“Is it funny? Are we all laughing now?” His voice remains low and menacing. The muscles in Landon’s forearm flex as his grip on him tightens.
“Relax man, we were just fucking around. Get off of me.” If I’m being honest, watching the worried lines form on Charles’ face is somewhat gratifying.
“If I hear of any of you dickwads so much as saying one fucking word to Autumn, I swear to God, you’ll regret it. I’ll give you the ass beating you should’ve gotten in high school. Got it?” Charles nods his head several times before Landon finally lets him go. Charles sags with relief and takes in a deep breath. “Apologize to her.” His tone is firm, brokering no argument. This isn’t a request, it’s a demand, and the look on Landon’s face shows that they better do it or there will be hell to pay.
“We’re sorry, Autumn. We really didn’t mean anything by it, we were just kidding.” The other two nod in agreement and mumble sorry. The only response I can give is a nod, but it’s not okay. It wasn’t okay then, and it’s not okay now.
“Get out of here.” Landon jerks his head in the direction of the door, seeming somewhat satisfied with their apology. Once they’re gone, he grabs me by my shoulders and squats down to eye level with me. “Are you okay?” His eyes search mine as his eyebrows draw in with concern, and it makes me feel good that he’s worried about me. I’ve never had anyone defend me, always going it alone and enduring the suffering in solitude.
Nodding, I reply, “Yes, I’m fine. They’re just a bunch of idiots. It’s really not a big deal.”
“You let me know if they bother you again, alright? Or anyone else for that matter.” Still holding me in place and looking deep into my eyes, he waits for my answer. I give him a small nod as my body fills with warmth. The way he’s looking at me makes me feel valued. Normally, I’d shy away from this kind of attention, especially with people staring the way they are now. But he makes the world melt away and it’s just him and me. Releasing a breath and closing my eyes, I soak in the contact.
“Good, let’s get out of here.” He lets go of my shoulders and holds out his hand. Placing mine in his, I let him lead me out of the gym.
“How long have you been here? I didn’t see you.”
“I just walked in and saw those guys harassing you.” His face flashes with anger, but it quickly disappears. Leading me to his car, he opens the passenger door and waits for me to climb in. I’m not sure where we’re going, but at this point I don’t care. I feel safe and protected when I’m with him.
Once we’re situated and he pulls out onto the road, I say quietly, “Thanks for what you did back there.”
“Don’t mention it.” He looks over and smiles at me and I return the gesture. Not wanting to dwell on it, I let it go, but he doesn’t understand how much that simple act means to me. If I had someone like him in high school, life would’ve been so much better. The emptiness I felt from not having anyone to relate to or confide in would have been filled. Life wouldn’t have been so miserable and lonely. Either way, I’m keeping that to myself, not wanting him to know how much I suffered emotionally in the past.
“Where are we going?” I look out the windows trying to figure it out.
“Just sit back and enjoy the ride. We’ll be there soon.” He picks up my hand and kisses my knuckles before lacing his fingers through mine. I love when he does that and it instantly liquefies my insides. Resting against the headrest, I do exactly as he says and relax while waiting to see where we’re going.
We ride along in silence, the only sound coming softly from the radio. Wake Me Up by Aloe Blacc comes on. It’s one of my favorite songs, but it’s made even better when I hear Landon quietly singing beside me. Not wanting him to stop, I slowly glance at him from the corner of my eye. His gaze is fixed on the road as his deep voice floats through the car.
Looking quickly in my direction, Landon catches me watching him. A shy, boyish grin crosses his face. It’s the most carefree I’ve seen him look. “What?”
“Oh, nothing. Just listening to you sing. Who would’ve known you had such a nice voice?” The car stops and he looks at me with a heated stare. Gone is the shy, boyish charm, and in its place is a rugged man ready to make his claim. The way he switches gears so quickly has me feeling a little off balance.
Leaning in, he places his lips at my ear. “I wonder if I can make you sing.” He nibbles on my ear and my breath hitches, which makes him chuckle. This man can bring me to my knees so easily. “But that will have to wait. We’re here.”
