MATEO kissed the girls good night, and then he kissed his folks. “Thanks for doing this.”
“Of course, son,” Pop said. “Go get lucky.”
“Pop!” Mat glanced at his mom, who winked. “Night.”
“Good night.” She waved, and he caught up with Reid, who was crutching along, heading for their cabins, which would have been great if a bunch of Alej’s groomsmen weren’t around them.
“Guys, go away.” Mat hated to be mean, but he wasn’t above shooing duty.
“What? No way, man. Let’s go to the main house and play cards. All of us. Together.”
“Nope.” Reid was laughing, but there was a note of steel in his voice. “I’m with the bridal party, so I get the night off.”
“Boys, what are you up to?” Mat was going to beat someone—most likely Alej.
Alej went all wide-eyed. “Hmmm?”
“Don’t. What are you doing?” he whispered. “I have plans.”
“I know. But the guys want to hang. They want to get to know Reid a bit. Give us an hour?”
“Alej….” He had a blowjob coming, dammit.
“An hour, man. It’s not even eight thirty.” Alej leaned close. “Come on, man. You can give me that much.”
“I hate you so bad.” He smiled at Reid, going to apologetic. “The guys want to play a round of cards.”
Reid’s eyes went wide. “What?”
Mat spread his hands. “They want to get to know you a little.”
“Me? Is this a prank?”
“No, baby. I babbled a little at the bachelor party….” Mat hated that Reid looked disappointed.
“About how unrelentingly hot I was, right?”
“And how much I wanted to get back with you and how I was an idiot and all that.” Mat took Reid’s hand, steering him toward Alej’s cabin. “We’ll do it in Alej’s place so we can leave when we want.”
“Okay, but we have a night. You and me. A whole night.”
“We do. I swear it.” He meant it. The girls were good with his folks, even if the cabin collapsed. He wanted that blowjob, but more than that, he wanted to talk.
“Okay.” Reid shrugged a little, but his smile was open and generous. “It’s Alej’s party.”
“And I cry if I want to?” Alej waggled his eyebrows, teasing wildly.
“Yep.” Reid wiggled, clearly trying to boogie, but crutches were bad for that, and the last thing either of them needed was to have Reid crash and burn.
He pinched Reid’s ass. “Behave. Bad ankle. Remember?”
“How bad is it?” Tod asked. “Do you need help?”
“It’s broken. I’ll take it to the ortho guy when I get home.”
“Oh no!” Tod’s eyes went wide. “Did you get something for pain? I have some good Tylenol.”
“Hell, I stopped at the store and got some edibles.” Austin grinned over his shoulder. “I’ll hook you up.”
“Thanks, guys. For real. I’m fine right now, though I would like to put it up. Do you think I could couch it when we sit down?” Reid sounded a little blown, and Mateo glared at his brother.
“Hey, we can just sit and have one beer, huh?” Alej seemed contrite, and the guys all chorused agreement.
“As long as sitting is involved, brother.” Reid grinned at Alejandro, rolling his eyes. “Mat gets stressed-out.”
“I do. I want you to be able to get through the rehearsal and ceremony and then get it fixed.”
“Yeah, no worries. I’ll stand up with y’all.”
“I know you will.” Alej rubbed Reid’s shoulder. “Come on in and sit, man.”
“So how do y’all know this hooligan?” Reid asked, and then the introductions began.
Mat felt real pride at how good Alej was at this. He loved that man so much. There was a huge part of him that couldn’t believe his baby brother was actually getting married.
He shook his head at Tod, who’d said something to him. “Sorry, man. What was that?”
“I was saying I understand why you turned me down last night. He’s gorgeous.”
“Yeah.” Mat gazed over at Reid. “He’s a nice guy too.”
“And a good dad. Man, I never had a chance, did I?”
“Oh, hon. No. I’m sorry.” Mat leaned toward Tod. “But I can tell how great you are. Hell, you might hook up here at the wedding. Just not with me.”
Tod beamed at him. “Sucks for me, but I’m tickled for you.”
“Thank you. I just… we need time to talk.” Could Reid hear him? He felt weird, but Tod was such a decent human.
“Sure. I don’t suppose a threesome is an option?”
“Not even close.” He winked, and that Reid had heard. He was staring a bit at Tod.
As soon as Tod met Reid’s eyes, his lover smiled. “He’s not available. Not at all.”
“Gotcha.” Tod gave Reid a thumbs-up. “Who wants a beer?”
