Calder kissed her cheek, took Danny’s hand, waved, and headed off to the stables where Mom Mom and Uncle Wolf waited.

Uncle Wolf! Gah! She snickered every time because it was funny no matter how you look at it.

Tori watched the two until they disappeared. They were adorable together and she’d never get enough of the love-fest between D and his Pop Pop.

The happy thought turned to angst. Calder was it for her kids in the grandfather category. There had never been any chance of the St. John’s in a grandparent role. Not really. Even less so now that she’d seen them in the flesh. They were reprehensible people, but she was glad they overplayed their hand and showed up unannounced. After what they’d done to Draegyn and Desirée, Tori rather enjoyed seeing them grapple with being treated like suspected criminals.

“Twit fuckers,” she murmured out loud. “Nah. Um, fucktwits. Yeah, that’s it.” Sounded better.

Hillary and Arthur St. John were fucktwits, and she was done with them.

Rubbing a spot on her back just at her waist, she swayed foot-to-foot trying to rebalance her load. The baby was man-spreading or something because she had the sensation of being stretched to the max. It didn’t hurt as much as it felt tight.

Wade and Shiloh got up before dawn to go on an ATV ride with their parents that Alex arranged. Annie went along too because Shiloh insisted everything they did had to be a family affair.

Tori suspected Desi and the baby wouldn’t be doing much riding.

It was mid-morning, and they still hadn’t returned. If she knew Alex at all, Tori was sure he planned their entire day. Wade and Tyler wanted to take a crack at the climbing wall in the Justice compound, and Shiloh had been begging for a tour of the canine facility.

Her phone went off when she was halfway to the barn. Draegyn had Finn in the shop – they were collaborating on a mini hope chest for the twins – and she wanted to check out their progress.

It was Heather calling.

She slowed her walk and put the call on speaker. “Hey, lady,” Tori quipped. “How’s wandering treating you?”

“Well, we stopped in Flagstaff for potty breaks and second breakfast. Some of our crew, and I’m not naming names, had a bit of a hangover this morning so we got started later than planned.”

Tori sniggered. “Well, boys will be boys, right?” She could well imagine Brody, Roman, Rafe, and Cam tying one on.

“Bah!” Heather snorted. “The boys have been on their best behavior ... or close to it. Nope, this time the bad kids are the elders. Dev went full probation officer on them this morning. Apparently, he didn’t appreciate someone from the campground showing up to tell them to keep it down.”

“What? You mean the AARP crew got spanked for rowdy behavior?” She laughed whole-heartedly and hooted her delight. “Yaaasss!”

“Mmmhmm,” Heather jeered. “Alex may want to consider putting all of them in a time-out.”

“Aw, come on. It couldn’t have been that bad. I mean, seriously. They’re too old for rowdy. Aren’t they?”

“You’d think, right?” Heather said with a laugh. “They played drunk Twister, and let’s just say it got hilariously out of control. Meghan’s mom, by the way, is a complete badass. She got Ashleigh and Wendy to go skinny dipping at another campground where we stayed that had a pool.”

Tori’s belly tightened when she started to laugh. She could totally picture it.

“So listen, Tori, alert the front gate and tell Ben we’ll be rolling in. Brody says about an hour. Hey,” she breathlessly added, “wait a minute. How’re you doing, hon? Any baby news?”

“All’s quiet at the moment. I think it’s the calm before the storm.”

“Are you excited?” Heather asked. Tori crossed her fingers real quick and wished with all her might for Heather to get pregnant. The wistful note in her friend’s voice almost did Tori in.

“Oh god, Heather. I’m excited, happy, and just over the moon. We had a little excitement the other night that you’re sure to hear about when you get back. It made me realize how precious every moment is that we get to spend with the ones we love. Draegyn and I can’t wait to meet our new little one.”

“Love you, Tori.”

“Love you too, Heather. Drive safe and I’ll see you soon.”

The door to the barn creaked when she pulled it open. Actually, the door didn’t really creak – the sound came from another of Alex’s crazy inventions. He’d taken the doorbell concept a step or two further and affixed a sensor that triggered the creaking noise courtesy of a nearly invisible speaker.

She saw her hunky husband the second her eyes swept the barn’s interior. Draegyn’s woodshop was a thing of wonder. It was messy but well ordered and always smelled of lumber.

He looked up from the workbench when she entered. His big smile when he saw her made Tori’s heart flutter.

“Mrs. St. John,” Finn called out. “Perfect timing. Get over here. We need some female input.”

Tori went to Draegyn for a very nice hello kiss. He patted her butt, and if they hadn’t had a witness, she might very well have indulged in a little naughty play.

Finn drew her attention to an accessory piece Draegyn had added to the chest. It was a tray of compartments – for holding small things.

“Does this need a small handle on each side? Drae thinks yes. He says it’ll be easier to lift in and out.”

She inspected the tray, noted how it sat on a ledge of sorts and concluded her wood whispering husband was correct. Handles would indeed make the tray more efficient.

“A simple drawer pull will do nicely, I think,” she said. “Don’t get fancy.”

Draegyn caressed her back. His hand felt lovely. He asked, “Danny get off okay? Your mom was waiting with the buggy. They’re going to the chapel for a picnic with Meghan and the twins.”

She leaned into the comfort of his body. “Calder got him and off they went. I heard from Heather. They’ll be home soon. About an hour. They stopped in Flagstaff.”

A flash of humor appeared on Finn’s face. “Oh, shit. That reminds me. Bella texted earlier from Cam’s phone. She asked me to tell Drae that she found the perfect stick. Made me swear to say it just like that. She said you’d understand.”

Tori raised an eyebrow at her husband. “The perfect stick?”

He had a good laugh. Draegyn adored Bella.

“She wants a walking stick. The idea came from a school project. Apparently, there are hiking medallions for National Parks, monuments, and trails that hikers attach to their sticks. I predict before long I’ll be making sticks for the whole family.”

