Kamon hadn’t been so happy to wake up in his own damn bed in a long time. It was the last day of his official bereavement leave and he planned to spend every minute of it naked in his bed with Malia. He couldn’t hold back the stupid grin plastered on his face as he watched her sleep beside him. The sun kissed her bare skin, and Kamon soaked in the warmth as he pressed his lips along her shoulder. She’d been through so much over the last week and needed her rest. He tamped down his desire and settled for just holding her in his arms as long as she needed him to.

A soft moan floated from her lips as she stirred at his touch. He loved all the sounds she made, every one of them lighting a fire inside him. She turned in his arms and faced him as she fluttered open her eyes.

Kamon slid the back of his hand along her cheek and smiled. “Morning, beautiful.”

“Morning,” she whispered with the echo of a reluctant groan. “Please tell me we don’t have to leave this bed today.”

He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. “We don’t have to leave this bed today.”

A terse knock preceded Jinx bursting through his bedroom door. “You have to leave this bed today!”

Malia grabbed the covers and yanked them to her face. Kamon threw an arm over her, shielding her from Jinx’s view.

“What the fuck, man?” Kamon called out.

Jinx tossed Kamon his phone. “Tex has a message for you. When you wouldn’t answer, he texted me. Look.” Jinx pointed to the phone now sunk in the covers between them.

Kamon held the phone between him and Malia.

Tex: She’s alive and I know where to find her. Have Shadow call me, right away.

Kamon shook his head. “What is this about? Who’s alive?”

Jinx smiled. “Malia’s birth mother, Achara Inpi. And she’s here in San Diego.”

Malia shot up, nearly knocking Kamon off the bed, clutching the covers over her chest. “What?”

“I gotta get to the base, but there’s breakfast in the kitchen if you want it. Good luck!” Jinx darted into the room, grabbed his phone back from Kamon, and dashed right back out the door.

Kamon took a hard swallow and looked at Malia, her mouth still forming a little O in surprise.

“Are you all right? You don’t have to see her if you don’t want to. We can wait to call him back.” Kamon was at a loss as to his next move. He didn’t want to push her, yet he didn’t want to seem like it wasn’t important.

Malia shook her head and glanced down at the blankets in front of her. “I … I don’t know. I wasn’t expecting this kind of news. I mean … after all these years … this is really sudden. I just found out Yaza is really my father, and now my birth mother is alive, not to mention in the same city as me. I can’t even process this right now.”

Kamon rubbed her shoulders, easing away the knots under his fingertips. “Take it slow. Think about it. We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready to do. But if you want me to, I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

She turned and locked eyes with him. “You’re so amazing. I sometimes feel like you’re just a dream, and I’m going to wake up and you’ll be gone.”

A warm rush hit his heart. “I assure you, I’m very real and I’m not going anywhere.”

Malia grabbed his shoulders and leaned herself back onto the pillows, pulling Kamon on top of her as she claimed his mouth, thanking him with every sweep of her tongue and twist of her lips. He curled his fingers into the flesh of her back as she writhed beneath him.

He broke the kiss, needing air, and stared into her eyes. “I’ve fallen so hard for you. You have my heart, please be careful with it.”

A sly smile curled at the edges of her kiss-swollen lips. “You have mine. You break it, I break your face.”

He thrust his head back in a laugh. “I have no doubt you would.”

“Less talk. More kissing.” She pulled him back down on her and ran her long fingertips along his scalp, launching an army of shivers along his skin.

He cradled her face with his hand and took control of the kiss, making love to her mouth, telling her all the things in his heart that words couldn’t convey. Desire pulsed in his hardening cock as it pressed against her bare stomach beneath the covers.

Warmth wrapped around his length as she stroked him with her hand. Everything about this woman challenged him, inspired him, drove him wild. He knew without a doubt he’d found his match and every touch, every kiss confirmed it in his mind. She knew how to touch, how to elicit feelings from deep inside him he had no idea even existed.

He needed her. She had no idea just how much control she already had over him. As her eyes opened and she broke the kiss, he fell even harder for her to the point he could only call it love. Once he feared it. Now, he welcomed it.

