by Jaime Lewis
“What you all did for me today is something I will never forget. Thank you.” They all stretched out and did a group hug. Autumn felt the tears coming on. These women were what friends were all about. They are the ones you hear about but never get to experience—no judging and being there for each other no matter what.
Tenley giggled. “With a little more practice, you’ll be a pro.”
Autumn shook her head and laughed. “I don’t think you’ll see me on the next Olympic team.”
The women all laughed, then Tenley said, “Not unless they create an Olympic event in dog paddling.”
Autumn went to respond when she saw Alex’s eyes widen before a big grin appeared on her face. She turned around to see who or what she was looking at.
“Hi, honey! You’re back!” Alex said excitedly as she swam with one arm while her other hand held onto her margarita. When she reached the side of the pool, Ace lowered down and gave her a scorching hot kiss. Autumn actually had to look away because she felt her own cheeks heat. Damn!
Ace stood up and scanned the pool, and everyone smiled. He was a good-looking man, just like the rest of the team.
“You ladies having fun?” He asked, grinning. Autumn had a feeling he knew they were all three sheets to the wind, except for Tenley.
Alex spoke for the group. Well, she actually shouted, showing just how much fun they were having and probably how much alcohol they’d consumed.
“Oh yeah. It’s been a great time. Hasn’t it, ladies?” She asked, looking over her shoulder and winking.
All of the women cheered, including Autumn, who was looking around, wondering if Frost was here too. She had texted him that she was coming over to Alex’s to hang out, not that she knew if he received it or not since all the ladies assumed the guys were being shipped out.
“Where’s the rest of the guys? You should’ve invited them over. We have burgers and hot dogs in the fridge that we can throw on the grill, and I think I have some stuff to throw some salads together.” Ace grinned, and before he could open his mouth, the rest of the gang pushed through the back door, talking and laughing.
Autumn immediately caught sight of Frost in his black swim trunks and a white t-shirt. He was talking with Stitch when his eyes met hers. He smiled, and she could see the sparkle in them.
◆◆◆
Frost and the rest of the team were standing in the kitchen when they heard Alex talking to Ace rather loudly. Frost smiled and shook his head, and Stitch started laughing.
“Is Alex drunk?” Skittles asked, looking amused.
Frost shook his head and then laughed when Mia attempted to paddle her way to the shallow end with a drink in her hand and flipped off her raft.
“I’d say all of them are feeling pretty good,” Irish said, standing at the glass door watching.
“Yeah, well, my wife better not be consuming any alcohol unless she wants a sore pink ass,” Potter exclaimed before heading out the door in search of Tenley. Frost could only shake his head at the man as they all followed him outside. The moment Frost stepped foot onto the patio, his eyes locked onto the yellow raft that was keeping his woman afloat.
“Come on in, guys. The water is perfect,” Mia exclaimed.
Everyone kicked off their shoes and divested their shirts before leaping into the water, making the women laugh when the water splashed them.
Frost swam under the water and came up behind Autumn. Her green bikini matched her eyes, and she looked stunning. Even her cheeks had looked a little rosy, and he didn’t think it was from the sun, knowing she slathered on the sunscreen. If he were to guess right, he would say his woman had a little too much to drink.
He wrapped his hand around her left ankle and pulled her under the water. Suddenly, she started kicking her legs violently and thrashing her arms. When he noticed the panicked look on her face, he knew something wasn’t right. He quickly grabbed her around the waist and pushed off the bottom of the pool, bringing them both to the surface.
Once above water, she coughed and clung to him. He could feel her shaking, and he wondered what in the hell went wrong. A minute ago, she was just laughing and seemed to be enjoying herself, and now she was acting like a scared kitten. All he did was pull her under the water.
“Whoa, baby. I got you.” He spoke in a soft voice, holding her with one hand under her butt while he swam a few feet toward the shallow end where he could stand.
