The Lion’s Cross Species Baby

Chapter 5

Cooper and Annie left early the next morning. After Annie’s hospital visit, she’d asked if they could do a little sightseeing since she wouldn’t get to spend much time in the city. During the drive, they planned their day. Cooper, who had spent a few days in Rio when he’d needed internet access to communicate with the grant people or his bosses at the university.

“Where did you have internet access?” Annie asked, hoping to get away from him for a few minutes in order to email Leah about her condition, should she find out she were pregnant.

“Well, I stayed at one of the hotels, which had Wi-Fi, but it was incredibly sketchy. So I spent a good deal of my time at the Starbucks I mentioned yesterday. I was so hyped on caffeine I don’t think I slept the whole time.”

Annie laughed. “I’m the same. If I’m using their Wi-Fi I feel like it’s required to buy something.”

“The barista was quite charming,” Cooper told her with a suggestive wink.

Annie looked at him balefully. “Oh really?” He nodded. “You are such a sl*t,” she said, amused.

“Sl*t? Me?” He touched his chest in mock offense. “How dare you?”

“Whatever.” Annie shook her head, a small laugh escaping her.

“There’s an awesome restaurant we have to eat at for lunch. I don’t think there’s a better restaurant in all of Rio,” Cooper told her.

“Oh really? What kind of food?” Annie’s stomach had actually been quite settled this morning; she hadn’t felt the slightest bit nauseous, even when she’d eaten some fruit cocktail in a can.

“Traditional Brazilian cuisine. And not like that stuff you get in those so called Brazilian restaurants at home. This food is the real deal.”

“I’m excited to go. I’m not excited about the doctor,” Annie said.

“Never fun, but sometimes necessary. We need to make sure it’s just a virus and not something more serious.”

Annie frowned. She had watched him while he was speaking, wondering if he was thinking the same thing she was. She tilted her head in thought. No way, she thought with a smirk. If he was thinking the same thing I am, he’d be freaking out, not all calm and collected. She relaxed back into her seat, enjoying the lack of nausea as well as the company.

He really is charming, and not in a smarmy way, she mused, watching him again as they rode in companionable silence. Annie had wanted to have s*x with him almost from the moment she’d met him (once she had gotten over the fact that he’d been late to pick her up). And in her mind, she had thought she’d sleep with him once and be done; the itch was scratched and the need vanquished. However, she’d continued to sleep with him over the next week, several times, a couple days more than once. The itch, she’d thought she’d scratched, had returned with a vengeance. The need, which she had thought would dissipate after she’d tasted him, had only increased in intensity each time they slept together.

Wow, he’s like meth, she mused, giggling quietly to herself at her own joke.

“What’s so funny?” Cooper asked, breaking the silence.

“Oh, nothing.” Annie refused to speak her thoughts out loud. The man may be charming, but his ego needed no boosting from her.

“Yeah, ok,” Cooper smirked at her. “We should be there in about thirty.”

“That didn’t seem very long,” Annie commented, looking at the window for anything familiar.

“Well, the first time you made this trip you were angry and we didn’t talk until about half way through the drive. That does make it longer.”

“Huh. I guess you’re right.”

Her fast capitulation gave him the indication that she preferred the silence they’d shared. He lapsed into silence as well and let her enjoy the scenery. Ten minutes later, he pointed to their left.

They were still miles from the city, but Annie could see the famous statue, Christ the Redeemer perched on top of its hill, watching over the city. It had been dark when she’d driven through the city last time, and she hadn’t been in the mood to look around. Now she was grateful to see the city for the first time in the daylight. Awed by the statue’s overwhelming height. At nearly one hundred feet, the statue guarded over the city like its subject watched over the world.

Annie had never been a religious person, but the statue created a feeling of comfort and reverence inside her heart. Regardless of the outcome of the doctor’s visit, Annie suddenly felt like everything would be just fine. She’d make it so.

*****

“I’m going to drop you off, if that’s ok. I’ll make the run for supplies while you’re doing that and meet you at the Starbucks right over there.” Cooper pointed a block down; on the corner was the familiar green sign with the siren. “I know you said you wanted to email your sister.”

Annie smiled. “Leah’s not my sister, but she may as well be. That sounds good. Hopefully this will be a quick in and out and I can enjoy a cup of real coffee with sugar and maybe whipped cream.” Annie licked her lips in anticipation.

Cooper shook his head and laughed. “Have fun.”

“You too,” she said. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. He captured her cheek in his palm and held her for a longer kiss on the lips. When she pulled back, she smiled and patted his cheek affectionately. “See you in a bit, handsome.”

“Be careful, sweetheart,” Cooper replied. He watched her walk into the hospital, marveling at her. She was so beautiful. He had watched as three men, two sitting outside on break and one exiting, had turned to watch her as she walked in. And she was blissfully unaware of the attention. Amazing, he thought with a smile as he put the jeep in drive and headed to the market.