Page 14 of Boys of Fall

Autumn‘s hand stayed firmly on my arm as more CC players gave chase to the ones on foot. Her laughter had faded to a warm smile as she turned to face me.

“Are you okay?” Her hand lightly stroked my arm. “You didn’t drink any of that crap, did you?”

I shook my head, taking a step closer. “I owe you big time. Finishing that drink might have taken me out of the game completely.”

“My guess is that’s exactly what they wanted,” Autumn glanced toward where the crowd milled around the gate. When they moved, it left us alone by the fire. She stared at the group a moment longer then turned to face me. “I hope I didn’t embarrass you too much by running off at the mouth that way.” She fidgeted and shuffled her feet as she stared at them. “You know, blurting out in front of your friends that we’re a couple.”

I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. “It’s okay. I didn’t mind.”

She huffed a laugh and smiled wider at her feet. “I’d never let anyone hurt you, Jerry.”

Those glasses were right there. Waiting to be taken away from her gorgeous face and tucked into my pocket. I couldn’t stop staring at her mouth. The firelight shimmered in the glossy pout of her bottom lip. So kissable, maybe even bitable. The blood started to pound a little louder in my ears as she leaned closer.

“Autumn, I-“

“So,” she interrupted then turned away with an embarrassed half-laugh as I stumbled trying to take a step closer. “I guess the big game is safe now,” she said and patted my chest. Then she took a step back and swiped a hand dramatically across her forehead before tucking it into her back pocket. She tensed as if to leave.

“There’s something I’d like to show you,” I blurted out. “I mean, if you want.”

Autumn smiled and nodded. “Is it close by?”

“Yeah, in my truck.”

“Let me message Cara before we go,” she said and pulled the phone from her back pocket and tapped out a quick text. Then she held the phone out in front of us and wrapped her arm around my waist. “She’s with Jackson so I need to let her know who I am with. It’s our check-in system, selfie style.”

Her arm tightened around my waist and I hugged her closer. The line of our hips and sides met, and her boob molded against my ribs.

“Smile!” She tapped the screen and the flash burned a white-hot sensation of her into my mind. For a second, there was no sight, only the solid pressure of her against me. The citrusy tang of her shampoo filled my nose, and the push of her inhale against my own expansion of ribs tickled my stomach with desire. I stole a moment, letting my lips brush her hair. Everything in me responded to the pleasure of her closeness. The ache for her was more pleasant this time, not the rabid need from this afternoon, but a slow building anticipation. Though the leash on rabid was fraying fast.

“Thanks,” she said as she let go. The cold air leached her transferred heat out of my shirt as she stepped away. I shivered through the urge to pull her into a tighter hug and to finally find out if those lips were as soft as they looked.

A few more taps on the screen and she smiled up at me. “All done, and I have to warn you that I’m pretty clumsy in the dark,” she said and held out her hand. “Now, what did you want to show me?”

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