by Karen Booth
She could do nothing but surrender to the moment and his actions. Nothing else felt right. She drew in his warm smell and drank up the feeling of being in his arms. Autumn couldn’t help but notice that Mack had caught what was going on. “Your brother is watching us.”
Grey pulled her even closer and turned them until his back was to Mack and Molly. “Let him.”
“Grey, your dad is my employer. And that’s not a small thing. Being a wedding planner is incredibly important to me and I’ve been on thin ice, even if everyone was tiptoeing around the issue.” Her job anchored her to the life she had here in Asheville. It was the most settled she’d felt in her entire life. It was the one place where she felt like she could breathe. And she still felt that way, even after being dumped right before her wedding.
“I understand. My career is incredibly important to me, too.”
Autumn decided that there was nothing wrong with a dance, even when there was zero space between their bodies. Even when they’d kissed before they’d come to the party and she was hoping like anything that they could return to his cottage together. As if she needed much pushing in that direction, Grey nuzzled her hair with his nose. It made her knees weak. It made her want to close her eyes and bow into him.
“There’s no crime in dancing,” he muttered straight into her ear. His breath was warm against her skin, so hot that it stood out against the balmy night air.
“Absolutely true.” She really liked this version of Grey, the one who threw at least a little bit of caution to the wind. He was endlessly appealing. But as badly as she wanted him, there was still a tug of uncertainty inside her. She knew that she was over her ex, but seeing Molly get engaged was starting to make her realize that she might not be over what had happened. She might not be over the sting of the ultimate rejection, when someone has taken you to the brink of a lifetime commitment, only to tell you that you’re not worth it.
To make things more complicated, between Grey’s physical presence and their conversation, he was stirring up a million thoughts in her head. “You know, I feel like I need to apologize to you.”
“For what?” He pulled his head back and looked down at her. His eyes were dark in the low light, steeped with intensity.
“The first day we met. When I said that I’d figured you out. Clearly I hadn’t. I mean, I haven’t. There’s a lot to unpack with you, Grey.”
He granted her a fraction of a smile. “I could say the same thing about you.”
Autumn shrugged. “Maybe. But I’m not sure it’s quite the same. I’m a pretty open book.”
“And you think I’m not open?”
“I didn’t say that. I just think there’s far more to you than your handsome, capable exterior.”
He grinned a little wider, then pulled her closer, whispering into her ear. “You say things like that and it just makes me want to leave with you. It makes me want to walk you back to my place and be alone with you. It makes me want to pull off this maddening dress and make you forget about the things other people think we should or shouldn’t do.”
Autumn swallowed hard, finding it difficult to get back the lump in her throat. Desire welled up inside her, flooding her brain and her body. She no longer merely wanted Grey. She needed him. “Yes. I want that, too.”
Seven
Autumn had always loved fireworks on the Fourth of July. This year, they were a pain in her butt. Everyone would notice if she and Grey left the party before they had taken place.
“Grey. We can’t leave now. Everyone will notice.”
He grimaced. “I really don’t think they will. We’ll sneak around the side. No one will miss us.”
Autumn didn’t like the idea of this plan, but she was fighting some physical urges that were becoming quite potent. Plus, she appreciated that Grey wanted to break a few rules. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Grey took her hand and they slipped around the back corner of the house and stole off into the night, across the green grass until they reached the path that wound through Moonlight Ridge. It wasn’t walking—it was faster than that, but it didn’t feel like running, either. It was more that they arrived at his door with Autumn having little recollection of her feet ever having hit the ground.
Once inside Autumn tossed aside her clutch handbag, unsure of where it landed. It was like an out-of-body experience when he kissed her, except that she was keenly aware of how much longing was built up inside her. She ached for him. She craved his touch, everywhere, as fast and as slow as he wanted to go. She wanted the full experience of being with Grey. She wanted to jump into the deepest part of the ocean and not come up for air until her lungs were burning.
Their hands were all over each other. Autumn’s fingers dug into his biceps, frustrated by his suit jacket, but too focused on the kiss to do anything about it. Their mouths were hungry for more as their tongues wound together in an endless circle. Somehow they ended up in the kitchen, probably because it was so close to the front door. He pressed Autumn hard against the stone countertop, sending a shock wave of pain through her, a delicious contrast to the sheer heaven of Grey’s kiss. He reached behind her and drew down the zipper of her dress, slipping his hand inside to her bare skin. Having his skin against hers like that was another jolt to the system. She wanted more. She needed it.
She threaded her hands inside his jacket and pushed it down onto the floor, then went for the buttons on his shirt. His lips were on hers again, his tongue toying with hers while he reached down for the hem of her dress, pulling it up to midthigh. That gave her enough freedom of movement to wrap her leg around his hip and muscle him closer.
Grey growled into her mouth once she’d freed him from his shirt and began exploring the hard planes of his back, and the rocky perfection of his shoulders. She felt every push-up, every muscle carved and defined, just begging to be explored and appreciated. She was desperate to have a good look, but her glasses were fogging up, and honestly they were just getting in the way.
