Autumn's Healing

by HK Carlton

  “Perfect way to ease back in,” Salem continued. Her stomach flipped at the sight of his lopsided grin.

  “You?” She shook her head slightly, finding that hard to fathom. “But…you’re so…” Built and handsome and charming and…

  “I’m so what?”

  “You’re so hot!” she blurted, a phrase Autumn would have used. He laughed, a deep sound that went straight to her pussy. Her entire body tingled at his nearness. “I find it hard to believe.”

  “Well, thank you, but it’s the truth. And right back at ya, gorgeous.”

  Once more, she fisted her hands in his shirt, but, this time, she dove at him, cutting him off. Their lips met hungrily. The kiss in the hallway had only whet her long-suppressed appetite.

  “Mmm.” She melted into him. It had been a long time since she’d locked lips with a man, and this one certainly knew how to kiss a woman. She tasted just a hint of the Irish coffee. Wanting to drink him in, Kaylah swirled her tongue next to his, dueling.

  He all but growled in response. The reverberation resonated through her chest and it excited her even more.

  “You still taste sweet from dessert,” he whispered into her mouth, as if loath to disconnect any farther. “Like coconut and Kaylah cream pie.”

  Kaylah couldn’t help but smile slightly at his words.

  She raised her head. “Come this way.” She tucked her fingers into the front of his trousers before she turned her back to him.

  “Don’t mind if I do,” he chuckled, following, as she dragged him down the hallway to the room she’d temporarily set her bed in.

  When she faced him, she went straight after the button on his jeans, then the zipper. If she stopped to think, she’d lose her nerve. She sealed her mouth back to his, angling him toward the bed. Then she tucked her hips, rubbing her mound against him. He was so hard. She had a feeling this was going to be a quick thing for both of them.

  She delved into his boxers and held his hot, distended flesh in her hand. Then she began to work him up and down.

  To her delight, he groaned. His jaw tightened.

  A deep, delicious tingling pooled low in her belly. Her pussy lips felt heavy with need. He cupped her mound, pressing upward with his fingers, intensifying the sensation.

  He pried his mouth away. “Let’s get rid of these.” He pushed at her jeans.

  They both made short work of their pants, though Salem had to sit on the edge of the bed to maneuver his trousers off.

  Eager, but still shy, Kaylah moved toward him. He reached for her, splaying his fingers into her short curls. She mewled at his touch as he sought her entrance, swirling, teasing.

  “Mmm, beautiful and wet.” His chest rumbled. He cupped her ass and pulled her closer, peppering kisses over her belly. She fought the urge to push his head downward. Although she’d probably come instantaneously if he tongued her clit, she wanted it so badly.

  Instead, he inserted two fingers into her pussy. She gasped at the invasion and her inner muscles clenched.

  “Oh, yeah,” he groaned, his breath choppy.

  Kaylah gripped his thick cock and tried to imitate what he was doing to her, perhaps tempting him to replace his fingers. “Do you have a condom?”

  “Fuck! I don’t know. If I do, it’s in my wallet and probably expired long ago.”

  “I suppose expired is better than nothing at all.”

  Salem groped on the floor for his pants. His hands shook as he patted at his back pocket, searching for his billfold. Clumsily, he tossed money and cards aside. Finally, he turned the leather pouch upside down and gave it a shake. The disappointment on his face reflected her own.

  “I’ve had every test going,” she said, shrugging. Besides, she didn’t even know if she could get pregnant. Several of the women in her support group back home had major fertility problems after treatment.

  “Me, too. I’m game if you are.”

  “I’m so game, Salem.”

  Hastily, he coaxed her back onto the mattress, keeping his gaze on hers as he tried to kneel on the bed.

  “Fuck!”

  Kaylah reached for his hips in an attempt to balance him. He braced his arms on either side of her.

  “Well, I didn’t foresee this,” he said. His lips and jaw tightened. Then he closed his eyes and shook his head. “Leverage might be a problem.”

  Before he could get upset with himself, Kaylah took charge.

