That was…

Shit.

Cassidy rolled to him, curling around him, resting her head on his shoulder. The fall of her hair was like silk on his skin. Cassidy smiled once at him then closed her eyes and dropped into an instant and untroubled sleep.

Diego kissed the top of her head and rested his gaze on her now-serene face.

What a woman. She’d back-talked to that very scary feral bear, and instead of running away the instant the path was clear, she’d run back to rescue the cubs. And then she’d smiled at Diego like it was no big deal.

She’d stayed up the rest of the day and all night to settle the kids and their mothers in, and then she made love to Diego like a wild thing.

Damn, I love her.

“What am I going to do with you, mi ja?” he whispered, touching her face.

Diego could lose his job if he had a long-term relationship with Cassidy, lose everything he’d fought to gain since he signed on the dotted line that took him and his family out of their crap neighborhood. If he threw in his lot with the Shifters, Diego might end up as shunned as they were.

At the moment, he couldn’t decide whether he cared.

Diego felt Cassidy’s eyes on him. Deep green eyes, beautiful like a sunlit pond. “Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. I guess I’m more tired than I thought.”

“You battled Shifters, flew a thousand miles, and then helped calm down five terrified women and a bunch of kids. You’re supposed to sleep.”

“Not when I’m making love to you.” Cassidy slid her hot, beautiful body on top of his, closing her hand around his already rising cock.

“Are you making love to me?” Diego asked.

“I am now.”

She moved onto him, her body easily connecting with his. Diego cupped her br**sts as he slid into her, loving the disparate feel of firm flesh and soft skin.

She rocked her hips, driving Diego deep inside her. Where I belong.

He loved looking at her—at her lush br**sts, the dark tightness of her ni**les, the curve of her hips, and the brush of gold between her legs. She was beautiful, sexy, full of fire.

And sexy. Wait, had he thought that already? Didn’t matter. It bore repeating.

“Damn, querida. What you do to me.”

Cassidy was beyond speech. She made sounds of passion as she rode him, and the hands that braced on his chest sprouted the tiniest bit of claw.

The small bite as she scratched him excited him. She was trying for control and losing the battle.

Now she was coming. Crying his name. The claws extended, Cassidy’s wildcat wanting to join the fun. Diego drove up into her as he kept coming, and coming… never wanting to stop.

Cassidy collapsed on top of him, claws vanishing. Diego gathered her tightly against him as everything went still once more.

There were too many people in the house, Cassidy thought as she came out later that afternoon, yawning.

Eric, Jace, Shane. Marlo, for some reason. Xavier.

What was Xav doing here? He’d gone to the hospital, hadn’t he?

The five men seemed to be deep in conversation in the kitchen. Jace looked up and saw Cassidy, went to her, and drew her into a hug. Cassidy held him tightly. Jace was so tall now, as tall as Eric. It was criminal that Kirsten hadn’t lived to see Jace become such a fine man.

Jace let Cassidy go and gave her shoulder a loving squeeze. “Do me a favor, Cass,” he said as he moved back to the kitchen counter to pour her some coffee. “Either buy me some earplugs or soundproof your room.”

Xavier burst out laughing. His left arm was in a splint, and bandages decorated his right arm, neck, and the back of his scalp. “My brother, the yeller.”

Cassidy felt herself blushing. “You all could have left the house.”

“It was four in the morning,” Jace said, handing her the cup. “And five. And six. Let a guy sleep sometime.”

“I take it Diego’s OK, then,” Xavier said, still grinning.

“He’s sleeping.” Deeply, on his stomach, hugging a pillow, sunshine highlighting the jagged tattoo across his back.

“He deserves it,” Shane said from the table. “That was a hell of a fight.”

“Fun stuff,” Marlo added, hands around a beer instead of coffee.

“Trust Diego to make a dramatic entrance to save his girl,” Xavier said. “The big show-off.”

Cassidy sipped coffee—rich, good, and hot, as only Jace could make it—as she sat down at the table. “Diego came for you, Xav. He knew I was protecting you.”

Xavier laughed. “No, he came for you, chiquita. He only got me out because he knew Mamita would kill him if he didn’t.”

Shane nodded. “I have a mother like that.”

“Tell Nell I appreciate her help,” Cassidy said. “How do you feel about all those women in your house, Shane?”

Shane actually blushed. “I don’t mind. One or two honeys I’d like to get to know better. Of course, Eric’s claimed them all, and I’m sure not Challenging him.”

They all looked at Eric, who lounged back against the kitchen counter, sipping coffee. He’d kept quiet until now.

“I’ll release them soon,” Eric said. “They need someone they can lean on while they take the Collar, but once they’re stronger and more confident, they can choose who they want to be with.”

“You’re really going to make them wear Collars?” Marlo asked. “It will hurt them bad when they put them on, won’t it?”