Once he could touch, he wrapped his other arm around her and hugged her. She laid her head on his shoulder. Her face was buried in his neck, and she was still shaking, although not as bad. He kissed her temple. He felt her warm breath against his neck.
Alex swam up next to him. “Is she alright?”
She stirred in his arms, and he loosened his hold slightly. It was just enough for her to move a little, and she looked right at him. Her face was red, and he didn’t miss the tears in her eyes either.
“I am so sorry,” Autumn whispered.
He kissed her forehead. “That’s okay. It’s partially my fault. I shouldn’t have snuck up like that and pulled you under.”
She shook her head. “No, it wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know.” She glanced over at the other women and lowered her eyes, and he knew immediately that something was going on between the four women. After a few seconds of silence, it clicked in his head.
“Oh, fuck! You don’t know how to swim, do you? What in the hell were you thinking of drinking and swimming in the deep end.”
The other guys made similar comments as well, and Frost felt Autumn tense up in his arms.
“Frost, she was fine. We were with her. We even taught her how to doggie paddle,” Mia said.
“None of you should be in the pool while you’re drinking.” Stitch then narrowed his eyes at Mia. “Look, you can’t even stay on the raft. What happened if you flipped over and hit your head on the side of the pool?” Mia’s cheeks turned pink as she narrowed her brown eyes at Stitch.
Frost had to hide his smile because whether Stitch meant to chastise Mia or not, he just confirmed what everyone thought. He had feelings for Mia. Although Ace’s expression wasn’t giving his thoughts away, Frost knew Ace was aware of the chemistry between his baby sister and Stitch. And, surprisingly, he wasn’t against it. All he wanted was for his sister to be happy, loved, and respected by a reputable man, and Ace knew Stitch had those qualities.
“We will talk about this later,” Frost told Autumn and hugged her. “And just for the record, I’m teaching you how to swim.”
She stood on her tippy toes that she could touch and smiled as she looped her arms around his neck and placed kisses to the corner of his mouth before landing on his actual lips. “I was planning on signing up on Monday at the rec center down the road, but I think I’d like it better if you were my teacher.” She winked at him, and he snorted a laugh, knowing there was no way he’d get much teaching done while holding her in a pool.
Chapter Twenty
Autumn was laughing while listening to Frost’s dad tell stories about Frost and his brother, Trey when they were younger. Those two seemed like two peas in a pod.
Dinner had been delicious. Frost’s mom’s stuffed cabbage was absolutely mouth-watering. When Autumn found out it was only ground beef, rice, browned butter, and a pinch of cinnamon rolled into a cabbage leaf and cooked in lemon juice and water, she had to get the recipe from his mom before she left.
She felt relaxed as she conversed with his family. Though she had to admit, she was a nervous Nelly when they first arrived. But Frost had assured her on the drive over that his family would love her. She wasn’t so optimistic. As soon as they arrived, Frost’s mom came barreling out of the house and, to her surprise, came to her first before her son and wrapped her up in a huge hug. The gesture had almost made her cry.
“Autumn, I have to say your son is a lovely boy. And so well mannered.”
Autumn smiled. “Thank you, Mrs. Rhoades. I’ve always tried to teach and guide him as best as
I could. Not to toot my own horn, but he’s done really well, considering I uprooted his life and moved us out here.”
Jennie smiled warmly. “Yes, Jack explained to us that you lost your husband a couple of years ago. I’m so sorry. The world can be a strange and cruel place sometimes. But I’m glad that you were strong enough to make decisions and move forward.”
Lord, if the woman only knew how she had been following Kevin’s death. But, she wasn’t going even to touch that subject.
As if sensing her unease, Jacks’ mom shifted the conversation. Jennie took a sip of her after-dinner coffee. “On another note, do you want more children?”
“Mom!” Frost scowled at his mom, and his dad chuckled along with his brother and his wife.
