Chapter 7

Owen wasn’t prone to fantasies.

He was a realist through and through.

But this? The feel of Brooke wrapped around him was exactly what he’d fantasized about.

Only better.

Every touch of her hand, every sigh of her breath served to arouse him. He kissed her like a man who was starved and she was the feast. He touched her like a man who had been deprived of contact for too long. And he held her close—because she was the lifeline he needed to give him everything he’d ever wanted.

Knowing he had a tendency to stay too long in his head and overanalyze everything, he chose to focus on what he was feeling.

Warm, smooth skin.

Soft, wet mouth.

Yeah, that served to ratchet his arousal up a notch—or ten. The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass himself, so he moved on to focus on what he was hearing.

Soft sighs.

His name in a breathless whisper.

And the sound of nature after dark.

If anyone had ever asked him where the perfect place was to make love to a woman, he would have thought the correct response would be in a soft bed surrounded by candlelight. And he would have been wrong. Because this…this tent with the mesh roof in the middle of Red Rock Canyon was the perfect place for him to make love to this woman.

Brooke.

As if reading his thoughts, she opened her eyes and looked up at him, a slow smile blossoming on her face. Her every emotion was right there in her eyes, and what he saw there humbled him. The trust, the desire.

“Owen?” she whispered.

“Yes?”

Her smile grew as she arched her back and pressed more firmly against him. “I want to feel you…touch you—”

Rearing back, he tugged off his shirt and grinned when she took advantage of the space between them and did the same. And then she pulled him closer and they were finally skin to skin.

Perfect.

* * *

“If you look over to your right, the constellation of Virgo, or Virgo the Maiden, can be seen.”

“Are you sure? I don’t see it.”

Owen tucked her in close beside him. “Look just past the tip of my finger, and you can make it out. Or we can get the telescope and set it up—”

She shook her head. “No. I don’t want to move from this spot.” Then she snuggled even closer.

He was more than ready to say that he was wrong—that there wasn’t anything in the sky for them to see—and make love to her again, but he didn’t. This was something that felt right—looking up at the sky and talking about what they were seeing as their skin cooled and their heart rates returned to normal.

“Did you know Virgo is the second-largest constellation in the sky? Or that it looks a little bit like a sun lounger?”

“A sun lounger?” she repeated with a giggle. “Really?”

“Can you see it?” he asked softly, tracing the pattern in the sky.

“I think I see it. Is it near that bright star?” Pointing up at the sky, Brooke rested her hand on his and lowered them until they were both resting on his chest.

“Yes, it’s by that bright star. Actually, Virgo can be easily located through its brightest star Spica—which is the fifteenth-brightest star in the night sky.” Realistically, he could give a thirty-minute lecture on Virgo but didn’t think it was the greatest postcoital conversation, so rather than keeping his focus on it, he opted to move on.

“Are you cold?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Nope. The temperature is perfect.”

“Are you hungry? We never finished our dinner.”

He could feel her smile against his shoulder. “I wouldn’t say no to some chocolate, but I can wait.”

“I have a bottle of water over here if you’d—”

“Owen?”

“Hmm?”

“Stop talking.”

He smiled, kissed the top of her head, and listened to the sounds of the night that surrounded them. It was peaceful. Tranquil. And…too damn quiet. The quiet had never bothered Owen before, but right now it was making him uncomfortable. He wanted to talk to her or listen to her talk.

Or sigh.

Or purr his name as he kissed every inch of her again.

But he was afraid to do that. He wasn’t sure if there was a required wait time between the act of making love and then making love again. Maybe it was too soon. Or maybe she might not want to because she was tired or—God forbid—she didn’t enjoy it the first time.

Well, damn. That was a depressing thought. And how was he supposed to know for sure? It couldn’t possibly be polite to just come right out and ask if she enjoyed it—or if he had performed all right.

Even though it was what he was dying to do.

Previous experience hadn’t prepared him for such a scenario. One time and then…done. He’d never had the desire to catch his breath and dive back in for another round. And Owen knew if Brooke gave even the slightest of hints that she was interested, he’d be more than willing to go again.

And again and again.

With a quiet sigh, he focused on the sky again and saw a shooting star. It wasn’t overly bright, but his eye was trained to see them. It was already fading, so he didn’t mention it to Brooke, but he did notice that there were several bright stars in the sky tonight, not just Spica. It would probably be best for him to cool his libido by discussing the facts he knew about all of the stars and what made some brighter than others, what their names were and…

Wait. Did Brooke just shift? Were those her lips on his shoulder? He went still—almost to the point of not breathing—and waited. A slow grin tugged at his lips. She was kissing his shoulder…and one slim leg was rubbing against his until they were tangled together. One of her hands was roaming over his chest—so warm and smooth—and he held in a groan of pleasure.

