RETURNING HOME TO the Phantom, I had an odd sense of closure and relief from seeing my mother, followed by uncertainty about bringing a land-dwelling animal onto an ocean-faring vessel.

It hadn’t exactly been the closure I needed, but my mother’s acknowledgment that I’d tried to fix my mistakes was enough….

For now.

Besides, I meant what I said about never needing anyone else as long as I had Pim. She was everything and now I had to share her with a mutt.

The moon stayed hidden behind clouds threatening drizzle as Pim carried the pup into our bedroom and set him on the floor. Rigging creaked and engines hummed, waking from their seven-day nap as Jolfer prepared to set sail for a midnight cruise.

I hadn’t asked where we were going—this time, the itinerary was his choice. The only instruction I’d given was to follow the summer and to hold a poll with the staff to find any destinations they’d like to visit.

I’d been sailing with vengeance for too long.

This time, I wanted to have fun—for everyone on board.

Pim dashed into the bathroom, returning a few seconds later with her arms full of clean towels.

I sat on the bed with a smirk, rolling my eyes as she fashioned a bed for the newest member who was far more interested in exploring the bedroom and sniffing scents of blood and fighting even though the room had been cleaned since.

Pim giggled as the mutt raced back and leapt all over her. I’d never heard a sound like it fall from her lips. Something so pure and simple. I’d always hoped I’d be lucky enough to hear her laugh so freely but didn’t think it would ever happen.

Whatever I thought about owning a dog, I now loved that damn fleabag as it gave Pim yet another avenue of healing.

She fucking glowed, and it took all my willpower to just sit back and watch instead of scoop her up and make love to her.

If I didn’t know her past horrors, I would’ve thought she was innocent and confident—someone far too unsullied for the likes of me.

Sometimes, I looked at her and felt ancient in comparison—as if she was too young to withstand my bullshit brain and the emotional baggage that came with it. But then I’d see a flash of a silver scar or see her wince on sore bones, and I’d remember she’d withstood things far worse than anything I could ever do.

Her body had been in a battle, her soul had lived far more than it should, and it’d transformed her into someone so much wiser and better than I was.

I could spend hours watching Pim bathe and settle in the cute rascal, but my desire for her kept escalating.

My obsessive brain sticking on one thought.

Her.

It was her fault.

She shouldn’t be so fucking sexy when she was happy.

I needed to tell her how much I loved her. How watching her be so sweet and gentle with the dog raised caveman urges to protect and care for her, too.

But I also didn’t want to interrupt her joy at settling in the mutt who leaped and chased, tumbling beside her to get his belly scratched. Its short fur and random collection of sherry and amber spots meant he wasn’t the prettiest thing, but he sure looked fucking happy.

His concave little belly also looked empty.

How long since the poor thing ate?

Using my cell phone, I called the kitchen and requested food suitable for a puppy and fresh water to be brought up.

I’d give Pim and her four-legged beasty a little longer to get acquainted, but once the mutt’s midnight snack arrived, Pim was all mine.

I don’t particularly like sharing.

We didn’t have to wait long. The gentle knock on the door shot me upright.

I strode to open it, smiling at Greta holding a tray full of shredded chicken and gravy with a jug of water and an extra porcelain bowl.

Handing it to me, she grinned. “New pet, I see.”

“Something like that.” I smirked. “Have a good night.”

“You, too.”

Closing the door, I set up dinner and water by the towel bed Pim had designed and made a mental note to take her dog bed shopping the next time we reached a port. For now though, the mutt was safe, fed, and had somewhere to call his own.

That means Pim is all mine.

Taking her wrist, I pulled her from the floor, intending to push her onto the mattress and do whatever I damn well pleased with her.

However, she rolled her arm and dislodged my hold. “Not yet.”

“Not yet?” Frustration bubbled. “What do you mean, not yet?”

“I mean, I have something for you.” She smiled down at the dog as he woofed and shoved as much chicken into his tiny mouth as he could. “I want to give it to you.”

I chuckled under my breath. “And I have something for you, so let’s get into bed.”

She laughed. “Mine is real not just sex.”

