Chapter 3

Three

Trevor

M other . Fucker. I'd taken bullets that didn't hit me as hard as the glance from the set of big, blue eyes currently turned my way.

Kami Mackenzie.

My body swayed back a little and I had to fight to stay on my feet.

Without warning, my heart thundered to life. It went from steady and calm to flat out fuck me speeds in less than a second.

It took every ounce of self-control I possessed to keep from hurdling the tables between us, grabbing her from the chair and crushing her to me.

"Good morning, Trevor." Mrs. Morgan hopped up from her spot beside Kami. As consumed as I'd been by a set of sky-colored eyes, I hadn't even registered her presence until this moment.

I mentally glued my size sixteens to the hardwood floor and did my best to smile at Mrs. Morgan. "Morning. How are you?"

"Good, good."

She came forward and I pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Look who's back in town. Isn't she a beauty?"

I grumble some sort of agreeance that had Mrs. Morgan smiled to herself.

She patted my back. "Do you have time for a cup of coffee?" Mrs. Morgan asked.

"Here, take my seat." Dave, the man sitting across from Kami, had been part of a few of my expeditions this week. He jumped up and offered his chair. "I have to finish getting my gear together."

At this, the men in the room started to move, getting up and calling greetings as they headed off to get ready for the fishing trip.

I nodded, but kept my gaze firmly on the woman I never thought I'd see again after breaking her heart. I sank into the vacated chair as Mrs. Morgan bustled over with a cup of coffee. Without a word she whisked the dirty dishes in front of me away and seconds later replaced it with a plate heaped high with food and a set of clean utensils.

In less than two minutes, the room had cleared. The men scattered to gather their gear. Mrs. Morgan headed to the kitchen; her arms loaded with dirty dishes.

"Help yourself to more coffee," she said on her way out. "I'm just going to get these dishes started."

Through it all, I never let go of the gaze of the woman now sitting across from me. She shook her head, sending her mass of honey-blonde hair cascading over her shoulders. Past habits had me lifting my head to catch the scent of her. Hints of lilac and something warm and musky that was just her made me want to get closer and bury my face in the juncture where her neck and shoulders met.

I watched as her pretty, bow-shaped lips parted and then closed again. I could feel a smile tugging the corner of my lips, the first genuine smile I can remember mustering in a long time.

"Did you need me?" I asked. Not why are you here? Not where did you go? And not are you staying? And definitely not will you forgive me? I've seen war up close and personal. Death, blood and limp bodies of fallen friends and soldiers fill my nightmares, true. But the fact I broke the one woman who trusted me with her body and her heart haunts my waking hours as well as my sleep. Her blue eyes and soft voice. I was a fool.

She blinked, her cute nose wrinkling. "I'm sorry. No. I won't be needing you."

She looked away as if I were a stranger.

"You did say my name."

"I said your name?"

I nodded, now fighting an outright chuckle at the way she crinkled her nose again. As I watched, she straightened in her seat, shaking her head as if to clear cobwebs.

Good. It wasn't just me affected by our impromptu reunion.

Her eyes caressed over my face. My shoulders were next as if she were remembering something. Our last time together, perhaps? Her gaze dropped to my forearms where I had the sleeves of my shirt rolled up.

I know what she is looking at. The scars. They are hard to hide as is the limp I walk with now. The IED that caught me and a couple of team members by surprise on my last mission messed me up pretty badly.

"Trevor." She rolled my name around and I acted before thinking. Reaching forward I took her hand in mine. When she didn't pull away, I gave up a small thanks to whoever watched over me.

"I didn't think you would be here."

I nodded. "I've been back a little over a year now."

The pad of my thumb stroked over the backside of her hand. Soft, delicate. Fragile. So damn fragile for a rough asshole like me.

She worried her bottom lip with her teeth and damn if I didn't want to lean across the table and take over that job for her like old times.

When she didn't respond, I arched an eyebrow and sat back in the chair. Never dropping her hand from mine, I stretched my legs out under the table. My calf brushed against hers and a sizzle, like a quick shock from an electrical outlet, burst through me.

