“Jesus!” he gasped out. She was scalding hot and really tight. It’d been a while for her or she did those exercises to make her pussy tight. He doubted those worked this well though.
Trying to concentrate and not come two minutes after he got inside her body, he stopped moving. Instead, he leaned down and flicked his tongue over one nipple and then the other, alternating as he felt like it. She made tiny, gaspy, needy sounds that eroded his control even more.
He began to slowly move inside of her, sliding almost all of the way out and then inexorably back in again. She met him thrust for thrust, his hands at her hips, tracing the curves there, her strong legs holding him to her—as if there was another place on earth she’d rather have been.
So this was making love. This was the intensity of connection with the person you cared about more than anything else. “Tate, I…” He broke off, it was a bad idea to tell someone you loved them during sex wasn’t it? “I feel so good, you feel so good.”
He teased her with short, shallow, slow digs of his cock, delighting in how she writhed and tried to get more from him. He loved teasing her, drawing out her pleasure and being the one to deliver it to her.
She tightened her inner muscles around him, making him gasp.
“Oh man, that felt good,” he said with a groan.
“I’ll do it more if you just let me come,” she panted out, doing it again, causing his balls to nearly crawl back into his body.
“Deal.” He picked up his pace, moving a hand to where they were joined. Her hips jutted forward when he flicked a finger across her clit. He thrust and she tightened, he flicked and she rolled her hips until she bowed off the bed, a deep, earthy moan breaking from her.
Her pussy clutched at him, pulling at his body as if she couldn’t bear to let him go. He tried to ride it out but she pulled him under. He pulsed as she did, his head back, muscles taut.
He fell to the side and they both lay there panting for a few moments. He got up briefly and came back to her. She’d gotten under the sheets and he joined her, snuggling against her body.
Long after she’d felt him drift off into sleep, Tate lay awake, listening to the tick of the hallway clock as the minutes slid past.
She’d moved past panic and into terror and back to unease with her feelings about Matt Chase.
She wasn’t a virgin. She wasn’t super experienced or anything but she’d been with several men and had good times in bed with almost all of them.
But what she’d experienced with Matt Chase that night was more than a good time. What she’d experienced was a huge leaping sprawl into holy-fuck-I-may-love-this-guy territory.
And she could not love Matt Chase. She was a Murphy. He was a Chase. Buildings in the town were named after his family! He was beautiful and charming and came from an ease and privilege that she’d have resented a few years before. Still made her uncomfortable. He was a man who never had to fear being hungry or being hurt by someone he loved and was supposed to be protected by. She’d lay odds he’d never seen either one of his parents drunkenly angry.
There was a whole universe between her world and his and she’d never fit in. He’d come to see that in time and he’d find some suave way of dumping her and she’d go back to her side of the street and he to his.
She could not love Matt Chase and she couldn’t let him make it happen either.
Chapter Seven
The next morning they’d had a nice breakfast but Matt could tell she was holding herself back from him and he didn’t like it one bit. And he had no plans to let her get away with it either.
“So I sort of told my mother you’re coming to dinner at their house tonight.” He sipped his coffee and sopped up the gravy on his plate with a biscuit. She was the best cook he’d never met, even better than his mother. If the woman hadn’t been everything he’d ever wanted otherwise, he’d still have wanted to keep her for her skills in the kitchen.
She jerked her head back and put her fork down. She’d eaten fruit and just one biscuit, much to his consternation.
“What? Why would you have done such a thing? I’m having dinner with my family here tonight. We do every other Sunday.”
“My momma’s gonna be so disappointed.”
“Matt, I’m sorry but I have plans with my family.”
“Can’t you break them just this once? Have dinner with them tomorrow night? My parents are expecting you and you know my mother, she’d take it awful hard if you didn’t come.”
Her eyes widened and he knew he’d gone too far.
