Love, Autumn

by Bloom, Nikki

  “Jeez,” Autumn whispered under her breath. “I feel like I need to pay up just for being here.” As we walked, she clung to my arm, clearly outside her element.

  “Relax. Nothing’s going to happen to you. I’m here, remember.” I kissed the top of her head before helping her into her seat.

  The waiter handed over a couple of menus highlighted with marble inserts. Autumn ran her fingers along the cool pieces of stone and screwed up her face. “There aren’t any prices.”

  “That’s how you know it’s expensive.”

  “Leo, I don’t want you spending this kind of money just so you can try and impress me. I would have been perfectly content staying at home with a bag of microwavable popcorn between us.”

  “I know,” I said as I reached across the table and took her hands into mine. “But you deserve to be treated like a princess from time to time.” I brought her knuckles to my lips and kissed them. “After all, if I’m not the one to pamper you then who will?”

  “I don’t need all this pampering – that’s what I’m trying to tell you.”

  “Shush.” I locked our fingers together. “Just try and enjoy yourself. Do you think you can do that for me?”

  Just then, the waiter arrived with our food. I could hardly remember ordering.

  Steam billowed toward the ceiling as I dug into my lobster tail. I was practically drooling by the time I dunked a hunk of the meat into the melted butter. It looked so good.

  Across the table, Autumn was having a similar experience. I swear, by the look on her face, I thought she was going to start moaning.

  Then came the dessert which was even better than the main course. We both leaned forward, forks in hand, trying to determine which one of us would have the first bite of the succulent lava cake. “You go first,” I finally said, betraying my stomach in hopes of coming off as a perfect gentleman.

  “How about we go at the same time?” she countered.

  “I’m not going to argue with that,” I said we as both lowered our forks, breaking through the hard outer shell and unleashing an ooze of warm, melted chocolate.

  “Mmm.” She smiled.

  There was a bit of chocolate on her lips so I took it upon myself to kiss it away and as good as the lava cake was, Autumn was much, much better. My lips lingered close to hers as I found it impossible to pull away. So, I slipped my tongue in her mouth, completely forgetting we were in a public place. But I didn’t care. I was an addict getting my fix.

  Beet red, she pushed me away. “What has gotten into you?” she asked in a flustered sort of voice. “You’ve never acted this way before.”

  “I guess I’m just excited because I have something very important that I want to ask you…” I took a deep breath and before I could talk myself out of it, I dropped to one knee, took out the velvet box from inside my pocket, and opened it.

  Autumn gasped just as soon as she saw the ring. Already, her eyes were filled with tears, but she did not say a word and that worried me.

  I wet my lips and cleared my throat. “Autumn, I think you are the most beautiful and lovely girl in this world. You’re incredibly smart and hardworking. And while our relationship hasn’t always been a smooth ride, I think we have learned along the way. So, it is my hope that today, I can call you my fiancée.” I adjusted my position and looked into her eyes. “Autumn, will you marry me?”

  To my surprise, she immediately started nodding her head. Her mouth opened and closed like she wanted to say something but the words never came out. I laughed and pulled her into my arms, relieved that she wanted me as a husband.

  She sobbed into my chest and clung at my lapels.

  “Why are you crying?” I asked as I smoothed back her hair.

  “Because…I never thought this day would come… I’m just…so…happy.”

  “You and me both, darling.”

  18

  Autumn

  The ring on my finger looked like a royal heirloom and I couldn’t stop staring at it.

  “If you keep doing that, your eyes are going to fall out,” Leo teased as he rubbed my thigh. “But in any case, I’m glad that you seem to like it.”

  “Like it? I love it.” She sighed. “It matches my style to perfection. How did you know?”

  “Contrary to popular opinion, men do listen from time to time. Albeit, it’s rare but it does happen.” We arrived at his home just as he finished laughing. My eyes gravitated toward the enormous building. Despite having visited countless times, I still couldn’t fathom how someone could afford something so large and luxurious.

  The garage door opened at our arrival. Leo turned off the car once we were inside and made the effort to help me to my feet.

  “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure,” he said with a wink. “Now, for the best part of the night.”

  “There’s more?” After everything that had happened, my mind was in a fog. I could barely concentrate let alone imagine that this man still had something hidden up his sleeves.

  “Of course.” Before I could do anything to stop him, he swept me off my feet and held me in a tight embrace. “From this moment forward, all I want you to do is relax. That’s it. I’ll take care of everything else, okay?”

  “I don’t know if I like the sheen in your eyes,” I said with a giggle.

  “Oh, you like it, don’t even lie.” He smirked in response as he ascended the stairs, heading straight for the bedroom.

  There, I found rose petals on the bed and the flickering of candles.

  “What’s all this?” I asked, looking around in amazement.

  “I had a member of the staff set it up for me so that when we returned, it would be ready for us.”

  “So, you were really banking on the fact that I would say ‘yes’ tonight.”