The hell with that, he thought. Why withhold it? He wanted her. Wanted her to know how much he wanted her. And the last time, she had taken the initiative, leading him to the tent and pulling him down to the bedding. This time…well, this time he wanted—needed—to be the one to take the initiative.

In the blink of an eye, he rolled her over and had her pinned beneath him. She gasped and then let out a laugh of pure joy—the light from the moon was bright enough that he could see her smile and the gleam of pleasure in her eyes.

“I’ve been mentally talking to myself about the stars in the sky,” he murmured.

“Is that what you wanted to talk about?” she asked sweetly.

Owen shook his head. “No. It’s not.”

“What did you want to talk about?”

Rather than answer, he dipped his head, nipped at the swell of her breast, and smiled when she gasped again. He soothed the spot with his tongue and breathed in the scent of her. She said his name, and he remembered she’d asked him a question.

“I want to talk about how you taste,” he murmured against her skin, surprising himself with this kind of sexy talk. She purred at his admission. Encouraged, he tried again. “And how soft you are…all over.” Another purr, and her hips began to move beneath him.

Fascinating.

“But most of all, I want to talk about how much I crave you again,” he growled and then Brooke fisted his hair in her hands and pulled him down for a kiss that was just this side of brutal.

Which was fine.

He was done talking anyway.

* * *

It wasn’t easy, but Brooke managed to keep her painting hidden from Owen, and when they got back to the hotel the next morning, she made arrangements to ship it home. Then they returned to the hotel room to pack up.

“It’s still kind of early,” she said as she put the last of her things in her suitcase. “Did you have anything planned for the day? Did you need to look over anything else with Tom?”

Owen was standing by the window and looking out at the scenery. He shook his head. “I think the helicopter tour and camping last night gave me sufficient data on what to expect.”

He didn’t turn to look at her as he spoke, and his voice was slightly stilted. It was very unlike him, and yet it was how he’d sounded all morning. Quiet. Detached. And it made her heart sink. Was he regretting making love with her? Was he uncomfortable with the turn in their relationship and how he was stuck spending the day with her and traveling with her tonight? And now that she thought about it, he hadn’t touched her or even tried to since they woke up. She’d imagined they’d come back to the room and shower together and maybe make love in the bed. But once she’d returned from shipping the canvas, she’d found Owen had already showered and dressed.

Oh God, she thought. How in the world could she possibly get herself out of this?

Swallowing the panic, she zipped her bag closed and forced a smile onto her face. If he needed time alone, she’d let him have it. “I’m going to check my bag downstairs at bell services and go tour the Bellagio. That was one of the hotels I was really curious about.” She turned quickly to grab her bag.

She never heard him approach.

“Wait… What… Are you upset with me?” he asked, his brows drawn together. His hand had gently grasped her arm, and his appearance right in front of her took her by surprise.

Brooke shook her head. “No!” She paused and forced herself to calm down. “Of course not. You just seemed like…” She shrugged. “You seemed like you wanted to be alone, so I was giving you a bit of a break from me. We’ve been together for two days straight.” Then she chuckled. “More than that actually. I just figured I’d go out and play tourist so you could have some time to yourself.”

He stepped closer, and her heart skipped a beat. “I don’t want time to myself.”

“Then…then what’s wrong?” she asked softly and then wanted to kick herself. The last thing she wanted was to pressure him—he did that enough to himself.

When he didn’t answer right away—when he turned his head and looked toward the window—Brooke was fairly certain she had been right. He was just trying to be polite because that’s who he was. Slowly, she pulled out of his grasp and turned to pick up her purse. “I’ll meet you back here in the lobby around five so we can maybe grab a bite to eat before we have to head to the airport.”

Owen didn’t say a word.

Exhaling slowly, Brooke picked up her suitcase and looked at him one more time before walking to the door. It shouldn’t have surprised her—after all, Owen was a shy and quiet man, and last night he had been anything but. So rather than push him further, she knew the right thing to do was leave. For now. Even though it was the last thing she wanted to do.

Reaching for the doorknob, she jumped when Owen’s hand slammed on the door just above her shoulder. Her heart beat madly, and every inch of her tingled with awareness. It was like this every time he was close to her.

But she didn’t turn around.

And she didn’t say a word.

She waited.

Slowly Owen moved in closer until they were barely touching from head to toe. He nuzzled her hair and breathed in deeply. “Don’t go.”

She was torn. The last thing she wanted was for Owen to ask her to stay out of some sense of obligation. But when she shifted slightly and felt his body behind her—so hard and strong and warm—she did her best to stifle a smile.

Dipping his head, Owen placed his mouth on her throat where her pulse was thundering, and the contact made her tremble. She whispered his name.

Hands moved from her shoulders down her arms, until he had her dropping her purse and suitcase on the floor. Then they traveled back up and held her firmly against him. His mouth kept moving against her—each kiss, each nip hungrier than the last.

