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Her eyes narrow. “That supposed to impress me?”

“No.”

“Good.”

“But it still does.”

That shuts her up for exactly two seconds.

Then she huffs out a breath and shakes her head slightly. “You’re unbelievable.”

“You’re still standing here.”

The tension shifts instantly.

Not softer.

Worse.

Because now she’s aware of it too.

The attraction.

The challenge.

The fact that neither of us has stepped back.

“You always stare at women like that?” she asks quietly.

“Like what?”

“Like you’re trying to decide whether to throw them out of the woods or bend them over a tree.”

Jesus Christ.

My grip tightens slightly on the rifle.

“That depends on the woman.”

Her breath catches.

“Cocky,” she mutters.

“Observant.”

I step closer before I can stop myself, watching her hold her ground even while tension tightens through her shoulders.

Brave.

Or reckless.

Probably both.

“You shouldn’t be up here alone,” I say quietly.

“There it is again.”

“What?”