Wilderness Passion

by Lindsay McKenna

  “You know,” he began softly, “you aren’t strong in some ways, Doctor. I’ll know by the time our hike is over just who and what you are and are not.’’ The disturbing quality of his voice sent a dangerous thrill through her. She felt trapped, excited and frightened, all at the same time. Her body wouldn’t react to her commands. She should move away...away from his dizzyingly male essence, which acted like an aphrodisiac to her awakening senses.

  “Now,” he continued amiably, “I’m going to walk you to your car. No protests, Doctor.” He released her shoulder, his other hand on her elbow as he led her out the door.

  Libby was at a loss for words. There was a commanding presence about Dan Wagner that simply defied description. She stole a look up at him once as they were walking down the street. In some ways he reminded her of a knight from the days of chivalry. In other ways he was a cougar on the prowl, and she felt as if she were his intended prey....

  On Tuesday morning Libby found a priority-mail package on her desk when she came to the office. Puzzled, she slipped the white smock on over her Qiana dress of pale pink. Betty bobbed inside the door. “Dr. Stapleton! That box just arrived. I wonder what’s in it.” She smiled brightly and stood at Libby’s desk, waiting.

  Libby returned the smile. There was no return address, simply her name scrawled almost illegibly across the brown paper in which the box was tightly wrapped. “I don’t know.” And then she laughed. “The postmark is from Challis, Idaho...”

  “Oh, from that gorgeous Dan Wagner, maybe? Oh, hurry, open it! I can’t believe it—he sent you a gift. Isn’t that wonderful?”

  Knowing that Betty was about to be sadly disillusioned, Libby tore the paper wrapping off the huge box. A neatly folded note rested on top of the tissue paper. Peeking under the paper, Libby saw a pair of highly unflattering hiking boots in the box.

  Betty’s animated expression faded. “Boots?” she asked. “Is this his way of paying homage to you?” She giggled.

  Returning the smile, Libby opened the note. “I doubt it. We got along like dogs and cats on Friday night,” she confided to her secretary. “And he made it very clear that he wasn’t going to coddle me during the time we’ll have to spend together. These boots are his way of making sure I don’t hold him back when we’re hiking.” A smile tugged at her lips as she met her secretary’s bewildered gaze. “Where I’m going in three weeks, I’ll be needing these.”

  Betty sniffed at the gift. “What a shame. He was so dashing and masculine. I guess his sort doesn’t think to send a woman flowers....”

  Finally alone, Libby sat down, unfolding the note. Her fingers tingled as she opened the crisp white paper. Suddenly, she was anxious to read his letter.

  Dear Dr. Stapleton

  These boots won’t do your beauty justice, but they are practical. Wear them each day when you go for your walk. Remember, be sure to put on a pair of heavy wool socks so that you don’t end up with blisters.

  D.W.

  A part of her felt rebuffed and hurt; another part of her laughed. Well, there was one thing that could be said about him: he was consistent. Infinitely practical, attentive to detail and as caustic as acid, Dan Wagner was certainly going to earn a corner of her memory. He reminded her of a rogue stallion that was used to having his way about everything. And then he had to run into her, a woman. It seemed obvious that he was used to dealing with women on only one level: the bed. He didn’t enjoy dealing with her in his business world. She gently laid the note back on top of the boots, smiling to herself. “Well, Dan, for better or worse, you’re going to be saddled with me,” she murmured. A glint of mirth danced in her brown eyes. “Serves you right.”

  Doug Adams rested his thin leg casually over the corner of Libby’s desk, an amused smile on his long face. “Well, you about ready to graduate to the forestry level?” he asked her.

  Libby pursed her lips and mentally went over the last-minute chores she had to attend to before she caught her plane at San Francisco International. “I hope so, Doug. I can’t quite envision myself being in the woods for that long.” Worriedly she lifted her gaze to meet his green eyes. “I feel terrible about leaving the office. Are you sure that Cherie can handle the necessary follow-up on my other four cases for that long? I mean, she’s only just recently been made assistant. Isn’t that quite a bit of pressure to put on someone?”

  Doug shook his head. “Do you ever stop worrying? Relax, Libby. Frankly, if I were you, I’d be more anxious about having to work with Wagner.” He watched her for a moment “Have you heard from him?”