“Owen—”

“I’m a selfish bastard,” he said gruffly. “I told myself last night was enough. That I would keep my hands to myself today, but I can’t. God help me, Brooke, I can’t.”

His hold on her was almost brutal, and she wanted to turn in his arms, to kiss him like she was aching to, but he didn’t let her. “I don’t want you to keep your hands to yourself,” she sighed, moving against him. “I… I thought you were having regrets…that you were sorry that we—”

He spun her around and silenced her words as he kissed her. Her arms instantly went around him, and she wanted to climb him like a tree. The transformation of this man from quiet scientist to lover was breathtaking, and she loved it. He fascinated her, intrigued her, and turned her on so much she thought she’d combust.

Wordlessly, he lifted her up and carried her over to the bed. She felt boneless, completely awash in the sensations his hands and mouth were creating, and when he lowered himself onto her, Brooke realized maybe this was the man he was always meant to be.

* * *

“I wish we could have timed it better to see the fountain show at night,” Brooke said as they walked up to the entrance of the Bellagio hotel. “I’ve seen it in movies, but it would have been very cool to see it live and in person.”

Owen wasn’t all that impressed with the whole fountain ballet concept, but he would have watched it with Brooke. They held hands, fingers entwined, as they walked. Honestly, he could have used about ten hours of sleep, but the thought of missing out on any time with her was beyond unappealing. He wanted to stay awake and talk with her, be with her, and sleeping would mean he was missing out.

So now he was stuck touring a hotel and casino.

His mind wandered to the past few hours. After he’d carried Brooke to bed, he’d felt like a completely different person. And if he were honest, it had been the same last night. Owen prided himself on being level-headed and in control at all times. He didn’t do emotional, and he’d never understood people who claimed to get carried away by their emotions.

Except now he did.

Completely.

It was more than a little scary to him—this feeling of being out of control. And the sex? He had a sneaking suspicion he was some sort of perv or closet sex fiend because never had he been so…aggressive during the act. There were times when he’d almost apologized because he thought he’d hurt her with his…enthusiasm. His only saving grace was that Brooke seemed to enjoy it.

Imagine that!

And he felt completely ridiculous because one of his first thoughts this morning was how he needed to call Riley and make sure he was…normal. Not Riley but himself. Was sex like this for other people, or was he some sort of freak? Like that would be anything new. He almost snorted at the thought. He was already a freak in just about every aspect of his life, and he’d kind of hoped to limit his weirdness. If he had to add sex to the list, Owen wasn’t sure what he’d do.

“Look at this,” Brooke said with awe as they stepped into the lobby. “It’s magnificent, isn’t it?”

He nodded, but his mind was still back on the whole freak thing.

Brooke must not have noticed because they kept walking and she kept talking. He looked at her—her long hair flowing, her curvy body clad in a pair of black capris and a white tank top. It was the most basic attire, and yet on her it made her look like a model.

He had it bad.

They wandered around for almost an hour—taking in the artwork and the architecture and people-watching—when Brooke stopped them in the casino. “What do you say, Owen? We have to play the slots at least once.” Her entire face was flush with excitement.

“Why?”

She rolled her eyes and playfully swatted at his arm. “We’ve been in Vegas for a couple of days. We have to gamble at least once.”

“But we said we didn’t like to gamble,” he argued gently.

“Have you ever gambled?” she countered.

“No.”

“Neither have I. So how do we know for certain we don’t like it?”

Owen considered her question for a moment and realized he had no comeback. She was watching him anxiously, and he knew if it would make her happy, he’d do it. “Okay, let’s give it a shot.” As they made their way farther into the casino, his rational brain kicked in.

“You know,” he began, “Every spin has identical chances as the previous spin. Like a coin flip. The computer program picks a random symbol on the first reel, then the next, and so on. The probability of lining up the winning combinations, combined with the payout for those combos, is what determines the payback of the machine. Nothing influences the outcome of the symbols, not how long it’s been since the last jackpot hit, not whether your slot card is inserted, not whether the machine has been running hot or cold. Are we sure that’s the way we want to gamble our money?”

Brooke stopped in her tracks and faced him. “Owen?”

“Yes?”

“Sometimes it’s not about winning the money; it’s just for the fun of it. I’m not suggesting we gamble with large sums of money. I’m thinking the nickel or quarter slots. Nothing major.” She studied him. “Okay?”

He supposed losing a dollar or two wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

An hour and fifty dollars later, Brooke was gently pulling him away from the machine. “Okay, okay…I think we’ve lost enough,” she said with a laugh. “Boy, they really suck you in, don’t they?”

Raking a hand through his hair, Owen agreed. “It was slightly addictive. I just kept…waiting! I was so sure I was going to hit that winning spin!”

The next thing he knew, she was hugging him—completely wrapped around him. He put his arms around her and held her close, unsure of why she was having this reaction but certainly glad that she was.

