It might be all sorts of messed up that she trembled with aching need after he tied her up and she’d been left to wait, but that was what was happening. With her legs spread and her ass exposed, Kelly was conscious of the pulsing hunger growing in her pussy. Roman new how to draw the most exquisite responses from her body and mind. He wanted her to empty before he filled her up. The thought made her moan.

When he pulled her up by her hair, Kelly’s tethered arms stretched wide. Being totally at his mercy was quite a stimulant. Her nipples tightened painfully. Had he known that when he reached for one of the hard nubs and rolled it with his nimble fingers?

She groaned when he pinched.

He released her suddenly. She flopped forward again and lay on the bed. The warmth where his body pressed against hers dissipated when he stepped back.

In the silence, she heard nothing but her panting breaths until the unmistakable sound of a zipper lowering broke through. Chomping her lip, she growled and held her breath.

The thud of a buckle hitting the floor told her he was stripping off his clothes. She didn’t need to watch to know what she’d see. With his jeans off, he’d be in his briefs. Usually black or gray, the dark fabric would mold to his sizeable bulge.

He tested between her legs again. His sexy grunt made her crazy.

She found it terribly exciting when he played with her pussy. His fingers entering her from behind did things that got her quivering. It certainly didn’t hurt that her manly lover narrated what he was doing – describing everything in deliciously decadent terms.

Spreading her cheeks apart made Kelly gasp. Was he going to take her anally? Her heart thumped wildly just thinking about it.

“I love your ass, little one.” He teased the sensitive rosette with his fingers.

Bending over her, he lined his body up to hers and pressed her into the bed. It was a declaration of his dominance, and an involuntary whimper left her mouth.

“How’s this for a tease,” he drawled in a deep, seductive tone. “I plan to fuck your ass in the desert, carina. See if my cock can make you howl with pleasure.”

A lightning flash scene burned into her brain. Them naked. At dusk. Her on her knees with her face down. Roman feeding his large cock into her ass. They were on a padded lounger at Vortice Amore. Votive candles in glass hurricanes lit the scene after the sun disappeared. It was romantic and erotic. In other words, their cup of tea.

A smile curved her lips. She wiggled her ass with pleasure. He chuckled and bit her shoulder before standing upright.

He tested her restraints. She wanted him to hurry and said so. Something wild and desperate was beginning to take over.

“No, carina,” he growled. The swat on her ass made Kelly jump.

“Breathe,” he roughly demanded. “Deep breaths. Stop the noise, Kelly. Empty your thoughts.”

Without understanding why, her body began to tremble. She squeezed her eyes shut and took the breaths he commanded. A mad rush of anxiety and unhappiness swamped her. Everything that felt off, everything that was driving her crazy crowded her emotions.

And then he pushed his fat cock into her body, gave a ferocious grunt, and grabbed her hips.

A low, rumbling groan throbbed from her chest. Every fiber of her being shifted focus to him. Goose bumps of arousal and pleasure spread across her skin.

This time, nothing was particularly acrobatic or exploratory about Roman’s lovemaking. He simply fucked her. Hard. It was unhurried but fierce.

Kelly heard his manly chuckle when she surrendered. They coined a term for what happened to her when everything fell away – pleasure surfing. She floated on waves of unimaginable ecstasy.

He was buried deep and her senses were tingling when he tapped her clit. She shook all over as he fucked her into oblivion.

The end was near. She felt his cock swell inside her – knew her lover was going to shower her insides with his seed. The carnality of it turned her on. Squeezing his cock with desperation, she lost it when a jackhammer disguised as an orgasm battered her.

The exhilarating waves tossed her body, and she cried out. Everything coalesced into a massive explosion that triggered a fountain of pleasure.

Roman roared and then he followed her into the surf and crested on wave after wave after wave.

Content and fulfilled, she never knew how long she drifted after one of his masterful possessions. When she could focus again, the ropes were gone, and they were spooning on the bed. A hand fondled her breast. She sighed.

He kissed her shoulder. “You were gone for a long time.”

What could she say? He knew how responsive she was to him.

She hugged the arm banded about her middle. “Thank you.”

He didn’t ask what for.

“I have a surprise for you,” he murmured.

She shifted in his embrace and wiggled until she faced him. “Summer in Bendover is enough,” she assured him.

His sly smile piqued her curiosity.

