“Listen, Van…” She started to speak. “About what happened…before. I just wanted to let you know that I’m not?—”
“Don’t worry.” He cut her off with a shake of his head. “It won’t happen again.”
“That’s not…” She paused, trying to come up with the right thing to say. “I didn’t come out here for some sort of guarantee.”
“Why did you come out here, then?”
“For you.”
Van slowly turned his black gaze her way. When he did, the look in his eyes was so intense, she once again found it hard to breathe.
“For me?”
Kam nodded. “I assumed you were out here blaming yourself for that which warrants no blame. And I wanted to make it clear that you did nothing wrong.”
“I almost kissed you.”
“I know.”
“That’s not…” His throat worked down a swallow. “I don’t do that.”
One corner of her lips curved upward. “You don’t kiss?”
“You’re here so I can keep you out of harm’s way.” He bypassed the actual question. “I’m supposed to be protecting you, not?—”
“I thought you brought me onto your boat so you could question me more about whatever it was you thought I knew.”
“That is exactly my point.” Van gave his lips a quick swipe with his tongue before his attention returned to the water. “You were my team’s target, and I’m here because of work.”
They’d circle back to the fact that he’d just referred to her status as a target of his team in past tense.
“I don’t suppose you’re the type of man who’s in the habit of mixing business with pleasure.”
“It doesn’t happen,” he growled, bringing his focus back to her.
“Not ever?”
The curt shake of his head combined with the hardened expression on his face let her know he was telling the truth.
“Well just so you know, I am very good at keeping secrets. So don’t worry…” Kam put a hand to his arm. “Yours is safe with me.”
Their gazes remained locked together for several more seconds before she finally lowered her hand. Looking away, she turned and started to leave, but only made it a few steps before his voice cut to her through the chill of the evening air.
“I want you.”
She froze mid-step, her mind racing to find the proper response. Before she could come up with something that didn’t make her sound like a rambling fool, Van spoke up from behind her again.
“I’m more attracted to you than I’ve ever been to a woman.” A slight pause. “Even my wife. And I don’t know what to…” Another brief hesitation. “I won’t act on it, and I swear to you, you’re safe with me. I just thought…for full disclosure…that you should know.”
Oh, boy.
That was…
“There’s something you should know, too.” Kam finally turned her body around so she could face him. “I’m attracted to you, too. And if youhadkissed me tonight…” She searched his troubled gaze. “I would have kissed you back.”
He blinked, her unabashed admission appearing to have taken him aback. Twice, Van parted his lips as if to respond. And both times, he closed his mouth without uttering a sound.
A blanket of that stoic control he always seemed to carry fell over him as she stood there and waited. On the third attempt to relay what he was thinking, Van dipped his chin with a softened, “Goodnight, Kam.”
