Teach Me (Lessons in Seduction Book 1) (9 page)

“Are you ready, beautiful?” he breathed, his voice soft, almost concerned. She blinked. She never realized he could be something other than the playboy in bed. That he could care.

It tripped her up. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

A trill sounded. She blinked, then blinked again, having trouble making sense of the unexpected sound.

Was that the fire alarm?

Room service buzzing at the door?

She groaned when she realized it was the alarm app on her phone blaring, followed by the trill of an incoming call. Great fucking timing. “I’m sorry. I have to take it. It’s an emergency.”

Jack picked her cell up off the night table, glancing down at the screen. “American Security?”

“It’s the company that manages the security system Antonio installed at my place,” she said, sitting up, clutching a pillow to her chest, her nerve endings screaming that she should be reaching for Jack, not the phone.

But something had to be wrong. She’d had the alarm for years with no problem. And she’d never had them call the few times she’d accidently tripped her own alarm.

Her heart had been racing before, but now it was nearly doing laps around the room. She took the phone, swiping to answer the call. “Hello?”

“Ms. Fiorini? Your alarm was tripped. Are you all right?”

“Yes, I— I’m not at home,” she said. “Is everything okay?”

“We’re checking the cameras right now.” The man paused and when he spoke again his voice was tight. “There’s been a break-in. The man is still in your house, so stay where you are. Stay safe. We’re sending the police over to your place right now.”

“Oh my God.” Her gaze flew to Jack, who was staring at her with concern. “Yes. I’ll stay where I am.”

“Good,” the man said. “I’ll call back as soon as I have more information.”

She ended the call, dizzy, thinking of the eerie, watched feeling that had haunted her for days and the words Antonio had said to her.

We have enemies, bella.

Never had his warning meant so much to her. She’d told herself she wouldn’t think about her family anymore tonight. She’d told herself she needed to be free of them, to learn to make decisions without them.

But as she set the phone down, cold reality hit her straight between the eyes.

A sexual education could only take her so far. What would she have done if she had been at home, alone, when a stranger had broken into her apartment? Would she have been raped, killed? And if so, who would have cared?

Who would have come to hold her while she cried or stood at the edge of her grave and mourned her loss? Her family had been stolen away from her, one by one, and now she had to wonder…

Would she be next?

S
ophie Holloway is
from her favorite city on earth—Manhattan. When she’s not writing, she’s likely lost in a museum, basking in the sun in Central Park, or making excuses to buy gourmet cupcakes. She likes shoes, rooftop parties, lockets with surprises inside, arts and crafts (both in equal measure), long goodbyes, longer hellos, good friends, strong coffee and even stronger men. She hopes to meet her very own Prince Charming someday soon!

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