“I need to take off my glasses.” She removed them and set them on the kitchen counter.
“I noticed that you wore them tonight. I like it. A lot.” His eyes were dark with desire, his lips slack from breathing too hard. “But what you really need to take off is this dress.”
He turned her around until she was facing the kitchen cabinets, slipping his hands under the skinny straps of her dress and letting it puddle to the floor. The rush of cooler air to her skin was a welcome respite to the heat she’d been enduring, but it also shook awake every nerve ending in her body. Every inch of her was now fully engaged in the business of needing Grey.
He unhooked her bra and dropped it into the growing pile of clothes on the floor. He pressed the full length of his body against her back, reaching around front to cup and caress her breasts, his thumbs rolling over the top of her hard nipples. He kissed her neck and Autumn dropped her head to one side to grant him greater access as he dotted her shoulder with wet hot kisses.
“Tell me what you like, Autumn,” he said into her ear before taking a gentle nip of her lobe.
She had no idea how to put it into words. For her, it wasn’t about an act or touching her in a particular spot. She needed to feel worshipped. Adored. Before she could answer, Grey slid his hand down her belly and into the front of her panties. He moved his fingers against her center in steady circles, making the pressure between her legs build. “That’s the perfect place to start,” she muttered. She closed her eyes and soaked up the sensations, the way everything he did was so right on time. The way everything he said set her world on fire.
Autumn felt the peak closing in, her body getting fitful and eager for her reward. Grey molded his one hand around her breast while the other continued to send her barreling toward the cliff. As she gasped, the pleasure rolled over her in fast pulses. Again and again, until it faded into a pleasant hum. It was a start, and a beautiful one at that,
but she wanted so much more.
She turned in Grey’s arms and kissed him with abandon, digging the fingers of both hands into his thick hair. Cupping the back of his head, she pulled him deeper into their kiss. She wanted to be one with him, and this was a step in that direction. She slipped her knee between his legs and ground it against him. Even through his pants she could feel how hard he was. She couldn’t wait to have him in her hand. In her mouth.
As if Grey understood what she was thinking, he took her hand and led her to the room she’d only peeked inside before—his bedroom. As soon as they crossed the threshold, she unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, pushing them to the floor. Grey steered her to the bed, easing her back on to the mattress. He gripped her rib cage, caressing the undersides of her breasts with his thumbs, all while making her feel as though he could see right into her soul. He had such a penetrating stare, and she already knew how much was behind those stunning eyes. It made her feel seen in a way she’d never been more.
Peeling down her panties and wriggling them past her hips, she was finally naked. She was his. Their gazes connected again. He had that serious look again, the one he wore nearly all the time. This time, she was happy for it. She wanted him to take this charge with all the gravity it deserved. He drew a finger up the center of her thigh, from her knee and heading toward her center. He inched along, all the while studying her face and making her squirm in her own skin. When he reached her apex, she bucked at his touch, even though she’d experienced it moments earlier. It all felt new again.
Autumn scooted back on the bed and with the curl of a finger, invited him to join her. As soon as his long body was next to hers, she rolled to her side, facing him. She tugged down his boxer briefs, then took his length in her hand. He was magnificent. That was the only way to say it. Did Grey have any shortcomings at all? She didn’t think so. As she took long strokes with her hand, he growled like an animal into her ear. She loved hearing him make such a declaration of what he liked, even if it came without words.
“Please tell me you have a condom,” she whispered into his ear.
“I do. I’ll get it in a minute.”
She pushed him to his back and shifted on to her knees between his legs. She lowered her head and huffed warm air against his length. Grey groaned again and thrashed his head back and forth on the mattress. If he thought that felt good, he was going to be over the moon for what came next. She wrapped her fingers around him again, taking long passes with her hand, rolling her thumb over the tip every time. She then lowered her head and took him into her mouth. The delicate nature of this moment could not be overstated—she had him at her mercy and he was giving in to it completely. He dug his fingers into her hair and gently massaged her scalp as she let her lips glide along his length, and let her tongue apply the extra pressure.
His breaths were coming quick, the strokes of his fingers going faster. “Autumn, I’m going to come and I don’t want to. I want to make love to you.”
Just hearing him say the words brought her mind to the immensity of the moment. She hadn’t done this in some time, and the last person hadn’t taken very good care of her heart. Still, she felt safe with Grey. He might not be built for love, but at least he’d been honest with her about it.
He sat up and opened the drawer of the bedside table, pulling out the foil pouch, tearing it open and rolling it on. Autumn shifted to her back and scooted to the center of the mattress while Grey crawled over to her in pursuit. The anticipation made her feel nothing less than totally open to him, and she let her knees fall to the bed. She wanted him. Now.
He came inside, sinking into her, inch by blissful inch. He took long and forceful thrusts, but he also wasn’t in a hurry. Every move he made was intentional. Deliberate. Just like Grey—focused. She’d always been a romantic and she expected a moment when she’d become fuzzy-headed and the world around her would seem to disappear. But that didn’t happen with Grey. Every thrust he made kept her in the here and now, but she was still immersed in unimaginable pleasure. It was a mind-blowing experience. Sex had never felt like this before.
