by Keeland, Vi
11:33? Could that be right? I grabbed for my cell to double-check. It had been years since I slept this late. But sure enough, it was indeed almost noon.
I couldn’t help the smile that crept onto my lips as I recalled the reasons I’d slept in—the many, many reasons. Donovan and I had had marathon sex. I wasn’t even sure how many times we’d done it, but the last time had been with the most gorgeous light. Dawn had just broken, and that yellowish-gold morning sun had streamed in through the blinds like it was doing now. Only then, the streak had landed on Donovan’s handsome face while I was on top of him, rocking myself to yet another blissful orgasm. His jaw was peppered with stubble, and his eyes blazed the most incredible blue. The gold from the sun had made them seem almost translucent. But it was his smile that took my breath away. He seemed so truly happy watching me, and it made the moment that much more intimate.
My body ached in the most delicious way right now, and between my legs was swollen. But just thinking about the way he’d looked made my body not care how sore it was. So I rolled over to see how deep of a sleep the sexy man next to me was in, only to find he wasn’t sleeping at all. Patting the sheets, my hand met cold. Apparently I was the only one who’d slept in. Tugging the sheet from the bed, I wrapped it around my body and went in search of Donovan.
My apartment was quiet, and he was nowhere to be found, but the smell of coffee wafted through the air. I followed my nose to the kitchen and found a fresh pot of coffee with an orchid sitting next to it. Beneath the plant was a note.
Had to run to the office to pick up a file. When I was eight or nine, I asked Bud about sex. He wouldn’t give me any of the gritty details, but he told me the most important part of being with a woman was making sure she was fed the next morning. So there’s a yogurt and fruit parfait in the fridge and a buttered bagel on the counter. I wasn’t sure what you would be in the mood for. I set the coffee for eleven, taking a guess you’d sleep at least four hours. Be back by noon with lunch.
X
Donovan
P.S. Your place needs more plants, and this one reminded me of you. Most people don’t understand orchids and think they’re fragile, but they’re actually not. The truth is, they’re far tougher than anyone realizes, and of course beautiful.
I held the note to my chest like a schoolgirl. Seriously? This man was too good to be real. He was gorgeous and tough on the outside, but inside he was soft and almost vulnerable. I sighed and set the note down to pour myself a much-needed coffee.
A little before twelve, I decided to jump in the shower before Donovan returned. I left the door open to the bathroom, so I could hear if he knocked before I got out. But I was just wrapping myself in a towel when he did.
“Hey,” I opened the door.
Donovan’s eyes swooped down and back up again. “Damn.” He thumbed down the hall and held up a box. “The Amazon delivery guy was just about to knock to deliver this when I told him I’d take it. You would’ve made that kid’s day.”
I smiled coyly. “Just the kid’s day, not yours?”
He stepped inside and wrapped an arm around my waist, dragging me close to brush his lips with mine. “You made my day a few times before the sun rose.”
The way he looked at my lips when he spoke gave me butterflies.
“I think we made each other’s day.”
Inside my apartment, Donovan set the box down on the kitchen counter. “What time did you finally wake up, sleepyhead?”
“Oh my God. Not until eleven thirty.”
“Is that from the Ambien on your nightstand? I didn’t see you take one.”
I blinked a few times. Holy shit. I hadn’t taken a sleeping pill last night. That was the first time I’d fallen asleep in almost six years without some sort of chemical assistance. “I…I didn’t take one.”
Donovan grinned. “Does that mean my dick is better than drugs?”
He was of course being cheeky, but he didn’t understand how significant not taking anything was for me.
“I haven’t slept a single night without a pill in nearly six years, Donovan.”
His smile fell away. “Really?”
I nodded.
“Never even after…” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, it might be the Neanderthal in me but I can’t finish that sentence. Just the thought of you with another man…”
“No, never. Not once. I keep a bottle in my bag and a bottle at my bedside. A few years back, I was really into running. I did a half marathon and then went to an after party. I was exhausted when I got home and thought it might be the night I could do it. But it’s not a physical thing; it’s mental. No matter how tired my body is, my brain won’t turn off.”
