“Much better.”
Once again, the sound of her accented voice pulled him out of his own thoughts. Van turned to find Kam had returned with a steaming mug held securely in her hands. The second he spotted her, his heart immediately gave a hard kick against his ribs.
Army green cargo capris hung low from the curve of her hips. The material hugged her feminine form in a way that made his mouth water and his fingers twitch with the urge to touch.
The top of her cream-colored t-shirt fell into a V, the modest collar giving him a tiny glimpse of cleavage he couldn’t help but admire. The swells of her breasts stretched the cotton in a way that made him long for just a touch, and the shirt’s hem stopped centimeters before reaching the waist of her pants.
A breeze picked up around them, blowing a few dark strands that fell loosely around her face as the rest of her thick hair lay over one shoulder in a long, dark braid.
So beautiful.
Of its own accord, Van’s mind began to play a fictional scenario. One where he stormed across the deck, pulled Kam into his arms, and slammed his mouth to hers.
Thankfully he came to his senses before he could act on his primal urges, and instead, he heard himself rushing to ask, “Does the coffee taste okay?”
Does the coffee taste okay? Seriously? That’s the best you got?
If Kam sensed anything other than genuine concern for her preference in the caffeinated beverage, she didn’t show it. She simply smiled with a slow nod before taking a small sip.
“It’s delicious,” she answered after a quick swallow. “Thank you.”
“I should have warned you, but I don’t have any of those fancy syrups or flavored creamers or any of that stuff. There should be some milk in the fridge, and I have sugar if you need it. But other than that…”
“This is fine, Van.” Kam strolled over to the same spot near the railing where she’d stood last night as they’d talked briefly before retiring to their respective beds. “I prefer my coffee black, as nature intended it.”
“Really?”
“You sound surprised.”
“I am.”
The space between her brows crinkled as she tilted her head with a perplexed expression. “Why is that?”
“I don’t know.” His shoulder lifted in a shrug. “I guess because my teammates’ wives all drink caramel lattes this and pumpkin spice that. By the time they get whatever they’ve ordered, it always looks more like watered-down chocolate milk than actual coffee.”
Kam laughed, and for a second, it felt as if the sound had somehow reached inside his chest. Its soft, sweet tendrils wrapped themselves around his heart, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Soft, sweet tendrils?
What the fuck did that even mean?
“What do you know?” The gorgeous woman flashed him a smile that lit up her eyes. “You and I have at least one thing in common.”
Then she lifted her mug carefully a few inches into the air.
“You want to go for a ride?” Van heard himself asking.
He hadn’t planned on taking the boat out into Elliott Bay today. Until now, the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind.
But since he needed to find a way for her to trust him enough to really open up to him, he decided the impromptu invitation wasn’t a half-bad idea.
“You mean out there?” Kam motioned toward the water.
“That’s usually how that works.” Van’s reflexive response held his usual, sardonic tone. Clearing his throat, he attempted a quick recovery by adding, “I mean, yeah. Figured if we’re going to be stuck here for a couple of days, the time might go by faster if we’re on the move, rather than staying docked that whole time.”
It wasn’t a lie. Time seemed to stand still when he just sat around doing nothing. And if he got her out onto the water, there was a good chance she’d stay relaxed enough tohopefully continue willingly answering some of his questions.
Kam remained quiet at first, her gaze falling out onto the calm morning water as if considering the offer. When she looked back at him and smiled, he thought she’d give a resounding “Yes!”.
