Page 116 of Most Likely to Fear Love

His lips brushed my forehead, tender and reverent. “I’d wait forever for you.”

He wrapped his arms around me again and I rested my head on his chest, breathing him in. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.”

HARLE

After all the days, the ache, the quiet agony of missing her, Cassidy was here.

Still, all those nights I’d spent alone in this kitchen, imagining her here with me, hadn’t prepared me for the reality of her. Not one bit. Standing in my kitchen in my Yale sweater, her hair still damp, waiting for me to finish making the tea. The simplicity of it made my heart squeeze, because how many times had I pictured her here with me, during those empty days without her?

Countless times, that’s how many.

I poured the steaming tea into two mugs, adding a splash of honey to Cassidy’s, just the way she liked it. My hands shook a little, no matter how cool I tried to play it. But can you blame a man? The love of his life just walked back into it, giving him everything he’s ever dreamed of, and more.

Damn, but I couldn’t stop stealing glances at her.

She looked different somehow. Not just because she was drowning in my sweater, but like some invisible weight had lifted from her shoulders. As though she could finally breathe again.

“Let’s drink this outside,” I nodded toward the deck. “It’ll be nice and warm in the sun.”

“Sounds perfect.”

As we stepped onto the deck, my eyes caught on her purse sitting on the side table, with a manila envelope resting unopened on top of it.Mills Investigationswas typed neatly in the top corner.

Settling onto the double recliner, I pulled Cassidy close as Buddy and Max flopped down at our feet with contented sighs, and handed her the mug of tea.

Then I reached down and grabbed the envelope. “So, Hannah gave you this, I take it?’

Cassidy rolled her eyes. “She did.”

“Don’t you want to open it?”

“No, Harle. Hannah told me all about what happened with the PI, just before I left to come here. The only reason I brought it with me was to show you I hadn’t opened it. I trust you, Harle. I trust us.”

I pressed a kiss into her hair. “Well, how about you read it anyway, just for fun.”

“Honestly, it’s not necessary, I?—”

“Just for fun, darlin’. Don’t go overthinking it.”

She looked at me closely for a moment, then conceded. “Okay, if you insist,”

“I do,” I replied, settling back and draping my arm around her shoulders. The feel of her body against mine felt like pure bliss.

Cassidy tore open the envelope, her fingers trailing over the pages inside. The sun caught her hair just right, turning it to spun gold, and I marveled at how perfectly she fit against my side. As though she belonged there. Always had.

As she began to read, I studied her face. The way her brow furrowed slightly in concentration, the slight quirk of her lips as she scanned the pages. I’d missed every little detail about her.

“Well, this is thorough,” she murmured, flipping through the pages.

I chuckled. “Shelby doesn’t mess around. What’s it say?”

Cassidy cleared her throat dramatically. “Harle Robson, age 35. Born in Asheville, North Carolina. Graduated from Yale University… blah blah. Already knew that. Worked for Goldman Sachs before leaving to start his own investment firm.”

She paused, glancing up at me with a raised eyebrow. “You worked for Goldman Sachs?”

I shrugged. “For a bit. Wasn’t really my scene.”

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