Mack stood beside Deirdre at the door to Castle O’Leary.

“Kate, come away with me, darlin’.” Sam hugged the castle owner and swung her off her feet. “I swear my undying love for my bonnie Irish lass.”

Kate smacked at his arms, her cheeks cherry red, her eyes shining. “You’re far too young for me and your Irish accent needs improvin’.”

Sam gave her a loud kiss on her cheek and set her away from him. “Thanks for putting up with the Magnus clan during Mack’s recuperation.”

“’Tis my pleasure. Now, leave me be to go back to me work.” She hurried into the castle, her face still flushed.

It had been a week since Mack had been released from the hospital. Abby, Sam and Ronin had managed to con Kate into letting them stay at the castle while Fiona and Wyatt had flown off to Crete to finally have their honeymoon. Mack’s parents had come for a few days and then gone on their long-awaited sightseeing tour of the Emerald Isle.

Mack had agreed to stay on in Cahir for another week to be sure he was fit before traveling. Then he was going to Venice with Deirdre where she was scheduled to shoot an entire spread in one of the fashion magazines. With a month off, he figured a week in Venice and the following week in Texas would give Deirdre time to get used to the idea of them being together forever.

He hoped that in Venice she’d consent to be his wife. Hampered by his injury, their lovemaking had been pretty tame lately. But by the time they made it to Venice, he’d bump it up a notch and seal the deal. She wouldn’t be able to let him go.

Or at least he hoped.

Abby, Sam and Ronin each hugged him hard and clapped him on the back, careful not to touch his side.

“Don’t go messin’ with those Traveler men again. I can’t always come bail you out,” Ronin said.

“I didn’t need you the first time.” Mack drew Deirdre against his good side. “I have my secret weapon to protect me.”

“Yeah, we see that.” Sam kissed Deirdre on the cheek. “Remember, I love you too. If you decide to ditch my gimpy brother, I’m your man.”

Mack shoved him away. “How many times do I have to tell you, she’s not that into you?”

Deirdre laughed. “Sam, there’s a woman out there who’s just right for you.”

Mack nodded. “All you have to do is be smart enough to recognize her when she comes along.”

“Easy for you to say. You got the best girl.”

“Damn right I did.” Mack pressed a kiss to the top of Deirdre’s auburn hair and then turned to Sam. “You have another two weeks of leave. Where are you headed?”

“I’ve always wanted to go to Italy. All your talk of Venice has me curious. Maybe I’ll play forward scout and clear the bad guys before you two land.”

“Be sure to find us then. We’ll have dinner on one of the canals.” Mack shook his brother’s hand, and Sam slid behind the wheel of the rental car.

Mack faced Ronin. “You’re going back to the States?”

“Yup. Got word this morning from my commander. He wants me back ASAP to fly some super secret mission.” He winked at Deirdre.

Mack nodded. Because they were all in the military, every time they parted, he refused to say goodbye. The danger involved in their careers left them with no guarantees. He never knew if he’d see them again and he didn’t want to jinx them. “I’ll see you later then.”

“Later.” Ronin bumped fists with Mack and climbed into the rental car.

Abby hugged Mack. “If you make a trip to the Ukraine, be sure to come see me. I miss my brothers something fierce.”

“You bet. But it goes both ways. We’d love to see you move back to Texas.”

“And what embassy would I work at there?” She snorted. “I didn’t major in foreign relations to live forever in Texas.”

Mack kissed her forehead. “I had to try.”

Abby hugged Deirdre. “Thanks for taking care of my big brother. You’re already like a sister to us.”

“Not to me,” Mack amended.

“Next time I see you, you have to show me how to do a smoky eye with my makeup.” Abby squeezed Deirdre’s hands.

Deirdre nodded, tears in her eyes. “I will.”

A moment later, with Abby ensconced in the backseat, the car pulled through the castle gates and drove away.

“I miss them already,” Deirdre said, “and they’re not even my family yet.”

Mack grinned. “Yet? Does this mean you’re giving in?”

Deirdre poked a finger into his chest. “Don’t push me, Yank. When I’m ready, I’ll tell ya, and not a moment sooner.”

