Austin needed a drink. It had been less than two days since he’d made the biggest mistake of his life and walked out of Sierra’s hospital room. She’d told him to go, and he’d listened. Since when did he do exactly what she told him to?

It was the other way. At least in the bedroom. He was her Dominant. Her support. And yet he’d failed her. Holy fuck how he’d failed her.

He’d let her set the rules and hadn’t taken care of her like he should have. What kind of man did that make him?

She’d been scared. Terrified. Just as he was. And he’d walked away. There was no amount of groveling that could make up for that, but he had to find a way.

“Dad?”

Austin froze then turned around to see Leif standing behind him, a frown on his face. He wanted to jump up and throw his arms around his son at the sound of Dad from the little boy’s lips, but he refrained. He wouldn’t make a big deal out of it; he’d let Leif think this was normal and okay, rather than shouting to the rooftops like he wanted to.

“Yeah, Leif?”

“When are we going to go get Sierra?”

Austin crouched down so he was at Leif’s eye level. “You want me to get Sierra?”

Leif rolled his eyes. “Of course I do. She’s our family. I know my mom isn’t coming back, but you’re my dad. You’re family. And since you both love each other, you should be together. I don’t know if I’ll ever call her mom, but she takes care of me. You know? She loves me, and I love her. I don’t want her to leave. I want to make sure she’s okay. Can you do that? Can you make sure she knows she can come home? Just fix it. Okay?”

Out of the mouth of babes.

Austin cupped his son’s head. “I’ll bring her home, Leif. Do you want her to stay here forever? Is that what you have in mind?” He and Leif were a unit now. He couldn’t make a decision that big without him.

“Just marry her, already. Okay? I like her a lot. She’s pretty, and she smells nice.”

“That’s true.” Marriage? Yeah. He was ready for that. He’d been ready but hadn’t been able to think past his own worries to actually see it. “I just hope she takes me back.”

Leif put his hand on Austin’s beard. “She will. She loves you. Old people are just scared sometimes about saying it. It’s okay. I’ll help.”

Austin let the old people comment pass and swallowed hard. “I love you, Leif. You’re my son, and I’m so happy you’re in my life.”

Leif smiled. “I love you too, Dad. Now go get Sierra.”

Austin crushed Leif to him, inhaling that little boy scent. Only he wasn’t so little anymore. “I’ll drop you off at Maya’s. She and Jake are having an Xbox tournament.”

“Sounds good to me. I’m packed already.” He blushed, and Austin raised a brow. “Aunt Maya is ready for me. She said some curse words about you getting your butt in gear.”

He chuckled then messed up Leif’s hair. “Your Aunt Maya needs to watch her language around you.”

“That’s what she said about you.”

“True. Okay, let’s get going.”

“So you can bring Sierra back.”

“I hope.”

By the time he left Leif at Maya’s house, darkness had settled over the mountains, and he sat in his car in front of Sierra’s apartment. He never should have let her get her way. He should have fought harder.

Fuck. He didn’t know what to say, but staying out in his car while people walking by stared at him wasn’t the way to go about it. He got out of his car, made his way to her door, and knocked softly. He heard her shuffle to the door, and then she opened it.

She stood there, her hair in a ponytail, her eyes full of sadness. Bruises marred her arms and legs, and he sucked in a breath.

“Oh, baby, I’m so sorry you’re hurt.”

Sierra took a step back, and he walked in. She closed the door behind him, and he put his hands in his pockets. He wanted to hold her close and never let her go. Right then he didn’t think that was the best thing for either of them. They needed to talk first.

“Why are you here, Austin?” Sierra asked, her voice weary.

“I love you, Sierra. I love you more than my next breath. I need you in my life. I never should have let you push me away. I was so fucking scared that you got hurt, and then I was more worried about how my own life was changing rather than dealing with what was in front of me. I never should have left. You’re my everything. I want you in my life, Sierra. I want you to grow old with me. Help me raise Leif. I want to marry you and have you take my name. I want to have babies with you and watch them grow up. I want to see you in my family and have you by my side as we deal with my father’s illness. You are my future, and I should have seen that clearer. Don’t leave me. Don’t let me leave. Don’t force me out. I love you. Please. Please let me stay.”

Sierra’s cheeks were wet with tears even as she shook her head. His body felt like he’d been slammed into a wall, and he took two steps toward her. He cupped her face, brushing her lips with his own.

“I love you Sierra. Whatever happens with Todd in the future will happen with me by your side. You don’t need to fear for me. You don’t need to fear for Leif. We’re not letting you go.”

Sierra hiccupped a sob. “They found Todd. He’d killed himself, Austin. It’s over.”

Stunned, Austin blinked. “You’re safe?”

She nodded, sobbing into him. “Safe, but not whole. I shouldn’t have pushed you away, but I was so scared.”

