Free Love on Trial by Diana Palmer

communicate with each other in their own unique language, were reduced to the level of performing dogs.
    â€œAren’t they beautiful?” Kitty sighed, smiling as the trainer held a fish over the tank, which the dolphin leapt up to take gently out of his hand.
    â€œIn the open sea, yes,” Siri said vaguely. “Here, imprisoned…”
    â€œIt beats having them slaughtered by Japanese fishermen,” Hawke remarked, watching her closely.
    She nodded as she met his probing eyes, amazed at the way he had of reading her mind.
    â€œShe doesn’t like zoos, either,” Hawke told their two companions with ahalf smile. He caught Siri by the hand and pulled her along with him. “I’ll take her downstairs to see the turtles.”
    â€œDo people eat sea turtles?” Siri asked as they went down the steps to the darker level of the building.
    â€œYes, honey, they do. But not these,” he added. “God, you’re a little crusader.”
    â€œI can’t help it if I don’t like to see things caged,” she muttered.
    He turned her to him by the wall, out of the way of other tourists, and looked down into her flushed face. “Including people?”
    â€œIncluding people,” she said reluctantly. “I…I don’t like being a possession,” she added uneasily.
    His big hands moved caressingly to her shoulders. “How would you know, little girl,” he asked in a deep, slow voice, “when you’ve never been possessed?”
    She blushed, meeting the teasing look in his eyes. “You don’t know that.”
    â€œDon’t I, sparrow?” 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 she’d been burned.
    â€œCoward,” he murmured. “What could I do to you here?”
    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 Hawke’s deep voice, from the unfamiliar fire in his eyes when he’d looked at her.
    â€œDon’t panic,” he said at her shoulder, “I was only teasing, Siri.”
    â€œI…I’d like it if you wouldn’t,” she replied tightly. “You 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.”
    His hands touched her waist lightly,and she felt his breath in her hair. “God knows I’m not making fun of you, sparrow,” he said quietly.
    â€œThen why do you…”
    â€œGod, baby, what can I do?” he asked huskily.
    â€œI don’t understand.”
    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.
    â€œOh, no,” she said quickly, hanging back as the other three started toward the enclosed building with its gaudy pictures of vicious-looking reptiles. “I’d rather bleed to death than walk in there.”
    â€œAre you afraid of snakes?” Kitty asked gently.
    â€œOh, no,” Siri denied, “I’m terrified of them!”
    â€œYou two go ahead,” Hawke told them. “I’ll keep Siri company.”
    â€œYou don’t have to do that,” Siri protested quickly, and the snakes began to look better and better to her. “I can…”
    â€œHawke? Hawke!” came a sultry, surprised voice from behind them.
    They turned, just in time to see a dark, petite little brunette throw herself into Hawke’s arms and pull his head down to kiss him feverishly. Siri turned away from the sight, which went through her like a flaming lance.
    â€œOh, Hawke!” the brunette