“Not just sex, huh? Are you already over sleeping with me, Pim?”

She narrowed her gaze. “You know that’s not possible.”

“Then…what is it you have to give me?” Glancing at the bed, I cursed the heavy ache between my legs. “Can’t it wait until morning?”

She backed away nervously, shaking her head. “No. I asked Selix to buy it for me. We’ve been away a week and then we found Spot and he’s distracted me and now you’re trying to distract me and I know if I don’t give it to you now, I’ll worry I did the right thing. I’m already worrying I did the right thing.”

Nerves flickered like fireflies in her eyes. “I’ve been dying to show you, El. I want to do it now…before we go to bed. Before anything else distracts me.”

My heart squeezed at how much this meant to her. I’d never seen her flustered before and, fuck, it made me want to do terrible things to her.

Christ, I love her.

As much as her skittishness appealed to the possessive part of my brain, I missed the carefree girl from before. She needed to find that light-hearted place. I needed to see her giggle again.

Stalking forward, I pretended sternness and towered over her in dominion. “Hold up. Spot?”

She barked a laughed. “I say all that and all you focus on is what the dog is called?” Her worry spiralled away as quickly as it’d cloaked her.

I crossed my arms, ignoring how my heart beat faster whenever she was happy. “I thought we agreed no stupid names for the dog.”

“Your fault for picking one that suits his spotty coat.”

“Who cares about his spots? He looks like he has a bad case of measles.”

“We can call him Measles, if you’d prefer?” She bit the inside of her cheek. “Measles has a cute ring to it.”

I groaned. “If you want something literal for him, how about Slobber or Fleabag?”

Her face glittered with happiness. “Slobber could work.”

It was my turn to laugh. “We’re not calling the damn dog Slobber.”

“Fine, you name him.”

“Me?”

Looking at the happily munching puppy, she nodded. “He’s a little jumpy right now, but his curiosity makes him brave. Spot suits him, but if you want to call him Nemo or Neptune or something to do with the ocean, then by all means.” She spun toward the doors, giving me a look over her shoulder. Her delicious glossy hair caught the starlight. “Meanwhile, I’ll focus on getting your gift.”

Marching toward her, I ran my fingers through the chocolate strands while wrapping my arm around her. “You complain of distraction but you’re the one who’s a master at it.”

Pressing my lips to hers, I murmured into her mouth. “However, I can be just as good.” Deepening the kiss, I groaned as her tongue feathered mine. “Come to bed, little mouse. Let me show you my gift before you show me yours.”

She melted into my embrace, shuddering as I pulled her hair, arching her neck back to kiss her harder. My cock thickened. I lost rational thought. All I wanted was her in my bed.

Backing toward the mattress, I pulled her with me. Breathless, she kissed me back. I might not have won on naming the damn dog Spot, but I had won in making her forget about giving me something.

I didn’t know why but accepting a gift from her made me awkward and full of guilt. She had no need to buy me things.

She’d given me herself.

There was nothing else I’d ever need.

The bed hit the back of my legs. I sat heavily, dragging her between my thighs while keeping her mouth on mine. I grabbed her hips, intending to ease her on top of me, but she resisted, somehow slipping from my hold and blinking with bright, desire-filled eyes. “You almost made me forget again.”

Wiping red-kissed lips, she pouted. “I want to show you, El. Please…let me.”

Sighing heavily and rearranging my throbbing erection, I stopped being an asshole. “Okay. You win. What is it?”

Her cheeks flushed pink, a blush filled with worry. “I-I hope I’ve done the right thing.”

I could already tell her she hadn’t.

She was about to give me more than I deserved.

Before I could speak, she dashed to the sliding doors to the deck and vanished outside. A loud clunking noise filtered in, followed by a feminine curse.

“What the hell?”

The puppy lost interest in his chicken and chased after her. Following them, I slammed to a stop as Pim tried to navigate a box almost as big as her.

My heart pounded.

The box wasn’t an ordinary box.

It was a shaped case I knew well.

Fuck.

How?

“What did you do, Pim?” Striding forward, I grabbed the neck of the cello container, taking the weight before it crushed her.