  A grin touched her lips. “We’ve been trading cryptic notes for the past three weeks in preparation for this outing. Mr. Wagner doesn’t believe in company biologists, impact studies or the EPA.” She gave a laugh, shrugging her shoulders. “So you see, it will be a piece of cake.”

  Doug got up. “Don’t let him buffalo you, Libby. Just stand your ground with the man. He’s a hell of a manager and probably one of the best forestry experts in the Northern Hemisphere. But make him meet you on your turf.’’

  Her brown eyes sparkled. “That’s like getting a wild stallion to stand still while you saddle him. I’m sure I’ll take my share of lumps from him, Doug. If I come back black and blue, just put a sympathy card on the desk for me.’’

  2

  HER EXCITEMENT SPIRALED upward as the small Cessna Skyhawk circled the narrow airstrip on the outskirts of Challis. Libby felt adrenaline making her heart beat faster. The long flight from Boise to Challis had been beautiful; the mountains were clothed in dark green capes of pine and evergreen. The various shades of green were breathtaking at five thousand feet as the plane slid around the higher peaks of the Salmon River mountain range. More than once her mind had turned toward the coming meeting with Dan Wagner. Would he be just as caustic as he had been in San Francisco? She grinned carelessly, almost anxious to do battle with him once again. After the four short notes they had exchanged with each other over business matters, Libby thought she detected a dry sense of humor in the man. She looked forward to observing him again.

  The noon sunlight was blinding as she stepped from the Cessna onto the worn Tarmac surface of the landing apron. The wind was fresh, coming from a westerly direction, ruffling her hair, which had been tamed into a ponytail. Libby tried not to appear too anxious and helped the copilot dislodge her assorted suitcases from the luggage compartment

  She was about to lift the heaviest piece when an arm covered with dark hair appeared from the left. “Here,” came a growl that could only belong to Dan Wagner, “let me get that for you.” His callused fingers wrapped strongly about the handle, and Libby moved aside, startled.

  She took a step back and was struck by the boyish look about him. His hair, tousled by the wind, glinted with gold and red highlights. The shirt he wore was blue-and-white checked, the neck open, displaying the dark hair at his throat. The sleeves were rolled high and she saw the flexing of his hardened muscles. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him, and his maleness was intoxicating to her suddenly confused senses. He cocked his head, studying her in the intervening silence.

  “What’s this? The good doctor speechless? Don’t tell me the crisp mountain air has got your tongue? Or do you stare like that all the time?” A slight grin curled one corner of his mouth as he stood, enjoying her presence. He wanted to tell her that without the silly-looking white smock she wore at the office, she looked beautiful. He had been right: she did have a strong, athletic body, yet without a heavy bone structure. Her breasts were nicely shaped and in balance with her slender figure and tiny waist.

  Libby took a swallow, having the good grace to blush over her poor manners. He was incredibly handsome. He had seemed out of place in the office and equally uncomfortable in city clothes. But now, standing against the backdrop of the wilderness and the mountains, he looked like the lord of it all. She managed a weak smile, avoiding his amused stare.

  “Actually, I think it’s the altitude,” she lied. “I was jus
t thinking how much a part of the environment you looked.”

  He picked up her other bag. “I suppose I can construe that as a compliment or an insult,” he drawled.

  Libby slid the strap of her third bag over her shoulder, trying to match his stride as he headed toward a battered, dust-covered Jeep in the parking lot. “It was a compliment,” she said, breathlessly coming to a halt at the vehicle.

  Dan glanced at her darkly, shoving the luggage into the back. “Hop in and hold on. You’re in for a bruising ride.”

  Libby curbed her initial disappointment. No, he hadn’t changed an iota. But in his notes to her, there had been a slight yielding, a hint that they might find some neutral territory between them.

  “Strap in,” he advised.

  “Why?” she challenged.

  Dan’s glance slid to her as he backed out of the lot, heading the noisy Jeep in a northerly direction. “Your ignorance is already showing, Doctor.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t like being called stupid, Mr. Wagner, not by you or anyone.”

