Page 3 of Boys of Fall

“Not fair,” I said and dropped a bag of salad into the crisper. “Remember that time I drove the car while Cara TP’ed that guy’s house? Totally a rebellious thing to do.”

“Except that you were home by 9:45 pm on a Saturday,” Dad said with a laugh, but it faded quickly as he paused and leaned on the counter. “Sometimes I worry you took on too much responsibility after your mom left.”

I picked at the label on the can in front of me and frowned.

“I can count on my hand how many times you’ve come in past 11 pm,” he said in a softer voice that made me finally meet his gaze. “I’m sorry if I forced you to grow up too fast.”

“Kenny needed me,” I said with a shrug. “And I didn’t mind.”

He stayed quiet as I put the rest of the cans into the pantry.

“Go have fun, Autumn,” he said and took the box of crackers out from under my arm, shooing me out of the kitchen. “And I don’t want to see your face before sunrise. That’s an order,” he said, still smiling though his smile turned a little sad. “Just be safe and tell Cara I said hello.”

“Thanks, Dad,” I hugged him one-armed around the waist then put the last of the apples in the basket on the counter. “I’m going to get dressed.”

Electric beeps and boops were still coming from Kenny’s bedroom while he and Thomas narrated each move. At least they were entertained for the moment.

I tugged the pencil out of my hair and tossed it onto my dresser. Standing in front of the closet, I was glad I’d done my laundry earlier and had good options. I thumbed through my collection of t-shirts and pulled out a well-worn favorite. A soft cotton from our last trip to the beach that tapered at the ribs and did a good job of framing my boobs. Dark jeans, a push-up bra, matching panties, and ankle socks topped the pile on my bed before I switched on my music app.

The mower still rumbled outside in a low two-cycle hum under the beat of the song. I waited until Jerry made the turn away from the house to peek out the window.

His smooth stride never faltered as he created line after line of precise cuts. The late afternoon heat had him even more drenched with sweat. Hair plastered to his forehead and a spreading line of wetness at the waistband of his shorts. I blew out a shaky breath as sweat trickled down between my breasts and my body tingled. Powerful thighs bulged under his gold gym shorts with each step and sent a jolt of desire through me. His jersey number, 31, printed on the hem in maroon letters flashed and drew my attention to the way each calf and knot of muscle over his knee tick-tocked back and forth with his easy stride. Smooth, hard, smooth, hard.

How would all that muscle feel pressed against me in the dark? The tingle turned to an ache between my thighs. Would his salty skin taste as good as I’ve imagined? Glancing at the open door then to the nightstand drawer, I tapped two fingers on my bottom lip. I do have some extra time.

I stuck my head into the hall to listen. Dad had turned the TV on in the den to a football game. He’d be in a full nap in a few more minutes. Kenny and Thomas were still playing with minimal fighting. I closed my door with a soft bump and flipped the lock.

Peeling the shirt over my head, I tossed it along with my shorts and panties into the hamper outside the bathroom door.

The breeze ruffled the curtains next to my bed and brought that amazing smell of cut grass to me again. Visual and scent, I had exactly what I needed. I shivered and the growing ache intensified the hunger for a release. Well, almost what I needed. Having his skin pressed to mine would be even better, but a bitch can’t get picky in times like this. I glanced at the clock on my dresser. No doubt Kenny would need something stupid soon and bang on my door, so I had to hurry or I’d lose the chance to really enjoy the moment.

I settled myself on the bed in my favorite position and eased the drawer open to grab my vibrator. Dammit! I can’t see Jerry because my bed faces the dresser and not the open window.

Hurrying over to the adjustable mirror, I tilted it down some. He’d turned to walk up the little rise toward the house again and the glass framed him perfectly through the tiny crack in the curtains. Score!

I hopped on the bed and sighed watching him move as my legs fell open wide. The mirror showed me my body too. The wetness glittered in the fading sun, and I stroked a finger through it, caressing each lip. The sudden sensation of touch made me gasp. It had been too long. Relaxing into the feeling, I closed my eyes. Heat burst red-hot through my eyelids as the setting sun finally reached me on the bed. Massaging my clit in little circles, tracing that super sensitive valley to each side of the inner lips, the ache burned across my hips and consumed the last of my tension.

The growl of the mower turned into an idle as I opened my eyes.

Jerry knelt beside the grass catcher, poking at the gob of clippings stuck under the flap. The cap of muscle over his shoulder rippled as he worked. I matched my speed to the rhythm of his movements and closed my eyes. Is that what his long, strong fingers pushing inside me would feel like? I gasped as the muscles clamped down hard once my two fingers slipped all the way into my wet heat. The knot of my gspot already a firmness begging to be stroked. A moan rumbled in my throat as I caressed deeper, wanting more. Needing more to dispel the urgency of desire.

I twisted the vibrator to life and imagined Jerry pushing himself inside me with a shuddering sigh.

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