“I guess we found the tipping point for flipping that switch. It might be hard to keep up with what we did last night, but I’m game to try. I’ll happily replace your pills.”
“That’s very noble of you, but I don’t think it was the exertion as much as something else.”
Donovan’s brows drew together. “What, then?”
“I felt safe.”
I watched as he swallowed what I’d said. I felt safe. Something so simple, yet it meant everything to me.
Donovan closed the gap between us and brushed a lock of hair behind my ear. “I want to give you the world, but you just gave it to me by saying that, Red.”
CHAPTER 30
* * *
Donovan
“When do you find out if you make partner at your firm?” Autumn slipped off her shoes and lifted her folded legs up on the seat. “It should be soon, right?”
I looked over my shoulder before changing lanes. “The Tuesday after Labor Day, so a little more than a week.”
We were on our way up to Connecticut for the weekend for her father’s wedding.
“Do you think you’ll get it?”
“Your buddy Dickson has been pretty friendly lately. The client he schlubbed off on me to take to dinner was really happy with the advice I gave him. He even referred a friend of his, which Dickson gave me a half pat on the back for. Although the guy is a dirtbag, and I’m not looking forward to working with him.”
“Not to be a jerk, but aren’t all your clients dirtbags? I mean, they come to see you because they got caught doing something underhanded and illegal.”
She had a point. But I didn’t think they all were. I shrugged. “Some really aren’t bad people. They just get lost along the way in their climb to the top. Believe it or not, a lot of times these people don’t even see what they’re doing as wrong at the time they’re doing it. I had a new client charged with insider trading last week. He’s a trader and found out some non-public information about a company a friend works for. The company was on the verge of getting a new drug approved by the FDA that would make their stock go nuts. His wife told her sister, and her sister mentioned it to her new boyfriend who hedged and bought a shit ton of stock. He made a fortune, but also caught the attention of the regulators who traced it back to my client. Guy shouldn’t have told his wife, but he did. Doesn’t necessarily make him a bad person.”
“Yeah, definitely not in that case. But it’s got to be hard to represent some of them.”
“It’s not always easy. But some people can learn from lessons, especially hard ones. I try to think about it that way. Look at me—I did some pretty dumb shit and was on a path to a bad place. I’d been arrested three times before I was sixteen—mostly minor stuff, but that’s how most people in prison started, too. If someone wouldn’t have helped me out, I have no doubt that I’d be where a few of my friends are today: serving time.”
“You’re talking about Bud?”
“He risked a lot for me. The last time I got in any real trouble, the judge wanted to teach me a lesson. Bud put his house up for bail and took out a loan for a lawyer. The one the court appointed was about twenty-three, and I was going to be his first real case.”
“Oh wow.”
“Bud gambled. We got a lawyer who wore custom-made
shirts, and he got me off on a technicality, even though I didn’t deserve it. I learned three things from that last arrest: One, I’d gotten lucky, and chances were that wouldn’t happen again. Two, Bud believed in me, and it was time I started believing in myself. And three…” I grinned. “I really wanted to wear custom-made shirts.”
Autumn laughed. “So that’s why you became a lawyer? So you could afford custom shirts?”
I glanced over to her and back to the road. “I should probably say it’s because I wanted to help others or fight for justice or some other noble shit. But knowing I’d never have to hit up a soup kitchen or a guy like Bud for a meal? That had a lot to do with it. Plus, like I told you, I’m good at reading people and arguing, and that’s half the battle in my job.”
“Oh, that’s right,” she teased. “I forgot you think you’re so good at knowing what people are thinking.”
“I don’t think I’m good at it; I know I am.”
Autumn grinned and shut her eyes. “What am I thinking right now?”