“I’ll take one, thanks.” Reid smiled at Tod before turning to wink at him.
He liked the sound of that taken. Very much. In fact, it made him a little dizzy.
God. He was such a happy dork. Sometimes he found himself holding his breath, worried he was going to wake up.
“Here you go, man. Beer.” Tod plopped down next to him. “How was the family supper?”
“The food was amazing,” Reid said. “I swear, I’ll gain ten pounds up here.”
“And Mama didn’t cry and pull out the baby pictures, thank God.”
Mat snorted. “Only because Jen wasn’t there, bro. If she’d had access to the bride, you would have been screwed.”
“God, don’t I know that.” Alej rolled his eyes. “You sad to be missing the girls’ outing, Reid?”
“I have known you for a long time, Alej,” Reid mock-growled. “I will hurt you.”
“Oh, dude. You guys have the night alone? Alej!” Joe looked all offended. “They could be getting laid!”
“If I can’t, they get no sympathy from me. None.”
Mat whacked Alej on his arm. “You blamed the guys!”
“I didn’t plan this! Seriously. I just… didn’t argue.”
“Uh-huh. Butthead.”
Reid raised his bottle. “I like beer.”
“One of his many lovely qualities.”
If Tod didn’t stop flirting with his man, Mat was going to bite him. Reid was as taken as he was.
Maybe more, because Mat knew what he’d lost, while Reid had been so busy taking care of the kids.
“That’s me. Lovely.” Reid snorted and rolled his eyes. “Seriously? I’m a clay monkey and an exhausted single dad.”
“Hey, don’t put yourself down.” He didn’t mean to snap, but Mat worried he’d caused this tendency.
“I’m… I’m not. Just the truth. Well, the exhausted part for sure.”
“That I get.” He winked, but he would happily take on some of that. He never wanted Reid to run off to Florida again.
“That you can help with, maybe?”
This wasn’t a discussion for a group.
“Mmm. I think so.” He made it light, but he met that searching gaze head-on. “We’ll talk tonight.”
“Yeah.” Reid smiled at him, then clicked their bottles together.
“So, where did you guys go on your honeymoon?” Tod asked.
“Venice. It was gorgeous.” Reid’s smile was wistful.
“It was. The risotto was good too.”
Reid nodded, expression far away. Someone was remembering the long nights of loving each other, laughing.
They’d taken a gondola ride and drunk too much wine and wandered the bridges of Venice for hours. All of the sudden all the hurt, the pain of the last three and a half years felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. He’d lost so much.
Reid frowned, reaching out to him. “You’re all pale.”
“Am I?” He shook his head. “Just thinking.”
“Well, clearly it’s bad for you,” Alej murmured.
“No shit on that.” He had to talk to Reid. He had to know whether they could overcome their crap.
“You should go on, you two.” Tod touched his arm. “Really. We were going to try and get you together. Y’all don’t need our help.”
“No. No, we need to let us have some time.”
Reid looked at him, and he hated seeing that worry back, that stress. “I’ll start heading over. I’ll see you guys for the rehearsal dinner.”
“You know it. Night, man.” That was Alej, and the other guys chorused it.
“Night.” Mat lifted a hand before following Reid into the night. “Reid, let me help.”
“I’m sorry.” Reid crutched along, arm muscles working hard.
“About what, baby?” He hurried to keep up.
“I don’t know. Upsetting you? Hurting your feelings?”
“When? Just now? You didn’t do anything, though.” Mat didn’t get it, and he wanted to.
“You looked so unhappy, so stressed, when we were talking about our honeymoon.”
“What? No, I was thinking how sucky it had been since we split up. The honeymoon was awesome.” Mat chuckled. “That gondola ride, remember?”
“Yes. With the gondolier. He had the best mustache.”
“But the worst singing voice. God, he sounded like the seagull from The Little Mermaid.”
Reid stopped short, bracing himself on his crutches as he started to laugh.
Mat chuckled along. “Yeah. I mean, damn.”
“Right? And you bought me our wineglasses.”
Reid had thrown one during a fight, had shattered it, and he’d had another made, so they had a full set. Reid stiffened up, and Mat thought he was remembering that too.
They had to do this. Remembering, grieving, building new.
“And I found you your watch there. Do you still have it somewhere?”
“I do. It needs a new battery.” He always forgot. Reid handled stuff like that, so unless his personal assistant at work did it, Mat was toast.
