Page 20 of When Autumn Arrives

The belt came free. Then he flipped me over. “Was that so hard?” he asked, looking down at me with a brow drawn. He pressed soft kisses to the angry flesh of my wrists.

I nodded, jutting out my bottom lip. “It was.”

He chuckled. This time it was light and free, almost as if he were amused. Before I could comment, he was sliding down my body, opening my legs, and spearing his tongue inside of my sex. “Calder,” I shrieked. “You just came inside of me.”

He moaned his satisfaction against me. “And now I’m cleaning you up.”

Oh my God.

Chapter thirteen

Hendrix

When Calder came downstairs without Thea, I almost choked him. I shouldn’t have left him alone with her, but I also knew it needed to happen. He was finally coming around to the idea of her, of all of us being together the way we had been with Millie.

Calder was finally getting over that messed-up relationship, and I had to let it happen. But when he came down without her, a surge of protectiveness fluttered through me. I didn’t know if she was okay. What if she didn’t want it? Calder was rough and definitely into non-consensual play. Usually, those roles were clearly discussed beforehand, but they weren’t today. And I just walked away.

Until today, Parker and I had been gentle with her for the most part. Was this too much for her?

“She’s fine,” he said, eyeing me with a knowing look. “She’s asleep.”

“What?” I reared back. “What did you do?”

He walked past me and into the kitchen. I followed, hot on his heels. Parker would be home any minute and whatever was happening right now, we needed to figure out beforehand.

“Calder?” I asked.

He ignored me, heading for the stove. I watched, dumbfounded, as he opened the pot on the stove and stirred. After a moment, he replaced the lid, then started a pot of water.

“What’s happening?” I asked, my mouth wide open.

“She was tired and asked me to finish dinner.” He said it so simply. As if he hadn’t spent the last month hating the woman that was now sleeping upstairs.

I refused to believe him. I turned on my heels, ready to check on her, when the side door opened, and Parker stepped inside. He kicked off his boots, the same as I had, then tossed his keys on the counter. “Smells good,” he said, turning to Calder. “What are you cooking?”

“Pasta,” Calder said.

“Cool. I’m starving.”

“Thea’s upstairs in his bed,” I blurted.

“What?” Parker whipped his head toward me. “Is she okay?”

“I was about to head up to her,” I said.

Calder slammed a cabinet, the sound shocking both Parker and me into place. “She is sleeping. You’ll leave her be.”

Parker exchanged a glance at me. “Buddy?” he said, cautiously. “What’s going on?”

“What’s going on is…” He gripped the wooden spoon in his hand. “I fucked up and gave in when I promised myself I wouldn’t.” He turned toward us. “And now she’s got me finishing this fucking dinner that was intended for you.” His lip curled in disgust.

Parker went for the liquor cabinet, catching that we all needed something stronger than beer. When he returned, he poured three shots of Jameson. We huddled around the kitchen table and downed it in one go. Parker refilled us, and this time we sipped them while Calder calmed himself.

He scrubbed a hand down his face. Calder showing any type of emotion since Millie was rare. He guarded his heart, and we understood why. Still, this side of him was refreshing. Thea didn’t have to be end game for Calder, but knowing she was helping pull him from that void of a person he’d been was more than I could ask for.

Our friend was starting to show something other than anger or indifference.

“What’s going on, Cald?” Parker asked, his voice soft and soothing.

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