Her phone vibrated. She sighed and rolled her eyes. Sometimes she hated the damn device because it never shut up.

It was Alex. Obsessing over something or other. She motioned over her shoulder to the miniature workbench Draegyn created for the kids. It was the perfect height for her to sit on.

“Finish whatever you were doing,” she told both men. “I’m going to park over there and send up the homecoming smoke signals.”

Draegyn helped her to the bench and made sure she was comfortable before going back to his project. He was such a sweetie and not just at times. All the time. The man spoiled her and Danny rotten.

It took forever to text everyone and handle Alex’s hissy fit. He was being a bear again about virtually everything. Yesterday, he had her run a tech report seven different times. Then he spent two hours staring at the seven reports. She didn’t want to characterize his behavior as weird because he was more than a little bit of a nerd, but she picked up an odd feeling that made her stop and wonder what the hell was on his mind.

Alex could be as laid back and goofy as all get-out, but lately, he’d been more than just a little uptight. He lost his temper easily and was a nightmare to work with.

She pressed a hand to her back and straightened to ease the kinks in her posture. Sitting too long was a problem, so she wiggled to the edge of the workbench and scooted off.

“Babe,” Draegyn called out. “Do we have any of those cream cheese brownies left? Promised Beantown he could try one.”

Finn smirked. “You holding out on me, Mrs. St. John?”

She laughed. Finn was everyone’s best friend when a recipe was at stake.

“There’s a whole plate of them in the kitchen. Feel free to grab a couple.”

Finn clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “Yes! You need anything, Drae? I’ll run and grab the brownies while you figure out the problem with the latch.”

“I’ll take a brownie,” Draegyn said. “And some milk. Gotta have milk.”

“Word.” Finn cackled. He pulled on the barn door and laughed when the creaking noise rang out. “Back in a minute.”

Rubbing her hands in circles on either side of her belly, she made a face at Draegyn.

“What?” he asked.

“My skin hurts.”

He looked confused and bumped his brows together. “Hurts how?”

Tori shrugged. “I don’t know how to explain. It feels sort of like everything is stretched to the max. Any more and I’m going to explode. Or something.”

He put his big warm hand on her bump. She liked when Draegyn touched their baby this way.

“You seem pale, Victoria. Is this heat getting to you? Maybe we should go back to the house.”

“I’m fine,” she assured him. “Don’t worry so.”

He didn’t look all that convinced, so she tried to deflect his attention elsewhere.

“Alex is all worked up about something.”

Draegyn’s face became taut with concern. She wanted to kick herself for choosing the wrong subject to deflect her husband with.

“In what area?” he asked. “Justice? The family?”

She had to think about it for a minute. “Well,” she murmured slowly. Her mind was still reviewing information. “If I had to guess, I’d say Justice survived the first elimination round. He’s fixated on a series of algorithms from the security interface. Whatever it is, Duke is involved.”

“That’s not good,” Draegyn muttered.

“So I figured,” she said in agreement. “Sometimes, I …”

She stopped talking. What the hell was that, she thought?

“Victoria? Hon?”

“Um,” she murmured. “Draegyn. Something’s happening.”

“What do you mean?” There was an edge of panic in his voice. “Sweetheart, what’s going on?”

Absently, she mumbled nonsense. “Maybe I have to pee.”

Draegyn put his arm around her shoulders and guided her toward the bathroom but she veered off and headed to the loveseat he kept for breaks. She sank down with her thighs spread to accommodate her low hanging belly.

“Can I have some water?” she asked in a whisper.

Her husband ran to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle. He cracked the cap and was about to hand it off when she felt the oddest sensation.

“Honey?”

She heard the rising concern in Draegyn’s voice. The bottle of water slipped from his hands and hit the wood floor with a thud. Startled, she looked at him and found Draegyn frantically searching his pockets.

Tori struggled to stand at the same time he found the phone.

“Oh!” She gasped and put a hand on her belly. A rippling movement shocked her and made her cry out again.

“Oh, shit! Draegyn! Draegyn! I think the baby’s coming.”

“I’m calling Ben,” he responded.

“No, no,” she grunted. “Oh god. Draegyn! Do something. The baby!”

A gush of warm fluid soaked through her clothes. She started to shake.

The door creaked loudly, and Finn stepped into the barn carrying a jug of milk and a dish of brownies.

“Fuck! Finn! Hurry up. Get over here and help me,” Draegyn yelled.

Tori was beginning to panic. She could feel the baby and was convinced at any second he-she was going to drop like a stone and land on the floor.

She turned panicked eyes on Finn who was hastily wiping chocolate off his mouth.

“Finn,” she grunted as a fierce contraction ripped through her. “I think the baby is here.”

“Goddammit,” Finn muttered as he sprang into action. “Why can’t you people give birth in a hospital like normal people do?”

She pulled up the front of her wet, gauzy skirt and let out a bellowing holler. “Fuck, it’s happening.”

Finn picked her up and quickly got her on the loveseat. She lay back, and five seconds later, the baby came in a rush.

“I’ve got him,” he barked. “Drae, quick! String and scissors.”

Tori was half out of her mind with fear. “What’s happening?”

She watched Finn turn the bloody little body over until it rested along his arm with head down. He rubbed the back and gave a couple of pats and then an indignant cry rang out.

Draegyn looked like he was close to having a coronary. He handed off the things Finn asked for and stared helplessly.

“Gimme your shirt,” Finn barked.

Draegyn whipped the t-shirt over his head, shook it out, and handed it off. Finn covered the baby and laid it on her stomach.

“It’s a boy,” Draegyn said in a voice thick with emotion.

“Is he okay?” she asked.

“Looks good,” Finn murmured. Turning to Draegyn, he issued instructions with terse urgency. “Call Ben. Tell him we need to get them to the hospital.”

