of swamping our vessel with one small lunge, but the captain didn’t look nervous as the whale swam beside us, so I didn’t worry about it, either.
Tears filled my eyes as I marveled over the strength, size, and power of an animal that we’d once brought to the brink of extinction. “We nearly killed them all, but they’re still alive,” I whispered.
“They’re still endangered,” Owen said as we continued to watch the whale swim with the boat. “But at least people haven’t been able to hunt them for around fifty years because they’re protected. Their biggest enemy now is getting hit and killed by container ships.”
“How do you know these things?” I asked teasingly.
Owen had always been able to quote a plethora of facts on just about any subject. Sometimes I swore his brain had to be overcrowded.
His low chuckle vibrated against my ear. “I have a sister who is a big proponent of the slowdown effort to get container ships to slow down in the whales’ habitat. There’s no way I can be related to a wildlife conservationist and not know about most endangered species. Jade isn’t exactly shy about giving everyone her opinions on it.”
I laughed at his indulgent tone. I’d just recently gotten to know Jade, Skye, and Riley better, but I did know how passionate Jade was about her job. “She’d love seeing this,” I said absently. “And why do you think this one is a male?”
“It’s definitely an assumption,” he said genially. “Since he hasn’t accommodated us by flipping onto his back, it’s just a guess. He looks like an adult, but now that he’s nearer, I think he’s closer to seventy feet than eighty, and males are generally smaller than female blue whales.”
I bumped back against him. “Well, thank you for that short marine-biology lesson, Dr. Brainiac.”
I didn’t intend to ask him how to tell a male from a female if a person could view the genitals of a whale, probably because I knew he’d know the answer.
I’d always had intelligent, science-based thinking, and sometimes I could challenge Owen, but not all that often. His recall was phenomenal and off the charts.
Some people found it a little intimidating, but not me. It was just . . . Owen.
“You know how I am about factual stuff. It just stays in my brain for some reason,” he said in a slightly sheepish voice.
Which is exactly why he knows so much about so many things, and not just medicine.
“Don’t ever be sorry about being smart, Owen, or having exceptional recall ability. I think it’s pretty amazing,” I informed him honestly.
“That’s only because you’re scary brilliant, too,” he said amiably.
“Not really,” I answered, making light of his compliment. “I have to admit there were a few times that I wished I could remember things as well as you did, but I was never jealous. I had my own talents. I didn’t need yours.”
We were both silent as the magnificent creature beside us started moving away.
“He’s leaving,” I whispered sadly. “But it was incredible that we actually saw a blue whale.”
I turned as we lost sight of the animal and held out my hand. “Look. I’m actually shaking from being so close to something that exciting.”
The captain sped the boat up once the whale was out of sight, and headed back toward the marina.
Owen took my hand in his as he said, “You’re way too easy to please, Layla. But that was an almost unbelievable experience for me, too, I have to admit.”
As the sun began to creep lower in the sky, our gazes locked and held.
Suddenly, I felt so damn vulnerable that I wanted to turn away from him, but I couldn’t. My back was literally against the wall . . . or should I say the railing?
Owen’s gaze was hungry, searching, and I wasn’t quite sure what he was looking for, but whatever it was, I wanted to give it to him.
“These last few weeks, everything has been wonderful,” I said in a shaky voice.
This man got to me with a single look, and sometimes I felt like he could see right through me and into my damn soul.
It was as frightening as it was exciting.
I’d never connected on this level with anybody else.
Only him.
Only Owen.
My heart skittered as he moved closer and wrapped his arms around me, letting me see what it felt like to be as close to him as possible without . . .
Oh, sweet Jesus! He’s going to kiss me.
“If you want me