Still bound, Autumn writhed beneath him as he fucked her with two fingers while his thumb stroked a beat on her clit. “I want to suck you,” she begged, and Olivier turned around in the bed so she could take his cock in her mouth, as his own found her sex.
Her tongue traced the vein along his cock as it stiffened under her touch, teasing the sensitive lip, and lashing around the wide crest of him. Olivier, his mouth clamped over her clit, nipped at it, feeling it quiver and harden. Soon they were both moaning, almost delirious, and he came in her mouth. Autumn swallowed him down, wanting to give him as much pleasure as possible.
Autumn felt unreal as he untied her hands and lay down beside her, catching his breath. She had never experienced this kind of sex before—completely uninhibited, open, mutual, and erotic. When Olivier turned her onto her stomach and pushed gently into her ass, she discovered new realms of pleasure. She’d never even entertained the idea of anal sex before, and now she wondered what she had been missing all these years.
No. It was him, Olivier. That’s why she felt like this. His heady mix of machismo and tenderness when he touched her—but there was respect there. He was worshipping her body, making sure that she was having the time of her life. What a man …what an unusual, sensual, generous man …
She was going to enjoy this time with him, these few days he was here, and she would not let any doubts or fears or inhibitions cloud it. As he made her come again, she released a long sigh of release, of pleasure …and of trust.
Through the slats of the window shutters, he watched them, jealousy and rage curling in his belly like a snake. His eyes were glued to Autumn; her body glowed golden in the lamplight of her bedroom, and as she sat astride the bastard in her bed, his eyes traced the contours of her glorious body.
Whore.
His jaw clenched as he watched her slowly impale herself on the stranger’s huge cock, her hair streaming down her back and her mouth open as she gasped for air. So beautiful …
Fucking whore.
He would make her pay for this …she was his. She had always been his. And that bastard, showing up here just today thought he could take what was his …
He would make them both pay.
Finally, exhausted, they slept, wrapped around each other, Autumn’s head on Olivier’s chest. He cradled her face in one big palm, and when he woke, he was glad to see she hadn’t moved away from him. He got the impression of a butterfly with her—that she would commit to him fully during the nighttime, then fly away in the day. So, when she opened her eyes and smiled at him, Olivier’s body relaxed.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
She laughed softly. “Good morning to you.”
They both heard a whimper out in the living room and Autumn glanced at the clock. “God, look how late it is. I’d better let the pooch out to pee.”
Olivier grinned and nodded down to his penis. “Me too.”
Autumn laughed. “TMI. Go ahead. The bathroom’s just there. I think there’s a new toothbrush in a packet in there.”
“My breath that bad?”
She grinned and kissed him. “No, but I suspect mine is.”
“Nope.
“Sweet talker. Go siphon your python.”
Still laughing, he heard her talking to Clem as she let the dog out into the small garden. He found the spare toothbrush—pink, cute—and was brushing his teeth when she returned, picking her own toothbrush up. They grinned at each other with soapy mouths and laughed; it just felt right to be silly with this girl, Olivier thought. When they had rinsed, Autumn cranked the shower on and dropped her robe. “Join me?” she said, looking up at him under her lashes.
They fucked again in the shower, Olivier’s strong arms hold her easily in his arms as his cock drove deeper and deeper into her. Autumn bit down on his shoulder as she came, then his lips were crushing against hers again.
When they had dressed, Autumn went to let the dog in and poured some kibble into a bowl for Clem. The dog fell onto her food as if she’d never been fed before and Autumn laughed at her. She noticed the flag on her letterbox was up and went to collect her mail. The envelope was black. She frowned and ripped it open.
Whore.
She flinched and looked around, trying to see if anyone was near. Her home stood at the edge of the beach. She could only see people in the distance walking their dogs. She looked again at the letter. Vile, nasty, cruel. She blinked back tears. Was someone really this petty? She shoved the envelope into the back pocket of her jeans and went in.
Olivier was peering in her refrigerator. He grinned at her. “You know you have a yogurt that’s a week past good and a half bottle of O.J.? Do you eat?”