He pulls back and I look out the front window and see we’re at a lake. The water is calm and sparkles with the sun’s reflection. The surrounding trees are in various shades of yellow, orange, and red, signaling the beginning of fall. Landon opens my door and helps me out of the car.
“There’s a pier just a little ways up. Wanna take a walk?” he asks.
“Sure.” We link our hands together and walk in silence, enjoying the crisp fall air. Once we make it to the pier, we walk out to the end and he takes a seat, letting his legs hang off the edge. He pats the space next to him and I sit down. Our bodies are barely touching, but the heat coming off of him covers my body, counteracting the chill that’s in the air.
We’re both staring out at the water when I look over at him and see his eyebrows are furrowed like he’s deep in thought. “What’s wrong?”
After a moment, he looks at me, “Does that happen to you a lot?”
My face pulls down in a frown as I try to figure out what he’s talking about. “Does what happen a lot?”
“Guys bothering you.” His tone is quiet and gentle, like he doesn’t want to upset me by bringing it up.
I let out a sigh and look back out at the water. “Now? No, it hardly ever happens. But I guess I gave them a lot to talk about with my show the other night when you dropped me off.” I feel the heat rising in my cheeks, but I don’t know if it’s from embarrassment of being caught, or desire from thinking about what we were doing.
“Did those guys used to tease you in high school?”
I really don’t want to talk about this. There’s no point; the past is in the past. I’ve moved on—or at least I’ve tried—and I wish he’d stop questioning me about it. “Yep, in fact, the list of people that didn’t participate would probably take less time to recite to you. Can we drop it now?” My tone is clipped as I look back out toward the lake, hoping that I’m sending the message that this really isn’t up for discussion at the moment. Landon gently grabs my chin and turns my head to the side so that I’m looking at him again.
He leans in until he’s a hair away from my lips. “I’m sorry I brought it up,” he whispers before sealing my lips with his. All thoughts of what happened at the gym and my past vanish from my mind as I focus on the feelings he pulls out of me. The kiss is slow and tender with no tongue, but somehow it’s one of the hottest kisses I’ve ever had in my life. I feel my pulse quicken and the need to take this further intensifies. All too soon, he’s pulling away, and a small whimper leaves my mouth from the loss of contact.
He throws that sexy, half grin of his at me before pulling back some more. Then he completely throws me off guard with his next question. “What’s going on between us?” My eyes widen and I’m struck with a moment of panic. I know I must have a deer in the headlights look on my face because he laughs softly, “Do you want me to go first?” Swallowing hard, I nod but am so nervous to hear what he has to say.
“I’ve been giving this a lot of thought lately,” he starts quietly, looking back out to the lake. “Part of me wonders if I should back off from you. I’m still going through a nasty divorce and I don’t want to rush things or pull you into my shit. The selfless thing to do would be to walk away while my life is so fucked up.” He turns and looks at me with soft eyes. “But I can’t fight these selfish tendencies. Maybe that makes me a shithead, but I want you in my life. I want you to be my girl.”
With each word he says, my heart beats faster and faster. How t
he hell do I respond to that?
What feels like minutes pass by as she just stares at me. I just laid it all fucking out there and she’s not saying a word. I’m starting to worry that I’ve read this whole situation wrong, when she finally speaks up.
Blinking several times, she says, “Wow, you kinda caught me off guard with that. I’m not going to lie. I’m a little nervous about getting involved with you. I’m not looking to be someone’s rebound, so if that’s what this is, then I can’t see you.” Her lower lip starts to quiver as she holds back her unshed tears. “I’ve had enough heartache to last me a lifetime, Landon. I can’t go through more. I’d rather know now while I can still walk away and save myself the pain.” Her voice is barely above a whisper as it cracks on certain words. The hurt coming from her nearly breaks me. I’d do everything in my fucking power to shelter her from pain. She looks down at her hands as she starts picking at her nails.
