Falling for Autumn

by Topham Wood, Heather

  With a laugh, he wrapped his hands around my waist. His expression turned serious and I melted under the heat of his stare. His hold was desperate and it appeared as though he was terrified I’d bolt any second and disappear again. “You’re giving me a second chance and it was something I never thought would happen. I won’t disappoint you and I’ll never lie to you again. My promises may not mean anything to you yet, but I’m going to change that. I’ll do whatever it takes to earn back your trust.”

  I didn’t argue with him because starting again would be a trial. But I had needed the time and distance. Because amazingly enough during our separation I was able to discover forgiveness.

  “If you were inside my head, you would see how it felt to be apart and how much I hated myself for hurting you. I love you, Autumn, and I promise to do everything I can to make you as happy as you make me.” Blake’s chest rose and fell as he spoke and it was more physical proof he felt the same longing I had since we broke up.

  “I love you, too.” It was the first time I told him I loved him out loud and as I traced a line over his jaw with my finger I silently marveled over how such a beautiful love could rise out of such a dark past. But when his eager lips found mine, there was no denying what we had couldn’t be easily forgotten or replicated. My heart would always belong to him and even if it took a lifetime, I would prove to him he deserved to have my love.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Two months later…

  “So I put my hands up, they’re playing my song, the butterflies fly away. I’m nodding my head like yeah. Moving my hips like yeah.”

  I walked over to Blake’s iPod dock and turned off the music while he shot me a look of disbelief. With shock coloring his tone, he asked, “Did you just stop me from singing? I thought you loved the incredible awesomeness of my voice.”

  “It scares me how well you know the lyrics to campy pop songs,” I teased and sat next to him on his bed.

  “I’m actually more of a classic rock fan, but I keep up with pop music to impress the ladies,” he said and pulled me onto his lap. “Is it working?”

  “Maybe a little.” His mouth silenced my laugh as he started to kiss me. The kiss was long and slow and I liked the way his lips lingered against mine. “You’re crazy,” I said when I moved away.

  “Crazy hot you mean.”

  I shook my head. “And so modest as well.” I rested my head against his chest and listened to the sound of his racing heart. “Your heart is beating so fast.”

  “I have a gorgeous girl in my lap. I think something would have to be wrong with me if my heart wasn’t beating fast.”

  His arms came around my waist and we lay in the same position for a long time. It was a Sunday afternoon and we had settled into a routine of being lazy for most of the day. Blake usually had a game on Friday or Saturday and with our class schedule the rest of the week, it was the only day we had nothing pressing to do. Blake needed the recovery day too and it was the reason I never planned anything too taxing. Although he downplayed it, I was certain he was sore from all the hits he took on the field.

  Two months had passed since the Rutgers game and it felt like we’d never been away from each other. We had taken things slow, but what I felt for him wasn’t going to change with time. I loved him and I believed in us. Blake kept his pledge and had earned my trust. The secrets were what had kept me from giving myself fully to him and with them out in the open nothing was holding us back.

  Not to say it had been smooth sailing. There were some problems that would likely never go away. I might as well have been a Capulet and he a Montague with the chilly reception we received from our families. My mom was understanding about how I felt and I think a lot of it had to do with how much time we talked things out at the beach. My dad wanted me to stay away from Blake, but once I made it clear how important it was to give Blake another chance, he told me to be careful and warned Blake he would need a new set of balls if he hurt me again.

  Blake’s family was even more complicated. Thomas had moved back with Cassie and Delia in May, but he had moved out by mid-summer. Things had fallen apart quickly when Cassie realized how dependent Thomas would be on her. Thomas was unemployable and Blake wouldn’t come home as long as she lived with his stepfather. The choice had been easy and she had gone to an attorney about filing for divorce. The irony hadn’t been lost on me that she hadn’t left him because of his purported dalliance with a student, but had looked into divorce once it became clear that he had zero financial prospects. Blake held onto the resentment toward his mother, but it was hard to break his need to be a fixer. I thought one day he’d have a relationship with her again, but he insisted it would be on his terms and only if she’d come to understand my place in his life.

  The situation with Delia was much more delicate. Blake loved Delia and his sister loved him back just as fiercely. I wouldn’t and I didn’t want to come between them, but it seemed unavoidable. According to Blake, she had been molded to hate me, but her brother’s love made her curious too. She had been open to the idea of having a dinner where the three of us could spend time together. She made no promises, but if I were willing to give her a shot, she would offer the same courtesy.

