His beard had hidden a lot. She had no idea he had such a sexy neck. If it weren’t for his memorable eyes and unforgettable voice, she wouldn’t have recognized him at all. How was it possible this GQ cover model was the same Grizzly Adams wannabe she’d met just six days ago?
“May I come in?” Jack’s question woke Audra from her trance.
“Of course.” She stepped back, pulling the door open wider.
“Thank you.” Jack crossed her threshold.
Audra’s gaze tracked his loose-limbed gait. She could look at him forever. His army green cargo shorts showed off his long, muscled calves. His collared brown shirt complemented his skin.
“Did you go shopping yesterday?” Audra locked her front door.
“No.” Jack faced her from the center of the room.
Audra shook her head with a smile. “So you do have more than seven T-shirts. I can’t believe I fell for that.”
Jack’s unrepentant grin took her breath away. “I never said I only had seven shirts. I said I had seven like the one I was wearing.”
Audra couldn’t stop staring at him. “What inspired this makeover?”
“It was time.”
Something in his voice alerted her that his transformation wasn’t a whim. Did it have anything to do with the shadows in his eyes?
She gestured toward him. “What do you have in the cooler?”
He looked at the carrier as though he’d forgotten it was in his hand. “An afternoon snack. You said you wanted me to be your guide.”
“Where are we going?”
“Hiking.”
Audra’s brows leaped with pleased surprise. “Am I dressed properly?”
Her skin warmed as Jack’s eyes skimmed her peach T-shirt and ice blue shorts.
His attention settled on her feet. His voice was rough. “You just need some shoes.”
He met her gaze and there was something beyond simple appreciation in his eyes.
Audra’s blush deepened. She’d forgotten about the hot pink polish on her toenails. The manufacturer named it Wet Kiss. It had seemed innocent until she’d met the heat in Jack’s gaze.
“Are sneakers OK?” Her voice cracked.
“Yes.”
Audra escaped to her room, primarily for her socks and sneakers, but also to give herself a stern talking-to.
You’ve seen handsome men before, Audra. Los Angeles is full of them. So why are you acting like a head case just because the Wolfman had exfoliated and turned into the Sexiest Man Alive?
She pulled on her socks, slipped into her sneakers, then tied her laces. So the Beast now looks like every woman’s idea of Prince Charming. Get over it.
Audra took a deep breath, then rejoined Jack in the great room. He didn’t tease her this time when she stopped to check that her cabin was secure before wandering into the woods with him. The mid-July afternoon sun wasn’t too harsh. And the path Jack took was heavily shaded. The air was rich with the scents of moist earth and lush foliage.
Audra listened to the birds singing in the trees, chipmunks scrambling in the underbrush, and the wind rustling leaves overhead. They must have been walking for about ten minutes before she realized Jack hadn’t spoken a word. She slid him a sideways look. His newly clean-shaven features looked relaxed—content—as he strolled beside her.
They continued still farther down the path. Unease trickled through her.
Why isn’t he talking?