by Lexie Davis
His eyes widened. He opened his mouth to speak then closed it again. Autumn wasn’t sure whether she should be embarrassed and run or find it amusing that she had rendered him speechless.
“Of course I will,” he finally said. “Is that what you want?”
Autumn nodded and slid her hand along his side. “I want an orgasm that curls my toes and you’re the only one who can do that.”
Jackson kissed her again, this time plunging his tongue inside her mouth. Autumn’s mind drifted again, only this time to the events of her dream. He told her, “I love you,” followed by her name. Is that what I’m seeking with his ridiculous idea for us to have sex, or is it purely physical need? Before she could answer her question, he cupped her head with one hand, each movement of his tongue heating her body to scorching temperatures.
Too much thinking never got you anywhere. Just go with the flow for once. He’s here, you’re here. That’s all it needs to be right now.
His mouth coasted to her neck, leaving a hot trail of kisses as he went. Autumn tilted her head to the side to give him room, while she roamed the expanse of his back with her hands. His body was damn near perfection, something that only exists in fantasies. While her other lovers had had just the pretty face, Jackson had the body to go along with it. He was her dream, and now, he was becoming her reality.
His hand went to her side and slipped underneath the cotton nightshirt she wore. She belatedly wished she wore something a bit more flattering than a simple grey, knee-length shirt with white cotton panties underneath. It wasn’t the most desirable piece of lingerie she owned, if you could even call it lingerie.
Trying to give herself a better position, she moved clumsily on the couch. Jackson moved freely, but her hands felt tied to her sides. It didn’t take long before she was finally able to maneuver enough to touch him. His pants hung low on his hips, and the taut muscles of his abdomen contracted when her fingers brushed over them. He mumbled something against her neck as his mouth coasted down. He cupped her breast and she arched toward him with a groan, lost her balance and fell back.
With a hard thud, Autumn found herself on the floor beside the couch. “Shit.”
“What the . . .”Jackson glanced over the edge of the cushions, humor in his eyes.
With all the menace she could muster, she narrowed her eyes and replied, “Don’t say a word. It’s not funny.”
He grinned and lowered himself to the floor on top of her. “Are you okay?”
Autumn groaned. “My butt hurts.”
Jackson cupped the part in question and, putting his mouth to her ear, said, “You want me to kiss it and make it better?”
Liquid heat flooded between Autumn’s thighs, and her eyelids drifted closed. She assumed his question was rhetorical and let him take the lead again, worshipping her body.
His hands slid up each of her sides pushing her shirt as he went. Jackson had a way about him that built anticipation to almost unbearable degrees. She wasn’t one to take things slow, usually, not even when they’d been together before. The fact that he took his time to rid her of her shirt made a huge statement.
“Why are you nervous, Autumn?” Jackson sat back on his heels looking down to where his hands lay, beneath her breasts. “We don’t have to do anything. I swear I never believed I could say that to a woman, but I mean it. I shouldn’t have come on to you last night.”
She pursed her lips. “That’s not it. I’m nervous because I haven’t had a man inside me in three years. Hell, the only time I get to talk about sex recently is when Leslie brings her dog in to the clinic because he can’t get it up.”
She left off the part about him being Jackson—wonder stud and orgasmic king. His eyes were a beautiful deep green that had the ability to hypnotize her. There was no denying she wanted this man, whether it be for the right or wrong reasons.
Jackson trailed a hand down her body, splaying his fingers along her stomach. “I honestly can’t believe you’re not married.”
“Why?” Autumn squirmed beneath him.
He smirked. “Because you’re hot. You’re sweet and caring. Stubborn as hell, but who isn’t? I figured you’d find your man, settle down and have two-point-five kids.”
He ran a finger along the side of her panty-covered crotch. “I’m not going to say I had feelings for you, because I didn’t. I didn’t love you back then, but I did care. I shouldn’t have touched you. I know it now, but back then, I shouldn’t have let things go that far. I’m kind of wondering if I’m making the same mistake now?”