The call was placed while Finn did whatever it was that he needed to and could do. He had Draegyn cut the baby’s umbilical cord. She heard them talking quietly. The baby was fine, but he wanted them both checked out by a doctor.

Draegyn touched his newborn son. The little guy was wrapped in his daddy’s t-shirt. She started to tear up.

Emotion clogged her husband’s voice. “He’s beautiful. You’re wonderful, but we really must flip the script if we do this again. A nice, calm, normal birth would be nice.”

Tori gave him a happy but watery smile. They shared a long, sweet hello with their infant son. Finn left them alone, so he could stand by the barn door and issue instructions when Ben arrived.

Beyond happy, Tori cradled the baby close. She didn’t care that she was a disgusting mess or that blood and amniotic fluid had christened the loveseat and floor.

She and her hunky 007 husband made another baby. Son number two!

Draegyn’s face was a silent movie of emotion. She watched him process everything that just happened. Including the fact that once again, Finn O’Brien had delivered yet another Justice baby. The asshole was going to be a busy godfather.

“He’s a miniature you,” she lovingly declared.

Her husband’s broad smile filled her with joy.

“How do you feel about the name Ryder?” he asked.

“Ryder St. John,” Tori murmured aloud. “I like it. Is there any significance, or do you just like the way it sounds?”

Draegyn gave her a classic St. John smirk. “Well, there is a tiny bit of ride or die implied. It seems fitting, don’t you think?”

A bark of exuberant laughter burst from her throat. “It’s perfect, Daddy. I like it every much. The St. John’s – ride or die. That’s how we roll.”

“I thought we might use Bennett as a middle name. That way your dad gets the honor for both kids.”

“Ryder Bennett St. John. Sounds almost regal. It’s perfect, and thank you for including my dad.”

Draegyn kissed her over and over.

“Victoria, I love you so fucking much.”

She laughed. “You know that I’m just after your money, right?”

Ryder gave a funny grunt that made them both smile.

“You can have it all, darlin’. Every penny ’cause baby, all I need is you.”

Not too much later, an explosion of people burst in. Alex and Ben were about to rush to the barn when the caravan appeared. Everyone descended on them at the same time. Only Meghan and her mom weren’t there.

She grabbed Draegyn’s arm when Finn carried her to the back of an SUV. “I need my mom.”

“Consider it done,” Draegyn told her. “Alex,” he shouted. “Get Stephanie. She’s with Meghan at the chapel. Meet us at the hospital.”

Alex bounded up to the car and hugged Draegyn. He leaned in and kissed Tori’s forehead. “Off with you guys. We’ll follow along.”

Ben checked to make sure she was comfortable and handed Ryder off to his daddy for the ride to the hospital.

“Hey, hon,” she called to Draegyn in the front seat. “You'd better text Desi and tell her what happened.”

He chuckled. “I already put Alex on it. He said they were at the rock wall and would be right behind us.”

Tori sighed and closed her eyes. Everything was perfect despite the baby’s shocking arrival.

Saying a silent prayer of thanks, she took a moment to send some love to her father. Daniel Bennett might have gone far too soon, but he was never forgotten. She loved that both of her sons carried a piece of the grandfather they’d never meet.

* * *

“It’s a boy,” Jace announced. “Mommy and baby doing fine. Guess there was an oh my god, but it’s all good now.”

Domineau raised questioning eyes and asked, “An oh my god? What does that mean?”

“It means,” Jace, answered with a snicker, “that once again, Finn was right place, right time. Delivered yet another Justice offspring.”

She chuckled. “Should I take from the way you said that, that he’s got a prior?”

“Indeed, he does. Delivered Calder’s boy, Wolf. In the stable, no less!”

“Why am I not surprised?”

Jace sniggered. “They might have to keep Finn on an obstetrical retainer if the baby boom keeps up.”

A knock pounded on the wall outside Jace’s office. He looked up to find Rafe D’Alessandro taking up the entire doorway.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he drawled, “but the Major is being a dick and made me come straight here after we got back. Said he sent you a text.”

The ambient temperature plunged to near arctic numbers at the same time that Domineau jolted at the sound of Rafe’s voice. Jace almost shivered from the cold she put off.

Rafe acknowledged her presence with a polite nod. “Domineau.”

Pretending to scroll his messages, Jace observed the strange way these two interacted. Alex had filled him in – more or less. He said he didn’t want any problems to arise while Rafe and Domineau were in close proximity.

Using the term close proximity was all Jace needed to understand that whatever it was that put these two at odds happened during their time in the war.

Domineau barely acknowledged Rafe’s greeting. She sat straighter and plastered a scowl on her face.

“How was the canyon?” Jace asked. He made the question sound as innocent as possible.

“Are you kidding?” Rafe laughed. “It was amazing!”

Watching Domineau prepare to speak was downright painful. Something about the hulking bald giant got to her.

She touched the hair behind her ear and cleared her throat. “Uh, how far is it? From here, I mean.”

Jace forced his face not to register any surprise, but all he could think was, Where the hell did she find that voice? She sounded almost … like a girl. Not the hard-bodied no-nonsense female warrior he was used to.

Rafe turned to mushy butter right before his eyes. The man seemed charmed to the point of being blown away by Domineau’s softer side. He smiled at her and answered her question in a gentle voice.

“If you leave at breakfast, you’ll be there by lunch,” he told her. “I’m taking that you haven’t seen it yet?”

She shook her head. “No, I, uh, arrived and jumped right in here. Alex had his hands full. Least I could do.”

Silence ensued. He watched them without pretense. They were so wrapped up in their personal vibe that he doubted they remembered he was in the room.

To his utter surprise, it was Domineau who cracked first. Very interesting. The lady doth have a weakness – and that weakness was standing right there.

“His baby humans are cute,” she muttered.

Jace felt for Domineau at that moment. She was struggling. And Rafe was letting her stammer awkwardly. He also looked like he was enjoying it.

Wow. What kind of fuckery had gone down between these two to create such a weird dynamic?