I chuckled. “We’ve had this discussion. There’s a difference between reading people and being a mind reader. I can’t study your face while I’m driving.”
Autumn bit down on her bottom lip. “You could pull over…”
Now that tone I could read. We were only about a half hour from the hotel we were staying at, but who the hell cared?
I caught her eye for a second and put my blinker on to get off at the upcoming exit. After pulling into the empty parking lot of a construction site, I made sure to park away from the streetlights before cutting the engine and turning to face Autumn.
She hadn’t said a word, and it made me wonder if she’d been teasing, and I’d taken it too far by getting off the road. Though the wicked smile on her face when she’d spoken had me hopeful.
Autumn lifted to her knees on the seat and turned her entire body to face me. “Is this better?” She tilted her head. “Are you able to read what I’m thinking now?”
I glanced down. Her nipples were practically piercing through her shirt. “You’re thinking about sitting on my lap and riding me…”
She scanned the quiet parking lot and reached for the button of my pants. With a quick flick, she popped it open. “Wrong, counselor. I was actually not thinking about riding you.”
Well, that was a damn shame, because my cock was already pretty hard. But I played along. “Your nipples have my mouth salivating, and the dirty look on your face says you’re gearing up for something.”
She pulled the zipper of my pants down slowly. The sound of the teeth separating was better foreplay than any porn I’d ever watched.
Autumn looked up at me from under her thick lashes, her eyes glinting devilishly. “Oh I’m gearing up for something alright.” She ran her tongue along her top lip. “I want to suck your cock.”
“Jesus Christ, Red.” My head fell back, hitting against the headrest. “Say that again…”
She leaned over to my side, her nose touching my ear, and whispered in the sexiest damn voice. “I want to suck your cock.”
I groaned. “That is the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard.”
She bit down on my earlobe. “I want you to show me how you like it. Wrap your fingers in my hair and show me.”
I was panting like a dog, and she hadn’t even touched me yet. “This is going to be embarrassing. I’m so fucking turned on already.”
“Slide your pants down for me?” she whispered.
I shimmied those fuckers to the floor in two seconds flat.
Autumn bent her head and licked the moisture that had already formed at the tip of my dick. I’d thought she was going to torture me for a little while with more teasing, but she surprised the shit out of me when she opened her jaw wide and took almost my entire cock down her throat.
“Jesus Christ.” I bucked, and my ass lifted from the seat as she sucked the length of me back almost to the tip. My cock basically had a mind of its own and followed her. She stilled at the tip, so I dug my hands into her hair and pushed her back down. Autumn moaned. Fuck, yeah. So I pulled her back up and pushed her down a second time. Again she moaned.
Fuck me. I wasn’t going to make it more than another minute. I shut my eyes and rested my head against the seat as I pulled her hair again, guiding her head back up. My cock was soaked with her saliva, and the slurping sound she made as she bobbed up and down drove me wild. I couldn’t get enough, and suddenly I couldn’t get it fast enough. My grip on her hair tightened to a fist, and I sped up the motion—pushing her down and then tugging her back, pushing her down and…oh, the gurgling sound she made when I pushed her a little farther.
Best. Damn. Sound. In. The. World.
That was it. I was done. My orgasm was barreling like a runaway freight train, so I loosened my grip on her hair. “Autumn…babe…I’m gonna come.”
She kept going, keeping the pace I’d set even though I wasn’t guiding her anymore.
“Autumn…you got five seconds…” I groaned, trying to hold back so she could move before I shot my load. But she did just the opposite. She sucked me even deeper, until I felt myself hit the back of her throat. There was no holding back then.
“Fuck…” My body convulsed as I let out a long stream of cum. “Fuck…fuck…fuuuuuuuck,” I groaned.
I panted like I’d been sprinting, trying to catch my breath. Autumn just kept gliding up and down as I sat there with my skull lolling against the headrest. Eventually, after a minute or two, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and sat up.