She sucked in a breath when he finally slipped beneath the cotton barrier and touched her wetness. He pulled the crotch of her bikinis aside and explored her pussy with his fingers. Autumn reeled at the sensations flowing through her body. Each stroke was light barely a butterfly’s touch against her yet it held the power of a lightening bolt striking the ground. She closed her eyes and spread her legs wider, silently giving Jackson permission to explore forgotten territory. And then his mouth replaced where his fingers had been.
Autumn whimpered. Just like the puppies she treated, she whimpered begging Jackson to fill her, to suffice her need. Three years was way too long to go without sex. And fourteen years was definitely too long to go with out great sex.
He pushed her legs apart, moved between them, and licked her pussy like a starved man. She propped one foot on the couch and the other on the coffee table. A low groan came from him, and the look on his face said it all. A little thrill shot down her spine at his approval.
His fingers brushed the length of her thighs until he reached her hips. He lifted her, an ass cheek in each hand; pulled her panties to the side, and held her completely open for his mouth. Fireworks exploded behind her eyes when she came, her back arching as a soft moan of pleasure escaped from her parted lips. Jackson kissed his way up her body and wrapped his arms around her.
“Autumn”—his face pressed into her neck—“God, Autumn.”
He spoke her name exactly the way she dreamt. The soft breathless sigh of his desire, something she knew she gave him. She couldn’t help smiling to herself.
The phone rang, pulling them from their cocoon of security. Autumn groaned, and Jackson gave her a smile and one last kiss before she left his embrace to answer it.
“Hello?” She grabbed the phone and sat on the coffee table in front of Jackson.
He reached for the remote and muted the cartoons on the screen before wrapping his arms around her. He pressed light kisses against her thigh, something that made her want to end the conversation before it even began.
“Autumn, you need to get to the clinic.” The voice of a frantic Summer rushed through the lines. “Someone broke in last night and the place is a mess.”
“Broke in?” Jackson’s head popped up. “Did they do anything? Are the animals okay?”
“The animals are fine. There’s damage though. The police need to talk to you.” Summer’s calmed somewhat. “Marc called me to let me know. I’m on my way there now.”
Autumn silently thanked her lucky stars that Summer’s boyfriend Marc worked on the local police force. “Okay. We’ll be right there.”
She clicked the phone off and replaced it on the charger. “ The clinic was broken into last night.”
“Do you think it was him?” Jackson stood and followed her down the hall.
“I hope not.”
They dressed in a hurry and were on their way to the clinic within twenty minutes. Upon arriving, Autumn first noticed the windows were shattered and police swarming everywhere. Summer’s car was parked in the back of the parking lot, and Jackson pulled in beside her. Someone even took the time to paint “Bitch” on the brick side of the building.
“Jesus.” Jackson turned the key, killing the engine. He turned his head and Autumn looked away. “You okay?”
“Let’s just see what the police found out.”
He held her hand as they confronted the police about the damage. Summer stood to the side talkin
g with Marc, her boyfriend.
“What happened?” Jackson asked.
“Vandals,” the officer said. “We did a fingerprint check and nothing came up. I need to know if anything is missing for my report.”
Autumn walked inside with the officer, Jackson and Summer following close behind. From the outside, the damage looked worse than it did on the inside. Everywhere was red paint with the word “whore” written across one wall. The paint dripped, like fresh blood from an open wound. She took a deep breath and felt Jackson’s hand on her shoulder.
Her files were emptied all over the floor, crumbled and ripped. The documentation was something her patients depended on. She glanced around the room taking in everything. The faux leather seats were sliced open, stuffing spread about. The pictures that hung on the wall now lay on the ground, smashed to pieces. Magazines were ripped and spread about. Whoever broke in even took the time to clip the TV wires.
Jackson massaged her shoulders lightly. “This is more than just vandals.”