Rafe chuckled softly. “The girl is going to serve him up on a silver platter. He’s already half wound around her little finger.”

Jace nearly fell out of his chair when no-nonsense Domineau returned and pinned Rafe to the spot with a fearsome glare.

“Is that how you feel about your daughter? Are you wound, Dallas?”

He held absolutely still and waited for whatever came next. Rafe surprised him when he responded.

“My Molly is a great kid. I’d like it if you two got to know each other.”

Holy shit. What was that? A peace offering? A challenge? He glanced at Domineau. She was wavering big time.

Suddenly, Domineau shot upright out of the chair and almost knocked it over from the force of her movement. She was trying to say something, but all she did was become more and more agitated as the two of them stood almost toe-to-toe.

“Domineau,” Rafe murmured. His finger traced a line down her arm. “You know why I’m here.”

“Don’t do this, Rafe. Please.”

“Enough is enough. Enough trying to hurt each other. Enough denying the truth. You can’t run forever.”

She made a move for the door, but he blocked her with his body. “Why did you come here, sweetheart? Hmm? Why did you come to Arizona?”

No answer – just a lot of sighs.

“I know why,” Rafe growled. “You wanted a fresh start.”

Jace gasped when Rafe touched her head, and next thing he knew, a waterfall of hair cascaded over Domineau’s shoulders.

“The highlights are nice.” He grabbed her hands and turned them palms down. “A manicure?”

“Stop it,” she demanded.

“I will stop when you agree to listen.”

She got all waggy necked and tried to give him shade. Jace found it pretty funny to watch.

“You want me to listen?” She hissed. “Okay. Let’s start with Molly’s mother. You wanna tell me about her?”

His eyes swung to Rafe’s face. He didn’t seem at all fazed by what Jace assumed was a gotcha question.

Rafe crossed his arms and wedged himself at the door so she had no means of escape.

“All right. I’ll tell you everything. Where do you want me to start? At the point where you threw an engagement ring in my face right before you walked away? Do you want me to go all the way back?”

“That’s not necessary,” she snippily replied. “That part and what happened after, I remember well.”

He saw Rafe’s jaw clench and wondered what she referred to.

“When I realized you were gone, I took my inheritance after selling Dad’s business and ran as far from D.C. as I could go. I kept going till my feet were in the Pacific Ocean. The way I saw it, I had only one choice. If it wasn’t going to be you, it wasn’t going to be anybody.”

She raised her eyes to his. Jace ticked off the seconds as the two stared at each other.

“California is a pretty progressive place, so with some help from, well, I had help – I found a surrogate to carry my kid. It was all business from start to finish. Marielle is mine and mine alone.”

“Jesus,” Domineau muttered.

“I’ve just endured endless attempts by Cam and Roman to get to the bottom of Molly’s story. She’s only a kid and has a right to privacy. But I knew by coming here, I’d have to open up. I wanted to tell you first, honey. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.”

He stroked her long tumble of hair.

Jace felt like a fly on the wall. He was witness to one of the strangest reveals of all time, and he really wanted Domineau to take a chance with this guy. He respected the man’s resolve. He clearly wanted to be a father, and as he said, it was Domineau or no one.

In a way, it reminded him of Sophie. She wanted to be a mother. Love for a partner wasn’t part of her original equation.

Right then and there, he became Rafe and Domineau’s official relationship cheerleader. He willed with all his might and hoped that Domineau would give the odd situation a chance.

“Molly loves Applebee’s. I know it’s not glamorous, but would you like to join us for dinner? The ribs are pretty good.”

Jace crossed his fingers. Say yes. Say yes.

Domineau kicked Rafe’s foot. “I just know I’m going to regret this.”

Rafe grinned. “Think of it as another fresh start.”

She gave up a scornful snort that made Rafe laugh. “And wear your hair down. I like this look.” He leaned in so quickly she had no warning. He kissed her cheek. She jumped and – unless his hearing was faulty – giggled.

Rafe turned around and walked away, leaving Jace and Domineau in uncomfortable silence.

His mind went back to Sophie. He wasn’t someone to cultivate regrets, but he did wonder from time to time what part of now would be different if he hadn’t let her walk away when their platonic Greek fling had come to an end.

“I’d say yes,” he told her.

She looked at him with a question in her eyes.

“Domineau, take it from someone who knows. It’s not every day that a chance comes along to reimagine your life. If it does, don’t be a fool. Grab that shit with both hands and do whatever is necessary to wrestle it to the ground.”

He was surprised when she laughed. “This is usually where I bitch about wanting a cigarette.”

“And not to be a dick or anything, but Rafe is right. You should wear your hair down. It makes you look less menacing.”

She barked with scornful laughter. “Which is exactly why I wear it like that around a bunch of testosterone-fueled yahoos.”

He postulated a different scenario that earned another hearty laugh.

“Let me say this, it’d deflate a guy’s ego a thousand times more to be taken down by an honest to god female. When Sergeant Helmet Head is the challenger though, you miss a golden opportunity.”

“Yeah, we’re gonna get along just fine. I think Justice is in good hands with us at the helm. You’re fucked up, Mr. Delacroix, and I appreciate your style.”

* * *

Meghan leaned in the doorway to the nursery and watched a sleeping Alex laying on the loveseat with his long legs hanging over an arm and Stevie fast asleep on his chest. The baby was fussy earlier, and of course, Daddy rode to the rescue while she took charge of Aiden.

Creeping quietly, she went to Aiden’s crib and got him settled. Leaning on the side rail, she gazed at her son and let the awe fill her up. It was a blessing that she and Alex were so lucky. Their children were magnificent creations.

She caressed Aiden’s little cheek. He had his daddy’s mouth. It wasn’t hard to imagine the sneer the lad would have in his facial expression arsenal. If it was anything like Alex’s, they were going to have a challenge on their hands. She was definitely biased, but a person had to be nuts not to see how beautiful he was. He was sure to break a few hearts when he was older.

