As if being blindsided by a viral social media stunt wasn’t humiliating enough, bestselling romance author Kathryn Marsden has to endure her sleazy manager reveling in the chaos.

While the press hounds her and the internet erupts, Kate wants nothing more than to disappear. While researching her next novel at a boat show, a moment of desperation leads to the most outrageous impulse buy of her life—a yacht. She doesn’t know the first thing about boats, but the eager salesman finds her a captain who’s available immediately: a gruff, no-nonsense former Marine named Monitor. He’s got the hair and beard of a sasquatch, the attitude to match, and a clear distaste for women. Perfect.

All Kate wants is to stay out of the headlines, but when the media frenzy turns deadly, it’s suddenly clear this isn’t just about humiliation—someone wants her gone for good. Luckily, she has her own grizzly, combat-hardened bodyguard-slash-captain on board. For Monitor, protecting her is a job. Keeping his distance is a rule. Falling for a woman is a line he swore never to cross again. Too bad he never met a woman like Kate.

Now, with danger at every turn and secrets rising like tides, they’ll have to navigate more than treacherous waters—because the biggest risk might not be the assassin chasing them, but the hearts they’ve both tried to keep locked down. Surviving might be the easy part. Letting each other in? That’s the real fight