The officer looked around. “Maybe. Dr. Callahan, I need you sign off on any property missing.”
Autumn shook her head and moved toward the hall that led to the back. Five cats, a litter of puppies and their mother, a dog named Bear, and Dodo stood in their cages waiting for her attention. She checked all the animals, trying to sooth them.
“Hey, babies,” she greeted them, grabbing a handful of biscuits. “You guys must have been so scared.”
Dodo was anxious to see her, she knew, and she gave her a pat on the head along with a couple biscuits. After giving the animals that could have one a treat, she petted the ones who couldn’t and took note of their conditions.
“Autumn?” Jackson came to the back and stepped inside the cage room. Immediately, Dodo started to growl. “Uh, is everything okay back here?”
“Shh, Dodo. It’s okay.” She scratched behind the dog’s ear. “Yeah. The dogs are fine. A little scared, but they’re okay and accounted for.”
Jackson leaned against the door, afraid of the beast Autumn kept at her side. “Do you see anything noticeably missing that the officer can write in the report?”
Autumn grabbed another biscuit and gave it to the dog before stepping out of the cage and locking it behind her. “No. It wouldn’t matter though even if I did.”
She walked past him to tell the officer and hopefully get him out of her hair. If it wasn’t one thing, it was another.
Chapter Seven
After the police cleared out, Jackson tackled scrubbing the walls and the brick while Summer started sweeping the messy floors. Autumn made arrangements with the insurance company and called the window repair company to replace the front windows.
“Hey, Summer, I’m going to run some errands and pick up some lunch. Do you want me to get something for you?” Jackson set the paint roller down after he cleaned the last of the paint from it and glanced over at the silent Summer.
“I suppose, if you don’t mind.” She paused to pull her long brown hair into a ponytail. “Anything’s fine.”
He nodded and pulled his keys from his pocket. “Since Autumn is busy, will you tell her where I am?” Then, he added, “Not that she’d worry or anything.”
Summer chuckled. “You two make a cute couple. Why’d you break it off?”
“Stupidity.” Jackson pushed the door open and stepped outside before she could question him anymore.
On his way to the truck, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Davis’s number. On the third ring, his friend picked up the phone with a groggy “Callahan.”
“Late night with a beautiful blonde?”
“I wish. More like late night with a bunch of ugly army motherfuckers.” Davis groaned. “What do you want?”
Jackson turned the key in the ignition and shifted to Drive. “I need to know what you know about your sister’s ex.”
“Which one?”
There’s more than one? “Frank Gallagher.”
“He went to vet school with her. Total pretty boy player. Dad hated him.” Davis sighed, and in background, a bed squeaked. “From what I know from Jeff, he used her. Stole her ideas and took credit for them as his own. I’ve only met him three times—once every Christmas. He tried controlling Autumn, and you know my sister. She didn’t stand for it.”
“He has money, doesn’t he? Comes from a rich family or something.”
“Yeah. A whole line of veterinarians. I think Autumn even said they were her professors or something. Why do you ask?”
“He’s at the top of my suspect list.” Jackson pulled into the parking lot of the local Home Depot. “The clinic was broken into last night, and the perp wrote ‘bitch’ on the brick outside and ‘whore’ on the inside walls.”
“Fuck.” Davis sounded wide awake now. “This is a personal job, Jack. Is Autumn okay?”
“She’s fine.” He stuffed his keys in his pocket as he walked toward the front doors. “She’s still Autumn, though. I think the writing on the wall got to her more than she’s letting on.”
“I’m sure it did,” Davis replied. “Do you need some backup. I’ll tell Reiner I need time off. Honestly, I’d love nothing more.”
Jackson laughed. “And why would I want to give you time away from the cadets?”
“‘Jackass’ should have been your name,” Davis huffed. “Seriously though, Autumn’s my baby sis. My dad would kill me and everyone around if something happened to her.”
