Page 17 of Wild in the Woods
The dog bounced in a circle. Lulu seemed to suddenly notice her and took a step back. Osprey burst inside, her body slamming into Fox’s leg. The loop connecting her dog tags to her collar snagged the towel.
It ripped off Fox’s body and flipped over the dog’s back like a cape.
He was standing in the wide-open doorway, butt ass naked.
Chapter Seven
“Oh my God!”
Lulu covered her eyes with her hand… and spread her fingers just a teeny bit to peek.
Fox darted behind the door with a sharp curse at the dog, who sat in the open doorway with her cape-towel and a sloppy dog grin with her tongue hanging out.
Her face felt like the sun had landed on it, but the embarrassment was worth it. She’d been missing out by only dating human men all this time. Wow. Mortified at her thoughts, she covered her free hand over her eyes, too.
“Sorry, I tried to call. Three times, actually but it went to your voicemail.”
He grunted something she couldn’t understand.
“You never said what time to show up today, so…”
“You never asked.”
“To be fair, the call list on your phone will prove that I tried.”
“It’s a fake number. Do you want to come in?”
The question prompted her to lower one of her hands. Fake number? Damn it. She knew it!
His blonde head peered around the door he was hiding behind, and he winced as if kicking himself for asking.
“No,” she said quickly. “I’ll just wait out here. It’s a nice morning.”
Full of bugs. Something huge had already flown past her, whizzing like a tiny jet in her ear. The door promptly shut in her face. Spinning around, Lulu pressed her fingers to her temple and mouthed a silent scream. Fox WAS a fox.
Damn.
She’d thought he was hot last night at the bar. But this was off the charts. Naked Fox, oh, so very naked, Fox, was nothing but perfect composition of muscle and bone and supple, tanned skin dusted with light brown hair and a happy trail that ended in the biggest—
Her phone chimed but she ignored it. Rudd had texted her four times last night and she’d ignored each one. Truthfully, she’d been a little off center since leaving the bar. The way things ended with the man grabbing her skirt and Fox coming unglued had a lot to do with it, but it was more than that. Meeting him had completely plowed her over with feelings and emotions she couldn’t pinpoint or describe. Seeing his face for the first time was like looking across the bar and spotting an old friend. Yet, the newness of him made her excited and anticipatory, like when you’re alone with a date in the car and you know that first amazing kiss is coming. Her emotions had only gotten more complicated as the night went on. The alcohol hadn’t helped, admittedly.
Nor had the incident with the drunk and her skirt.
But the truth was, she’d hoped Fox would have followed her to her hotel last night instead of watching protectively over her from across the street. She’d woken up this morning with the strongest urge to get dressed and drive over here. But she’d called first because it was the polite thing to do.
Except the number she’d been given was fake. She needed to know what that was all about.
Olive had given her detailed directions on how to find Fox’s cabin. Just as she’d suspected when she took this assignment, she’d driven a one-lane dirt road up the mountain to get here and miraculously, the Fiat made it.
The door opened and Fox came out with a coffee mug in each hand, his expression giving nothing away. The dog made a beeline to where she stood by the rocking chair. Lulu stiffened and put her hands up a little bit because she wasn’t sure what else to do. She had zero experience with dogs that weren’t on a leash and a few yards safely away from her.
“Osprey won’t hurt you. Put your hands down.”
“I’m showing her that I’m not a threat.”
He looked at her high-heeled boots, then to her eyes. “Trust me. She knows.”
Handing her a mug, he leaned on the porch railing across from her and snapped his fingers to the dog, but Osprey stayed at Lulu’s feet, eagerly waiting for some attention. When it didn’t come, she wiggled and yipped. Lulu jumped, coffee sloshing over the side of the mug.
