Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 133531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 534(@250wpm)___ 445(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133531 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 534(@250wpm)___ 445(@300wpm)
She laughed; she couldn’t help it. He sounded impressed. Who knew such a silly thing would impress a gorgeous man with muscles all over the place? “I love music. I hear music in everything, meaning traffic, buildings, birds, especially the birds. I’ve traveled quite a bit and like to write songs, so I’m always listening wherever I go.”
“That little piece is very specific. Not too many people notice it,” Gideon said, persisting. “Field sparrows are common, but until recently, scientists weren’t certain what those little notes meant.”
She laughed again. “The other night, a little female sparrow came flying onto my rooftop, with an owl determined to make her a meal. I accidentally bashed her with my cupboard door. I knew she shouldn’t have been out of her nest at night, so once she flew off, I looked up field sparrows and, much to my shock, learned about them having affairs. I couldn’t resist hearing the song of a female calling or answering just so I would recognize the notes. Then I did the same with the male sparrow.”
“After the sparrow was chased by the owl and hit your cupboard door, you said she was fine? Are you certain?” There was concern in his voice.
His concern caused a melting sensation in her heart. She nodded. “Yes. She flew off. How did you know the notes to sing back to me?”
For the first time, Gideon looked a little sheepish. One hand swept through his thick wavy hair, making his already unruly hair even worse. He sent her a boyish grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. She wanted to reach out and push his hair off his forehead, not because it wasn’t attractive but because it was too tempting. The pull toward him was very strong.
“I’ve been all over the world, and I study birds. They’re fascinating to me. Everything about them, from the way they build their nests to the way they care for their young. They’re all so different. Some are monogamous. Some are not. Some go back to the same site year after year.”
As he spoke, his voice became more animated. It was all Rory could do to keep from smiling. Gideon’s features remained an expressionless mask for the most part, but his eyes and voice changed. His eyes were beautiful. She had noticed a silver ring around the dark blue color of his eyes, but when he spoke of the various birds, the color lightened, and the silver ring seemed to thin. His voice, although still low and gentle, definitely became more dynamic.
“It’s amazing that you can reproduce bird songs after listening to them when you’re writing music.”
“I traveled to South America, and my guide took me to a section where there was a nest of a Harpy Eagle about ninety feet high up in a kapok tree. I felt very privileged to have even seen one. I know they’re very difficult to spot,” Rory said. “He also told me that, for the most part, the Harpy Eagles are silent. But I camped close to their tree, and I listened. I found they make a variety of sounds. To me, each note was unique and beautiful. With the background of the wind moving through the canopy, when I heard the sound, I immediately felt music and lyrics.”
Gideon flashed her another grin. This one was again very brief, but it lit his eyes. “I’ve been to the South American rain forest multiple times looking for the Harpy Eagle. Beautiful bird. Nothing like it in the world. Those talons, large like a grizzly’s. They mate for life. Did you know that?”
His voice was mesmerizing. She leaned her chin into the heel of her hand, feeling she could listen to him all night. The sound of his voice was pitched low, a velvet-soft blend that seemed to stroke over her senses until every nerve ending was singing. She’d never had a reaction to another human being the way she did to him. Spending time in his company was both exhilarating and frightening. At the same time, it was addicting. The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to be with him.
“The guide mentioned those things to me, along with the fact that the Harpy Eagle was considered the most dangerous of all raptors. He said it’s actually so powerful that it could puncture a man’s skull with ease.”
Gideon nodded. “They’re no joke, yet you camped close to their nest. After what he told you, you weren’t afraid?”
Rory tried not to look at his long fingers wrapped around the bottle of water. He had big hands. The Harpy Eagle had five-inch talons, comparable to the five-inch claws of a grizzly bear. There was tremendous danger and power in the raptor. She could see power and danger running through Gideon. It was strange to think those things when he was so soft-spoken and gentle.