Page 42 of Property of Anchor

I scrambled off his lap, yanked my shirt down, and brushed my hair with my fingers as I darted to the door.I cracked it open just enough to peer out.

Bernice stood on the porch, clutching a paperback that looked like it had been rescued from a dumpster and then dragged through a windstorm.She wore her usual blue muumuu, yellow slippers, and a knitted scarf even though it was sixty-five degrees out.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.“You’re flushed.”

“I was… showering.Still hot.”

Her gaze drifted past my shoulder, and I was painfully aware that Anchor hadn’t moved or made a single sound.

“Mm-hmm,” Bernice said.“Your voice sounds suspiciously winded for someone who just took a relaxing rinse.”

I offered a smile that I hoped screamedplease don’t keep diggingand reached for the book.“Thanks for the, uh, smut.”

She didn’t hand it over.Instead, she leaned on her cane and stared me down like she had x-ray vision and fully intended to use it.“You know, Pearl, I may be old, but I wasn’t born yesterday.I know the look of a woman who’s been thoroughly kissed.”

Behind me, Anchor cleared his throat.

I stiffened.

Bernice’s eyebrows shot up.“Well, well.”

“Bernice…”

She waved me off with one hand and finally shoved the book at me.“Do whatever you want.Just don’t get yourself killed.Men like him don’t come with warnings on the packaging, but they should.”

I gripped the book.“Thanks… I think?”

She was already turning around.“You’ll figure it out.Or you won’t.But if you find a dead body on this island, I’m blaming hormones.”

The door shut with a softthud, and I stood there staring at it for a long second before turning back to Anchor.

He hadn’t moved.Still leaned back against the couch, one arm draped over the back like he was king of the world and not regretting anything.

“She’s subtle, huh?”he smirked.

“Subtle like a sledgehammer.”I padded back toward him, curling my fingers around the book.“She’s not wrong, though.You don’t come with warning labels.”

“No,” he agreed.“But maybe I should come with a promise.”

I raised a brow.“Yeah?What kind of promise?”

He stood up and walked toward me slowly.“The kind that says I won’t let anything happen to you.Not while you’re here.Not while I’m around.”

The words lodged in my chest.

“I know this shit has gotten heavy.And I know I dragged you into it.”

“I found the body,” I whispered.“You didn’t drag me anywhere.”

He nodded.“Still.I’ve got your back, Pearl.I mean it.”

For a moment, I forgot about the dead bodies, the suspicion in Bernice’s voice, and the weight of what we were tangled up in.All I could think about was the way Anchor looked at me like I was something more than just another person caught in the chaos.

I stepped closer with the book still clutched in my hand.“I’d like you to kiss me again.Now would be a good time before Bernice decides to come back with popcorn.”

Anchor grinned, and then he kissed me—slow, sure, and unhurried.

Anchor pulled back just enough for his breath to ghost across my lips.His eyes searched mine like he was trying to memorize everything I was thinking.