She really should be looking away. But hot damn. His upper body was hard and muscled and tawny, like he worked outside a lot. But she remembered. Mmm. He’d always had that olive complexion.

But now those wide shoulders were even wider, drawing down a hairy (but not too hairy) chest to a narrow waist.

He put his shirt, shoes and socks into a backpack.

“I’ll carry that for you.” She was so proud that her voice sounded reasonably normal given how much her mouth watered as she stared.

He turned, his hands at his zipper, and no matter how many things she yelled at herself, she could not tear her gaze away from the vee of skin, and hair, exposed as he stopped halfway down.

“Thanks. I appreciate that.”

He didn’t wear underwear. Good Lord above. He unzipped and she kept staring.

“You’re playing with fire,” he said in a low growl.

“Huh?”

He tipped her chin with one finger. “You look at it like that, and I won’t be able to finish unzipping without injuring myself.”

She blushed, the heat on her neck and cheeks enough to make her glance away.

But he was back, closer this time, and without thinking, she slid her palms up the bare (hot, hard, muscled) skin of his chest. “Forget it. I like you looking at me. I was a dumbass for telling you not to.”

He brushed his lips over hers as she wrapped her arms around his body, hands flat against his back.

Wishing things were different.

Wishing they were in her room, or his place, anywhere in private instead of outside with far more important things to do than f**k.

He broke the kiss, stepping back. “Enough of that. For now.” He pulled his pants off, and his c**k sprang out, hard and ready and wow. She’d had memories of course, but they were wrapped in a veil of taboo. They’d been young. She hadn’t known anyone else to compare, and he’d grown.

Considerably.

She turned her attention away, securing the pack, tightening the straps.

“Will you be able to communicate when you’re a wolf? I’m sorry if my questions are stupid or offensive.” She lifted her shoulders. “I just don’t know.”

“You’re not stupid. They’re good questions. And you can’t know until you’re told. I want you to ask me anything. If I know the answer, or can get it for you, I will. Do you understand?”

She couldn’t hide the grin at the corners of her mouth. “It’s really hard to concentrate on even a very sweet promise when you’re naked. I’m sorry, you’re just…” She waved a hand at him.

“Just what?”

He was close again, and despite his nakedness, the heat blasted from him, enveloping her.

She swallowed hard, feeling more than a little like prey. “Magnificent. You’re magnificent.”

He reduced her to whispers, so she gave them. She was a lot of things, but a liar wasn’t one of them. There was something between them, something beyond what they’d once had, past the hurt of their parting. To deny it, to deny what he was there naked, tall, hard and gorgeous and helping her? It would have been cowardly.

His smile was all arrogant male, and it sent a shiver through her. “I’ll properly thank you for that. Later. For now? Yes, my wolf can understand you. He can’t talk, obviously, but just speak and we’ll work it through. He’s bossier than I am, my wolf I mean. He’s going to steer you where he thinks it’s best. Stay close.”

He bent and magick washed over her, warm and soft, sun-dappled bark and pine sap. And in the place of the magnificent man, stood a massive and no less magnificent wolf.

Honey gold fur, intelligent blue-green eyes. His paws were the size of canned hams and he reached above her waist.

Before she could stop herself, she’d stretched a hand to touch and then snatched it back. “Sorry!”

The wolf snorted and pressed his body against hers, butting her with his giant head until she gave in and slid her fingers through soft fur, over his head and down his back. She knew that werewolves were larger than regular wolves, but this was beyond anything she could have imagined. Josh’s wolf was the most amazing thing she’d ever seen.

“You’re beautiful,” she whispered.

He turned, his nose, cold and slightly wet, his eyes gazing into hers. She held him, one palm on either side of that massive head.

Just a look, and she felt it to her toes as something passed between them. He jerked his head then, snorting, and she got the feeling that was his wolf telling her to follow him. So she did as he trotted off.

She hiked for several hours with him leading. He sniffed a lot of stuff. Growled here and there as he changed direction. He made her sit, and she ate a protein bar and drank some water while he disappeared for about twenty minutes. She’d needed the rest but had no idea what he’d done while he’d been gone. Probably ate a rabbit or peed or something.

Though it wouldn’t do for her to think of him as a dog, it still amused her. She checked her messages. No new leads. No new sightings of the SUV either. Nothing. She was thoroughly disheartened by the time he trotted back to where she was.

She stood and shouldered the pack again, and he growled.

“What? Do you need something out of the pack? Water maybe? Food? No, I don’t guess you’d be eating Luna bars as a nine-foot-high wolf beast.”

He continued to examine her, sniffing the air.

“Is there something for me to worry about? God, Josh I feel like I’m in an episode of Lassie. Did Timmy fall down the well?” That did make her laugh but he snorted again.