Blue Autumn in the Bayou (Gumbo Love)

by Clay, Ann

  At dinner they talked, touched, and then touched some more. They walked after dinner and were then picked up by the car at Times Square. “Where to next?” she asked him.

  “Wherever else you want to take me.”

  “I know the perfect spot.” Autumn grinned.

  “I’m game.”

  By the wee hours of the night, Autumn’s feet hurt so badly that Travis had to carry her from the car. “You know, this looks like a repeat of weeks ago,” he teased.

  “Yeah, it sure does. You’re dangerous. Every time I hang out with you I can’t walk afterwards.”

  “No. You just can’t hang with the big boys, little one.”

  “Oh, I can hang. I just need to wear sensible shoes.” She pointed to her aching feet.

  Travis set her down in front of her door and stuck out his hand for her keys. When he opened the door, and they walked through, he pulled her close. “I’m going to say good night, sweetheart. I have to be at the airport in a couple of hours.”

  “This seems to be a repeat as well.” Autumn’s hands curved around his waist.

  “Yes, I know.”

  “You don’t have to stay at a hotel, Travis. I have a spare room.”

  “Trust me, baby. I need a hotel room. And I need a cold shower, so why don’t I call you when I get back to New Orleans?”

  She waited, hoping he would change his mind. With a fistful of his shirt in her hand, she pulled her body closer into his magic heat. “I don’t want you to go.”

  “I have to, sweetheart.” He sighed heavily.

  “I don’t want this to end like this.”

  “I don’t want this to end at all.”

  “I’m sorry my life is here.”

  “Funny, my life is you, Autumn.” Travis was convicted by that confession. He knew without a shred of doubt that he no longer wanted anyone else, which included Savannah.

  Autumn swallowed hard. A sea of emotions washed through her. Over the weeks they talked for hours, each trying to fill up with as much about the other as they could. Travis continued to promise that he would be straight with her. And some of the things he revealed to her made her wonder if sooner or later he would become bored with her. So his confession at that moment sparked a need to believe him. “Okay, I’ll wait for your call.”

  “Good night, baby. Sweet dreams.” He pulled her close and squeezed her tight.

  “I miss you already.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, Travis. Please be safe.”

  “I will.” He finally leaned in and rewarded her with a strong, heat-filled kiss. He drank from her for strength. It would have to get him through until the next time. With his schedule for the next couple of weeks, he didn’t know exactly when that would be. Reluctantly, he released her and stepped back. She continued to hold on to him. He had to pry her fingers from his jacket.

  He backed away, but for every step he made, Autumn moved forward. The stormy energy between them made the difficult task of leaving her at her door harder than their last departure. He kissed her one last time and pushed his way through the door. He rushed down to his car before he changed his mind.

  * * * *

  For three months, Travis and Autumn flew back and forth between New York and New Orleans. Each time, the passion dancing between them intensified. Travis hadn’t slept with anyone since Savannah, the day he first saw Autumn. It’d been the longest time he’d gone without bedding a woman. For the next trip back to New Orleans he planned something special for them.

  And, as if Savannah knew his dilemma, knew when he was at his weakest, like magic, she showed up again to torture him. Just when he was sure she was out of the picture, she popped up. Just before Autumn was coming to New Orleans, Savannah showed up to his office. Most of the staff had already left for the day. “Hello, my lover boy.” She propped herself on the edge of his desk and glanced around. “I love your office, darling.” She winked at him.

  “Savannah, this is my business. You know I don’t play this.” He quickly stood to his full, height, when a member of his staff knocked on the door. He beckoned Savannah to a chair, before he moved to the door. Instead of allowing him into his office, Travis stepped out and closed the door behind him. He didn’t think twice about leaving her in his office.

  But while he was out, his private phone line rang. Savannah couldn’t help herself. She stood, walked over to his desk, and picked up the phone. “Mr. Brooks’ office,” she sang into the mouth of the phone.

