Finding Home (Being Home Book 2)

by Lissanne Jones

She pressed her lips against his again. “What flavor do you want?”

  “Surprise me. But don’t forget to bring some whipped cream. I’m in the mood to lick it off your naked body later.”

  The kiss she gave him this time told him just how much she enjoyed the idea. “You’re so bad,” she murmured against his mouth.

  “I’d better go before I give in to the urge to bend you over this counter and fuck your tight pussy until you scream my name.”

  She gasped, her eyes widening. He could see the desire that flared in them and was willing to bet that the lust that was currently shooting through him, heating up his blood, was also having the same effect on her.

  “Don’t worry, Autumn.” He moved his mouth closer to her ear. “I’m just taking a rain check until tonight.”

  After dropping one final kiss on her mouth, he picked up the pie and left the store, adjusting his jeans as he got into his truck.

  By the time he got to Luke and Evie’s cabin, his erection had thankfully subsided. He’d need his brother’s help to pull off his plan, and he hoped Luke was able to go out with him now to get it done.

  Upon his arrival, he found them sitting at the kitchen table, going through some paperwork. “Hey, I’m not interrupting, am I?”

  Luke waved him in. “Of course not.”

  Cody plonked himself in a chair at the table with them. “How are you feeling, Blondie?”

  “Like I’ve eaten a planet whole.” Evie slumped back into her chair, her fatigue obvious.

  He leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek. “These boys are going to be so lucky to have you as their mom.”

  She gave him a tired smile and patted his cheek affectionately. “And they’ll have the best uncle in the world. Lucky boys, indeed.”

  “You want a beer?”

  His twin’s question had Cody swiveling his head in Luke’s direction. “No, thanks. I came over to ask if you could spare an hour or so to help me with something.”

  Luke exchanged glances with his wife. “Sure. With what?”

  “Bessie Preston went window-shopping on Main Street again today. When Mac came to pick her up, I asked him if he’d fixed the fence yet, and his answer made me think he can’t afford to. Thought we might do it for him.”

  “Poor Mac.” Evie’s expression was sympathetic. “It must be hard, doing it on his own.”

  Mac Preston’s farm was a fraction of the size of Luco Ranch but running any type of farm solo was a big task, especially for a man of Mac’s advanced years. “Between the two of us, it shouldn’t take long to repair the hole.”

  Luke nodded. “We can stop by the barn and grab some wire and posts. He probably doesn’t have any.” He stood and turned to his wife. “You going to be okay on your own for a little while?”

  Evie waved her hand dismissively. “I’ll finish this up and relax on the sofa. I can call Diana if I need some help.”

  He leaned over and kissed her soundly, then followed Cody out to his truck. They stopped by the large barn that held the ranch’s supplies and grabbed the tools and equipment they’d need to repair a fence, then headed over to Mac’s farm.

  Cody spotted the large hole in the pasture’s fence the moment they got close enough. “Jesus, look at the size of that thing. No wonder Bessie can wander downtown to go shopping when she pleases.”

  He eased the truck off the dirt driveway and parked it close enough to the fence that they’d be able to grab their supplies with ease. After each of them donned a thick pair of gloves, they examined the hole carefully and talked about the best way to repair it.

  The brothers then got to work. Having repaired far too many fences in their time, both ones on Luco Ranch and those belonging to neighboring properties, it didn’t take them long to plant a new post and connect new wire to old.

  The large, gaping hole Bessie had used as a point of egress was gone by the time the twins were done, and there would sadly be no more shopping excursions for the large black-and-white Holstein cow.

  Just as they were finishing up and standing back to examine their work, Cody heard a very familiar gallop. A large, brown horse was headed in their direction. Mac Preston pulled on the reins to stop the beast, and he stared at the younger men.

  “What’s going on here?”

  Cody tipped his hat toward the farmer. “Just wanted to make sure Bessie didn’t take the opportunity to go on another jaunt into Main Street.”

