Men of Endurance Limited Edition Collection

by Siera London

  "It's okay," he whispered, hoping his touch was a comfort. Though he knew little about Autumn, he felt confident in his statement. Later if things ran more amuck, he’d do what he could to make it better for her.

  She angled her head, her lips parting. Her vulnerability undid him. A part of him registered that this was wrong, but in this moment, she needed him. Everything in Rui wanted to meet that need. So, he covered her mouth with his, all the while using his thumbs to wipe away the tears that continued to flow. The kiss was tender and juicy, her mouth, hot and delicious. Yes, Autumn was the best meal Rui had tasted in forever, and he was nowhere near being full. He was just getting started, warming to the awakening need, his fingers threading into her hair, when she stopped.

  "Wow," she said pulling away.

  That's exactly how Rui felt. When she looked at him, he felt connected to her. He felt-

  She stared at him. "That was," what would she say-maybe perfect-, "wildly inappropriate."

  Rui stammered. Not the response he was going for. Suddenly, the air conditioning seemed to be blowing hot air.

  She started to laugh, almost hysterically, and then she dropped her head to his shoulder and cried.

  Swallowing, he whispered, "It's going to be okay."

  She shook her head. "No," she sobbed, "it's not."

  "Shhh," he coaxed. "We'll figure something out."

  That had her lifting her head. "Does it involve another one of your kisses?" She sniffled. "You're a great kisser, by the way."

  Should he respond? Should he keep quiet? Rui was so out of his element. Maybe, he should say something.

  "Thanks." That sounded dorky. God, he needed a textbook, an app, or blog on how to talk with a woman.

  Autumn pushed away from him, sitting up straight in the ergonomic seat.

  Instantly, he was sorry for uttering a single word that would make her withdraw from him.

  Wiping her tear stained hand on her leggings, she said, "This isn't your problem, Rui."

  Now, why did her trying to eliminate him grate on his protective instincts?

  "Autumn let me help. I won't rest if I leave you here."

  She ran a hand over her eyes in a windshield-wiper fashion. The wetness disappeared, but unshed tears brimmed in her eyes.

  "Unless you can talk my landlord into bringing my belongings back inside, you should go."

  "Not happening, honey. I'll take care of this." Culturally, Rui had been raised to be non-confrontational. But, a man had a responsibility to provide and protect his woman.

  "Rui, you don't know me."

  True, but he wanted to. He fixed her in a hard stare, his eyes dropped to her mouth. The lips he'd just kissed.

  Autumn reared back. "Are going to kiss me again?"

  Rui shook off his stupid gene and focused. "Not right this moment," he said truthfully. "And, we don't know each other well, but I know I'm not leaving you here to handle this alone."

  Rui pulled the caddy into the single car driveway making it impossible for her landlord to unload anymore of Autumn's personal effects on the curb.

  With a box under each arm, the stout troll of a man scowled at the parked car. Before he could exit the vehicle, Autumn opened the door and rushed forward.

  "Please, Mr. Swinney, I'll get your money."

  Unceremoniously, the man dropped his twin cargo. The sound of glass shattering crackled in the air.

  "No, you won't" he bellowed. "You said that last month and the one before that."

  "I know, but—"

  "No more excuses, young lady. I'm done."

  Autumn's tears continued, but the man seemed unaffected.

  "You have till morning to move your things. I've already called bulk trash."

  Her back stiffened. "That can take up to three days."

  The guy had the audacity to smirk. "I called on Monday."

  Like a pissed off kitten, Rui can see Autumn's invisible hackles rise.

  "Why you lowdown, no-account, greasy hunk of pound cake," she retorted. When she raised a balled-up fist, Rui jumped out of the car. He grabbed Autumn around the waist, using his body to separate the two.

  "Okay, okay. Let's get you out of here," he said keeping ahold of her waist.

  "Yeah, crazy broad."

  Rui froze. Meeting the eyes of the property manager, he took a step forward. "Don't" he growled, "ever call her anything other than her name."

  The man scrambled backwards. "Who are you?" he challenged. Turning, he said, "I'm calling the cops."

  Rui doubted the guy was serious, but he hustled Autumn back to the car. Within thirty minutes he had the backseat, the trunk and the space by Autumn's feet packed with boxes.

