by Beth Michele
“Autumn?”
She turns around, a sudden blast of sunlight in my dark little world, as I unsuccessfully try to pull oxygen from my lungs and tell myself to breathe.
My lips form a smile, my heart smiles—shit, even my dick smiles. Those fiery blue eyes, that radiant smile, those contoured lips. She’s breathtaking.
Autumn’s lips flip up at the edges too, as if she’s happy to see me, but the expression disappears quickly. She comes over and I resist the urge to grab her, to never let her go. “Hunter,” she acknowledges, and I’ve missed the sound of her voice. “Good to see you. I’m just on my way out.”
I latch on to her arm, but quickly release it. Still, there’s no way I’m letting her get away. “Autumn, wait. Can we talk for a few minutes?”
Her teeth gnaw on her lip as she looks to the door then back to me, my fingers aching to touch her. It’s taking all of my restraint to stand here, my hands fisting at my sides while I wait for her answer.
“Sure, I’ve got a few minutes.”
She picks a booth by the door. I hope it’s not because she’s looking to make a quick getaway. I may just have to restrain her. Sliding onto the worn leather upholstery, I follow her lead and scoot in next to her.
For the first time in over a month, my chest is lighter, my limbs relaxed, all irritation gone simply by being in her presence. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve been trying to find you? Searching the internet? Walking up and down the Upper East Side, hoping to catch a glimpse of you? Every time I saw a woman with wavy, dark hair, I kept thinking it might be you. Hoping it was you.”
My pulse leaps under my flesh as I move closer to her, praying she doesn’t back away. Unable to control the urge to touch her any longer, I bring my hand up and cup her cheek, our gazes meeting. “I missed you, sweetheart.” I close my eyes on a quiet inhale at the feel of her skin. Is it possible to miss touching someone? Because I have, so God damn much.
Her lashes fall lightly against her face, and there’s a softening in that ocean of blue, a sprinkle of hope in her eyes. She angles her head to lean in, but pulls back abruptly, my hand dropping with a pained sigh.
“You lied to me.”
“I know. And I’m sorry. I should’ve been honest… But… you lied to me, too.”
She nods her head, casting her eyes down, clasping her hands in her lap. “Yes, I did,” she murmurs quietly. After a minute, she looks up at me. “Why?” she delves, and I nearly crumble at the hurt in her voice.
“Because for the first time in my life, I actually cared what someone thought of me, not my money, not what I could offer them, just me. I wanted someone to want me, and I wanted that someone to be you—”
“I saw those pictures,” she interrupts, insecurity swimming in her eyes. “You told me you weren’t attached.”
“I didn’t lie about that, Aut—I didn’t lie about that. Did I sleep with a lot of those women? Yes, but they meant nothing. All I was interested in was one night and all they were interested in was sex and money. The truth is, I haven’t slept with anyone since I met you. I’ve never done relationships, haven’t wanted to,” I confess. “I’m not even sure I know how to, but I want to try… I want to try to have something with you. Can we start over?” I plead, my eyes reaching out to hers. “Please?”
Each second that passes feels like an eternity, until her hand inches toward mine on the table, the tips of our fingers touching, my world righting itself in this one simple moment.
I extend my free hand. “Hi, I’m Hunter Grayson, filthy rich CEO of Emperon Software.”
A slow smile spreads across her face as she slips her hand in mine, shaking it. “Hi, I’m Olivia Redmond, erotic romance author.”
“Olivia…,” I say it slowly, trying it out on my tongue. “That’s a very pretty name. And you write erotic romance, huh?” I comment, raising a mischievous brow, and she smiles shyly. I embrace her hand, holding it in mine. Her eyes drift down, noticing my tattoo.
She opens her mouth, but it takes her a minute to speak. “You got a tattoo… your brother,” she remarks, astonished.
“Yeah.” I smile. “Rex did it for me.”
“It’s… beautiful,” she says, a shudder surging through me as her thumb traces a path around my wrist.