“In the first place, I would never ask you to dump off a family commitment for me. In the second place, I would never dump a family commitment for something like a sneak dinner invitation that you didn’t even bother asking me for. I have nieces and a nephew, they have school during the week so I wouldn’t interrupt their weeknight schedule just to suit your whim. In the third place, my family is very important to me and I don’t appreciate you treating it otherwise. Lastly, don’t you ever try and guilt me with your mother like that.”
Knowing he’d been rightfully busted he put his coffee down and reached out to take her hands. “I’m sorry. You’re right, I shouldn’t have asked you to choose like that. It wasn’t fair. Next Sunday will you come to dinner at my parents’ house? Assuming you don’t do dinner with your family in those off Sunday nights?”
“I don’t know, Matt. This is moving so fast. I…”
“Fast? We’ve known each other for a few months, that’s not fast. Come on, Tate, look, let me just go ahead and put it all on the line and be totally straight with you. I really like you. I enjoy your company and I want to be with you. I want us to continue dating and I want to see where this can go. This is not a casual thing for me. I’m old enough to know what I want and you’re it, Tate Murphy.”
“You can’t know what you’re saying.” She pushed back from the table and began to pace. The silky red shortie robe she wore fluttered around as she moved.
So on the ropes, his little Venus. He grinned. He knew then what had to happen. He’d helped every single one of his brothers with the wooing of their future wives so he had enough experience. Clearly Tate was caught up in their supposed differences again and he’d have to drag her, kicking and screaming, hopefully in the throes of orgasm, into love with him.
He leaned back in his chair and watched her. “I know exactly what I’m saying, Tate. I’m well on my way to being in love with you.”
She spun, sputtering. He had to bite his cheek to keep from laughing.
“Love? Fuckadoodledoo! You’ve had sex before last night, right? I’ve heard enough stories about your prowess to know you have. I promise to let you in my bed again, you don’t have to tell me you love me to get back in.”
“Little Venus, gorgeous, I know I don’t have to tell you I love you to get back between those silky, pale thighs of yours.” His voice lowered and he winked at her, loving the way she blushed and fanned herself briefly. “But the truth is, I do love you.” He shrugged.
“Matthew Chase! You can’t love me! I’m a fat little nobody from a horrible family from the wrong side of the road. You’re meant to be with a woman who knows how to use all the right forks, a woman who knows how to pick linens. A woman who has buildings named after her family.”
He stood and moved to her, so angry he barely remembered moving. “You will not talk about yourself like that.” He took her arms and kissed her hard. “You are someone. You’re Tate Murphy. You work hard, you built your life from nothing and I couldn’t possibly care less about forks or linens. You don’t think much of me if you think I’d care about all that stuff more than what’s inside a person.”
“What’s inside? Matt, you have no idea what kind of genes I’m carrying.”
“You don’t scare me, Tate. We’re not the sum of our parents you know. You aren’t. None of your siblings is from what I can tell. You’re not his anyway, even if I was concerned. Isn’t that what you told me?”
Her eyes widened and he raised a brow. “What, think you can scare me away with rough talk? Not. Going. To. Happen.”
“This is just crazy talk.”
He nodded. “It is. Now will you come to dinner next Sunday and can I come over here tonight after I finish up at my parents’? I’m not going to let you push me away. The cooking’s too good and you’re hot in bed.”
She shoved her hair back away from her face, frown lines etched into her forehead. “You don’t love me, Matt. This can’t be anything more than some fun evenings.”
“Tate, don’t tell me I can’t love you. It’s too late and it already is more than some fun evenings. If I didn’t know you were so scared, I’d be offended and thinking you just wanted to use me for my great big penis.”
She fought a smile and he realized the warmth in his chest was her, the way he felt about her. Love. He’d never felt it before but he knew he never wanted to be without it again. She made him whole.
“Your penis is just fine, Matt. But just what exactly do you envision this being?”
