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“What?” I asked, sensing her annoyance.

“Agent Harris is helping me. You didn’t have to give him a hard time.”

I touched her wrist. She turned to face me, her body rigid. “I can’t lose you.” I infused the words with everything I couldn’t quite say, the desperation that made me feel like my organs were melting out of my skin. The fear that rode me, forcing me to face truths I wasn’t ready for.

She looked heart-wrenchingly beautiful, sun glinting off her yellow hair. Water glittered around us, lapping gently against the dock. The wind blew a strand of hair across her mouth, and she wiped it away impatiently.

“I’ll be fine,” she said, sounding exasperated. “I know Owen. He won’t hurt me.”

“No, honey, you’re not hearing me.I can’t lose you.” My chest constricted. I forced the words out anyway. “I’m usually thereasonable one. The calm one. But I can’t be that when it comes to you. If he hurts you, if he touches you—I can’t even think about it without seeing red. I need you to be okay.”

“I will be.”

Her eyes were soft, but I could tell she didn’t get it.

“Even if your feelings for me aren’t as strong, it doesn’t matter. Anya, I’m yours. Your shield. Your sword. Damn the consequences. I need you to be okay like I need to breathe. Anything less is unacceptable.”

I held her gaze. “You’re it for me.”

I couldn’t bring myself to regret my words. They were the truth. I could only hope my honesty wouldn’t scare her away. She hovered, indecision fluttering across her expressive face as she processed my impassioned little speech. Fight or flight might as well be floating above her head in a thought bubble, her dilemma was so apparent. She changed her stance, coming off the balls of her feet and settling more fully until the sole of each foot made contact with the dock. That small sign that she was rooted, standing in her version of mountain, eased some of the tension gripping me. Maybe I hadn’t ruined it all by pushing her too fast.

“Andrew Fenwick, I love you, and the only consequences I’m willing to accept are us living happily ever after once we get Owen out of our lives.”

After “love you,” everything short-circuited, her words swimming past me like fish darting through a murky sea. Total system collapse. I’d been steeling myself for rejection. For her to bail. And fuck if she didn’t do the exact opposite.

A laugh burst from my chest. Half relief, half exultation. All rusty emotion. In that moment, if sheer will could kill, Owen would be six feet under. I wouldn’t let anyone come between me and Anya.

“I’m going to hold you to that, you know,” I warned.

Her blue eyes glittered with unshed tears. She swiped angrily at her eyes, burying the emotion with a choked-off laugh.

“I feel like Owen is the modern-day equivalent of Rumpelstiltskin, here to ruin my future by holding me accountable for the mistakes in my past.”

“We have his name, and we have his number.” I tilted her chin up until she looked me in the eye. “There’s nothing in your past to be ashamed of, no matter how he tries to twist things.” Her shoulders relaxed. Just a bit, but that tiny victory made me tease, “And there’s no way in hell I’m letting him get his hands on youorour first-born child.”

Anya held up a palm, eyes flashing even as she hid a smile. “Slow down there, Fenwick. No one said anything about children…”

I wrapped her in my arms, grinning down at her. “Aw, honey. You’d look so cute round with my baby in happy baby pose.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re a nut.”

“But I’myournut. All of my nuts are yours.”

Her head tilted. “I don’t know how to respond to that, Fenwick. You’ve managed to be both sweet and salty.”

I dropped a quick kiss on her mouth, smiling against her lips when she stood on tiptoes to follow me as I drew away. “We’re the perfect combination.”

Hand in hand, we stepped into Harbor Brews, our fingers laced together like a silent promise. Zach’s eyes flickered to our entwined hands. His dimple flashed. “What can I get you fine folks this morning?”

I checked behind me to make sure he was talking to us.

“Two regular coffees please,” Anya said.

“Everything go okay with your morning meeting?” Zach asked quietly as he poured our cups.

“Mr. Bull in China Shop here wanted to rock the boat, but we’re good.”

Zach squinted at her but didn’t argue with her mixing of metaphors. He turned to me. “Let us know if you need anything.”