Wild at Heart

Her blush deepened, giving her away.

Gradually he began to understand the issue. She’d used her binoculars to identify the person riding toward her lookout spot, which was natural. But when she’d discovered he was a stranger, she’d worried about making a bad impression. That was flattering.

“If it makes you feel any better,” he said, “I wore my best hat out here on purpose. I wanted to make a good impression on you.”

“You did? Why?”

“Well…” He started unsnapping his sticky shirt, starting with the cuffs on his sleeves. “I’ve been hearing a lot about you.”

“Like what?”

“Oh, that you were this cute blonde who’d just moved back home after doing wildlife research for the state of Florida. They said you wrestled alligators and captured pythons and such.” He unfastened the snaps running down the front of his shirt and pulled the tail out of his jeans. He felt her gaze on him. Well, that was okay. He wasn’t ashamed of his body.

She seemed to get a kick out of the talk about her, though. “You’ll have to forgive people for exaggerating,” she said with a smile. “I didn’t wrestle alligators. Sometimes I had to snare them and move them away from populated areas. But I never dealt with a python by myself.”

“Even so, here you are out in the wilderness studying a nest of eagles. In my book, that makes you unusual.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not that exciting.”

“I’m not disappointed at all. I’d have been disappointed to come out here and find you using a battery-powered hair dryer and painting your nails.” If she was paying attention, she’d figure out he was attracted to her outdoor lifestyle.

“Thank you. I appreciate your saying that.”

“On the other hand, I’m sure I failed to make a good impression on you, swearing and carrying on like I did. Sorry about that.” He stripped off his shirt and wadded it up in preparation for dunking it in the water.

“No need to be sorry. I would’ve reacted the same way if I’d been showered with sticky green stuff.”

Something in her voice made him pause and glance at her. To his delight, she was looking at him with a definite gleam in her eye. When he caught her at it, she blushed and turned away.

All righty, then. It appeared that taking off his shirt had been a very good idea.

2

IF NAOMI HAD realized that spilling her energy drink would make Luke take off his shirt, she would have done it on purpose. Pecs and abs like his belonged in a calendar. And unlike the shaved versions featured in muscle-building magazines, Luke had manly chest hair that highlighted his flat nipples and traced a path to the metal edge of his belt buckle.

But he’d caught her looking. He hadn’t seemed to mind. In fact, she’d spotted a flicker of amusement in his eyes, which were, thank you, God, velvet brown.

“I’ll go rinse this out.”

“Good idea.” Now, there was an idiotic response. Rinsing out his shirt wasn’t merely a good idea. It was the whole idea, the reason they’d walked to the stream in the first place.

She watched him kneel on the embankment and dunk his shirt in the water. The stream wasn’t large, no more than fifteen feet across at its widest point, but it ran deep enough in spots for fish to thrive, which was why the eagles were nesting here.

But she wasn’t thinking about eagles now. Instead she gazed at the broad, muscled back of Luke Griffin and wondered what it would be like to feel those muscles move under her palms. Having such thoughts about a virtual stranger wasn’t like her.

Except he didn’t feel like a stranger. He’d come out here because of an interest in the eagles and curiosity about the woman studying them. Instead of being turned off by her rumpled appearance, he seemed to prefer it. That made him the sort of man she’d like to get to know.

At first he’d been understandably upset about getting doused with the energy drink, but apparently he was a good-natured sort of guy who rolled with the punches. Anyone would think he’d had to wash out his clothes in a stream numerous times from the efficiency with which he swirled the shirt in the water and wrung it out.

Then he set it on a nearby rock. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a blue bandanna and plunged it into the water before rubbing his face, chest and shoulders with it.

Naomi felt like a voyeur standing there while he washed up. She could offer to help, but she wasn’t sure that was appropriate, either. What could she do, wash his back?

At last he stood, his dripping shirt in one hand and his soaked bandanna in the other. “I’m considering whether I should put my hat in the water or not.”

“I can’t advise you.” Wow, he was beautiful. She had a tough time remembering her name while he faced her, his chest glistening with droplets of water. Evaluating the best procedure for cleaning his hat was beyond her mental capabilities at the moment.

