Page 38 of Loving Graystoke's Heir

Better men had been affected by a momentary glimpse of the wild soul within.

He felt a tug on his sleeve and turned to look at Tamsin again.

Her narrowed glare brought heat rushing up along his skin. She had such an effect on him, even with just a look.

“Donal Graystoke. Don’t you dare try to intimidate him! You’re making this into a mess. And maybe you think you have a right to dictate what I do just because I’m in love with you. That’s not going to happen. I did not come all the way to Africa to sit back and hope that you’re safe while you rush out into the dark to stop hunters from killing precious wildlife.”

Zenzile smiled at her. “Don’t forget, Sifiso. When you came to us at first, you saw that men in the area told us to go home and take care of our families and be safe, you were the one who stood up and told those men and yes, some women, that we were taking care of our families.

“That the wildlife of Africa is just as important to our people as if they were our family. You can not say now that Tamsin is an exception to the rule.”

Donal wanted to roar in her face and tell her that the rules were exactly what he wanted. Still, he hadn’t shown the others who he was under his skin.

He hadn’t shared that part of his personality with them.

And it was true. The women who served the Bandile and went out on patrols had families. These women were dedicated to nature and nurture.

Could he honestly say that he would force Tamsin to stay behind?

Trust.

He heard his spirit rushing up through their connection and heard the voice repeat.

Trust.

Of course, I trust Tamsin. I just can’t escape that feeling that it would be a mistake to take her with us.

Protect. Trust. Beside us.

The image in his head was the deciding factor. Whether it came from his own mind or his gorilla, he didn’t know. But there it was.

Tamsin standing between them, her hands on both his shoulder and the gorilla’s. Between them, they could protect her. Between them, she gave them strength.

He had been wrong to demand that she stay behind. He’d meant to protect her because he loved her, but he could also understand what it would feel like to be left behind while Tamsin marched into danger.

And he’d left Tamsin behind before, leading to years of separation. He wasn’t going to make that mistake again.

“You’ll come with us, but if we come in contact with the poachers you need to promise me that you’ll stay back.” He continued before she could start to argue. “We’ve been trained for these situations. We don’t have the time to train you now. Stepping into an armed confrontation without training-”

“I know,” she agreed with him, “I could put others in danger. I get that, I really do, Donal. You won’t regret this.”

He pulled her into his arms, ignoring the curious looks from his friends, and gave her a kiss that reminded him all too much of the taste of her body that he’d had a few hours before.

When he leaned back and looked at her, he couldn’t help but smile. “You take care of yourself, Tam. I want… no, I need you to be safe.”

“And I feel the same way, Donal, but I think I like the idea of being able to watch out for you too. The way it should be.”

Chapter Nine

Donal looked over at the passenger seat of the jeep and struggled not to throw the man out of the vehicle and leave him behind. Magheli hadn’t chosen to sit up front with him. Zenzile had made the seating decisions for all of them, taking hold of Tamsin’s hand and helping her get in the back. All the two men had to do was shrug, climb into the front seats and avoid speaking to each other for as long as they could.

As twilight descended over the land, they saw headlights approaching from the opposite direction.

Slowing the jeep, Donal stayed in the center of the well-traveled road and waited for the other vehicle to come closer.

Zenzile was the first to see the identifying marks on the vehicle. Donal saw her leaning forward and tilted his head closer to her.

“It’s Paulie’s guides, but something is wrong.”

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