“Autumn, look at me,” I say gently. When she does, I continue. “Do you honestly think that’s what you are to me?” She doesn’t say a word. “Let me clear it up for you then; you’re not a fucking rebound. I might want to break your bed, but never your heart.” This gets her to crack a smile. It’s a small one, but I’ll take it. “Come here.” I hold my arm out to her and she leans into my side. After a few minutes, I feel her take in a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. I lean back and say, “You okay now?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“So what do you say? Will you be my girl?” I know I sound cheesy, but that’s kind of the point. Hopefully I can lighten the mood and get her to let her guard down slightly and trust me.
Through her giggles, she replies, “Yeah, I’ll be your girl.” Grabbing the back of her neck, I crash my lips against hers, letting out a groan of satisfaction. A surprised squeak leaves her mouth, but I quickly swallow the sound with my mouth as our tongues collide together. Things start to get indecent as our hands roam over each other’s bodies and my cock stands at attention, ready for more. Reluctantly, I pull back to keep myself from consuming her right here on the pier. Her eyes are half-lidded, lips are red and swollen, and she’s breathing fast. Knowing that I have the same affect on her as she does on me makes me grin.
Grabbing her hand, I help her up. “What are you doing?”
I look out at the lake and then back at her, an idea forming in my head. “Let’s take a swim.”
Her jaw drops as she glances at the water. “Are you crazy?! That water is going to be freezing!” she shrieks.
“Where’s your sense of adventure? Live a little, babe. It won’t be that bad. We’ll jump in and jump out.” I tighten my hold on her hand, but she shakes her head and takes a few steps back.
“I don’t have a swimsuit.” She crosses her arms in a defiant way. This is going to be fun. I’m about to break that little shell of hers.
Shrugging my shoulders, I reach behind me and grab the collar of my shirt and pull it up and over my head. “We can jump in with our underwear. It’s pretty much the same thing as a bathing suit anyway.” Stepping closer to her and dropping my voice, I tease, “Unless you’re not wearing any.”
Looking up at me through her eyelashes, she says, “I’m not swimming in only my underwear, you perv.” She smacks me in the chest and I step away, rubbing my chest in mock injury.
“Why not?” I challenge.
“I’m just not, okay?” Her voice is hard as she snaps back at me. She’s folding her arms over her stomach in an act to cover herself. Then it dawns on me; she doesn’t want me to see her half naked. Too bad, because those clothes are coming off of that gorgeous body.
Taking my shoes and socks off, I ignore her little outburst. I lock eyes on her as I untie the string on my gym shorts and pull them down. I can hear her breath hitch as I step out of them, letting my hard cock free from its restraint. Autumn immediately shies away after taking all of me in.
“Look at me.” My voice is demanding, wanting her full attention. When she looks into my eyes I continue, “Really look at me, Autumn. You see this?” I gesture to my erection. “You do this to me. I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.”
She scoffs before replying. “Maybe you’re not really looking at me. I have crazy red hair, pale ass skin, a big ass that I can’t seem to work off, and boobs that could be bigger.” After tearing herself down, she looks away from me.
Approaching her again, I get as close as I can without touching her. She looks up at me with unshed tears, and the pain she’s harboring inside crushes me again. “Like I said, I wish you could see what I see. You’re hair isn’t just red; it’s a dark fire, radiating a red glow like the Phoenix. It’s one of the things that drew me to you. It perfectly sets off your amazing green eyes. The greenest eyes that see right into my soul and hold all your secrets. You see pale skin; I see flawless, porcelain skin that begs me to touch every inch of it. Your ass isn’t big. It’s tight, and firm, making me itch with the need to smack and grab it. And your tits are perfect, fitting in my hands just right. You see flaws; I see perfection.”
I can see her walls finally crumbling down. Her eyes squeeze shut as a few tears stream down her cheeks. I wrap my arms around her to comfort her while she releases the pain. I hate to see her like this and the guilt consumes me for not being there for her in high school. Maybe if I had noticed her torment, I could have put a stop to it and she’d have more confidence to see herself for the goddess that she is. “Shhh, it’s okay, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to make you cry.” I kiss the top of her head and hold on tighter.
“God, what is wrong with me?” She pulls away slightly and wipes the tears from her face. “I’m sorry for crying all over you.”
