turned. His gaze locked with hers. His eyes widened a fraction, then lowered to the weapon trained on him. Stephanie stood stunned, unable to form complete sentences in her head, much less speak them.
It wasn't as if she'd expected the big bad wolf to climb out of the shower. But she hadn't seen a man as finely put together as this one in a long time. He stood at least six foot three, and his hair was darker than pitch. His eyes were blue in contrast to his thick dark lashes. Her gaze lowered of its own accord. She swallowed loudly. He was magnificent. All muscle and smooth, tawny flesh.
"Can I help you?"
Her gaze shot up to his face. "Oh yeah," she breathed, then realized she'd been staring at parts of him she had no business seeing. "I?I mean, I'm looking for a wolf."
His brows rose. "Four-legged or two?"
Real cute, she thought. The sarcastic remark and the man. Stephanie tugged at her jacket collar. The bathroom felt hotter than before, which didn't make sense since the open doorway had allowed most of the steam to escape.
"Four," she answered dryly. "I've been tracking an injured wolf all morning. A trail of bloodstains led me inside your cabin."
"You don't plan to shoot me, do you?"
Realizing she still held the gun trained on him, she lowered the weapon. "Sorry. Your front door was open. The wolf must have come inside. There's a bloodstain on the floor in front of the shower."
The man looked down. Stephanie used his distraction to run her gaze over him again.
"Excuse me?"
She glanced up. "I?I thought the blood might be yours. That you might have hurt yourself."
"Do I look injured?"
He'd as good as invited her to examine him to her heart's content. The man obviously had no issues with modesty. "Shouldn't you get a towel or something?" she asked, tugging at her jacket collar again.
He smiled. "Shouldn't you wait in the other room while I do?"
"Oh, right." Stephanie turned and left the bathroom. Even flustered by the sight of a sinfully gorgeous naked man, she maintained the clarity of thought to move slowly into the living area. The kitchen was part of the room, separated by a long bar. Dart gun trained, she moved around the bar. She didn't see a wolf, but she spotted a coffeepot. Digging inside the cabinets, she found a can of coffee and some filters. The coffee had just started to brew when she heard the front door close.
Stephanie moved around the bar. The man from the shower now stood at the door. He wore a pair of faded jeans and a flannel shirt, unbuttoned, which called attention to his broad, masculine chest. He leaned against the closed door, staring at her.
The hairs at the back of her neck bristled. She supposed he had every right to close his own door, but the sight of him leaning casually against it made her feel nervous. Trapped.
"I?I made some coffee," she said. "I hope you don't mind."
"You don't have trouble barging into a man's lair and making yourself at home, do you?" His voice was low, deep, and sensual despite the slight irritation she read in his tone.
To the contrary of what he'd said, Stephanie usually felt ill at ease in someone else's home. She had a problem with walls, which was what had led her into wildlife research. Lots of wide-open spaces. Had he said lair?
"I'm sorry. I didn't get any sleep last night. Coffee seemed like a good idea."
He sighed and pushed away from the door. "I'm sorry, too. I don't get much company. A farmer with a sick animal once in a while. I've forgotten how to be hospitable."
She recalled the sign out front. "You must be Dr. Donavon."
The man stopped before her. "Any woman who has seen me naked should call me by my first name. I'm Rick."
Her face flushed. "I apologize for that, too."
He moved past her into the kitchen. "The part where you barged in on my shower? Or the part where you held a tranquilizer gun aimed at me?"
"Both." She followed him into the kitchen, then drew up short. "How did you know the gun wasn't a real one?"
Reaching into the cabinet to remove two coffee cups, he answered. "I'm a vet, remember? I've seen dart guns before."
That made sense. "Well, anyway, I'm sorry for doing both. Like I told you, I was tracking an injured wolf."
When he handed her a cup, his hand shook. His skin had an