Chapter 1

Two Weeks.

Whaton earthwas a homicide detective supposed to do with two unexpected weeks off? Isobel Emerson stared at the Bajka police station at a loss for ideas.

Logically, she understood why her bossSheriffGriffinorderedher to use her vacation time before she lost it at the year's end.

To say she'd been through a lot over the past months was a severe understatement, but with the weather growing cold and Thanksgiving fast approaching, she couldn't picture any activities worthy of a two-week vacation.

Her family was busy, as were her friends.

Eamon Stone was spending the Thanksgiving holiday with her so he could finally meet the entire Emerson clan.

They'd be staying with her father, so he needed to finish his work before that long weekend.

He was a millionaire, but he wouldn't remain one if he continually ignored his responsibilities for her.

Life hadn't been kind to her, and Eamon had taken it upon himself to bear her burdens.

He paid for the extra therapy sessions that insurance didn't cover.

He stayed awake with her when her anxiety refused to let her sleep.

He was the reason she was healing,the reasonshe felt strong and beautiful and alive, but she was also the reason he'd fallen behind at work.

It would be selfish to ask that he ignore his job for her boredom's sake.

For fleetingly dreamy seconds, Bel contemplated escaping somewhere warm to lounge by the sea, but she didn't have the money for an extended trip.

Even if she did, solo vacations no longer held the same appeal.

It was hard to fathom enjoying the sunshine and frozen cocktails alone when Bajka's reclusive millionaire had unexpectedly and unequivocally captured her heart.

The independent detective had somehow become half of a pair, and all she wanted was to spend her two weeks off with Eamon Stone.

Which was currently the conflict arguing in her chest.She'd been staying withhimever since the Darling kidnapping case.

After Wendy Darling's husband plotted to murder her and her brothers, the siblings moved into the Reale Estate to hide from the aggressive press.

To ensure the trio felt comfortable living with a man they barely knew, Bel and Cerberus temporarily moved into the mansion, but theDarlings had returned to New York City that morning, their departure signaling the end of Bel's stay.

She wasn't ready to live with Eamon yet.Shewanted to take their relationship slowsothe threat of bombs or traps or lunatic serial killers wouldn't influence their emotions, but thethought of returning to her cabin without work to occupy her days felt pathetically lonely.

Cerberus would return home with her, but she knew her dog well.

He'dbemoanlosing Eamon, possibly more than she would.

The hulking man terrified every human he met, but he lost his edge when the dog appeared.

He babied the pitbull, feeding him far more expensive steaks than Bel could afford, and Cerberus would probably kick and scream their entire way home…not that she blamed him.

She'd desperately tried to keep Eamon at arm's length at first, but the moment his lips brushed against hers, every reason she shouldn't be with the dangerous man vanished.

She'd refuse to show it, but her heart would kick and screamthe same asher pup's.

Bel's stomach growled, and she glanced at the phone, her hunger realizing it was lunchtime before she read the digital numbers.For a moment,she contemplated asking Eamon to lunch but decided against it.He'd helped the Darlings pack up and leave that morning, which gave him a late start, and she'd feel guilty interrupting him so soon.

She almost texted Olivia Gold to ask if she wanted to grab a bite, but Griffin would doubtlessly yell that lunch with her partner didn't count as vacation.

That left only one other option that a detective banned from the station might enjoy, and starting her car, Bel exited the precinct parking lot.

"Bel?" Violet Lennon glanced up from her computer with a flinch. "My god, you scared me. How long have you been standing there?"

"At least thirty seconds." Bel stepped into her friend's office. "You were really focused on that invoice."

The women had met during Bel's first homicide investigation in Bajka. Violet's boss owned Lumen's Customs, a luxury furniture gallery. He was famous for his handcrafted and wildly expensive designs, a few of which resided in Eamon's mansion, but a witch had murdered him. He'd left the business to Violet in his will, and instead of selling, she'd hired Ewan Orso as the studio's new designer. Ewan was a bear shifter and Olivia Gold's boyfriend, and while his style differed from Lumen's, it was no less impressive. His pieces were rustic and natural, and the gallery flourished under his and Violet's talents.

"I brought sandwiches," Bel said as she plopped a deli bag on the desk. "I hope you aren't too busy to eat with me. It's been forever since we last hung out."

"You brought food?" Violet seized the bag and dug through its contents. "Please tell me there's a crispy tofu sandwich in here."

"Do you really think I would visit for lunch without one?" Bel laughed. Violet was a vegetarian, and she was well aware of her friend's obsession with this sandwich.

"Have I ever told you I love you?" Violet moaned as she bit into the tofu. "How did you know I needed this? Today has been insane. I'm up to my eyeballs in paperwork, and I didn't have time to grab food. That sad granola bar I found at the bottom of my purse was going to be my lunch." She nodded at said granola bar as Bel offered her a bag of potato chips and a cup of iced tea. "Speaking of no time, what are you doing here? You're always busier than me."

"I have unused vacation days I'll lose by the end of the year. Griffin is making me use them," Bel explained as she unwrapped her tofu sandwich. She ate vegetarian meals when it was just the two of them out of respect for her friend, and in her attempt to avoid meat, she discovered why Violet loved this sandwich. It was crispy, spicy perfection, and she enjoyed it so much that she even ordered it when she was alone.

"Now?" Violet asked. "Right before Thanksgiving in this lousy weather?"

Bel nodded, her mouth too full to speak.

"Why?"

"The station is finally fully staffed, so he can afford my absence. It's less about the PTO, I think, and more about the fact that my last case landed me in the hospital."

