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  “Ready?” he asked, his body shaking as well.

  “Yes, Austin. Please.”

  He lowered his head, kissing her softly. She could taste herself on his lips and was only disappointed she hadn’t been able to taste him as well. Next time, he said. She couldn’t wait.

  “Put your hands on the headboard,” he ordered, and she shuddered.

  When she did so, keeping her hands close together, he wrapped his hand around both of her wrists. God, he was big everywhere.

  He settled between her legs, his body pressed against hers as he kept his weight on his other arm. Then he pressed against her opening, his cock sliding through her juices. Thank God she was so wet for him because, hell, he was big.

  Much bigger than anything she’d experienced before.

  He slowly stretched her, filled her inch by inch until they were both sweat-slick and panting. “Jesus, baby, you’re so fucking tight.” He let his hand drop from her wrist as he moved to his knees. The action brought him that much deeper, and she cried out in pleasure, not in pain. It must have shown on her face because he slid his hands down her sides, gripping her hips.

  Then he moved again, thrusting in and out of her slowly at first, then harder.

  Her gaze met his, wanting that connection like her next breath.

  “You feel so good around my cock, Legs. I can’t wait to take you from behind and push even deeper. Then, one day, you’ll be above me, your tits bouncing as you ride me. Maybe I’ll tie you up, your ass in the air, and fuck that sweet ass of yours. You want me to do that? You want me to fuck your ass like I’m fucking your pussy?”

  She couldn’t speak, couldn’t think.

  He lifted her hips up with one hand even as he continued to fuck her, and then he slapped her ass. Hard.

  “You want that, Sierra? Answer me?”

  She nodded. “Yes, Austin. I want it all.”

  “What do you want, Sierra?”

  “I want everything. I want you to tie me up, spank me, fuck my ass. I want it all.” Later she might blush at her words, but right then, with Austin’s intense gaze on hers, his cock deep inside her, she wanted nothing but him and everything he had to offer.

  “You’ll get it all, baby. You’ll get everything.” He lowered himself again, his body resting over hers as he put his weight on his forearms. He kept thrusting in and out of her, the sensation of his cock hitting her in just the right place sending her over the edge even as she stared at him.

  She couldn’t breathe, but she could see him, see the way his jaw clenched, and then he growled her name as he came, filling the condom. He kept thrusting, pushing them both over the sweet edge of ecstasy into the warm comfort of afterglow and contentment.

  More than contentment, so much more.

  When they became more aware of things around them, he pulled out, took care of the condom, and came back to bed. He wrapped his body around hers, pulling the sheet over the two of them.

  She wiggled closer, turning to rest her head on his chest. He held her shoulders to him, his head buried in her hair and his other hand on her ass, patting and massaging almost as if he couldn’t stop touching her.

  Sierra couldn’t blame him because she was doing the same to him.

  “Perfect,” he rumbled before falling asleep.

  She smiled, pushing away all thoughts of the trials and complications to come that had been forgotten in the moment.

  “Perfect,” she whispered back.

  Perfect.

  Chapter Ten

  Shea Montgomery might be a new Montgomery, but she was part of the family nonetheless. At least that’s what she told herself as she stood on Harry and Marie’s porch, her hand firmly in Shep’s.

  “You ready for this?” Shep asked, his face a little paler than normal.

  She wanted more than anything to pull him into her arms and never let him go. She had no idea how to make things better, and she wasn’t sure there was a way to begin with. Someone Shep loved more than anything in the world might be dying, and there was nothing she could do.

  Shep had grown up in Denver with the rest of the vast Montgomery clan. He had three sets of cousins, plus his own siblings. Sure, many of the cousins and others had moved away from Denver over the years, but the core group, Harry and Marie’s, all still lived within the Denver limits. Shep said they were noisy, loving, and always into each other’s business.

  He loved it.

  Shea wasn’t so sure.

