New York City

Six Months Later

Lily looked around and decided the apartment was starting to look like people actually lived in it. The place had been bare when she and Nikoli toured it last month. Nikoli loved it, but to her it was too big. They didn't need this much space, but Nik, being Nik, had to have it. She could have done with a place half this size.

Breaking down the last of the empty boxes, she put them on the kitchen counter to take to the recycling bin. Their floor had a room to drop trash and recyclables for someone to pick up later. Another luxury she could do without. All this made her nervous. Nikoli wanted to lavish her with material things, and all she really wanted was him. She hoped he knew that. That his family knew that.

His family. She shuddered thinking about all the people who'd want to touch her, to hug her. She couldn't handle it. She still had problems with being touched. It caused severe panic attacks. Just last week at the mall, she'd had a full-blown meltdown because someone accidentally bumped into her. It was a phobia she was working through, thanks to Nikoli and her psychiatrist, but she was still a long way from being better.

They'd been here for a few days, but because of work, she'd gotten out of the meet and greet. Out of the hugging.

Tomorrow was the wedding, though, and there was no getting out of that.

She needed to get her mind off it. She'd unpacked everything already, so she checked her email and noticed her new boss had sent her several assignments. Reading might get her mind off her fear. She printed out everything, separated the pages, and laid them out on the coffee table.

Once she had a cherry Dr. Pepper in hand, she settled down on the couch and picked up the first set of pages. It was the first three chapters of a novel submitted by a hopeful author. Lily's job was to read it and send a written summary of her thoughts to her new boss, literary agent Thelma Ross. She'd interned for her last summer, and Thelma had been impressed that Lily was able to be blunt but fair. It earned her a place as her assistant when she'd graduated from Boston University last month.

She'd gotten through the first two sets of pages and a boatload of notes. The first one hadn't been ready for the publication, but the second one held promise. The full manuscript would be worth a read-through. The author's voice was unique, and her characters were gripping. Well written and just as well thought out. Exactly what Thelma was looking for. She'd worked with her enough to know where her tastes ran. What a lot of authors didn't understand was that if an agent didn't connect with the story, no matter how good the story might be, they'd never be able to sell it because they'd never be able to put their full passion behind it.

As an author herself, she understood the pain of the rejection letter. She had probably thirty of them in her inbox. She'd never delete them. They served to remind her that just because she'd gotten thirty nos, she'd gotten one yes. Not from the literary agency she worked for either. Thelma turned her down flat. That stung, but she understood it. It wasn't a story her boss connected with. But her literary agent was wonderful, and she'd sold the book and garnered a three-book deal in the series.

Which she should be working on, but truthfully, the first book had been her and Nik's love story, and she wasn't sure where to take book two. They'd gotten their happily ever after. Where could the second book go from there?

It was a dilemma and why she'd not even started a single word despite the fact that the first three chapters were due to her agent and then the publisher in the next two weeks. It was another reason for the massive stress she felt. Which was partly why she'd been so sensitive in the mall. Stress made her phobia worse.

But how to tell Nikoli about her fears where his family was concerned and the stress of the book? He seemed so happy, and she couldn't bring herself to tell him she didn't want to get within a hundred feet of his family. Not after Kade had tried to hug her in the hospital. Another full-blown panic attack. It upset him, and she couldn't blame him. What person reacted like that from just a hug?

Her.

Her phone started ringing, and Adam's smiling face lit up the screen. He'd been in their hometown in North Carolina on his family farm since graduation. His dad asked him to come lend a hand before football training started, and of course he had. He'd even dragged Mike along with him.

The two of them had been drafted into the NFL. They'd not said a word to her or Janet, Mike's fiancé. It had been a huge shock to everyone. Lily knew Adam had always dreamed of it, but when he got engaged to Sue, all that seemed to fade away for him. Mike wanted to work on Wall Street when he graduated, but Adam talked him into submitting their names, and they'd been accepted into the draft. Not that Lily was shocked. They'd had amazing stats all throughout their college football careers.

"Hey, you," she answered. "How's farm life treating the pro ballers?"

"Boring as usual, but we just landed at the airport. Tell Nik thanks for having a car waiting for us."

"Sure thing. You want to catch some dinner, or are you guys too tired?"

"Dinner would be good. Not sure if Mike will make it, as Janet jumped him as soon as we got to the hotel. We're both glad to be off the farm, though. Honestly, I couldn't wait to escape."

He usually loved being home. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"This is me you're talking to. You can't lie to the human lie detector."

"You can't even see my face."

"I grew up with you. I don't have to see your face to know you're lying to me."

He was quiet for a minute. "Dad hired a girl to help out in the office. She and I are not getting along."