“Thank you,” she said, and he loved the feel of her warm breath on his skin.

“For what?”

“That was a lot of fun! It was pointless and a little bit silly, but now I can officially say that I’ve gambled.”

“But we lost.”

She shrugged. “So? It wasn’t about winning!” She pulled back and looked around. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty hungry. Maybe we can have an early dinner here and then go back to the hotel to get our bags. What do you think?”

He was about to answer, but there was a ruckus on the other side of the slot machines. The raised voices were loud enough to be heard over the noise level of the casino and the music that was piped in.

“Well, that doesn’t sound good,” Brooke murmured. “And to do it in the middle of a casino? That’s embarrassing.”

And yet neither of them moved.

The voices grew louder. “I don’t see what the big deal is, babe! Why are you so bent out of shape over this?” the male voice yelled.

Owen looked at Brooke. “Bent out of shape?” he whispered. “Do people still say that?”

She giggled but then hushed them both when the female voice started to yell again.

“Why? Why do you think?” she screamed. “I catch you with another woman, and you honestly can’t understand why I’m upset? What is wrong with you?”

“I would think it was obvious,” Owen whispered, unable to believe they were both still standing here listening to this faceless couple arguing. “Maybe we should—”

“Darcy!” the male yelled. “What the hell? It’s not a big deal. She didn’t mean anything!”

Darcy? Owen thought. It wasn’t a particularly common name, but still…what were the odds of it being his sister?

“And neither do you!” the female yelled back, and Owen couldn’t help but notice the similarities between this Darcy’s loud voice and his sister’s.

Acoustics. That’s what he was attributing it to. All of the noises combined together were making this random woman sound like…

“I have five brothers who would love to kick your ass!” she screamed. “We’re through!”

“Oh thank God,” Brooke murmured. “That poor girl. I can’t imagine having to deal with such an awful situation with an audience. Come on. Let’s go get something to eat.”

They turned and Owen was nearly plowed down by someone coming from the opposite direction.

“Darcy?”

“Owen?”

Well…crap.

* * *

Brooke looked between the two of them, and it took a minute for everything to start to make sense. “Um…Owen?”

He turned and looked at Brooke, quickly schooling his expression to go neutral. “Brooke…this is my sister, Darcy. Darcy, this is Brooke.”

The young woman turned and looked at Brooke as if she were an alien and muttered a distracted “hi” before turning back to Owen. “What are you doing in Vegas? And in a casino? Isn’t there a planetarium somewhere around here you should be at?”

It took a lot of self-control for Brooke not to step between them and tell Darcy how rude she was being!

“Amazingly enough,” Owen said smoothly, his focus back on his sister, “they let me get out and socialize with you mere mortals once in a while. Lucky that you got to witness it.”

Darcy stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief for a moment before she broke out in laughter and launched herself into his arms. “I knew you had a sense of humor in there somewhere, brainiac!” She squeezed him tight before stepping back. “But, seriously, what are you doing here?”

Owen explained about the project in Red Rock and then about Brooke’s painting and how they decided to take the impromptu trip. Which had Darcy’s dark eyes going wide again right before she looked at Brooke.

“Wow! I can’t believe you got my brother out of the lab! And to Vegas, no less! Yeah, you!” Then she stepped closer and sort of pushed Owen out of the way. “What did you say your name was again?”

Brooke nervously looked at Owen before focusing on Darcy again. “Um…Brooke. Brooke Matthews.”

Darcy smiled wide. “Seriously? Like the actress? That is so cool!” She turned and looked at Owen. “Admit it, you had no idea she shared her name with a famous model-slash-actress, right?”

He looked away briefly and sighed. When he faced her again, his expression was stern. “What are you doing here, brat? I thought you had that internship back in LA. You were talking about it nonstop when you were home last month. Does your boss know you’re off gallivanting in Vegas instead of working?”

To her credit, Darcy seemed genuinely taken aback by Owen’s stern words and tone. “I…I…” She paused and huffed. “I’m an adult, Owen. I took a three-day weekend. It’s not a big deal.”

“It seemed like a big deal,” he countered. “And who was the guy you were fighting with? You didn’t mention that you were dating anyone.”

She rolled her eyes. “Gee, I wonder why?” she deadpanned. “I learned a long time ago to not bring up my dating life when I’m around you guys. You all freak out and for no good reason.”

“Again, it seemed like there’s a good reason. You catch this guy cheating on you, and you’re okay with screaming at him in the middle of a casino but not with your brothers wanting to protect you? That seems a little off, don’t you think?”

With a huff, Darcy paced a few feet away and then back again. “Look…it’s not a big deal, okay? It was just—”

“Are you going to stand here and seriously say that to me after I—along with everyone else in the casino—heard you tell that guy how his cheating on you was a big deal?”