“Does that mean you’re not interested in a private soiree at the Red Club?’

She almost jumped on top of him. Gasping, Kelly’s eye went wide. “Don’t kid around, Roman. Are you serious?”

He brushed the hair off her face and traced a thumb around her lips. “Because curiosity killed the cat, I think it’s time to unveil the reality before your imagination goes wild.”

God, he could be dry and wonderfully funny at the same time. “Wait. Did you just call me a cat?”

“Kitten, pussy ... whatever works.”

Playing along, she gave him a sassy shrug and winked. “Hey, I’m good. You bring out my best purr.”

She eyed his throat when he tilted his head and laughed.

He drawled. “I like it when you get all lippy and clever. Keeps me on my toes.”

“Well, it would suck to be me if you got bored.”

He laughed even harder and wiped away an amused tear. “Bored? Jesus Christ, Kelly. You’re a treasure, my love. Rest assured, boredom will not be an issue.”

“When can we go? Huh? When?”

Her big, bad lover man turned on his side, propped himself up on his arm, and caused her temperature to go up when he smirked knowingly.

“I’ve created a monster, haven’t I?”

“Hush, you,” she teased. “You love it. Now, stop playing coy. I know you, Roman Bishop. You already had a plan in your head before you said the words out loud.”

He indicated through his expression that she was right. She gave him her triumphant face.

“I want to be in Arizona before the end of the month, so we’ll take Matty to Sam and Ginny’s this weekend. I’ll talk to Julian right away and see what’s better – Friday or Saturday night. Then we’ll plan the entertainment together, but I’ll handle everything else.”

He reached for her hand, turned it over, and licked her wrist. Impossible as it seemed, she wanted him again.

“Um, dress code?” she asked in a breathy murmur.

“Formal,” he growled. “Top to bottom, inside and out. Book one of those spa nightmares Rhiann swears by. Do whatever floats your boat, honey. And then buy an indecently expensive gown. Oh, and shoes. Get some bad girl shoes too.”

She couldn’t help the grin. “Formal? Oh my, yes!” She giggled and playfully fanned her face. “Does that mean you’ll be in a tuxedo, Mr. Bishop?”

Roman pointed at his face. “Please observe the eye roll.”

Kelly snickered. They’d found out at her brother’s wedding just how hot she found him when a tuxedo was in the picture.

“What do you mean by plan the entertainment?” It seemed like a smart idea to ask.

“Well, we decide what we want to see.”

“You mean there will be people doing it right there ... in front of us?”

He chuckled. “I’m sure there will be some doing it, but before that part, we decide.”

“How? I mean, hell. I have no idea.”

“We’re prepared for that. Once a party is reserved, members get access to a secure site that has an updated menu detailing what’s available. The basics are always at the ready but for the discerning couple, we offer various practitioners and changing themes. Makes it more interesting.”

“So what? We’ll put our heads together at the computer and choose?”

“Exactly.”

Hmph. She snorted lightly and studied her manicure while she considered this new piece of the information puzzle.

“I can hear your thoughts, baby girl. Don’t even go there. We’ll be observing only. It’s a performance. Believe me. No one will speak to us or get too close to you in any way. So you can relax and enjoy the occasion, okay?”

“Is it weird? Watching people having sex right in front of you?”

He shrugged. “It might be, but what comes before that will change your mind about the sex. It’s not a how-to-fuck session. It’s a BDSM performance. The sexual aspect of it isn’t the entire focus.”

Seized by an urgent impulse to be the arm candy she felt he deserved, Kelly’s thoughts briefly wandered. It wasn’t until he zeroed in on her mouth and didn’t look away that she realized she was chewing her lips.

“Let’s shower and get dressed,” he suggested. “I’m sure Domineau will keep Matty out until the last possible second, but we should be putting on the Mom and Dad show when they return.”

The Mom and Dad show. She silently chuckled. As implausible as it might be, they had this parenting thing on lockdown.

When it dawned on her that they had good news for Matty and his first crush, she satirically drawled, “Thank god we can help Domineau down from the ledge. She’s been positively teary about breaking up with Matty.”

Roman sighed with a nod. “It’s been tough on her, I know. But long-distance relationships rarely work out.”

He said it so soberly that she grunted her agreement, and then they cracked the hell up, fist bumping and slapping palms as they left the bed.

