Cody was not a violent man, but he would have been perfectly happy to punch Jed in the throat for saying that to his own child.
“I want you to listen to me, Autumn.” He tipped her chin up so he could look into her eyes. “He’s full of shit, you hear me? You would be a wonderful mother and any kid would be lucky to have you as their parent.”
He brushed a kiss against her lips. “I was hoping that maybe one day, it would be my child who’d call you Mom.”
He didn’t miss the gasp that escaped her lips or the way her eyes widened. “You want to have a baby with me?”
“One day. I’m hoping that’s what you want, too.”
Something in her expression changed and he smiled, and when she smiled back at him, he pulled her close. She slid her arms around his waist. “I love you so much, Cody.”
Autumn then began to sob in his arms, and he pressed kisses to her head over and over. His resolve became stronger, and he knew one day soon he and Jed Grant were going to be exchanging words.
Cody had grown so tired of the way the old man treated his wife and daughter, and he was determined to make sure Autumn knew how amazing she was. How much he wanted to protect her, share his life with her.
How much he loved her.
“I love you, too. And after we finish dessert, I’m going to show you just how much.”
When she pulled back to look at him again, there were no tears in her eyes this time. Her sadness had been replaced with raw desire, her dark brown eyes sparkling at him. “I can’t wait.”
“Then let’s not.” He released her only long enough to place the pie and cream in the fridge, and then he took her hand and led her to his bedroom.
When they got there, he turned on one of the lamps to provide just enough illumination to see each other and undressed her slowly, bestowing kisses on her newly revealed skin.
Cody reveled in every moan she let out, every audible exhale, every goosebump that rose on her naked body. She cried out softly when he flicked his tongue over one nipple, and then the other. He worked them between his teeth, biting gently before licking them soothingly, until they were hard.
He laid her on the bed, pulling her panties down her hips and off her legs. Cody couldn’t help but gaze upon her, her nakedness a feast for his senses. “You’re so beautiful.”
It was far from the first time he’d murmured such words, and when they’d first started sleeping together, they would’ve been enough to have Autumn scrambling to cover herself.
But such inhibitions were long gone, and the sensual woman who’d lain dormant within her for so long was easily coaxed to the surface with nothing more than a well-placed kiss here and a stroke of a finger there.
What she had lacked in experience, she’d more than made up for with enthusiasm and a willingness to explore her sexuality with Cody.
And he was deeply honored that she had chosen him to be the man to help her learn what she enjoyed sexually and what she didn’t. She was eager to try so many things, and he enjoyed learning along with her how to bring her to orgasm.
He eased out of his clothes, his cock already hard and aching at the sight of her on his bed, her long, black hair spread around her like a halo.
He kneeled on the bed, picking up her left foot and kissing her ankle before making his way up her leg, his lips raining kisses on her skin. When he reached the apex of her thighs, he could see she was wet, the dark curls covering her sex glistening with arousal.
“Cody,” she whispered, one hand reaching down toward him. Their fingers met and laced together as he dipped his head and licked her.
When her hips canted up as a breathy moan fell from her lips, he placed his other hand on her stomach, gently holding her down. His tongue tasted, caressed, and aroused her, moving up and down, back and forth.
When he dipped the tip of his tongue inside her, she trembled beneath him, her fingers tightening their grip on his.
“I’m close.”
Upon her declaration, he rose up, stroked his hard cock a few times, and spread her legs wide, pulling her closer to him. He ran the head of his cock through her arousal, toying with her, and when she began to whimper he pushed inside her.
He slid in with ease, not stopping until he was fully seated within her. Autumn played with her nipples, her eyes closed, and her head thrown back as she gripped him firmly.
“Fuck, you’re tight.”
He was breathing heavily as her inner muscles clenched around him. After a few moments, he pulled out until just the tip was still inside her, and then glided back in. Slowly at first, giving her time to accommodate his girth, but then he gripped her hips tightly and began to thrust hard.
Her cries grew louder, and Cody shifted to lay over her, pushing her legs up and open even farther. She was completely exposed, her pussy on display and taking every inch of his cock.
He braced himself on his arms so he wasn’t lying completely on top of her, and she wrapped her hands around his biceps, holding on tight.
The shift in position meant he could penetrate her more deeply, and if her reaction was anything to go by, Autumn had no objections whatsoever.
He dipped his head and kissed her as he moved faster, and he felt her body begin to tighten as her orgasm rapidly approached. “You going to come, darlin’?”
“Oh God, yes.” Her eyes were wide open, her gaze on his. “Make me come, Cody.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He drove into her faster, harder, and he saw the moment she fell over the edge. She fluttered around him, gripping him tightly, and her cries of ecstasy were music to his ears. She bucked up toward him, her mouth open and her pupils dilated as her body shook beneath his.
He waited until she’d fallen back onto the bed, panting and still trembling, before pulling out of her and shimmying back down the bed. When his tongue licked her clit, she moaned his name.
“I’m not finished with you yet, Autumn Mary. You’re going to come for me again.”
She ran her fingers through his hair as his tongue licked and swirled around her pussy, and once he inserted his middle finger into her and curled it, she came for the second time that night.