“That’s not… It wasn’t…” She let out a little shriek of frustration. “I handled it, didn’t I? I don’t need you or Aidan or Hugh or Quinn or Riley to fight my battles for me!”

Owen was about to answer when a big, burly-looking guy walked over, his gaze keenly focused on Darcy.

“Okay, Darce, you had your fit. I get it, and I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. Can we go now? I thought we were going to try to see Britney’s show tonight.”

For a minute, they all seemed to just stop and stare. Was this guy for real? Seriously, did he not understand all the ways he was a jackass?

“I’m not going anywhere with you, Jimmy,” Darcy said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Why don’t you find your kissing partner and go see Britney with her?”

Jimmy looked at Brooke and then at Owen before returning his attention to Darcy. “Who’s this dork? Is this who you’re trying to make me jealous with? Be serious, babe.”

Owen went to take a step toward him, but Brooke reached out and placed a hand on his arm to stop him.

“That’s one of my brothers,” Darcy said defiantly.

Jimmy laughed. “If the other four are like him, I’m pretty sure I’m okay. Now, c’mon, Darcy. It’s getting late. Let’s go.”

“She’s not going with you,” Owen said, his voice deep and menacing, and both Brooke and Darcy looked at one another with surprise. “I suggest you respect her wishes and leave.”

Jimmy stepped in close. He was only a couple of inches taller than Owen, but he was built like a linebacker. Owen didn’t back down. “Really? You’re telling me to leave?” Jimmy asked.

Owen nodded. “I am.”

“Jimmy!” Darcy cried and jumped between the two men. “Just go! We’re done! Deal with it!”

But Jimmy didn’t take his eyes off of Owen. “I’m not ready to deal with it. We came to Vegas together, we’re sharing a room, and we’re flying home together tomorrow.”

“No, we’re not,” she countered. “Not as far as I’m concerned.”

“Is there a problem here?” Everyone turned as a uniformed officer approached.

“Yes,” Darcy said quickly. “This man is bothering me.” She pointed at Jimmy. “He’s made threats toward me, and I’m afraid to leave with him.”

“Damn it, Darcy!” Jimmy yelled.

She gave him a smug look.

Brooke reached out for Owen’s hand and gently tugged to get him to turn around. When he faced her, she could see how tense he was. “Are you okay?”

He shook his head but didn’t speak.

“What do you want to do?” she asked softly.

He was saved from answering as Jimmy cursed and the officer led him away. For a minute, Brooke thought it was all over—crisis averted. But Darcy spun around and faced Owen with a furious look.

“What is wrong with you?” she demanded. “Did you think you were going to take him? What would you have done if he’d hit you?”

“I imagine I would have hit him back,” Owen snapped.

Darcy snorted with disgust. “Right. Because besides taking impromptu trips to Vegas, now you’re a fighter. Damn it, Owen—”

“What was I supposed to do?” he yelled. “Was I supposed to just stand here and let him talk to you like that?” He suddenly stopped talking at the sound of his phone beeping with an incoming text. But he didn’t bother reaching for it. “Tell me, what did you expect me to do?”

“I would have thought you of all people would…” She stopped when her phone dinged with a text message too.

A small crowd was still milling around them, attracted by the yelling and arguing, and Brooke stepped between Darcy and Owen and spoke in her most diplomatic tone. “Why don’t we stop giving everyone a show and go find someplace else to talk? And it seems to me if you’re both getting texts, there’s a chance they could be related. So take out the phones and see what’s going on.”

Both Darcy and Owen agreed, and they walked all of two steps when Darcy gasped and Owen stopped dead in his tracks.

“What?” Brooke asked. “What’s going on?”

“Anna’s having the baby!” Darcy cried, smiling broadly.

* * *

There was never a doubt in Owen’s mind about going home to be with his family to celebrate the birth of its newest member. However, all of that was currently complicated by logistics.

They had gone with Darcy to get her bags—just in case Jimmy decided to come around and make trouble—and then quickly took a cab back to the hotel to grab their own. Beside him, Brooke was quiet. As a matter of fact, she hadn’t said much since Darcy’s announcement about the baby.

“C’mon, you guys!” Darcy said excitedly. “The cab is waiting to get us to the airport. I’ve already checked flights, and we can get on the seven fifteen to North Carolina. It’s direct, but we’ll get in late. Once we confirm, we can call Dad to let him know, and hopefully someone will come and meet us, so we won’t have to rent a car.”

Bell services brought their luggage, and then they were all piling back into the cab and heading the short distance to the airport.

And still, Brooke was silent. But to be fair, Darcy had been talking nonstop about how this time she was finally going to be there when a Shaughnessy baby was born and how her bosses would have to deal with it because she wasn’t going to miss out. Owen held Brooke’s hand and silently willed her to look at him and say something, but she didn’t hear it over his sister’s incessant chatter.