“They were telling knock-knock jokes in Spanish this morning,” she told him. “I may have to learn some just so we can be sure he isn’t telling people to fuck off in a different language.”

She noticed that he didn’t say anything, so she touched his hand and asked, “What?”

Surprised by his scowl, she tried to see beyond it when he spoke. “Did you know I’m fluent in half a dozen languages”?

Did she know that? Hmm. Kelly wasn’t sure. Maybe she did, but until this second, it hadn’t come up so she never gave it much thought.

“Oh,” she softly murmured. “Is that why they …?”

He answered the question she hasn’t finished asking. “Yes. One of the reasons.”

The Justice mission re-awakened some sleeping issues Roman kept hidden inside. She might not have known him all that long, but she felt the changes. Saw it in his eyes during unguarded moments.

Between what little he’d divulged and the targeted information she picked up from Family Justice, she knew he was an interrogator during his time in the war. He’d been trained by the behavior analysis folks at Langley and forced to testify before Congress during a public dustup around enhanced interrogation procedures.

That information was a dry recitation of facts. She was faced with the emotional fallout.

He wasn’t okay with everything. She understood without knowing the specifics and, frankly, didn’t fault him for those feelings at all. There was no way that every second of his military experience hadn’t sucked balls – no matter how honorable or patriotic.

Instead of focusing on the negative or making it worse by trying to fix his chagrin, she changed the direction of his thoughts. Much like how he’d redirected her tension.

Sweeping her hair into a sloppy knot, she pulled on a shower cap and adjusted the water in the shower.

“Which language do you think is the sexiest?”

His look of surprise showed the redirect had worked.

“Ah, that’s easy,” he told her with a smile. “Italian. I grew up hearing my grandparents speak their love through the language. The word carina, you already know. Ti amo,” he murmured, “means I love you with oomph.”

“Oomph?”

“Yes, but take the love and wrap it up in hopes and dreams.”

“I like that. Ti amo.”

“Tesoro,” he growled. “Best translation is darling. And then there’s the beautiful, Cuore mio – my heart.”

He sounded so sexy speaking the language of love, Italian style. She put her hands on his chest and kissed it. “Don’t say anything dirty, okay?”

His chest shook with laughter. “Why?”

“Because”—she shrugged—“I’ll know when you speak Italian that you love me and everything is fine.”

Pushing her under the waterfall of warm water, he grabbed her favorite soft shower pouf and squirted some body wash onto it.

She raised her arms and twined her hands on top of the shower cap like a suspect about to be frisked. Studying Roman’s handsome scowl while he somberly stroked the pouf on her skin, she tried to gauge his mood.

“How’d you get so wise?” He asked the quiet question in a gritty voice.

Of course, he’d known she was deliberately redirecting him. Roman was so worldly, and she was just a backwoods girl with hardly any experience. But somehow, it worked.

Softly, she asked, “Do you want to discuss it?”

“Not really.” He swiped the sudsy pouf in circles around her breasts. “I know I’m responsible for bringing it up in the first place, but for real, carina, I don’t wanna go there.”

“Okay. But you’ll tell me if Matty picks up bad words, right?”

She knew he’d laugh. It wasn’t her style to make things complicated. Kelly understood that sometimes less is more.

“I’ll go one better.”

His smirky snort made her laugh, and she asked, “Oh, god. What does that mean?”

The pouf slid between her legs as he rather studiously worked on the soft flesh of her inner thighs. He put a hand behind one knee and lifted her foot onto the tile ledge. She grabbed his forearms for balance.

“When it comes to our boy and teaching him the proper way to be a vulgar little shit, I will take the lead. It’s a dad priority.”

“Dad priority? Let me guess”—Kelly giggled—“Cameron?”

Roman’s laugh filled the tile enclosure. “He swears by everything holy that Lacey doesn’t use the bad words in public. Especially not the three C’s. Not sure if the embargo reaches into the bedroom, but he insists she means business.”

“What are the three C’s?”

He took his time washing her mound. Pleasure tingles danced along her nerve endings.

“The three C’s require deft handling.” He chuckled while deftly handling her lady parts. “The first C is the most obvious.” He took her hand and wrapped her fingers around his cock.

“Got it.” She snickered.

“The second C refers to this.” He flung the pouf onto the tile ledge and plucked her clit.