“Ah. I’ll order you a new one.”
“Thanks, querido. I appreciate it.” He really did.
“I love you. Even with all the shit. I love you.”
“I know. We need to get inside.” He was going to explode with all the things he wanted to say.
“I’m trying. Crutching is hard. I never knew how sore it made your underarms.” Reid grinned wryly. “At least my hands are callused.”
“And your armpits will be too.” He laughed but got Reid up the stairs.
“Ew. That’s a terrible thought.”
“It is.” He shuddered. “Okay, that is nasty.” Then he grinned. “But I would love you anyway.”
“Would you massage cream into them?” Reid fluttered his eyelashes outrageously, and Mat pondered popping him on the ass.
“I would scrub them with Brillo pads. How’s that?”
“Ooh. Kinky. Also, wow. No.”
“I know.” He got Reid settled on the couch. “I would go to bed, but we need to talk. Like for real.”
Reid swallowed hard and shifted deeper into the cushions. “I know. I don’t want to, but I know we do.” Reid closed his eyes, inhaled deep. “God, this is scary.”
“It is.” He sat down so he could grab Reid’s hand. “We can do it.”
“I hope so. I want to.” Reid squeezed hard. “I…. Where do we start?”
“Well, I’ll start with I’m sorry. I said a lot of shitty things. Did some too.” They could spend all night talking about what they’d done wrong, but he wanted to get past that.
“Me too. I was so hurt that I turned mean.” Reid’s eyes were on their joined fingers. “I never bad-mouthed you to the girls.”
“I believe you. I swear I never did either.” His Pop had been the product of a divorced family; he’d beaten that idea into Mat. No using the kids in war.
“Thank you. I… I’m so sorry for running to Florida. I just panicked. The thought of losing the girls….”
“I should have tried calling. I was…. The girls made it sound like you had a new guy.” He’d been so hurt. So damn mad.
“It wasn’t like we were talking. There’s no guy. There’s you. There’s been nothing but you.”
“Same here. I mean, a lot hasn’t changed.” A lot had, and they needed to focus on that.
“But a lot did. I worked my ass off to prove that I wasn’t a mooch.”
“I know. I’m so proud, querido.” Mat sighed. “I hate you felt that way. I was so damn tired.” He had a problem with work-home balance, and he knew it now.
“I wasn’t being lazy. I wasn’t.” Reid turned to face him, eyes sparkling dangerously. “I was taking care of the girls. I wasn’t ready for another infant. I was running on empty, and I hadn’t learned to create without inspiration yet.”
“No, I know.” He shook his head. “To be honest, it wasn’t about you. I mean, other than you spurring it by saying I was never home. I had guilt that I wasn’t ever home, but it wasn’t enough to keep me from doing what I was doing. I’m working on it, but I have an unhealthy obsession with work, and I know it.”
“Did you go to therapy? It sounds like you did.”
“I did. Kinda nontraditional. It started with a nutritionist. My doc sent me to her because of the ulcer I was working on getting.” Naomi was a full-body person. She believed food was only part of the picture.
“I’m so sorry. It wasn’t me, was it? Are you better? Can I help?”
“It was stress. I was living on coffee and handheld burritos and working eighteen-hour days.” God, he’d been on autopilot. Then he’d passed out in the middle of a meeting with a client.
Reid nodded, squeezed his hand. “That’s why I hired help. I was getting up at five, going to bed at 2:00 a.m., and I was wrecked.”
“I bet.” That wasn’t Reid. Reid needed eight hours of sleep and liked to get up just in time to make everyone breakfast.
“It’ll be like that again for a few months while I design the new line.”
“What can I do to make it easier?” He wanted to help. He really did.
“Come home.” The second the words were out of Reid’s lips, he slapped his hands over his mouth.
“Was that a mistake? Or did you mean it?” His cheeks heated, his heartbeat racing until he felt dizzy.
“I mean it. If you want me to, I mean.”
“I want you to, but I have to know.” He grabbed Reid’s chin to tilt up his head. “I need to know it’s what you want, not what you think is best for me or the kids.”
“I miss you. I miss us. I fucked up so bad, and I lost you. I’ve been fighting to be good enough, have enough collateral to win you back.” Reid stared into his eyes, tears shimmering.
“You have always been good enough, querido. I feel like shit about making you feel unworthy.”
“How could you leave us? I mean, what’s wrong with us? We got divorced!”