  “Of course,” he answered as he gently laid me down on the bed. To my pleasure, the duvet had been changed out to one made of pure silk and it felt absolutely divine against my skin. I could only imagine what it would feel like once we were both naked. I shivered at the thought as a flurry of wild fantasies sped through my head, winding up to a heightened level of arousal. I had no doubt that I was already soaking wet down there. In fact, I was probably soaking right through to the duvet.

  Leo took his time to undress me. With every inch of dress he removed, he paused to cover that exposed piece of skin in a slew of kisses. Goosebumps rose in a steady tide that rippled along my arms and onto my chest.

  “Mmm,” he mused as he reached the girls. Slowly, he took them both into his hands and fondled them for a bit. Even that was a pleasure to experience.

  I arched my back and pushed my hips into the air, begging for added stimulus. I couldn’t go on with all this teasing, it was bound to drive me absolutely insane. But Leo had no intention of stopping. With a devious look on his face, he leaned down and took one of my nipples into his mouth, suckling on it ever so gently.

  “Leo…” I moaned, fingers tugging at his hair. “Please…” I begged. “Don’t keep teasing me like this. I can’t take it.”

  He looked up at me and our eyes locked. I could tell he had a grin plastered on his face even as he continued to swirl his tongue around and around my areola.

  While he entertained me with his tongue, he undid the rest of my zipper and pulled the dress over my hips. Then, in a flash, it went flying across the room, leaving me in nothing but a pair of black lace panties.

  He stopped to admire the view. The grin on his face deepened as he settled between my legs, took my panties by the teeth, and ripped them right off my body.

  I gasped.

  A second later, his lips were so close to mine that I could almost feel the pleasure he was bound to give me. But instead of pleasing me, he blew on my clit. I shivered and squirmed but he kept me in place with a firm hand. My heart surged at the feeling of vulnerability. It wasn’t something I expected I would like but somehow, Leo made it incredibly sexy. I was completely and utterly in his hands and honestly, I wouldn�
�t have had it any other way.

  Suddenly, his tongue penetrated my wet folds. I couldn’t hold back the moan that escaped my lips. My moans became louder and louder as he continued to eat me out, searching for every last drop of my sweet, sweet nectar.

  He pulled out to breathe and even in the candlelight I could see that his face was saturated with my juices – nearly dripping with my excitement. He licked his lips before going in for seconds.

  Leo knew exactly what he was doing because in no time at all, I was shaking through my first climax. My whole body felt like it was floating into cloud nine. But he didn’t stop there. Next, he assaulted my pussy with his fingers – first one, then two. They pumped in and out at a breakneck speed, going faster and faster with each passing minute.

  I could hear my juices sloshing against his fingers. The pleasure built up like water against a damn, and I could tell that I was close to bursting for the second time. I bit my bottom lip in hopes of prolonging it but there was no use. I screamed, climaxing for the second time.

  Only then did he take off his clothes. My eyes gravitated toward his rock-hard member. It was standing at full attention and getting even bigger as he stroked it.

  I started to move toward it, but he pushed me back into the bed and pinned my hands above my head. “Remember what I told you? Just relax.” As he spoke, he aligned his tip with my entrance.

  My toes curled in anticipation. I held my breath.

  “You’re so cute.” He kissed the tip of my nose before gently easing into my entrance. It was a tight fit but he made it work somehow.

  I wiggled as he filled up my every inch. Any bigger and he probably would have ripped me in half.

  Leo took his time to make sure that I enjoyed every minute of our time together. He worked at a slow, methodical pace, occasionally stopping to target my nipples or switch our positions.

  At one point, I ended up on my knees, hands tight against the headboard. Suddenly, he rammed into me, and it must have been the angle or something, but it felt so damn good. I howled and threw my head back. Leo took the opportunity to grab my hair and yank on it.

  I shivered with delight. I loved it when he did that. It made me feel so naughty.

  He continued to fuck me with an animalistic sex drive. It was great. His balls were slapping against my pussy, the noise echoing through the entire room.

  Again, I climaxed, soaking the sheets with my juices. This time, Leo growled against my ear and a few moments later, I felt something hot and sticky land on my ass cheek.

  I collapsed on the bed while Leo grabbed a warm washcloth from the bathroom. He gently cleaned off his mess and rolled into bed with me.

  “That was amazing,” I said with a smile on my face.

  “Well, I knew I had to seal the deal with some rocking sex,” he returned with a wink. “Or you might second guess your decision.”

  “I didn’t agree to marry you because of the sex.”

  “But you can’t deny that it was a factor.”

  I laughed. “I won’t deny that you’re great in bed, but I agreed to marry you because I love you – it’s as simple as that.”

  19

  Leo

  The following day.

  It was my day off and Autumn was already off to work. I lingered in the kitchen for a while, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with all my spare time. Of course, there was plenty I needed to do –like pay bills or organize my study– but I shoved those onto the backburner for another day.

  No, I was still abuzz with yesterday’s excitement and I couldn’t get it out of my head. Autumn had said yes. I was going to marry her.

  Absentmindedly, I opened up the cupboard and pulled out a jar of peanut butter, I started to make myself a sandwich when I had an idea. I could bring Autumn some lunch. And while I was down there, I could get in my daily workout, effectively knocking out two birds with one stone.