His dad's farm was a big business. He sold to some of the biggest grocery chains in the country. Both meat and produce. Lily always thought he needed more help.

"She's..."

"She's what?" Lily prompted when he stopped talking for a full minute.

"She's bossy, she's uppity, and she likes to say things she knows will irritate me."

"Is she pretty?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Oh, I don't know..." The romance writer in Lily was conjuring up all sorts of scenarios. "Maybe you're protesting a little too much."

"Don't even go there, Lils," he warned. "I just broke off an engagement a few months ago. I am not in the mood to start anything new, especially with a woman I can't stand."

Lily was going to have to meet this woman. It wasn't often someone got under Adam's skin. He was right about being cautious, though. Lily hated Sue. She'd been polite to her because Adam loved her, but the woman had been shallow and self-serving. Thank God Adam had finally seen her for who she really was.

"Well, maybe getting back out there will do you good."

"I don't want to get back out there unless you've changed your mind and want to run away with me to Mexico."

Sometimes she wasn't sure if he was joking or not. It was like he never saw her as anything but his best friend until she started dating Nikoli, and then Adam woke up or something. She'd chosen Nik, though, and didn't regret her decision one bit. Adam seemed okay with it most of the time.

"You know I just want you to be happy."

"I know." He sighed. "But this woman is not going to be the cure to my dating woes."

"Dating woes?"

"You remember all those girls we went to high school with who are still here? They seem to think I'm the most eligible bachelor in town or something."

He sort of was. His dad owned the biggest farm in North Carolina, and they made good money. A farm Adam would one day inherit. And now that he was a defensive lineman for a major NFL team, he really was the most eligible bachelor in town. All those women knew it too.

"And you're not taking advantage of that?"

"No, unlike your future husband, I am not a manwhore."

"Ex-manwhore," she reminded him.

He made a noise Lily couldn't quite describe. "You don't think so?"

"He loves you, Lily. That much I'm sure of."

"But?"

"But he spent years chasing anything in a skirt. Are you sure he's put that behind him?"

"Of course I am, or I wouldn't be with him."

He was quiet for a long moment. "I'm only looking out for you, Lils."

"You have since we were kids, Adam. I wouldn't expect anything less of you."

"I'm still here waiting in the wings if you change your mind."

"I'll remember that."

"I'm serious, Lils. You want to be the runaway bride, I'm your guy. You say the word, and we're gone."

"Maybe I'll take you up on that."

"Nik not treating you good?" The hint of menace in her best friend's voice brought a smile to her face. Adam was like a brother to her once she realized she wasn't in love with him like she'd thought for the longest time.

"What's going on, Lils?"

"Nikoli's family is what's wrong. I...I don't know if I can handle letting that many people hug me. What if I freak out, and they think I'm this weirdo?"

"You are a weirdo."

"I'm being serious, Adam. It's bad enough I can barely bring myself to spend more than a few hours with my own mother and the twins."

"The fact that you can do that is amazing, Lily. Don't put yourself down. You've come a long way in a short amount of time."

"I just don't want them to think Nikoli should have found someone who's more huggy-feely. I'd hate to embarrass him in front of his family..."

"The fuck you just say?"

Lily let out a small scream, not expecting anyone to be bellowing at her.

"Uh, I think I better call you back later," Adam said, hearing Nikoli's bellowed question.

"Yeah, I think so too."

"Love you, girl."

"Love you too."

She disconnected the call and placed the phone on the table before turning her attention to the six-foot-three angry man glaring at her, his onyx eyes so dark she couldn't distinguish the pupil.

Those eyes still affected her like it was the first time she'd looked into them. Her lungs froze, and she got lost in them despite how angry they were.

"Hi."

"Hi?" He fisted his hands and looked up at the ceiling. "That's all you have to say to me after that bullshit I just heard you spewing?"

"I...uh..."

"You, uh, what, Lily Bells?" Nikoli asked softly, coming closer. He did not just hear her say she'd embarrass him in front of his family.

"I'm afraid, okay?" Her head bent, and he couldn't see her expression. Fuck that. He needed to know what she was thinking.

He strode over, stopping directly in front of her.

"Eyes up." His tone left no room for argument.

Her head shot up, and those blue eyes of hers were brimming with emotions. It gutted him to think she actually thought she'd ever embarrass him.

"Why do you think you'll embarrass me?"

"Because..." She bit her lip, and he held back a groan. When she did that, it always set him off, and he usually carried her to the bedroom, but not today. He was getting to the bottom of this and putting an end to it.

"Because why?" He kept his voice hard, commanding.

"Because what happens when your mother tries to hug me and I freak out?" she all but wailed, and he wanted to take her in his arms and soothe the pain he heard reverberating in every word, but if he did that, she'd never get past this.

