Matt grabbed her wrists and rocked her to a sitting position right between his thighs. He caught her by the back of the neck and forced their mouths together, his tongue possessive against hers. His teeth harsh, kisses demanding.

She answered him back like a wild creature, crawling into his lap and pressing her breasts to his torso.

Matt thrust his fingers into her hair and tugged until their mouths parted.

“You need to know this, one hundred percent. It’s you I see, not any ghost of the past. You are not your sister, not at all.” She looked down until he repeated his tug to lift her face. Blue pools reflected back as he looked deep into her eyes. “You, Hope, are an amazing woman who kicks my ass, in and out of the bedroom.”

She took a deep breath, her chin rising. “I’ve worked so damn hard trying to be brave and reliable. And staying honest, because that seemed to be what was missing in my family.”

“You’re honest. We had that conversation before, remember?”

“I thought you said I was blunt?”

Matt adjusted their position so the entire front of her body made contact with his, her legs straddling his hips. “That too. But you’re not blunt to be mean. Or selfish. You’re doing it because you care. And so honestly? I think Hope is a pretty damn fantastic woman. I think you deserve to be happy.”

She grinned. “I kinda like this conversation. You go right ahead—tell me more.”

They laughed together, hands moving, exploring. Her kisses began to distract him. Matt didn’t want to lose the point he had to make, so he pulled away and caught her by the chin, holding her in place. “You want to know what I see?”

She nodded rapidly.

He whirled them to face the door of her room, turning her in his lap, placing her legs wide on either side of his. The mirror he’d noticed days earlier lined up perfectly with them, their reflection right there, explicit. Undeniable. The position put her naked body on display, the wet folds of her pussy open, moisture shining in the light of the room. The reddish cast of her curls dark against her winter-pale skin.

“This is what I see. A woman who is bright, beautiful. Determined. More than just your body, even though, hot damn, I love everything about you.” It wasn’t what he’d originally planned, but it would work. Matt reached around and covered her mons with a hand. Possessive. Like he was stalking a claim. Liquid and heat pressed to his palm. “This is where I want to be. Inside you, Hope. My cock fucking into your body, making you feel real good.”

He swirled his fingers over her, smearing cream over her labia, letting the reflection show glimpses of her body through his fingers. Flashes of intimate touches, fingers dipping in deeper, circling up over her clit. Hope arched her back and attempted to push harder into his grasp. The motion lifted her breasts, nipples thrust out and reflected back in the mirror.

Matt rested his chin on her shoulder and her gaze darted up in the mirror, their eyes met. He stared into her face as his hand moved, teasing her, bringing her pleasure higher.

“Not just our bodies, but working together. Playing together.”

He saw it—that moment right before she was about to roll into orgasm, and he slowed. Controlling her release, dragging out the sensation for her. Making her wait.

“Dammit, Matt. You do that one more time today and I’m going to get mad.”

He laughed quietly. “Stand up.”

His hands on her waist were all that kept her from stumbling as her legs wobbled. Matt adjusted his position, sliding forward on the bed then lifting her over his cock. He ignored her protests. “Put me inside you.”

One hand guided his cock to her opening, and he lowered her with a groan of satisfaction. Warmth, wetness—the tight glove of her body enveloping him felt so right. He caught the thick band of her neck muscle in his teeth and bit down lightly.

Their reflection was there in the mirror. As he used his hands on her ass to lift and lower her over his cock, the image added a new layer of intimacy. It wasn’t just physical sensation involved anymore—although his cock pierced her again and again, her tits swaying as her body rose and fell.

Hope’s eyes widened, her gaze locked on where they joined. Matt couldn’t blame her. It was incredible to see and feel, and suddenly there wasn’t much left in his brain other than desperate need. The angle was awkward, his balance on the verge of teetering over, but there was no way he was going to stop.

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.

Yeah, things had moved forward the right way that day, and she was so thankful.

Beth adjusted the sleeping baby in her arms. “And the situation is better now?”

Hope sighed. “I’ve heard nothing from Helen lately, which…well, it’s not what I want in the long run, but it’s great for temporary. I don’t have time to deal with her and whatever it was she was trying to accomplish.”