“Then let’s go make use of our turret. I have a whole lot of convincing to do.”

“You’ve already ripped your stitches once.”

He slipped his hand down over her bottom and pinched her. “I’ll make a deal with you. You can do all the work and I can lay back and enjoy it.”

She smiled, her eyelids drooping, low and sexy. “I have a better idea. One that will keep you from rippin’ a stitch.” With a wink, she grabbed his hand and led him into the castle.

“We’re goin’ upstairs, Kate!” Mack called out. “We won’t be down until breakfast.”

“Bloody hell, be off with ya, and keep the yellin’ down, will ya?” Kate shouted back. “I have other guests, ya know.”

Mack followed Deirdre up the winding staircase to the tiny room at the top. Rare sun shone through the windows as Deirdre stopped in the bright rays and stripped her clothes, letting her bra fall from her fingers to the floor.

“Now, your turn,” she said, and proceeded to undress him, taking her sweet time, trailing lips across his skin like butterfly kisses. His body trembled with a surge of lust unparalleled to anything he’d ever felt with any other woman but Deirdre.

When he was as naked as she was, he reached for her.

She scooted backward, shaking her head. “No, no, no. Not yet. We aren’t going to do anything to disturb your injury. Now lie down on the bed.”

Mack complied, stretching out on the mattress, the expectation of what was to come making his cock as hard as a poker.

“Ready, are ya?” she asked, her gaze traveling low over his body.

“Always. With you.”

Deirdre bent over him and kissed his lips, pushing her tongue past his teeth to twist with his. When he tried to pull her down on him she broke the kiss.

“This is the part where I do some of the work and you do some of the work, but we both get off satisfied.”

“Well, hurry it up, woman. I’m about to explode with anticipation.”

Deirdre moved her lips across his chin and down to his chest, capturing one of his nipples between her teeth and nipping gently. Gradually inching her way down his body, she stopped to run her hands across his engorged cock.

“I know I’m liking this, but how is it getting you where I want you to go?”

“I’m gettin’ to it,” she said and wrapped her lips around his dick, sucking him into her mouth.

He surged upward, the muscles in his belly tightening and tugging against his stitches. “Ouch.”

She backed off him and said, “Lie down and let me do the work.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

When she came down on him again, he let her, forcing his body to lie still when every instinct was to thrust upward into her warm, wet mouth.

Deirdre moved over him, planting one knee on the edge of the bed and lifting the other over his head, positioning her lovely lady parts over his face.

“Now you’re talking.” He cupped her bottom and pulled her down on him until he could flick her clit with his tongue.

She sank lower and purred. “Mmmm, yeah.” Her mouth closed over his cock as he lapped at her pussy, alternating between tonguing her clit and thrusting into her juices.

Deirdre was right, he didn’t have to work hard to get off with her. And from how wet she was already, it wouldn’t be long before… He tapped the strip of flesh, flicking, teasing and nibbling.

Her back arched and she grew rigid, the edges of her teeth scraping his shaft.

Oh yeah, she was close.

Sliding his fingers into her pussy at the same time as he ravaged her clit, he hit the spot and her hips jerked, her body shaking with the force of her release, cream sliding from her channel.

Her mouth moved over his cock, powering up and down until he couldn’t see straight and sensations pushed him to the very edge. He held on, refusing to come in her mouth. Instead, he grabbed her ass. “Protection,” he said through gritted teeth.

She reached for one of the foil packets they kept handy on the nightstand and tore it open, sliding it down over his cock. Then she left the bed and mounted him, sheathing him in her drenched channel. Rocking up and down, she rode him until he could take no more and he rocketed over the top. He held her hips in his hands, pushing her down over him, his cock buried as deeply inside her as he could get it, throbbing and pulsing against her moist heat.

When he could string two thoughts together, he helped ease her to the mattress on his good side and held her for a long time.

She nestled her cheek against his chest and sighed. “Okay.”

“Okay what?”

“If you’ll have me, I’m yours.” She slid a hand across his skin, careful not to disturb his wound. “Jazus, Mack, I can’t help it. I’m falling head over heels in love with you.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “Then stop fighting it and surrender.”