WILD MEN OF ALASKA

chapter FOUR

Not very understanding at all.

Lynx stood there on Eva’s doorstep, staring at the door she’d just slammed in his face. Not the type to give up easily, he knocked again.

“Go away,” her muffled reply carried through the plank of wood.

“I have a really good excuse.”

“You aren’t bleeding.”

“My four-wheeler is. Let me in so I can explain. Please. I brought breakfast.”

There was a long pause. “What did you bring for breakfast?”

“My mother’s homemade cranberry muffins, oatmeal with fresh berries, and coffee that will grow hair on your chest.”

The door opened. “Give me the coffee.” She reached out a hand for one of the large cups he held and took a long sip. She closed her eyes on a sigh, her head tilted slightly back, and he was dumbstruck by the sensuality of the simple action. His heart thumped hard in his chest like it was waking up for the first time.

“Come in, if you want.” She turned and walked into the darkness of her apartment as though she didn’t give a damn if he followed or not.

Obviously not a morning person, or she’d come in contact with too many Ugly Moose at the lodge last night. He’d already been dressed down by his mother and Uncle Pike for standing up the cute little nurse. Most likely he’d be hearing it from the townsfolk next.

Eva was dressed in a knit top and form-fitting jeans with bare feet, her toes painted a glittery purple and her blond hair spiked.

The place was dark, all the curtains closed, like a cave. Eva dropped into a seat at the little dining table and motioned for him to bring the sack of food over.

He put the food in front of her much the way he’d approach a wild animal.

Cautiously.

Everything about this woman made him alert, all his senses on high octane.

She opened the bag and took out one of the muffins. Biting into it, she moaned over a mouthful. “Your mother can sure cook.” She looked up at him and frowned. “Take a seat or I’m going to get a pain in my neck looking up at you. Lord knows you go on forever. How tall are you anyway?”

“Six-three.” He sat feeling as though he’d been granted an audience with the queen. She was sure demanding for such a little thing. Would she be demanding in bed? The thought sent a pump of blood to his nether regions. “Listen, Eva, I’m sorry—”

She cut him off with a dismissive motion of her hand. “Just tell me why you didn’t show up. And for the record, I’ve never been stood up before.” Her bloodshot eyes met his. “Never.”

He took a moment to study her. She seemed slightly hung over. Either because she’d had her feelings hurt and tried to silence them with alcohol, or embarrassment had gotten the best of her since he’d left her sitting in a restaurant where everyone in attendance knew they’d had a date. He hoped it was hurt feelings. That meant their kiss had meant something to her too. He’d never been knocked back like that before from a mere meeting of lips. Never had a woman occupied his every waking thought and dreams like she did.

He launched into his story of destructive bear cubs and the long trek back to town not leaving out one little detail.

She abandoned her muffin halfway through his explanation, and cradled the coffee cup in her hands. When he finished, she took a long draw of the coffee before setting the cup on the table.

“That’s quite the story. Do you seriously expect me to buy that?”

He paused. He never thought she wouldn’t believe him. But then she was from Outside where things like this weren’t the norm. “Yeah, I expect you to buy it. Remember you were chased by a moose yesterday.”

“You do have me there. So, what is it that you actually do?”

“I’m an officer for the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge.”

“Like what? An animal cop?”

“It’s a lot more complicated than that.” He tried not to take her comment as an insult. She was uneducated in Alaska. And he planned to educate her. In many things. “I police the Refuge. I’m in charge of conserving fish and wildlife, international treaty obligations, subsistence uses, which is a big part of my job with so many people who depend on fish and wildlife in order to survive. Safety of people using the Refuge, and assisting with Search and Rescue when needed, which is called on more than I’d like.” He’d come close to being another statistic himself. “I monitor commercial activities on the Refuge, and Alaska is rich in oil, gas, and gold this far north. Way more politics than I signed up for,” he muttered under his breath.

“How big is the Refuge?”

“Yukon Flats is about eight and a half million acres, spanning an area roughly two hundred and twenty miles east to west and one hundred and twenty miles north to south.”

“How many officers do you work with?”

“It’s just me.” He continued when her mouth fell open, “I have other law enforcements agencies that I can call on if needed. But, basically, it’s just me.”

“How do you patrol something that...big?”

He shrugged getting uncomfortable talking so much about himself. Wasn’t that a red flag where women were concerned? But then if she was asking questions, she was at least talking to him and not slamming a door in his face. “By any means necessary. Horse, four-wheeler—which I’m going to need a spare until I get my other one back and repaired—plane, snow machine, dog team, you name it. Whatever it takes to get the job done.”

“Huh.” She picked up her coffee cup and studied him like bacteria in a Petri dish.

Uh-oh. He had talked too much. She didn’t have that glazed over look that some women got, but she was from a big city. This had to be boring her to death. “How about I show you a part of the Refuge? It’s supposed to be nice today.” Which could change faster than a woman changed her mind. “I could take you on a tour, so you can get a feel of the place you are now calling home.” When she didn’t look like she was going to agree he added, “Show you the lay of the land so that you don’t get turned around so easily, and find yourself lost in your own backyard again.” That did it. He saw the shift in her eyes as she accepted his challenge. So she was the type who couldn’t turn down a dare. That was handy information to have.

“How long will we be gone?”

“A few hours. I’ll pack a picnic lunch. After all, I do owe you dinner.”

“That you do.” She smiled.

The movement focused his gaze on the lips he couldn’t stop thinking about.

“Okay, you’re on,” she said.

Now who was laying down a challenge?