“I think you’re beautiful,” I whisper against her ear, my lips brushing her cheek. She still smells of peaches and it makes me smile.
She pulls back, her skin a soft shade of pink. “So, Hunter Grayson, my apartment is nearby, do you want to come by and have some coffee, maybe get a tour of the place?”
“I don’t know, we just met. For all I know you could be some kind of serial killer.”
She playfully smacks my shoulder and I chuckle. When she laughs, too, my heart jumps out of my chest. I can’t believe how much I missed her. “Come on.” We ease out of the booth and I follow her outside.
With deft fingers, she unties the leash from the post. “I’d like you to meet Charlie.”
“We’ve already met,” I say, as we start walking down the block.
“Oh?”
“Yes, he wagged his tail the moment he saw me. It was love at first sight… if you believe in that kind of thing.”
She smiles, pulling Charlie alongside her.
“You know… ‘I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,’” I quote, glancing over at her, grinning, watching her lips quirk up into a gleaming smile.
“Yeah.”
Then I weave my fingers through hers and suddenly life is good.
Life is really fucking good.
Epilogue
~Hunter~
Eight Months Later
“Aut—” I start to call out, but stop myself. Sometimes I want to call her Autumn. Maybe because I still think the name fits her so well. Because just like a fall day—the chill in the air making you breathe in life, the scent of logs burning in a fireplace, the colors of rustling leaves crinkling beneath your feet—you can’t help but take a pause, stop to admire the beauty, and I don’t just mean what’s on the outside.
I’ve discovered so many things about Olivia these past several months, as we’ve been spending all of our free time together. I’ve learned that she drinks coffee three times a day, the last one at night, and it’s decaffeinated. She’s a fabulous cook and makes a mean chicken parmesan. The spot under her ribs is a ticklish one, typically bringing her to her knees, which I like to use to my advantage. And, she is sexually adventurous, evidenced by the two visits she paid me last week at the office, and the way she looked spread open on my desk.
But most of all, I’ve seen her heart. The way she cares for others, always wanting to make someone else smile. I love that about her.
“Olivia!” I shout out again, using her real name because I want her to know that I’m crazy about the real her. “I know good things come to those who wait, but you’re making me wait a bit too long. I’m a starving man, sweetheart.”
She saunters out of the bathroom and my jaw drops to the ground, but my cock rises to the occasion. Dressed in a fire engine red, lace bra and matching thong, complete with garter belt and stockings, she’s just blown away every fantasy I’ve ever had. Her hair tumbles over her shoulders in thick, dark waves, and fuck, she’s even wearing red lipstick. Of course, it won’t be on for long.
When she makes it to the bed, my eyes rake over her delicious form and I lick my lips. She responds with a pleased smile, before crawling onto the bed, hovering over my naked body, and whispering, “Happy birthday, Hunter.”
“Thank you, sweetheart,” I mutter, unable to stop staring at the swells of her breasts spilling out of that sexier than hell bra.
“I’ve also made you a special dinner and a Snickers pie, but we’ll get to that later.” She crooks her brow, licking her painted red lips as she stares down at my cock. “I’m hungry for something else first.”
I love how forward she is now. She’s self-assured, confident in herself and what she has to give�
�and believe me, that’s a lot. She is even finally prepared to tell her parents the truth. They will be visiting this weekend, so I’m going to meet them for the first time. I told her I’ll be by her side and that made her happy, which made me delirious.
She bends her head, my dick now throbbing in anticipation of her tongue, soft and wet against me. When I feel that first swipe up to the tip, I groan, sucking in a hard breath. Jesus, everything about her mouth turns me on. She surrounds me with her lips, her slender fingers squeezing the base, stroking me up and down, and my breathing becomes shallow. There’s nothing hotter than watching her suck my cock, well, except watching her touch herself.
