The second my cell phone stopped ringing downstairs, Nick’s dispatch radio kicked on.

“Milo, this is dispatch. Got another call from Emmeline Austin’s security company. Her alarm’s been tripped and she didn’t answer when they called.”

“Roger. I’ll go over now. Gimme the address.”

“Fuck,” Nick cursed and shot out of bed.

“Oh my god,” I gasped. “Do you think it was another break-in?”

“I don’t know, Emmy. But we need to get over there.”

“Right. Should we call the station so they know I’m not home?” Nick’s phone was already at his ear. Following him to the closet, I threw on some clothes and mentally prepared for whatever I might find at home.

“Why is this happening?” I asked Nick as he sped to my house. The clock on the dash read 3:16 a.m.

“I don’t know but it’ll be okay,” he said, lifting my hand to his lips.

“I hope you’re right.”

Milo had beaten us to the house. The lights on his cruiser were flashing and he was standing in the drive watching our approach.

“Fuck. I hope he didn’t come racing down here with those lights on and fuck up any chance of catching this guy,” Nick clipped.

“I’m sure he knows what he’s doing.”

He grunted. “I wish we would have been here tonight. I would have loved to catch this guy in the act.”

I felt exactly the opposite but kept quiet. Wishing we’d been here was asinine. A dangerous and potentially armed criminal had been here not long ago. I felt lucky we hadn’t been here.

Two break-in attempts just a month apart could not be random. Someone was targeting my house. Maybe they were targeting me. Who knows what could have happened if we had been here?

“What’d you find?” Nick asked Milo as we congregated by the cruiser.

“Nothing. The front door was wide open when I came up. Whoever broke in was long gone by the time I showed,” Milo said.

“Did you check the area?” Nick asked.

“Yeah. Tracks in the snow lead around the side of the house and then south into the trees. I didn’t follow them far. Jess is on his way. He might want to hike out there tonight. I’m guessing he’ll wait until first light,” Milo said.

“Fuck,” Nick hissed. “I’m going with you guys when you check them out.”

“Sure thing, Nick.”

“Did you clear the house?”

Milo nodded. “First thing I did. Place is empty.”

“Emmy, go ahead and disarm that thing.”

I used my phone to silence the blaring alarm.

“Come on. Let’s get inside before you get too cold,” Nick said, grabbing my hand and pulling me up the front steps.

Nothing was like the first break-in. Whoever came in had not been careful and quiet. The handle on the front door was broken and hanging loose. My table in the foyer was knocked over. Snow was tracked in past the entryway and up the stairs.

“Fuck me,” Nick muttered. “Are these tracks yours, Milo, or were they here?”

“They aren’t mine.” Milo pulled out his phone. “Before you guys go too far, let me get some pictures.”

“I’m scared,” I told Nick while Milo worked.

“I’ve got you,” he promised, holding me close.

An hour later, I was back in an all-too-familiar position: huddled next to Nick on a couch while Jess informed me of the break-in.

“I’m sorry, Emmeline. Wish we could have caught this guy the first time around. Hate that we’re here again,” Jess said.

“It’s not your fault,” I said.

“Least this time we’ve got some leads,” he said. “Footprints Milo found show him leaving through the trees. Either he didn’t leave any tracks coming to the house or we just haven’t found them yet. We’ll know more in the morning. First light I’ll hike up behind the house.”

“I’m coming with you,” Nick said.

“Okay.” Jess nodded.

“Do you think it’s the same guy from the first break-in?” I asked.

“Most likely. Alarm didn’t scare him away, which tells me he knew it would trip when the door popped. And he wasn’t wasting any time. Tracks up the stairs look like he took them two at a time, coming and going. Like he knew exactly where he was headed.”

“My bedroom is upstairs. Do you think he was coming for me?”

Nick must have been thinking the same thing because the grip he had on my hand became painfully tight.

“I don’t know,” Jess said. “It could be that’s where he suspected jewelry or valuables would be. Could be about you. Either way, don’t plan on staying here by yourself until we know what’s going on.”

“Not to worry. She’s been at my place for weeks. That’s where she’s staying for the foreseeable future,” Nick said.

“Do you think it could be a stalker? Am I in danger?” I asked Jess.

“Can’t be sure,” he said. “Have you noticed anything strange lately? Anyone give you the creeps?”

“No,” I said. “Everything has been normal.”

“Good. I doubt someone’s stalking you. If they were, they would have known you weren’t here tonight. My guess is your intruder saw your vehicle missing and thought they could make a quick score. That said, be diligent. Pay attention to folks around you.”

“Okay.”

“You’re not to come here alone anymore, Emmy,” Nick said. “If you need clothes or something, you wait for me to come with you.”

I nodded.