With her foot on the ledge, she was exposed to his naughty fingers – something he took full advantage of.

Barely able to speak after he made her poor flesh ache with need, he thrust a beefy finger into her and ground his palm against her. Gasping, she clung to his arms and tilted her pelvis.

In a voice that made her tremble with need, he leaned in close and stopped an inch from her face. His eyes locked on hers.

“And this, my sexy nymph, is the third C. Cunt,” he whispered. “As in mine.”

He watched her face while his finger got busy. “Just to be clear, cuore mio, when we use that word intimately, it’s not as a pejorative.”

She dug her fingers into his arm when he rubbed the right spot. Her forehead lowered to his chest.

“I like it when you use the five-dollar words.” Her voice was barely a whisper. He knew how to make her come and wasted no time with niceties.

He added another finger and shit got serious.

“And I like it when you come and squeeze my fingers with your sweet pussy.”

Everything started to swirl. She took a deep breath and groaned. “Roman.”

“Yes?”

His fingers took her to the edge in astonishingly no time at all.

Shattering, she felt the free fall of a powerful climax. Her legs shook, and she slumped against his big body. Her senses had barely returned when she felt him pick up the pouf and press it into her hands with a husky chuckle.

“Your turn, baby girl.”

What? She shook her head to clear her fuzzy thoughts. He wanted her to wash him?

“I need to put my foot down,” she told him in a shaky voice.

He laughed but helped her get steady on her feet. What he didn’t do was stop the fingering.

She tried to wash him, but dammit, his wicked fingers had a high old time once he found that spot inside her that made Kelly shudder.

All of a sudden, she was beyond control. Flinging the pouf away, she used both hands and a lot of soapy wash on his erect cock.

Two could play.

His throaty growl when she paid extra attention to his balls turned her to jelly.

“If you keep that up, carina, you’re going to be fucked. Fast and hard.”

If he thought his words were a warning, he was in for a shock. She liked it when he took her fiercely. In fact, fast, furious, and fearsome turned her to a whimpering mound of desperate flesh. Being possessed by a man like Roman was the sexiest thing imaginable.

“You’ve made me a fan of the three C’s.” She said the words with a sly wink, a bit lip, and a glorious fondling of her man’s superior cock.

His fingers left her gushing pussy, and he picked her up. There were many advantages to being small, and this was one of her favorites. Without much effort, he impaled her on his meaty cock and used her body like a sex toy – lifting and dropping her over and over as he surged upward with strong thrusts that took her breath away.

The water poured over them. She liked the warmth as it spilled onto his body and washed his cock each time he pulled out.

He started to grunt. His eyes were glued to where their bodies joined. Roman liked to watch his cock sink inside her and said so.

“Fuck, Kelly. How do you take all of me?”

It was a question they both pondered. His size and her tiny stature would seem like a mismatch, but it wasn’t. Her body craved his. She wanted more – it was never enough.

Biting his shoulder, she whimpered and growled. “Oh, Roman. Please.”

“What do you need, baby?” He kissed her passionately and licked her neck. “Tell me. Say it, Kelly. Say the words.”

“Fuck me. Hard. Please, Roman. Flood my pussy with come. I need you.”

He reared back and then let loose with a mighty roar as he pounded her into a fuck coma. Slamming her small body onto his cock with a vengeance, he said a bunch of filthy things and made sure to get the word cunt in several times.

She arched, wiggled, and then went berserk as a powerful orgasm ripped her apart.

“Yes!” he shouted. “That’s right, little girl. Come for my cock.”

She was a ragdoll in his hands as he slammed her onto his beautiful cock over and over. A tsunami of wet heat rushed into her center and took her under. Shuddering wildly, she couldn’t do anything except feel.

His tongue in her mouth helped bring her back from wherever the orgasm sent her.

“Are you ready for your reward?” he asked with a devilish chuckle.

Unable to form coherent words, she looked at him with lust-filled eyes and nodded. All she had was a grunt.

After half a dozen fierce body slams, he howled. Holding her on his cock, she felt him swell until her pussy throbbed in response.

“Fuck,” he groaned.

Her body reacted on its own and contracted around his flesh. She swore she could feel every inch, each pleasurable pulse.

His cock thudded against the walls of her pussy. He was filling her. Kelly growled. She loved this part. Loved feeling him empty inside her as the aftermath of her climax still clung to her senses.