At the airport, they started to walk toward the ticket counter when Owen had finally had enough. “Darce, give us a minute, okay?”

She nodded and pulled her phone back out to see if there were any updates on Anna.

“Hey,” he said softly, cupping Brooke’s chin. “You’ve been quiet. Are you okay?”

She nodded. “I…I didn’t want to interfere. You know…family stuff. You and Darcy seemed to have a lot to figure out, so I didn’t want to complicate things with my two cents.”

He couldn’t help but smile. “And what’s your two cents?”

“Well… I was going to say you didn’t have to worry about me. Our flights will be leaving around the same time, and I hoped you’d call me when the baby arrived.” She smiled, but Owen could tell there was something else bothering her.

Rather than question her or pressure her to answer, he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. When he raised his head, he did what he always did—he said exactly what was on his mind. “Come with me.”

“What?”

He nodded. “Come with me. Come meet my family. We’re big and loud and overwhelming—especially when we’re celebrating something like this—but…it would mean a lot to me if you were there.”

“Owen…this is a family thing. I’m not so sure this is the right time…or maybe it’s too soon for me to meet everyone.”

With a chuckle, he motioned over his shoulder to where his sister stood. “She’s the scariest of the bunch, and you’ve already hit it off with her. Compared to Darcy, my father and brothers are like a day at the beach.”

“She’s not so bad,” Brooke said. “I think we just caught her at an awkward moment.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “She’s scary and intimidating. And even though she’s the baby of the family, we’re all a little scared of her, and she knows it.”

Brooke didn’t look like she believed him. “But…she’s…she’s—”

“Exactly,” Owen said and chuckled again. “Trust me. She’s had to put up with five overprotective brothers. She’s learned how to stand up for herself, but we—well, mostly my brothers—still find her to be scary at times.”

“Not you?”

He shrugged. “She was different with me. I didn’t bother her, and she stayed out of my way. I guess I was lucky.”

“Hey, you guys!” Darcy called out. “We need to get moving if we hope to get on this flight!”

Owen looked back at Brooke with hope. “So? What do you say? Will you come home with me?”

Her shoulders sagged slightly. “Owen, we’ve already been gone for several days. I’m out of clean clothes, and—”

“We’re about the same size,” Darcy said as she popped up beside them. “Sorry. I was eavesdropping.”

“Um—”

“Plus, you know…we will have access to a washer and dryer at Dad’s,” she added helpfully. “But I totally have clothes you can borrow. And with Zoe living close by, I’m sure she has stuff for you too.”

“Um—”

“Darce?” Owen said.

“Yeah?”

“Go get in line at the ticket counter. We’ll be right there.”

She gave them a thumbs-up and happily walked away.

“Problem solved.” He grinned.

“You know that wasn’t the only thing I mentioned.”

And then it hit him. He was pressuring her. Damn. Ducking his head, he shook it. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” Looking up at her, he gave her a lopsided grin. “I’m just not ready to say good-bye.”

Her expression softened. “It’s not good-bye…not really. It’s just for a few days.”

“Still not ready for it.” He took both her hands in his and tugged her close before resting his forehead against hers. “I’ll respect your wishes. If you want to head back to Chicago, I’ll promise to call you when the baby arrives.”

Then he kissed her.

Seriously kissed her.

He kissed her until it was bordering on X-rated.

When he raised his head, he liked the way Brooke’s eyes were glazed over, how breathless she was, and how wet her lips still looked. It was almost enough to make him pound on his chest with pride as he claimed, “I did that!”

Squeezing her hands one last time, he stepped back. “So…I’ll call you.”

She blinked several times, and then her gaze seemed to focus. She nibbled on her bottom lip, and he knew he had her thinking… She was considering it. He looked over at Darcy, who was almost to the front of the line.

“I better go,” he said. “Text me when you land so I know you’re home safe, okay?” Another step back, and he let go of her hands, instantly missing the contact.

“Owen?”

“Yeah?”

She let out a loud sigh. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to go with you? I don’t want to impose on a family event.”

His only response was to smile and grab her hand so they could join Darcy in line.

* * *

The flight was fairly uneventful, but they arrived late due to the time difference. Luckily for them, so far Anna’s labor had been slow, so they hadn’t missed the birth. It had been decided they would take a cab from the airport to Owen’s family home, due to the late hour. When they arrived, everything was dark, and Ian Shaughnessy had already texted that he was staying at the hospital to await the arrival of his third grandchild.

“See you guys in a couple of hours,” Darcy said as she walked to her room with a tired wave.

“It’s been a long day,” Brooke said, yawning. It was a little comforting to know that she wouldn’t have to meet any of Owen’s family until the morning. For now, she just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep.

“Dad said Hugh, Aubrey, and Connor will be here in the morning and Riley and Savannah are planning on arriving later in the morning too. So, for tonight, it’s just us and Darcy in the house.”