He kissed his way back up her body before taking her mouth in a long, hot kiss. “Turn over.”
He helped her up and onto her hands and knees, and then rose up behind her and slid his cock back inside her. Autumn fell forward, her arms giving way, and rested her head on the bed, clutching the sheet between her fingers.
Cody pounded his way to an orgasm, his release slamming into him hard and fast. He pulsed inside her, holding her hips tightly, and only when he was done did he withdraw from her gently.
His heart hammered in his chest as he flopped onto the bed next to her. Autumn twisted her body around so she could lie with him, curled on her side with one leg in between his and her arm over his chest. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he kissed the crown of her head.
“I love you.” His voice was soft, but his words powerful.
She moved her head just far enough to meet his gaze. “I love you, too.” Their lips met, ever so gently, and they kissed over and over. “I don’t think I can move for the rest of the week now.”
He laughed. “Sorry, not sorry.” His expression sobered as he took in her face, the face he wanted to look at every single day for the rest of his life. “Move in with me.”
She froze in his arms. “Move in? Here?”
“Yes. Move in here. Live with me, so you can spend every night in my arms.”
Autumn didn’t speak. She gazed at him intently, then pressed a gentle kiss to his shoulder. “I want to say yes so badly.”
Cody suppressed a sigh. “But?”
“But it’s not as easy as just saying yes, Cody. I can’t…” She trailed off, tears welling up in her eyes.
“You can’t what?”
“I can’t leave Momma behind.”
He rubbed her back soothingly. “I know, darlin’. Maybe we can figure something out for Ruth,
too.”
Autumn nodded. “Maybe. I’m not saying no, okay? I’d need to talk to Momma about it, and we’d have to plan everything.”
“I understand.” He pressed his lips to hers. “Whenever you’re ready, I’m here. We can help you both move and start new lives, if that’s what you want.”
She nodded. “I want.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “I want so much. With you.”
He kissed her again, and eventually he raised her leg up over his hip and slipped back into her. There was none of the urgency there’d been before; now, it was just two people intimately joined, making love.
His thrusts were slow but deep, gentle but hard, and her moans made him shiver. His balls began to tighten, and he knew it wouldn’t be long before he orgasmed.
“Autumn.” He whispered her name like a prayer, a benediction, a revelation. There would never be another woman for him, and Cody knew it. He would do whatever was required to have a life with the amazing woman who lay in his arms.
“I love you.” She pressed her lips against his and wrapped her arms around him tightly, canting her hips up to meet every thrust.
“I’m coming.” He’d barely had time to warn her before he let go, coming deep inside her. A hand slid down her body and reached between her thighs, just above where they were still intimately joined, and he gently rubbed her clit until she trembled around him, her moans loud.
Once they were both still again, he eased out of her gently but kept her close. They didn’t speak, but continued to kiss until she eventually drifted off to sleep, safe in his arms.
Exactly where he wanted her.
Always.
19
August
Cody knocked lightly on the door of Luke and Evie’s cabin a couple of times before pushing it open. They were sitting on the sofa, each cradling a twin. Luke had one baby propped up on his shoulder and was rubbing gentle circles on his back, and Evie was nursing the other.
“Hey, you guys.”
He closed the door quietly behind him and made himself comfortable in an armchair next to them.
“Hi, handsome.” Evie gave him a wide smile before gazing down at the baby suckling on her breast.
“How are you feeling, Blondie?”
She looked back at him. “Like one of Mac Preston’s prize cows with massive udders.”
A snort of laughter escaped him, and he unsuccessfully tried to cover it up with a cough. Luke had no such compunction, throwing his head back and roaring with laughter, which seemed to startle the twin he was holding. The baby let out a small wail.
“Sorry, buddy.” Luke patted his back, and he quieted again. He stood and came over to his twin. “Look who’s come to visit, Colton. Shall we let Uncle Cody cuddle you for a little while?”
He very carefully laid the tiny baby in Cody’s arms. The new uncle made sure he was holding his nephew properly, supporting his head.
He’d had plenty of cuddles since they’d been born a month ago, and he absolutely loved being an uncle. The babies loved to snuggle, and he loved holding them and kissing their tiny faces.
He told them stories about him and Luke as kids. How lucky they were to have each other, a best friend who would always be there for them.
He and Luke had already taken the twins on a tour around the ranch. Each man had carried a baby around the stables, introducing them to the horses from a distance. When the boys were old enough, they’d be taught how to ride.
They’d also toured the main house and the barn, as well as taken a jaunt around the property within walking distance to the cabins. It had given Evie a chance to have a well-earned nap while they were gone, and had also given Cody and Luke an opportunity to bond with the miniature versions of themselves.
Cody was very much looking forward to taking them camping underneath the stars. Exploring the ranch and the Whittaker property, and all it had to offer. Taking them out on the popular ghost tours the Whittaker family ran when they were old enough.
They’d be cowboys, just as he and Luke were. When they’d been born, he’d presented them with tiny cowboy boots, which had delighted their parents and grandparents to no end.
Evie had put the boots on the twins and posed them for photographs, which she’d had printed out and presented to Cody in frames. They took pride of place in his cabin.