He braced himself at the entrance of not only her body, but of a new beginning, a new chapter in his life, at the edge of no return. “I love you.”

She gasped, either at his words or at his thrust, he didn’t know. But her return profession came on the wings of breathy moans as he consumed all she had to give. Every stride, he claimed her. Every moan, she accepted. Together, their cry of unity, love and lust, echoed through the room.

She laid across his bare chest, her black silken hair tickling his skin as they struggled to regain breath, letting the waves of euphoria fade. Her fingers traced little circles through the sparse hair along his chest. “Would you come with me to see her?”

Relief and joy sprang up in his heart and he squeezed her tighter. “Of course.”

“I think I’d like to see her today, before I run out of courage. And before I head back to Langley tomorrow,” Malia said.

Kamon turned her in his arms and he stared at her as panic replaced that moment of joy. “What do you mean go back to Langley?”

“I still have a job to do. A debriefing to go to. Probably a reprimand or two in my future. I have to own up to it. Plus, I live in Virginia now.” She bit her lip.

He let out a long sigh. “I don’t know why I had it in my head you lived here in San Diego. I guess since your adopted parents did, I assumed you still lived close by.”

“I used to. I’ve only been in Virgina since I completed my CIA training. I thought it was a smarter move rather than having to fly back for briefings and such. I wasn’t expecting to meet the love of my life on my first solo mission.” Her eyes glassed over and she turned her head away.

Happiness cut through the panic in his heart. This was why the idea of love was always tainted for him. He hated the roller-coaster of emotions. “The love of your life?”

A smile twitched on her lips and a single tear slid down her cheek as she nodded.

“We can make it work. We’ll do what we have to, okay?” He brushed the tear away with his thumb.

“Okay,” she whispered.

“Let’s go see your mom.”

He needed time to think of a plan to keep her in San Diego. Maybe she could move in with him, or they could find a place together. But the Jinx factor weighed heavy in his heart. He hated to dump on his best friend. Maybe they could get a bigger place and they could all live together. He had no idea, he just knew he didn’t want Malia to go and would do all he could to convince her that she needed to be in San Diego with him. He’d just got her back and wasn’t planning on losing her one more time.

* * *

Malia ran a hand through her hair as she stepped out of the car and looked at the small house in front of her. She hated the idea of just springing herself on the mother she hadn’t met before, though, as it was explained to her she had actually met her as Aunt Achara. But those memories were so fuzzy and scarred by the event that got her fake parents killed, who turned out to be CIA operatives posing as her real parents. It was an amalgamated mess and hurt her head to even think about and sort through the truth. Though they were meant to protect her, they were still lies.

Kamon tipped his shades to the top of his head and slid a hand along the small of her back. His comforting touch soothed her heart, but nerves still buzzed in her belly.

Kamon leaned in and pressed his lips to her ear in a soft kiss. “You’ve got this.”

Malia placed her hand into his and they walked up the path to the front door and Kamon rang the bell.

A woman in her forties answered the door. Long waves of dark hair sat piled on her head in a messy bun. She slid a pair of glasses to the tip of her nose as she opened the door and her eyes widened to saucers, her mouth puffing to a large O in as gasp.

“Malia?” she choked out.

“Achara?” Malia forced out in return.

“You remember me?” She blinked.

“Sort of. It’s fuzzy, but I remember you as Aunt Achara.” Malia swallowed hard, pushing down the ball of emotions wedging in her throat. “But … I know … now...” She tried desperately to get the words off her tongue but they stuck, swirled in a word she couldn’t bring herself to voice.

Achara looked to Kamon and then back at Malia with tears puddled in her eyes. She reached a wobbly hand toward her daughter. “You know the truth?”

Malia looked up and nodded, brushing away a flurry of tears. “Mom?”

Achara fell to her knees, clutching her chest and Kamon caught the door before it slammed on her. Malia dropped to a squat and placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder, her mother. A wave of dizziness clouded her head and the moment blurred, almost like the night her … the night her mother sent her away to be protected.