Autumn laughed, not hurt at all. “Believe me, I do. It’s just I forgot to go grocery shopping. Look, shall we grab breakfast at the diner?”
Olivier stood. “Hmm. That would mean sharing you with other people and I’d planned to keep you to myself today—if that’s okay with you?” He grinned, and Autumn felt a pang of fondness, as well as desire.
“Well, we could go grab some eggs and things at the market, them come back here. Although I have to warn you, I’m a very impatient cook. If it’s not one pan and less than five minutes in preparation, I’m out.”
Olivier grinned. “Got it. As long as you’re a naked cook.”
“Think of the spattering if I’m frying bacon.”
“Naked,” he insisted, and she started to giggle at his playfulness.
“Okay, naked, but if my nipples catch fire …”
He kissed her, rubbing his thumbs across her chest. “I’ll put ‘em out.”
Autumn rolled her eyes, smiling. “Let’s go shopping.”
In the Farmer’s Market, only a few townsfolk were around as Autumn and Olivier filled a cart with food, so she could avoid most questions. She shook her head, laughing to herself as they strolled around the aisles, Olivier making her laugh by playing the fool. How many one-night-stands came grocery shopping with you in the morning?
Admit it, woman, you don’t want this to be a one-night stand. “Shut up,” she murmured to herself. But Olivier was intoxicating. She had to admit that. Olivier was ahead of her now as she stopped to load a bag of dog kibble into her cart. Her skin prickled and she got the sense of someone watching her. She turned.
No one. Paranoia. It was that damned note, still burning a hole in her pocket. Whore. She wondered if it was Dee-Dee; the two women had hated each other since college. Dee-Dee had always been jealous of her. When Autumn had been made class valedictorian, Dee-Dee had spread the rumor that Autumn had slept with their professor. When Autumn had found out, she’d had to be held back from punching Dee-Dee across the quad. It had to be Dee-Dee; no-one else would care that she was fucking Olivier.
“Hey, gorgeous …zoned out?”
She smiled at him now. “Just for a second. Wondering if I’m too old for Pop Tarts.”
“You’re never too old for Pop Tarts.”
Back at home, they cooked breakfast together—eggs, bacon, and link sausages, the latter of which Clem had her eye on as soon as they hit the plate. Olivier fed the dog his share and Autumn rolled her eyes. “You caved.”
“I can’t resist a pair of beautiful eyes,” Olivier laughed, “Especially when they’re so passive-aggressive and furry.”
Autumn giggled and petted her dog, who, having swallowed Olivier’s offering whole, turned to her next. “No way, dog. You’ve had enough. Hey, I need to walk her after this; want to join me? We usually walk a few miles down the beach.”
Olivier, his mouth full, nodded. “Love to. God, it’s so chilled here.”
Autumn grinned. “You can tell from one day?”
“Okay, well, it’s chilled here, in this house.”
“Ah. That’s just because you ain’t seen my crazy, boy.” Autumn slid back into her Louisiana accent, and Olivier laughed.
“I’ve seen most of you,” he said in a mock-serious tone and Autumn pretended to be shocked. Ho
w strange it was to feel this comfortable with someone this soon. She felt like she had known this man forever.
As they walked along the beach later, Oliver took Autumn’s hand and wondered the same thing. Twenty-four hours can change your life, he thought. It had never happened to him before, but he knew it was possible. His half-brother, Enda’s, life had changed in a blink of an eye when he’d seen his love, Ama. Was this how Enda had felt when he’d seen Ama?
Autumn Keller was a revelation to him. This, this was what he had been looking for most of his forty-plus years on the planet. A lover who was also a friend, a playmate, and an equal. He loved the life she had here—quiet, peaceful, and of her own making. There was a lot to admire about Autumn Keller, he decided.
They talked as they strolled, nodding hello to other dog walkers. When they got back to the house, they made love again, slowly and tenderly, forging a deeper connection between themselves. Over a homecooked supper, they talked some more, and Olivier wondered if he was right to edit his life to avoid her questions. He hadn’t exactly lied to Autumn—just omitted some facts. He still told her about Enda and Ama and Serafina—just not about their troubled history. He didn’t mention Jackson at all, but then he rarely mentioned his brother to anyone anymore.