  "Where should I take you?" he asked.

  She gave a watery smile. "Back to Chula Vista, I guess."

  He'd heard of the southern California town, close to the Interstate-5 Mexico border.

  A desolate expression etched deep grooves into her forehead and bracketed her mouth. He couldn't let her leave. Today was the first time they'd shared a meaningful conversation. He wanted more. And, he thought maybe she did, too.

  "You know," he started. "I could use some help with Simone and around my house." She didn't respond. “Autumn, did you hear me?"

  "Sorry, what do you say?"

  When she still remained silent. Rui sweetened the pie.

  "It includes room and board."

  She hit him with hopeful, but weary eyes. "How much does it pay?"

  "I can pay you one thousand dollars a month." It wasn't much, but without having to pay rent and food maybe it could help.

  She studied him. "I need to be paid weekly and...and I want the option to renegotiate my pay after the first thirty days. Also, I need time to train and study. I won't give up school."

  "Agreed," he said without hesitation.

  "Then you got yourself a nanny."

  Rui smiled as they pulled back onto the dirt road. He wasn't sure if he'd negotiated a win-win or not, but her tears had stopped, and he felt like the luckiest man alive. Now, how would Simone react to having a woman in the house?

  Chapter 4

  From the moment Rui opened the garage door leading into the kitchen, Autumn knew she should’ve asked for more money. The first thing she noticed about her ranch-style farmhouse accommodations was the stench of the original funky chicken break dancing in one-hundred-degree heat singeing her nostrils. She stilled, covering her nose and mouth. That didn't help. Peering at the expansive kitchen, she could hardly believe her eyes.

  A long rectangular wood bench table with iron trestle work and four blue and white checkered print parson chairs on one side lay hidden beneath a mountain of clothes. An icicle blue couch sat on the opposite side completing the breakfast nook. There were pizza boxes, grocery bags, dirty glasses, and empty bottles covering the butcher block wood countertops. Open cube containers like the ones from the fried chicken places sat on top of the mess. And then there were books and more books mixed in with about three months worth of envelopes on the table.

  When was the last time they cleaned the place? The soft click of the door lock engaging signaled Rui would soon close the distance between them. Her eyes darted around the room. The passage to middle earth could be under all this stuff, she thought. All of a sudden, male hardness slammed into her back and she stumbled further into the room.

  Rui caught her around the waist, holding her steady.

  "I-ah, sorry" he stammered, "I have gotten behind on the house cleaning."

  She squinted up at Rui, making sure no signs of madness shone in his eyes. Mr. Clean, the bald giant with the sparkling white pullover and equally dazzling smile, would curse Rui to hades and back if he saw this place.

  Stunned she asked, "Was the place ever clean? Maybe you should drop me off at Owen's."

  The man had to be crazy if he thought she would accept a thousand dollars to live in this place. Walking through the door had earned her bonus pay.

  "It gets better," he
said in a rush. "Let me show you the rest of the house," he said, gripping her shoulder.

  Autumn wasn't sure she wanted to see more. Rui had seemed just about perfect when he offered her a job and a place to stay. Now, she was sure he got the winning end of the deal.

  Rui hung a jacket she hadn't realized he carried on a peg behind the door. His hand slid down her arm to grip her fingers. They made their way across the wide plank floor into a large room. The floors were pine stained in a dark finish, and an entertainment center covered most of one wall on her left. On the far end, large windows flanked a pair of white French doors leading to an outside deck. The furniture was simple. An ash gray couch with a matching chair and love seat formed a 'u' shape in front of the huge structure holding a television large enough to view a mountain range. Odd, Rui struck her as the intellectual type. There were more books in this room, too, but the television and shelves lined with old record albums drew her attention.

  Slipping her fingers from his, she moved closer to the shelves, studying the collection and a large jade dragon statue.

  Touching the etched scales, the stone felt cool. Intricate details hinted at the quality of the artwork.

  “Is it okay that I stroked your dragon?” she asked absently, now thumbing through vintage albums.

  “Whatever makes you happy.” Autumn noticed how he watched her, as if she were sweetest thing since chocolate milk. She liked his eyes on her.

