“An alligator poacher, but clearly I was wrong.”

Relief flooded through her. He wasn’t a serial killer. And since she wasn’t a poacher, this would end well. Except for the backache and all the mud.

“Why can’t I be an alligator poacher?” she asked. “I have a gun…somewhere. And a hunting dog, also somewhere.”

“Both of those present a compelling argument, but in my experience, poachers wear pants.”

For the love of everything holy!

She pulled at her tank, hoping to get it past anything that could get her arrested, but that only exposed her bustline to the point that things got sketchier.

He grinned at her and a blush ran up her neck and onto her face. Damn it. He was sexy as hell.

“I would tell you not to worry about it because I’ve seen everything,” he said, “but I have to admit, this one is a first.”

“And hopefully a last—at least where I’m concerned. And just who the hell are you and why are you lurking around my property?”

“Sorry, I should have introduced myself. I’m Luke Abshire, the new game warden.”

He extended his hand and Marina stared at it for a couple seconds before placing her muddy hand in his. He didn’t seem to mind.

“Marina Trahan,” she said. “I live in a cabin just the other side of the tree line.”

“I thought that place was empty.”

“It was until yesterday.”

“That explains my confusion. I saw lights on and thought maybe the poacher was squatting there. Then I heard the dog and thought I’d caught him.”

Marina frowned. “Wait. So the dog wasn’t barking at you?”

He shook his head. “I never saw the dog. He sounds like a doozy though. Bloodhound?”

“Yes. And he doesn’t signal like that unless something is wrong. Hence why I ran out half dressed.”

He bent over and lifted her pistol out of the mud. “But fully armed.”

She took the gun and spun around as something rustled in the brush to her right. A second later, Snooze came trotting out. He walked up to Luke and the game warden crouched down and let the hound smell his hand before lifting it to scratch his ears. Snooze closed his eyes, enjoying the petting for a bit, then licked him and went to sit next to Marina.

“That pitiful look is not going to get you out of a bath,” Marina said as she stared at Snooze.

Snooze sighed and flopped down in the mud.

Luke chuckled. “It’s like he understood everything you said.”

“Yes, well. We’re going to go home and have that bath now. I would say it was nice meeting you but that would be a lie. So I’ll just go with it was interesting meeting you. Good luck catching your poacher.”

“Thanks,” he said and pulled a card from his back pocket to hand to her. “If you or your dog see someone lurking around, give me a call. I’d really like to catch this guy.”