he worked twenty-four hours a day. That was why he had a small rotating staff of three workers who took care of the daily care under his charge, while he spent his days visiting each habitat to be sure the animals were safe, healthy and as happy as they could be in captivity.
The woman was supposed to be with him again today on his rounds. He didnât need her advice on how to keep his animals safe, he thought sourly, just some thoughts on what the hell was continuing to break through and attack them. So far, all sheâd done was toss a lot of stupid theories at him. Nothing he could actually work with. Besides that, she hadnât shown up this morning, not a call, not a note, nothing.
He couldnât stop thinking about the taste of her.
He was hard now, thinking of it, and that pissed him off, too. For Jordan, sex over the past few years had been relegated to an occasional one-night stand when he traveled into New Orleans. He favored tourists, women in sundresses and wedge sandals, drunk on hurricanes. The ones who were shy or claimed to be, at least until he cut them from the pack of their squealy girlfriends and took them back to the small, barely furnished flat he kept just off Bourbon Street. Anonymous, brief, nothing but two bodiesâor three, and once fourâwrithing and grinding until there was nothing but pure mindless pleasure. It was something he did with strangers, some who never even thought to ask his name. It was not something he did with women he ever expected to see again.
But heâd had sex with Monica last night, and he wanted to see her again.
By the time lunch had come and gone, Jordan had made his rounds. He checked in on the staff congregating in the small common room outside his office but didnât linger, even though today was Peterâs birthday and Karen had brought a cake. Instead, Jordan headed for the perimeter wall, intending to walk the entire length of it to look for any breaks or to repair any damage. Also to check for any signs that the thing attacking the animals had returned. Heâd made it all the way beyond the empty tiger habitat when the light scent of feminine soap lilted to him along the breeze. His nostrils flared, but he didnât turn. He could hear her and smell her. That didnât mean he needed to acknowledge her.
âHey,â Monica said from behind him. âSorry I missed you this morning. I totally overslept. I never do that.â
Jordan had been looking carefully over one of the spots that had been damaged to make sure the repairs were holding. He glanced over his shoulder. âNo problem.â
She stepped up closer, moving beside him. She pointed. âIt came through here originally?â
âWe found two holes in the outside wall after the first attack. Both broke all the way through, but this was the biggest, and neither one was big enough to get anything through. Even if it could squeeze, you canât squeeze a tiger. The barbed wireââ he gestured along the top of the wall ââhad been completely torn away. Whatever it was tried to make it through, and when it couldnât, it went over the top.â
âAny signs of blood here? Like something had cut itself?â
He gave her a flat look. âThere was blood everywhere. Whatever it was came in and dragged away a full-grown tiger.â
âThere are a few things that could do that.â Without looking at him, Monica moved closer to the wall to run her fingers along the patched section, then took a step back to look upward. âThe other hole was smaller than this one?â
âYeah. I can show you.â
Wasnât she going to mention anything about the night before? Was she not going to say a word? Sheâd come on to him like a freight train, and now she was going to pretend it had never happened?
Fine.
He took her there and watched as she studied the repaired spot. She pulled out her phone, took a few photos. Tapped