  She gave his chest a playful, yet strong, push and rolled them over. She took the top. “Don’t worry, Salem. We’ll work on that next time.”

  His smoky gaze met hers. “There’ll be a next time?” The hard line of his mouth gentled.

  “Oh, God, I hope so,” she said in such a rush that it came out more like one word.

  Salem shifted under her and held his cock straight up. Kaylah placed one hand in the middle of his solid chest for support and lowered her quivering pussy to his straining dick. The beautifully wide head parted her. She cried out at the sensation of her cunt stretching for his size, her softness such contrast to his rigidity.

  Salem growled and grabbed her hips.

  Slowly and steadily, she sank down his sinfully thick length. His features contorted with pleasure and pain. The sight of his gratification pleased her.

  He stroked her stomach, his thumb eventually finding her aching clit. His touch sent a jolt of sensation straight to her core. Her hips bucked, causing him to have the same reaction.

  A delicious flutter began, followed by sweet, undulating tremors, radiating out, consuming her.

  Kaylah surged upward, coating his cock with the evidence of her arousal. As a result, when she came back down, the slide was smooth, exquisite.

  Salem’s chest rumbled beneath her hand as he thrust to meet her. Their frenzied movements became sloppy and imprecise in their need and haste for release.

  “Aw, fuck! Not yet…not…yet…uhhh,” Salem groaned.

  Unrestrained, he rammed upward as Kaylah ground down, abrading her pussy, eking out every last shudder of ecstasy. Salem trembled beneath her, finding his own release.

  Immediately, Kaylah wanted more. This was just a taste of what Jerusalem could give her, and she wanted it all. But his dwindling size gave her pause.

  She rolled to the side, stretching out beside him.

  His generous mouth curved. He slid his hand into her hair. “Sorry about that. It’s gonna take some adjustment.”

  “There’s nothing to be sorry for. We both still got where we wanted to go.”

  “Oh, fuck, yeah.”

  Kaylah stroked his hip. “And we will again?”

  His smile grew. “And again.”

  “Perfect.” She snuggled into him. Check hot, sweaty, mind-blowing sex off the bucket list, she thought as she drifted away into sleep.

  Chapter Five

  In between sleep and wakefulness, Salem stretched, then grinned at the feel of the warm, supple body beside him.

  “Mmm, mmm, Mikaylah cream,” he whispered.

  “She’s a looker, bro. Well done.”

  Salem opened his eyes, unsurprised to see his brother standing at the end of the bed.

  “Do ya mind, Rich?” Salem pulled on the sheet, making sure Kaylah was covered.

  “Not at all. Is she the one?” He grinned.

  “Too soon to tell.”

  “She’s pretty good in bed, though, huh?”

  “Fuck off.”

  “You were a little quick on the draw, though, bud.”

  “You were watching, you perv?”

  “Not really, I just know ya. As you’ll recall, we shared a room for years.”

  “It’s been a while,” Salem argued.

  “So, big job ahead, huh?”

  “Yeah. Finally. I was already beginning to practice ‘ya want fries with that,’ as a back-up.”

  Rich’s deep, familiar chuckle comforted him. “Don’t forget all I taught ya.”

  “How could I? You’re always around to remind me, not tha
t I’m complaining,” he was quick to add, grateful for these moments. “I miss you, Rich.”

  “I miss you too, Salem. Looks like you’re going to be mixing business with pleasure. Be careful. Okay?”

  All of a sudden, a door slammed from somewhere above, waking Salem fully. He bolted upright. It sounded like a bomb going off. “Fuck!” He took evasive action and threw himself over Kaylah before he realized what he was doing.

  Kaylah jerked under him. “What? What is it?”

  “Fuckin’, Jesus. There’s someone in the house.”

  “No, no. It’s okay. It’s just six-forty-five,” she dismissed. He felt her relax.

  What the fuck?

  With a quick glance at the digital clock on the bedside table, Salem confirmed the time.

  “It happens often,” Kaylah murmured. Her voice sounded raspy from sleep.

  “What happens all the time? You wake up to a near heart attack every morning?”

  “I told you… Strange things go on in this house. It’s kind of comforting. Autumn always woke to get ready for school at this time.”