“I’m doing it. It can’t get any worse.” He walked toward her with the shirt and the bandanna. “Maybe you could find a tree branch for these.”

“Sure.” She took them, although she wondered what his plan might be. Hanging something to dry implied sticking around awhile. Was that what he had in mind?

Maybe he only wanted his shirt to get dry enough that it wouldn’t feel clammy when he put it on, but that would take more than ten minutes. Fine with her. She wouldn’t mind spending more time with this sexy cowboy. She found a fairly level branch for both the shirt and the bandanna. As a veteran camper, she was used to such maneuvers.

As she finished hanging up his stuff, he came back holding his saturated hat. “At least it won’t attract flies on the way home.” He looked around, found a convenient twig sticking out of a tree trunk and hung his hat on it. “I need the bandanna back. One more chore.” Grabbing it, he returned to the stream and soaked the bandanna.

Naomi wasn’t sure what his goal was until he walked over to his horse and started wiping its neck. Apparently the energy drink had anointed the brown-and-white paint, too. She gave Luke points for wanting to get the stuff off to keep the animal from being pestered by flies, as well.

His considerate gesture also provided her with quite a show. She wondered if he had any idea how his muscles rippled in the dappled sunlight while he worked on that horse. If she could have taken a video, it would be an instant hit on YouTube—gorgeous guy demonstrates his love of animals. What could be sweeter?

Finally he rinsed out the bandanna again and returned it to the branch where his shirt hung. “I think that takes care of the worst of it.”

“You’re causing me to rethink my consumption of energy drinks. I never dreamed one little bottle could create such a disaster.”

He smiled at her. “Ah, it wasn’t so bad. The cold water feels good.”

“I know it does. That stream was a lifesaver this week when the temperatures kicked up.”

“I’ll bet. Now that you mention it, you look a little flushed. You can use my bandanna if you—” He paused and chuckled. “Never mind. You probably don’t want to rinse your face with the bandanna I just used on my horse.”

“I wouldn’t care about that. But don’t worry about me. I’m used to being hot.”

His sudden laughter made the brown-and-white paint lift his head and stare at them. “I’m not touching that line.”

“Oh, dear God.” She felt a new blush coming on. “I didn’t mean it like that.” But he’d taken it like that. To her surprise, this beautiful shirtless cowboy was flirting with her. What a rush.

“Now you really look as if you could use a splash of cold water.”

“It’s my blond coloring. I blush at the drop of a hat.” Or the drop of a shirt.

“It looks good on you.” He gazed at her with warmth in his brown eyes.

She felt that warmth in every cell of her body, causing her to think of truly crazy things, like what it would be like to kiss him. She’d actually moved a step closer when the piercing cry of an eagle grabbed her attention.

Breaking eye contact, she looked up through the trees and saw the female sail overhead, a fish in her talons.

“Wow.” Luke stared after the departing eagle. “He’s huge.”

“She.”

He glanced at Naomi. “She? You mean her mate is even bigger than that?”

“No, her mate is smaller. Female eagles are bigger than the males.” After a week of observation, Naomi could distinguish the female’s eight-foot wingspan from that of her smaller mate.

“Well, blow me down with a feather. I didn’t know that.”

“Many people don’t. They think any male creature is automatically bigger than the female, but that’s not universally true.”

He grinned at her. “You said that with a certain amount of relish.”

“Maybe.” She returned his smile. “It’s fun to smash stereotypes. By the way, did you happen to notice what kind of fish she had?”

“Looked like a trout to me.”

“I thought so, too. I have to go back up and document the feeding time and the type of food on my computer. As I said, you’re welcome to come up and check out the nest.”

“I’d love to.” He sounded eager. “But not if I’ll get in your way. Or break the platform.”

“You won’t. Emmett and Jack were both up there together, testing its strength. They made sure it was sturdy.”

“In that case, lead the way.”

She walked quickly back to the tree. “This ladder will hold you, too. But we can’t be on it at the same time.” She started up.

“I’ll wait until you give me the okay.”