His cell phone bleeped just after six p.m. as they washed the dishes. “It’s your delightful mechanic friend,” he grinned at Autumn. “Apparently, he’s fixed my car.”
Autumn’s smile faltered a little. “Oh, right. That was quick. Especially for Karl.”
Olivier cupped her face in his palm. “My car being fixed doesn’t change the fact I want to be here with you. We said a few days. I meant it.”
Autumn hated that her disappointment was obvious. If she felt this way after twenty-four hours … “Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” she said suddenly, her voice breaking a little. “I thought I could do this—be one of those people who could have fun and not have my feelings involved.”
Olivier’s eyes were serious now. “I feel the same. I don’t do this either. This is all new to me. No, really,” he smiled, when she looked skeptical. “When I said the next few days …I think I already knew I didn’t mean, ‘but only those few days.' I’d like to see where this goes, Autumn. I really would.”
She touched his face, moved by his words, and nodded. “Me too. Now go get your car before thigs get too revolting and mushy.”
Olivier walked down Main Street thinking of what had just happened. He had truly meant it when he said he’d like to pursue a relationship with Autumn, but the words had surprised him when he’d spoken them. Was he doing the right thing? When she had expressed her doubts, he had felt a panic inside him; he didn’t want to let her go.
Karl Harte stood at the back door of his workshop and stared at the newcomer crossing the street from The Varsity. He watched as the man left Autumn’s house and strolled down toward the workshop. Like the cat who got the cream. Karl eased himself away from the wall as the man approached his car. He looked pleased and nodded to Karl.
“Thanks for doing this. What do I owe you?”
Karl nodded into the office and the man followed him, paying with a corporate credit card. To Karl’s disappointment, he couldn’t read the man’s signature, so he couldn’t prove his new theory about the man. He waited until Olivier had tucked the receipt back into his wallet.
‘I’ve seen you before.’
Olivier looked up and half smiled. ‘I’m sorry?’
‘I’ve seen you before somewhere. Before yesterday.’
Olivier shook his head. ‘I don’t think so, my friend.’
‘I ain’t your friend. And I’ve seen you. And I don’t like you.’
Olivier laughed softly. ‘Really? Okay, then. Well, have a good day. Thanks for fixing the car.’
‘You’re trouble.’
Olivier stopped smiling. ‘I think you must have me confused with someone el …’
‘You stay away from her.’ Karl nodded towards Autumn’s house.
‘Excuse me?’ Olivier looked affronted.
Karl grinned nastily. He stepped toward the man, but then he saw Pete Ford leaning against the wall of the police station, smoking a cigarette and watching them. Karl scowled. Olivier followed his gaze, then turned back to him.
‘Listen, my fri …look, man, this is my first visit here. You have me confused with someone else. Now if you’ll excuse me.’
‘You stay away from her.’
Olivier shook his head, gave a frustrated laugh, and got into his car. Karl banged on the window and saw Olivier sigh, then press the button to roll it down.
‘What now?’
Karl stuck his finger in Olivier’s face. ‘I’m watching you.’
Olivier rolled his eyes. ‘Whatever gets you through the day, friend.’ He closed the window and drove away. He chewed on the wad of tobacco he kept in his cheek and spat it out. He knew he’d seen that asshole someplace before.
‘Yo, Karl.’
Ugh. Pete Ford was walking over to him.
‘The hell you want?’
Pete grinned. ‘Always a pleasure, bud. You scaring the tourists again?’
Karl sneered. ‘I ain’t gotta tell you a thing, dumbass cop.’
Pete laughed. ‘Oh, Karl, I could always make up some reason to pull you in.’
The other man looked at him with dislike, then grinned. ‘Caught him sniffing ‘round Autumn …yeah, I thought that’d get your attention.’
Pete had gone very still. ‘I’m sure he was just friendly.’ He couldn’t help glancing over to Autumn’s house. They both watched as Olivier parked outside and got out. Autumn opened the door and grinned at him, then Karl and Pete both watched as Olivier kissed her full on the mouth.