“We stopped talking. Hell, maybe we were never good at it, but we didn’t have to be when we were DINKs.” They’d just… they’d had it good. Easy. He guessed they’d expected it to always be easy.
“I… I still love you, you know that.”
“I know. Lucia says you cry all the time.”
Reid turned bright red. “Not all the time.”
“No?” He relented with a gentle smile. “We have to promise to work harder, is all.”
“It’s hard to be an us alone. I miss you. Don’t think I’m a jackass, please, but I do cry at night. I’m not used to sleeping alone.”
“I’m not either.” That was why he didn’t sleep. He’d doze off in front of the big screen in his office, laptop on his legs.
“Do you want to come home?”
Did he want to? His heart was there, his girls were there. Hell, his dog was there.
And his husband was waiting. “I do. I really do. I want us to commit to working this out, to being together.” To therapy if they needed to.
“I do too. Really. To quote Dani, ‘really really a lot.’”
“Then we do this thing.” He would start looking at moving as soon as they got home. “What are we telling the girls?”
“I don’t know. The truth? That we want to live together?”
“I mean, they’re going to ask if we’re getting married again.” Mat knew they had to see how it went and not make promises.
“Yeah, they are.” Reid sounded so sad, so tired.
“I just don’t want to make them promises, querido. I want to be a family again. All the way. But we have to make sure we’re getting it right.”
“You’re right. Of course you’re right.” Reid sighed and stretched, back popping. “We can tell them you missed them, and we decided to live in the same house.”
“No.” Mat shook his head. “No way. That’s true, but it’s also dishonest, and it makes you feel second fiddle again.”
“Well, what do you want to tell them?” Reid rubbed the bridge of his nose. “We’ll go with whatever you want.”
“I want to tell them the truth.” He waved his hands, the spot under his breastbone burning.
“Okay. What’s the truth? What’s your truth?” Reid pinned him with a gaze, pretty blue eyes staring him down.
“That I want to come home. That I’m sorry we split up, and I feel like an utter ass.”
Reid leaned close, so close Mat could see the silver bits in Reid’s stubble, the lines at the corners of his eyes, and it was possibly the most wonderful thing he’d ever seen. “I want you to come home. I’m so fucking sorry we split up. And you are an ass—a pushy, workaholic ass that loves me like no one else ever will.”
“I am that. God, baby. I want taco Tuesdays and dance lesson nights and Dolly farts.”
“That means you have to be home for them, Matty. You have to try to be there.”
“I know.” He swallowed hard. “I talked to the staff. I’m bringing on a junior partner to take some of the load, and I plan to telecommute all but twenty hours.”
“What?” Reid looked like you could knock him over with a feather.
“I’m trying hard, baby. I am.” He was trying to change, and it had to be for him as well as Reid and the girls. His health and sanity had to matter. “There will still be some busy times, but I’ll be home a lot more. Available too.”
“Why? Why did you do it?”
“I don’t know.”
Reid looked at him, disbelieving. “So what? You woke up one morning and said, hmm, I don’t have to work myself to death? Did it take the girls being out of diapers?”
“You think I left to avoid diaper changes?” he snapped. Then he took a deep breath. Again. “No, it’s not fair to say I don’t know. I wasn’t sleeping. I couldn’t eat without pain. My fucking hair was falling out. I was at rock bottom, baby, and I passed out at work. I realized I was killing myself to avoid being alone, and to not think about you and the girls.”
Reid looked at him for a long, endless minute and held out one hand. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Can we go to bed now? We can talk more soon.”
“But you’ll come home? I know that we’d be smarter to date and all, but… you have your family there.”
“I will. All of you are there, and my condo is cold and kinda sad.” As sad as a prefurnished Santa Fe condo could be, anyway.
“You will be there for the first day of school, Halloween.”
Christmas morning. God, he wanted Christmas morning back.
And New Year’s Eve, when the kids went to bed early still and they got to be adults together….
“I’m coming home, Reid. I miss you, I miss my girls, and I miss how I am—how I can be with you.”
“Then let’s go to bed.” Reid’s smile was so gorgeous.
Oh, thank God. “Come on, baby. I need you naked. We have a whole night.”
Reid nodded hard. “God, yes. Did you lock the door? I want them to have to call.”
“Locked. They’re not going to call. They’re sleeping and happy.”
