Chevy looked like a badger with its paw caught in a trap. “Same.”

Their voices, their body language, their eyes held no lies. Good enough.

“I’ll hold you to that.” Gabe pulled out his handcuff key. “Let me get those off so you can get started.”

Chapter Fourteen

On Sunday morning, Audrey scowled at the loud staccato rap on her door. Gabe had said 9 a.m., and he was annoyingly on time.

And if she complained, he’d probably tell her the sun had risen hours ago. It had. This crazy state. Last night, the sun had still been up at 11 p.m., and who could go to bed before sunset?

But tired or not, she couldn’t sleep late this morning. Just not possible. Because Gabe was gorgeous and terrifying, and just seeing him, let alone hearing him, made her go weak in the knees.

And because she’d been to bed with him. That so wasn’t who she was. She wasn’t a woman who did one-night-stands with police chiefs. That would be someone like Brooke.

Audrey was a nerd—a brilliant one, true, but…a nerd. Socially inept, somewhat clumsy…sheesh, look how well her moose encounter had gone. That was who she was. Being with Gabe today would undoubtedly leave her feeling as stomped as if she’d tried to pet that moose.

However, if he wanted to teach her about Alaska, she should take advantage of it.

Putting her shoulders back, she pulled open the door. Bright morning light streamed into the cabin, blinding her. Then something blocked the light—a body. Squinting, still half-blinded, she realized she was staring at Gabe.

His faded red flannel shirt was open enough she saw the edge of his collarbones above the thick muscles of his chest. The base of his corded neck had a tantalizing hollow.

Oh, wow. Swallowing hard, she stepped back and looked up.

Well, hmm. He’d demanded this appointment, but he wasn’t bursting with enthusiasm, was he? His carved face held no expression. His dark blue eyes were unreadable.

She glanced past him. No moose. Didn’t that figure?

Noticing her frowning at the cars, he shook his head. “I checked. We are moose-free at the moment.”

“Okay.”

His gaze took her in. He nodded approval of her lightweight boots, one of the first things she’d purchased in Alaska.

Her jeans got a frown.

“What’s wrong with my jeans?”

“You’ve lost weight. More weight.”

Men. A girl just couldn’t win. She’d thought her hips looked better. “I’m not sick—I’m just not used to such an active job.”

“Ah.” His keen gaze lifted to stab her in the eyes. “What did you do before?”

“I did a lot of sitting.” She smiled. He already knew she was lying about her name. Why give him more ammunition?