Relief washed over her again, and instead of saying anything, she nodded. Owen took her by the hand and led her up the stairs to one of the guest rooms.

“It still feels weird coming home sometimes.”

“How come?”

“Dad did a major renovation on the house a few years ago, and it’s completely transformed. This isn’t anything like the house I grew up in even though it is the same one.”

“It’s beautiful.”

Flipping the light switch revealed a queen-size bed and a room that was done in earth tones with a beach decor. All in all, it was very inviting. Brooke immediately kicked off her shoes and sat on the bed. She looked over at Owen and noted that he was still standing by the door looking as if he wasn’t sure what to do.

Which was crazy—it seemed like the man knew exactly what to do and he did it well. And even though she was beyond exhausted, if he even hinted at wanting to make love, she would be completely on board.

She stood and made fast work of turning the bed down. Then she looked at her suitcase and frowned. “I should have asked Darcy for something to sleep in.”

Owen walked over to the dresser, pulled out a T-shirt, and handed it to her. “I keep some extra stuff here. It’ll be big on you, but…it’s something.”

Brooke closed the distance between them, wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him. “Thank you.” Then she moved away and undressed, sliding the T-shirt over her head. When she turned around, she noted that Owen was watching her intently. Reaching out her hand to him, she whispered, “Come to bed, Owen.”

Within minutes, he had stripped down to his boxers, turned out the overhead light, and turned on the small bedside lamp before sliding into the bed beside her and pulling her close. Limbs tangled together, her head rested on his shoulder, and in no time, they fell asleep.

* * *

Hours later Darcy banging on the door woke them up.

“Did you get the text? Are you up? We need to go!”

Owen opened his eyes and tried to sit up, but Brooke was wrapped all around him, and he wasn’t ready to move just yet. He cleared his throat. “I…I didn’t hear the phone. What’s up?”

“She’s finally at nine centimeters. Dad thinks the baby will be here within the hour, so come on!” she whined. “I’m going to make coffee!”

Just then Brooke lifted her head and gave him a sleepy smile. “What time is it?”

He looked over at the bedside clock. “It’s just after seven. Sorry.”

Sitting up, she yawned and stretched. “Do I have time to grab a quick shower?”

He nodded. “You do that, and I’ll go ask Darcy for something for you to wear, okay?”

Within minutes they were on the move to get ready. Owen placed the outfit his sister gave him on the bed and then went to use the bathroom downstairs to get ready. Every time he looked at Darcy, she was practically bouncing on her toes with excitement, and he couldn’t help but smile each time.

“Aren’t you missing work?” she asked him.

“I was scheduled to give my last lecture today, but I let the university know there was a family emergency, and they had someone cover for me.”

She smirked as she studied him.

“What? What’s so funny?”

Darcy shook her head. “I’m not laughing.” But she was definitely amused.

Owen sighed loudly. “Darcy—”

“All I’m saying is that Brooke is good for you.” It was said lightly and with a shrug—she was stating a fact.

“Tell me why.”

Her grin grew. “Well, it seems like this is a relatively new relationship, and yet she got you to hop on a plane to Vegas for a spur-of-the-moment trip, you gambled, and now you’re blowing off work. I love it!” She hugged him quickly and took a step back. “You’re turning into one of us—you know, normal.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to argue with her—he hated when people implied that he wasn’t normal—but he understood what she was saying, and it wasn’t an insult. So he just gave her a smile of his own and shrugged. “It’s not so bad, I guess.”

“That’s the spirit!” Darcy said. “I wish we’d get an update. The wait is killing me!”

“I’m sure as soon as they know something, they’ll text. All we can do is wait.”

Brooke came down the stairs just as Owen received another text. “They’re finally letting her push,” he read, and the next thing he knew, they were all rushing out the door and climbing in the car his father had left for them. “I don’t think I know whose car this even is,” he commented as they pulled out of the driveway.

“It’s Aidan’s,” Darcy said. “Dad mentioned it last night. He has his work truck if he needs to go anywhere, and Zoe has the SUV, so this is just a spare.”

The entire drive to the hospital was spent listening to Darcy talk about how excited she was and how she couldn’t wait to see Quinn have to change a diaper, and while Owen laughed and even made his own observations, he couldn’t help but notice Brooke had gone quiet again. It was possible she was just tired, but he had a feeling she was once again feeling overwhelmed about meeting his family.

As they pulled into the parking lot, he decided to cut his sister’s chatter short. “You’re going to love meeting everyone,” he said to Brooke. He parked the car and shut it off before turning in his seat to face her. “There are a lot of us—”

“You’re gonna meet Dad and Martha, his lady-friend,” Darcy said with a giggle, “and Aidan’s here with Zoe. I think Lily is with a sitter this morning. And Anna’s parents are here along with her brother, Bobby, and at some point you’ll meet Hugh and Aubrey and Connor—who is the cutest boy ever—and then Riley and Savannah, and of course Quinn and Anna, so that’s—”

“Fourteen people,” Owen finished for her. “But don’t let the number scare you.”