He grabbed Reid’s hands and helped him up, careful not to squeeze the sore underarms. No Brillo arms. He chuckled, just tickled again by the thought.
“Don’t you laugh at me, man.” Reid leaned hard, trusting him to hold on tight.
“I was laughing at us.” They walk-hopped to the bedroom, leaving the crutches behind for now. It made Mat happy to help, and he thought Reid liked being held.
“I know. Maybe one day we’ll remember that, how to tease.”
“I think we’re both a little literal right now. Afraid to offend.” Cautious.
Reid snorted and plopped down on the bed. “I think the word you’re hunting is scared, darlin’. We’re scared.”
“We are. I know one way to get over that.” He sat next to Reid, then leaned over for a kiss. “I love you, and I am going to make us work again.”
Then he pressed their lips together, his heart stopping when Reid opened right up.
Mat slid a hand behind Reid’s head, feeling each corn-silk hair against his palm. His. His lover. His husband. His whole world. God. He was terrified.
Like Reid heard his thought, one palm cupped his cheek and held on.
Mat closed his eyes a moment when they came up for air, savoring the lingering taste on his lips. Then he went looking for more. He tugged his shirt off as Reid dove for his fly, digging for his cock.
“I won’t even remind you about the blowjob,” Mat murmured. “For now.”
“Like I forgot. Like I’d ever forget.”
“Oh, good.” He put a hand on Reid’s chest, that heart beating against his palm.
“Come take my mouth, darlin’? Give me what I need?”
Jesus. Jesus, was this his man? So open, so ready? Reid had always been eager to please, but now he was demanding. It was hot as hell.
“How can you be hotter now than before, love? How?”
“Years of fantasizing.”
“Well, I like it. A lot. A lot a lot.”
“Yeah?” His lover beamed at him before encouraging him to strip down. “Good. I want you to fuck my mouth.”
“I want that too. Right now.” Mat pushed off his clothes, just ready to touch and be touched.
Reid got himself naked, except for the boot, and stretched out on the bed, eyes on him.
Oh fuck, what an invitation. Jesus, there was no resisting that. He climbed on the bed, sliding up to straddle Reid’s chest.
Reid gazed up at him, eyes huge, blue. “I love you, darlin’.”
Then Reid licked a long line up his shaft.
“Oh God.” His head fell forward, and he panted hard, his body already on fire.
Reid’s lips parted, and Mateo slipped the tip inside. He didn’t move too fast, savoring the wet glide of flesh over Reid’s tongue. Reid watched him the whole time, never flinching.
He moaned, rubbing back and forth, letting Reid’s lips surround him. Jesus. That was… oh. Good.
Reid worked his slit with that heated tongue, pressing in hard enough that his eyes crossed. His buttcheeks clenched, his cock hard as nails. He rocked in, fire surrounding him, his balls drawn up and aching.
“Querido. So good.” He tried not to blink so he didn’t miss a moment.
Reid grunted and pulled him in deeper, hands burning on his ass.
That was his cue to start moving, gently, back and forth. He didn’t want to push, but he needed more. Reid’s hunger was an aphrodisiac, something heady and addictive. Reid took him, inch by inch, lips squeezing his prick.
Mat was just going to explode. Freakin’ explode.
Reid groaned and rolled his balls, tugging them hard enough to ache. He rose up a little, then pushed down and rocked.
Reid swallowed hard, the pressure around the tip of his prick, and his eyes rolled back in his head.
“Stop, baby. Stop. I love this, but I don’t want to come this way.” He wanted to be on equal ground, wanted to touch and more.
His cock popped out of Reid’s mouth, and those eyes met his. “You sure, darlin’?”
God, he loved the sound of hunger in his husband’s voice. It made him feel ten feet tall and bulletproof. “I’m sure, querido. I want more.”
“Anything. Everything. I’m all yours.”
He slid back off Reid’s chest, then kissed those swollen lips. “I want it all.”
“All I am.” Reid stretched up, spreading wide for him.
Mat pressed down against Reid, rubbing between those lean legs. So hot.
“Touch me.” Reid offered himself over. “Please, babe. Please. I ache inside.”
“Yes. I want to touch so bad.” He stroked one hand down the center of Reid’s chest.
Those blue eyes watched him like a hawk, never letting him believe for a second they weren’t together in this. No, they were as in sync as they had ever been. Christ, he was hard.
Reid grabbed his hand, brought it to his balls, pushing into his touch.
