Page 24 of All Autumn
She nodded. “What I said.”
Autumn wrapped her arm around mine, something she liked to do when we walked. It was a beautiful mountain night. She was a pretty woman, but in the moonlight she was breathtaking. We’d been spending a lot of time together, and my interest in her was growing. She was supposed to be off-limits, but I was having a hard time keeping her in that category.
It seemed that she didn’t think of me as anything more than a friend, except . . . except every once in a while I’d catch her looking at me in a way she never had before. As if she liked what she was seeing.
Beau found a bush that apparently had the most wonderful smells and was sniffing it from top to bottom. Autumn leaned against a nearby tree, letting him have his fun.
I stood a few feet in front of her, my hands stuffed into the pockets of my jeans. I was dying inside to touch her, to spread my fingers over her cheek, and with my thumb under her chin, lift her face as I slowly lowered my mouth to hers. What would she taste like? Apples and cinnamon, I guessed. Like fall, all the scents and tastes of my favorite season.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she whispered.
“I want to kiss you.” I hadn’t meant to say that.
I was forming an apology in my head when she said, “I wouldn’t say no.”
She should, and I should tell her that, but I didn’t. Instead, like a man entranced by a sorceress, I closed the distance between us, and as I had imagined, I splayed my fingers over her cheek and slid my thumb under her chin, lifting her face.
“Autumn,” I said and then lowered my mouth to hers. Just a small kiss, I told my brain. My brain went deaf the second my lips touched hers.
I moved my hands to her hips and pulled her against me, aligning our bodies, then angled my head, deepening the kiss. Our tongues met, caressed, tasted. Autumn moaned, and a bolt of lust shot through me, the power of it so great that I vaguely wondered if a storm had moved in and, somewhere close by, lightning had struck. I’d kissed my fair share of women, but none had almost brought me to my knees, not like this. I was on fire for this woman.
Somewhere in the back of my mind warning bells were going off, but I didn’t want to hear them. I let go of her hips and slid my hands under her shirt, flattening the palm of one hand over her lower back, while the other hand found a breast.
When I dipped my finger inside her bra and brushed it across her nipple, she moaned again. It was the most erotic sound I’d ever heard in my life. Her skin was warm and silky, her lips were soft, her mouth delicious. The hand not holding the leash was just as busy as mine, exploring under my shirt.
I kissed my way across her cheek and then down to her neck, to the soft spot under her ear. Before the night was over, I was going to taste her from head to— A car turned the corner, its headlights lighting us up.
We both froze as it passed, the driver honking the horn. Beau barked back. Christ, I’d been so far gone that I’d been ready to make love to her next to a public street. I stepped back.
“Connor?” Her eyes searched mine.
“I’m sorry.” She was still a married woman. What if a week, or even a month from now, she decided she still wanted Brian after all? Although she was adamant she was done with him, there was always the chance it could happen. I was not going to be her shame. Since I obviously couldn’t be trusted around her, I wouldn’t allow myself to be alone with her again as long as she was still married.
I should have let Adam take her home.
13
~ Jenn and Dylan’s Wedding ~
“You look beautiful, Autumn,” Jenn said when I slipped into her hotel room.
I rolled my eyes. “Stop stealing my compliments. Only the bride is allowed to be beautiful on her wedding day. And my God, you’re insanely beautiful.”
And she was. Her auburn hair was pulled back from her face by a crystal-studded headband and then fell in a cascade down her back. I’d been with her when she picked out her gown, but I’d forgotten how gorgeous it was.
The strapless fall of white silk, close fitted down to her waist, and then a swirl of soft-as-a-cloud material below, was exquisite in its simplicity. Diamond stud earrings and the heart-shaped necklace Dylan had given her were her only jewelry. Strappy white heels completed the perfection of a bride about to marry the love of her life.
Her smile was brilliant. “I never expected to be this happy again. Not after Natalie died. Do you think she’s looking down on us?”
“I know she is.” We hugged, our love for and memories of her twin sister never forgotten. I’m not sure another person on the planet, except for Savannah, could understand the tears we both tried to vanquish thinking of Natalie missing Jenn’s wedding day. And thinking of Savannah, I pulled away, needing to tell Jenn something she wasn’t going to like.
“I just ran into Jackson. He said he and Savannah are leaving right after your wedding.” I hadn’t liked Savannah’s agent boyfriend any more than Jenn had on first meeting him.
At the rehearsal dinner he’d never left her alone. At one point, frustrated that we hadn’t gotten any time alone with Savannah, we’d tried to pull her away. “We just want some girl time with our best friend,” I’d said when he put an arm around her waist, holding her in place.
“Savannah doesn’t like leaving my side,” he’d replied. “Do you, doll baby?”
Doll baby? Seriously? I’d wanted to stick a fork in his eyes. I’d glanced at Jenn, seeing the same worry on her face. When I tried to capture Savannah’s attention to let her know Jenn and I would tackle her ass of a boyfriend to the ground if that was what she wanted, her gaze was glued to the floor. What was so damn interesting about a damn floor?
