by Maddie Wade
“No, I haven’t had a lot either. Hereford isn’t London, thank goodness. Yes, you get some people who are stuck up their own ass and look at you differently but not in my circle of friends.”
“I’m glad I ended up here.”
“Me too, beautiful, me too.”
Mitch stayed the night, lying on the bed next to her on top of the covers so he wasn’t tempted to break his own rules. Autumn was too important to rush, she and Maggie were his happy ever after, even though he’d be a fool to believe in that after the horrors he’d seen, he’d also seen the best of people and it gave him hope.
Chapter Fifteen
Autumn hit send on the final email of the day to Alex and sat back in her chair. This week had been exhausting but in a good way. She felt accomplished intellectually for the first time in over a year. The work had been very different from what she was used to but no less challenging.
She’d been surprised by how much went into an operation such as this. It had been eye-opening, allowing her to truly appreciate the sacrifices these men made with no recognition or thanks from the people or countries they worked for. They did get paid an eye-watering amount though, and being party to that knowledge made her feel a little guilty.
Terrell had always been jealous that she got paid more than him, old fashioned in his thinking regarding finances and family. Autumn snorted a laugh at the thought he could be so traditional in his thinking about money but had then helped a psycho like Linton Allen build chemical weapons.
It had taken her a while to get her head around that, but she knew in her heart that what Eidolon suspected was probably right. Pushing her chair back, she crossed to the corner and looked at her sleeping daughter, hoping she’d sleep tonight. Bebe and Aubrey were coming around to help her decide what to wear tomorrow night. It had been years since she’d had any kind of girl’s night, probably not since her days in the dorms at Uni.
Hearing a cheering sound, she moved out of her office, closing the door and taking the baby monitor so she could still listen for Maggie and followed the sound which got louder as she walked towards the gym. It was a full house today with all the Eidolon men in for some sort of strategy session she wasn’t privy to.
Rounding the corner, she stopped, a small gasp escaping her as she saw all of the guys standing around the training ring in the middle of the room dressed in workout gear. Her eyes were focused solely on the man in the middle of the ring, though.
Mitch stood facing Reid in the centre. His naked chest glistened with sweat, the muscles of his pecs bunching and flexing as he danced around the other man, his fists up in front of his face.
Autumn felt the spit in her mouth dry out at the sight of such a beautiful specimen. Reid was hot too, with his tattoos and bad boy vibe, but Mitch personified male beauty to her. The sleek muscles, the sheen of his umber-brown skin had her wanting to feel him under her hands.
Without realising it, she moved forward, drawn to the brutality as the two men fought and they didn’t hold back. Each landing blow after blow, as they punched and blocked, their skill levels perfectly matched.
She came to a stop beside Waggs who was watching so intently she almost jumped when he spoke.
“Part of fighting is learning how to take a hit. It’s why we never hold back in the ring.” His arms crossed over his chest as he leaned sideways to speak to her before casting her an unreadable glance.
“Do they do this often?” Her voice held the barest hint of the shock she felt.
“We all do. Eidolon can’t afford to have weak men.”
“Who normally wins?”
“Depends on the fight. If it’s boxing like they’re doing now,” he pointed at Reid, who had just taken a punch to the face from Mitch, and was shaking it off like a dog shaking water off his body, “then normally Mitch. If it’s more Jujitsu stuff, Blake wins. MMA would be Reid, and street fighting is Liam’s thing. But Jack always beats us at all of them.”
Autumn glanced at Jack, who was walking the perimeter of the ring, arms folded as he observed his men. “How and why?”
“Jack is the boss, and he believes in order to be a good leader, he should be able to do what we do only better, so he makes it happen.”
“Wow, I guess this is another world I had no clue about.”
“You’re doing great, Autumn. You’re Lopez’s hero right now.”
Autumn chuckled, and at the sound, Mitch turned to catch her eye, catching a punch to the ribs in the distracted second.
“Ouch.” Autumn winced as the men groaned. “I should probably go. I don’t want him hurt because of me.”