  Autumn frowned upon hearing a female voice on the other end of the phone. “Travis Brooks, please.” She hesitated at first. She considered hanging up because she wasn’t accustomed to anyone but Travis answering his personal line.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Brooks is in a meeting right now. Can I take a message, please?” Savannah almost slipped and called her darling, but held her tongue. She also did a very good job of masking her voice.

  “Can you please let him know that Autumn called?”

  “Yes, I will.” Savannah sucked her teeth. She had no plans to tell Travis that she called. In fact, her plans tonight, were to make him forget everything, even little Miss Autumn.

  “Thank you.” Autumn didn’t miss the flipped response from the woman.

  “Sure thing.” She almost slipped and called her darling again. “Good evening.”

  Before Autumn could respond, she heard the click and eventual dial tone in her ear. Again she frowned at the phone.

  Savannah moved back to the chair, pulled her compact from her purse, and patted her face. By the time she refreshed her lipstick, Travis walked back into his office and was greeted by one of her sexy, seductive smiles.

  “Why are you here, Savannah?” He didn’t react to the passion in her eyes or the way she lounged in his office chair, showing just enough flesh to set a man’s soul on fire.

  “I thought you might need some company. You’ve been working such long hours.”

  “How do you know what hours I’ve been keeping? I haven’t seen you since you stormed out of the Gumbo Shop. Who are you in town to see this time?”

  Savannah’s bosom, originally set high, deflated for a moment, but she instantly returned it to the proper height, pushing the already short dress up her thighs, before she answered. “Now, Travis, you know why I’m here, to see you. You’re the only person that I come to see. You bruise me, love.”

  Travis lifted an eyebrow as she watched. He rubbed his hands down the back of his head. He hadn’t slept worth a damn and his concentration was shot straight to hell. And now, as he gazed down at Savannah, revealing all the things that made her uniquely woman, his body responded and sent his already fragile senses out of control. He groaned inwardly, not just at the thought of her femininity, but also at the fact that he wanted to lay her across his desk and release his frustrations into her. Desire bit him hard.

  Savannah licked her lips, stood, and moved around to where he stood. She knew that look in his eyes, and was ready to accommodate him any way she could. When she closed the space between them, she placed her hand on his stomach, a weak spot she knew well. “I can take care of whatever you need,” she whispered up to him.

  Travis closed his eyes when she touched him. The man in him responded shamelessly, however, thoughts of Autumn popped into his thoughts. Her brilliant blue eyes burned a hole in his mind’s view. And as if he’d been physically punched, he swayed backwards, out of Savannah’s dangerous touch. “Savannah, we’re done.” Hot air rushed from his nostrils and he turned and moved to the window behind them.

  She moved with him, only she was not able to get close this time, because Travis extended his arm to keep her at bay. “I mean it, Savannah.” He glared down at her.

  Savannah, a little taken aback, searched his face for any sign that he might relent, but he didn’t. “What’s the problem? We’ve always been able to take care of each other’s needs. I can fix this for you.” She glanced down at the slight rise in his pants.

  “I
don’t need a fix, thank you. It’s time for you to leave. I have some work to finish.”

  She looked at him a few moments before she turned, stopped long enough to retrieve her purse, and walked through the door. Just before she closed it, she looked back. “Call me if you need me, okay?” She watched him a few seconds; Travis’s stance was unyielding, so she closed the door and left.

  Travis eased down into his chair, still physically aroused. He blew out several breaths, dropped his head back, and closed his eyes. You didn’t handle that very well, Travis, he chided. He was relieved, though, that Savannah was gone, but she was still there in the city, and Autumn was scheduled to arrive tomorrow. “Damn.”

  * * * *

  By the time Autumn deplaned, she practically ran from the gate and through the security checkpoint. She had a single piece of luggage, and she dragged it behind her as she passed beneath the exit sign. Autumn didn’t have to search very long for Travis’s eager face. He waited for her just beyond a group of people, and she could easily spot him because he towered over everyone around him. He scooped her up like she was a small child. “I missed you so.”

