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Sienna nodded, but she didn’t appear completely convinced. At least I knew I could count on my family not to treat her weirdly. Like any family, we had our issues, but there were some things I always knew for sure. They’d always have my back unless I was being an idiot, in which case they’d give me a kick in the ass if I needed it. And they’d always treat people with respect and compassion, no matter where they stood in life.
The drive to Maggie and Drake’s place was slow, but I’d factored in the traffic when I’d told Sienna the time to be ready, so we arrived right on time. Sienna’s eyes widened the deeper we went into the swanky neighborhood, and when we pulled up to the curb in front of a two-story, four-bedroom house, she let out a low whistle.
“I know your family has money, but damn.”
“Well, it’s not just Maggie’s money,” I said. “Drake has plenty of his own. He comes from a wealthy Scottish family.”
“Right.” Sienna shot me a sideways look. “Are we going to be having caviar and lobster? Flakes of gold in our champagne? Servants at our beck and call?”
I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times, unsure how to respond to her questions. Hell, I didn’t even know if they were genuine or if she was just messing with me.
She let me flounder for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. “I’m impressed, but I’m not an idiot. You’d probably have wine and Scotch instead of champagne.”
I joined her in laughter, hoping this meant she was feeling more at ease. Still, I took her hand as we approached the door.
Maggie opened it before I even knocked, beaming as she greeted both Sienna and me with hugs. “Come on in. Carson and Vix are already here. London and Spencer are on their way. Rose is just putting down the twins for their nap, so everything should be perfectly timed for us to eat while they sleep.”
“Boys, girls, or one of each?” Sienna asked as we hung up our coats.
“One of each,” Maggie said, her face lighting up even more. “Shannon and Carlyle. And be forewarned because you’ll be hearing about them all evening. Drake will probably break out pictures, too.”
“I look forward to it,” Sienna said sincerely.
I knew it was too soon for the image that popped into my head, but I couldn’t help it. My mind immediately conjured up a tantalizing picture of Sienna cradling a baby, her luscious body curving around the tiny bundle. I stood behind her, my hand possessively gripping her shoulder, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my fingers. I tried to shove the enticing vision away, but I had a gut feeling it would return with a vengeance. The more time I spent with this intoxicating woman, the further ahead I could see our future unfolding—a future I’d had no clue I craved until she waltzed into my life and turned everything upside down.
I heard footsteps on the stairs and looked up, smiling, when I saw Rose coming down. She looked a lot better than she had the last time I’d seen her, but there was still a shadow in her eyes as she hugged me. I didn’t ask her about it, though. I knew my sister, and she wouldn’t want me to call attention to her feelings. Instead, I turned toward Sienna.
“I know the two of you have met briefly before, but that was under some weird circumstances.” I reached for Sienna’s hand, loving the way her face lit up with pleased surprise. “Rose Gracen, meet Sienna Marquez. Sienna, my little sister, Rose.”
“It’s nice to officially meet you.” Sienna extended her free hand, her cheeks pink. “And I’m sorry if I was short with you the other day. I … misunderstood your connection to Fury.”
“You were lovely,” Rose said. “And thank you for joining us today.”
I loved my sister. She wasn’t an idiot. She knew Sienna had been jealous, and she chose not to focus on that, just like she wasn’t asking about me and Sienna holding hands, even though I knew she was curious.
The doorbell interrupted us, and we all moved forward to give London and Spencer some room as they entered, Spencer carrying their one-year-old son, Alexander. We went through additional introductions as Maggie herded us toward the living room, where Drake, Carson, and Vix waited.
Living on the opposite coast from these cousins, I hadn’t gotten to know their significant others very well, and one thing I’d been looking forward to when I moved here was spending more time with them. Having Rose here was just a bonus.
They were all just as warm and kind to Sienna as I’d expected. They asked her the kinds of questions anyone in this setting would ask and shared their own anecdotes and stories with ease. Not a single one of them pushed for more information when she gave vague answers, either. By the time we finished dinner, I felt like the day was already a success.
It wasn’t until Maggie brought the twins downstairs and we were all watching them and Alexander doing their baby thing that I realized Sienna had been unusually quiet for a while. Trying to be discreet about it, I glanced at her, but it was impossible to read anything from her expression.
The fact that she wore that too-familiar mask told me enough. Something was wrong. When she excused herself a couple of minutes later, saying she needed to use the restroom, the subdued way she left the living room confirmed my suspicions.
I was still mulling over the issues when Drake came over and sat down next to me.
“Your lady friend is quite beautiful,” he said, his Scottish brogue as thick as my Uncle Patrick’s. He smiled, his eyes softening as he looked over at Maggie giving Carlyle a toy. “Not as beautiful as my love, but still lovely.”
“She is,” I agreed.
“And like my Maggie, your Sienna seems to have had some … darkness in her past.” Drake placed a hand on my shoulder, his expression serious. “Women like that, they take time to let you in, and it takes time for them to heal. She may push you away, but if you really care about her, lad, don’t let her.”
Carlyle flapped his arms and started making “da-da-da” sounds, prompting Drake to smile and head for his son without another word to me. In the little time I’d spent with him, I knew he wasn’t the type to mince words, so I appreciated what he’d said and planned to ask Sienna if she was okay when she returned.
Except ten minutes passed, and she still wasn’t back. Then fifteen minutes. I began to worry.
When I saw everyone’s attention was on a story London was telling about something Alexander had done to one of Spencer’s sisters, I quickly got up and headed in the direction Sienna had gone. I didn’t need to search far to find her. She was standing by the door of the guest bathroom, leaning against the wall and looking at something on her phone.