  Comforting? He’d nearly gone through the fucking roof.

  With his hand, Salem covered the back of his neck, trying to stave off the tingle of negative energy.

  It wasn’t strange for him to dream about his brother. It often happened first thing in the morning, while he was in that limbo between sleep and wakefulness. That didn’t bother him, but slamming doors with nobody behind ’em and Kaylah’s complacency, did.

  He grabbed his discarded trousers and excused himself.

  “I’ll go put coffee on,” Kaylah called after him.

  The first thing he noticed upon entering the bathroom was the mirror on the medicine cabinet. Jagged chunks of glass hung precariously from the frame—something else he’d obviously missed on inspection. Now, had it been broken when Kaylah’d had moved in or was it like the fuckin’ light bulb anomaly in the living room? If he came back in an hour, would it be intact?

  What the fuck am I thinking? That was impossible. Nonetheless, an unwelcome shiver shook his frame.

  He threw water on his face then patted it dry. As he tried to drape the hand towel back over the rack, he noticed the screws were coming away from the wall. The place was a write-off. Plowing the whole damn structure down was beginning to appeal to him.

  Standing in front of the toilet, he couldn’t seem to go. It felt like he was being watched.

  “Fuck this!” Using the edge of the tub as a bench, he struggled into his jeans. Once on his feet, he stumbled in his haste. He had the most overwhelming urge to leave. He yanked open the door.

  Kaylah sat stiffly on the bed, as if she’d known.

  “I’m gonna go.” He hunted for his shoes but could only find one. “Perfect. The one-legged man doesn’t need two. Is that it?” he said under his breath. His mood was deteriorating by the second. What the fuck was wrong with her? She’d warned him about the disappearing footwear and mysterious blowing bulbs but couldn’t give him the heads-up when it came to banging fucking doors at six a.m. when she’d invited him to stay the night?

  “I thought we were going to go through the house?” Kaylah said quietly.

  “Yeah, we will. I just… I’m gonna run home and, uh, change.”

  As fast as he could manage without falling, he raced from the house, not even stopping to put on his one shoe.

  * * * *

  Salem felt awful for running out on Kaylah. He’d gone home, showered and changed. More importantly, he’d calmed down and tried valiantly to convince himself there’d been an open window and the wind had blown the door shut.

  On the way back to Kaylah’s, he hit the drive-thru. Hot coffee, warm pastries and an apology were in order, then he could get down to work—if Kay still wanted to hire him.

  He parked the truck outside her house. The question is, do I still want to work on it? Fuckin’ creepy old place. He looked at the second-story bedroom, the one designated as Autumn’s room. The curtain moved. Kay must be upstairs and she now knew he was back—if she’d even answer the door after this morning’s undignified exit.

  Out of his peripheral vision, he caught movement near the storage container where Kaylah stowed the majority of her belongings. To his surprise, Kaylah stepped out of the unit with an armful of linens.

  Startled, Salem looked again to the second-story window. The drapery was closed. He blinked repeatedly. His stomach rolled.

  Kaylah noticed him and stopped, obviously hesitant to approach.

  With his offerings in one hand, he got out of the truck. He set the cardboard tray containing their two cups, along with the little paper bag of sweets, in the center of the hood.

  “Hey,” he called out as an icebreaker.

  “Hey,” she answered, half-heartedly.

  “I brought coffee.”

  “I see that.”

  Christ, she looks hot. She had on a loose-fitting lavender paisley print blouse and a pair of beige shorts, her blonde hair swept into a high bun. Little wisps had fallen and trailed down her neck. It was hard to imagine she had an eighteen-year-old daughter.

  She moved out of the shadows and into the sunlight.

  Salem gasped but tried to cover it. Dark shadows lined under her eyes but, when she looked at him, her lids were red-rimmed, leaving him no doubt that she’d been crying.

  Concerned, he cupped her elbows. “Kay? Are you all right?”

  She struck out at him. “Don’t touch me!” she snapped.

  “Whoa, hey! What’s goin’ on?”