“The sheer loudness will probably scare you more than anything, but hopefully the fact that we’re in a hospital will make us keep it to a low roar,” Darcy countered and then laughed. “I’m heading in! So excited!” And then she hopped from the car and all but sprinted to the hospital entrance.

Brooke took a steadying breath and looked at him, still looking a little overwhelmed. “I still feel like I’m intruding.”

“And I’m telling you you’re not. They’re all going to love you. And if I know my family, they’re going to hug you and treat you like you’re one of us. Don’t worry.”

* * *

This must be what animals in the zoo feel like, Brooke mused to herself.

For the first time possibly ever, it would appear that Owen Shaughnessy was wrong. There was something to worry about—namely, his family.

There were no hugs; there weren’t even real smiles. There was just a whole lot of…wide-eyed curiosity.

Good thing she’d showered at least.

Brooke couldn’t ever remember a time when she’d felt this uncomfortable, and just when she was about to excuse herself to grab a cup of coffee from the cafeteria, all heads turned and then everybody stood up.

“We have a girl!”

Chaos ensued for at least fifteen minutes as everyone listened to Quinn—at least she assumed it was Quinn—talk about how amazing his wife was and how beautiful his daughter was. And even though she had never met them before, Brooke felt herself get a little emotional just listening to him talk.

Quinn ran a hand through his hair and let out a long breath. “I’m telling you, I don’t know how she did it. I mean, I always knew Anna was strong, but…damn. I was practically on my knees with exhaustion and…” He stopped talking when he caught sight of Brooke. Everyone turned to look at her, and she wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole.

“Oh, Quinn,” Owen said after a moment, “this is Brooke. Brooke, this is my brother Quinn.”

She reached out and shook Quinn’s hand and offered congratulations on the new baby, and he smiled and thanked her before everyone started talking again and asking when they were going to be able to see the newest Shaughnessy.

“The nurse told me that in about thirty minutes you’ll be able to come up and see her in the nursery. Anna may need a bit longer before she’s ready for everyone—besides her folks.” He smiled over at his in-laws.

“And does my granddaughter have a name yet?” Ian asked.

Quinn smiled broadly. “Kaitlyn Marie Shaughnessy.”

Everyone awwed and smiled. “That’s beautiful,” Ian said, his voice thick with emotion. “Absolutely beautiful.”

Clapping his hands together, Quinn got ready to leave. “Okay, in about thirty minutes, you can start coming up. We’ve made friends with the nurses on the floor, and they’re prepared for all of you. Just…behave.”

There was laughter and teasing, and Quinn waved as he went back to be with his wife and new baby girl.

What must that feel like? Brooke thought. To create a new life and to hold it in your hands for the first time? She hadn’t seen Kaitlyn, and really, Brooke didn’t know Quinn and Anna. But in that moment, she was incredibly envious of them and felt a little overwhelmed with the entire thing.

Owen’s arm came around her waist, and he tucked her in close beside him, kissing the top of her head. “You okay?”

All she could do was nod.

As if sensing her mood, he took her by the hand and gently led her to a sofa in the corner, away from his family. When they sat down, he didn’t speak. He waited until she was ready to.

Sometimes she hated how considerate he was while being so in tune with her.

Dammit.

With a sigh, she looked at him. “I shouldn’t be here,” she said softly. “From what I can tell, Darcy is the only one who seems even remotely friendly.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I… Maybe there was another way to say that—”

Owen shook his head. “No. I understand. Everyone seemed a little…off, so I’m sorry. I guess I thought they’d at least be nice to you.”

“They have been nice,” she countered. “But…they’re looking at me like I’m some sort of… I don’t know. I’m getting a bit of a complex.” She looked around the waiting room and realized most of the Shaughnessys were looking their way. “Would it be completely rude if I went to the cafeteria to get a cup of coffee? I’ll be back before you go in to see Anna and the baby.”

He nodded but didn’t speak. Kissing him on the cheek, Brooke stood and walked away, thankful the cafeteria was straight ahead of her and she wouldn’t have to turn and see everyone watching her.

She hadn’t gone ten steps when a thought hit her—was this what it was like? For Neal? People looking at him like he was a freak? No doubt Owen had been on the receiving end of the same thing—not from his family but from schoolmates or colleagues. A sick feeling settled in the pit of her stomach, and she placed a hand there and quickly ducked into the nearby ladies’ room.

How many times had she looked at her brother like that? Like he was weird just because he was different from her? From everyone? How did he handle constantly being an outcast when, after one morning of it, Brooke was practically in tears?

And maybe the bigger question was: How was she supposed to stay with Owen while dealing with such intense scrutiny?