“You look real good, Autumn.”
The way Chains said her name in his deep voice sent shivers all the way to the pit of her stomach, releasing a slew of butterflies. She bit her inner cheek and shifted in place.
“It’s amazing what concealer can do.”
He stared intently at her, his gaze disarming in its fervency. “Come here, woman.”
Autumn put Cinder down and the cat quickly scampered away, then she stepped on the porch and closed the screen door behind her. Chains gripped her arms and pulled her flush against him, crushing his mouth to hers. It was a messy, wonderful frenzy-of-a-kiss that rocked her to the core. Incredible.
Autumn pulled slightly away and smiled. “We’re giving my neighbors a good show.” She glanced over at Mrs. Hawley who stood on the front porch, staring. The woman was the cul-de-sac’s busybody, but Autumn didn’t want to give her any more fodder for gossip.
“It’s good to give the neighborhood a shake up every once in a while.” Chains snapped his fingers and Thor bounded over.
“Cinder’s already run away to hide.” Autumn opened the screen door and went inside.
Thor dashed around and sniffed everywhere while Autumn searched for her cat. She wanted to reassure Cinder that everything was okay. The cat had never had a dog in her space before, so she wasn’t quite sure how her pet would react to a Siberian bursting with energy.
“It’ll take some time for them to get used to each other.”
Autumn nodded, then bent on one knee and stroked Thor’s fur before wrapping her arms around him.
“How’re you doing, boy?” When Thor licked her arm, she laughed and then stood up.
“He’s crazy about his doc, just like I am,” Chains said, his voice thick.
Heading into the kitchen, she glanced over her shoulder at him. “That’s good to know.
I’ll get our lunch so we can head out.”
While Chains packed the SUV, Autumn ran upstairs and went into the walk-in closet in the master bedroom. Sure enough, Cinder was curled up in the corner, big eyes staring intently at the door. Autumn dropped to her knees and petted the soft fur.
“It’s okay, honey. There’s no danger,” she murmured as she continued stroking her cat.
“Are you coming?” Chains’s voice boomed from the bottom of the stairs and filtered into the closet.
“I’ll be right down,” she replied while scratching Cinder under the chin. She planted a quick kiss on top of the cat’s head. “I’ll be back later,” she said before standing. She placed a paper bag in the middle of the bedroom, then headed down the stairs.
Three more bags strategically placed around the first floor had Chains laughing.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Autumn smiled. “It’s for Cinder. She loves stumbling across these and cardboard boxes, but I’m fresh out of those. She pounces in and out of them and tears holes to use as tunnels. It’s a fun distraction and makes her world feel safe again.”
“Never would’ve thought that, but I don’t know much about cats.”
“Each pet is different and an owner gets to know what makes her animal tick.” She picked up the picnic basket and laced her fingers through his. “I’m really looking forward to this. I work so many hours that I rarely find time to get out of Alina.”
“I’m aiming to change that. The next trip out, you’ll be on the back of my bike.” He lowered his head and kissed her. “You pressed behind me on my Harley makes me hard, woman.”
A tingle shivered down her spine at the thought of holding him tight as the wind rushed around. “I can’t wait,” she whispered, leaning against him.
Thor’s barking broke through the sexual haze enveloping her, and she took out the house keys and tugged Chains toward the front door.
Minutes later, they were driving out of Alina. They passed miles of sand and sagebrush before turning onto a small road that took them into a forest of trees and lush vegetation. The contrast in the landscape was breathtaking.
“It’s gorgeous,” Autumn said and reached her hand across the seat for his.
Chains glanced over at her. “This is one of my go-to places. It’s not that far from town, but feels miles away—like I’m the only one left in the world. When life sucks sometimes, this canyon grounds me.”
“I bet it’s wonderful to ride around the small roads on your motorcycle.”
“It is. We’re gonna do that for sure. I’ve been sort of preoccupied lately”—he drew her hand to his lips and nipped it, then gave it a kiss—“and Thor’s been left at the club without me.”
“Feeling guilty?” She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder.
“I guess.” Chains brushed a kiss across her forehead.
“I feel like that too with Cinder when I have to work several long days in a row. I’ve thought about getting another cat so they could keep each other company, but I fear Cinder would be pissed for life about it.” She laughed.
“I can see that happening—she’s been number one for a long time.”
Chains pulled the car off the road, and the three of them bounced over rough terrain for what seemed like miles to Autumn. Then the car stopped and he switched off the ignition.
“You okay?” he asked.
She moved her jaw left and right a few times. “Still working okay.”
He tugged Autumn to him and kissed her deeply. “You make me laugh and I like that, woman.”
Thor began barking and scratching at the door, and both Autumn and Chains turned around and smiled at the Siberian. Chains jumped out of the car and opened the back door, and Thor dashed out, running into the thicket of trees.
Chains walked around to Autumn’s side, helped her out of the car, then grabbed the wicker basket.
“It’s much cooler up here than in town. I bet it’s a great relief in July and August when it’s sweltering in Alina.”
“It is.”