  “I didn’t say you were stupid. I said your ignorance was showing. There’s a big difference,” he corrected. “It’s nice to see that PhDs don’t know everything.”

  She clenched her teeth, fighting down the fury that threatened to overcome her judgment. Good Lord, they were already fighting and she hadn’t been there for more than fifteen minutes! Calming herself, Libby murmured, “You’re right, there is. Since you seem so enlightened about seat belt policy in Idaho, why don’t you tell me?”

  He pointed toward the approaching range of mountains towering to the left of them. Libby could see a single thin ribbon of dusty road winding here and there up into the high reaches of timber until it ultimately disappeared around the other side of the ridge. “See that?” he demanded.

  “The road? Yes.”

  “That’s where we have to go. It’s rutted, potholed and incredibly dangerous because the timber trucks have used it too long and it’s never been repaired. More than one truck or Jeep has been flipped over.” He looked at her squarely for a moment

  Libby stared at him. “D-does it happen often?”

  He offered her a cutting smile. “Best business for the local undertaker is loggers on choke chains who didn’t watch their step, and stupid tourists who race up these timber roads. Enough said?’’

  “Enough said,” she agreed mutely, effectively silenced.

  Libby pressed herself into the seat, one hand wrapped tightly around the reinforcement bar on the side of the door and the other hand on the dash. She had expected him to drive up that tortuous road like a wild backwoods maniac, but he didn’t. He negotiated the deep ruts with an ease she openly admired. At times she was mesmerized by the play of muscles in his forearms as he coaxed the Jeep through the Gordian knot of curves, ruts and steep inclines. His features were closed and unreadable, but she thought she detected a fierce glimmer of challenge in his restless blue gaze as he missed nothing surrounding them. A new feeling developed within her toward Dan Wagner: she would be safe with him in this frightening environment that would be her home for the next three weeks. Maybe her foray into the wooded interior wouldn’t be so bad because Dan would be there to protect her.

  “Been using those boots I sent you?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts.

  “What? Oh, the boots. Yes.” She smiled, meeting his glance. “You never did send the bill for them. Let me know how much they were and I’ll write you a check.” A golden glint of humor danced in her brown eyes. “That is, if you trust me to write you a check that won’t bounce.”

  Dan Wagner’s features remained inscrutable. But for just a brief second Libby saw him thaw, and it left her breathless. Was he human after all?

  “I don’t send a woman a gift and expect her to pay for it.”

  Libby’s eyes widened. “B-but—” she stammered, not wanting to owe him anything. “I did some shopping at a few backpacking outlets in San Francisco, and a good pair costs upwards of—”

  “What’s the matter, Doctor, do you think the gift means you owe me something in return?” he asked.

  Stung, Libby gasped. “I—”

  “I know, you’re one of those liberated women who can make their own way in the world. They don’t like to owe anything to anyone. Especially a chauvinistic man like myself.” He caught her startled gaze. “Correct, Doctor?”

  His insight was like a knife being thrust into her heart and then twisted. Libby lowered her eyes, momentarily stunned and hurt by his cruelty. He must hate her badly. That discovery shook her to the core. She had made many friends during her life and prided herself on her ability to get along with everyone, friend or foe. But this man was not even going to give her a chance. She had few defenses to protect herself from someone like him. City life had not prepared her to compete in the harsh environment of the forest. His forest, she corrected herself. Desperately she tried to come up with a way of dealing with his caustic personality. If she played the meek female, he would run all over her. The work that had to be done would never be accomplished. On the other hand, if she brazenly challenged him in his own domain, he would win. She wouldn’t make it through the woods without his cooperation.

  Libby shifted unconsciously in the bucket seat, searching for other possible approaches. She had to learn something more about Dan Wagner in order to understand why he operated the way he did. That would take some careful probing on her part. Perhaps then she could overcome enough of his animosity toward her to get her job done.

  She decided to ignore his jibe and took a deep breath, initiating a new conversation as they pulled over the last hill on the ridgeline. “Have you always lived near a forest?”

  Dan shifted the Jeep into low gear as they began a steep descent on the other side of the range. “I was born near here.”

  “Oh? Where exactly?”

  “Salmon, Idaho. It’s a small town northeast of Challis.”

