Page 67 of Rocky Mountain Desire
The brother standing closest to him, Blake, poked Travis in the shoulder. “Cool it, Casanova. I don’t want anyone else in our family traumatized while at this pool hall.”
Matt turned his sexy grin in Hope’s direction. “Now, Blake. You really think any woman’s crazy enough to pick Travis over me?”
“Rub it in, why don’t you?” Travis grumbled.
There was something almost sad in his tone, and impulsively Hope went right up to his side and hugged him. He tightened for a second before squeezing back. His whisperedthanksbrushed past her ear, and she winked as he let her free.
A loud, exaggerated sigh rose from Matt. “Sure. Give him a hug before me. I’m gonna get a complex.”
“Just making the crowd jealous, that’s all.” Travis twirled her to face Matt. “That’s my admirers, I’m talking about, by the way. It’s always good for them to see a pretty girl in my arms and know they ain’t the only one wanting a piece of me.”
“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?”