He cooed softly at Colton, lifting the baby up so he could kiss his little cheek.
“You finished, mister?” Evie’s question had him looking up, but he soon realized she’d been talking to Travis, who was no longer nursing.
Luke laughed as he took the baby from his wife and sat him up on his thigh. He cupped his chin with one hand and started rubbing his back with the other. “You got some burps for Daddy, baby boy?”
Evie covered herself up and adjusted her top before rising up off the sofa. “I’m going to run to the grocery store. We need a few things.”
“Okay.” Luke raised his face and she leaned over to give him a lingering kiss. She then placed a kiss on Travis’s head before coming over to where Cody sat and doing the same with Colton. Finally, she brushed her lips against Cody’s cheek. “You staying for dinner?”
“Sure am.”
Once Evie was gone, Luke continued to rub his baby’s back and murmur words of encouragement. It didn’t take long before Travis let loose a massive burp, one that made his eyes go wide before he closed them. “Good boy.” Luke kissed his temple repeatedly.
Cody laughed. “He looks drunk.”
Luke glanced at the baby’s face and grinned. “He is drunk. On milk.” Once it was clear Travis had drifted off to sleep, Luke stood and came over to where his brother sat on the sofa.
He very carefully tucked the baby in Cody’s free arm, and after making sure he was holding the twins comfortably, Luke stood back, got out his phone, and snapped some photos of Cody with his nephews. “A few more for the scrapbook. Mom will want copies of this one, too.”
Diana and Bill had been thrilled by the arrival of their grandsons and played the doting grandparents. She’d cooked up a storm since their arrival, ensuring Luke and Evie didn’t have to worry about feeding themselves while taking care of the twins.
In fact, the whole town had pitched in, overjoyed by the newest arrivals in the Whittaker family. Autumn and her mother had provided all the dessert Luke and Evie could want, and Ruth had made the most adorable blankets for the boys, which featured tiny horses.
Other residents had brought everything the twins could need, including clothes and toys. Cody knew his brother and sister-in-law had been overwhelmed, in the best way possible, by everyone’s kindness toward their sons, and it appeared the boys had a town full of people willing to babysit.
He stared at his nephews, nestled safely in his arms, as they slept peacefully. Every now and then, one of them would smile, and it melted his heart.
“You look good with the boys.”
His twin’s comment had Cody gazing up at him with a smile. “They’re easy to love.”
“You’ll be a great dad yourself, you know.” His face fell, and Luke parked himself on the footstool in front of him. “Talk to me, bud.”
“About what?”
“About whatever’s been bothering you the last couple of weeks. I might be sleep deprived, but I’ve noticed.”
Cody sighed. He should’ve known he couldn’t hide anything from his twin. “It’s just…” He trailed off, unsure where to start. Taking a deep breath, he tried again.
“I want this with Autumn. Marriage. Babies. A family. But she’s so scared of her father and what he’ll do when he finds out we’re together that it’s paralyzing her, and I don’t know what to do to change that.”
Luke rubbed his hands down his jeans. “Jed is a stubborn old fool. You can’t reason with him, Cody. He isn’t going to take the news well, and we all know it. I can’t blame Autumn for being scared of his reaction.”
His eyes softened as he looked at his brother. “But it’s also not fa
ir to you, or her, to have to keep your relationship a secret. You can’t hide it forever.”
“I know that.” He leaned over and kissed Colton’s cheek, and then Travis’s. “I don’t want to. We’ve been dating for eight months now. I’m tired of having to keep things under wraps.”
“I don’t blame you. I would be, too.”
Travis began to wriggle in Cody’s arms, then let out a loud noise that couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than what it was.
Cody grimaced, which caused his twin to cackle with laughter. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to your kid farting on you.”
“Does he need a diaper change? Because that’s not in the job description for uncles.”
“You’ve changed their diapers before.”
“Yes, when they’ve peed.”
Luke lifted Travis out of Cody’s arms, held him up, and sniffed. “Ugh. Yes, he needs a diaper change. We’ll be right back.”
He disappeared with the baby nestled in one arm. Cody gazed down at Colton, who was still fast asleep, his tiny mouth, shaped like a Cupid’s bow, slightly open.
Cody ever so gently ran a finger down his face, stroking his cheek. He loved the smell of newborns, all soft and powdery. He couldn’t wait to watch the boys grow into the fine young men he knew they’d become, thanks to their parents.
Luke returned with Travis, who was now wide awake. “We definitely named the right kid after you. He’s got your butt, no doubt about it.”
“How dare you,” Cody huffed. “I suppose your butt always smells like roses.”
“It sure does.” Luke sat back down on the sofa and lifted the baby up to his face, kissing his cheek over and over. “I love you, Travis.”
Something deep inside Cody shifted, and he was horrified to realize his vision was a tad blurry. Blinking rapidly, he shook his head and looked down at the nephew he was holding.
“Your dad is full of it, bud.” He lifted Colton up so the baby’s head was resting on his shoulder. One hand was underneath him, cradling him carefully, and the other patted his back.
Finding Home (Being Home Book 2) Page 15