  Autumn dropped everything in her hands, including her purse and hugged him as hard as she could, eliminating any space between them. As if for dear life, she buried her face in the crook of his neck. “Please don’t let me go. Not just yet.”

  They stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms as people moved around them. They could not have cared less. Autumn’s body blazed. She’d planned to stay with Reggie and Trae to celebrate the news that Reggie was pregnant, but also because she didn’t trust herself to stay with Travis; and yet somehow they ended up at his house, headed straight for his bedroom.

  Travis lost control and his body did a lot of talking. After the previous night in his office, he was hell bent on focusing his passion on Autumn. He centered all his energy on the woman in his embrace. In a lip and arm lock, they tussled with one another before he began to explore the planes of her body. Autumn wriggled beneath him like a wayward child. She arched and bent into his roaming hands and lips. He didn’t feast long at any part of her so, when his mouth traveled down the center of her body, still fully clothed, he couldn’t help but stop when he caught a whiff of her womanly scent. It drifted through his nostrils and he lost his mind.

  Autumn, possessed by his exploration, didn’t need coaching. She automatically spread her legs when he moved his mouth to the place that called his attention. He pushed up the dress to reveal lace panties that did little to hide the object of his desire for the moment. He kissed the inner parts of her thighs before he slipped his tongue against the moist fabric. Autumn’s hips bucked and swayed within his grasp. Her soft skin felt like butter in his hand.

  Travis continued to lick and nibble lightly at the swollen spot that now protruded from behind the lace panties. He could taste her and he liked it. Her scent was drugging so he feasted there until he could feel her shake and he could taste the cream of her orgasm. He took a moment to run his hand over his mouth before he moved back up Autumn’s trembling body. His lips covered hers, giving her a taste herself.

  He ached like crazy, but knew he wouldn’t get any release, at least not to night. Autumn was worth waiting for, and he would do just that, even if he had to burst in the process. When he tried to move off the bed, Autumn grabbed him. She was still coming down from the vortex of her orgasm, but she peered at him through half-opened eyes. “No.” Her hoarse voice, sounded strange to them both. “Please, Travis. Don’t. Please.” She begged him to finish what he’d started. She held onto his arms as he tried to escape her grasp.

  He covered her mouth again before he moved his lips down the side of her face and whispered into her ear. “I promised you, sweetheart.” He reminded her that he would protect her. He had to do the right thing and honor that because he loved her, and intended to make good on his promise.

  “It’s okay. I’m ready, now. I want you. Now, Travis.”

  “Hmm, baby. You make this hard for me. You know I want to love you. I don’t want you hate me later.”

  “I won’t. I can’t hate you, Travis. I love you.”

  “And we can wait. Please don’t fight me on this, Autumn. I’m asking you, baby, to please cut me some slack, okay?” His voice was firm but not reprimanding. He took a long, sighing breath before gathering her into his arms even though his own body still soared.

  He hoped to escape in order to keep his bulging penis from exploding. He now willed it to go limp by centering his thoughts on what it would mean to break his promise. His word was everything. And right then, the woman he loved with all of his heart was his first priority. Something Autumn had said to him months before had changed him forever. He had to make her repeat it to be sure he’d understood her correctly.

  “Mer Drace told me that you were a good man and that I could trust you with my heart. She’s never lied to me, Travis. I believe her and I’m thankful to know that she trusts you as well,” Autumn had confessed.

  The confession cut him deep, especially after the incident with Savannah the night before. He wondered what Mer Drace would think of his temptations. However, something profound inside his spirit wanted desperately to uphold the trust Autumn and her grandmother had placed in him. It was then he realized that he and Autumn had only one option. To wait, otherwise, their love would be doomed.

  CHAPTER 22

  Autumn calmed down. She laid her head onto Travis’s chest, with her eyes squeezed shut to hold the tears at bay. Even though she knew her heart and her desire, she also knew that Travis would never betray his word. “What about you, Travis? Let me take care of you.”