“What? Can’t I ask my future daughter-in-law if it’s possible I could have more grandchildren?” Jennie was acting all innocent, and it actually made Autumn laugh.
Frost looked up at the ceiling and mumbled. “Jesus, just take me out back and shoot me.”
Autumn thought it was funny, and she giggled, then squeezed his thigh, letting him know she was fine with his mother’s line of questioning.
Frost’s brother’s wife, Sammie, spoke up. “Don’t take it personally, Autumn, I was asked similar questions before Trey and I got married.”
The table got extremely quiet, and Autumn realized they were all looking at her. Oh shit! Were they seriously wanting me to answer that question? Now?
The answer was easy, of course, she wanted more kids, but she thought she and Frost might have discussed any future between themselves first. Here she is being asked about adding to the Rhoades’ family tree and let’s not forget she already was calling her a future daughter-in-law.
She cleared her throat, which seemed to be extremely dry all of a sudden.
“Well, Mrs. Rhoades…”
Jennie waved her hand in the air. “Stop that nonsense. You’re family now, you call me Jennie.”
Autumn smiled but could feel the heat in her cheeks. “Yes, ma’am. I would love to have more children.”
She glanced over to gauge Frost’s reaction. For some reason, she was expecting to see a scared or nervous expression, but the look he gave her was far from that. His nostrils flared, and she knew he wanted the same. And from the smoldering look that he was giving her, she thought Frost might drag her to the nearest room and fuck her until he knew for sure he had put a baby in her. That thought made her squeeze her thighs together. Oh, my god, he has got me so aroused right now; I’m primed and ready to shoot off like a rocket. Thank God, Frost was able to steer the conversation to sports.
As Autumn and Frost were saying their good-byes to his family, Jennie pulled her in for another hug.
“You are a blessing to this family, Autumn.”
Autumn pulled back. “Why is that?”
She took a quick glance at Frost, who was talking with his dad and brother while Cody listened to them. “Because it has been a long time since I have seen my son smile the way he smiles at you. I know it is hard for a woman living with a man like Frost. I went through the same with Jack’s dad. Gone at a moment’s notice and all of the secrecy and worrying, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. What they represent is a rare breed of men and women fighting to protect our country. In my mind, all military and first responders should be given more respect for what they do and represent. Not everyone has the courage to put their lives on the line every day.”
“To be honest with you, Jennie, it took your son a lot to get me to commit to him. However, he made it very hard to say no. After losing my husband, I didn’t think I wanted to set myself up for heartbreak if something were to happen.”
“And what changed your mind, dear?”
“He did. When he told me about how he was injured saving Tenley’s little girl, he reminded me that bad things don’t just happen in the war; they can happen at any time. I love your son very much. I just want you to know that.”
Jennie took Autumn’s hand and squeezed. “I know, honey, and I know for a fact he loves both you and Cody. He would move heaven and earth for both of you.”
Autumn just nodded her head because she knew deep down that is exactly what Frost would do.
◆◆◆
On the way home, after they had dropped Cody off at a friend’s house for a sleepover, they were both quiet. Frost wasn’t sure what she was thinking about, but he, on the other hand, couldn’t get past the conversation at his parent’s house about his mom wanting grandkids and Autumn still wanting children. He wanted to give her those babies.
He glanced over at Autumn in the passenger seat. She was sitting quietly with her hands clasped on her lap, looking out the window. He reached over and took her hand and brought it up to his lips. She turned and smiled at him. It was hard to keep his eyes on the road she was that beautiful to look at.
“You okay? You seem a little quiet.”
She grinned. “Yeah, I’m good. Just thinking about the conversations this evening.”
He jerked his head back toward her, and he saw her eyes transform to a brighter green. Was she thinking about making babies, too? Thank God, they were just a minute from the house.
Neither said a word as they got out of the car. Frost met her at the front and placed his hand on her lower back, and guided her to the front door. As soon as they both made it through the door and secured all of the locks, he couldn’t take it anymore. All of the talk about babies, grandkids, future daughter-in-law had him so fired up, he was on the verge of exploding.