  "You like music?" she quizzed. He didn't seem offended by the obvious surprise in her voice.

  Rui's eyes fixed on the shelves lined with dozens of vinyl record covers.

  "I used to."

  Rui didn't say anymore, and Autumn decided not to push him further. She needed to focus on her role here. There was a formal dining room with nothing more than a distressed wood Trestle table and six cool gray-colored chairs. The living room had a desk, a leather chair on casters, and a half-empty bookcase. Okay, Houston we have a problem. Rui had converted the space into an office for himself, but everything for the office remained in the breakfast nook.

  "Where will I sleep?" She imagined herself in Rui's arms, snuggled into his warmth. She gazed up at the angles of his face from beneath her lashes. He looked so sturdy, yet the state of the house revealed something about his in-flux state. Or maybe he wanted the old things to remain untouched, while his current life overshadowed the past. With quick steps he led her up a flight of stairs. There was a loft that overlooked the first floor. A door stood ajar revealing a full bath with a yellow ducky shower curtain. She peaked inside and saw a door she hadn't appreciated from the loft view. A nice-size bedroom with camel colored wood furniture adjoined the bathroom. With the added space of the loft, this floor was larger than the studio apartment she'd been kicked out of.

  "This is beautiful, Rui." It was such a large space for one man and a little girl. She wondered if Rui had envisioned a big family when he purchased this house?

  He squeezed her hand. "Simone and I use the rooms downstairs, but I want you to see all the rooms, so you can decide. There's two more bedrooms on this floor, but they share a bath."

  "This way," Rui remarked, leading her down the staircase to a hallway nestled across from his office in a hidden alcove. They passed a small bath, and she stopped to peak inside. The room, painted a country blue, held a white pedestal sink, an American Standard commode, and an oversized tiled shower.

  There were two doors, both of them closed. The first door they reached held an Asian-style fan made of blue silk hanging from pink laundry pins. The calligraphy script read, "Keep Out, Mei lives here."

  Autumn had all but forgotten her new employment included her serving as guardian for a kid that probably needed a weekly therapy appointment with a priest, pastor, and a psychologist.

  “Who’s Mei?”

  Rui grinned. “Mei is Simone’s middle name. It means beautiful flower in Chinese. She’s staked her claim as you can see."

  What she saw was their interlocked fingers. Rui still held her hand. Autumn focused on the feel of his skin next to hers. She expected his hands to be smooth, but the pads of his fingers were rough like he worked with his hands.

  Rui didn't bother to open the door to Simone's room. Instead they moved deeper down the hall. He twisted the knob and pushed the door open. On the back wall, three white lacquer frames depicted water cranes along a riverbank in soft brush-painted ink. Autumn was instantly in heaven. The room was large with an arched entryway to the ensuite bathroom that overlooked a private garden surrounded by an eight-foot privacy fence. Her heart rate beat a rapid staccato. She'd never stayed in a room this nice, not even as an adult.

  Rui chuckled. "I assume by the way you're squeezing my hand that you've made your choice?"

  "Oh," she winced. “Sorry."

  Releasing Rui's hand, she stepped further into the space. Literally, she wanted to spin in a circle, break dance, and kick up her heels. She said a silent prayer of thanks that Simone Conners had jumped behind the wheel of Putter this morning.

  She stopped at the bed, running her fingers over the soft quilt. Autumn studied the small details in the room: the ruffle drapes, the braided rug behind her feet, the paperback book next to the crystal lamp. This room was decorated by and for a woman. She felt a pang in her chest. Though Rui hadn't mentioned it, another woman was very much a part of his life.

  "You like it?" he whispered, his deep voice in her ear.

  She could feel the heat from his body caressing her back. Grabbing hold of her arms, she squeezed, quelling the urge to lean into him. How would it feel to lie in this bed with him beside her? Would the heat of him scorch the way she imagined? The air seemed to warm at the thought.

  Rui's hands settled on her shoulders and she jumped.

  "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

  His breath touched the side of her face. She knew she needed to step away, but she stayed planted.

  Slowly, she placed on hand over his. "You don't scare me."

  Though barely perceptible, she let her body sag into his. Neither of them moved, initially, but then he stiffened—every part of him.