His little eyes drifted closed, and he settled in for a snooze. She smiled when his head turned and one of his hands went up. He didn’t suck his thumb, but it was nearby should he change his mind. The pose was adorable and mirrored something Alex did. Father and son had the same head and hand habit.

Blowing a soft kiss, she put her hand on the baby’s tummy for a long second and then straightened to look at the sleeping angels conked out on the loveseat.

Painfully aware of her husband’s restless nights and sometimes foul mood, she was relieved to find him resting. He was pushing himself, and despite bringing in people to handle the agency, he was working way too hard.

Sighing heavily, Meghan knew a lot of his current behavior was due to the time of year. During July Alex was like a nerve stripped raw where everything had the potential to set him off. At times morose and grumbling, he saved most of his black mood for whoever drew the day’s short straw for standing in as his assistant while Tori focused on her family. Sometimes, she thought assistant was the wrong description of what Alex needed. Whipping boy was more like it.

He never ever consciously subjected her to his darkness. The one time he had led to her emotionally flipping him off and an estrangement measured in miles and time zones. It was a horrible time that nearly destroyed her. And him. Neither of them ever wanted to revisit that situation.

That meant he sometimes worked overtime to contain the angry nature of the beast. The darkness didn’t go away – he just kept it in. Swallowed it whole. To protect her and by channeling all that negativity inward, he simply created more problems. Headaches. Sleepless nights. Aches and pains.

She wanted to ease the burden but didn’t know how. He kept avoiding her offer of a therapeutic massage. When she tried to bring up the subject, he found a way to wiggle out of it.

In a way, it pissed her off. She knew thinking that way made the situation about her, but it was more involved than that.

Alex was, what? Puny words like leader, commander, or dominant actually paled in their description. His authority was organic. It was in his blood. Descendant of adventurers and trailblazers, Alex Marquez was a force of nature.

And all of that meant he took on everything. Nothing was too much.

She wanted him to unburden himself with her. He was her everything, and she relied on him in ways that seemed unfair. He said they were partners, but in this, she remained an outsider.

His chest rose in a mighty inhale. The hand he kept protectively on his tiny daughter flexed. When his head rose, the first thing he did was check the baby. She smiled. His Big Daddy instincts were not a myth.

Then his head turned, and he saw her. His smile was sleepy and relaxed. “Hey,” he murmured. “I dozed off.”

She went to his side and knelt next to the loveseat. Kissing his lips, she put her head on his shoulder and gazed at their sleeping daughter. Her hand joined his on Stevie’s little body.

Feelings of amazing contentment washed over her.

Alex’s body quivered. She picked up her head and looked at him. He was laughing softly.

“She’s just like her mama.”

Meghan offered a dubious smirk. “How?”

He grinned. “Every soft, comfortable spot in the house to choose from, and she curls up and goes to sleep on my chest.”

She met his cheeky grin with a big happy smile. Pushing the hair back from his forehead with her fingers, she playfully tugged at his messy mane. “That better not be a complaint,” she teased.

Stevie squeaked. They were interrupting her beauty sleep, so Meghangot off her knees and scooped her up. Cradling her sweet baby girl close, she placed her in the crib next to Aiden’s.

Meghan’s sigh was one of love.

She turned to find Alex awkwardly struggling to extricate his big body from the small loveseat and didn’t care if he growled at her for rushing to help him.

He didn’t resist and quietly joked, “Maybe we should switch out the loveseat for a sofa.”

Words she hadn’t planned came tumbling from her mouth when he winced and listed to one side.

“I wish you’d let me help you.”

Alex turned shocked eyes on hers. “You help just by being.”

“You know what I mean. Alex, we’re in this together.” She gestured at the side-by-side cribs. “If they aren’t proof of my investment, I don’t know what else would matter.”

He pulled her close and dropped his forehead to hers. “You know why it’s hard for me.”

“Yes, I do,” she murmured. “And that’s the point.” She threw down with a statement she wasn’t sure was a smart move, but went with it anyway because it was the truth.

“Why is it okay for you to push when I’m facing a fear or challenge and not okay for me to do the same?”

“It’s not the same thing.”

“Hell, yeah, it is,” she defended. “Alex, be real. Yes, I’m edging insolence, but my point is valid. You ask for my absolute trust in the most vulnerable situations. How can you say it’s not the same? You’re vulnerable, and I’m asking for your trust. And faith.”

Her argument hit with accuracy. He groaned and gave a conflicted sigh.

She was prepared to continue, but he shut her down with an unexpected admission.

“Meghan, I know that it might feel like I’m keeping a part of me locked away. It’s force of habit. But when I know I’m doing it around you, it bothers me in here,” he said with a hand on his heart. “I need you in ways that surprise. And yes, something is on my mind that I think would benefit from your input.”

He sounded very serious. Meghan doubted the input he was after had anything to do with new business cards or what to get Carmen for Christmas.

He took both of her hands in his and kissed them. Squeezing her fingers for emphasis, he asked if now was a good time for a talk.

Was he kidding? She’d murder anyone who interrupted.

They checked that the twins were sleeping and took the baby monitor with them. Alex held her hand and led them from the upstairs nursery to his study where he sat her on the leather sofa.

She watched him with adoration in her thoughts as he slipped into professor mode. He was so damn cute when he had to be serious. All he needed was a lab coat, a chalkboard, and some nerdy glasses and she’d be on him in a hurry.

He fiddled with the monitor to make sure it was on and loud enough to hear. She found his nervousness intriguing. Whatever was on his mind was real, and if she had to take a guess, it was something that for the life of him he just could not figure out.

“Do you want anything?” he asked.

Rubbing his palms down the sides of his thighs, he looked uncomfortable and unsure.

“I could ask Carmen to bring a tray. Would you like some tea?”

