caressingly to her shoulders. âHow would you know, little girl,â he asked in a deep, slow voice, âwhen youâve never been possessed?â
She blushed, meeting the teasing look in his eyes. âYou donât know that.â
âDonât I, sparrow?â he asked softly. He drew her slowly against his broad, hard body, feeling her stiffen even at the light contact. The implied intimacy of the action, as she felt his broad thighs touch her own, caused her to draw back as if sheâd been burned.
âCoward,â he murmured. âWhat could I do to you here?â
She pulled gently away from him and concentrated on the shell exhibits all around the well-lit room. Inside, she was trembling with the newness of that note in Hawkeâs deep voice, from the unfamiliar fire in his eyes when heâd looked at her.
âDonât panic,â he said at her shoulder, âI was only teasing, Siri.â
âIâ¦Iâd like it if you wouldnât,â she replied tightly. âYou said yourself once that I was still wet behind the ears. I know I am, but it hurts to have you make fun of it.â
His hands touched her waist lightly,and she felt his breath in her hair. âGod knows Iâm not making fun of you, sparrow,â he said quietly.
âThen why do youâ¦â
âGod, baby, what can I do?â he asked huskily.
âI donât understand.â
But before she could turn around, or he could answer, Randy and Kitty joined them and the rest of the afternoon went by quickly as they discovered one tourist attraction after another. It was at the last one, the snake palace, that Siri balked.
âOh, no,â she said quickly, hanging back as the other three started toward the enclosed building with its gaudy pictures of vicious-looking reptiles. âIâd rather bleed to death than walk in there.â
âAre you afraid of snakes?â Kitty asked gently.
âOh, no,â Siri denied, âIâm terrified of them!â
âYou two go ahead,â Hawke told them. âIâll keep Siri company.â
âYou donât have to do that,â Siri protested quickly, and the snakes began to look better and better to her. âI canâ¦â
âHawke? Hawke!â came a sultry, surprised voice from behind them.
They turned, just in time to see a dark, petite little brunette throw herself into Hawkeâs arms and pull his head down to kiss him feverishly. Siri turned away from the sight, which went through her like a flaming lance.
âOh, Hawke!â the brunette
J. S. Cooper, Helen Cooper