Bryce woke and reached for Alexis, but the bed was empty. Panic fluttered in his chest. He’d dumped so much on her last night…his fake persona, his family, his brother’s death. Had she changed her mind about staying? Decided he carried too much baggage? He rose onto his elbows, and light shining from beneath the bathroom door eased his fear. When he put his hand on the bed where she had lain, her warmth remained in the sheets.

Her sweet scent lingered on the pillow, and he pressed his face into the fabric, inhaling deeply. The bathroom door swung open, and Alexis stepped into the room, wearing nothing but a towel. His mind flashed back to the first time he’d seen her in a towel, and he smiled. Not a single bruise marred her skin now, and she was finally opening up to him. Letting him into her world.

“Now you’re doing it.” She strode across the room and sat on the edge of the bed. The towel slid up until it barely covered the important parts, and heat pooled in his groin.

“Doing what?”

“You’re sniffing the pillows. And smiling about it.”

He swung the pillow behind her back, clutching it with both hands and pulling her to his chest. “You smell good.” He nuzzled into her neck and took a deep breath. The scent of his soap mixed with a sweetness that was all Alexis, making his mouth water to taste her.

She laughed. “I smell like you. What’s with the citrusy shower gel?”

“I like it. Especially when it’s on you.” He trailed kisses up the curve of her neck to take her earlobe between his teeth.

She shivered. “Don’t you have to go to work?”

He tossed the pillow onto the bed and lay back, lacing his fingers behind his head. “Not for a few hours. It’s six a.m.”

Her gaze traveled the length of his body before settling on the tent he’d made of the sheets. She grinned. “I don’t start my new job until Wednesday. Mind if I do a little exploring?” Her fingers brushed his stomach as she slid the sheet down. “Or do you have something you need to be doing?”

His core contracted, and his dick twitched beneath the sheet. “The only thing I need to be doing right now is you, darlin’.”

“Darlin’?” She unknotted the towel from her chest and tossed it on the floor. “I’ve never let anyone call me that before.”

Damn, she was gorgeous. All fair, flawless skin and delicate curves. He’d call her anything she wanted him to if she’d crawl into bed and press her supple body against his. “Would you like me to stop?”

“I like it coming from you.” She tugged the sheet from his legs and climbed on top him.

Every nerve in his body hummed as she lay against him, coaxing his lips apart with her tongue. She tasted like mint toothpaste, and as he wrapped his arms around her, he couldn’t seem to hold her close enough. He needed to be in her. To be one with her.

His home had always been his sanctuary. His place to be alone when the world became too much to bear. He’d never realized how lonely he’d been, isolating himself like he had. Now, with Alexis in his bed, her scent lingering on the sheets, her essence filling his space with promises of companionship, he couldn’t imagine a life without her in it.

She glided her tongue down his neck toward his chest, and anticipation knotted in his muscles.

“You know,” he said. “You don’t have to move in with Luke’s sister.”

“I don’t?” She trailed kisses across his right pec and flicked out her tongue to lick his nipple.

His stomach clenched, and he sucked in a sharp breath. “Not if you don’t want to.”

“Where would I live then?” She grazed his sensitive flesh with her teeth and sucked his nipple into her mouth.

Electricity shot straight to dick, his hips involuntarily bucking with the sensation. “You could stay with me.”

“I could?” She kissed her way down his stomach, his muscles coiling tighter as her lips neared his groin.

He rose onto his elbows to look at her. “I like having you here, and I plan on spending every free second I have with you.”

“Do you, now?” She grinned as she took his length in her hand and stroked him.

His lids fluttered, but he forced his eyes open. She knew exactly what to do. Where to touch. To lick. She was made for him, and he needed her to know exactly how he felt about her. “I don’t know how to describe it, but there is something about you. I felt it the first time I met you, and it’s gotten stronger the more I spend time with you.”

She stroked him again, and a bead of moisture gathered on his tip. A moan rumbled up from his chest, and she stroked him again.

“Maybe I do know how to describe it. Alexis, I…”

She flicked out her tongue to lick him, and the thoughts evaporated from his mind like a fog burned away by the morning sun. He dropped his head onto the pillow and closed his eyes as she took him into her mouth. Warm and wet, her tongue massaged the underside of his dick as she sucked him deeper. Then she slid her head up until only his tip remained between her lips before taking his entire length into her mouth again. A shudder ran through his body as she repeated the motion again and again, pushing him closer to the edge.