When it was over and they found their breath again, he withdrew, stood her on shaky legs, and wrapped his arms around her.

They stayed in this embrace beneath the waterfall for several long, silent minutes. Then, without speaking, they finished up and rinsed off.

Usually following one of their raunchy sessions, Roman needed to do something he called aftercare. And he wasn’t fucking around, either. It took her a while, but she finally understood what it was all about. He ended most of their sexual exploits with a loving gentleness that made her feel cherished. Adored.

Did she sit on her vanity bench like a lost child and let him dress her?

Yes.

When he knelt to help her into a pair of sensible panties, she feebly stroked his hair with her still trembling hand. The emotion in his expression when he looked at her made Kelly melt just a little.

Sometime later, they were side by side on the couch, chillin’, with each of them absorbed in reading.

“I love it when you sniff a book.” Roman chortled. “You’re never sexier than when there’s a book in your hands.”

She grinned and held up the ancient copy of David Copperfield that they discovered during an antique store excursion. It was old and tatty. In other words, it was perfect.

“I like to imagine how many hands have held this story. Oh, and look,” she exclaimed. Showing him the bookmark she found inside the classic novel, Kelly excitedly explained what it represented.

“It’s from the 1939 World’s Fair. Building the world of tomorrow.”

“That’s pretty cool,” he murmured. Closely inspecting the yellowed marker, Roman turned it over and read aloud what was expressed in a beautifully handwritten scrawl. “Anthony. Dream big. Love, Mom.”

Opening the book, she showed him the title page. “Published in London, 1914. It’s more than one hundred years old.”

He bent over and breathed deeply with his nose an inch from the maroon cloth cover. Chuckling as he sat up, he waved a brand-new copy of Stephen Hawking’s book, A Brief History of Time, in her face.

“Is that your idea of some light reading?”

“Actually, carina, it’s a prop and nothing more. I’ve read it so many times, the words are almost memorized. I figured when Domineau and Matty show up, it’d be best to pretend with something familiar.”

“Pretend? You mean we’re not just a boring ass couple hanging out together on the sofa?”

Capturing her hand, he pressed it against the bulge in his crotch. “You’ve unleashed an animal.”

Her laughter rang out, and she shoved him away with her shoulder. “What have I told you about that? Hmm? Do not tease me when there’s no way to deal with your, um, situation.”

“My situation?” He pronounced the word slowly in four precise syllables, making her giggle.

“Yes. Exactly. I don’t need spectators to find me on my knees with your situation nudging the back of my throat.”

A roar of laughter burst from his throat. She grinned like an idiot because they both knew she wasn’t kidding.

They barely got their boring adult act together when the sound of the elevator pinging alerted them to an impending arrival.

“Showtime.” Roman sniggered.

They quickly assumed chillaxin’ poses and adopted laid-back expressions. She growled and sent a sharp elbow into Roman’s side when he slid his hand into the back of her yoga pants. He smirked and murmured, “I’ll be good.”

At the sound of footsteps coming down the hardwood floor hallway, they looked up. Domineau came into view carrying a white pizza box stacked with takeout containers. She barely nodded at them before scooting into the kitchen. Matty hovered between the kitchen and living room as if he wasn’t sure where he wanted to be.

His show of emotion touched Kelly. He truly loved the quirky Amazonian female Justice Brother.

“He looks a little lost,” Roman whispered.

“Call him to you, okay? I’ll check on Domineau.”

“Shouldn’t we do that the other way around? You know Matty best, and Domineau is one of my oldest friends.”

She kissed him softly and patted his cheek. “I think she could use a female touch, and it’s up to you now, Dad,” she quietly murmured, “to show our boy how to be a man.”

They put their books on the coffee table. Roman motioned to Matty as she walked to the kitchen. He hesitated but finally went to the couch in a forlorn slouch.

She found Domineau roughly cramming containers into the refrigerator – with her sunglasses on – after sundown.

Wasting no time, she walked up to Domineau, and with arms wrapped around the taller woman’s waist, she gave her a fierce hug. She wasn’t surprised that Domineau froze. Public displays of affection were not her favorite thing.

Taking her by the hand, she disengaged and tugged Domineau to follow as she led her to the living room sofa and pushed her down. After she sat with a grump, Kelly deftly snatched the sunglasses off her face and very nearly got smacked when Domineau’s hand shot out to stop the theft.