In all honesty, she couldn’t care less, but she knew her man, and right now, he needed something to do. He was the action first type. In some strange way, it calmed his nerves, so she smiled and gave him the go-ahead.

He quickly snatched up the phone and hit the intercom button. Meghan tuned out what he said to Carmen. She was too busy studying her husband.

The study that was a den masquerading as an office suited him. The dark wood of the massive built-in and the many shelves cluttered with books, mementoes, and an assortment of quirky novelty curios was like a look at his entire life.

A framed photo she took one day in the desert hung on a wall.

She found the wrestling trophy especially funny mostly because the framed picture next to it of a gawky but muscular teenager wearing one of those awful singlets and weird helmets showed a side of his younger days that made her smile. Even Alex Marquez had for a time been an awkward, stupid teen.

Meghan drew her feet up to one side and pushed her hair out of the way. Her fingers pressed the thickly padded arm of the cushy sofa. On several memorable occasions, she’d been fiercely taken while bent over the leather furniture.

Her glance moved to the desk. Like everything else in the room, the big, sturdy antique suited her lordly mate. He took raunchy delight in clearing the surface so he could spread her out and do his thing. And by thing, she referred to being licked into a pleasure coma before a wicked fuck fest – all because he insisted the desk was at the optimum height for maximum penetration.

No, seriously. Those words came out of his sexy mouth. She smiled to herself.

“Carmen will be along in a few minutes.”

She looked up when he spoke. The only thing was, her gaze didn’t make it to his face, having stalled at groin level. An involuntary wetting of her lips served to wake Meghan up.

Shit. She had to get her head in the game – not ogle her husband’s drool-inducing physique.

And of course, when she finally remembered where his face was, he was watching her with his usual intensity.

“Wanna see something fucking adorable?” he asked.

Meghan sighed. Yeah, she was looking at something adorable, thank you.

Smiling at the eagerness in his question, she nodded enthusiastically. “Show me what ya got, big guy.”

The sexy snarly lip curling sneer that never failed to trigger an underwear change made her giggly. If he got any hotter, they’d need to declare a fire emergency.

He grabbed his iPad off the desk and started tapping away. “Took this right before the Grand Canyon excursion.”

She leaned forward and inspected the iPad when he held it for her to see. The shot was from the nursery and taken in low light. A glow like a halo illuminated the figures of his parents together on the big rocking chair. Ashleigh was fast asleep on Cristián’s lap, and in her arms, she was clutching one of Aiden’s stuffed animals. On closer inspection, she saw that her father-in-law was also snoozing with his mouth wide open and probably snoring like thunder. Completing the scene beneath one of the cribs, standing guard, was Zeus plus her assortment of filched baby gear that she hoarded like twigs in a nest.

“That is too precious,” she happily exclaimed. “I love your parents. They’re the bomb.”

Alex grinned when she praised the picture and his folks. “I thought we could play with them a bit and say this is the shot we’re putting on our Christmas card.”

They both happily laughed at the same time.

“Sophie has a shot of your mom looking like a scatterbrain. Her hair is half up and half down crazy, she has her glasses on, no contacts and no makeup. In one hand, she’s holding a coffee cup that reads FML, and she’s got a stack of baby laundry tucked under an arm.”

“That sounds like blackmail material.” He chuckled.

Meghan smacked his arm with playful glee. “I said the same thing!”

Carmen announced her presence with a hearty, “Hola!”

Alex jumped to help with the tray. She and Alex’s knowing second mother exchanged looks. Carmen knew they weren’t in the study for no reason.

After asking several times if they had everything, she finally left them alone. Meghan calmly took over and poured them each tea. Alex only drank the stuff because of her. It was one of the many things he did to demonstrate his willingness to make her happy.

She knew that serving from the tray gave her an excuse to get him situated and somewhat comfortable – two things necessary before they could proceed.

“Sit down, baby.” She nodded to the spot next to her on the sofa. She wanted him close by – not in a chair across from her.

He sat stiff and woodenly at first. She imagined them as Elizabeth and her Mr. Darcy sitting down for a tense and uncomfortable tea.

She smiled sweetly and handed him an actual goddamn teacup. Sometimes she wanted to kiss Carmen for her impeccable timing and savvy grasp of every situation.

While it would be all kinds of fun to indulge in some naughty literary fantasies, she pushed her quickening libido aside and focused on the situation she confronted and the grim, stony-faced man who desperately needed her.

Watching his big hands struggle to manage the delicate bone china reminded Meghan he was in uncharted waters. It was up to her how difficult a time he faced.

Taking a small sip, she moaned her delight. “I adore this blend. Isn’t it lovely?” she asked with an encouraging smile.

He tried a mouthful. Grunting with surprise, he nodded smiling. “Not bad.”

Meghan’s inner narrator was having a rowdy giggle because she’d dumped enough sugar and cream into his cup to make it bearable for him. What wasn’t to like about a mouthful of warm sugary milk?

Men. Such delicate creatures sometimes.

She handed him a chunk of biscotti with a grin. “Don’t tattle on me, but I like to dunk mine.”

Alex laughed – exactly what she’d been going for. He took the crunchy biscuit and, like her, gave it a decent dunk into the hot tea.

They dunked, sipped, teased, and laughed until she sensed he was at ease. After clearing away the tray, she sat close to him on the sofa with her feet drawn up. Sideways and facing each other, he laid an arm on the back of the sofa and touched the hair around her shoulder.

They knew each other so well that she felt him searching for a jumping off point. Someplace to start with whatever was on his mind. She threw him a lifeline.

Touching his leg, she stroked it gently. “This is a tough time of year.”

He nodded solemnly. It was as good a place as any to begin.

“Yes,” he agreed. “I underestimated how deeply all the changes would complicate things.” His pithy snort was the perfect side note. “What people say is true. You don’t understand what being a parent is until it happens to you.”

“Sweetie, you’ve handled it beautifully and given us a ton of comedy along the way.” She squeezed his forearm. “You’re doing great, Daddy.”