  So, I carefully put together a PB & J sandwich and cut away the crusts. Even though Autumn didn’t like to admit it, she secretly did not like them and I was okay with that. I don’t care much for them myself.

  I packed the sandwich in a ziplock bag and combined it with some fresh pieces of fruit, a water bottle, and a snack-sized piece of candy. By the time I was done, the brown paper bag was rather heavy but hopefully, it would hold up long enough to get to the gym.

  For a Monday morning, it was pretty packed. I was forced to park in the back which wasn’t a bad thing because I got plenty of steps along the way.

  Inside, I saw Autumn working with one of her clients. I didn’t want to bother her, so I took up my things and headed to the closest treadmill. Lucky for me, I had a perfect vantage point to stare at her backside and what a view it was. I wouldn’t have minded looking at it all day long.

  When the session was over, she shook the man’s hand and offered a smile. She turned and spotted me, eyes widening with surprise.

  I beckoned her over.

  She looked over her shoulder to make sure the manager wasn’t on the floor watching her. Once the coast was clear, she sauntered over and leaned against the arm of my treadmill. “What are you doing here? Come to whisk me away during my break?”

  “As a matter of fact, yes.” I got off the machine and headed toward the locker room where I pulled out her lunch. “I know it’s a little cold outside, but I was thinking we could brave the elements and have ourselves a little picnic.”

  “You made me lunch?”

  “It’s nothing fancy. Just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I thought you might like the company, that’s all.”

  “Is it?” She questioned. “Because I think you were just lonely staying home by yourself today.”

  “That too,” I admitted. “That, and I couldn’t stop thinking about you. It’s almost unfathomable to me that you actually said yes.”

  She laughed. “Why is that so hard to believe?”

  “Because I wasn’t the great guy growing up and while I’ve tried to make up for it, sometimes I still feel like it isn’t enough.”

  “Don’t think like that. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a man and so long as you never change, I’ll be just as happy in fifty years as I am now.” She spoke with such confidence that it made me think about our future.

  Where would we be in fifty years? Would we still be living in town? In the same house? Or would we move somewhere warmer for our old, creaking bones? Either way, I prayed that Autumn would stay by my side through thick and thin. And by the adoring look on her face, I knew she would –so long as I didn’t fuck up– and that’s what worried me.

  I didn’t want to lose this woman. She meant the world to me.

  Snap.

  I blinked back to reality to find Autumn standing before me in her puffer jacket. She had a cute, brightly-colored scarf wrapped around her neck that looked handmade. “Sara made it, in case you were wondering – while she was in chemo.”

  “Ah. I see.” I smiled. “How is she doing, by the way?”

  “Great, as far as I can tell. She got her appetite back and she even agreed to work out with me from time to time.” She took my hand and pulled me out of the gym.

  Outside, the sun was surprisingly warm. We walked hand in hand toward the local park and picked out a bench to call our own.

  It didn’t take long for the seagulls to join us. They were cautious at first but then they got increasingly courageous. Once even dared to steal Autumn’s apple right out of her hand. As soon as he did so, the other seagulls started to fight him for it.

  “I think that’s our cue to leave…” Autumn said, holding up her arms to protect her face. “I don’t want to get my eyes pecked out by a couple of birds.”

  “Seconded.” I shooed them away before they could attack the rest of our food. But the vicious creatures were out for blood. They made a b-line for Autumn and I had to fight tooth and nail to protect her. Okay, maybe I’m being a little dramatic but they were pretty insane.

  “My hero,” she sai
d as soon as we were safe. “But…I’m still hungry.”

  “Luckily, they didn’t take my wallet,” I said as I brought her over to a local café.

  “What would you have done if those seagulls had taken me away?”

  “Then I would have gone to the ends of the Earth to find you because I’m not letting you get away a second time.”

  “A second time?” She cocked her head to the side. “When did I get away the first time?”

  “College but mainly because I was a dick.”

  “A dick with a pretty nice dick,” she said, subtly making a grab for me.

  “Autumn. Don’t start.”

  “Why not?”

  “We’re in a café, for starters,” I said. “Do you want to get us in trouble for public indecency?”

  “Hmm… I guess you have a point.” She settled for holding my hand in a vice-like grip. “But I hope you’re prepared for what I’m going to do to you when it comes to our honeymoon.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  Epilogue

  Autumn

  Five years later.

  I stood in my bathroom, praying. My hand shook as I stared down at the little screen, waiting for a result.

  Leo stood right behind me, holding his breath and holding me by the hips.

  Beep!

  I blinked, and to my surprise, all I could see was a little negative sign when I had been praying so hard for a plus sign. “Damnit,” I cursed under my breath. I was really starting to worry that there might be something wrong with me.

  “Hey, it’s alright.” He kissed the side of my neck. “That’s why it’s called ‘trying.’ We just need to give it some time. The more we stress about it, the worse it’ll be.” He squeezed my shoulders and massaged them a bit. “Please, don’t be discouraged.”