He stilled, wondering if he’d heard her correctly or if she was using an exclamation. He took her glass and placed it on the counter. A look into her eyes told him it was the former. “I’m going to lock up. I’ll meet you in your bedroom in three minutes. Be naked.”

Hurriedly, he checked the doors and windows and moved toward her room.

He halted in the doorway and watched her move. Graceful and feminine, she was so beautiful. She turned and locked eyes with him as she reached up to let her hair fall like a pale spill of moonlight around her shoulders.

Moving to her, he undid the straps of her dress and let it fall to pool at her feet. Her bra followed and she stepped out of her panties. He loved that she’d lost her shyness around him with regard to her body. He was glad she’d accepted how damned sexy she was to him.

“Take your shirt off. I want to see you, Matt.”

He heard the urgency in her voice and it disturbed him. He traced her jawline with his thumb and she bit the fleshy pad when he moved over her lips.

“Are you all right, Venus?”

“I need you, Matt. Please.”

His clothes were off in record time before he backed her to the bed and she fell back to the mattress, looking up at him, eyes shining with raw need, with something else he couldn’t quite define. So he did all he knew how to do, ease that need, meet it with the same desire he felt for her.

Sometimes you needed to make love and sometimes you needed to be f**ked. Tate needed the latter, needed every muscle in her body to know she belonged to Matt Chase.

She loved him so much it scared the hell out of her but she couldn’t not love him. That he loved her too continued to awe her but she was done questioning it. She wanted to be with him forever and if he wanted that too, who was she to argue?

At that moment though, she needed him to want her. Needed his desire, his lust and attention.

Reaching out, she fumbled through the box in the nightstand and grabbed a condom. “On you. Now.”

He grabbed it, ripping it open with his teeth and rolling it on in record time. When his fingers brushed over her pu**y and found her wet and ready, a strangled moan broke from him.

“God, so damned hot and wet. You’re so ready for me.”

She reached down and guided the head of his c**k to her gate and rolled her hips.

“Impatient,” he chuckled.

“Yes! Where have you been the last ten minutes? Fuck me, buster!”

His only answer was a long thrust into her body that made her gasp his name as he filled her.

His eyes bored into hers, seeing so deeply that she wanted to weep with it and run away at the same time. It meant something to be known, to be loved despite what she came from, because of who she was. Emotion, deep and overwhelming, swallowed her, bringing tears to her eyes as she let her love for him flow from her, through her.

“Venus? Honey, am I hurting you?” He stilled and she wrapped her thighs around his waist and squeezed, pulling him closer to her.

“No. No, it’s fine. They’re good tears. I’m sorry.” She laughed because he was so good, so fine and she was so damned lucky to be loved by him.

Leaning down, he kissed the tears from her cheeks. “I love you, Tate. I don’t know what I’d have done if something happened to you. Seeing you in that hospital bed nearly tore me in half. You’re so strong but damn, you’re a tiny thing. Fragile.”

“I love you too, Matt. And I’m fine. Fine here with you.”

She squeezed her inner muscles around him and winked, breaking the tension.

His lips skimmed down her neck as he whispered endearments to her. His body slowly entered and retreated. Not f**king anymore, he made love to her with exquisite detail, kissing her, caressing her, telling her he loved her.

There was nothing but the two of them and that was all right. Better than all right, it was perfect and Tate couldn’t remember another moment that was ever so perfect.

Matt hauled tables and chairs along with Tate’s brothers and his own as they set up in Tate’s backyard. He loved her house and the giant yard out back.

Tate’s nephew and nieces played on the playset, yelling and laughing in the early July evening and he realized just how happy he was. Satisfied. Fulfilled.

In the kitchen overlooking the yard, the women who meant the world to him laughed and prepared a meal while the men chased children and set up the tables. What an idyllic moment.

Edward stopped next to him, putting an arm around his shoulders. “You’re good with this girl, Matthew. I like what she’s done for you. I like this place. I like seeing our kin mix with hers. This is right.”

Matt’s heart swelled with pride at his father’s compliments. “I was just thinking that. I love Tate. I think I started falling for her with the first bite of her cookies. But I hate that her father is out and I hate that threat.”

Shane approached. “I’m sorry about that, Matt. I truly am. It wasn’t up to me. If it had been, the bastard would still be in jail. I’m doubly sorry she didn’t find out about it before he got out. I chewed the prosecutor’s office a new one over that.”

Tate had come out into the yard and lit citronella candles all around and plugged in the colored lights she’d strung through the big trees in the back near where they’d lined up the tables. The children laughed and she did too. She was damned good with kids and she’d be a wonderful mother. He froze a moment and then eased. She would be. And he’d be a good father too. He wanted to be with Tate every day for the rest of his life.