“Stop, don’t ever apologize for being real with me. If you want to cry, then cry. I’ll hold you and wipe away your tears anytime you need it.” I cup her face and run my thumb under her eye, collecting the few remaining tears on her beautiful face.
“I know it sounds stupid, but that’s the first time anyone has actually made me feel beautiful. I’ve spent so many years dissecting every part of my body, that it feels almost freeing to have someone tell me that they don’t see the imperfections. Like the burden of my flaws has somehow been lifted off my shoulders and it just made me really emotional. I know that probably doesn’t make a lot of sense, bu—“
“No, it makes perfect sense. I know there’s more to what happened to you in high school than what you told me. I can see it in your eyes and the little things you do that you think no one notices. Like the way you look around when I ask you out, or how you try to hide yourself from me at times. But I want you to know that I don’t see those things. I see you and you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid my eyes on. You’re caring, smart, funny, and the strongest person I know. So please, don’t ever put yourself down like that, okay? Because the shit you see, no one else does.” Releasing a breath, she closes her eyes, and nods. “So how about that swim?” I’m not about to let her off the hook just yet and I want to see if she’ll let me push her just a little more. It’s going to be my mission to make her forget the past and be self assured in the present.
“One problem, I’m not really wearing a bra. This shirt has a built in sports bra, so there’s nothing underneath.”
This hard on definitely isn’t going away any time soon. “Looks like today is my lucky day then.” I throw her my most salacious grin, wiggling my eyebrows up and down.
“Ugh, you’re such a pig,” she teases.
“You love it. Now are you getting in or not? I’ll turn around if it makes you feel better.” Please don’t make me turn around. Looking into her eyes, I see the most amazing thing happen. She pulls her shoulders back and lifts her chin, and I watch as a wave of confidence rolls through her. I thought this woman was sexy before, but she blows that vision out of the fucking park. Watching her with a determined look on her face, refusing to let her insecurities get the best of her is a sight to see.
Keeping her eyes on me,
she toes off her shoes and then slides off her socks. Her thumbs hook into the waistband of her workout shorts and she slowly slides them down her toned thighs and continues further until they hit the ground. My breathing accelerates as she steps out of them. With her pale green eyes still locked on mine, she grabs the hem of her shirt and pauses. I silently urge her on. Not because I want to see her tits—I mean, I do—but because I want her to feel comfortable in her skin. With a deep breath, she pulls her shirt up and over her head.
The air is knocked out of my lungs as I take in her body. Standing before me in nothing but some boy shorts, she’s a fucking vision. When people create sculptures of women, they do it with bodies like this in their mind. She’s toned, but soft in all the right places, making my dick throb uncomfortably. Her nipples are peaked from the brisk air and are pleading with me to warm them up with my mouth. My mouth waters just thinking about it. I’m at a loss for words as I stand there and stare at her. After a few moments, she starts to fidget under my stare.
“Sorry, but you’re way better than any of the fantasies I had about you and I can’t look away.” I hold my hand out to her again. “Come on, fall with me.” I mean that in more than one way and I hope she catches my meaning. I’m hoping she’s falling for me like I’m falling for her. The strength I see her exhibit when I’m with her is truly amazing, and today is no exception. I know it took a lot to bring that wall down and expose her vulnerable side to me.
Grabbing my hand in a firm grip, she looks at me with soft eyes and nods her head once. We take off and jump into the water. The water is fucking freezing and I immediately regret my idea to do this. It feels like pins and needles are poking my skin everywhere as I kick to the surface. We both come up for air at the same time, gasping from the shock of the cold.
“Holy shit! This is freezing! Why did I let you talk me into this?!” she shouts at me through chattering teeth.
“I don’t know. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Come on, let’s get the hell out of here.” Pulling on her arm, I swim to the shore where we get out of the water and make a run for the car. “You go on, I’ll go grab our clothes and meet you there.” I run the other way to grab our stuff so we have something dry to change into. Right at that moment, I hear a little whoop whoop from behind me. Turning, I see a cop with his lights on getting out of his car.
Tackled by Love Page 12