Climbing the dangling ladder was much easier than going down, and she made the trip in no time. “All clear. Come on up.” She stood, glanced around her little research area and wondered what he’d think of it.

He hoisted himself up on the platform with another display of muscle. “What a view! Makes me want to be an eagle.”

Funny, but she could almost imagine that. He had the alert gaze and restrained power she associated with eagles and hawks. “Not me. Flying would be cool, but I wouldn’t like living without a roof over my head.”

“I could live with that in return for the freedom of being able to fly anytime I felt like it. Yeah, the life of an eagle would suit me just fine.” His glance took in the trappings of her work—the webcam mounted to the railing, the camp stool and small folding table for her laptop, her camera bag and a small cooler for her snacks and energy drinks. “Cozy setup.”

“Thanks.” It felt a lot cozier with him in it. At five-four, she didn’t take up much room, so the area had seemed plenty large enough. Now she wondered how she’d be able to move around without bumping into him.

“Aren’t you supposed to be recording stuff?”

Yes, she was, and his bare chest had distracted her from her duties. “Right.” She picked up her binoculars and handed them to him. “You can help. Do you see the nest?”

“Sure do. From up here it’s hard to miss.” He raised the binoculars. “Big old thing, isn’t it? Wow! There they are, two baby eagles getting lunch from Mom. That’s impressive.”

“See if you can keep track of whether one’s getting more than the other.” She sat down and turned on her laptop. “One of the nestlings is bigger and I suspect it’s getting more food.”

“That’s what it looks like.” Luke stood facing the clearing, booted feet spread. He looked like a captain at the helm of his ship as he studied the nest through the binoculars. “Look at that! Shoving the other one out of the way. Hey, you, you’re supposed to share!”

Naomi smiled. She’d had the same thoughts, but hearing them come out of Luke’s mouth made her realize how silly they were. Wildlife researchers couldn’t afford to anthropomorphize their subjects. Giving them human attributes might work for Disney, but not for science.

Speaking of science, she’d better start making notes instead of watching Luke watch the eagles.

“Here comes the dad.”

Yikes. She’d completely missed seeing the male eagle fly overhead. “If you’ll describe what’s happening, I’ll just take down what you dictate.”

“He came in with another fish, and that’s definitely a trout. I think we’re safe to say they’re having trout for lunch. Now Mom’s flown off and Dad’s feeding the kids. Damned if that bigger baby isn’t getting more of the second course, too.”

“It happens. I’ll bet you’ve seen it with puppies and kittens. They compete for the food. The most aggressive ones get the most food.”

“Yeah, but when that happened with a litter my dog had, I supplemented so the runt didn’t die.”

She gave him points for that, too. “But these are wild creatures. If you tried to interfere, the parents might abandon both of them. I wouldn’t worry too much. There are only two babies. I think they’ll both make it.”

“I hope so. How long before they can fly?”

“If all goes well, less than two months. They’ll be on their own by fall.”

“Then your job will be over?”

“It will, but this is only a stopgap until I get another full-time state job, or maybe something with the national parks.”

“It’s a pretty cool temp job, though. It would be exciting to see those little ones fly for the first time.”

“I hope to. If I don’t personally catch it with my still camera, I’m hoping the webcam will. Is the father still there?”

“Yep.” Luke shifted his weight and the platform creaked. “But I think he’s about done with the feeding routine. There he goes. Now the babies are huddling down.”

“Unless the mother comes back, there won’t be much to see for a while.”

“No sign of her.” Luke lowered the binoculars and crouched down next to the webcam. “So this is on 24/7?”

“Yes. Fortunately it has a zoom, so the pictures are pretty good, but quite a few researchers prefer to mount the camera on the tree where the nest is.”

He glanced over his shoulder at her. “How the hell would you do something like that without freaking out the eagles?”

“You have to mount it before they start nesting and then hope they come back to that same place.” She powered down the laptop to save her battery. “The professor who hired me hopes to get someone to monitor the nest next year and see if the pair returns. This year, by the time someone discovered the nest, the eggs were already laid, which meant this was the best we could do.”

He stood and turned back to her. “Are you hooked up to the internet so you can broadcast it? I’ve seen people do that.”