“I was scared too. So scared, I let you push me away. We don’t get to do that again, Sierra. We’re in it for the rest of our lives. I want you to marry me. I want you in my life, and I want you to be mine in the bedroom. I want you to trust me with your heart, your body, and your soul. I never want to ask you again to kneel for me because I want you to do it on your own. I want you to trust me with every fiber of your being to care for you and nurture what we have until it grows into what I know it promises to be.”

“Oh, Austin.”

“Marry me, Sierra.”

“Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

He crushed his mouth to hers, knowing this was the first taste of their forever. His hand went to her hair, and she winced.

“Fuck. You’re too hurt for what I want to do to you, baby.” He narrowed his eyes. “I want to kill them for hurting you, Legs.”

She cupped his face, and he leaned into her touch. “It’s over, Austin. And while tonight we might not be able to go fully into some things, we can make love. We can do it softly.”

His cock pressed against her belly, and he groaned. “Softly,” he whispered.

She led him to the bedroom, and he slowly stripped her down, kissing each bruise and cut as he did so. He sucked her nipples, letting the peaks harden on his tongue, before kissing down her belly to her cunt. When he laid her down on the bed, she tangled her fingers in his hair so he could taste her.

Her sweet taste burst on his tongue as he licked her pussy, lapping up her juices. She moaned, rocking herself onto his face.

“Stay still,” he ordered, and she froze. The fact she did so without complaint made him want to push into her right then, filling her with his cock.

Not until she came.

“Austin.” She gasped as he pumped two fingers into her. Her channel clamped around them, and he flicked her clit. Her head hit the bed as she came, and he kept licking until she came down from her peak.

He pulled away, stripping quickly, before hovering over her body. “You ready for me, Legs?”

“Of course,” she said, her voice thick like honey. “I’m always ready for you.”

“Good,” he answered as he entered her slowly, his gaze never leaving her eyes. He made love to her slowly, not wanting to hurt her. The sweet ache of her body wrapped around him as he thrust in and out of her made him want to scream her name to the heavens. After they came together, their bodies slick with sweat, he rolled to the side, keeping her with him and his cock still deep within her.

“I love you, Sierra Elder.”

“I love you too, Austin Montgomery.”

Austin sighed happily. He’d found his future, his life, his woman. No matter what came next he knew he could handle it with Sierra by his side. He was one lucky bastard, and he’d count his lucky stars until the day he died.

Sierra Elder was his.

Finally.

* * *

Sierra winced as Austin wiped down the area on her side again, the slow buzz of the needle grating. Apparently it was only when the needle was tattooing others that she thought it was sexy. The daisies Austin was inking on her side freaking hurt. Well, not the daisies, but the freaking needle piercing into her skin.

Not that she’d tell him that though. If she looked like she wanted to cry, he might stop, and then she’d have to sit in the chair again.

Okay, so it didn’t hurt that bad, but since he had to keep moving her scarred skin around to fully outline the area with daises, it wasn’t the most pleasant experience.

“All done, Legs,” Austin said, squeezing her thigh. “You did good.”

Sierra gave him a strained smile then tried to sit up.

“Wait, baby. Let me show you your ink and let you rest a bit. I know that hurt like a bitch.” He leaned closer so only she could hear. “I know you like pain, but only from my palm or a flogger. It’s okay.”

She winced then closed her eyes, and she kissed him. “It wasn’t that bad. Plus I have one more tattoo to get.”

Austin raised a brow then smiled broadly. “You’re getting the Montgomery Iris?”

“I’m going to be a Montgomery, aren’t I? It’s tradition.”

Austin patted her ass and smiled even wider. “Fuck yeah you’re going to be a Montgomery. I can’t wait.”

“I can’t either.”

He finished cleaning the area then went over after-care instructions. Luckily she was going home with her artist so he’d be there to help her. She had to admit, the daisies that cascaded around her scars were amazing. They hurt, but she’d wanted to go big for her tattoo, so she couldn’t really blame anyone.

Austin cupped her face then sighed. “I’m so glad you came into the shop that morning.”

“You were an asshole, but I love you anyway.”

“Legs, I’m still an asshole, but I love you too.”

“Dear Lord, stop with the mush already,” Maya sneered from her corner, though she was smiling.

“Aww, we love you too, Maya!” Sierra joked. Austin chuckled by her side, and she licked her lips.

“So, uh, how long until we can properly test out my flexibility with that tattoo?” she whispered.

Austin’s eyes darkened. “Soon, Legs. Soon.” He groaned. “You do realize I have a client in, like, thirty minutes, right? I can’t ink a dude while I have a hard-on.”

She patted his face. “Oh, poor baby. I’m going to Eden and will let you get to it. Leif should be getting out of school in a couple hours, so we can all eat dinner together.”

They sounded so normal. Like a family.

The idea made Sierra feel like she’d made the right choice, that she was the luckiest girl in the world.

In fact, she was.

She’d walked into Montgomery Ink all those months ago for a tattoo and had walked out not only with fresh ink, but a son, a future, and a man she was going to spend the rest of her life with.

Talk about lucky.