  The old man swallowed visibly, and his voice was trembling a little when he spoke. “You didn’t have to do that, Cody. I would have repaired it.”

  “It’s no bother, Mac.” Luke gave him a smile. “Neighbors help each other, and we had plenty of spare wire just lying around the barn. Happy to get rid of it.”

  It was just like Luke to make it sound as though Mac was doing them a favor and not the other way around. Cody glanced over at his brother and best friend, and love for his twin washed over him.

  “Thank you.” He knew the old man would have had to swallow his pride to say those words.

  “Autumn insisted I bring you a pie she made this morning for you to enjoy over the weekend.”

  Mac’s eyes widened in delight. “Palisade peach?”

  “Yup. She knows it’s your favorite.” He extracted the box from the front seat of his truck and handed it up to Mac, who tucked it safely in front of him.

  “Give her my thanks, Cody. I appreciate everything.”

  “You got it. We’re pretty much done here, so we’ll get out of your hair.”

  Mac nodded at both of them, and they waved as he rode off back toward the small, run-down homestead he lived in.

  Bessie wandered over as they were putting the tools and spare wire into the back of the truck and let out a loud moo. Cody went over to the newly repaired fence and reached through it to pat her. “I know it sucks, old girl. You love your shopping trips. But it’s not safe for you to be wandering the streets alone.”

  She flicked her tail and bellowed at him before turning around and trotting off again to munch on some grass.

  The twins took one last look at the fence to ensure they hadn’t missed anything. Once they were satisfied, Cody drove Luke back to his cabin. He ducked in quickly to kiss Evie goodbye, then went home.

  As soon as he pushed open the door to his place, he could smell something delicious. Autumn’s head popped out from around the kitchen as he closed the door behind him. “Hi, handsome. All done at Mac’s?”

  “Yep.” He kicked off his boots and went over to her, placing a gentle kiss on her mouth. “He said to thank you for the pie. I think he was more excited by that than the fence.”

  She laughed. “I highly doubt that.” Her expression sobered, and she reached out to push his hair back. “You’re such a good man, Cody Whittaker. You and Luke both. You didn’t have to fix that fence for Mac, but you did so without hesitation.”

  He brushed his mouth against hers. “Has that earned me a blow job?”

  She gaped at him for a few moments, and then pushed him away with a laugh. “Is everything about sex with you?”

  “When it’s as good as it is with you? Absolutely.” He buried his face in her neck and peppered it with kisses. “I need to take a shower. Won’t be long.”

  Once he was in the main bathroom, he stripped and turned the water on as hot as he could stand it. His muscles were starting to ache a little, and the steaming water would ease the pain. He stepped into the shower and ducked his head underneath the spray, closing his eyes as the water cascaded down his body.

  When a rush of cool air hit him, Cody opened his eyes and turned toward the very naked body standing next to him. He ran his gaze up and down Autumn’s soft, feminine curves, her long, dark hair pinned up in a loose bun, and his dick started to harden. “Fancy meeting you here.”

  “I thought you might need a hand to wash those hard-to-reach places.”

  He reached out and cupped a breast, running his thumb over the rapidly hardening tip. “How thoughtfu
l of you.”

  She moaned softly when he bent over and flicked his tongue over her nipple, sucking it into his mouth gently and grazing it with his teeth. Her body was always so responsive to his touch, and he fucking loved it.

  Loved her.

  “I believe you’ve earned yourself a blow job today.”

  Cody lifted his head and raised an eyebrow. “Was that a question or a statement?”

  In response, Autumn got down on her knees and wrapped a hand around his cock. Lifting it up, she ran her tongue from the base to the tip, swirling it around the head and back down again.

  He groaned, closing his eyes and letting his head fall forward. Fuck. The feel of her tongue had him hard in two seconds flat.

  When she slid it between her lips, his eyes snapped open again and he watched as she sucked on his cock, moving it in and out of her mouth. She watched him the entire time, her eyes wide and her hand stroking his hot, sensitive flesh.