She gasped and her teeth lost their claim on her lip. My calm faded as I stared at that mouth. A low rumble surged up from deep inside me, but before I could act on the pulsing urges to have a taste of those pretty lips, the woman's eyes grew wide and she hopped up from her seat, dropping my hand.

"Excuse me, Trevor. Um…I just…remembered…I have to…" Before she managed to get out a coherent sentence, she fled from the room.

Fuck.

Hardwired instinct demanded I get up and go after her. I stood, but before I managed a single step, the men who booked my services for the morning started filing back into the room.

I held back the desire to bare my teeth and mow down the men now standing between me and Kami.

Dave gave me a couple of rapid-fire smacks on my back, but I didn't look at him. Five seconds and I could have her in my arms again. I could have her against a wall, her mouth on mine and…

And what, asshole? She hates your guts.

"Looks like Mrs. Morgan's pretty new guest didn't stick around long. What did you say to the poor thing?"

No shit.

I finally managed to tear my attention away to pin my gaze on him.

"Do you know if she's staying here awhile?"

Dave shrugged and offered a jovial smile. "Not sure if she's staying awhile, but from what she and Mrs. Morgan said over breakfast, she'll be here at least until the weekend."

His words were sufficient to drop my heart back into my chest. Something told me from this point on I better stop wasting time or she'll be gone before I can get a meaningful word out of my mouth.

Dave stood next to me, his eyes expectant.

Damn.

"You guys about ready to do some fishing?" I asked.

Dave grinned and let out a sharp whistle. "Let's head ‘em up and move ‘em out," he called to the men.

I couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. I'd had fun with the group during the week. Most of them were avid outdoorsmen. Like me, they liked nothing more than to find some adventure and sport in the wilderness or on the water.

"I tried to convince Mrs. Morgan's new guest to come along and fish with us," Dave said as we headed out to the dock where the boats were moored.

His words caught my interest immediately. "Was she interested?"

The words came from me so fast, I winced. Jeez. Was I really going to pump some guy I barely knew for information about my mate?

Mine.

I'm not letting her leave this mountain without hearing me out. I have to.

The blow to my midsection shot the air from my lungs as surely as if I'd taken a hit from the heavyweight champion of the world. I clenched my jaw and only by the strongest effort of will did I manage to keep putting one foot in front of the other. There was no other way to explain my reaction to seeing Kami again.

Mine, my mind growled and I listened. Having her hand in mine again stirred to life feelings I thought I buried.

Even thinking of her being so near again sent a combination of relief and possession surging through me.

"No, man," Dave said with a chuckle, "she might be pretty to look at, but that girl's got high maintenance written all over her. From what she said and the face she made, I'd say she doesn't venture many places that don't have a spot for her to plug in her hair dryer."

I know all that to not be true. She distanced herself from her true self. Kami loved the outdoors as much as I loved the water. Navy boy and mountain girl. An odd match, but one I aim to see forged before she has a chance to leave again.

"Are you talking about the girl at breakfast?" One of Dave's buddies fell into step beside us. "She was a riot. When you mentioned coming fishing with us, you'd have thought you asked her to gut and clean everything we caught."

The two men laughed while I worked up an image—a younger version of the honey haired, blue- eyed beauty winning trophies for the largest fish caught three summers in a row.

These men didn't know the Kami I knew. I needed to go to her, but couldn't come up with an excuse that would get these men to cancel their last day out on the lake with me.

Tonight. After the fishing trip, I'd find her.

Suddenly, I felt more hopeful than I had in years. Since before I left the Navy and returned to Hartwood to start my business. Seeing my fellow team members and SEALs get married and start families made me edgier the more that went by. Now maybe it's my turn.

If I can convince her to trust me again.

As I untied the boat from its mooring along the long dock, I allowed myself one more look back at the lodge, feeling like my whole life had changed the second I'd stepped over the threshold of the dining room this morning.

Tonight. The single word beat through my head, a reminder and a promise. Tonight, I'd find out if my beautiful, sky-eyed woman could give me a second chance.