He stroked a hand along her arm, all the way up to her neck. Caressing until he could cup her face. “He left you too, didn’t he? Not only physically, but mentally and emotionally—he checked out long before he was gone.”

“I think my family is cursed. We can’t keep it together. And that’s why even though you’re lying there looking so damn understanding, I think eventually you’re going to have enough of the crap and you’ll wish you’d never tried to be with me.”

Holy shit. “You really think I’m going to hightail out because your sister is making your life hell?”

“She made your life hell once before, and she seems damn good at causing trouble. Unless you’re some kind of glutton for punishment, I’m not sure why you’d stick around me waiting for more pain to come your way.”

“Doesn’t sound like you think much of me, Hope Meridan.”

She wiggled upright, indignation on her face. “It’s not you—I mean, I just said I wouldn’t blame you for leaving. You’re not a crazy bastard, why would I expect you to put up with me and my insane sister?”

Because he didn’t mind dealing with the craziness if it meant he got to be with her? Didn’t want her to have to deal with it on her own?

Because he’d fallen in love?

He pulled her into his arms and held on tight. “Remember what I said about relationships being work?”

Hope sighed. “You sure you want to keep hanging around me?”

“You sure you can put up with me being a demanding asshole at times?”

She cupped his face in her hands. “I like you as a demanding asshole.”

Really? He was about to find out if she meant it.

“I think there’s a bigger trouble than you being worried I might leave. I think you’re still curious if I’m thinking about your sister. Comparing you to her, that kind of thing.”

Her face tightened. She swallowed.

“You know what? I’m glad she came back from Calgary, even though we have to figure out what the hell is wrong with her. I probably wouldn’t have brought this up otherwise, if she hadn’t shown up. If she hadn’t been going out of her way to come between us. And this whole issue would have been hovering over us the entire time, like some damn ghost in the background.”

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.