  When she started playing with his balls, he knew he was close. Grabbing her by the arm, he pulled her to her feet and thrust his left hand between her legs. He could feel her arousal coating his fingers, and when he slipped one inside her, he knew she was ready.

  Turning them both around, he bent her over at the waist and waited just long enough for her to brace herself against the cold tiles before he slid into her with one smooth thrust. She was so wet he slipped in easily, and her loud cry of pleasure as he filled her made him still once he was fully seated.

  Fuck. She was so tight around his cock. So wet. So hot.

  So perfect.

  He leaned over and kissed her spine before straightening up again, grabbing her hips and holding her while he fucked her. In and out, over and over, faster and faster. She pushed back against him, driving him deeper as her cries got louder, echoing through the enclosure.

  “Cody.” The way she said his name breathily made him want to hear it again and again, and he plunged his cock inside her tight pussy until she clenched and fluttered around him with a scream. He reached around to cup her tits, his fingers playing with her sensitive nipples as her body spasmed around him.

  He stilled inside her until she stopped trembling, and then he pulled her up flush against him. His hips started to move again, his fingers snaking down her bare skin and delving in between her legs. Finding her clit easily, he played with it, and she started to moan again.

  His thrusts became erratic as his orgasm neared, and his moans matched hers as they spiraled together toward climax. He pushed one final time and came deep inside her, and his orgasm triggered hers as she trembled in his arms, gasping for breath as her cries subsided.

  “Fuck, I love coming inside you.” He kissed her shoulder and slid his arms around her waist, holding her as their bodies wrung the last amount of pleasure from each other. He pulled out gently, and she let out a small cry from the loss.

  Turning her around in his arms, she snaked hers around his neck and he held her tightly as they exchanged kisses. Once they dared to let go, they washed each other and made out heavily until Cody finally shut the water off.

  14

  Once she was finished writing furiously in her journal, Autumn closed the cover and bit back tears. Her father had seen fit to dish out yet another stream of abuse at her at the dinner table because he hadn’t liked the way she’d stacked the folded laundry.

  Why?

  Why did her father, the man who had sired her, have to treat her so terribly? She couldn’t recall him being that way when she’d been a young girl, but as she’d gotten older his disdain for her had become more obvious. Had he always resented her for being a girl? Why did he constantly feel the need to denigrate her?

  Nothing she ever did was good enough. Maybe it was time she stopped trying.

  She laid a hand on her journal. Writing everything down had always helped her evaluate her feelings, get them out so she didn’t have to keep them bottled up inside. Autumn hadn’t realized just how much she had come to dislike her father and the way he treated her and her mother until she’d started dating Cody.

  Being in a relationship with him had opened her eyes to so many things. He loved her, and he showed it in so many ways. She adored him, and he treated her with respect. So unlike her father in every single way.

  Autumn was done trying to make her father happy. Now, it was time to put herself first.

  She stood suddenly, not being able to stand the idea of remaining in this mausoleum of a house for one more second.

  Taking her overnight bag out of the wardrobe, she packed everything she’d need for a couple of days. Her father would be leaving for Texas on one of his regular trips that coming Friday and he’d be gone for five days, so if she stayed at Cody’s cabin until he’d departed that meant she wouldn’t have to see him until he returned.

  That totally worked for her.

  Making sure her journal was safely tucked away in her bag, she slung it over her shoulder and quietly walked to her mother’s room.

  Her father was always in bed by eight because he rose before dawn to tend to the ranch, so her parents had slept in separate rooms for years. Even though she and her mom also rose early to bake the pies for their store and deliveries, Ruth tended to stay up later to read.

  Autumn noticed dull light spilling out from underneath her mother’s bedroom door, so she knocked and pushed it open. “Can I come in?”

  “Of course you can, honey.”

  She closed the door gently behind her and dumped her bag on the ground, scurrying over to her mother’s side. Ruth put down the book she was holding and pulled her daughter into a hug. “Are you okay?”

