Still, he might want to add some style to his entrance. Slapping his hat against Smudge’s rump, he urged the gelding into a gallop and cut across the meadow, heading straight for her tree.
He didn’t dare look up to see how she was taking this frontal assault, because he had to keep his attention on the terrain. Racing toward her wasn’t all that bright, perhaps, but it had chutzpah. A few yards shy of the platform, he reined in his horse in a spurt of dust.
Very showy, if he did say so. He kept a tight hold on Smudge, who was prancing and blowing like a stallion. Tilting his hat back with his thumb, he glanced up. “Howdy, ma’am.” He might sound casual, but his heart was pounding like crazy.
“Howdy, yourself.” Grinning, Naomi leaned over the railing. She looked adorable, with her hair in a high, flirty ponytail. “That was quite—”
“Stupid?”
“I was going to say dashing.”
“Dashing.” He squinted up at her. The sun created a halo around her blond hair, but he knew she was no angel. Desire tightened his groin. “That’s what I was going for. Dashing.”
“You achieved it. You looked like a Hollywood cowboy.”
“You should see me twirl my lariat.”
“I’d love to.”
He couldn’t seem to stop staring at her. The sunshine fell on her like a spotlight, turning her into a blonde princess. If he hadn’t pushed his horse into a gallop on the way over here, he could have ground-tied him and ascended to the platform as any decent Hollywood cowboy would do.
As the ache for her grew, he longed to climb that ladder and claim his prize. But Smudge needed a cooldown. And while Luke was at it, he might as well settle the horse into his temporary quarters.
“Are you coming up or do you want me to come down?”
“I’ll come up. Let me get Smudge sorted out first. How are the eagles?”
“Good. All seems to be well.”
“Excellent. I’ll be right back.” He clicked his tongue and guided Smudge around the tree and over toward her campsite. After walking the horse around the campsite awhile, Luke dismounted.
He’d come prepared for the duration, with supplies in two bulging saddlebags. Unsaddling Smudge, he put the saddle, blanket and bags over by Naomi’s tent. “Welcome to your home away from home, Smudge.” He replaced the horse’s bridle with a halter and led him down to the stream for a drink.
His promise to “be right back” might have been overly optimistic. Returning to the campsite, he tied Smudge to a tree while he found a good grazing area near the tent. Then he pulled a ground stake out of a saddlebag, along with a mallet, and planted the stake. Finally he transferred Smudge’s lead rope from the tree to the stake.
That should take care of the horse until tonight, but he understood why Naomi chose to hike out here instead of riding. A horse was one more thing to deal with. Still, he had limited time to be with her, and even with these few chores, he’d saved valuable minutes by riding instead of hiking.
After scratching Smudge’s neck and giving him a handful of carrots from his pocket, Luke walked down the path Naomi’s hiking boots had created during her many treks. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this excited about being with a woman.
He could easily guess why that was. Her interest in wildlife indicated that she was as interested in adventure and exploration as he was. At least she was now. He cautioned himself not to make assumptions of how she’d be in the future.
But he didn’t care about the future. At this moment he had the green light to spend quality time with a woman who studied eagles. That would make everything more exciting, including the sex. He had condoms in his saddlebags and in his pocket. Life was good.
He’d look at the eagles first, because he really was interested in them, and because if he didn’t look at them first, he might never get around to it. After he’d checked out the eagles, he intended to kiss Naomi until they both couldn’t see straight. That dramatic race over here had made him feel like a conquering hero.
“Coming up!” He climbed the ladder and thought of Rapunzel. Naomi was also a blonde, but he appreciated being able to use a ladder instead of her braided hair to reach her tower.
“Hurry!” she said.
“Why?” He hoped it was because she couldn’t wait to feel his hands on her.
“Both parents are there for feeding time! It’s like a family portrait.”
Luke smiled. She really dug those eagles, and he liked that about her. Any woman who was passionate about one thing had the capacity to be passionate about other things, too. He’d sensed that about Naomi from the beginning.
Once he reached the platform, he was struck again by the spectacular view. This platform would be an awesome place to watch the sunset. He’d keep that in mind for later.
She glanced over at him, her color high. “Here.” She took off her binoculars. “Take a look.”
“Thanks.” He accepted the binoculars, but he couldn’t resist cupping the back of her head and giving her a quick kiss. “Hi.”
“Hi.” She sounded breathless.
That was good. She would be even more breathless before long. Adrenaline rushed through his veins. Eagles and a hot woman. What could be better than that?
“I think the nestlings have grown a little.” She came to stand next to him. “Tell me what you think.”
With her standing so close and radiating warmth and the tantalizing scent of arousal, he couldn’t think very well at all. But he made a valiant attempt. Lifting the binoculars, he focused on the nest.
To his surprise, he did notice a difference, even if it was slight. “They’re growing, especially the bully. Look at that little sucker, shoving the other one out of the way. C’mon, you. Let the little one have some food.”
She chuckled. “So you root for the underdog?”
“Doesn’t everybody?” Between having her right beside him and the incredible view of the eagles, he was on sensory overload.
“Humans often do. We’re at the top of the food chain, so we can afford to worry about the weak link. Wild animals don’t always have that luxury.”
“Good point.” Luke desperately wanted to slide one arm around her and pull her close, but he knew what that would lead to. Once he touched her, there would be no eagle watching going on.
“Most of the time they’re focused on survival.” Naomi sighed. “They’re so vulnerable.”
“You mean the babies?”
“And the parents.”
He focused on the sharp beaks and strong talons of the male and female eagles. “They look so powerful.”
“I know. But all it takes is a shortage of food, or a car windshield, or an electrical wire, or a gun. We nearly wiped them out.”
“Thank God we didn’t. Now people are into watching them instead of shooting them.”
“Which means I’m employed. That reminds me that I need to make some notes. Can you keep track of the feeding session and report what’s happening while I type?”
“Sure.” He missed her warmth the second she moved away to sit at her folding table, but he couldn’t forget that