My stomach roiled like I’d swallowed bad whiskey. Four years believing a lie. Four years thinking I’d been tied to a woman who never even bothered to sign her name. I felt sick, like I’d been played for a fool in front of the whole damn town.
But under the nausea was something I hadn’t expected.
Relief.
Pure, bone-deep relief.
I set the paper down and rubbed both hands over my face. “I hate that she did this, that I didn’t see it, but… Matty, I’m actually relieved. I thought I was going to carry the weight of that marriage for the rest of my life.”
He gave a half smile, brushing his thumb over my jaw. “Bright side? You don’t have to deal with a messy divorce.”
I huffed out a dry laugh. “Guess there’s that. Was this why you were upset earlier?”
His smile vanished. “Not exactly. I ran into my mother before I came over to pick up Ivy. Confronted her.”
I pulled my brows tight. “Wait, you didn’t tell me she was in town. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” The muscle in his jaw ticked. “Apparently, she’s been feeling guilty. Says Carter noticed my dad’s interest in Ozzie a year ago, and he orchestrated the wholescheme to push them together. She claims she didn’t know, but now? I don’t know how to believe her anymore.”
I wanted to say something to soothe the tightness in his voice, the way his eyes went cold when he said “scheme.” “She’s your mother, Matty. I’m sure she meant what was best for you.”
“We’ve got messed-up mothers.” He gave me a crooked smile. “Maybe I’ll forgive her in time. But it’s too soon. I missed four years of being with my lover.” His gaze locked on mine, and the weight in it pinned me to the bed. “And not even you, Hudson Granger, will let that happen again. Do you understand?”
The force in his voice, the command in his posture, hit me low and hard. My body responded before my brain caught up, heat pooling thick between my legs.
“I understand,” I rasped. “Can we just fuck now?”
A smile stretched across Matty’s lips. “But you already got all dressed up?”
I rose to my feet and shuffled between his legs. “Like you said, Matty, it’s been four years of you not loving me right.”
“Four years of no fucking is a lot to make up for.”
“But at least try, dammit.” I shrugged off my jacket and let it fall to the floor. My shirt quickly followed. He was watching me with smoky eyes, practically salivating as I ran my hands up my bare chest and tweaked my nipples.
Matty groaned. “Mine.”
He grasped the backs of my thighs and pulled me roughly onto his lap to straddle him. He raised his head, and I lowered mine, cradling his face in my palms as I kissed him.
There was no rush to the kiss but a deep exploration of his mouth and mine while he slid his hands up over my thighs, squeezing hard enough to make me shiver.
“You’re still such an amazing kisser,” I murmured. He slid his tongue between my lips and licked into my mouth. Each time his tongue passed over mine, tiny shocks raced up my spine, and my toes curled. I gripped the back of his neck, holding him there, not ready to let him go.
Matty lowered his hands to my ass, squeezing it through the tight denim, kneading like he was memorizing every curve.
“Goddammit, Hudson, I missed this ass.” One hand snaked up my back, warm and firm, holding me in place while the other gripped my ass tighter.
“Miss you playing with me,” I panted into his mouth. “The way you used to spread me open and make me come by fingering and rimming me.”
“Well, you have me now, babe.” He scattered kisses across my jaw, his lips brushing over my skin. Soft at first, then openmouthed. His teeth grazed until I felt the faint scrape and sucked in a deep breath.
“Matt…”
He hummed against my skin, trailing lower until his mouth found my neck. “I want to taste every inch of you.”
My pulse jumped under his tongue. He smiled against me and sucked lightly, just enough to make me jerk my hips forward.
He skimmed his hands up, palms mapping me, until his thumbs found my nipples. He flicked one, rolled the other between his fingers, watching my face like he was keeping score.