He could barely suck in enough air to speak. “I need you. I…”

She rose to her knees and grabbed a condom from the nightstand, rolling it on before she straddled him. Gripping his cock, she guided him to her center and sheathed him before he could finish the thought. Her gaze locked with his, and she rocked her hips, sending searing electricity pummeling through his veins.

With her hands on his chest, she rode him, her gorgeous breasts swaying with her movements. She was sheer perfection, and the connection he felt with this woman ran deeper than he’d imagined possible. He belonged to her. Every part of him.

He licked his thumb and pressed it to her clit, and she gasped, straightening her spine and increasing her rhythm. His climax coiled like spring in his core, and has she tossed her head back and cried out his name, an explosion of ecstasy ricocheted through his system and sparks danced before his eyes.

Breathless and trembling, Alexis collapsed on top of him. She clutched his shoulders and showered him in kisses, and he glided his fingers across her sweat-slickened skin. Her hair was still damp from the shower, and he ran his fingers through it, brushing it away from her face.

“One of the perks of moving in with me?” He kissed her cheek. “Mornings like this.”

She lifted her head and smiled. “I’ll think about it.”

His chest tightened, and three little words danced on his tongue. He bit them back. She said she’d think about it, and he didn’t need to press his luck by saying more. He would give her all the time she needed to warm up to the idea of being his. Right now, he’d find satisfaction in the fact that she was staying in town.

He held her for another half hour before showering and getting ready for work. Alexis dressed and followed him into the living room, where she gave Sam a scratch on the head and let him out the back door.

“Mind if I make some coffee?” She kissed him on the cheek and padded barefoot into the kitchen.

A fluttering sensation formed in his stomach as she made herself at home, opening cabinets, taking out cups, and filling the machine to brew. He stepped behind her and slid his arms around her waist. “Will you be here when I get home?”

She turned her face toward him and kissed his cheek. “Do you want me to be here when you get home?”

“You know I do.” Today and every day for the rest of his life.

“Then I will. Once my job starts, I’ll have to figure out this whole staying in one place thing. It’s scary.”

He released his hold and moved to face her. “The last thing I want to do is scare you away. If I’m coming on too strong, please let me know.”

She put her hand on his face. “I’m not scared of you, Bryce.”

“That’s good to know, darlin’.” He kissed her palm. “Do you like frozen waffles?”

“I prefer them heated.”

He laughed and popped some Eggos into the toaster—a feat of cooking he could actually handle. They ate and cleaned up the mess together, the routine as effortless as if they’d already lived together for months.

She walked him to the door and kissed him on the cheek, and he paused to take in her beauty.

“You are an amazing woman, Alexis Gentry. I’ll see you tonight.”

She smiled. “Bye, Bryce.”

He tugged the door open and stumbled over a heap of fabric blocking the exit. A brown envelope slipped from the pile and landed at Alexis’s feet. The color drained from her face as she bent and scooped the fabric and the envelope into her arms.

“This is my jacket.” Her voice came out as a raspy whisper.

Bryce’s heart slammed against his ribcage. “The one you left at Eric’s?”

She nodded, and he wrapped his arm around her, pushing her back inside before locking the door. He should have expected this. Abusers never let go that easily.

Standing utterly still, she stared at the envelope in her grip. “He found me.”

Bryce took the envelope and carried it to the kitchen. “I guess someone bailed him out of jail.” He tore it open and dumped the contents onto the counter. A stack of glossy photographs slid across the Formica, and anger burned in his chest. “Bastard’s been watching us.”

Alexis peeked over his shoulder as he spread the photos out on the surface. Pictures of his car parked at the station, Alexis’s Ford on the curb in front of his house. The two of them walking hand-in-hand beneath the oaks on their way to dinner last night. A shot of them embracing in the living room, taken through the open blinds.

She picked up an image of her and Macey having lunch in a restaurant. Dropping it on the countertop, she covered her face with her hands. “I’m so sorry. I really thought this was over.”

“Guys like that don’t take rejection well. I’m not surprised at all.” But he had let his guard down. He’d been so caught up in his feelings for Alexis that he’d been careless. Sloppy. The bastard had been following him, and he hadn’t even noticed. He was a detective, for Christ’s sake; he should have caught on.

Her hands trembled as she stacked the pictures. “I’ll go talk to him.”