“Mmm. Look how good you look.” Open and ready for him, Reid was rubbing and moaning, all abandon. Reid arched, trying to buck into his hand. “I got you,” Mat soothed. “I swear.”
“I feel like I’m burning up inside, darlin’.”
“Then I’ll be feeling all that heat soon.” He wanted in, wanted to ride Reid hard.
“Oh.” Reid groaned and grabbed his prick, tugged on it, giving him a show, fingers dragging along the shaft, thumb working the tip on each upstroke.
“That’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.” Somehow twice as sexy as ever before, because his man was so open about it now.
“Fuck me. I want to be full of you.”
“Where’s the stuff, baby?” The lotion. He knew it was around somewhere.
“Mmm. Ditty bag. Zipped up so the girls don’t borrow it.”
“Right.” Why hadn’t he gotten it before? Lord. He was a doof.
Reid grinned at him. “I promise that it’ll be in the right drawer in the headboard when you get home.”
“I’m all over that.” That and a few choice toys that had nothing to do with kids.
The look in Reid’s eyes proved he knew exactly what he was thinking. Mat grinned before hopping up so he could run to the bathroom. The familiar old bag was there, filled with the toothpaste and deodorant that he remembered.
He trotted to Reid, feeling like he was back in college. He could hardly remember the last time he’d run around with Reid naked like this. He wasn’t going to be able to get used to it either, because he was going to be home with his kids.
With his family.
The very thought filled him with love so big he couldn’t stop smiling.
“Quit lollygagging, old man. I need you,” Reid called.
“I am thinking how much I love you. Don’t ruin the moment.” He hopped back into bed, bouncing a little.
“Butthead. Come here, it’s cold.” Reid reached for him and drew him close.
“Well, I can promise this will heat you up.” Oh, warming lube would be lovely. He’d have to try that too.
“Love your promises. Seriously. Touch me. Now.”
Mat nodded, then popped the top on the lube. He got his fingers good and wet, ready to get Reid prepped. Reid held his breath, staring up at him, and he smiled. Someone was nervous—hiding his nerves, but worried nonetheless.
“Shhh. We’re going to love this. This is me wanting you, querido. Needing you.”
“Needing…. Yes. God, I need this to be real.”
“I do too. I’m all in, baby.” He pressed a wet finger down along the crack of Reid’s ass.
Reid sucked in a breath, then let it out as a moan.
“Mm-hmmm. We’re gonna do this so good.” Mat pushed his fingers against Reid’s tiny hole. “I’m going to fill you up, make you all mine again.”
His fingers slid in, Reid’s body fiery inside.
“I’ve always been yours.”
“Well, now we get to prove it all over again.” That was the best feeling in the world too.
Reid made a noise, a moan, a whimper; whatever it was, it meant Reid was right there, riding his fingers, loving him.
All Mat had to do was work his fingers back and forth, adding more lube to really get Reid slick. Reid moved easily, taking him in deeper, and he twisted his hand, making Reid buck and shudder.
The way Reid responded to his every movement made him groan, made him stare to catch every moment. His cock was achingly hard, his balls were tight.
Soon he was going to be inside his lover. Soon. He would never hurt Reid this way, though, so he stayed at it a little longer.
“Mateo!” The sound of his name in passion made him ache, and Reid rolled up and started humping his hand, hard.
“Slow down, querido. I just need to get slick myself.”
“Uh-huh. God, darlin’. More.”
“More.” He used his free hand to squeeze out more lube, which he stroked onto his skin.
Reid wasn’t watching; he was rocking, riding his touch.
“Hey. Look at me, baby. I’m so hard for you. So damn ready. Are you?”
“God, yes. Now? Please? I’m on fucking fire.”
“Now,” he agreed. Mat pulled free, but only for a moment. Only long enough to push his thighs between Reid’s legs. He hooked the uncasted leg around his hip, spreading Reid just a little bit wider. He needed that access, and Reid was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
“This is real,” Reid whispered. “This is us.”
“It is. I missed you so damn much.” His cock was burning, but Reid was even hotter where he rubbed them together.
He bore down, his body lit up where he scraped through that tiny ring of muscles. Christ. So heated and tight. He panted, hanging on by a thread.
Mateo closed his eyes, trying to keep it together, make it last. He needed to try and—Reid squeezed down on him, that sweet ass going tight as a fist.
His eyes flew open again, then crossed. “Jesus, baby.”
“Love you.” Reid squeezed again.