  “I see. So you’ve lived in the mountains all your life?”

  “Practically.”

  Libby caught her lower lip between her teeth. So far, so good, she told herself, realizing that the palms of her hands were wet with perspiration. “Have you always wanted to be a forester?”

  Dan gave her a suspicious sidelong glance. “It was drilled into me a long time ago to stick to my own kind and stay on the side of the tracks I was born on. I’ve always lived in the country and the forests were always nearby. Why?”

  “Just curious,” Libby answered quickly. Too quickly. Wagner’s blue eyes darkened considerably as he took stock of her.

  “Are we playing twenty questions, Doctor? When you get done with yours, do I get to ask mine?”

  Libby brightened at the thought. At least he was willing to play along. “Why not? I’m game.”

  An unwilling smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I’ll give you that,” he muttered. “All right, so far you’ve asked me three questions, Doctor. It’s my turn to ask you three. Right?”

  Libby gave a brief nod of her head, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. “Of course.”

  He shifted down again and the Jeep bucked to a near halt as they crawled around a particularly deep hole in the road. Now Libby began to appreciate his advice. If a tourist had come over that rise at forty miles an hour and hit the hole, he would have easily broken an axle and flipped his vehicle.

  “Is there a man in your life?” Dan asked.

  Libby’s honey-brown eyes widened for a second while she digested the question. “Well...”

  “Be fair about this. I answered yours without hesitation,” he prodded.

  Blushing, Libby said, “I had the respect to ask you questions that were less personal in nature, Mr. Wagner.”

  He smiled the smile of a wolf. “You didn’t lay down any rules when we decided to play this game. Correct?”

  “Yes,” she grated.

  “Then answer my question.”

  She wanted to hurl back “Why should you care?” but did
n’t. Instead she simply said, “No.”

  He seemed pleased with himself. Go ahead, Libby thought, sit there looking like the cat who ate the canary. So help me, I’m going to stuff it back down your throat someday soon...

  Realizing where her attitude was taking her, she grew horrified. This was no way to conduct a business venture! She had worked before on projects in which she had to get along with men who didn’t particularly care for her being a woman in a man’s world. Admittedly there weren’t many times when that had occurred, and certainly no man had blatantly attacked her like Wagner.

  “Okay, second question. Are you divorced? Do you have children?’’

  “That’s two!” She flared, incensed at his audacity.

  “That will amount to my three questions, then, Doctor.”

  Libby wanted to curse. Her jaw hardened as she considered the ramifications of answering his intimate questions about her private life. If she didn’t, she would lose the chance to find out what made him operate the way he did. Sighing in resignation, she responded.

  “Yes, I am divorced, and no, I don’t have any children. Satisfied?”

  Dan gave her a lazy smile. “Care to elaborate?”

  “That’s four. I don’t owe you another one!” she shot back.

  The smile reached his eyes. “What’s the matter, Doctor, is the game getting too serious for you? Or did you figure that a logger having nothing more than a high school diploma wouldn’t understand your games? Never mind, you don’t have to answer that one. I think I’ve made my point.”

  Libby gave him a brittle, fixed smile. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes. “The point, Mr. Wagner, is that you hate me and my kind. You’ve brought that home very succinctly. And no, I don’t want to play our little game anymore, because you have no concept of what fair play is all about. It has nothing to do with the degree of education at all. I never implied that loggers were stupid.” Her voice shook with anger. Or was it suppressed tears?

  Dan frowned, feeling guilty about his tactics. He saw the hurt clearly written on her face and wanted to apologize. Damn, what was he doing? She was simply trying to create a more friendly atmosphere between them. Why was he so ready to be defensive? Libby Stapleton had done nothing to deserve his acid comments. Maybe he was threatened by her credentials and intelligence. In his experience beautiful faces meant no brains. But that wasn’t the case this time. Cursing himself, Dan wanted to reach out and touch Libby’s arm in apology. He wasn’t much on words. But he knew he could convey his feeling through touch. Glancing over at her, Dan felt his body tighten with desire and he hesitated. Libby reminded him of a child in many ways, but she also had the inbred strength of a one-of-a-kind woman, and that attracted him tremendously.