Page 77 of Hearts Like Hers

“So, where are you back from this time?”Autumn asked.

“The Oi Rio Women’s Pro in Brazil. I wasthere four days, and it kicked my ass.”

“How’d you do?”

Gia grinned. “I kicked its ass right back,and improved my ranking.”

“No kidding!” Autumn said. “No longer numbersix in the world?”

“You’re looking at number five.”

“Whoa.” Autumn held up a hand between them.“I don’t think I’m worthy enough to stand here with number five, which isfurther complicated by the fact that I’m so tired, I can’t stand anyway.”

“You want to sit or are you gonna get outtahere?”

Autumn adjusted her bag on her shoulder,feeling the ache of the long day. “Headed home. Just wanted to see your lovelynumber five face.” She ran a hand affectionately across the back of Gia’s hair.“Congratulations, rock star.”

Gia looked up and smiled. “Thanks, Autumn.Get some rest.”

“On it.”

Autumn headed to her car, proud of her friendand ready for a date with her bathtub. Bubbles might be called for, and maybeeven some sort of robust red that would melt away the chaos of the busy dayfrom her memory. If there was one of those bake-off shows on TV, she might justhave hit the unwinding jackpot. There was a sound to her left. She turned, andblinked, struck still by what she saw. A blue truck, its tailgate down, and themost beautiful woman she’d ever seen sitting on the back.Kate.Her hair was downand partially covered one eye. When their gazes connected, she hopped down fromthe truck and gave her head a little gesture to the side, clearing her vision.The look on her face told Autumn very little. So she waited, afraid to breathe,afraid that Kate would disappear like a mirage on the shore.

“The ocean is just as peaceful as Iremembered.”

Autumn blew out a breath and placed her handson her hips. It had been weeks since she’d seen Kate, and she wanted to talkabout the ocean? “It’s pretty reliable that way.”

A long pause as they stared at one another.Kate grinned. Autumn inclined her head to the side, unable to hide her ownsmile regardless of the questions she had. Finally, Kate closed the distancebetween them, and Autumn wished she’d walk the hell faster so she could touchher, talk to her, kiss her. And then there she was, inches away from Autumn’shands, her lips. “What are you doing here?” she asked, resisting the urge totouch.

“You’re here. So I needed to be.”

“Really?” Autumn’s entire being went warm asshe took in those words. All this time, she’d wanted nothing more than to hearKate say just that. “Do you mean it?”

Kate nodded. “The thing is, my world wasn’tworking without you.”

Going up on her toes, she wrapped her armsaround Kate’s neck and drank in her scent, the welcome familiarity almost herundoing. Kate held her tightly, her face buried in Autumn’s hair. The worldcould continue around them. Autumn wouldn’t notice, because in this moment, shewas home, safe, and holding on to the person who mattered most to her in theworld. “Let’s get out of here,” Kate whispered. “Can we do that?”

“God, yes,” Autumn breathed.

“I’ll follow you.”

She didn’t even have a chance to properlyunlock her front door before the kissing commenced. Kate started it, and oncethat tidal wave had been released, there was no stopping it. They’d been aparttoo long, and she’d daydreamed about Kate endlessly. The feel of her skinbeneath Autumn’s fingertips, the soft sounds she made when she was turned on,and the commanding, yet gentle, way she took Autumn. God, did she want to betakenright now.

And taken she was.

They were hurried and slow, careful andreckless, hard and soft, all at the same earth-shattering time. And when they’dravished each other through and through, and Autumn’s body hummed with spentpleasure, they lay together in her small bedroom, sheets to their waists asKate traced a pattern across the palm of Autumn’s hand. “I was away from thishand for too long,” Kate said and placed a kiss right in the center.

Autumn nodded as she stared at the detail ofKate’s face, her lips, her nose, her chin. Kate was back. Her Kate. “It missedyou,” Autumn said. “I missed you.”

They hadn’t talked about any of the details,and there was so much to say, to figure out. Kate didn’t know about the falsepregnancy, and she had so many questions of her own about the kids and Kate’spath to adoption. But the long day and the rather athletic evening had Autumn’seyes drooping and her breathing slowing down. There would be time for all of thatlater, right? For now, they had each other, and Autumn couldn’t imagineanything that could top that.

“Are you falling asleep on me?” Kate asked.

Autumn nodded groggily and smiled.

Kate wrapped her arms around her and placed akiss on her temple. The warmth and security of her presence, of her armsholding her, ushered Autumn into the most restful night of sleep she’d had inmonths.

For the first time in a while, it felt likemaybe things were going to be okay.

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