He gave her a swift kiss. “Same to you, Mommy.”

Okay, so what she just learned was that the kids were not the issue. Yes, he acknowledged the increase in his responsibilities and burdens, but he wasn’t nearly as stressed as he could be. Either he was suddenly an expert at handling his feelings, or something else came along that pushed him past normal.

She maintained physical contact and sent reassuring vibes his way. He continued to touch her hair and sigh from time to time.

“Something … unusual has cropped up.”

His delivery was hesitant and choppy. She focused on him like a detective getting a confession.

“It’s something I can’t make sense of no matter how I try. Don’t know how else to explain it except intuition because my gut tells me it doesn’t involve Justice. Not really. It’s not business related.”

“What exactly is ‘it’?”

“Well,” he said with a heavy sigh, “it’s a little technical and more of a suggestion than an actual thing.”

“Luckily, as a teacher, I’m able to follow obscure and sometimes arcane concepts so I’m with you so far. Describe this suggestion and are you the only one who knows?”

“Duke brought it to my attention, but it hasn’t gone beyond the two of us until now.”

Oh my. So this was serious. She felt the weight of Alex’s dilemma and pressed for detail.

“There are a series of reports generated by the security system. Protocols for various aspects of information in the network. Duke was doing a deep dive on a quarterly data dump and found something curious.”

Meghan knew enough to understand that labeling something curious was tantamount to a flashing neon sign. She didn’t have to ask what Duke found because Alex kept talking.

“The only way to explain it is to call it a blip and dip in an algorithm. It’s so minimal that it almost went unnoticed. But it happens in changing intervals. Almost like trade craft avoiding telltale involvement.”

“Involvement? Do you mean someone is hacking the system?”

He didn’t react, so she knew he was already considering the possibility. “There is no possible way in except by the front door. The program is designed to alert if a back-door intrusion is attempted. I’m not an idiot. There is no alternate access.”

“Are you saying it’s unhackable?”

“More or less. Yes. The anomaly isn’t a hack. It might be an exploratory probe like looking for vulnerable code or a Trojan horse meant to distract from something else.”

She considered the picture he painted. It explained why he was so agitated. Something weird he couldn’t explain happening anywhere near his technology would automatically be viewed as hostile.

“Have you considered the possibility of this being a big brother thing?”

“You mean the government?”

She scoffed and bit out an answer. “Government. Military. National security. Every mercenary organization out there? Take your pick.”

He nodded and looked to be weighing her suggestion. “I gave it a lot of thought. There’s an ambassador with an ego problem who wants my balls in a globe on his desk, but he’s too stupid for words. Plus, I have Parker’s people keeping an eye on the asshole. My gut tells me if the NSA or someone like that was poking around, they’d cover their tracks. This feels personal.”

That was a lot to take in. Meghan sat back and tried to organize her thoughts.

“I started thinking the other day about asking what you thought.”

His admission that he was already going to seek her counsel before she forced him to showed her how serious he was. Knowing he valued her input and considered her a true partner – not just one in name only – gave Meghan a new clarity.

She changed position and made Alex move so she could climb onto his lap. She thought better from that spot.

“Does Tori know anything?”

He shook his head. “No. She had more than enough on her plate. If she noticed anything, it was how big a prick I can be to work for.”

There was no need to laugh because he hadn’t meant it as a joke.

“Did Duke offer an opinion?” She kept asking questions as they popped into her head.

“You know Duke. The man practices being a statue. He takes stone-faced to a new level. Sophie admitted he beat the pants off her in a poker match-up because his expression never changed. Drove her nuts.”

Just because he didn’t offer an opinion didn’t mean one wasn’t running around in Duke’s head.

“When will another report be generated? Can you get the same information in real time?”

Two questions – both relevant.

“There isn’t a real-time option for this information. The reports are layered. I can tighten the timeframe, but at some point, it’ll put a strain on the system. Strains lead to cracks. Cracks can lead to fuckery.”

“So if you dig too deep, you might invite an intrusion?”

“Yes. And a spike in reporting might alert whoever is behind this to our interest.”

She murmured absently, “And we don’t want to do that. Never give your hand away.”

He stroked her arm and briefly laid his head back. “When you asked about Tori, it reminded me that without realizing it, the girls might have noticed unusual occurrences. Has anyone said anything like that?”

“You mean out of the ordinary stuff?”

“Yes.”

She thought long and hard. Had she heard something?

“Besides the St. Johns showing up without notice, I can’t remember anyone saying something was weird.”

Alex gave a jerky nod. “It started around the time the team was on a mission. Maybe a little beforehand so it’s not about Domineau. Or Rafe.”

“Family Justice,” Meghan murmured.

“I came to the same conclusion.”

“What are we going to do?” She included herself in the question because they were a team.

He gave a half laugh, slid his hand beneath her long hair, and gripped her neck.

“We’re going to be Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 and figure this shit out together.”

“Can we be Fred and Daphne? Zeus would make a great Scooby Doo, and you can pretty much slot any of our motley crew into Shaggy’s role. Tori, of course, is Velma.”

When he laughed, she heard most of the tension leave his voice.

“Thank you,” he drawled.

She smiled and touched his face. “I feel even closer to you, if that’s possible. It’s me thanking you for trusting me enough to be a real partner.”

He gave a soft grunt. “It’s a tough call. I don’t want to add to your worries.”

Her eyes automatically lowered. “What is it you always tell me? That you can’t know what I need, what brings me pleasure, if I don’t communicate?” She looked him in the eye. “I won’t know what you need, what I can do, if you keep parts of yourself from me. No matter the reason.”

Wrapping him in her arms, she nestled into his chest and sighed. She could hear his heartbeat. It was strong and steady – just like him.

“Has it been ten weeks yet?” he asked with a wicked chuckle.