Autumn kicked her shoes off, and went to walk toward the living room when he gripped her waist, turned her around and lifted her, pressing her back up against the door. He could feel the heat from her pussy through his jeans. He took her mouth hard in a deep kiss. She gripped his shirt and ripped it open, sending the buttons scattering all over the floor. It was wild and intense. She quickly moved to his jeans, undoing the button, sliding down the zipper, and using her legs to push them to the floor freeing his erection. All while Frost never let up on the assault to her mouth. He kneeled before her, pausing briefly before running his hands up her thighs, entangling his thick fingers in the sides of her panties and slowly sliding them down her legs. Her pussy throbbed in anticipation. She playfully kicked them to the side, bracing herself for what comes next. Frost began at the inside of her knees, trailing kisses up the sides of her thighs, switching between the two. When his mouth was just about to reach her most sacred parts, he paused again, taking in a slow deep breath.
“Frost, I need you.”
“I know, baby, but first, let me taste how wet you are.”
His words echoed through her, and she had never felt more connected to anyone before, as she did at this moment. Frost took her hot, wet heat in his mouth, and her breath hitched in her chest. Autumn couldn’t hold back as she let out a loud moan, and they just kept coming. Her knees were getting weak. She didn’t think she could take much more as she burst into ecstasy while cumming in his mouth. Frost stood and wrapped an arm around her before her knees gave out. Letting her bask in the moment before he buried his cock in her, he pressed her back against the door. He kissed along her neck and up to her lips. Then he slid into her, and she let out a moan and then cried out, “harder.” She took all of him over and over again. Frost felt her tighten around him again, and he thrust into her two more times when she exploded around him. He only needed one final thrust before he emptied himself into her.
He scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. He tossed her onto the bed, and she bounced and started to giggle. Apparently, the talk of babies had everyone feeling horny.
◆◆◆
Frost felt her hand glide across his chest and knew his Irish Beauty was awake, although he wasn’t sure how she could be. After fucking her senseless, they had made love two more times before she fell into a sex induced coma. He looked over at the alarm clock. It was a little after three in the morning. She was curled up against him. Her hea
d was tucked up under his chin, their legs entwined. He felt her move, and he looked down and met her emerald eyes. They were so bright, it was like they were glowing.
He caressed her back in soft, gentle strokes. “Everything okay?” He asked, looking over at her. She was absolutely beautiful.
She smiled and nodded. “Yeah. How about you?”
He felt like he was on top of the world, but, the whole conversation about kids had kept him awake. He had wondered if Autumn told his mom what she did just to appease her.
He gathered her hair in his hand and slid his fingers through the silky tresses. She had beautiful hair, and he loved the way the strands glided through his fingertips.
“Did you really mean what you said tonight?” He asked.
“About what.”
“About wanting to have kids.”
She stilled for a moment as if she was thinking, then sat up and moved on top of him, straddling him. The sheet fell from her body, exposing her ivory skin. She leaned down, the move causing her breasts to press against his chest. Her lips were mere inches from his as she stared intently into his eyes.
“I meant every word. I want more children. I want to have your babies, Jack. I love you and hope one day we get married and start making those babies.”
Frost couldn’t even swallow because of the emotion clogging his throat. He was hanging on by a thread. He was elated, excited, and my god, so horny.
He flipped her over so quickly it didn’t even register to her what was happening until he was hovering above her as he slowly slid his cock into her core.
“Who says we can’t get a lot of practice until then.”
She laughed, but soon that laughter turned into moans of pleasure. With every stroke, Frost kept reminding himself how fucking lucky he was that this beautiful creature was all his.
Chapter Twenty-One
Work for Autumn over the last couple of weeks had been hectic, and she was exhausted. But that was okay because it took her mind off Frost and the danger he could be in.