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I study the T-rex for a moment, taking in its long legs and huge body and ginormous teeth. “If it were coming for you right now, I’d protect you. I’d wrestle it to the ground to keep it from eating you.”
“Then you’d just be eaten yourself.”
“Ah. True. But you’d be alive, and that would be worth it.” Shit. That’s true. When the hell did I start feeling this way? What’s happening to me?
“I guess I’d throw myself in front of a T-rex for you, too.”
“Oh, you guess, huh?” I squeeze her waist, and she leans against me again. “I love the confidence.”
Fran lets out a crystal-clear laugh that makes me smile. She really does have a nice laugh, but she’s so shy most of the time, I rarely hear it. “No, I would. I wouldn’t let anyone get eaten by a T-rex, yourself included.”
“Come on,” I say, rubbing her shoulders. “Let’s go see what else this museum has to offer.”
The night guard walks by, nodding at us. I ignore him as Fran and I move deeper into the museum. When I called to set this up, I was given a lengthy talk about the dos and don’ts of what we could do. Mostly, no touching the exhibits and no causing any destruction.
We end up in a hall full of dioramas filled with African animals. Fran approaches the lion exhibit. “I love lions, you know. Well, mostly the lionesses. They do all the work. They hunt. They care for each other’s young. They remain sisters even through the toughest of times.”
“What about the male lions? Not good enough for you, huh?” I nudge her, giving her a teasing smile.
Fran blushes slightly. “No, they’re fine. I just think they’re a little lazy and don’t respect their lionesses well enough.” She shoots me a teasing look before turning to the next diorama. I can only shake my head and smile.
“You know that my name literally means lion, right? Leo the lion.”
“I know.” When she turns on her heels, I get a good look at her backside. God, I want to be with Francesca so fucking badly. But I have to hold it together.
Once we’re through the African exhibits, we find ourselves in the gem and mineral hall. Gems ranging from stark white to soft pink to harsh black fill my vision.
“Don’t tell me you’re also an expert at freaking minerals,” I mutter.
She laughs. “No. I mostly love art. I don’t know much about the natural world. But they sure are pretty to look at. You know, Leo, it’s really nice that you’re making the effort with me. I don’t have many people I can just talk to, you know? I appreciate that you make it easy for me.”
I push a piece of her hair behind her ear, making her blush. “You’re easy to talk to, too.”
“I doubt you have issues talking to anybody.”
My father’s face flashes through my mind, and I push it away instantly. “You’d be surprised,” I say, turning on my charm. “I wasn’t always this way growing up.”
“Other than peeing your pants in elementary school, what were you like growing up?”
I shrug as I stare intently at a turquoise gemstone. “Reserved.”
“What changed?”
“Getting away from my dad,” I admit. She remains silent, letting me have the chance to speak. “He wasn’t a good man,” I explain as we leave the gemstone hall. “He … abused my mom.”
Fran gasps, her hand covering her mouth. “I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah, so … it wasn’t good, and I withdrew into myself. But when I got older and was able to leave him, I focused on becoming the man I am today.”
“One who has a reputation with women?”
“Oh, no,” I say, raising my hands. “Don’t psychoanalyze me, Fran. I know what you’re going to say. Because my dad was an ass to my mom, I’m now an ass to women?”
“I didn’t say it.”
Shit. She’s right. I did.
“Enough about me. What about you? Any dark secrets in your closet?”
