Page 1 of Saving Mr. Norcross
CHAPTER ONE
The weather was perfect.
Brynn Norcross stepped out the door and tipped her face up to the sunshine. The bright Italian sunshine. More precisely, the bright Sicilian sunshine.
Breathing deeply, she slowly circled the sparkling pool and headed for the carved stone railing. She leaned against the warm stone. Down below, the Ionian Sea sparkled like a blue jewel, with the town of Taormina a perfect, elegant backdrop.
Taormina was a historic town perched on a hilltop on the east coast of the island. She’d been charmed by its restored medieval buildings, ruins of an ancient Greco-Roman theatre, and the winding streets littered with restaurants, shops, and cafes. Everywhere she looked, there were spectacular views, not to mention Mount Etna in the distance.
Leaning on the railing, she enjoyed the warmth on her skin. Even though it was the fall and the nights were cooler, the days were warm. She was wearing a small black bikini that her husband would appreciate. The gorgeous villa they’d rented oozed charm and history, all while being modern on the inside. All the ingredients for a perfect vacation.
Brynn let out a long, calming breath. She needed this vacation.
They both did.
Her husband didn’t relax very easily. Her nose wrinkled. That was the understatement of the century. Vander was focused, intense, and dangerous. She’d never change anything about the man she loved.
But lately, he was wound tighter than usual.
He ran the most successful private security company in San Francisco, but that wasn’t what was worrying him. He thrived on the stress and risk of his work. He was doing what he’d been born to do.
No, what was worrying him washer.
She’d always thought nothing would scare Vander Norcross. She pressed a palm to her still-flat stomach. Apparently, getting pregnant was the one thing that struck fear into him.
She sighed. It wasn’t just the baby; it was her job, as well. Vander lived to protect. It was in his DNA. Having a homicide detective for a wife wasn’t easy for him. He’d managed it well enough after they’d first gotten together and she’d proven to him that she could take care of herself.
But her pregnancy, and the most recent incident, had shaken him. Her fingers moved across her belly to the scar on her side. It was newly healed and still pink.
Getting stabbed was not fun. Hell, it had shaken her. Tangling with a career criminal high on meth was challenging on a good day, but add in a very large knife, and the situation had gone south quickly. Another officer had been stabbed, and she’d leaped in to save the man’s life and gotten slashed for her trouble.
She’d been hurt and bleeding, and terrified for the new life growing inside her. When she’d woken up in the hospital with fifteen stitches in her side, she’d had to watch her husbandstruggle with his rage and anger. After he’d learned that she was okay, he’d kept it contained and bottled up, but she knew it was there.
He’d refused to talk about it and insisted he was fine.
Brynn ground her teeth together. He wasn’t fine. Getting Vander to open up was never easy. He’d come a long way from the man she’d first met when she was going undercover with a motorcycle club, but there were times when he held a lot in. And every day since she’d been hurt, she’d felt a distance between them.
Then she’d had the idea for them to get away. When she’d suggested this vacation, he’d jumped at the chance. This from the man who rarely took a vacation.
It was what they needed. The added bonus was that this trip had a connection with his heritage. His mother, Clara Norcross, was Italian-American and one side of her family was from Sicily. Plus, Vander’s brother Rhys, and his wife Haven, had come along, too. They’d rented the villa next door.
Since Brynn loved them both, she was thrilled. They’d already spent two spectacular days wandering the beautiful streets of Taormina.
She leaned her elbows on the railing and gazed at the azure-blue sea. She wanted Vander to relax, to stop obsessing over the fact that she’d been hurt, and to process the scary thought of bringing a child into the world. A tiny human who they’d be responsible for.
So far, she still felt that distance between them and it ate at her. It wasn’t overt. He still kissed her, still loved her fiercely at nighttime, but there was just something she couldn’t put her finger on.
She wanted it gone.
Vander Norcross washers. Every inch of his battered soul.
She’d fight for him.Always.
Strong arms closed around her from behind.
She didn’t jolt. She would know him anywhere—his strength, his warmth, his scent. Plus, the man moved silently all the time, so she was used to him sneaking up on her.
Hard muscle pressed against her back and warm lips brushed her bare shoulder. “Good morning.”