“I’ve gotta swing back to the farmhouse. Then I’ll be back. You guys staying here or heading back to Nick’s?”

“My place,” Nick said.

“Hike out at seven?” Jess asked him.

“I’ll be here.”

Nick and I went back to his place but sleep was pointless. We both sucked down cup after cup of coffee before he insisted on driving me to work.

It was the worst Monday in history.

I was exhausted. Keeping focus was a struggle. Everywhere I went, I looked over my shoulder. If Jess didn’t find the person or persons breaking into my house, I was going to reach an all-time-high level of crazy.

The minute the students left the building, I texted Nick to come and get me. Even though Jess had said I wasn’t likely in danger, the idea of staying in my classroom alone had me scared.

With a pizza in the truck, we stopped by my house to pack a couple of weeks’ worth of clothes. The minute we got to Nick’s house, I was pulling on yoga pants, eating half of our pepperoni special and going to bed.

“I can’t believe you didn’t find anything,” I said, tossing a stack of sweaters into my suitcase.

“Me too,” he said. On the drive over, he’d told me that he, Jess and Milo had followed the tracks through the trees but when the footprints circled back to the paved highway, they’d lost the trail.

My shoulders sank. “Now what?”

“Jess is pulling footage from the stoplight camera on Main Street. That was an odd hour. If the guy drove back through town, we might be able to identify a license plate.”

I threw a pair of pants on the bed. “This is so frustrating!”

“I know,” Nick said, pulling me into his arms. “But we’ll catch them. Tomorrow we’re going to put some security cameras up around the house. If the stoplight footage doesn’t get us anywhere, hopefully the guy will be stupid enough to come back.”

“What if it’s different people? We don’t even have a clue!” I cried into his chest.

“Let’s not worry about it anymore tonight, okay?” he asked. “We’re both exhausted. Let’s go home, eat dinner and get some fucking sleep. Tomorrow we’ll meet with Jess after work and start brainstorming next steps.”

I huffed out a breath. He was right. Nothing was going to get solved tonight and I was too tired to think straight.

“Did you pack the gray dress?” he whispered into my hair.

I tipped my head back and looked into his hazel eyes. Today the brown flecks were more pronounced than the sage green.

“And a fancy green one so you can take me to dinner at The Black Bull. I think you’ll like it. I can’t wear panties or a bra.”

“Change of plans, Wife. Home. Sex. Pizza. Sleep. Tomorrow after we meet with Jess, we’re going to The Black Bull.”

A shiver traveled down my spine as I walked back to the closet. I wasn’t all that tired anymore.

Sex with Nick did not disappoint. He always took care of me, usually more than once. He loved making me come with his mouth. If I went down on him, he made sure to thoroughly reward me for my efforts.

And my man had stamina. He could go forever, hence his ability to dole out multiple orgasms every night.

With a smile on my face, I finished packing and sent Nick to the truck with my suitcases while I thumbed through some mail in my kitchen.

“Emmy, are you expecting company?” Nick called.

“No. Why?”

“Two black Escalades are coming up your drive.”

“What?” I gasped, running to the front door. My mother and Alesso climbed out of the first SUV. Her assistant and personal chef emerged from the second.

“Not today,” I muttered, closing my eyes.

“I take it you know them?” Nick asked.

“That’s my mother and her entourage.” We stood together at the door and watched as the crew hustled their way up my stone steps.

“Emmeline, darling! Surprise!” my mother said and threw her arms around me.

“Hi, Mom,” I said, hugging her back. Even though her visit was a shock, it was nice to have her here after such a rotten day. “What are you doing here?”

“We were bored and I missed you. When we talked on the phone last week, you sounded so relaxed. I thought we could visit and ruffle your feathers a bit. Is this my son-in-law?” she asked, abandoning me and crowding right into Nick’s space for a hug and double-cheek kiss.

“Nick Slater,” he said.

“Nice to meet you, Nick Slater. I’m Collette Austin,” she said. “This is my fiancé, Alesso Nespola.”

“Fiancé?” I asked, shocked. My mother agreeing to marry Alesso after fifteen years together was news. Page Six news.

“Oh, yes. We’ve finally decided to get married. Another reason for our visit. We need to celebrate!”

“Congratulations, Mom!” I gave her another hug, then turned to Alesso. “I’m so happy for you!” I said as we embraced.

Alesso was younger than my mother by a few years. His black hair was liberally streaked with gray, and the olive skin on his handsome face was creased with laugh lines. He kept himself in good shape but wasn’t bulky. He was Mom’s silver fox.

“Me too,” he said, squeezing me tight. “Sorry we barge in, bella.”

“You’re always welcome. I’m glad to see you both.”