  I swerved my head until my chin was resting against Blake’s chest. Blake had a faraway look on his face and I tried to remain motionless so I could watch him longer. I was fascinated by the small mannerisms I learned since we met. The space between his eyebrows crinkled and he grazed his teeth gradually over his lower lip. I could tell he was trying to work something out in his head before he voiced it aloud.

  “Playing football has always been about the rush for me. There would be such a spike in my adrenaline after scoring or winning a game.” His chin tilted and he faced me. “I never felt that intensity when dating. I’d hang out with a girl and usually sex would happen quickly.”

  I swallowed hard at his admission. Blake was open with me and although his status as the campus womanizer had been exaggerated, he had slept with his fair share of women. The number had been intimidating when he told me, but nowhere near the amount I had come up with.

  He pushed my hair away from my face in a soothing gesture. “I love you and what we have is stronger than anything I felt before. We have something real and I never want to let you go. I see you smile at me when you wake up in my arms and I want that every day for the rest of our lives. I want to be the kind of man that gives someone as incredible as you a reason to smile.”

  I was paralyzed by his words. He had given me so much of himself and I hoped he knew he had mended every fracture inside of my damaged heart. “I’m happy because I wake up knowing I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”

  Gathering me up in his arms, he gently settled me on the bed as he hovered above. His mouth started at the curve of my neck before moving to my shoulder blade. He slid my shirt off of my shoulder and my nerve endings danced as his tongue tasted my bare skin. “You taste so good,” he growled. “Before you come over, you must take a bath in chocolate and honey.”

  I moaned and pushed him away. I wiggled out of my shirt and he returned to his position over me. Blake was an untamed animal on the field, but handled me like a china doll. He took his time kissing and touching and each time was an erotic experience that left me aching for more.

  He leaned in and my breath hitched as he continued his assault on my skin. He licked and kissed every square inch of my body and the leisurely way he went about it made me squirm beneath him. His fingers reached behind me and he unhooked my bra. My back arched and I could see by the look in his eyes he was pleased by the way I responded to him.

  Blake removed his shirt and I could finally feel his bare skin against my own. My eyes and hands explored his toned body and there was enough heat between us I wasn’t sure how we could survive it. He fondled my breasts while his mouth crushed down to kiss me passionately. Suddenly, the slow pace fell to the wayside and our kisses and caresses become frantic. Our jeans came off and I b
egan to tug at the top of his boxers. Blake pulled back and the only sound for a long minute was our labored breathing.

  “Blake, please don’t stop. I want this…I want you,” I amended.

  “And I want you—but only if you’re ready. I need you to be sure first,” he said. Blake knew what to give me. He always understood I had to be the one to decide the course of our relationship. If he pushed, I may have run and we would’ve both lost out.

  “Yes, I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”

  I pushed his head down and we returned to kissing. I breathed him in and his masculine smell caused a stirring deep in his belly. His head moved lower and I watched as his fingers looped on the outside of my panties and pulled them down. “Gorgeous,” he mumbled before kissing the skin below my belly button.

  His fingers were running up and down my inner thigh and I felt like I could die from the anticipation. Each succession, his fingers seemed to move closer and closer and my body ached for the release I knew I would find once they were inside of me. I tried to kiss him back, but my body wasn’t cooperating as I moaned and writhed against him. When he slipped one finger and then another inside of me, I cried out.

  His fingers gently probed as I rocked against his hand. “So beautiful and so wet for me,” he said, which of course had the effect of making me even wetter.

  His hips went lower and as they rocked against my own, I gathered up the sheets in my hands and tossed my head back. My legs spread wider, opening up for him, accepting what he was offering. He was relentless—moving his fingers inside of me while using his thumb to stimulate me from the outside. Small quivers rushed through my body as pleasure took hold. I curled my toes and yelled out his name as I finished.

  Although my first thought was I could lie here content for the rest of the night, I moved up onto my elbows and tugged at his boxers. He removed them and I then felt him settle between my legs. He was hard and I could feel him ready to enter me. His lashes lowered while his eyes clouded over with desire. I had finished minutes ago, but my body experienced another surge of lust.

  “I want you inside of me,” I said in a hushed voice. At my declaration, I heard him suck air through his clenched teeth.

  “I have to feel you.” His voice was gruff and I then felt him push against my entrance. He hesitated and leaned over to kiss me. He had a concerned look on his face and I melted over how loved by him I felt. “It’s going to hurt at first, but I promise it won’t last.”

  He waited for my nod before going to the nightstand to retrieve a condom. Once sheathed, he filled me up slowly and carefully. His eyes never left mine and I could tell he was holding back. He pulsed inside of me and after I urged him forward by lifting my hips, he rocked back and forth.