She laughed at the question. He’d arbitrarily picked ten weeks for when they could re-consummate their union. Until then, he was relentlessly pursuing her with flattery one moment and filthy, raw words the next. With his persistence and understanding, she’d slowly shed her postnatal worries and thrown herself back into the pleasure stakes.

“Well, technically,” she quipped, “we’re pretty much right on the money.”

The conflict raging in his expression was all kinds of cute. Her beast was such a sweetie. She knew he probably had a romantic interlude planned. If she understood him at all, Meghan was sure he’d pull out all the stops and come prepared with every bell and whistle he could think of.

However, she thought slyly, maybe a fast, filthy fuck would take some of the pressure off.

“You know what I was thinking earlier?” she coyly asked.

He sniggered. “I thought we already solved that mystery with a tape measure.”

Now there was a delightfully raunchy memory. He’d let her bind his hands with her robe sash, and then the dear made a show of pretending he was actually helpless. She subjected him to a devilish hand job that sent his cock up a notch to next level horny and then whipped out a tape measure. His arrogant pride when she read his stats made her tingly all over.

“You’re a bad man, Major,” she teased. “That is not at all what I was thinking,” she told him with saucy prudishness.

“My bad.” He chortled. “Please continue, my love. Tell me what you were thinking.”

Wiggling just so, she felt a jolt of smug satisfaction when it was made clear by his thrusting hips what she was sitting on.

Moving in close, she licked his ear and whispered, “I was remembering all the times you’ve bent me over the arm of this sofa.”

He grunted. “And then what?” His voice was oozing with erotic promise.

She tugged his earlobe with her teeth. When he inhaled sharply, she issued a challenge.

“Then you’d make short work of my panties and hold me down while you fucked me. Hard.”

“Meghan,” he growled. “Playing with fire, babe.”

She licked his neck and nibbled along his jawline. “I know. Sometimes, I like the sizzle.”

He growled, “Fuck,” and let his head drop back on the sofa. She took the invitation and proceeded to maul his flesh. If he didn’t make a move soon, she’d do the honors.

She sensed his conflict and found him cute. So be it.

Easing off his lap, she whirled around, flipped up her skirt and flashed her panties a second before she wiggled out of them. His hiss when she was bare before him triggered the floodgates of pleasure to open wide.

Going to the arm of the sofa, she bent over with her feet wide apart and teased him with her eyes and words.

“Fuck me, Alex. Now.”

He leaped off the sofa and came at her from behind. His hand went between her legs. She whimpered and tilted her pelvis to aid in his exploration.

He growled, “Oh my god,” when his fingers encountered a flood of greedy desire.

“Don’t think,” she grunted. “Just fuck.”

Lifting her skirt, he caressed her ass with a deep, sexy chuckle. After a series of lovely smacks, he bent and kissed the tattoo that signaled his ownership.

“I’m sorry, love. Say again?”

She was borderline desperate. His pleasure when he demanded she say it again made her pussy quiver.

She glanced back at him with naughty mischief in her eyes. “Fuck. Me. Now.”

“Oh,” he said with a laugh. “I get it.”

She heard his zipper and grew impatient. When he parted her with his fingers, and she felt the head of his shaft press against her opening, Meghan gave a loud moan and canted her ass in invitation.

“Why don’t you count off the inches?” His husky command was raw and achingly carnal.

“One,” he encouraged.

He slid in a fraction more.

“Two.” She sighed. “Three.”

Her muscles clenched around his cock. He growled. “Now that’s what I call a friendly hug.”

He thrust deeper. “Four, five,” she moaned in a whisper.

His fingers got busy, and he slid in deeper. There was no more counting because she was too far gone.

When he grabbed her hips and rotated his, she trembled from the sensation of his big cock inside her.

There was no way she was lasting long. A fresh flood of need coated his staff. He pulled out and slammed home with so much force, she was impaled on his cock and starting to unravel.

It took no more than two dozen thundering strokes for her to come. He followed and showered her pussy with his essence. She felt him jerking inside her and moaned her pleasure.

He moved them ... somehow. Sitting, he pulled her onto his lap while his cock was still inside her. He spread her legs wide and draped them on either side of his spread legs. Moaning with every movement, she lost herself completely when he kneaded her breasts through her clothes and plucked at her sensitive clit.

She jerked and gasped. His mouth was on her neck, and she was quickly spiraling higher and higher.

As his fingers made love to her clitoris, she gushed and moaned. The sensations he pulled from her body emptied Meghan’s brain.

The orgasm hit her with such force, she convulsed on his lap. Panting and grunting, she jerked and shook. He growled with satisfaction and kept plucking the pleasure nub until she had nothing left to give.

Lifting her off his semi-hard shaft, he held her close and whispered words of love along with the admission that he needed the raunchy fuck and a promise that next time he’d make love to her until she was boneless.

This was the true dominant and submissive dance. It wasn’t just sex. Theirs was a strong bond that touched every aspect of their relationship. He’d demonstrated his respect and love by opening up and sharing his worries. To someone else, it might seem trivial, but to her, it was huge.

It took her quite some time to pull it together. Opening the floodgates of their powerful lovemaking only made her hornier.

He retrieved her panties and made a production out of stashing them in a desk drawer. His antics did nothing to cool her ardor.

“God, I feel great,” he crowed with a thump on his impressive abs.

His amusing leer when he checked her out earned him a swat on the arm.

“I don’t know about you, though, hon. You look a little rough. Like maybe you just got off with nine inches of thundercock buried in your sweet pussy.”

She smirked, gave a hair flip, and corrected his math. “Excuse me but I believe with the tape measure placed just so, you logged in with an official ten inches. And that was just length. There’s the question of girth and plumping too.”

He gave a hearty laugh and drew her into a fierce hug. “Girth and plumping. I like how that sounds. Come on, Mrs. M. Grab the monitor. Let’s rehydrate and get you some proper knickers. I’m sure the younglings will be raring to go in no time.”