My hips begin to move and I fist my hands in her hair, guiding her as she takes me all the way in, hitting the back of her throat. “God, baby, I love fucking your mouth,” I groan, and when she moans against my cock, the vibration moves through me, and I nearly come on the spot. I gently grab her head, pulling her half-lidded eyes to mine. “Olivia, stop, I don’t want to come in your mouth, I want to be inside your pussy when I come.”
Her lips are swollen when she releases me, inching her way up the bed, leaning over to press the sweetest of kisses to my lips.
“I like my birthday surprise,” I whisper against her mouth, “but you know what else I want?”
“What?” she hums, circling my nose with hers.
“I want you wearing nothing except those garters and stockings. Do you think you can manage that for me? Now?”
“You’re awfully demanding,” she replies with a sultry grin, “but it is your birthday, so your wish is my command.” She climbs off the bed, and I watch with darkened eyes as she wiggles her perfect little ass in front of me, that thin strip of material baring her smooth skin. I can’t wait to have her.
She seductively trails the bra straps down her arms, then shimmies out of the thong, doing exactly as I requested. After only a minute, she’s back on the bed, her breasts close enough that I can suck her hardened pink bud into my mouth. I can’t resist her, so I cup her breast, flicking my thumb over the tight peak, my lips following, licking and nibbling until she’s moaning, rubbing her pussy all over my cock. I can’t get enough of her, and now that she’s on the pill, being able to feel her skin to skin is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.
She cries out again as I continue to lavish each nipple with attention, her hips moving wildly against my groin. “I want to ride you,” she murmurs, her voice breathy, laced with desire.
I let go of her nipple, staring up into eyes filled with heat and passion. “Ride my cock, baby,” I direct in a low voice, and she doesn’t hesitate as she grasps me in her hands, forcing my eyes closed on a sharp inhale when my tip meets her slick, wet folds. She’s drenched in her hunger for me, her wetness soaking my dick as she slides me in and out of her sex.
“Christ, sweetheart,” I groan, “you feel so good, so tight and wet.”
She responds with a whimper, raising her hands, lifting her hair into a pile of waves on top of her head. “I love feeling you inside of me,” she murmurs, “so good.”
I watch her; blue eyes glazed over, cheeks flush, nipples erect, as she rides me, and there’s nothing sexier. She lowers her hands, tugging on her hard nipples as she fucks me, and I’m at risk of coming right now. She is by far the hottest and sexiest woman I have ever known, and she’s all mine. Something I’ve never been able to say before.
“Mmmm, mmmm,” she mewls as I grab her hips, grinding our bodies together, and I start groaning, too. “God, Hunter. Ahh, I’m gonna come,” she mumbles, lips parting, heavy breaths falling between us, eyes staying connected to one another.
“Come, baby, I want you to come.”
She purrs, letting go, and I feel her pulsate around me, but she doesn’t stop, wanting me to get there, too. “Come inside me, Hunter,” she breathes out, and that’s all it takes for me to explode, releasing everything I have inside of her.
Olivia collapses on top of me, our sweaty bodies sticking together gloriously. She lifts her head, layering kisses on my brow, my eyelids, my jaw, then finally my lips. “Happy birthday, Hunter,” she singsongs, smiling against my mouth.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” I reply, brushing strands of her hair away from her face so I can look at her. “I loved my present,” I convey, staring into those sea blue eyes, loving how happy she is, how happy she makes me.
“That’s not your only present.” She grins, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “But that’s the only one you’re getting right now.”
I tilt my head, trying to figure out what she’s got up her sleeve, when I remember I have a surprise of my own for her. “Well, baby, I have a surprise for you, too.”
“Wait….” She lifts herself off, shifting to sit beside me. “It’s your birthday.”
“That’s right, and I can do whatever the hell I want. And I want to give you a present.”
“Well, I know better than to argue with you,” she says sheepishly, and I know she’s secretly pleased even though she might not admit it.
“Don’t move,” I tell her, dropping a kiss on her forehead before hopping off the bed and digging the box out of my briefcase. I jump back on the mattress, a slow smile building on her rosy cheeks.