“God, I love you too. I do.” Mat took a deep breath before he began to move.
Reid met each thrust, lips open and parted, tongue flicking out to taste him. He kissed that mouth, so revved up he thought he might be bruising Reid. Reid acted like he wasn’t going to complain, not even a little.
Damn, his man was fine. Sweet as honey and demanding more.
Reid made him dizzy, made him feel bulletproof. He thrust, in and out, pressing deep before drawing back. His ears rang with his own heavy breathing. Reid met every drive in, hips circling, muscles fluttering around his cock.
They moved together as if they’d never been apart. He was about to cry, it was so perfect.
Then Reid sat up, lips sliding against his ear. “Love you. I love you so bad.”
“Promise? We can do anything if we remember that.” He nipped at Reid’s neck, wanting to mark that skin but knowing he couldn’t. Not right before the wedding.
“I swear. Please, darlin’. Make me all yours again.”
“Mine. Oh God.” All his. They would live together again, sleep together.
He arched, daring to reach for all the things that he’d lost, that had deserted him. Reid was right there with him, clutching his shoulders, good leg around his thighs. They gasped and twisted, grabbed and cried out, as they fought for their completion.
His skin felt superheated, too tight. His balls drew up, his abs pulling in as he fought to keep going. Reid reached down and started jacking himself off, pulling in long, steady tugs.
“Hey, now. I want to go together.” No rushing, and if Reid needed a hand, he would give it.
“Together. I love that thought. You and me together.”
“I do too.” He had to take another kiss, then another. They were breathing in sync, staring into each other’s eyes.
Mat moaned, the tingles running up his spine telling him he was almost there. He couldn’t wait much longer.
“Please, darlin’. Please, I need to come.”
“Me too, baby. I want to see you and smell you on my skin when I shoot.”
“Matty!” Reid’s eyes went wide, that tight ass gripping Mat as he shot.
“Damn. Oh, damn.” He grunted, his whole body jerking back and forth.
He reached out, touched one of the ropes of seed sprayed between them, and then brought it to his lips. The taste was all he could take—salty and rich and blessedly familiar. Mat shot hard, his jaw clenching so tight he grunted.
He swayed above his lover, the world all bright lights and sparks. It was real. They had made love. Together. And no one had knocked on the door.
“Wow.” Reid blinked up at him, eyes twinkling. “Wow, darlin’.”
“Mmm. Wow, la verdad.” He had baby head.
“C’mere, love. Let me hold you.”
Mat lowered himself down, making sure not to hit that sore leg.
Reid groaned as their bodies met, the sound deep and low. “Hey, you.”
“Hey, querido. You good?” He was. Mat was feeling whole for the first time in ages.
“Better than good. God. You’re in me. Deep.”
“I am. Thank God. I was so ready.” He kissed that salty skin. The scent of Reid was so right, and he would know it absolutely anywhere. It was imprinted on his soul. The smell of his family. Just his. Not their sprawling extended family. Only the two of them.
“Still love you, you know.” Reid was grinning now, laughing at him.
“Yeah? That’s pretty rad.” Reid had always teased him about his out-of-date slang. It was like he was the same age as his Pop.
“Totally!” Reid shot back. “Goofball man.”
They started laughing together, chuckling softly at first, and then the sound got wilder. They clung together, howling with it, the ridiculous sound so wonderful.
Home. He’d come to fucking Colorado to come home.
Who the hell would have known?
“Darlin’?” Reid grinned up at him, those bright blue eyes dancing.
“Mmm. Thinking of Santa Fe.”
“Yeah? You ready to get back?”
“I can wait. The girls seem to want to be back to normal, huh?”
“Always. They crave it.” Reid searched his eyes, looking for God knew what.
“Normalcy.” He grinned. “I only mean I can wait until the wedding is over, baby. That’s all.”
“Yeah? It’ll be a crazy drive, explaining to the girls that you’re coming home.”
“You don’t want to do it together?” He held his breath. These were the little compromises. Reid wasn’t going to be single-parenting anymore.
Reid’s eyes went wide, all lit up. “Did you not bring your car? I’d love to drive home together.”
“Oh!” The light dawned. “You rode up with Jen!” He laughed, clapping his hands. “We need to transfer the car seats.”
“Yeah? That sounds amazing. We can share the load. That’s the longest nine plus hours on earth.”
“I’m in.” He couldn’t stop grinning. Just… yeah.
