Missy spun around to glare at Rachel. “Well, I see you can take the girl out of the Bronx but you can’t get the Bronx out of the girl.”

Suddenly Lonnie appeared next to her older sister. “Wow. Look at the lines in your face, Missy. It’s like your bitterness just dug in and stayed.”

Allie, Mace’s second oldest sister, stood next to Missy. “Well, I heard you’d become a prosecutor, Lonnie. It must be really hard to try and convict all your ex-boyfriends.”

Rachel and Lonnie looked at each other while Mace’s two other half-sisters went to stand beside Missy and Allie.

No. This really couldn’t be good.

Dez pulled away from Mace. “I’m gonna go get out of these clothes before any blood gets on ’em.”

She headed up the stairs. The elder MacDermot came back into the room, a toddler in his arms. An old-school Marine, tough as nails, and still sporting his high-and-tight haircut. Marine tattoos on both of his forearms. Pride for his brood, written all over the man’s face. Even though, at the moment, the two sister teams were getting into a rather ugly confrontation that made Mace feel like a fourteen-year-old all over again.

“Those are some tough women.”

Mace nodded. “Sorry about my sisters, sir.”

“No reason to apologize. Dez can’t control Lonnie and Rachel and notice she doesn’t try.”

“That’s cause she’s brilliant.”

Gray eyes with dark green flecks turned to stare at Mace. “Do you really care about my daughter, Llewellyn?”

Barely realizing he did it, Mace’s hands went behind his back. His legs braced apart. Being around the man made him feel like he still needed to report to his C.O. before the night ended. “Yes, sir. More than I’ve cared about anything.”

“Good. Because she’s special. All my daughters are, of course. But Dez…Dez is…”

“I know, sir.” Mace looked him in those eyes that were exactly like his daughter’s. “I really do. I’ve always known.”

MacDermot seemed to relax a bit as he nodded. “Good.” He took in a deep breath, like he’d prepared himself for a fight. “Oh, and could you let Dez know I locked all her guns away in the safe in her closet upstairs.”

Mace winced. They’d both forgotten about the weapons she kept stashed around the house and with kids around…“We forgot.”

“Don’t worry about it. I know each and every place my daughter hides her guns. Hell, I gave her most of ’em.”

The older man gave a big grin, hugging the little boy in his arms tightly and walking back toward the kitchen.

The fight kept growing. This could easily turn ugly. But Mace had other things on his mind. Besides, he’d seen Dez’s mother in action. Ifthings turned bad, he had no doubt the tiny female could and would kick some ass.

Knowing that, Mace went up the stairs after his woman.

Dez tossed the sweatpants and Marine Corp sweatshirt she pulled out of her dresser on top of the closed toilet and looked at herself in the mirror. She shot a man without any warning. Faced off against hyenas and lions. But her family downstairs? That was making her break out in a rash.

Yet the weirdness hadn’t ended. Not only had her entire family taken over the first floor of her house, but she had Missy Llewellyn and her cretin sisters with her.

Christ, did she really care enough about Mace to put up with those bitches?

What? Are you kidding? Of course you do, you idiot!

Dez smiled at herself in the mirror. Man, could she be more pathetic? Her eyes shifted to the right and that’s when she saw Mace standing behind her. She jumped. “Would you stop doing that!”

“I didn’t do anything.”

She sighed. True, he hadn’t. And it would be hard to tell him to start stomping around her house because his creepy cat walk kept freaking her out.

She noticed he studied her shower closely, and for the first time in Desiree MacDermot’s life she asked a lover a question she swore she’d never ask. “What are you thinking?”

Of course, Dez’s question reeked of trepidation.

Mace shrugged as he examined her shower. “I’m wondering if this bathroom can be enlarged or if we should get another house.”

She grabbed him by his sweater and pulled him around so he had to look her in the eye. “Mace Llewellyn, we are not—”

He kissed her before she could get the rest of the sentence out of her mouth and slammed the bathroom door shut with his foot. She couldn’t remember what the hell she’d been planning to say. Instead, she let him roughly push her back toward the far wall, his mouth on hers, keeping Dez completely off balance.

Her jacket slid from her shoulders and to the floor. Mace released her mouth so he could kiss her neck. For a minute, she didn’t even realize he was unlacing her bustier.

“Mace. What are you doing?” The minute the man touched her, she asked the stupidest questions.

“Stripping you so I can fuck you.”

Of course, Mace always gave the most straightforward answers. Delicious answers. If only her entire family wasn’t right downstairs. And his!

“We can’t.”

“Yes. We can. Just to take the edge off. We just have to be a little quiet. So no yelling.”

“You’re not exactly quiet either with that freakin’ roar.”

“You love my roar.” Dammit! He was purring again. Right up against her ear. Suddenly, she couldn’t get out of her clothes fast enough.