They walked hand in hand through the wooded forest replete with cottonwoods and ponderosa pines. The wind sighed through the pine needles, carrying a sweet and earthy fragrance. Dried leaves and fallen pine cones crunched under their footsteps, and just ahead, through the shallow veil of trees, Autumn saw the lake. Thor was already at its shore, standing still with his nose up in the air.
“How beautiful,” she said as they walked out of the forest. “I can’t believe I’ve never come here before.”
Chains stopped and tossed a blanket down on the ground, then placed the wicker basket on top of it. He whistled and Thor rushed over. Chains took out a Ziplock bag from a pocket in his leather jacket and fished out a Milk-Bone. Thor’s blue eyes sparkled as he looked intently at his owner.
Warmth spread through Autumn as she watched the two of them interact, and when Chains bent down and hugged Thor close, her heart melted.
Standing up, he said, “Let’s take a walk first. It’s about a couple of miles or so around.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
Chains grabbed her hand and tucked it into his, and Thor padded ahead.
Rays of lights danced delicately across the water that mirrored the sky above: cornflower blue with wisps of clouds. Pine trees cast shadows across the shoreline as rippled water gently lapped it. The surrounding area was a kaleidoscope of color: burnt orange, mossy green, flaming red, and harvest gold. A light breeze undulated the surface of the lake and blew Autumn’s wispy bangs from her forehead.
The stillness of the area, the warmth of her hand in Chains’s, the beautiful surroundings, and Thor’s excitement in spending time with them—all made up a perfect day for Autumn. Since she’d arrived in Alina, Autumn had been on what seemed like a hamster wheel: working long hours, usually on call during weekends, and putting most of her energy in building up her business. Rinse and repeat. Day after day. And when Bret came into her life, any energy she had left went to him … then the wedding planning for four long months.
She glanced at Chains, who looked pensive as he star
ed at the water. Since meeting him, her world had turned upside down but in a good way. The short time they’d spent with each other were the best times she’d ever had with any man. Part of her was thrilled by it, but another part was terrified because it seemed like everything was going too fast.
Autumn remembered the story her dad had told her of how her parents had met at a party while they were college, that when he’d seen her mom across the room, he knew he’d love her forever. Yeah … Autumn had thought it sounded hokey as hell and had even questioned the veracity of it until her mother had told her something very similar about the first time she’d seen Autumn’s father. Her mom was a big believer in fate and destiny, but Autumn had always been more practical with that kind of thing than her parents.
But now she wondered if maybe there was something to this whole love-at-first-sight and destiny thing that she’d always dismissed. It would certainly explain why she felt such a strong connection to Chains, and why no man had ever made her feel the way he did. And the fate and soulmate aspect gave some insight as to why in the hell she was falling—correction, had already fallen in love with him. And it’s been barely a few weeks since I broke up with Bret … Chains’s brother. “Ugh.” A groan escaped from her throat.
“You okay?” Chains asked, stopping. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and drew her close.
“I’m great. I was just clearing my throat. I could get addicted to this place.”
He nodded. “It has a way of pulling you in.” He stroked her cheek. “Like you do to me.”
Autumn nuzzled his neck. “You must know that I’m falling hard for you.” She couldn’t quite bring herself to admit she was crazy in love with him. Call it pride or self-preservation, but she didn’t think she could handle Chains pulling away from her. That’d be a great one—two brothers dropping me in less than a month.
“I do, and you must feel that I’m totally mesmerized and captivated by you. No woman has done that to me—not even my ex. So, that’s huge, baby.”
Mesmerized and captivated are good, right? I mean, he didn’t say he loved me, but that’s a lot to expect since we’ve only been together for a short time.
He let out a hearty laugh. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
She turned toward Chains and wrapped her arms tightly around him. “Nothing much except that this is one of the best days I’ve had.”
“It’s like that for me whenever we spend time together.”
A surge of happiness shot through her, electrifying every cell in her body. Hooking her arms around his neck, Autumn drew his head down and crushed her mouth to his, sucking his tongue, nipping at his bottom lip, and kissing him wildly. With a deep growl, he took control of the kiss, deepening it, and pressing her tighter against him. His hands skimmed down Autumn’s back until he cupped her ass, squeezing it while grinding against her. She felt his hard dick and rubbed her body closer, her skin tingling with every feral sound he made.
She broke the kiss, moaning into his mouth.
“What the fuck have you done to me, Autumn?” he rasped before taking her lips again.
She felt the earth below melt away and all time stopped for that moment as she gave in to her senses: his taste—sweet with a hint of tequila, the way he felt—hard and warm, his scent—soap and wind, the sounds he made—grunts and murmurings, and the sight of him—rough and gorgeous.
“I want you so fuckin’ bad,” he growled.
The sweet laughter of children along with Thor’s barks brought her out of the cocoon of sensations and into real time. She pushed back gently and looked over at three children throwing rocks into the lake, and a couple standing near the shoreline, bending over and digging through the sand.
Chains whistled loudly and Thor stopped in his tracks; then, he switched direction and came running toward them.
“You stick with us, buddy,” Chains said as he looped an arm around Autumn’s waist and began walking.
Before long they’d circled the lake, then Chains shook out the blanket and laid it on the ground again. Autumn sat down, opened the basket, and began to take things out of it.