Waggs regarded her with a look she couldn’t read before he nodded, a tiny smile twitching on his serious face.
Autumn backed out, heading for her office, a thrill coursing through her at the sight of Mitch in such a different light to the one she knew. Violence had never appealed to her, but she’d be lying if she denied seeing him like that hadn’t turned her on, but then Mitch had that effect on her. Making her feel needy and wanton with his kisses and hands but never letting her return the favour no matter how much she wanted it.
Part of her respected that he cared so much about their first time, but she was ready to know what it felt like to be possessed by a man like him. Seeing the edge of darkness he hid only thrilled her more, maybe because no matter what, she always felt safe with him. More than that, she felt like a queen, and he treated Maggie with the same love and tenderness.
It was easy to forget the threat she still faced when surrounded by so much support and protection. Yet it was always there, that anxiety that Allen would get to her now he’d technically found her and rip this beautiful life she was building away from her.
Mitch assured her that he was always under watch now and they’d know if he made any moves towards her. It gave her some comfort as she lifted a now wide-eyed Maggie from her crib.
“Are you ready for your first girl’s night, Roo?”
In the past, she’d felt slightly daft talking to Maggie, but now she smiled as she remembered hearing Mitch do the same thing just the other night.
Packing up her stuff, she heard the commotion as the men filtered in from the gym towards the showers. Her spine prickled with awareness the second Mitch stepped inside the room.
She turned, her eyes roving over his body in a slow appraisal, mourning the fact he’d donned a shirt. Her eyes flashed back to his face as she took in the split lip. She was moving towards him before she knew it. “Your lip?” Autumn touched the swollen lip with her fingertips.
His hand grasped her wrist, and she saw the reflected desire in his eyes. “It’s nothing.”
“Did you win?”
Mitch shook his head. “Not this time. I got distracted by a beautiful woman, then all I could think about was her.” His grin told her he wasn’t mad by it.
Maggie leaned out of her arms towards Mitch, who took her but held her away from his body as he dropped a kiss on her head. “I’m all sweaty, gorgeous.”
Maggie didn’t care and babbled at him, making them both laugh.
“Are you excited about your evening?”
Autumn nodded. “I am, but it will seem strange you being across the hall instead of on my sofa.”
Mitch chuckled. “Believe me, if I were there for a girl’s night, I’d be shown the door in short order. Plus, I have to go get my hair cut at the barber’s shop later.” He rubbed a hand over his hair that didn’t look like it needed a cut to her.
“Who does it? I need to find a hairdresser who knows how to do box braids and soon. Before the growth gets in a mess.”
“A guy called Sam on Bridge Street has a barber’s shop. His wife does braids and weaves.”
Autumn pursed her lip. “Do you think she could fit me in tomorrow?”
“I’ll find out, but I’m sure they can. Do you need me to watch Maggie while you have it done?”
“Would you?”
“Of course, although you’ll need someone
to stay with you at the salon. I won’t have you there alone.”
“Do you think Bebe or Aubrey would?” Aubrey was police and she knew Bebe was in security although she was still a little unsure what she did. Having worked for Eidolon for only a week, she’d quickly realised that all was not as it seemed at Zenobi’s Art Gallery.
“Ask them tonight.”
Autumn looked at her watch, suddenly realising the time. “Oh shit, I need to go.”
Mitch handed Maggie back to her. “Let me take a real quick shower, and we’ll head home.”
Autumn’s heart skipped as he used the word home. Such a simple word and yet one she hadn’t felt for a long time.
Bebe laid around ten outfits on hangers over the back of Autumn’s couch. “So I’ve brought over a few options as I know you probably don’t have a huge amount of party dresses.”
She was right, shopping and clothes had ceased to be meaningful the moment she’d seen her husband murdered. “That’s so kind of you.”
Bebe waved a hand. “I have too many clothes. I think we’re about the same size and I brought some pumps too. You’re a size six, right?”