  She’d grown up in a family where being in another’s business meant telling them what to do and belittling them while they did it. Her father had cheated on her mother for years, using mistress after mistress to bury the pain of being married to her mother. Her mother? Well…her mother was an icy bitch of epic proportions.

  It had taken years for Shea to feel free enough to even think that, let alone say it.

  She’d finally gotten out from under her mother’s thumb—she’d never truly been on her father’s radar since she wasn’t a son.

  Now, she had a job she enjoyed, a husband she loved to the depths of her soul, and a new large family she was about to meet. Yet she felt like she was out of control, on the verge of something she couldn’t name, something she couldn’t vocalize, not when there were more important things to worry about—namely Harry and Shep.

  Her own fears and secret desires would have to wait. She’d tried to hide from Shep what was going on in her own mind, but she wasn’t sure she was doing a very good job of it. In fact, she knew she sucked at it. Hiding things from her husband was nearly impossible. It wasn’t as if she was hiding something truly horrible; it was a dream and a nightmare at once that she couldn’t control, not the end of the world. She knew she was being irrational, but she couldn’t stop the damn worrying.

  Strong hands cupped her face, and she blinked.

  “Shea? Baby? I asked if you were ready.”

  She licked her lips and leaned into his hand. “I am. Just lost in thought I guess.”

  His gaze searched hers, and he sighed. Damn it. She was doing this all wrong. It was getting harder and harder to conceal her worry and concerns. Without thinking, she put her hand over her stomach, praying everything would be okay.

  “I wish you would tell me what’s wrong.”

  “I’m fine. Just a little tired. We should go inside or knock or something. Standing out here loitering probably isn’t the best first impression I can make.”

  He frowned then kissed her softly. “I love you, Shea. You can tell me anything.”

  She smiled at him then, loving him more than she could ever have thought possible. “I know. I love you too.”

  The door opened, and Austin stood in the doorway. “You two done making out on the porch, or should I let you keep at it for a bit?”

  Shea turned in Shep’s arms, blushing, with a small smile on her face. Austin grinned at her, his expression lighter than she’d ever seen it. Something had happened to him since his time in New Orleans, something good that might not completely outweigh the bad, but good nonetheless.

  “It’s good to see you, Austin,” she said as she slid from Shep’s arms into his cousin’s. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close.

  Austin was the only Montgomery she’d met, and she liked the fact that he’d be a familiar face in what would surely be a sea of people, whose names she would never get right.

  He kissed the top of her head then moved back, his arm still around her waist. “It’s good to see you, too. I don’t know why you didn’t let me pick you up from the airport.”

  Shea rolled her eyes as Shep shrugged then went in for a hug with Austin. Shea moved away for them to embrace in a hug that wasn’t one of those male hugs where they clapped each other on the shoulder and all that crap. No, this one was one between brothers and cousins who were both in pain.

  “We wanted to rent a car since none of you have an extra one,” Shep explained. “We have all our crap in the back, so we’ll just head to Griffin’s place af
ter dinner with the folks.”

  Her husband looked as exhausted as she felt, and she sighed. This was going to be a very tiring trip, but they needed to be there. Austin had asked, and they had come with no second thoughts. It didn’t mean it would be easy.

  “Are you going to make them stand in the doorway for the rest of the night, or are they allowed to come in?”

  Shea turned to see an older version of Austin—sans beard and visible tattoos—walk toward them. He didn’t look sick. That surprised her. Austin had told Shep that Harry looked smaller than he had before, sicker.

  That could be the case, but Shea didn’t see that. She saw a man who looked vital and ready to fight.

  Good for him.

  Harry held his arms out with a smile on his face that didn’t quite reach his eyes. There. That was what Austin must have been talking about. Well, okay, she’d do her best to be there for all of them. They were her family now, and she’d be damned if she’d be the weak link.

  “Well, girl, come here to your Uncle Harry and give him a hug.”

  She couldn’t hold back her smile as she did as he asked. He wrapped his arms around her just as Austin had, holding her tight. The man might be in his sixties and in the early stages of cancer, but he hadn’t lost his strength yet.