She tilted her hips to be closer to him and that left his pelvic bone to press against her center. The sensation became even more intense—he filled her so perfectly, moved inside her like they were made to be together. He kissed her deeply, but with so much tenderness she found it hard to breathe. And in that moment, she feared what might happen if she and Grey made love more than once. She was the woman most prone to falling. And Grey was a little too close to perfect.
* * *
It wasn’t like Grey had been completely starved for sex, but it had been awhile since a woman had been in his bed. Work and career were always getting in the way. But he was questioning whether he remembered how this went. Autumn was unlike any woman he’d ever been with. She said things with her body that made him question whether she was real. She was like a fantasy brought to life, lush and beautiful and so worth savoring.
“You feel so good,” she said breathlessly. “I’m so close.” She pulled her knees higher, allowing him to sink even deeper inside her.
He grappled with how good it felt to have her tighten around him. It made his head swim, his consciousness dip and sway. He pressed his lips against her sweet and sexy mouth, the one he never wanted to stop kissing. The tension was doubling in his hips as her hands traveled across his back and her ankles rubbed against his butt. Every thrust was taking him closer to the edge, and he felt her gathering around him. She was tightening, coiling, holding on. The pressure was becoming impossible to endure. He was about to give way at any second. Her breaths were short. His were, too. They were in sync. In every way.
Autumn came first, calling out and knocking her head back. He let go the instant she did, the orgasm so intense that his mind went blank, then shifted to a kaleidoscope of colors. He lowered himself and she immediately nestled her face in his neck, kissing his skin with her warm lips. Grey rolled onto the bed, holding her close. The weight of the moment sat squarely on his shoulders. She had crossed a line with him that he’d been worried she wasn’t ready for. He’d let his own desire get in the way. Yes, she’d been an eager participant, but it still didn’t make him any less concerned.
“You okay?” he asked, gently caressing her back.
“Are you kidding me? That was amazing.” He felt her smile between them when she kissed him softly.
“It really was.”
She curled closer to him, hitching her leg over his. “You’re not nearly as much of a grump as people told me you were.”
Grey had to laugh. He knew he had that reputation. It didn’t bother him. His seriousness had served him well. It had kept him on a narrow path, where life was stable and predictable and that was exactly the way he liked it. Out of the corner of his eye, Grey saw flashes of light in the sky. He pointed at the window. “Look. The fireworks.”
“Oh, good. We don’t have to miss them after all.”
He kissed the top of Autumn’s head and they watched the show in silence—every color of the rainbow glittering against the dark sky. When it was over, Grey was about to say something when he heard how slow and even Autumn’s breaths had become. Her head was heavy on his arm. She was asleep. And he was right on the brink.
* * *
Grey slept like a baby, but he woke up far earlier than he wanted to on a Saturday, especially on a holiday weekend. Perhaps it was his conscience shaking him awake. Last night with Autumn had been incredible, but he’d been well aware that he was walking into a messy and complicated situation with her and he’d done it anyway. That didn’t sit well with him. He avoided complications. He didn’t pursue them. The fact that it all revolved around the state of Autumn’s heart made the stakes a little too high for him. He could stay detached, but could she?
She stirred in bed, rolling from her back to her side and snuggling the covers up to her chin. Her hair was mussed and she had a b
lissful look on her face as she drifted back to sleep. She was so sexy and beautiful it was hard for him to wrap his head around it. He sincerely hoped that everything she’d said last night was true. That she was fine with the idea of keeping things casual and just having fun, but he wasn’t convinced, and only time would tell.
From the other room, his cell phone rang. He leapt out of bed and dashed into the kitchen, where he’d left his phone on the counter. He answered without looking at the Caller ID.
“Mr. Holloway, good morning. I’m sorry for calling so early.” It was his executive assistant, Ryan Valdez.
“Ryan, what’s up?” It was a little after 8:00 o’clock on a Saturday morning, so this was indeed an unusual time to hear from him.
“I came into the office this morning to catch up on some work, and Ms. Keller’s office is empty.”
Grey felt his body go cold. Vivian Keller was the most talented architect on his team, and clients loved her. But the negotiation to renew her employment agreement had been going poorly. Now Grey knew that it had fallen apart. “Wow. Okay.” His mind was a flurry of activity. Vivian was the lead on multiple projects and they were already short one architect on staff after someone else had taken leave to care for a sick relative.
“I know the timing is terrible. I’ve tried to get ahold of the legal team to find out what happened with the negotiations, but nobody’s answering their phone. Ms. Keller won’t pick up either.”
“It’s a holiday weekend. I’m guessing nobody wants to deal with it.” Grey leaned against the kitchen counter, drawing a deep breath in through his nose. “Ryan, you should be enjoying your weekend, not working.”
He laughed. “I’m just following your lead, Mr. Holloway. It’s not like you weren’t spending plenty of weekends here before you went to North Carolina.”