“Did you two have a nice time?” she asked while calmly perching on one of Roman’s beefy thighs.

Matty squirmed and clung to Domineau’s arm while the clearly upset woman cleared her throat and looked at everything in the room except them. Kelly was moved by the display of real emotion. Something about the powerful bond the two had formed spoke to her heart. It was a good thing that Matty felt the way he did. Showed her the sort of man he would one day be.

When neither of them answered the question, Roman sighed and gave her butt a stealthy pat.

“Shit. Would you two lighten up? You’re killing us.”

She waited for Matty’s playful smirk and admonishment to drop some coinage in the penny jar for using bad language. But he was far too distraught for words.

With a matter-of-fact tone, she quipped to Roman, “I think we should tell them the news, don’t you? Put them out of their misery.”

At the word, news, Domineau finally looked directly at them. Her eyes had a red cast, and her expression was desolate.

Looking at his old friend, Roman offered a half smile and said, “I’m looking for a real estate agent.”

Domineau scoffed. “Buyer’s remorse already? You haven’t even moved in.”

Kelly slid her arm around Roman’s shoulder and leaned into him with a happy smile spreading on her face. She thought it was cute that he was playing with Domineau.

“Nope,” Roman drawled. “The New York house is going to kick ass. I’m talking about vacation real estate.”

“Are you serious?”

“As a matter of fact, yes, I am. Calling Alex in the morning.”

Domineau’s head snapped up, and she pinned Roman with a serious glare. “The Major? That Alex?”

“One and the same,” he said with a nod.

“What the fuck for? He selling timeshares or something?”

Kelly giggled at the thought of Alex Marquez as a salesman. She looked at Roman and asked, “Is she always this obtuse?”

Her man’s happy smile when he dropped their news bomb made her chuckle.

“Matthew. Domineau,” he gravely intoned. “How would you two feel if Kelly and I bought a house in Bendover? Someplace for vacations.”

The silence his comment received was funny as shit. Domineau stared at him with a deep frown, and Matty looked flabbergasted.

“Excuse me, what?” Matty’s little voice was shaking with emotion. She was sure she’d never loved him more.

With all the seriousness of an FBI briefing, Roman dropped the pitch of his voice and captured Matty’s undivided attention.

“It’s like this, Matty,” he began. “As your parents, we figure that with having both of your girlfriends living in Arizona for the foreseeable future, it’d save a lot of grief and upset if we just made things simple and got a place in Bendover. That way, little man, you can stay connected to Domineau and Bella.”

Domineau’s mouth dropped open.

Matty murmured, “Wow,” and then gave Roman a loud high five hand slap.

“I’m not finished,” he told them. “Hon? You want to take this part? After all, it was your idea.”

She loved him for giving her a piece of their decision.

“We have to go shopping tomorrow,” she told Matty. “You’ll be needing your own set of luggage.”

Domineau muttered, “Holy fuck.”

“What’s luggage?” he asked.

“Luggage is what we call suitcases that match. You’ll need your own luggage if we’re going to spend the summer in Arizona.”

Matty flung himself at her with an ecstatic yip and hugged her so hard she laughed. “Really, Kiki? Arizona?”

“Yep,” she assured him with a tousle of his hair. With a wink and a smile at Domineau, she added, “You and your first girlfriend won’t have to be apart for more than a week or two. We’ll head out sometime next week.”

When Domineau sniffed and cleared her throat, she saw Roman’s concerned expression as he studied his friend. Thinking quickly, she suggested he and Domineau grab some sparkling grape juice so they could make a toast to their new family plan.

“And you, young man, how about if we make quick work of washing up, brushing teeth, and getting into pajamas? We’ll make our toast, and then maybe Domineau would like to hear your gratitude prayers.”

Matty was off and running to his room before anyone could say a word. She left Roman to handle Domineau and cleared out to give them some privacy.

* * *

Domineau displayed none of her Justice nom de guerre when she stumbled awkwardly into the kitchen with him hot on her heels. His brows were stuck to his hairline with surprise because he’d never seen Smoke be anything except agile, quick, and physically light-footed.

In his mind, he was sorting out what to say when she whirled on him and exploded.

“You made me cry, you son of a bitch. Nobody makes me cry.”