“No, you won’t. This.” He gestured to the photographs. “This is stalking. He’s already hurt you once.”

She dropped her gaze to the floor, and ice flushed his veins.

“At least once.” He didn’t need to know exactly what the asshole had done to her. The look on her face said enough. He ground his teeth. “You need to get the police involved. Get a restraining order, so if he does something like this again, I can arrest him.”

She opened her mouth as if to argue, but she let out a defeated sigh instead. “Okay. You’re right. I’ll get a restraining order.” She fumbled with the pictures, nervously stacking them face-down on the counter. When she reached the image of the two of them embracing in the living room, she swallowed hard and shoved it into the middle of the pile.

He called Sam inside and locked the back door. “Put your shoes on, and you can come to the station with me. I’ll take the day off and stay with you until we can get this sorted out.”

She inhaled a shaky breath. “If you don’t mind, I think I’d like to get Macey’s help with this.” She glanced into his eyes before lowering her gaze again. “After our talk last night, I feel like she would want to help.”

Hooking a finger under her chin, he raised her eyes to meet his. “You won’t regret that.” He tugged her into a firm hug. “I’ll follow you to her house to be safe.”

“You don’t have to do that.” Her face was pressed against his chest, muffling her voice.

“I want to.” If he didn’t trust Macey with his life, he’d insist she go to the station with him. Macey would keep her safe, though, and this might be exactly what they needed to mend their rocky relationship.

She sighed and pulled from his embrace. “Okay. Let me get my things from your room. I’ll just be a minute.”

Alexis gazed at Bryce through her rearview mirror on the way to Macey’s house. Even at a distance, his clenched jaw and furrowed brow were unmistakable. His concern for her safety warmed her soul, and part of her actually considered his suggestion of letting the police handle Eric. Maybe another run-in with the law would convince his bully of a father to take him back to Biloxi. Then again, if he hadn’t bothered this time, he’d probably washed his hands of his delinquent son.

She pulled to a stop on the curb in front of Macey’s house and said a silent prayer thanking whatever god was responsible for ensuring that cars lined the rest of the road so Bryce had nowhere to park. He stopped in the middle of the street and rolled down his passenger side window.

Alexis slipped out of her car, lightly shutting the door to avoid bringing any attention to her presence. Resting her hands on the door, she stuck her head through his SUV window. “Thanks for the escort, officer.”

He pressed his lips together, his brow knitting as he held her gaze. “I know Macey can protect you, but…if you need anything, please call me. I—”

“I will.” She couldn’t let him finish the thought. Not if it was the same thing he’d tried to tell her this morning. He might change his mind after what she was about to do.

A car stopped behind him and honked.

“You better get out of the road. I’ll see you later.” She straightened and wiggled her fingers. “Bye, Bryce.”

He nodded. “Be careful.”

“I will.”

He hit the button to roll up the window and slowly drove away.

Alexis spun around and made her way toward Macey’s front door, but as soon as Bryce turned the corner, she got in her car and sped off in the opposite direction.

Eric wouldn’t stop until Alexis was by his side or dead, and being anywhere near Bryce put him in danger. A restraining order would do nothing to stop a werewolf. She had to handle this herself.

She turned onto Interstate 10 and headed to Pearl River. Maybe she couldn’t beat Eric in a fair fight, but she could outsmart him again. She’d take care of this problem for good, and then she’d come back to New Orleans and settle down with Bryce like her wolf had been begging her to do.

And once her sadistic ex was no longer a threat, she’d tell Bryce what she was…tell him everything. She’d bring him into her supernatural world once it was a safe place for him to be.

Her stomach soured as she pulled into the driveway and parked behind Eric’s Mustang. She shoved some clean clothes into her backpack and slung it over her shoulder as she paced up the walk. A new video doorbell hung beside the frame, and she pressed the button before smoothing her hair into place. A red light blinked beside the camera, and a few seconds later, the lock disengaged.

Eric crossed his arms and leaned against the jamb, a smug smile contorting his features. “I knew you’d come back to me.”

“You didn’t give me much of a choice.”

“You always have a choice, baby. You finally made the right one.”

She clenched her jaw, trying to keep her expression neutral. “If I help you, you will leave Bryce alone. Macey too.”

His grin widened as he drew a cross over his chest. “You have my word.”

“Like that means a lot.” She pressed her hand against the small of her back—where Bryce’s gun fit snugly into the waistband of her jeans—and pushed past Eric to enter his home.