  “I’ll be fine, sweetheart.” He tried not to let her see how uncomfortable he was. He captured her wandering hand headed straight for the object of his agony. “Just stay here with me for a minute. Would you do that for me?” He looked down into her face.

  She could see the passion smoldering in his dark gaze, but she also saw something else. He closed his eyes before she could discover what it was. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

  “Positive.” Again, in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but think about the stunt Savannah pulled and how hurt Autumn would be if they ran into each other, or God forbid, if Savannah showed up when he and Autumn were together. He had to tell her.

  Autumn stilled as she listened to his rapid heartbeat, but it didn’t take long before she fidgeted within his embrace. The heat of his body, and the heady aroma, which until then she’d not noticed, kept her aroused. He owned more restraint that she ever could. Autumn knew then that Mer Drace had been correct. Travis would give up himself to give her what he thought she needed. She finally rested her head against his chest and fell asleep.

  Travis, on the other hand, suffered through Autumn’s squirming. Not until she finally settled down was he able to get a moment of peace. Since she couldn’t manage to be still, he remained motionless until he felt her steady breathing. He meticulously peeled her body off of him and slipped from the bed. He pulled the throw at the foot of the bed over her and headed to the guest room shower.

  * * * *

  By the time Autumn woke up, she fumbled in the tangled covers, trying to remember where she was. The room was completely dark and she was in bed alone. Travis had thrown a blanket over her. She felt her way toward the end of Travis’s bed and swung her legs over the side.

  She groaned as she stood. She remembered the interlude with Travis and how obviously uncomfortable he was because he got no release. She’d not helped the situation much. One of them had to be in control and she was thankful it was Travis. Her body still ached with need, and taking a cold shower would help, so she shuffled to the bathroom and flipped on a switch. She immediately covered her eyes to adjust to the light.

  Once she was done, she went to search for Travis. She found him on back deck in a recliner. The patio lamps glowed softly above his head. He clenched a cold, wet bottle of beer in one hand while he thumbed throug
h his BlackBerry with the other. He paused and looked up when she slid the door open. He put down both the beer and the phone, and opened his arms to her. Autumn slipped down into the chair with Travis. “Hi, baby. Did you rest well?” He inhaled the fresh scent of his shower gel on her body.

  Autumn eased into Travis’s lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I guess I did. I didn’t realize how tired I was.” She pecked his lips and stared into his face. She keenly remembered his manly scent. It would be forever seared into her senses.

  “You’ve had a long day. So it’s understandable that you were tired. Are you hungry? I made you something to eat when you’re ready for it.”

  “Right now, I just want to be with you.”

  Travis shifted his body to accommodate her and they snuggled together and watched the stars. “So, what do you have planned for me this weekend, Sir Brooks?”

  “Well, we were supposed to go over to my parents’ house tonight.”

  “What?” She sat up in his lap. “Why didn’t you wake me? Oh, Travis, I’m sorry. Is it too late to go over now? I can change quickly.” She pulled at his T-shirt she found in the drawers in the bathroom.

  “It’s okay. They understood. We can swing by tomorrow before we meet Trae, Reggie, Michael, and Denise. We’re headed over to the carnival for a couple of hours. It’s been a long time since we’ve been to one. We used to go all the time.”

  “Sounds like fun. It’s been a while since I’ve been.” She smiled.

  “Good. We’ll have fun.”

  “Okay.” Then her expression turned serious. “Travis, about this afternoon. I’m sorry.”

  “What for, sweetheart? What are you sorry for?”

  “I started…”

  Travis pressed his fingers against her lips halting anything she’d planned to say. He replaced the fingers with his lips. He kissed her with all the love he had in his heart. He put the passion on pause because he didn’t want her to regret anything they did together; that included making love to her. But it was that moment he decided he needed to come clean with her, about Savannah. “Babe, I have something to tell you, and I know you’re not going to be happy to hear it.”