Page 25 of Forgiving His Past (Eagle’s Nest Securities #5)

“We should probably go back inside,” he told her, though that was the very last thing Van wanted to do.

He was trying to be good. Really, really trying hard. And the last thing he wanted to be was something she’d regret.

“You’re a very confusing man, Donovan.”

His half-hard dick reflexively jumped at the sound of her saying his name.

“I’m supposed to be protecting you.” His voice came out rough. “Not…seducing you.”

“Is that what this is?” She glanced back out toward the meandering whale. “Your attempt at seduction?” A sly grin lifted the corner of her desirable lips.

The truth was, Van didn’t know what this was. Did he want her? Hell yes, he did. More than he’d wanted a woman in maybe forever.

And that right there only added to his mounting problems. Because there had been a time in his life when he thought the same about Jenny.

Sweet. Funny. Adorable Jenny. The woman he’d planned to spend that same forever with. The mother of his unborn child.

It wasn’t as though he’d been celibate since his wife’s death. It was years ago, and he was about the furthest thing from a saint a man could get .

But it had always been just sex. Consensual—and sometimes even fun—sex. No strings. No commitments. Just a way for him and his partner to blow off some steam.

And after…

After, I always walk away.

“You know,” Kam spoke up again, her eyes following the playful humpback’s every move.

“That’s the second time you’ve eluded to being my protector.

Not my abductor or interrogator.” She glanced back over at him, her gaze falling to the gun still held securely in his hand.

“Does that mean you finally believe that what I’ve been telling you all along is true?

” Those incredible eyes lifted up to his.

“Do you believe that I did not kill Farzad Akimi, and that I also had nothing to do with what happened to your team?”

“Yes.” Van held her beseeching stare. “I believe you.”

His response was out of his mouth before his brain had a chance to catch up with the plan. But it didn’t matter, because he refused to take the words back.

What he’d said was the truth. One that ran deep to the center of his very soul.

It didn’t matter to him what Webb’s contact claimed this woman had done. Kaamisha Dawari was not his enemy nor a danger to his team. He was willing to bet his life— all their lives—on it.

And no one was more surprised by that than him.

“You do?” The strength in Kam’s confident gaze became overshadowed by a well of unshed tears. “You really believe me?”

There was a slight hitch in her voice as it grew thick with emotion. The sight of her on the verge of tears made Van’s chest grow tight.

If his gut hadn’t already convinced him of the woman’s innocence, the look she was giving him now would have damn sure done the trick. And just like that, he became filled with an overwhelming need to make sure she could trust his every word.

“I believe you, Kaamisha,” he told her again. He reached out with his free hand and gently cupped one side of her face.

Van knew he shouldn’t touch her. That he should drop his hand, turn around, and walk his ass straight back to bed.

He did none of those things.

A single tear fell in a silver streak down her other cheek. “I’m sorry.” Kam hastily swiped it away. “I’m not usually a crier, but…” Her voice cracked. “I’ve been alone in all of this.” Lines appeared in her otherwise flawless brow. “For so long, I’ve had no one to turn to or…to trust.”

“You can trust me, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart?

He didn’t talk like that. Not him. His teammates, sure. They were always calling their women sweetheart or baby, but not Van.

Whatever.

“I do trust you, Donovan,” Kam whispered as a breeze lifted the ends of her beautiful hair. “I’m trusting you with my life.”

He leaned in closer, bringing his lips to where they were a hair’s breadth from touching hers. She brought herself up a bit higher to meet him in the middle.

Her eyelids fell shut, and Van put his mouth to hers. With his gun still in his hand, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her body flush with his.

At that exact same moment, something that sounded like rushing water reached his ears. Though he hated to do it, Van pulled back just in time to see the whale’s entire front half shoot up out of the water before falling straight back down.

“Look out!” His shouted warning came just as the enormous mammal’s body slammed against the water’s surface. Van did his best to cover Kam’s startled body with his.

The humpback’s fin smacked its way through the sea’s shallow waves, sending a rush of water flying high through the air. And because they were standing directly in its path, it rained down on top of their hunched-over forms.

Kam squealed, and Van sucked in a quick breath, his back muscles tensing as the dissipating droplets fell against his bare skin.

When they uncurled their bodies back into their previously upright positions, he found an ear-to-ear smile spreading across her beautiful face and her shoulders bouncing with boisterous laughter as she looked out over the sea.

“Oh, my gosh!” Kam giggled—actually giggled —while scanning the water for the whale. “I can’t believe that just happened!”

Yeah, well…that made two of them.

Did I seriously just get cock blocked by a freaking humpback whale?

She continued laughing, excitedly searching the sparkling waves. The beautiful sound was contagious as hell, and the next thing Van knew…

He was laughing, too.

Hard, head-thrown-back, mouth-wide-open laughter. It felt so foreign it took him a minute to even realize what had occurred.

It had been years since he’d let his guard down enough to experience a moment like the one they were currently sharing. Sure, when he was with the guys, he’d let loose with the occasional grin or under-the-breath chuckle.

But this was different. He was beginning to feel different. And it was all because of her.

“I think it finally swam away.” Kam’s amused gaze slid from the stilled water and back over to him.

Van could tell by the expression on her face that she’d been expecting to find him looking at the water, as well. He didn’t give a shit about the whale or anything else they couldn’t see. Right then, in that very moment, the only thing he cared about was…

Her.

His feet covered the short distance to where Kam was standing, carefully setting his pistol down onto a nearby cushion as he moved. She stared up at him, her eyes widening with uncertainty beneath the moonlit sky.

And there, on the bow of his boat with millions of stars witnessing from up above, Van took her gorgeous face between his palms and slammed his mouth to hers.