Another thrust. Another. Hope whimpered, her head falling back, and he felt her constrict around him, tightening.
“Make yourself come,” he ordered.
Hope lowered her hand, her fingertips gliding over the side of his dick as she brought moisture up to her clit. The muscles in her forearm tightened as she rubbed and that was all she needed. All they needed. The squeeze of her body became an undeniable command, and Matt gave in. His climax hit like a landslide, the shot of electricity racing through his spine and spurting from his cock into her. Brain going numb, body shaking.
“Matt…”
Hope shook over him, hard jolts that would have torn him from her body if his grip on her hips had been less than rock solid.
Panting for breath, dragging in air and still attempting to keep his balance, Matt made a last-ditch effort and pushed them both backwards to rest more fully on the bed.
The motion seated his still-erect cock harder into Hope’s body and she groaned happily, another series of aftershocks rippling through her.
If he could have collapsed backward he would have, but he wasn’t sure Hope would stay vertical if he let her go. So he nuzzled along her neck instead. Cuddled her in his lap, intimately connected.
When he peeled his eyes open, the first thing he saw was their reflection in the mirror—two bodies, merged into one. Her sated smile, her long hair more disarranged than usual.
“God, you’re beautiful.” It was the only thing to say.
Her eyes shone even brighter. Matt was floored by more emotion than he expected. It truly wasn’t just a blinding physical interest he felt, or friendship. He had fallen head over heels in love, and the idea no longer scared him to death. Because this was Hope—and honestly? She was something truly good in his life.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The organized chaos around the table was just as loud, just as deafening as it had been at Christmas. But there was an extra something meaningful added to the mix as Matt eased his chair back and considered popping open the top button on his jeans.
“You look a little too content for a man who’s about to disappear into the hell of calving for the next month.” Joel prodded him in the arm as he did his own slide back into a more comfortable position.
“Got too much to be content about right now to worry about the coming apocalypse.” Matt dodged his younger brother’s continuing attack, finally adding a fist to the scramble until Joel backed off. “I’m glad Easter is early this year. When it falls in the middle of calving and seeding, I almost begrudge the time off to eat.”
Blake laughed. “Good thing you said almost, because I don’t ever remember you turning down the opportunity for food.”
A bell rang and their conversation stopped instantly as years of training from their ma kicked in. Inside, Matt chuckled, although he’d never let her see it. No matter how old they got, she had them under control.
With all attention turned her way, Marion waved a hand like the matriarch she was. “Don’t worry, we have more food coming later, but I thought I’d remind you boys to get a move on with the dishes. And this time? Take the little ones with you. I think they’re all big enough to help.”
The oldest of her grandsons, Lance, grimaced, but the littlest cheered and Matt laughed as he joined the rest of the men headed for the kitchen.
Everywhere he looked he saw family. Blake and Daniel had Robbie up on a stool, rinsing dishes before passing them to his brothers to fit into the dishwasher. His dad and Travis were transferring leftovers, sneaking final tidbits off the nearly empty platters. The twins were already into the hand washing in the second sink, a loud conversation-slash-argument about something inconsequential flapping between them.
It felt good to belong, to be a part of the whole. But the real reason he was a happy man was the woman sitting out in the living room with the other ladies of the clan. The woman who’d come to mean more to him than he thought possible.
Joel was right. They were sailing into the busiest season on the ranch, and he still had a few commitments to meet. A bit of advance planning was in order and what better time than now, when he had a captive audience. Matt pushed himself into the middle of the room where they could all see him and cleared his throat.
“Guys, you can rag on me all you want later, but I need your help.”
Hope held Rebecca from falling as she teetered on unsteady toddler legs. “Things are good.”
Jaxi and Beth exchanged looks.
Hope frowned. “What’s that for?”
Beth shook her head. “I know I’m newer to the area but even I’ve figured this one out. Things aren’t good when you’re involved with a Coleman. They’re either pissing you off or making you crazily content. So spill. You and Matt?”
“Pissed or crazy? Definitely crazy.”
Jaxi laughed. “And…that’s all I could get out of her as well. Hope, you’re the most closed-mouth person I know when it comes to some stuff.”
“You tell me. You really want me to describe our sex lives?”
The little one on the floor, Rachel, clapped her hands and laughed as she shook a rattle enthusiastically. Jaxi snorted. “Oh no, baby girl. You’re gonna stay sweet and innocent for a long, long time. No cheering for Auntie Hope to spill details about the luscious sex games her and Uncle Matt are playing.”
Something twisted inside at being called auntie. Hope turned her attention fully on Rebecca to hide the mix of pain and pleasure the word brought.
Jaxi squeezed her arm quickly, as if she understood. “Now since you won’t talk about the juicy stuff, what’s the word on Helen? How’s she behaving these days?”
“Better since Matt’s cousin had a word with her.”
“You talking about Anna Coleman? You did call the police, then? I’d heard bits and pieces, but Daniel and I didn’t get the full story.” Beth put her tea down on the side table and pulled Rebecca into her arms. The little girl tucked her head against Beth’s chest and sighed heavily, wiggling in and closing her eyes. “Jaxi, I swear you’ve got these girls bewitched. She’s going to sleep with no fussing?”
Jaxi grimaced. “No, not bewitched. They save all the wild antics for when they’ve got Blake and me alone. In public? They’re the sweetest things, just so I can’t complain about them being cranky without people thinking I’m out of my mind.”
Beth laughed then turned the question back to Hope. “Did you have to bring charges against Helen?”
Hope shook her head. “Matt had Anna come talk to me—she suggested a friendly conversation was the best first step. Something witnessed by an official-type person, but not in an official capacity, if you understand what I mean. I didn’t want to have to get Helen arrested—and Anna agreed, she didn’t think Helen had done anything but cause mischief. So Anna and I set up a meeting with her.”
“Did she explain herself?”
That was the most confusing part. “She didn’t seem to know what we were talking about at first. I thought she was lying, but Anna suggested to me later that Helen might have been drunk and simply not remembered what she’d done. Matt said she’d sounded funny when she’d called him.”
Jaxi shook her head. “I still think there was too much forward planning for it to all be some drunken binge. Calling both Clay and Matt, knowing it was your day off? Doesn’t make sense if she was so drunk she was out of it.”
It did seem organized, but Hope was ready to put that behind her.
After all, the results had turned out rather spectacular. She tried not to think too hard about the afternoon she and Matt had spent in bed after the misunderstanding.