"Done," Wrath said. "But dreams or not, he bears watching."

V nodded. "I will accept that responsibility."

As the brothers started to make plans, Beth stared at her husband's hand in hers, feeling an absurd urge to cry.

"Leelan?" Wrath said softly. "You okay?"

She nodded, marveling that he could read her so easily.

"I'm very okay." She smiled at him. "You know something, right before I met you I was looking for an adventure."

"Were you?"

"And I got more than that. I got a past and a future. A whole… life. Sometimes I don't know how to handle the good fortune. I just don't know what to do with it all."

"Funny, I feel the same way." Wrath took her face in his hands and put his lips on hers. "And that's why I kiss you so often, leelan."

She put her arms around his wide shoulders and nuzzled his lips with her mouth.

"Oh, man," Rhage said. "Are we going to have to watch them smooch all the time?"

"You should be so lucky," V muttered.

"Yeah." Rhage sighed. "All I want is one good female. But I guess I'll settle for quantity until I find her. Life just sucks, doesn't it?"

There was a rolling swell of laughter. Someone pitched a napkin.

Fritz brought in dessert.

"Please, if you would," the butler said, "no throwing the linens. Peaches, anyone?"

About the Author

J. R. Ward lives in the South with her incredibly supportive husband and her beloved golden retriever. After graduating from law school, she began working in health care in Boston and spent many years as chief of staff of one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation. Writing has always been her passion, and her idea of heaven is a whole day of nothing but her computer, her dog, and her coffeepot. Visit her and the Brotherhood at www.jrward.com.

Jessica Bird