He cupped her elbows and smiled at her. “Nothing’s going to happen to you. Nothing. Think of me as your own personal Wolfgang Blackborne.”

Her little half smile wasn’t that convincing as she muttered, “Thanks. If only you could change into a big scary wolf.”

He laughed. If only she knew. “I’m glad you think so highly of my ability to keep you safe.”

Her smile turned genuine. “No, no, I know you’re good at what you do and all that. I just…Thomas can be sort of be a bull dog about stuff like this.”

He gave her a wink. “Then maybe it’s time he was neutered.”

In the twenty minutes that Alex was gone, Roxy checked out her front windows twice, sent a quick email to her assistant, and opened a bottle of wine. Because if she was going to be a prisoner in her house, she was going to enjoy it.

Which was how she finished the first glass before Alex got back. She stood at the sliding door that led into the backyard, glass number two in hand, staring at the fairy house and wondering if her life would ever level out to something normal.

She sipped her wine, then sighed a long, slow breath that fogged the glass in front of her. She wiped it away with the heel of her palm, clearing the spot in time to see Alex appear in her backyard.

She blinked. It had looked like he’d jumped over the fence, but that wasn’t physically possible. He must have pulled a ladder up to his side and jumped from there. That’s all she’d seen.

He strode toward her door, shoes on this time, and a duffel bag in one hand. The litheness of his movement was fascinating.

A little anticipatory shiver ran through her. Deputy Hotness was sleeping on her couch tonight. If that wasn’t romance novel inspiration, she didn’t know what was.

She unlocked the slider and pulled it back, careful not to spill her wine. “That was fast.” Actually it had seemed like forever.

“All quiet?” He walked into the house.

She raised her glass. “All quiet. You want a glass? C’mon, have a drink with me.”

He hesitated. “I probably shouldn’t, but I guess one small one couldn’t hurt.”

She smiled, happy that he was joining her. “One it is.” Then she frowned as she got a second glass and filled it with wine. “It’s okay that I drink, right?”

“It’s fine. If it helps you relax, even better.” He took the glass, touching it to hers before lifting it. “I don’t want you stressing about this anymore than you already have. I’m going to do everything I can to make this problem go away.”

His wording made her eyes widen. “You’re not going to…kill him, are you?”

He choked on air. “No. Why on earth would you think that?”

She shrugged. “I’m a writer. Worst-case scenario is kind of my wheelhouse.”

“Okay, well, great, but no one is killing anybody. All we want to do is catch him in the act of trespassing or something else that’s an arrest-able offense. Once we get him in front of a judge, it’ll be a lot easier to nip this behavior in the bud. Are we clear on that?” He drank the wine while watching her.

“Yep. Totally clear.” She set her glass on the counter. “Let me go get you a pillow and blanket while I’m thinking about it. Be right back.”

She left him in the kitchen and went down the hall to the linen closet next to the guest bath. The wine was kicking in a little. She could feel it. But it was also taking the edge off her nerves. She resolved right then not to let alcohol influence her evening with Alex.

Which wasn’t really an evening or a date or anything. It was just him watching over her in case Thomas tried something else. Just a friend taking care of another friend.

She pulled out a blanket and pillow, hugged them to her chest and smiled. She’d never really had a friend like that before. Not in New Jersey anyway. Now she had Alex. And Delaney, who she was sure would have gotten her husband to do whatever Roxy had needed, if Roxy had asked.

Despite the nonsense Thomas was putting her through, Roxy had never felt safer. Or more cared for.

Moving to Nocturne Falls had definitely been the right decision.

Alex was closing the front blinds when she walked out to the living room. She set the blanket and pillow on the chair next to the sofa. “So what’s the game plan? You said you were going to do some investigating?”

He shut the last set of blinds. “Yes, but not until after dark, so it’ll be a few hours.”

She glanced at the clock on the cable box. It wasn’t even five o’clock yet. “We could…watch a movie. Or something.”

“Don’t let me interrupt your day. If you need to write or work in your office, go for it. I don’t need to be entertained.”

That might be, but right now, having a real live man in her house was a lot more interesting than the made-up one waiting for her in the book she was supposed to be writing. “Okay. Hey, you want to see my fish tank?”

He smiled. “Sure.”

“It’s in my office.”

He followed her back. The moment he laid eyes on it, he let out a soft, “Wow. When you said fish tank, I was thinking something a lot smaller. That’s your whole wall.”

She grinned. “Cool, right?”

“Definitely.” His gaze trailed the wrasses. “Very cool.” He took a few steps closer, his eyes never leaving the tank.

She pulled her desk chair around. “Sit.”