Autumn nodded as she moved to let Aubrey in, who hugged and kissed her as if she were her long lost sister.
“I have wine.” She shook the bottle lightly, and Autumn grinned, her shoulders relaxing. Taking the wine, she opened it and poured three glasses as Aubrey shucked her denim jacket. “Is Maggie asleep?”
Autumn shook her head. “No, Mitch took her over to his apartment for an hour so I could tidy up and make us some nibbles.”
Aubrey’s face softened. “That’s so sweet.”
“He’s amazing with her,” Autumn agreed as she handed them each a glass.
“So, it’s going well then?” Bebe asked with a cheeky wiggle of her eyebrows.
“It is, which shocks me.”
Aubrey inclined her head. “Why?”
“I never thought I’d have this again. I was all set to live my life alone, just me and Maggie, and now I have a man who treats me like a goddess and friends who accept me for who I am.” Autumn took a sip of her wine, the sharp, sweet tang hitting her taste buds. “I guess it’s all just hard to get my head around.”
Aubrey laid a hand over hers as she sat beside her on the couch. “You’ve been through a lot. It’s easy to understand how you might feel that way but let me tell you from someone who has known him a little while now, Mitch is a good guy, one of the best, and he adores you and Maggie.”
Bebe nodded. “Yep, a few hearts broke when you bagged that man.”
Autumn laughed a light-hearted feeling in her chest.
The door opened and Mitch walked in with Maggie in his arms, Will behind him. “This little angel is ready for her bed and she needs a feed.”
He moved across the living room and handed Maggie into her outstretched arms. He’d changed her into a yellow onesie with blue rabbits on it, and Maggie was already looking sleepy.
“Thanks for getting her changed.”
Mitch leaned down, bracing his hands either side of her on the sofa. “My pleasure.” He kissed her quickly before pulling back to look at her, totally ignoring the heat on her cheeks or the sighs from the women beside her. “Simone, Sam’s wife, can fit you in tomorrow at noon if you still want to get your hair done.”
Autumn bit her lip and looked at Aubrey and Bebe. “Any chance you want to come with me while I get my hair done? I need a babysitter for Maggie and me.” She shrugged. “Maggie got Mitch.”
“Yes, of course. I need to get my nails done anyway,” Bebe readily agreed.
“I’m working until two, but Will can go with you both.”
Aubrey shot her man a grin, and he gave her a frown before groaning. “Fine, but I’m bringing my laptop.”
Aubrey grinned at Autumn. “He loves it really.”
Mitch and Will left then, but not before Will claimed a kiss from Aubrey and Mitch laid another kiss on her and Maggie.
“Make yourselves at home while I just give her a quick feed and put her down. I won’t be long.”
Autumn escaped the stares from the two women who were becoming her friends. Having been on her own for so long it was hard to let people into such a private part of her life, but she wanted to be the old her again.
Taking the time to feed Maggie and set her down quietly gave her the peace she needed to go and face her new friends.
Going back into the living room, she smiled at the two women as she twisted her hair around her finger in a show of nerves. It was one thing people knowing about her and Mitch but showing them was different.
“We scared you off,” Bebe announced as Autumn walked towards the kitchen and began pulling food from the fridge.
“No, not at all.” She popped the tray of mango chicken lollipops and plantain puff puffs in the oven to cook before looking at Bebe. “I was always affectionate with my family but Terrell, my husband, hated PDA, thought it was embarrassing, so I think I got out of practice. Does that make sense? I got into a habit of hiding my feelings in public, and it’s a hard mindset to break.”
“It does, but I have a feeling Mitch is into public displays of affection.” Aubrey scowled at Bebe who laughed. “Not in a freaky let’s get it on in public kind of way, although…” She smiled as Aubrey threw a cushion at her.
“Shut up. You’re going to scare her off, dumbass.” Aubrey frowned but her eyes were smiling.
“Let’s see what outfits you’ve brought over,” Autumn said, changing the subject.