  “You couldn’t get out of here fast enough this morning. Now you’re back? What for? Another quickie? Oh, wait… No, that can’t be. Now you want a deposit, I’m sure. Well, never mind, Mr. Aames. I’m done with the spooky old house and I’m done with this town and I’m—” She burst into tears, stomped up the walk then disappeared into the house.

  Salem looked at the old elm in the front yard and sighed. Just then, a cell phone jingled. It wasn’t his. He poked his head into the storage unit and found Kay’s cell sitting atop a green tote.

  He read the illuminated screen, then answered.

  “Hi, Autumn. Salem here.”

  “Well, hello, Salem. Are you answering all my mom’s phones now?”

  “It would seem that way, but no. Sorry. Your mom’s gone into the house.”

  “So, does this mean you’re our man, Salem?”

  Still unable to answer that, he was thankful when she continued. “I mean, our contractor. Did she hire you?”

  “That’s still up in the air.”

  “What’s the problem? You seem like the best man for the job. Let’s face it. You didn’t turn tail and run when you realized what an enormous task was at hand. Why’s she hesitating, Salem?”

  “Have you seen this place, Autumn? It’s kind of a mess, not to mention the creepiness.”

  She gave an unladylike snort. “Creepiness?” she repeated. “Gonna let a little bump in the night scare you off, Jerusalem?”

  “Well, no.”

  “Then I suggest you get to work. Time’s a wasting.”

  Time’s a wasting. It’s what his brother used to tell him during rehab, when Salem just wanted to quit—when he thought he couldn’t take one more step toward walking again.

  “And what are you going to do? Sit on your ass for the rest of your life? Get up, Salem. Do it again.”

  “What’s the use? I can’t fuckin’ walk. I’m not even whole!”

  “You can sit here and let life pass you by or you can get off your lazy ass and take part in it. Time’s a wasting, Salem. Live! You ever wanna run after Lindsay again, then get the fuck up! You wanna have a child of your own someday to chase? Do it!”

  His brother had grabbed him and bodily forced him upright.

  Gait lessons, they were the absolute worst. Thirty-year-old men shouldn’t have to learn to walk all over again.

  His eyes stung as he remembered the look on his brother’s face. Anger. F
rustration. Love. Determination. But then, there was also the devastation that came the morning he’d woken after his suicide attempt to find Rich sitting beside his bed.

  “You were spared for a reason, Jerusalem Aames. You will never try this again. Do you understand me? You didn’t die in that Godforsaken desert. You will not die at your own hand. I will not allow it, and you won’t do it to Lindsay. I’ll be damned if I have to explain to that little girl that her favorite man in this whole wide world took his own life. I won’t do it, ya selfish fucking bastard. Do you hear me? I won’t do it!”

  Before he could respond, Rich had stormed from the room. But he’d been back when it had been time to go to therapy.

  Little did Salem know then that his time with his brother was going to be cut short. Time was no one’s friend.

  And he’d finally figured it out. He had been spared because ultimately, Lindsay would be left without a father.

  “Mr. Aames? You still there?”

  “Yeah, Autumn.”

  “I suggest you go accept the job. My mother needs you.”

  He sighed. It wasn’t that simple. Something else was going on here, and he wasn’t sure he was prepared for it.

  “I’ve gotta go for now, Salem, but I’m sure we’ll be talking again. Take care.”

  “You, too, Autumn.”

  He went in search of the gorgeous homeowner.

  “Kay?”

  She stood at the kitchen sink with her back to him. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s the matter with me. Sometimes I think it’s this place. Maybe I should cut my losses. But who’s gonna buy it in the condition it’s in?” She turned and wiped her wet cheeks.

  Without thought, he pulled her into his arms, and, thankfully, this time she was receptive. Actually, she clung to him. “I’m gonna call my crew. We start today.”

  Slowly, she raised her head and her watery gaze met his. “You mean it?”

  “Let’s do it.”

  * * * *

  Half an hour later, the gang stood on the lawn outside Kaylah’s house. When she stepped out onto the porch to meet them, there was a collective gasp among the crew.