  Autumn held her mother tightly, and she began to relax. No matter what her father said, her mother would always love her, and she knew that. “I love you, Momma.”

  “I love you, too, Autumn. Pay no heed to what your father says. You know not to listen to a damn thing that comes out of his mouth.”

  Autumn felt her mother stroking her hair softly. “I know.” When Ruth finally let her go, she managed a smile. “I’m going to go stay with Cody for a few days.”

  “Good. Your father leaves first thing on Friday, so at least we’ll have a week’s peace.”

  “Will you be okay?”

  Ruth squeezed her hand. “Aren’t I always? Now, go be with your sexy deputy. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Autumn kissed her mother’s cheek, then picked up her bag and left the house as quietly as possible.

  She was grateful it wasn’t a long drive to Luco Ranch. Fifteen minutes later, she eased her little car next to Cody’s truck, and then stopped for a few moments to gaze up at the inky, black sky. Hundreds of stars shone brightly in the dark, and the pain in her heart eased a little.

  She knew she was a lucky woman. She lived in a town she would always call home. The mountains yielded beauty rarely seen elsewhere. Nobody in the neighborhood was a stranger. She had good friends she could count on, and her best friend, Evie, would soon give her two gorgeous babies to coo over.

  Autumn loved baking. She had been experimenting a lot with different flavors and branching out did her creative soul good. She loved running the family store with her mom and hearing the compliments of happy customers always made her smile.

  She was also a woman in love. Cody Whittaker was everything she wanted in a partner. He was loving. Patient. Attentive. Caring.

  He wasn’t afraid to show his feelings for her. The sex between them was explosive and she couldn’t get enough of it.

  Of him.

  Of them together.

  She slid out of her car, shut the door as quietly as she could manage, and came around to the passenger side to retrieve her bag. Slipping into the unlocked house, she went straight to Cody’s bedroom.

  Moonlight poured in through the skylight, bathing the room in a hazy light. Autumn could see his sleeping form, covers gathered around his waist. He was on his stomach, legs spread and pillow crooked underneath his head.

  Rummagi
ng through her bag, she grabbed her short nightgown and pushed the bag neatly away from the door so he wouldn’t trip on it should he get up during the night. She stripped in the dark, slipped on her nightgown, set the alarm on her phone, and carefully crawled into bed.

  Cody stirred in his sleep before his eyes snapped open. “Well, hello there.” He gave her a sleepy smile. “Is this a really good dream?”

  Just like that, all of her anxiety and stress melted away. “I’m sorry I woke you.”

  He opened his arms and she went into them, settling her body against his. He soothed and calmed her in a way nobody else did, and she let out a sigh.

  “Want to talk about it?”

  His question floated in the dark, and Autumn considered it carefully. She knew Cody would listen and comfort her, but she didn’t want to taint this room—this home—with her father and his negativity.

  “No, but thank you. I just want you to hold me.”

  “That I can do.” He pulled her closer, molding her body to his, and she felt like she could breathe properly for the first time in hours. “I’m here, darlin’.”

  “I know you are, and I love you for it.” Blinking back tears, Autumn buried her face in the curve of his neck, breathing in his clean, masculine scent. He brushed a kiss on her forehead and drifted back to sleep.

  It took a little while, but she eventually followed him into slumber, safe in his arms.

  A couple of days later, Autumn looked up from the ledger she was filling out when the bell above the front door to the store tinkled as it was pushed open. When she saw the new arrival was her boyfriend, her heart began to beat a little faster.

  She glanced at her phone and saw it was just before midday. “Good morning, Deputy.”

  Cody tipped the rim of his Stetson toward her. “Miss Grant.”

  They smiled at each other; the kind of smile shared only between lovers. “What can I do for you today?”

  “Is anyone else here? Where’s your mom?”

  “She’s gone to Colorado Springs to make some deliveries and won’t be back for another couple of hours. There’s nobody here except me.”