Aubrey gave her a wink and Bebe came around the sofa and started lifting hangers.
“This would look fabulous on you.”
She handed Autumn a purple dress with a high neck and long sleeves which would fit like a second skin and fall to her knee. Autumn wrinkled her nose as she imagined the fabric around her neck. “I don’t like anything around my neck.”
“What about this one?” Aubrey asked, handing her a cerise pink dress, with a black lace bodice. It was short, probably only falling to her mid-thigh, but it was beautiful.
“Oh yes, go try it on,” Bebe ordered.
With a happy feeling, Autumn went into the bathroom and slid the dress on. It was skintight on her but hugged the curves of her ass, accentuating her small waist thanks to baby Pilates. Turning, she realised a bra wouldn’t work as it was too revealing. It was beautiful, and she felt sexy in it, her boobs shouldn’t leak either because she’d started weaning Maggie now.
“Get your ass out here,” Bebe called from the closed door.
Autumn opened the door, and Bebe whistled.
“Wow, you’re gonna knock Mitch on his ass in that dress.”
“Show me,” Aubrey said from the kitchen where she was checking the chicken in the oven. Her expression went wide. “You look spectacular. You have amazing legs.”
Autumn laughed, courage warming through her at the words. These two women and the ones she’d met on Monday were already imbuing her with confidence, and it was a feeling she hadn’t realised she’d lost until she felt the first twinges as it came back.
Chapter Sixteen
Mitch opened the car door and leaned in to lift Maggie’s car seat out. Autumn walked towards her, her eyes on the big house in front of them full of trepidation.
“Don’t look so nervous.” He laid a hand on the small of her back as he ushered her towards the large double front door, which was opening.
Ava was smiling at them, a welcome expression on her face which he appreciated.
“What if they don’t like me?” Autumn whispered out of the side of her mouth.
His shoulders tensed at the worry in her words. He forced them to relax and pulled her close, his hand sliding into the back pocket of the jeans she wore. “How could anyone not like you? You’re beautiful and funny and sweet.”
Autumn turned her eyes to him and raised a delicate brow. “Flatterer.”
Mitch winked. “Truth, baby.”
Ava stepped back
as she greeted them. “It is so lovely to meet you. I have to say it’s so exciting to meet the woman who’s responsible for wrangling Eidolon’s office into submission.”
Autumn laughed. “I wouldn’t go so far as to say submission, but we are making progress.”
Mitch angled her way. “Nonsense, the place is already running more smoothly.”
Autumn dropped her gaze at the compliment, and it made him want to punch the person who’d made her doubt herself. She was everything—kind, smart, beautiful, and yet she didn’t seem to get that. It made him rage inside that it might be someone he’d grown up with that had started this self-doubt.
“And who is this little angel?” Ava crouched down and took Maggie’s hand with a smile.
“This is Maggie.”
Ava looked up with warmth in her eyes. “What a beautiful name for a beautiful baby.” Her voice had taken on the sing-song quality that most people did when they talked to a child.
“Thank you.”
Mitch could feel Autumn relax a little as Ava showed them to the room they’d share tonight.
Her wide eyes took in the large suite as she walked to the window, much like she had the day she’d come to look at the flat. It felt like a lifetime ago, and yet like it was yesterday. It was hard to imagine what his life had been like without these two females who were winding themselves around his heart like a vine.
“Wow, this is gorgeous.” She turned to him. “Can we explore the gardens before we get ready?”
Mitch wasn’t sure what she needed to do to get ready. She looked amazing in fresh box braids twisted into a bun on top of her head, her face beautiful without a spec of make-up on.
“Sure, we have time.”
Her face lit up, and his heart constricted as she moved to lace her arms around his waist and reach up to kiss him. Mitch deepened the kiss for a moment, loving the taste of her and the way she leaned into him, before pulling away. The heavy bead of desire hung in her dark eyes, and his body responded.
“You’re dangerous.” His eyes held hers as he tried to push the tingle of fear at losing her away.