  “You look good, Shea.” He smiled down at her when they pulled apart. “I’m sorry we couldn’t make it to the wedding.”

  She bit her lip. It had been her idea to not wait for a large wedding and forego having family there. She just wanted Shep to be her husband, and he hadn’t complained. She thought now that she might have made a mistake.

  “Hey, don’t look like that, dear,” Harry said as he tilted her chin up. “You get married for yourself and your partner. You don’t do it for others. We didn’t need to be there, but you’re here now. That’s all that matters.” He cleared his throat, and Shea held back tears. “You’re here now,” he whispered.

  Shea pulled away as Shep said hello to his uncle, blinking quickly so she didn’t cry.

  “Shea, honey, I’m so glad you’re here,” Marie said as she came into the room, wiping her hands on a towel. She set the towel down on the side table then opened her arms as Harry had.

  Shea sank into the other woman, the softness over steel will not surprising her in the least. Marie was a mother of eight and countless strays. It was no wonder she was so strong. As Marie ran her hand down Shea’s back, Shea relaxed, that little ball of anxiety in her belly soothing.

  God, was this what it should have been with her own mother? A hug that took out some of the sting, some of the pain?

  She was officially an emotional mess, but at least she’d held back her tears. So far.

  “Well then, darling,” Marie said as she wiped her own eyes. “Now that we’re here, let’s have some food, get settled, and then we can visit a bit.”

  “That sounds like a plan,” Shea said. “Is there anything I can do?”

  Marie shook her head. “No, I’ve got this down to a science. It’s on the table, and we’re ready to go.”

  Shep came over and took her hand, leading her into the dining room. Soon, she was eating a generous helping of roast chicken stuffed with oranges, plus mashed potatoes, and lemon asparagus. She hadn’t been eating enough recently and, in the mornings, had been having trouble keeping things down. Right then, she ate every bite and relaxed for the first time in weeks.

  Shep ran his hand over her knee, and she leaned into him. Yes, she’d tell him what was going on soon, but first she needed to figure out what was wrong with herself emotionally and how to help Shep’s family.

  As dinner wound down, they made their way into the living room. She sank into the couch, her body relaxing against Shep’s. Austin sat on the other side of her, as if he knew they all might need the comfort.

  “So…we’re here,” Shep started, running a hand over his face.

  “You’re here,” Harry said. “You’re here because Austin asked that of you, and I’m grateful.” He met Shea’s eyes then Shep’s. “As you know, I have prostate cancer. We caught it early because my wife makes me go to the doctor to catch things like this.” He let out a breath then gripped Marie’s hands.

  Shea let a tear fall. It would be no use holding them back now.

  “Can you tell us more about it?” Shep asked. “Where you’re at? What treatments? I want to make sure we understand so we can help out and know all we can.”

  Harry nodded. “I’ll tell you everything I can. I don’t want to hide this from you, nor do I want you to go in thinking the worst…or even the best. I’m in the very early stages of the disease with a slow-growing, low-grade tumor.”

  “That’s good, right?” Shep asked and Shea squeezed his hand. “Shit. I mean better. Not good. There’s nothing good about this.”

  “He caught it early, and that’s a good thing,” Austin said quietly.

  “Yes, son. That’s exactly it. It’s low-grade, as I said. That means we’re looking at external beam radiation therapy and not a radical prostatectomy. However, if the doctors think I need that, then we’ll do it. I’m not going to risk my life and forego treatment because of cost—not yet.”

  Shea didn’t think Harry meant the cost in terms of money.

  “Sierra and I were looking at the types of radiation and how it would work while we were researching,” Austin began then coughed. “I hope that’s okay.”

  For the first time, Harry looked truly bright. “Sierra, is it?”

  “We’re just starting out, Dad.”

  Shea smiled as Austin squirmed in his seat.

  “Why didn’t she come tonight?” Harry asked.