Jackson grabbed a cart from the front and entered the store. “Nothing will happen to her. That is something I can guarantee.”
After they hung up, Jackson put in a call to Jeffery—who didn’t give him the option of choosing whether or not he needed backup. He and Kristen both would be down in a day or two. Jeffery also promised to call Nick to let him know what went on.
When Jackson was through with his errands and a visit to the grocery, he returned to the clinic. Marc, Summer’s boyfriend, waved at him when he pulled in the parking lot. He waved back, then parked, and carried his purchases inside.
“Autumn so doesn’t deserve this.” Summer slammed a pile of collected papers in a basket. “She does nothing but care for others, even when they least deserve it.”
“Where is she?” Jackson glanced around the office.
“At the insurance company. Something is wrong with her policy, and she has to figure it all out.” She blew out a breath. “She looked like she was going to cry.”
Jackson spread the food out on the counter he had finished replacing and glanced over at Summer. “Who do you think is doing this?”
“It reeks of Frank, the slimy little worm. He probably saw her with you and decided to hit her where it hurts by writing shit on the walls and destroying her nearly remodeled office.” She slammed more papers in the basket making Marc flinch as he entered the building. “You know, when they worked together, Autumn took nearly all his business from him. People like her. She loves each animal, good or bad. She doesn’t discriminate against furry or aquatic friends. She just a good person with a good heart and all her clients know that.”
Marc cautiously moved toward his girlfriend and kissed her cheek. “Hey, babe. What can I do?”
“Well, plenty.” She finally turned to give him a real kiss. “Let’s eat first.”
She looked at the food Jackson laid out on the counter. “Did you get enough for all of us? I mean, if not, we can go out. It’s not that big of a deal.”
“Yeah, sure.” Jackson began to make his own sandwich. “When will Autumn be back?”
She shrugged. “You could try her cell.”
After everyone settled down with their food, Jackson got Autumn’s cell number and punched it in his phone. She picked up on the second ring.
“Hey,” Jackson waited for a response and then added when she said nothing, “Uh, did you get everything settled?”
“No.”
“You okay?”
“No.”
Jackson glanced over at Summer and Mar
c, who were watching attentively. “When are you coming back to the clinic? I got lunch for us and Marc came over after his shift to help out.”
“Jackson, I can’t deal with this right now.” She sniffled. “I just can’t, so please stop.”
He stood, food forgotten and went to the door. “Where are you?”
“Driving back to the clinic from the bank.”
Jackson pushed the door open and stepped outside away from the crowd. “What happened with the insurance?”
She sniffled again. “Their records say I haven’t paid my bill for an entire year. It’s not true, but the agent said they canceled my insurance and that I’ll be fined if I don’t come up with money to pay them and renew my policy.”
Jackson pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why would the records say that if you paid them?”
“I don’t know. I thought my bank statements or canceled checks would account for proof of payment, but they magically disappeared from my account as well. The bank said the checks were voided or not cashed. There was no record of them anywhere in the system. I tried pleading with Dan at the insurance place, but he said it was business not personal.” He heard something make a thumping noise. “I swear Gallagher is behind this. I just know it.”
“Why?”
“Because they are friends. I wouldn’t put it past him to pay Dan to suddenly make paperwork disappear. Frank always said everyone had a price, you just had to find out what it was.”
Jackson fumed. He gripped his cell phone tight in one hand while he fisted the other. “How much money do you need?”
She told him the amount.
“Fuck. That’s ridiculous. Go with a different company.”
“I can’t. It’s a monopoly in a small town, Jax. There is no other company.”
Jackson pursed his lips and stared out into the street. Fishy didn’t even begin to describe what was going on. Nor did anything make sense.
“I’m at the bank. I’ll call you when I’m on my way.”
They disconnected and Jackson went back inside. He told Summer and Marc the bullshit Autumn told him about the insurance and the non-payment and the owed bills. “So how did she get mixed up with him?”