She ducked her eyes shyly. “I wanted to give you something after you’ve given me…everything.”

“Where did you even get this?” I forced myself not to run my fingers over the satin case or crack open the latches to see what was inside.

“I asked Selix to buy two of the best they had. It’s your choice which you prefer—”

“Wait.” My fingers latched around the case’s neck. “Two?”

She nodded, pointing at a shadow tucked by one of the lifeboats. “Yes. I didn’t know how or what to look for.” Her voice dropped, threading a little with panic. “I know I can never replace your old one. And it’s not my intention to overshadow it in any way. I just…I know how you feel about music, and I hate that it was stolen from you the same night as I was.”

She looked up, her eyes blazing with love. “You found me and fought for me. The least I could do was give you back your music. I hated it for so long. I cursed every note and song every minute of my life with him, but with you…you healed that part of me, and I actually miss hearing you play.”

I couldn’t speak as I rested the box against the wall and cupped her cheek. My hand shook with awe that she’d overcome one of her worst fears just for me and then somehow found a way to give me something I would never have been able to buy for myself.

“Thank you, Tasmin.”

She gasped as I bent to kiss her.

I kissed her with gratefulness and worship and every other little emotion falling in love with her had made me suffer.

She pulled away, resting her hand on my forearm. “Will you open them? I want to see what they look like.”

I laughed softly. “You haven’t looked?”

“No. It didn’t feel right. They’re yours. You should be the first to see.”

“How the hell did you become this creature?” Clutching her close again, I tucked breeze-teased strands behind her ear. “You’re the best person I’ve ever met, and I can’t believe you’re mine.”

This time, I kissed her with passion and frustration and a thread of anger that she’d bought me two very expensive gifts when all I’d ever done was give her origami figurines or make her steal a dictionary and hotel spoon.

Pulling away, I kissed the tip of her nose. “I don’t deserve you. I’ll never fucking deserve you.”

I wanted to ask where she’d got the money from. I needed to know how she’d done this, but at the same time, I didn’t want to be rude and delve into secrets she hadn’t told me. I’d tried stripping her of her secrets at the start and look how that’d turned out. I’d hurt her instead of healed her.

I promised I wouldn’t do that again.

“Please.” She pushed me toward the awaiting cellos. “Open them.”

It physically hurt to look away from her, but I did as she asked and ran my hands along the case reclining against the wall. Holding my breath, I cracked open the latches and lifted the lid.

Inside was a stunning black-lacquered cello with bronze scroll, pegs, bridge, and tail spike. The strings had never been played; the bronze bow nestled in cream velvet begged me to be the first.

Pim stood beside me as I gawked at such a gorgeous instrument.

I’d never think anything but fondly for the beaten up second-hand cello my father had bought me, but the craftsmanship of this machine promised whatever I played would be almost magical.

Pim drifted away, ducking to the other case and manhandling it upright. Spot tried to help, licking her hands and sniffing everything.

Striding toward her, I helped her put it upright. Once in position, I opened the lid.

I stopped breathing.

The polar opposite of the black one I’d just fallen in love with winked beneath the stars. White lacquer gleamed with silver scroll and accents, its bow sleek as a sword and just as lethal.

Night and day. Land and sea.

Both were stunning. Both would’ve cost a fortune.

“Why did you spend so much on me?” I turned to face her, my heart pounding like a drum.

She pressed herself against me, her body heat intoxicating and adding more flames to the fire inside. “Because you never understood what sort of gift you gave me with every origami you folded, every kiss you gave, every safety you wrapped me in. I can only buy you something tangible, but you gave me so many things that can’t be seen or touched. You gave me my freedom, Elder Prest, and that is worth so much more than what money can buy.”

I turned weak. My knees shook for everything she was. “But don’t you see? You’ve repaid me ten times, no, a thousand times over. I’m already well in your debt, little mouse.”

Slotting herself into me, she kissed my chest. “I’ll never be able to repay you, and there are no debts between us. Please, just accept the cellos, accept me, accept my gratitude. Let me say thank you…for everything.”