  “She had to work at Eden, her shop across the street from Montgomery Ink. I’ll bring her next time, okay?” Austin grinned a bit, though he looked like he’d rather not be subjected to his parents’ stares.

  Good for Austin.

  “Good,” Marie said sweetly. “I want to meet this woman that Maya speaks of.”

  Austin groaned. “You know better than to listen to what Maya has to say.”

  “Austin Montgomery, you be nice to your sister,” Marie ordered with a smile. She looked over at her husband and sighed. “Now where were we?”

  “They’re still prepping me for radiation,” Harry said after he let Austin sweat a bit. “I start it in three days, and it will probably kick me in the ass, but I’m not going to let it keep me down.”

  Shep let out a shaky breath, and Shea ran her hand down his thigh.

  “We’ll be here for a couple of weeks or so,” Shea said. “I can do most of my work from home at this point, and Shep’s coworkers at Midnight Ink don’t mind picking up the slack while we’re here. That means we can help with whatever you need.”

  “You rented a car, did you?” Harry asked, and his brow rose.

  “Yes, we wanted to be mobile,” Shea answered.

  “Well, you can return the damn thing,” Harry said. “Take my car. I’m not going to be able to drive anyway.” Shea knew it had taken a lot for Harry to admit that, and she wanted to hug the man hard.

  “Uncle Harry…” Shep began then shook his head. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, now let me hug that wife of yours again because it looks like she needs it.”

  She did, but it looked like Harry needed it more. She hugged him again hard then pulled away as Austin and Shep did the same. Marie wrapped her arm around Shea’s shoulder and both women stood off to the side, still as stone.

  It was clear to anyone that Harry was the center of the Montgomery family. If they lost him…well, Shea didn’t want to think about that. She put her hand over her stomach again, that worry sliding through her like it’d never left.

  One thing at a time, she whispered to herself. One thing at a time.

  Chapter Eleven

  Miranda Montgomery might be the youngest in the family, but she wasn’t a kid anymore. Getting that idea into the thick skulls of her brothers and sisters, on the other hand,
might take a miracle.

  Forcing the man she’d loved for years to see that would be even harder.

  Well, considering she was currently on a date with someone else so she could get that other man out of her head probably wasn’t helping things.

  But there was only so much little-sister babying she could take.

  She was twenty-three, done with school, and on the prowl.

  She couldn’t help the grin at that thought. On the prowl? More like on a slow, steady march toward what she wanted. Right then, she was on a pit stop to make sure she wasn’t being an idiot though.

  Just because she happened to love her big brother’s best friend didn’t mean he had to love her back.

  Oh no. Decker Kendrick didn’t do anything he didn’t want to do, and loving her wasn’t in the cards. Seeing her as an adult woman with needs seemed so far out of his scope that Miranda was just about to call it a lost cause.

  “Miranda, darling, are you listening?” Edward, her date, asked, that pleasant smile on his face getting on her nerves.

  It wasn’t that he tried to be annoying; he couldn’t help himself. Everything about him was pleasant. His not-too-tight and not-too-bright smile, his suit that wasn’t designer—but neither was it bargain priced—his job as an accountant that was middle of the road, his voice that wasn’t too deep, wasn’t too high, or anything else she could name. He was just…pleasant.

  What had she been thinking when she’d agreed to this date?

  Oh, yeah...that Decker hardly looked at her as anything more than a little sister and she hadn’t been on a date in months.

  Miranda shook her head then calmly put her napkin down on the table. They’d gone out to a nice dinner that wasn’t too fancy, nor was it all that casual, either. The man had a theme for sure, and he wasn’t about the get off course.

  “I’m sorry, Edward. I’m not feeling well. I think I’m going to go home so I can make sure I’m ready for work in the morning.”

  A Thursday evening date. Seriously? What had she been thinking? She had class in the morning and would have even more papers to grade after that. But she was trying not to be a homebody, and Thursday night dates with pleasant, boring Edward had been her answer.