“Cool. I think I’d like you to bring it up with Dani. Luce gets it more, I think, but Dani….”
“Sure, baby.” He could totally do that. Poor baby barely knew him, in the great scheme of things.
“You know she’ll be excited, but confused.” Reid ran one hand over his shoulder, the touch burning at him. “Me? I’m not confused. Excited? Yes.”
“That’s the important thing. If we’re sure, the kids will follow. You think Dolly will remember me?”
“You know it. She loves to sniff the girls when they come back from your place.”
That made him laugh. “Well, good. I would hate for her to be all indifferent.”
“Oh, between her and Luce, you know there will be drama.”
“There will.” He chuckled. Lucia was their thoughtful, deep girl. She was also a wee bit moody. He had no idea where on earth she might have gotten that.
“She does take after you,” Reid murmured, reading his laughter perfectly.
“That’s why she adores you, querido. You’re her hero.”
Reid looked at him and blushed dark, his eyes filling with tears. “I have to get up.”
“What? What did I do?” He pulled back right away, though, helping Reid to sit up once he’d achieved kneeling.
“I… I want to be. I don’t want to be the one that fucked up and made her papi leave.”
“We did that together. We’ll keep explaining, and when they’re older, they’ll get that.” Mat knew it was true.
“I’m so fucking sorry. I didn’t mean to be… I don’t know. A mooch? I wasn’t into you for your money.”
Mat sat back, half lifting Reid into his lap. “I didn’t have much when we met….” He sighed. “I hate that I made it about that. I was just so stressed.”
“We had two babies, you started your own firm, and we bought a new house. Things were…. We weren’t strong enough to survive that, I guess.”
“I think we’d never had to be. Trial by fire was too much.” Mat kissed Reid again. “Now I know how much harder it is without you.”
“The house is still empty without you in it. It was made for us, all four of us.”
“It was.” They’d handpicked the house and its contents together, and the designer in Reid had never protested Mat’s more eclectic cowboy-Mexican style.
“But you’re coming home. Are… are you coming back to our bed? Are you bringing your chair and desk back?” Reid sounded so worried, but so excited too.
“I am, if you have room.” He had no idea how the house had changed. There was really nothing homey about his condo. “Should we keep my place as an investment or sell it for the girls’ college funds?”
“Do you want my brain’s answer or my heart’s?” Reid grabbed his hands. “I have room. We have five bedrooms. There’s room.”
“Okay. I’m not attached to the condo, querido. I think selling it would be good. Market is up in town.”
“Yeah?” Jesus, look at his husband’s smile. He’d chosen well. “I think that sounds… perfect.”
“Yep.” He made a bunch of mental notes. Move the desk back home. Get the housekeeping service in for a move-out clean. List condo.
Back home.
Jesus.
He could move the girls’ toys and his comfy chair and his big screen, and when he worked from home, his babies and Reid would be right there.
Was this real? Was he going to wake up and find he’d fallen on the floor and hit his head?
“I hear you,” Reid muttered.
“What?”
“I hear you. This is scary. It’s everything I’ve wanted, and I’m so fucking scared.”
“You do get it.” He took a deep breath, squeezing Reid’s hand. “We make a pact. We talk about it. We bring it up. Whatever it is. No matter how hard.”
“Yeah. I didn’t know… I mean, I didn’t know how bad you felt, darlin’.”
“And I had no idea how insecure you were feeling. How overwhelmed.” He would have to make sure they both balanced work and home now too. His successful designer. “Have I told you how proud I am of you? I felt like I’d burst with joy when I saw your work in the catalog.”
“You knew it was mine?”
“Of course I did, baby. I would know your style anywhere. It’s like a fingerprint to me.” He loved Reid’s stuff.
“I… I assumed Jen told Alejandro.”
Mateo would do anything—anything—to keep that light in Reid’s eyes. Luckily all he had to do was tell the truth. “Nope. I knew it right away. You know me and my online shopping habit….”
“Did you… did you buy my pieces?”
“I did.” They were the only personal touch in his kitchen. Reid’s pottery.
Reid looked at him, lips curling into a beautiful, happy smile.
He grinned back, his belly blooming with warmth again. God, he loved this man.
“So….” Reid grinned at him, a flush crawling over his high cheekbones. “Wanna go again?”
Mat grabbed the lotion off the nightstand, figuring this time he could ride. “Oh, hell yes. That sounds perfect.”