As they sat eating roast beef sandwiches, a chopped salad with butternut squash, dried cranberries, apples, walnuts, and feta, Chains unscrewed a beer bottle that he’d retrieved from the car and brought it to his lips.
“Is something bothering you?” Autumn asked before taking a small bite of her sandwich.
Shaking his head, he stared at the lake.
“Are you feeling funny about our situation? You know—the whole ex-fiancée thing.” She held her breath.
He jerked his head back. “No fuckin’ way.”
“Then what? I know something’s on your mind. You were quiet for most of the walk.” Autumn dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin, leaned back on her palms, and stretched her legs out on the soft spread Chains had brought.
The muscle in his jaw visibly tightened as he looked over at Thor, who was sleeping at the foot of the throw.
“I’m worried about a buddy of mine. He’s in the hospital.” Chains glanced over at her, concern settling into the fine lines around his eyes and forehead.
She sat up straight and reached out for his hand to stroke it. “I’m so sorry. What’s wrong with him?”
A small pause, then he blew out a long breath. “Someone shot him.” He looked away and settled his gaze back on the view in front of them.
Shock reverberated through her and she gripped his hand harder. “That’s awful. Did the police catch who did it?”
A slight smile danced across his lips. “The badges are looking into it. Anyway, he’s got a raging infection. We thought he’d be back home in a week, and now the doc’s saying it could be a lot longer.”
“Is that the friend you visited today?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
Sadness spread across his face, and Autumn scooted closer and leaned into him, her hand still holding his. “You should’ve told me. We could’ve rescheduled today.”
“No, babe, I wanted to be here with you. I needed to get away. Eagle’s”—he looked down into her face and stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers—“hooked up to a bunch of tubes and shit. He’s out of it right now.”
“Is he in ICU?” she asked.
Another pause, this one longer than the first. “Yeah,” he whispered.
“Actually, that’s the best place for him to be. His doctor’s flushing him with antibiotics, and he has a real good chance of pulling through just fine. I know it’s hard to see someone you care about suffer, especially when you feel so helpless.”
“Yeah—it pisses me the fuck off that I can’t help him.”
“Is he in your club?”
Chains nodded. “We go back a long time—we’re real tight. Fuck,” he said, pounding the spot next to him with his fist.
Autumn ran her fingers through his thick hair. “After we’re done here, let’s go to the hospital. I’ll stay with Thor while you spend some time with your friend.”
She felt Chains stiffen beside her, and his hand slid to her neck, pulling her head back. His lips were close, his gaze intense, then his mouth claimed hers possessively.
“Autumn,” he kept whispering between fervid kisses.
She stroked the side of his face, feeling the faint rough stubble of his beard. Then, his lips trailed along the side of her neck.
“Oh Chains,” she whispered. “I want to make it all okay for you.”
“You are,” he rasped.
She glanced across the lake and saw the couple from earlier sitting on some rocks, watching their children play. “The family’s still by the shore. I don’t think they’re planning on leaving.”
Chains pulled away, then looked over and groaned. Autumn smiled and patted her thighs, and he lay down on his back with his head in her lap. As she ran her fingers through his hair, his lids fluttered shut, and she moved her hands over his face, lightly tracing his dark brows, full lips, and strong
jawline.
Sitting on the warm blanket, listening to his deep breathing mingle with the small waves that gently lapped against the shore, Autumn had never felt closer to a man than she did to Chains. Crazy? Perhaps. But it felt right, like it was meant to be.
She gazed down at his worry-free face and unadulterated love spread through her. It was one of those moments in time that held the promise of what might be, and Autumn wished she could freeze-frame it, hold it close and never let go.
“I’ve been waiting my whole life for you,” she whispered.
The slanting rays of the late afternoon sun streaked through the trees and bounced off the ripples on the surface of the lake.
Chapter Twenty
Three weeks later
The young teenager led Chains and Scorpio to a rundown trailer down a dirt road behind the diner run by “Old Man” Bob. The eatery had been a part of the Alina landscape longer than most people could remember. Old Man Bob’s great-grandfather had opened the place up for the weary traveler long before freeways crisscrossed the state. At one time, the place was known for its food and ambience, but over the last three decades, its reputation had fallen by the wayside. Now most of the dishes Bob prepared had grease as the main ingredient, but the diner still had a loyal customer base, which kept it afloat all these years.
“Here it is,” the teen said, pointing to a mobile home with faded metal siding.
In front of the trailer was a rusty aluminum picnic table with four folding chairs, and to the left side, an outdoor fire pit and a muddy three-wheeler.
The teenager’s eyes darted from Chains to Scorpio, then back to Chains. “Uh … you said you were gonna pay me if I showed you where Benny lives.”
“Don’t sweat it, kid,” Scorpio said.
Chains pulled out a fifty-dollar bill and handed it to the moppy-haired teen. “Make sure you keep your fuckin’ mouth shut about where you got the dough.”
The boy crumpled it in his hand, then shoved the wadded up bill into his jeans pocket. “Of course.” He turned around and walked back down the road.
Chains Page 22