He sneered and crossed his arms. “Oh, really? So your red eyes when you and Matty came home were what? Allergies?”

She hissed and threw him a dirty look. “Fuck you, Bishop.”

“It’s not a crime to be human, Rivera. Being upset about leaving means there’s still some fucking hope for you.”

“What the hell does that even mean?” she countered defensively.

“It means, you fucking shrew, that you love my son, and he, for whatever reasons, loves your snarky ass in return. It’s a good thing, so don’t try blowing sunshine up my shorts and pretend to be a hard ass when we both know that’s bullshit.”

In a very rare moment of personal sharing, Domineau wiped her eyes and admitted something he knew came at an emotional cost.

“I remember being his age. Before the bad shit turned it all to dust. He’s a lot like I was. Curious. Funny.” She shrugged and looked away, then murmured one last thing. “Innocent.”

He knew what sort of hellish darkness sat in the center of this woman’s psyche. It was why she was alone – when she didn’t have to be.

She might want to pretend otherwise, but Domineau Rivera was something of a legend at the CIA. Someday, he was sure there’d be a wall dedicated in her name to badass females everywhere.

In light of her iconic status did Team Justice know her particulars? Fuck yeah, they did, but out of an abundance of respect and admiration for her courage and bravery, they never, ever spoke of it. She’d more than earned the right to have a permanent pass where gossip was concerned.

Surviving a bullet aimed at her heart was a blessing. The fact that her brother fired the bullet condemned her to a lifetime curse. She lived. Her parents? Not so much.

Hearing Smoke speak of Matty in relation to a happier time in her life was damn difficult. But it helped him understand what was going on with her and maybe explained why she’d acted so strangely around Rafe during the Team Justice assignment.

They were all older now, and a lot of turbulent waters had rushed and swirled beneath all their bridges in the years after the war. With the passage of time, some things get put to rest and others reluctantly confessed. He wondered whether seeing Rafe again opened an old wound.

Did her emotional connection with Matty help drive home what could have been? She and Rafe were made for each other, but he understood how sometimes life and shit complicated things.

“If I thought you wouldn’t smack me in the mouth, I’d try to hug you, but Imma pass, okay?”

She gave him an award-winning Elvis sneer and drawled, “Fucking pussy. Your half-pint fiancée has no problem forcing a Raggedy Ann hug.”

He laughed. “Never heard that one before. What the hell is a Raggedy Ann hug?”

“You know,” she dryly quipped. “When you have the stuffing hugged out of you.”

“Instant classic.” He chuckled with his fist extended for a bump.

She, of course, bumped back with extra oomph and nearly put him through a wall.

“You can get on that plane tomorrow and head to Arizona. The family and I follow next week, and by the time summer comes to an end, I promise we’ll pin down a Bendover base of operations. So are we good, Ms. Rivera?”

She unexpectedly grabbed him in a hug. “I will fuck you up, Roman Bishop, if you aren’t the best goddamn father in the whole world to that kid.”

Gruffly pushing him aside, she straightened and walked confidently away. She called out to Matty and left him to figure out the grape juice toast. It took him a couple of minutes to dig the sparkling beverage from the back of the refrigerator and grab four small champagne glasses. When he stepped from the kitchen and into the living room, he found Domineau swinging his four-year-old son in a circle while the boy laughed and shouted with glee. Kelly sat on the arm of the sofa with a joyful expression. She beamed at him with love in her eyes when their gazes met.

He set up the glasses on the coffee table and cracked open the cap of the carbonated juice. “We need a toast.”

It was Kelly who handed off the glasses and declared their close-knit foursome Clan Bishop. Matty asked what a clan meant, and after a bit of discussion and semantic deconstruction, they settled on House of Bishop because it sounded pretentious and grandiose – things that applied to none of them.

He liked the snarky, tongue in cheek quality to the group name. It suited them.

“New for 2017,” he decaled in an announcer’s voice. “House of Bishop has gone coast to coast.”

“We’re going to Bendover!” Matty cheered over and over.

Their glasses clinked, and they sipped the bubbly drink. Kelly looked as happy as he’d ever seen her. He felt good about them making decisions together for the future of their unusual family. Six months wasn’t a lot of time, but holy fuck, had they ever covered a shitload of territory in that short period. As far as he was concerned, he and his soul mate had this stuff down. They were going to have a fantastic life together. He was absolutely sure of it.