  I wasn’t prepared for how the pain seared my body. I was relieved Blake had taken care of my needs first because I hoped it took an edge off the discomfort. My body seized up and I tried to relax, but Blake’s face faded from view and I could only concentrate on how badly it hurt. Blake dropped his head down and his mouth covered my breast. His warm tongue flicked over my nipple and I shuddered against him. He suckled my breast and took my nipple between his teeth ever so gently. I was shocked not only by how good he was making me feel, but that I hadn’t noticed his hips rocking against me.

  I become hyperaware of the feel of him thrusting inside of me. The pain started to subside and I began to enjoy the sensation. The way he bit down on his lip told me his level of self-control. I rocked my hips and I heard him groan. “Autumn…”

  He continued to claim my body and when my hips lifted, he started to move faster and deeper. My hands moved to his back and I dragged my fingernails down the length of him. His expression was completely open and I could see how much pleasure he was experiencing with our bodies finally joined.

  It was a soul-shattering experience to be with him in such an intimate way. He was my first love, my first lover, and my first everything. He had healed me and made me see I’d never been completely shattered in the first place. My feelings were powerful and being with him amplified every sensation.

  Watching Blake as his body shuddered and his orgasm overtook him was incredibly sexy. I heard his groan before he burrowed his face in my neck with one final cry. I liked how he didn’t rush to end our first time and he stayed buried inside of me for a long minute. His kisses were feather-light and tender and he rained them down on my cheeks, forehead, and nose. I felt worshipped.

  The ache was still there, but it had become almost pleasurable as he finished. When he pulled out, my sex was swollen and moist and I was shocked at how something that had started out so painful ended feeling so incredible.

  Blake stared at me and his eyes were sweet and earnest. I kissed him hard while still shivering from my arousal. “My body will always belong to you, Blake.”

  “I’ve wanted you for so long and there are no words for what that was like for me.”

  “Mind-blowing?”

  Blake laughed and he drew my languid body to his side. “That’s a perfect word for it.”

  Getting comfortable in the crook of his arm, I felt completely at ease. “I love you.” I loved the way he always gave me a surprised smile at those three words—as if he couldn’t quite believe he was lucky enough to have my love.

  “I love you, my beautiful girl.” He shot me a mischievous grin. “And give me another ten minutes and I’ll show you again just how much.”

  I gave him a seductive smile to tell him how appealing the idea sounded. Not only did my body belong to him, but my entire being. There was something powerful between us and it was unbreakable. I never thought it was possible to love a man as much as I loved Blake Preston. Life was unpredictable and I would’ve never anticipated finding love where I had. But I had no control over my emotions. I could deny how I felt and try to live without him, but where did it leave me? I didn’t want to live without the one person I connected with on every single level.

  I planned to spend my forever with him. I wanted to hold onto him, loving him for as long as he would let me. Falling for Blake had forced me to take a leap into the unknown—and I was still soaring.

  THE END

  About the Author

  Heather Topham Wood’s obsession with novels began in childhood while growing up in a shore town in New Jersey. Writing since her teens, she recently returned to penning novels after a successful career as a freelance writer. She’s the author of the paranormal romance Second Sight series and the standalones Falling for Autumn and The Disappearing Girl.

  Heather graduated from the College of New Jersey in 2005 and holds a bachelor's degree in English. Her freelance work has appeared in publications such as USA Today, Livestrong.com, Outlook by the Bay and Step in Style magazine. She resides in Trenton, New Jersey with her husband and two sons. Besides writing, Heather is a pop culture fanatic and has an obsession with supernatural novels and TV shows.

  Follow Heather on Facebook, Twitter and her blog to keep posted on her upcoming works:

  https://twitter.com/woodtop255

  http://authorheather.com

  https://www.facebook.com/HeatherTophamWood

  Acknowledgements

  My incredible readers, you’re the reason I’m able to live my dream and I can never thank you enough.

  My super wonderful husband Bryan, you have always been in my corner and I appreciate it more than you’ll ever realize.

  Dominic and Luke, my two amazing boys who feed my creative energy every single day.

  Ashley, an adored member of the family who helps out in so many ways.

  My mother and father, thank you for being supportive of my writing.

  My sisters, you are three of the strongest and smartest women I know.

  My team of editors, formatters, proofreaders and cover artists, your expertise has helped my books become so much more.

  To the rest of my friends and family, I love you all and will be eternally grateful for how much you’ve he
lped me succeed.