“So have I, but that wouldn’t work here because of the location.”

He glanced around. “Too remote?”

“No, too accessible. The professor doesn’t want the place overrun by tourists trying to see the eagles up close and personal, which could disturb them. The Chance family isn’t too eager to have that happen, either. Eventually, with proper supervision, the Chances might approve an ecotour back here, but it would be carefully planned.”

“Makes sense. So this is a strictly private study.”

“It is. The professor would be up here himself if he could manage it. He’s the only one who gets the webcam feed, and I send him written reports.”

“Am I breaking any rules by being up here?”

She smiled. “It’s not that hush-hush. Everybody on the ranch knows about the eagles, and quite a few people in town. Fortunately, we’re a protective bunch of folks around here, so the eagles should be safe.”

“I think you’re right about that. I’ve only lived here since the end of October, but I can tell it’s a close community. You take care of your own.”

So she was right—he was a fairly recent hire at the ranch. Getting one piece of the puzzle made her curious to find out more. “What brought you here?”

“More a who than a what. Nash Bledsoe. He was my boss when he co-owned a riding stable in Sacramento with Lindsay, his former wife. She wasn’t much fun to work for after he left. Actually, she wasn’t much fun to work for while he was there. I stayed because of him. Once he moved back here, I asked him to put in a good word at the Last Chance, and here I am.”

“And now Nash has his own place, the Triple G. Are you headed there next?”

He shook his head. “Wouldn’t be fair to Nash. I tend to move on after about a year, no matter where I am, so my time’s two-thirds gone. He needs a ranch hand who’ll stick around longer than a few months.”

“You leave after a year?” She’d never heard anything so ridiculous in her life, unless he was trying to escape a woman or the law. “Are you on the run?”

“Nope.” He smiled.

She looked into those smiling brown eyes. He didn’t seem to be hiding anything. “Then I don’t get it.”

“Most people don’t. It’s just the way I like it. New scenery, new people. Keeps things interesting.”

She should have known there’d be a fly in the ointment. He might be the sexiest man she’d met in ages, but if he avoided all attachments, then she literally couldn’t see any future in getting to know him.

“That bothers you, doesn’t it?” He sounded disappointed.

She shrugged. “Not really.” At least it shouldn’t. She’d leaped to some unwarranted conclusions about how this would go, and now he’d set her straight. At least he’d told her up front, so she could back off. “It’s your life. You’re entitled to live it the way you want to.”

“Yes, I am.” He sighed. “But I guess I’ll pay the price where you’re concerned.”

“What price?”

“I…was hoping to get to know you better.”

“Oh?” She wondered if this was leading where she thought it was. “In what way?”

“Well, I thought we might become friends.”

“Sure, Luke. We can become friends.” But from the way he’d flirted with her earlier, she didn’t think he was looking for a platonic relationship. Maybe she was wrong. “You can come out here and check on the eagles from time to time, and we’ll chat. Is that what you had in mind?”

“Uh…no.” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked off in the distance, clearly uncomfortable with the discussion. “See, the thing is, I thought, from the way you looked at me back there at the stream, that you might be willing to go a little beyond friendship.”

How embarrassing that he’d read her so accurately. “I see.”

“But I can tell you don’t like the idea that I don’t stay around. Your attitude toward me changed.”

“You act as if that’s hard to understand. Do most of the women you meet like the idea of a temporary affair?”

“They do, actually.” His gaze was earnest. “I tend to be attracted to women who have something going on in their lives, like you. The last thing they want is some needy guy who wants to monopolize them. So we get together, have great discussions, great sex and no strings attached.”

“That must suit your lifestyle perfectly.” Having this discussion while he stood there looking virile as hell wasn’t helping. She didn’t want to want him. He was a girl-in-every-port sort of guy. And yet…her insides quivered at the tantalizing possibilities.

“It does suit me, and it seems to suit them. I jumped to conclusions about you, though. I thought you’d be happy to hear my exit plan, but you’re not.”

She cleared her throat to give herself some time to think. He was right about the signals she’d been giving off, so she couldn’t blame him for putting her in the same category as his other girlfriends. Maybe she was in that category and hadn’t realized it.

