"But..."

His mouth presses a kiss into the hollow of my neck. "I know, Zoe. I know."

He knows.

And so, I fall asleep in the arms of the man who maybe, possibly, definitely loves me, not worrying about the future or the past or anything except this moment.

Here.

Safe.

Home.

There's a magical quality to the five days I spend at the lighthouse with Parker. We stay in bed all day, talking about nothing and making love. He cooks terrible, semi-charred grilled cheese sandwiches on the tiny kitchen stove and I don't complain, because it's highly unlikely I could manage to produce anything remotely more edible if I tried.

Sunsets blend into sunrises as we stay up talking about everything and nothing. I tell him about my childhood bouncing around foster homes; he reveals the horror of losing his mother at a young age and raising his sister in the absence of a reliable father figure.

He doesn't tell me he loves me again.

I don't say it either.

And yet, it doesn't matter.

There's no awkwardness or stilted conversation. We never fade into small talk.

Every moment with him matters.

On our fifth day out at sea, we're lying in bed after an afternoon session between the sheets when his phone rings. The chime is a harsh intrusion into our bubble of solitude; until I hear its piercing toll, I'd nearly forgotten the world existed outside this narrow pillar of stone.

"Nate?" Parker says into the speaker, forehead creasing in a frown. "What is it?"

Reality rushes back in a snap - Lancaster, the case, my trashed apartment. I can't believe I'd nearly forgotten, lost out here in the throes of lust and isolation.

"You're sure?" Parker asks, his tone serious. "Okay. Fine. See you soon."

My teeth sink into my bottom lip as I watch him hang up the phone.

When his eyes meet mine, there's a serious look in their depths.

"Agent Gallagher came through. Robert Lancaster was just arrested. So was Linus, his Head of Security according to Nate, the fucker has a Southie accent, which means he was probably the one who attacked you last week." Parker's expression darkens. "Don't worry, we'll make sure he faces assault charges for laying a fucking hand on you."

"What about the other charges?" I ask, eyes wide. "The factory workers..."

"Their case has been passed over to the DA. Nate says any family suffering from any kind of health issue related to the asbestos poisoning will be part of a class action lawsuit against Lancaster Consolidated. It'll be a billion-dollar case."

"And the doctor?" I ask. "Charles Birkin?"

"Apparently he took his payoff and fled the country. No one has seen him in days, though Nate won't stop looking until he finds him. You can count on it."

I suck in a breath. "So it's over?"

A slow, sexy grin breaks across Parker's face. "It's over."

"Wow." I tilt my head. "Is it wrong that I'm a little disappointed?"

"What do you mean?"

I shrug. "I don't know. I just feel like we missed out on the action."

"Adrenaline junkie," he says accusingly.

"Takes one to know one."

"Touche." He smiles. "But, honestly, I refuse to be sorry that we missed the action if it means you're safe."

"And there will be more cases, right?" I ask.

"Of course, darling. Thought I'd prefer it if you'd give up trying to tackle every criminal in Boston single-handed. You're very little, and it worries me."

"But it's not single-handed." My lips twist. "I have you. And Luca. And, if I accept his job offer, I'll have Nate, plus all his boys. That's basically a posse of badass macho men to help me kick ass. I'm like Scarlet Johansson in The Avengers, surrounded by a group of superheroes."

His eyes get warm. "Does this mean you'll be modeling a tight spandex leather suit for me? Because, I have to tell you, I'm still having fantasies about that black wig you were wearing when we first met..."

"You're gross. For the record."

"Noted." He cracks a grin. "You ready to go home, Superwoman? I have a feeling there are some people who want to see us."

"Funny. I have a feeling those people are your sisters."

His smile turns to a smirk. "Not just my sisters. Doesn't Luca have a fight tomorrow night?"

"Shit!" I scowl. "I'd nearly forgotten."

"It's a big one, if my bookie is even remotely correct." Parker collapses back against the pillows, pulling me down on top of him. "I don't particularly like the guy, but that doesn't mean I don't respect his fighting skills. And I'm sure he'd be happy to have you there in the crowd, cheering him on."

I sigh. "He's my family. Sometimes I don't like him, but I always love him."

"I know." Parker kisses my forehead. "This is me playing the supportive boyfriend. How am I doing?"

I raise my eyebrows. "Boyfriend, huh?"

He grins. "You caught that, did you?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Freaking out?"

"Surprisingly no."

"Good." He kisses me. "What do you say we hide out here for one more night and sail back in the morning?"

I run my hand down his bare chest, loving the way his muscles tense beneath my touch. Pressing my lips to his skin, I follow the same path with my mouth and revel in the sharp intake of air that escapes him.

"I think," I murmur, pressing kisses along the trail of hair leading south of his belly button. "If we only have one more night...." My hand wraps around his length and I guide him toward my mouth. "...We'll have to make the most of it."

He groans. "You're evil."

I grin. "Honey... I'm just getting started."

We don't talk much as we sail back to Boston.

I breathe in the arctic salt air as I watch our lighthouse grow smaller and smaller on the distant horizon before disappearing entirely.

"Don't worry." Parker wraps an arm around my waist and presses a kiss to my temple. "That lighthouse has been there a couple hundred years. It isn't going anywhere."

I smile as I lean into his chest and let him steer us home, our breaths puffing in the air before our faces, our hearts beating a little too fast.

We've barely docked in the harbor when my phone starts ringing.

"Babe. You back on dry land, yet?" Luca grumbles into the phone.

I roll my eyes as I tie off a dock line. "Barely."

"You coming to my fight tonight?"

"Depends. You planning on winning?"

He scoffs. "Babe. I always win."

"Then I'll be there." I pause. "With Parker. Try not to be a dick."

He sighs audibly. "I'll do my best."

"Luca."

"Fine! I'll be nice." He spits out the word like a curse. "Whatever."

"See you at seven," I say cheerfully.

He clicks off without another word.

Typical.

Before I can even set the phone down, it starts ringing again.

"Hello?"

"Tink!" Phoebe yells. "Please tell me you're back from your adventures on the high seas now that Lancaster and that Hermes guy are behind bars."

"Hermes?"

"Birkin."

"I don't follow."

"God, you know nothing about fashion, do you?" She sighs. "Birkin. As in Hermes Birkin bags. As in the most expensive, desirable purses on the market."

"Uh huh."

"No one appreciates my fashion references."

"How sad for you," I say wryly.

"Shut up. Are you back, or what?"

"Um." I glance up at Parker, who's hovering over me with an amused expression. "Yes, we just docked."

"Great! I'm having an impromptu New Years Eve get together this afternoon. Just the girls. Obviously, we're all going to the fight tonight-"

"Wait, what?"

There's a brief pause. "Of course. We're all going to see Blaze fight. It's, like, the hottest NYE gig around this year." She pauses again. "Plus, my friend Lila really has the hots for him."

I ignore the last part of her statement. "Who's we?"

"All of us. The whole gang."

I'm silent.