“I’m so, so sorry, Malia,” Achara choked out. “I did what I could. I tried. I was so young. I loved you so much. I hated Yaza and refused to let him take the one good thing in my life and destroy it with his evilness. I had nowhere to go, no one to turn to. They came to me in my vulnerable state and talked me into giving you up. I had no idea they would eventually use you to get to Yaza. I didn’t know until recently.”

Malia tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

Achara sniffed and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her plaid button-down shirt. “Come in. Please, we can talk inside.”

Malia and Kamon entered the modest house and took seats on the sofa across from her mother in an armchair. Achara grabbed a tissue from the table in front of her and offered one to Malia who accepted, both dabbing at their eyes exactly alike. A small smile crept into Malia’s heart and showed across her lips at their similar mannerisms.

“I watched you from afar. That was my deal. They brought me to San Diego when you were adopted. I was to never have contact with you, but they gave me your adopted parents address so I could watch you grow, make sure you were safe. After you graduated and moved away, I started asking questions and found out you had gone to Langley. I called my contact and she no longer responded. I was cut off. It wasn’t until last week, a random call from a stranger, a Navy SEAL named John Keegan who said he had information on my lost daughter. He told me what had happened. He told me …” She choked through a mass of tears. “He told me you were groomed by the CIA to take down Yaza. My worst fears had manifested. I never wanted you to ever have to know him, see him, face him. Nor for him to know you, try to corrupt you, or worse … kill you out of spite for me.”

Malia dropped to her knees and clasped a hand over her mother’s. “I had no idea. None. You didn’t give me up. You were with me the whole time?”

Achara nodded and cupped Malia’s cheek. “You were my world. Still are. Oh, how beautiful you’ve become. You’re my angel who saved me. By way of you, I was able to get away from Yaza. You saved us both.”

Malia brushed back tears and tried to make sense of the jumbled thoughts and emotions billowing like a storm in her heart. “He’s no longer a threat. I wanted to kill him. I tried. I was so close. But Kamon …” Malia turned and smiled at the man who saved not only her heart, but her soul. “He stopped me from the worst mistake of my life. Yaza’s been taken into custody. He’ll never hurt any of us again.”

Achara went to wrap her arms around Malia, but hesitated. Malia lunged at her instead and pulled her into a warm embrace.

“My baby. My Malia.” Achara hugged her so tight Malia could scarcely breathe.

“Mom,” Malia whispered. “It feels really nice to say mom.”

Achara laughed and pulled back, stroking a hand along the back of Malia’s head. “It feels really good to hear.”

“I want you to meet Kamon. Unfortunately, Yaza also affected his family as well. He knows how it feels. He’s helped me so much.” Malia squeezed Kamon’s hand in one of hers as Achara squeezed her other, stretched between the love that was missing in her heart all these years.

“Mr. Keegan had told me a little about him. That he was there to rescue you from Yaza. That he is also a SEAL.” Achara looked at Kamon. “Thank you for taking care of my daughter. I owe you my life, a debt of gratitude.”

“You owe me nothing, but I’d like your blessing to love and cherish your daughter. And your help in convincing her to stay here in San Diego with me … with us.” Kamon cleared his throat.

Malia blinked. “What are you saying?”

Kamon shrugged. “I’m not trying to rush into anything. I’m not asking for you to rush off and marry me. But maybe we can talk about moving in together, here, where you belong, with your family by your side, both your adopted and biological.”

“You certainly have my blessing,” Achara said. “I’d like that very much if you’d stay in San Diego. I finally got to meet you, the real you, my real daughter.”

“Do you have others? Children, I mean,” Malia asked without even thinking that this poor woman could have a whole other family and she just barged into her life.

Achara shook her head. “No. You’ve been my sole focus. I never even thought about it.”

“Oh, mom,” Malia said with a soft laugh. “We’re going to have to go out and have a girl’s night. You’re gorgeous. You need to start living life, not behind it.”

Achara tilted her head back in a laugh. “Let’s just start slow. How about some tea?”

Malia nodded, so much joy in her heart she felt like bursting at the seams. She had everything she’d ever wanted right there in front of her in the same room. A man who loved her and protected her and a mom who’d loved her enough to let her go.

Maybe they were right. San Diego was where she needed to be, both her past and her future were already there.