Although she’d like to settle down someday, she hadn’t yet felt compelled to do that. She’d been building her career in wildlife research in Florida, but that had petered out. She hoped to get another full-time job in her field, which could be anywhere in the country. She didn’t want to be either saved or tied down by a guy.

But in the meantime, she was going through a period of sexual deprivation, and he’d suggested a reprieve from that. Was it so terrible that he wasn’t into making a lifelong commitment, especially when she wasn’t looking for that, either?

“I need some time to think about this,” she said. “After all, I just met you.”

“Fair enough.” He moved closer. “Just to be clear, are you saving yourself for Mr. Right? Because I’m not that guy.”

She struggled to breathe normally, but she kept drawing in the intoxicating scent of Luke Griffin. “I’m not saving myself for anyone, but I…” She lost track of what she’d meant to say. This was her brain on lust, and it was fried.

“Then think about it.” His lips hovered closer. “And while you’re thinking, consider this.” His mouth came down on hers.

She should pull away. She should give herself more time to review the situation with cold, hard logic before she allowed him to influence her by…Oh, no…he was good at this…very good. Before she realized it, he’d invaded her mouth with his tongue. No, that wasn’t true. She’d invited him in. There had been no invasion at all, because she wanted…everything.

He lifted his head.

She didn’t want the kiss to be over, but she wasn’t going to beg him to do it again. A girl had to have some pride, which was why she wasn’t about to open her eyes and let him see the turmoil he’d created.

His breath was warm on her lips. “Think about it. I’ll come back for your answer.” There was a movement of air and the sound of him climbing back down the ladder.

Opening her eyes, she sat down on the platform and held her hand against her pounding heart. She’d never deliberately set out to have a no-strings affair. But he’d been so sweet about it.

Still, she wasn’t the type of woman he thought she was. Her answer should be no. Shouldn’t it?

3

LUKE THOUGHT ABOUT Naomi all the way back to the Last Chance Ranch. He was worried that he’d insulted her by the way he’d acted. The thing was, her behavior toward him had been exactly like the women he’d known in the past.

In those cases, instant chemistry had been followed by a clear understanding. Sex would be purely for fun, because the intelligent ladies he’d connected with had other things to do besides take care of a man and his ego. They’d considered him a gift because he required nothing of them but multiple orgasms.

If Naomi didn’t fit that category, he’d definitely insulted her, which didn’t sit well with him. He knew the guy to talk to—Emmett Sterling. Emmett had helped her set up out there and might give him some insight into her character.

But he’d have to be careful. He didn’t want any of the other cowhands hearing such a conversation. Luke hoped he could find a quiet moment to speak man-to-man with Emmett, but when he arrived back at the ranch he wondered if that would be possible.

Emmett, along with Sarah Chance’s fiancé, Pete Beckett, had eight adolescent boys in the main corral for a roping clinic. The boys were all part of Pete’s program to help disadvantaged youth. By living and working alongside cowboys several weeks out of the summer, they had an opportunity to learn discipline and routine.

Luke didn’t see much of either going on in the corral. Ropes flew helter-skelter. They caught indiscriminately on fence posts and people. Clearly at least one more adult was needed in that arena.

The boys had been in residence for a couple of weeks, so Luke already knew them all pretty well. Wading into the confusion was no problem for him. He called out a greeting to Emmett and Pete, who seemed overjoyed to see him.

“I’ll take these two.” He motioned to Ace, a skinny, dark-haired, tattooed boy with attitude sticking out all over him, and his unlikely friend, a pudgy blond boy named Eddie who was always eager to please. Nash had been their favorite cowboy on the ranch, but Nash was busy with his own neighboring ranch these days, so Luke had stepped in. By pulling Ace out of the confusion, Luke knew he’d remove fifty percent of the problem. Ace resisted being told what to do, but he had no trouble telling everyone else what they should be doing.

Luke brought them next to the fence. “Roping is not only a skill,” he said, “but an art.” He’d figured out that beneath the tough exterior, Ace had the soul of a poet.