  Before she could talk herself out of it, she turned toward him. She slid her arms around his lean hips. Burying her face in his chest, she brushed her lips against the scattering of fine hair covering his chest. She thought she heard him suck in a breath, but she was lost in his scent. Clean, like the crisp pages of a leather-bound book, and rich musk like a man should be.

  "Thank you, Rui," she said on a breathy whisper.

  She expected him to push her away, but she sighed in relief when his arms firmed around her. A wave of sensual heat warred with the impropriety of her actions. The man was paying her.

  "A-Autumn," he began. "I don't expect, that is, you don't have to give me...," he trailed off.

  "I know," she said, releasing him. The second she stepped away, everything in her rebelled. Clinging to him had been the most comfort she'd felt in years. Already she missed being in his arms. But, she couldn't afford to jeopardize her position in this house. "I'm sorry," she managed to say. Sorry hadn't crossed her mind. She wanted to run her hands through his dark locks, cover his mouth with hers. Moan his name as-

  "Autumn," he rasped. “I should grab your bags.”

  What was she doing? Was she really forcing herself on this man who'd helped her? Yes, she’d noticed him. Yes, there was attraction, but once again, she was making it easy. Her gaze snapped up to meet his. She'd gotten lost in the fantasy of what else she wanted from Rui Conners.

  He cleared his throat. "After I unload, you stay here. Set up your room. I'll be back with Simone."

  Face tight, he walked out of the room. Autumn had messed up. She wondered if he'd ever give her the chance to touch him again.

  * * *

  Rui slammed his hand on the steering wheel. Why the heck had he stopped Autumn from touching him? It had been years since a woman had shown him any tenderness, to include his interludes with Kirsten. He thou
ght about how Autumn’s mouth had softened at his invasion. The feel of her leaning on him, resting her head on his chest, renewed a sense of masculine pride he hadn’t felt in ages. God, the woman had a sexy-as-sin way of showing her gratitude. Shoot, would she have offered those sweet berry lips if he'd been able to fix her piece of crap car?

  Miller Road came into view, and Rui dropped his speed way below the limit to make the right turn. Owen's first wife, Caitlyn, God rest her soul, had been struck by a car on this very street. Though Owen kept up a good front for his son, Cai, the townsfolk knew he blamed himself for his wife's death. Like Rui, he felt responsible for losing the woman entrusted to him. Thank heaven, Ivy had given him a new lease on love. Rui’s heart thudded in his chest. Moving Autumn into his home had been the right decision but starting a relationship with a woman trying to get a lift-off on her dreams might be more risk than he needed. But, could Autumn be his second chance at forever?

  In no time at all, Rui arrived at Endurance Elementary. A line of mini-vans, luxury and standard, formed a single-file line in front of the curb. His cellphone vibrated in his pocket. Before he could answer, the loud and clear sound of the bell rang signaling the end of the school day. The line started to move, so Rui let the call go to voicemail.

  Rui expected to find Simone to be the first kid waiting for the security gate to be unlocked. With the school shootings happening in other parts of the country, the local school board had installed six-foot fencing with electronic locks surrounding the three school campuses in Endurance.

  As he approached the orange-vested safety monitor, Rui lowered his window. The sound of his daughter's voice carried beyond his line of sight.

  "Eight-year-olds don't need escorts."

  He grinned. Simone was giving someone the riot act. He loved his daughter's spunk. She reminded him so much of Kirsten. The first night he'd met his former wife, she been wearing a chip on her shoulder as big as her voice. He'd sat through both sets as she and her band belted out jazzy and funk edified tunes until close to midnight. Her long body with its barely there curves had mesmerized him. The serpentine-like quality of her voice wound a hypnotic spell around him as he watched her sway to the rhythm. Kirsten was exquisite and full of laughter. After her last set, she'd surprised him by agreeing to a dance. At twenty-one, he'd been a young man with limited experience. Kirsten had shown him things he never imagined possible between two people. After that, no matter where or for how long she traveled, he'd waited, ever faithful, until she returned. That's how their relationship had worked. Rui had been Mr. Loyal and Steady while his exotic ebony beauty whisked herself away on one impulsive adventure followed by another.