“Then since you’ve usually got a woman hanging somewhere over you, you must have quite the jealous following.” Daniel shook his head. “You and the twins. I’m waiting eagerly for you all to meet your match someday.”
“Someday. But for now?” Travis waggled his brows and picked up his beer from the edge of the table, raising it in a toast in Hope’s direction.
While she’d been watching the interplay between the boys, Matt had stepped to her side. He took her hand and pulled her against his body, speaking quietly.
“You made him happier than you know. Travis talks big, but sometimes I think he’s a hell of a lot more lonely than he lets on.” The smile on Matt’s face reassured her. He tucked his knuckles under her chin and lifted her lips to his kiss. A slow, heated exchange followed that increased her pulse to a rocking tempo. A leg slipped between her thighs as he brought them closer, and she hummed happily.
“How’s the game going?” she asked.
Matt shrugged, all his attention on her. “Who cares?”
He would have kissed her again, but she ducked away, slipping up the room toward the pool cues. “I care. I figure if you’re losing, I can convince the guys to let me play instead of you.”
Daniel laughed, holding forward his cue stick. “You want to take over for someone, you can play for me. I’d be happy to take a breather and see how Beth is doing.”
“Hey. That means she’s not on my team,” Matt complained.
Travis scooted forward to take Hope’s hand in his and lift it to his lips. “You and I will kick their asses.”
He winked saucily before kissing her knuckles. Matt growled in the background and Hope laughed out loud. Travis was so obviously pulling Matt’s strings, she returned the flirt’s smile. “Ass kicking, beginning now.”
The game was lighthearted and fun. Hope enjoyed the banter among the brothers, Blake and Travis and Matt all giving each other hell as they played. By the time they’d nearly finished three games, she wasn’t sure if her stomach could take much more laughing. “You’re supposed to be concentrating on the game. Give me a break.”
Matt dropped the final ball for him and Blake, and won the deciding matchup. “Diversion works wonders. Now if you’d been ignoring us and snickering a little less, you might have won.”
She stepped back against him and snuggled in as he draped an arm over her shoulders. “Winning isn’t everything.”
Travis tapped her on the nose. “What kind of dream world you living in? Winning is everything.”
Matt batted his brother’s hand away good-naturedly. Hope sighed with contentment. It was so nice to enjoy an evening out with people who didn’t have an agenda.
Travis straightened up from his relaxed slouch and excused himself, heading for the front doors of the bar like his ass was on fire. She followed his gaze, but didn’t see anything that should have made him move that quickly.
Then Matt distracted her by turning her back to the wall and leaning in close, lifting her chin and working his way over her lips as if he was determined to make her legs collapse. The heat of his torso pressed against her, and she relaxed back, luxuriating in his touch.
“Damn it.” Blake’s growl pulled her back to earth. “Bad enough I have to put up with Jaxi talking about you lovebirds all the time. Do you have to do that here?”
Matt didn’t take his eyes off hers. “I think I need to do this just about everywhere. You got any objections, Hope?”
She shook her head. “Hell, no.”
“Guess my brother is out of luck. Sorry, Blake. The show continues.”
Hope laughed but slipped a hand between them to cover his mouth. “Except, I need to go to the washroom.”
Matt sighed and backed away. “I’ll be at the table. You want another Coke?”
Hope nodded then scooted down the back hall to where the bathrooms were. This was wonderful. Just a relaxing evening out. No deadlines hanging over her head. Plus, the lack of interference from her sister seemed to imply Helen was coming to grips with reality.
Life was pretty damn wonderful.
And now that they’d dealt with that stupid hesitation of Matt’s to being the kind of man he wanted to be in the bedroom—there was the potential for things to get even better. They’d shared a ton of good sex in the past few days—rocking-good sex where Matt made her more than glad she’d shared regarding her fantasy lover.
She exited the ladies room and paused. Out of the corner of her eye she’d caught movement. Pressed against the far wall beside the fire exit she spied a couple in pretty much the same position she and Matt had just enjoyed. A tall figure with a short crew cut leaned one hand on the wall, the other hand caught in his partner’s hair. Hope peered through the darkness and hesitated. She had no intention of interrupting—especially not when the top kisser rocked his hips slowly. A shot of something wild and sensual flashed through her. Hmm. She snuck deeper into the shadows, the need to allow them piracy forgotten as she watched and listened.
Then the couple twisted slightly sideways and a jolt went clear through to her toes. The man with the jet-black hair had complete control over the person smeared up against the wall. And from the square jawline with the five o’clock shadow, the kissee was definitely masculine.
It was two men locked together and Hope’s heart skipped a beat at the raw passion. The edgy, almost violent motion between them. A long, low masculine groan rang out as their hips ground together. The dim lighting didn’t allow her to see their faces clearly, which was probably a good thing. Hope forced herself to retreat, peeling her gaze away. Watching could become a bad habit if she let it. She made her way back to the table, tingles of excitement still simmering in her system.
Good thing she was headed toward Matt, who she knew could do something definitive about her sexual tension.
Matt slipped away from the gathering to start his truck so it would warm up before they headed to Hope’s. She had to open the shop early while he was off morning chores this weekend, and it made more sense to crash at the apartment.
He grinned to think that he got to consider such things. Where they would sleep, whose bed, which home. It was a neat stage to be at in their relationship—comfortable and exciting at the same time. He hit the john before turning toward the main room. A solid grasp on his arm jerked him to a stop, and he twisted to face his attacker.
Helen’s bright blue eyes shone in the faint hall light.
Matt jerked his sleeve from her fingers. “What?”
She snorted. “So much for the legendary Coleman politeness. Nice to see you again too.”
He stepped back a foot and looked her over quickly. Her outfit was far more revealing than it used to be when they dated, and the neckline seemed to be unevenly buttoned. “You want something?”
Because there wasn’t much he wanted to talk to her about.
“Just thought we could visit for a minute or two. It’s been a long time, and we didn’t get to discuss much the other night. I figured I’d find you around here. Colemans’ traditional Friday night meeting at Traders, and all that.”
Now she admitted she knew about the family traditions? He waited. The way she dropped her shoulders—her entire body language—was far from the confident, almost demanding woman he’d been with over a year ago.
She lifted her head and stared into his eyes. “I’ve missed you.”
A shot of pain stabbed him, not in his heart, but in his gut. If she’d come back a month after leaving—or even six months later and looked at him like this? Confessed that same thing? He would have given her a chance. Would have tried to find a way to forgive her for cheating on him.