One arm banded around her waist, he pulled her back to the table and down into his lap. “Don’t want this to get cold,” he said, picking up the remains of his bacon. “Damn, you’re a fine cook. What I foresee this being, Venus, is we date and date and have lots of sex and you get to know my family and I get to know yours and then I ask you to marry me and we get married and have a passel of kids and our house will always be full of busybody relatives.”
She closed her eyes. “Marriage and kids? We’ve been on one date, two if you count that first time at the diner. That’s not fast?”
“Every single lunch from May to now was a date.”
“This can’t happen. Look, let’s just date, have fun. Leave the marriage talk out of the equation.”
“Are you saying I’m only good enough to fuck?”
“Just go. Get your stuff and go.” But she said it with no conviction at all and he waved it off.
“I’m not going anywhere, Tate Murphy. Not in the way you’re suggesting. You need to know that right now. I don’t give up when there’s something worthy of working for. You may think I’m some soft, shallow guy who doesn’t know what it means to struggle and maybe that’s true in a lot of ways. But damn it, I’m worthy of you.”
“What the fuck are you talking about? This isn’t about you! This is about me.”
He stood, setting her on her feet gently before kissing her forehead. “I’m going to get going. Not because I’m going for good but I need to help Kyle do some work in my parents’ yard this morning.”
“I’m…I don’t want to hurt your feelings, Matt. I don’t think you’re soft and shallow. God, I don’t even know where you get that. You’re wonderful and handsome and funny and sweet. And you’re not for me. Can’t you see that? Can’t you see how wrong I am for you?”
“I’m not arguing with you over that point, Tate. It’s a stupid fucking point and I’m not discussing it.” He shrugged into his shirt and sat to lace his shoes. “I’ll be here tonight after dinner with my parents. I hear you make excellent dessert.”
“Matt, are you listening to me?”
He stood, pulling her to him and brought his mouth to hers and kissed the hell out of her. “Of course I am. But you’re wrong. I’ll see you later. And I’ll be back between those thighs again too, Tate. Don’t think you can hold yourself away from me. I want you, you want me. It’s that simple.”
He strode out the back door and she stood in the kitchen, the morning sun shining through the window as she heard him get into his truck and go.
“I am in big trouble.”
Polly Chase watched Matt tear through his meal. Good Lord, finally. “You have someplace else to be?”
He sighed explosively and put his fork down. “Okay, Momma, I need your help.”
She sat back and smiled at him and then at his father who chuckled. “Tate Murphy?”
“How’d you know?”
“Son, she’s a witch. Didn’t growing up with her as your momma teach you anything? You can’t hide it from her.” Edward amused himself entirely too much. Polly winked at him and frowned a moment. The scamp was utterly unrepentant and winked back, taking her hand and kissing it. She married him for a reason and she’d collect her payback after everyone left.
“Matthew, you asked me about her. I’ve seen you in town with her a few times. I heard you took her to The Tonk last night.” She laughed, seeing his surprise. “Honey, who do you think the gossip about the last single Chase boy comes to first? I know you eat lunch with her three times or more a week. I know you ate dinner with her last Sunday night at The Sands. I know you slept at her place last night too.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “I’ve just been waiting for you to ask me. I take it she’s holding herself back? Telling you she’s not right for a Chase?”
Maggie looked up and Polly laughed again. Young people! All one needed to do was keep their eyes open and their ears ready. People weren’t that hard to read.
“Yes. Stupid isn’t it? I told her I loved her this morning and she told me she just wanted to have a good time.”
“What? She thinks she’s better than you? I say you’re better off without her then!” Liv snorted.
Polly hid a smile. Liv was a smart girl.
“No! She just said it to blow smoke. Stupid woman said a bunch of stuff about linens and forks and me needing to be with a woman with buildings named after her family. She thinks she’s, and this is her words, a fat nobody from the wrong side of the road.”
Liv winked at Polly before turning back to Matt. “And you said?”