"Then you freak out," he told her. "I've already told them you have issues with being touched by strangers. They're not walking into this blind. I wouldn't do that to you."

"And what did they say when you told them that?"

"They were very understanding."

She didn't look like she believed him, but truthfully, he didn't think his family outside of Kade understood how bad Lily's phobia was. They wouldn't until they saw it firsthand, and he only hoped they'd see the beautiful kind woman Lily was and not her disability. His father would since he had PTSD himself, but the rest of them? He didn't know.

"Milaya, the truth is it doesn't matter what any of them think. You're not marrying them. You're marrying me, and I love you enough for all of them."

Her face softened, and some of the worry left her expression. "I love you too."

He bent down and hovered for a moment, letting her adjust to his proximity before pressing his lips against hers in the softest caress he could manage. Drawing back, he squatted in front of her.

"Promise me next time you worry about bullshit you'll talk to me and not your mom or Janet."

"I was talking to Adam."

Of course she was. Boy Wonder had better not be part of why she was worrying about this. The two of them had become friends, but he'd never forgiven Nikoli for winning the girl he'd ignored all their lives. Not his problem Adam was a blind fucker. Lily was his, and Adam would have to live with it.

"He get in from North Carolina okay?"

She nodded. "He's complaining about the new woman working in his dad's office. I think he likes her and doesn't want to admit it."

He hoped to God that was true. It would make all their lives easier.

He ran his thumb over her bottom lip. "As fascinating as Adam's love life or lack thereof is, I want your word if you start worrying about this shit again, you'll talk to me about it."

"I promise."

"Good." He leaned in and gave her another kiss. "For the record, you could walk down the street in a burlap sack, and you wouldn't embarrass me, Milaya."

She hugged him, and he wrapped his arms around her, standing so her feet were literally hanging off the ground. She wasn't short, but he was taller, and it made her seem petite next to him. She smelled like apples today, and he breathed it in, content. This woman was his entire life.

"Kade called me. He and Angel want to go out for dinner if you're up for it."

"I asked Mike and Adam if they want to go to dinner too. Janet's probably going to keep Mike busy, so we'll need to keep Adam occupied."

"Kade and Angel won't mind if Adam joins us."

Her lips grazed his neck, and he sucked in a breath.

"How soon do they want to meet?"

"Uh...I don't know."

Her teeth scraped his jawline. "I missed you."

"Fuck Kade and Adam. They can eat by themselves." He swung her up into his arms, and she laughed. Best sound in the entire world. "You and I are..."

The key rattled in the door, and both their heads snapped in that direction. It opened, and a guy walked in, yawning, a duffle bag over one shoulder. The dark black hair and even darker eyes blinked at them.

"Oh...hey."

"Mason?"

He grinned sheepishly. "Hi."

Mason was a miniature version of himself. They could be twins. But what the fuck was his baby brother doing here?

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Uh...did I interrupt something?"

"Yes."

"No." Lily smiled at his brother and patted his shoulder. "Put me down and introduce me."

Grumbling, he did as she asked. "Lily Bells, this is Mason, the baby of the family."

"He forgot to mention I'm the best looking of the bunch." Mason dropped the duffel on the floor and shut the door. "You really do look like Snow White. I can see now why Kade was laughing his ass off when he said it."

"Excuse me?" Lily stiffened beside him, and Nikoli cursed.

"Ignore him. He was raised by wolves."

"Don't let Babushka hear you say that. She'll come after you with her wooden spoon." Mason came closer, and Lily started to tremble. "When we were kids, Nik said he hated the cartoon, and then he goes and gets himself engaged to a Snow White look-alike."

"I'm not sure if I should be insulted or not." The tremble in her voice set off Nikoli's protective instincts.

"Don't pay them any mind. My brothers are assholes."

"It's good to finally meet you, sestra." Mason gave Lily his most charming smile, the same one Nik usually gave to women.

"Sestra?" Lily glanced at him. "What does that mean?"

"It means sister." He pulled her into his side so her shaking wouldn't be so visible to Mason. She was already worrying about what his family would think of her, and he wouldn't have his kid brother give merit to her concerns.

"We never had a sister growing up." Mason's grin was impish. "Now we have two."

"Why don't I go upstairs and get ready for dinner while you catch up with your brother?" Lily murmured.

"That's a good idea. I'll come get you when we're ready to go." He kissed her, letting it linger for a heartbeat before letting her go.

She smiled at Mason then excused herself.

"Was it me?" Mason asked, staring after her.

Nikoli waited until she'd disappeared up the stairs before turning to face his brother. He'd better have a damn good excuse for showing up on Nik's doorstep.