Karl smirked. ‘You keep telling yourself that, wiseass. Now if you’ll excuse me, officer, I got work to do. Makes one of us, I suppose.’ He cackled, a harsh, mocking sound that only got louder as Pete turned and stalked back to the police station. Karl wedged a new wad of tobacco in his cheek, glanced over to Autumn’s house again, and went back to work.
Autumn found the note the next morning, before she and Olivier went out for a run along the beach. Olivier was in the shower when she grabbed the envelope and ripped it open. The breath caught in her chest, then tightened as she read the note.
I’m going to kill you soon, Autumn. Enjoy the time you have left.
She crumpled the note up and fought back the scream. She wasn’t scared—she was angry. Such a cruel way to torment someone. If she went to the police, would they laugh at her for being hysterical? Would Dee-Dee, who she was sure was behind the notes, mock her in front of the townsfolk?
Fuck. She shoved the note in the trash can and tried to put it out of her mind. Did she really think someone wanted to kill her? No. It was ridiculous.
Just ignore it and she’ll stop. Autumn steeled herself, gritting her teeth. Don’t let it spoil your time with Olivier.
Later, Sally saw Olivier and Autumn emerging from the beach in their work-out clothes, heading toward the guesthouse. Autumn caught her eye. Sally grinned and gave her a look that said: There will be questions.
Autumn managed to surreptitiously give her the finger while chatting animatedly to Olivier. Sally sniggered to herself as her friend and her companion opened the door.
‘And what are you smiling about, Ms. Ford?’ Autumn’s arch tone did not reach her shining eyes. Sally feigned ignorance.
“No idea what you’re talking about. Hello again.”
Olivier smiled back at her. “Hi. Listen, turns out, not going to need that room. I’m happy to pay for it, though.”
Sally’s grin made Autumn glare at her. “There’s no need for that,” she told Olivier. “I’m sure we can let it out.”
Olivier hid a smile. “I’ll just, um, go get my things, then.”
He disappeared up the stairs. Sally nudged her friend. “You little minx.”
Autumn tried not to smile. “May I remind you that you yourself
told me to, er …”
“Fuck him? Yes, yes, I did. I’m so proud of you. I bet it was good too.”
“That’s private.”
“Well, the fact you can’t walk properly is obvious.”
Autumn flushed red as she giggled. “Sally, I should fire you.”
“Yeah, but you won’t. Seriously, though, he’s gorgeous. Well done, you.”
“What are you congratulating Autumn for?” Neither of them saw Pete come into the reception area. Autumn flushed.
“Nothing.”
The atmosphere got awkward, then, and Sally cleared her throat. “So, bro, how goes things?”
Pete was staring at Autumn. “Good, thanks. Auttie, can I have a word?”
Autumn really didn’t want to be alone with him and was glad when Olivier clattered down the stairs with his bag. “Hey, hey.”
She turned to him gratefully. “Hey, Olly. This is Pete, our chief of police and Sally’s big brother. Pete, this is Olivier James.”
Olivier shook a rather taken-aback Pete’s hand. “Good to meet you, Chief.”
Pete gave him a smile that turned chilly as soon as Olivier put his arm around Autumn’s waist. “Yeah, you too. What brings you to our little town?”
Olivier grinned, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room. “Yesterday? A broken altimeter. Today, a beautiful woman.”
“Well.” Pete met Autumn’s gaze. “That was …quick.”
Autumn flushed at the slight and Olivier’s smile faded. “And our own business, I should have added.” He said it smoothly, but the anger in his words was obvious. He smiled down at Autumn. “Ready, honey?”
Clearly irritated by Pete, she smiled back broadly at him. “Yes, baby.”
Olivier turned to Sally and winked at her. “Later, Sally. You’re a sweetheart.” And your brother is a douchebag. Sally chuckled and met Olivier’s gaze with a little nod. Yep, I know. “Later, Olly. Hope to see more of you.”
His Brother's Wife Page 135