“What is that?” she inquires with the expression of an excited child.
“Open it and find out,” I utter confidently, even though I feel anything but. It took me a month to pick this out for her and I’m hoping she likes it.
She prepares herself, crossing her legs, steeling herself to unwrap the present. I take a seat across from her, handing over the box wrapped in teal blue paper, her favorite color, and topped with a crisp, white bow.
“It’s too pretty, I don’t want to open it,” she teases, and I squeeze her knee gently.
“Open it, sweetheart.”
She slowly and methodically unwraps the gift, the paper ruffling between her fingers. Underneath the tissue sits a red box, and I stare at her as she rolls her finger over the velvety fabric, noticing a slight tremble in her hands. My own hands are sweaty and I rub them together, exhaling a quiet breath. Aside from occasional flowers and fun gifts here and there, this is the first thing I’ve given her of such magnitude.
There’s a slight hesitation before she thumbs open the box, my heart pounding furiously in my chest as I wait for her reaction. Her face brightens like a ray of sunshine engulfing the entire room, and I smile in relief.
“It’s… It’s stunning,” she whispers, almost at a loss for words as she gazes at the simple yet elegant bracelet comprised of thin groupings of diamonds connected by tiny hearts. She holds it up to the light, her eyes widening when she finally sees the charm hanging off the clasp, tears gathering on her skin.
A gasp escapes, followed by a teardrop, slowly creeping down her cheek. “It’s a train,” she says quietly, and I nod my head, still waiting for her to read the words, my heart ready to burst out of my chest.
Pressing her lips together, her eyes scroll over the scripted text. “I love you, sweetheart,” she reads softly, her joy-filled gaze immediately darting to mine. Without another thought, she tackles me, crying and hugging me tightly as I wrap my arms around her. She lifts her head after a beat, her hair a curtain into our private little world.
“I love you, sweetheart,” I say because I want her to hear the words from my lips, feel how much I mean them, know that she’s my heart.
“I love you, too, Hunter.” She brushes her lips against mine, once, twice, three times, before her tongue slides across my lower lip, slipping inside, our tongues tangling briefly until her breath is nothing but a whisper against my skin.
“Will you put the bracelet on me?” she asks sweetly, and while it’s a bit awkward in a lying down position, I’m not planning on moving and neither is she.
“Absolutely.”
I unhook the clasp, placing the delicate bracelet around her wrist, and it looks perfect on her. Simple and beautiful.
“Thank
you, I really love it,” she says appreciatively, arching a brow when she feels my erection rubbing against her. “I guess we’re not eating yet,” she teases, her lips twitching at the corners.
“No, sweetheart, we’re not,” I reply, and she lets out a small whimper as I smooth my hands over her ass.
“All aboard?” I shoot her a wicked grin, my cock nudging her pussy, her lips curving into a sexy smile.
“God, yes.”
Stay tuned for Rex and Vanessa’s story
Early May, 2014
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Other Books by Beth Michele:
Love Love
Amazon
Lovely
Amazon
Scarred Beautiful
Amazon
Acknowledgements
To my hubby, Richard, for being my inspiration, my sounding board, for encouraging me to take chances and push the limits. And of course for being my one true love. To my two amazing children for being so incredibly patient while Mommy sat endlessly at the computer. I love you, I love, you, I love you!
A heartfelt thank you to Nikki, Cheryl, Sunniva, Vi, and Chris, first and foremost for your friendship. Thank you for always supporting me, for taking the time to read my novel and provide constructive thoughts, comments, and above all, honesty. This journey would not be the same without you!
Thank you to Natalie and Mary for always being there for me, for your friendship, your support, and for helping to organize someone who is not always organized! My day would not be the same without all of your notes! You make me smile every day!
To A.J., Devon, and Monica. You guys rock my socks off! With you, smiles and laughter are ever-present. I feel so blessed to know each of you and to call you my friends!!