“That was…” I shook my head. “I think you might have to drive the rest of the way. I can’t see straight.”
She giggled.
“And here I thought this was going to be a tense weekend going to your dad’s wedding.”
“Oh, trust me. It will be. I’m going to be uptight and ruin your weekend. That was just my way of saying thank you for coming.” She smiled. “I guess that sort of has two meanings right now.”
“I’m happy to come…anytime, anywhere, with you. And I definitely mean that in two ways.” I took her hand, threaded it with mine, and brought her knuckles to my lips for a kiss. “I’ll do my best to make sure you have a good weekend.”
We smiled at each other, and I meant what I’d said. I wanted to help her stay relaxed and enjoy the time in Connecticut. Of course, I had no idea it wouldn’t be her ruining the weekend…it would be me.
***
“Shit. I forgot to pack dress socks.”
The next morning, I’d gone into my bag to grab my running gear and realized I’d only packed white socks to wear with my sneakers. Autumn and I had woken up early, had sex, and ordered room service. After, I’d asked her if she wanted to come out for a run, but she seemed content to stay in bed for the few hours we had before we needed to get ready for her father’s wedding.
“We’re only about a block off the main shopping strip. I can walk over while you go for your run and pick some up.” She sat up in bed, and the sheet slipped down, giving me a beautiful view of her perfect tits. I guess my eyes lingered a little longer than I thought.
“We just had sex an hour or two ago, and yet you’re looking at me like I’m your lunch.” She smiled and lifted the sheet to cover herself.
I walked over and sat on the edge of the bed next to her. Tugging the sheet back down, I said, “I absolutely would like to eat you for lunch.”
She blushed.
“My heart’s not really into a run, anyway. Why don’t we walk over to get the socks together when you feel like getting up, and we’ll get another coffee, too. When we get back, I’ll do some pushups for exercise...with you beneath me.”
She grinned. “That sounds good. Although you sweaty from a run also sounds pretty yummy.”
“I’ll tell you what, I’ll run around the hotel when we get back, just enough to get sweaty before I hit the pushups.”
She laughed, though I wasn’t really kidding. If she liked me sweaty, sweaty I’d be
.
A little while later, we were walking down Greenwich Avenue. A woman turned the corner and walked straight into Autumn. She stumbled, but I had her hand so I was able to stop her from falling.
“I’m so sorry!” The woman held her hands up. “I wasn’t paying any attention to where I was going. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
The woman squinted. “Autumn? Autumn Wilde?”
Autumn’s brows dipped. “I’m sorry. Do we know each other?”
“I’m Cara Fritz. We used to be good friends when we were kids. We were in Mr. Fleming’s fourth-grade class together.”
Autumn cocked her head, and then a look of recognition washed over her face. “Oh my gosh. Of course! How could I not recognize you…Cara Fritz. God, it’s been a long time.”
Cara looked over at me. “My parents got divorced in sixth grade. I moved to the next town over, and that meant a new school, so Autumn and I eventually lost touch. Four miles might as well be four hundred when you’re that age.”
Autumn nodded. “That’s very true. It’s really nice to see you, though.” She put her hand on my forearm. “I’m sorry. I’m being rude. This is my…boyfriend, Donovan.”
Cara nodded. “Nice to meet you, Donovan.” She smiled at Autumn. “So do you still live here in Greenwich?”
“No, actually, I’m just in town for a wedding. I live in Manhattan now.”
“Oh, a wedding!” Her face lit up, and she held out her hand and wiggled her fingers, displaying a sparkly ring. “That’s why I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. I just got engaged last night, and I can’t stop staring at my hand.”
“Oh, wow. Congratulations.”
“You know, I still live over in Rock Ridge, but my boyfriend…” She smiled. “I mean my fiancé, lives here in Greenwich. He’s somewhere parking the car because it’s so impossible to find a spot here on the Avenue. But he was born and raised here. You two might know each other. You went to the same high school, though he was a few years older than us.”