I grab my bag when we reach my car. To my surprise, he races around to open my door and help me down. "So, I'll meet you at Maple Trail at nine?" I ask.
Thane turns to me and freezes, staring gently and almost smiling. It's as if time stops. I can feel his eyes wandering slowly around my hair, my lips, then back to my eyes. "Where are you staying? I'll pick you up."
"Oh. It's the inn in Old Hemlock Valley. I think there’s only one?"
“You’re right. How did you end up coming here, anyway?”
I shrug. “I was looking for good places for birds, somewhere interesting and beautiful for a little working vacation. One of thebirdwatching sites said this was the best area and very safe. So I decided to come for a week or two.”
He nods. "Cool. Well, I'll pick you up at nine." He picks up my hand, examines my pale gray nails, then kisses the back of it, sending shivers running up and down my spine. "Get home safe, Audra."
I love the way he says my name.
His fresh, masculine scent breezes past me as I step away, heading for my Jeep. This is a seriously sexy man. The kind of guy that I’m sure every woman in the area is throwing herself at. Yet he seems completely fixated on me.
Tomorrow’s walk to record some birds is going to be the most important date of my life.
3
THANE
I’ve never changed my shirt four times before going to meet someone.
As I drive to meet Audra, all kinds of emotions create pressure in the center of my chest, making my pulse hammer through my entire body. Hope…expectation…okay, lust too.
I can't believe such a smart, interesting woman just appeared in my field. I'm going to have to figure out some great dates to keep her entertained.
When I arrive at the inn a few minutes early, Audra is just coming out the lobby door. My God, she’s stunning. She's wearing a similar loose floaty dress, this one a dull slate blue. It brightens her golden hair and makes the brown of her eyes look warmer.
"What?" She blinks. "Do I have something in my teeth?"
I take her hands in mine, very relieved when she doesn't pull away. "Sorry. I know staring is rude. But you're so beautiful it knocked the wind out of me."
Her lips fall open, and it takes a monumental amount of self-control to stop myself from kissing her. Her cheekbones flush with a lovely earthy pink color. "Thank you," she whispers. Hereyes wander slowly around my shoulders. "You look good in green."
I'm almost always in black or charcoal, but I went with a deep forest green button-down shirt today. It's casual, but nice enough if we go out for lunch later. Fingers crossed.
Holding her hand, I escort her the short distance to my truck, then help her up into it. By the time I slide in, she's laughing. "I smell coffee!"
I nod to the two travel bottles of espresso between us, then reach behind to pull out a small cooler. "Okay to use your lap as a table?"
"Of course." She laughs with delight when she sees the plate of pastries.
"I did the coffee but left the snacks to The Bakery on Main."
We drive out to the trailhead, chatting about what food goes best with coffee, then she explains more about her soundscapes. It sounds like Audra is determined to help people by creating the perfect background soundtracks for focused work.
By the time we're hiking down the trail, she's explaining the importance of bird calls. "There are so many beautiful recordings of ocean waves that are ruined by the sharp screech of a seagull," she says. "It's a shrill contrast to the flowing waves. At the same time, the sound of animals gives the illusion that you’re part of their world – not stuck at your desk with three more hours of work ahead of you."
"So you need…mellow birds?"
"Yes! They also have to be mixed in gently, starting as a whisper from a far distance. Then a bit louder, coming in gradually before they fade out again."
"Like a gentle alarm that nudges you out of sleep instead of scaring the crap out of you?"
"Exactly!"
I snort a laugh. "Those don't work with me. Well, sometimes. But there were days my brothers would come into my room banging pots and pans and I still wouldn't wake up."