"I have to agree with him there," Violet said. "A murderer attacked you. Abel kidnapped you, and then you were beaten up trying to save the Darling family. You need more than a week off in crap weather, though. You need an all-inclusive resort with handsome staff members waiting on you hand and foot."

"I do?" Bel smirked. "And where do you imagine Eamon is when these handsome men cater to my every need?"

"Fine, no sexy men. That can be my fantasy since I'm oh so single." Violet laughed. "But the fact remains, you need more than a few days at home."

"I know, but I think it's all he could do for me. My PTO was about to expire, so any time off is better than overworking me."

"I guess. Are you still seeing the therapist?"

Bel nodded.

"How's it going?"

"She's great. I've been seeing her for a few months, so we've built a solid relationship. I feel comfortable opening up to her, and we've made a lot of progress."

"That's great." Violet wiped her mouth and then leaned forward, her iced tea clutched conspiratorially in her fingers. "Okay, now for the fun stuff. You're finally dating that hot as hell Eamon Stone, so spill, girl. I need to know everything."

Bel stood inside Eamon's walk-in closet, staring at her clothes hanging in the corner. Lunch with Violet had been exactly what she needed, but it was now time to face her decision. She needed to pack her things and move home.

"Don't get too comfy there." She glanced at her seventy-pound pitbull who lay sprawled across the king-size mattress, but his tail gave a lazy wag, telling her it was too late. "We'll visit, though. I promise." She collapsed beside him and wrapped him in her arms, grasping for any reason to postpone packing. "It's not like we're leaving for good."

Cerberus rolled onto his back for belly scratches, and Bel had the impression he understood her pep talk was for her own benefit and not his.

"What are you doing home?" a whiskey-deep voice interrupted, and Bel twisted to find Eamon darkening the doorframe. "Are you ill?" He stepped into the room, his hand on her forehead before she could answer, and she giggled at the serious man in black hovering over her.

"I'm fine." She swatted his hand away, but he simply placed both palms on either side of her to cage her below him.

"Did something happen?" he asked, and she hated how his first reaction to finding her home early was one of panic. Maybe Griffin's demand that she rest was needed more than she realized.

"It's nothing. I have unused PTO that's expiring soon." She cupped his sculpted jaw. "Griffin wants me to take it and relax, that's all."

"I can help you relax." Eamon smirked as he leaned down to trail his lips over her skin. "It's a smart idea, though." He lowered his chest to hers, his weight pressing her into the mattress, and Bel automatically wrapped her arms and legs around his powerful torso. "You could stay here. I'll cook and clean so you can rest, and I'll make sure you get enough exercise," he teased, kissing her scars in a way that drove her crazy.

"Stop trying to get me to live with you." She swatted his back to silence him because if he kept kissing her like that, she'd never leave, and she didn't want that. Not yet, at least. They couldn't rush this. Their relationship was too important to treat carelessly.

"I'm not."

"Liar."

"Fine, I am." He stole a kiss. "But at the moment, I'm only guilty of offering my home for your vacation. What do you plan to do if you return to the cabin?"

"I don't know. The weather isn't great, and my family's busy. I'll probably just read or deep clean." She twisted to meet his gaze. The soulless black of his eyes would forever remind her of the monster she'd welcomed into her life, but they no longer terrified her. Love colored their darkness. A love unlike anything she'd ever experienced. It was in his eyes, in the way he unconsciously leaned toward her whenever she entered a room, in the way the same hands that could snap a man's neck with a single twist held her with such care.

"Well, if you won't stay here, are you open to doing something with me?" Eamon sat up and dragged her into his lap, scratching Cerberus' belly as the dog curled against his legs. "We could be together, but it wouldn't count as living together."

"Sneaky, but continue." Bel wrapped her arms around his neck as her toes settled against Cerberus' warm fur.

"Dr. Frank Victors invited me to a charity event. It's raising money for an organization that provides lifesaving cosmetic surgery for orphans or people who've been in horrible accidents." His fingers traced her scars as if he didn't realize he was doing it. "I'd planned to just write a check since I turned down the invite. The event is on a private island."

"Dr. Victors owns an island?" She asked. Frank Victors was the world-renowned plastic surgeon Eamon had hired to work on her scars, and while she knew the doctor was wealthy, he hadn't struck her as the owning an island type.

"No, another surgeon does," Eamon answered. "A Jake L. Hyde I believe. The rich and famous vacation at his resort, and he often holds charity events there. From the photos I've seen, it's gorgeous, but it's too romantic to visit alone. You had to work, so I declined. I wasn't going to a tropical island without you, but…." he drew out the word as he smiled, and Bel hated it when he grinned like that. She was the only person he let see that smile, and it was so unbearably beautiful that she was in danger of granting him his every wish.

"Now that you're off, we can go," he continued. "Picture it, Isobel. An all-inclusive resort. Private beaches. Award-winning chefs. Cocktails, and romance, and you in a tiny bikini." He trailed his finger over her ribs, the touch sending a shiver racing down her spine.

"I don't own tiny bikinis." She rolled her eyes.

"I'll buy you one," Eamon said. "A different one for every day, if you like. All string and no suit."

"Does that mean you'll wear a speedo?" Bel teased.

"Why? Do you want me to?"

"Absolutely not! Please don't." She faked a disgusted shudder. "But I wouldn't say no to short shorts." She pinched his powerful thigh, not at all embarrassed that she loved the idea of his legs on display.

"Okay, I'll wear short shorts, and you'll wear a barely-there suit because I can fight… as can you." He winked, and she tried but failed not to laugh. "What do you say, Detective? Would you care to vacation on a private island with me?"