Nick and Alesso exchanged greetings and I introduced him to Mom’s assistant, Frannie, and chef, Samuel.

The pair had been with my mother for years, long before she’d moved to Italy. Frannie and Samuel were married with no children and were the closest thing I had to an aunt and uncle. When Mom had decided to move with Alesso, I hadn’t been surprised when they’d followed her across the Atlantic.

“Are you going somewhere?” Mom asked when she spotted my suitcases.

I grimaced. The thought of rehashing the break-in stories, both of them, was daunting. I had omitted the first one from our biweekly phone calls and knew she would not be pleased that I had kept it from her.

“Come on into the living room,” I said. “We’ve had a bit of a situation.”

After a brief recap of my troubles, numerous gasps and a thousand questions, we left my house and all drove up to Nick’s.

“I love this place, dear. It’s so comfortable,” Mom said, wandering through the main room. Nick, Alesso, Frannie and Samuel were all in the kitchen, laughing and talking, while the four of them supervised the baking of one pizza.

“I think so too,” I said. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay with us?”

“No. No. No,” she said. “We are not going to put you out. Frannie found us this wonderful rustic chalet for the week and Samuel won’t stop talking about experimenting with Montana bison and trout. It’s all decided.”

“Okay. If I can, I’ll try and find a substitute for the end of the week.”

“No you will not!” she scoffed. “You go to work and shape the minds of the future. Don’t worry about us. Frannie has planned activities to keep us busy all week while you teach. You and Nick can plan to join us for dinner in the evenings and then this weekend we’ll all do something together.”

“Thank you. That sounds wonderful,” I said, grateful that my mom was so supportive of my teaching career.

“What a lovely picture,” she said, lifting up Nick’s photograph of me from Las Vegas.

At some point between my first visit and my return from Italy, Nick had found a frame, and the photo was now front and center on his bookshelf.

“This isn’t recent,” Mom said.

“No. It’s not.”

She gave me a smug grin and continued snooping. “I’m worried, Emmeline. I don’t like the sound of these troubles you’re having. Should I call your father? For all his faults, he did always make sure we were safe. Remember that awful bodyguard we had your senior year? What was his name?”

“Dale. And no, I don’t want Father in the middle of this. I decided when I moved here that I wasn’t going to have someone following me around anymore. I want to live a normal life. Besides, I need some time before I can speak to Father again. When he found out that Logan and I had broken up, he said some things to me that were uncalled for.”

“I’m sorry, dear. I wish I could say I was surprised.” She frowned. “Have you spoken to him lately?”

I shook my head. “No, but I talked to Steffie a few days ago.”

Her eyes swung to mine. “I heard that Alesso and I aren’t the only ones engaged.”

“I wasn’t sure if you had heard.”

“Your brother called me this morning to deliver the news.”

“Sorry, Mom. I should have told you.”

She reached out and patted my hand. “Don’t be sorry. Your father and I were over many, many years ago. I’m glad he’s found someone, even if she’s a bit of a tart.”

“That’s my future stepmother you’re talking about,” I teased. “Ugh. That’s not something I ever thought I would have said about my college roommate.”

We both laughed.

“Let’s discuss a much more normal union,” I said. “I’m glad for you and Alesso.”

“Thank you, darling. So am I.” She smiled. “It’s time. Years of battling and I finally managed to divorce your father, and Alesso never faltered through it all. He’s always been by my side and I do love him very much.”

“He’s a good man.”

“One of the best.” She hugged me and I rested my head on her shoulder.

“I’m happy you’re here, Mom.” I smiled when she didn’t let me go. Her tight embrace and the laughter coming from Nick’s kitchen worked miracles to soothe my troubled mind.

Hours later, we waved good-bye from the porch. I felt Nick’s heat at my back a second before his fingers slipped under the hem of my sweater and started drawing circles on my hip.

“Upstairs, Emmy.” Two words and I was hot.

Without delay, we both rushed inside and to his bedroom. My clothes started flying through the air as I raced to undress first so I could watch Nick.

I loved the way he tore off his T-shirt, grabbing it from the nape of his neck and whipping it off his body. That one fluid motion flexed all the muscles of his arms and stomach. When he unfastened his belt, his jeans dipped to just the right place, clinging perfectly to his chiseled hipbones. Teasing me with what was beneath.

But the best part was the way he hooked his thumbs into the band of his boxers and slowly pulled them down. It was magnificent torture.

I held my breath as he pushed the black elastic lower and lower, revealing his thick cock inch by glorious inch. When he finally sprang free, I was practically drooling.

“On your back, Emmy. Spread wide.”

My whole body was aching to be touched. The cool cotton on my back did nothing to dim the fire in my blood.

I needed Nick. He had become as vital to my body as water.

