Snake-like, she slides along my body. Heat spreads through me, travels to every pore I have. Growing fast and furious.

Her lips caress my skin, leaving millions of tiny butterfly kisses where they’ve been.

My hand reaches for her.

Nothing.

I sigh. I roll onto my side and try again.

Emptiness.

Sunlight comes through the window, shining on my face to wake me up. I open my eyes.

No. It was all a fucking dream.

I smirk. That was one hell of a dream that has left me rock hard with morning wood the size of Texas. I stretch my body out on the bed, my brain slowly shifting into gear.

My left hand stretches out towards the other side of the bed in search of Nicole. I definitely want to make my dream a reality—but all my hand comes in contact with are cold sheets.

Turning my head, I see the bed is empty.

“Nicole?” I call out to the room. No response. All I hear is deafening silence.

Where the hell is she?

I hop out of bed completely naked and retrieve my pants on the floor. Searching the room, I don’t find Nicole, but I soon find a note she has left stating she’s gone on a walk and will be back by ten.

I frown. Hadn’t I told her not to go out on her own? I’m sure I’d warned about her this.

Why then had she left without waking me?

Was she meeting Ryan?

No. I don’t know why the fuck I even had that thought.

Okay, so don’t fucking panic, I tell myself and take some deep breaths. I’m probably being totally over protective, and there’s nothing wrong at all with a morning stroll in bright daylight.

Relax.

The breathing is working.

The alarm clock beside the bed indicates I’ve got an hour before she returns.

First thing’s first. I’ve got time to shower and shave before going down to the lobby to wait for her.

Guess there won’t be any morning sex today, or even shower sex. What damn shame.

Forty minutes later, I’m patiently waiting in the lobby of the hotel.

I check my watch for the millionth time. It isn’t quite ten yet.

With an unease settling in the pit of my stomach, I start to pace the lobby.

Okay, so I don’t mind that she’s gone for a walk on her own. Not at all. She’s more than capable of finding her way around the city.

If she gets lost, I know she has her phone with her to call me if need be. The residents of this city are probably used to tourists getting lost too, and would be willing to help her if she asks.

What bothers the shit out of me though is the fact that she’s out in a foreign city by herself, even though I fucking told her not to go out without me.

I wasn’t joking when I told her it wasn’t safe with the assholes in this city trying to hustle and hold up tourists. I wasn’t trying to scare her either.

A buddy of mine told me about the incident he experienced right here in Rome. The muggers cornered him, took all his belongings, and gave him a brutal beating that put him in the hospital for a week.

I don’t blame him for never wanting to visit here again.

Just thinking of the danger Nicole could find herself in while strolling around Rome by herself makes me break out into a cold sweat. I should be with her. I can protect her, or at least make others think twice about approaching her if they saw me with her.

I know Nicole is a smart woman, all the more reason I’m struggling to understand her decision to leave me and go for a walk on her own.

The huge clock in the lobby suddenly clangs several deep notes.

I look, and it’s finally ten. Glancing towards the front doors, I keep my eyes glued for Nicole. I know she said ten, but even I know you can get caught up in the beauty of the city and lose track of time, so I don’t panic—yet.

I’m trying to figure out exactly why she didn’t wake me up this morning. She knows I’ve been to Rome before and could show her around. Did she intentionally leave me behind to get away from me for a little while?

I’m not blind to the fact that she’s been distant and unhappy at times. I’ve tried to figure out what’s causing her to draw away from me.

I’m at a loss, though.

We haven’t known each other long, but the past few days have been incredible. I’ve done everything to make her happy and have the best experience she can ask for in Venice, and hopefully, here in Rome too—if she would just get her sweet ass back here.

The sex is phenomenal too. I’m not just saying that to be egotistical. It’s been the best sex I’ve ever had with any woman.

Nicole knocks any woman out of the park. I know she’s enjoyed it too.

So why the distance? Why the unhappiness?

The clock now says it’s ten thirty.

Several possible dangerous situations Nicole could’ve found herself in start manifesting in my head.

I keep pacing and checking my watch. What the fuck is going on?

She should be back by now.

A low growl rumbles in my chest out of frustration.

Could she have gone back while I was in the elevator coming down to the lobby? Is she already back in the room, wondering where I am?

It’s possible.

I quickly hop on an elevator and push the button for the floor to our suite.

My anxiety and panic rises with each level the elevator travels upwards. By the time the doors open, my skin is itching, and I’m desperate to get to the room.

I storm into the room and search every inch of the suite.

She’s not in the living room area. Or the bedroom or bathroom. I even check the closet.

No Nicole in sight.

I dig into my back pocket for her note. I quickly read it over again.

Gone for a walk. See you in the lobby by ten.

-Nicole

She said she’d be back by ten. Well, it’s past ten, and her ass is still not here.

The note crunches as I ball it up in my fist. I throw it to the floor.

I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose.

My frustration, anger, and worry all battle for dominance inside me.

This is ridiculous.

Think. Where would you go in Rome if you had never been?

She could be at any number of tourist hotspots. There’s also the fact that I don’t know when she left this morning and how far she could’ve gone depending on how much time she has between when she left and when she said she would be back by.

I need to go back down to the lobby. That’s where I’ll know as soon as she’s back from her morning stroll. I’m trying like hell to not have a full-blown panic attack as each minute passes that she hasn’t returned.

It’s damn hard, though.

I’ve got to find her. I’ve got to make sure my wife is safe.