“I told her she was someone and not to talk about herself like that. I also said I didn’t care about any of that shit. Uh, stuff, sorry, Momma. I want to marry her.”
“Wow, that was fast.” Shane put his napkin down and looked at Matt. “You sure?”
“I’ve been sure since I watched her building block towers with Nicholas last month. I know it here.” He pressed the heel of his hand over his chest. “I’m old enough to know the difference between liking a woman and loving one. I sure as heck haven’t ever loved one before.”
Polly shrugged with a grin. “Well then, we’ll bring her into the fold won’t we? And her brothers and sisters too. You know you won’t just be getting a wife right?”
“That’s what I love so much about her, Momma. All the women I’ve been with haven’t ever thought about family the way I have.” He quickly looked at Liv. “Well, Liv but that was different. Anyway, she has such a love and commitment to them and they to her. So protective of her. You should have seen them at The Tonk when Melanie said a bunch of stuff about her. I thought we were going to have to hold her sister Beth back from taking Melanie out.”
Polly’s smile was nearly feral. Matt wanted Tate and so that made Tate hers too. Anyone who meant harm to the girl or her family would have to deal with the consequences and that meant Polly.
“I heard about Melanie.” Polly waved it away. “She’ll need a talking to. But, cookie, you know you’re going to have to deal with a lot of the same, right? Tate does come from the bad side of town. Her parents are awful people and she’s not as comely as the other women you’ve dated. Not that she isn’t beautiful, don’t you give me that look, Matthew. But I didn’t raise you to pretend the obvious doesn’t exist and if you don’t confront it, it’ll hurt her. Love isn’t about a dress size, neither is beauty and it certainly isn’t about a bank account. But it’s gonna be said so we have to be ready for it.
“Each one of my daughters came to me in her own special package but one thing they all have in common is that they’re stunning women. Without even knowing them, you look at them and they make your heart beat faster. Maggie had to deal with some jealousy issues but frankly, Tate will have it the hardest. You’re going to have to be very up front and very vocal that Tate is your choice.”
Matt nodded and Polly began to plan.
“Thanks, Momma.”
“
Of course, cookie. That’s what family does. I take it you’re eating your food at three times the normal speed to go to her? Why didn’t you invite her here?”
“I started to talk to you about it earlier this week but I got busy with work. I invited her this morning but I sort of tried to guilt her into it.” He told her of what he’d done that morning and Tate’s reaction.
“Matthew, I’m appalled. I am happy to see the girl put you in your place after that. Things have come very, very easy for you. Too easy I think. You’ve never had to struggle. Always top marks in school, top of your class at the academy, you’ve always excelled at whatever you put your mind to. And never had to break a sweat to do it. Now you boys know I love you all equally but Matt, you’re the handsomest one of the crew. You grin and flutter your lashes and the girls have always bent into pretzels to please you. This one is skittish, you need to be blunt and up front with her at all times. Yes, be charming and handsome, it’s who you are, but don’t rely on that to do the work. You do the work.”
“I thought I was the handsomest,” Shane grumbled.
“Shane, you’re the biggest and bravest. Kyle is the kindest and most compassionate. Marc? He’s the sweetheart charmer. All of you are handsome, you know that so don’t try and play me. But Matthew here? Ahh, he’s nearly pretty he’s so handsome. Smart too, but handsome has done the work for him. He’s just realizing that now and he’s feeling a bit bad about it. Don’t feel bad, cookie. You’re a good man, a lot better than you give yourself credit for. You’ve found your special girl, that’s everything. You’ll build a life with her and she’ll be part of us and you’ll be part of her kin. Our family will get larger by eight, or fourteen because there are wives and children. Ahh, more grandchildren for me.” She smiled.
Matt wanted to put his head in her lap. No one understood him better than she did. He shouldn’t have waited so long. It felt so good that she knew him so well. He looked around the table at the family he loved and who had his back. Damned lucky.