When the condom was in place, Nick kneeled on the bed. His hand was wrapped around his cock and he stroked it slowly. Seeing him touch himself almost pushed me over the edge. He’d have me writhing beneath him in seconds.

While one hand stroked, his other came to me, lightly brushing my skin with his fingers. They trailed up my torso, belly button to sternum. Twice they circled my breasts, carefully avoiding my nipples.

I was squirming and desperate for more. When his fingers finally rolled over a nipple, I inhaled a sharp breath and let it out with a pleading moan.

“Patience,” Nick whispered.

His fingers again started traveling, this time working down my ribs, tickling my side. I closed my eyes, savoring the trail of tingles they left as he dragged them across my hip.

With just the right amount of pressure, Nick’s thumb took over and started circling my clit. Heat erupted through my body as he coaxed the first orgasm out of me. A scream tore through my lips and sound filled the room.

“Fuck, Emmy. That’s so fucking hot,” Nick said. “I love it when you scream.”

My head was pressed back into the bed and my eyes were squeezed shut as every inch of my body vibrated. Just when I felt myself start to come down, Nick grabbed the backs of my knees, jerking my hips into his as he thrust his cock inside.

A second orgasm exploded long and hard as Nick pounded into me with a steady rhythm. Over and over his hips moved like pistons until he planted himself deep and repositioned us. One at a time, he moved my legs up and over his shoulders, the new angle allowing him to sink as far inside my body as he could go.

“Oh god, Nick,” I gasped when he ground his hips against my ass.

He started his thrusts again. It didn’t take either of us long to come together. My orgasm wasn’t as hard or long as the other two had been, but it still left me limp.

Gently lowering one leg and then the other, Nick kept our connection and brought his chest down on mine. The sweat from our bodies mixed as we both panted to calm our racing hearts.

Nick chuckled. “Fuck of a lot better end to the day than the beginning.”

I laughed. “You are not wrong.”

Laughing with Nick after hot sex? Absolutely better.

He settled me on my side and took care of the condom before joining me in bed.

“I like your mom,” Nick said into my hair. His naked body was cradling mine. “I pictured her differently. Not as down to earth.”

“She wasn’t always that way. In the city, she played her part as the wealthy heiress. But Alesso mellows her.”

“He’s a nice guy. That name he calls her, la mia vita, what’s it mean?” he asked.

“It’s Italian for ‘my life.’ ”

“And bella is ‘beautiful’?”

I nodded. Alesso had started calling me bella when I was a teenager. Though it had been strange, getting introduced to my mother’s boyfriend while she had been married to my father, I had adjusted quickly to Alesso being in my life. He was so different than my father. Calm. Patient. Affectionate. He didn’t let my mother get carried away and it was obvious that his love for her ran deep.

“Accurate endearment,” Nick said.

“He’s a bit biased since I look so much like my mother.”

“No. He’s just got eyes.”

I smiled and relaxed further into his arms.

It felt like a lifetime ago that we had been at my house dealing with the break-in. My mom’s visit was perfectly timed. Having her here helped put everything into perspective. If someone was determined to steal my jewelry or fancy heirlooms, what did it matter? I had wonderful people in my life, and the material things were just not important.

And she had been right about my father. He had always made sure we were safe. Maybe calling him and getting his advice wasn’t such a bad idea.

“Never met the guy, but I can’t see your mom with your dad,” Nick said. “Not after everything you’ve told me about him.”

“They never fit. I can’t remember a time when they seemed to enjoy one another’s company. I think she married him because he was ambitious. I know he married her for the prestige of her family name. Why they stayed married is the mystery.”

“At least now she’s found a better fit,” he said.

“Much better.”

“I’m glad they could be here today. Too bad they live so far away.”

“It is. Although Frannie told me in confidence tonight that Mom and Alesso are scoping out the area for potential real estate purposes. When they get married, his immigration status will change and they won’t need to spend so much time in Italy.”

I left out the part of my conversation where Frannie had also mentioned the word “grandchild.” Apparently, Mom and her crew were wagering how long it would take for me to get pregnant. Though it would be nice to see my mother more often, I could do without her pressure to procreate.

“Let’s hope for no drama tomorrow,” Nick said.

“Absolutely. We’ll have to postpone our visit to The Black Bull but at least we can relax tomorrow night. Samuel is making a big dinner so you won’t have to cook for me.”

“I like cooking for you,” he said. “But I am interested to see how he makes that trout. I’ve never gotten the hang of fish.”

“Well, after you learn, you can start adding salmon into the rotation. It’s a favorite.”

“Whatever your heart desires, my sweet Emmy.”

You. Just you.

Another spontaneous and unguarded Nick thought. Though I had yet to figure out how to stop them, at least they were all true.