by Maddie Wade
“A few years ago, now. He was Jack’s second and was killed in an attack. When Alex accepted his role, he took another office because nobody was ready to deal with the fact he was gone.”
“I feel awful being in here now. I can move to another space.”
Taamira shook her head, her long silky black hair swaying. “No, it is time, and Liam thinks it is a good idea. Ambrose had been his best friend since childhood,” she added at Autumn’s look of confusion.
She’d no time to ask further questions as Maggie woke up and the room became a hotbed of cooing from the women and shy smiles from Maggie.
Much, much, later, Evelyn came back with plates of brie and apricot chutney sandwiches as well as fruit scones with jam and cream. The women—including Autumn—broke out in laughter when they saw her t-shirt was on backwards, confirming their earlier assumption.
Chapter Fourteen
Mitch wasn’t feeling especially talkative on the drive back from Gloucester—the meeting with James Colchester, seventeenth Duke of Crossley and chief legal counsel to the Monarch, hadn’t wielded the information they wanted. Now he had to tell Jack who wouldn’t be a happy camper.
Thankfully, Decker wasn’t much of a talker and left him to his thoughts, most of which involved Autumn. The woman had gotten under his skin far quicker than he’d known, burrowing deep and laying down roots in his heart. Maggie had done the same with her dribbly smiles, and the way she laid her head on his shoulder snuggling close when she was tired.
Mitch hadn’t known that such a simple act of trust could mean so much, but those two females had become his queens, and he’d treat them as such. Protect them with his life because they were his now. It had happened fast, but he’d always known his own mind.
His mother was a strong woman, who had faced every single obstacle thrown in her path with fortitude and dignity. He hated that some of those obstacles had been caused by him, he hadn’t realised until he was older how much she’d sacrificed so he’d have a good life.
Moving to a predominantly white, middle-class area had been hard for her. Leaving her friends and everything she knew to start a new life, a new job, had been her gift to him. One he’d always be grateful for, and maybe one day he could repay that. He smiled to himself as he thought of her reaction to Autumn and Maggie. She’d be beside herself with joy when she met them. She was always on at him to give her grandbabies, lamenting she was the only one of her friends without them.
Decker opened the car door as they stopped at Eidolon. “You get on home to Autumn. I can talk to Jack about how the meeting went.”
Mitch raised his eyebrows, his eyes going wide. “You sure, mate?”
Decker fiddled with his cuff. “Yes. I have to talk to him about something else anyway.”
Mitch nodded. “Cheers, Deck.”
Mitch watched Deck walk inside before reversing the car and heading home. Waggs had taken Autumn and Maggie home around five, and he was eager to hear about her first day at work. He hit dial on the steering wheel and waited for his mum to pick up the call. He knew she’d still be up even though it was after nine in the evening, years waiting for him and his step-father to finish a shift meant her habit was ingrained.
“Why are you calling me so late?”
His lips twitched into a grin at her greeting; she always tried to hide her pleasure at hearing from him under her bravado. “Hey, Ma.”
“Is everything okay? You don’t normally call at this time.”
“Can’t a boy call his mum just to say hi?”
“Well, of course he can, but you ain’t. I can hear it in your voice. You got something to say.”
Mitch’s grin grew wider as her accent grew more profound; he’d always loved the sound. “I actually do have some news.”
“Well, don’t keep me waiting, boy. Are you coming home? Is that it?”
He knew she hated him living so far away even though it was only a few hours, but she’d have a fit if she knew what he did. At least she thought he lived away because he had an excellent, safe job with a security firm here.
A chuckle erupted from his throat as a happy feeling clawed its way out of his chest. “No, Ma, I’m not moving back home, but I did meet someone.”
“Oh, praise the Lord, my prayers have been answered.”
Warmth spread through his chest at the relief in her voice; he hadn’t known how much she’d worried about it before.
“What is she like? Is she pretty? Of course she is, my boy is a handsome devil. What does she do? She’d better not be a stripper. I won’t have a cheap trollop in my home.”
“Ma, will you be quiet and let me tell you about her?”
“Don’t you sass me, boy, I’ll tan your hide for you.”
“Ma,” he said, a little more firmly.
“Fine, speak.” He heard the smile in her voice even over the irritated words.
“Her name is Autumn. She’s a widow and has a baby girl called Maggie, who is six months old and adorable.”
“Oh, that poor girl. A baby you say. Does she want more children?”
Mitch shook his head. “I don’t know, we haven’t discussed it yet. It’s still early days.”
“But you like her a lot.” Her voice went soft and reminded him of the nights she’d come into his room after he’d gone to bed and said the Lord’s prayer over him as he feigned sleep.
“I do. I really like her.”
“How did you meet?”
That was the question he’d been dreading, and he didn’t want to lie to her about it but had no choice. “She’s had some trouble, Ma, and my company is helping her out. She’s working for us now too.”
“I know you’ll fix this, my boy. You’ve always been a fixer. Even as a child, you took a problem or saw someone in need and wanted to help them. I know you wanted to help Devon too, but that boy was already lost.”
The words she’d never said before tore at his chest, leaving a lump in his throat. “I think I love her, Mum, and Maggie as well.”
“Well, of course you do. You wouldn’t get my old heart geared up like this if she wasn’t already your heart. When can we meet her?”
“As soon as her problems are sorted out, we’ll come down for the weekend.”
“Oh, I need to see if Doris has that travel cot… No, forget that, only new for my grandbaby. Send me some pics, baby boy.”
“I will. And, Ma, I love you.”
“I love you too, my boy, so much.”
Mitch hung up then as he pulled into the drive of his home and saw the light still on in Autumn’s apartment. He hastened his pace as he walked towards his front door. He made sure to secure it properly before taking the stairs two at a time.
Stopping at her door, he hesitated a second trying to get his body under control, the mere thought of this woman driving him crazy with desire. Sucking in a breath, he blew it out slowly and then knocked, not too loud in case he woke Maggie. He heard the locks disengage on the other side before the chain slid free, then she was standing before him.
His eyes travelled the length of her, from her perfect head to the tips of her toes that were covered in fluffy blue socks. Her legs were bare to his eyes, as she was clad only in sleep shorts and a cotton jersey cami. All his good intentions went out of the window at the sight of her as she smiled, and his heart kicked up a gear.
Without thinking, he pushed inside the apartment, cupping her face between his hands, and kissing her as he backed her up against the wall, closing the door with his booted foot. Autumn’s hands moved around his back holding on, a mewling sound of pleasure escaped her as he kissed her like she was his oasis in a dry desert.
He pressed his hard body into her softer one, his hand stroking down her neck, over her collar bone before firmly cupping her lush tit. His thumb rubbed over the tight bud of her nipple, and she squirmed against him, her hands sliding under his shirt so she was touching his skin.
It was heaven and it was hell because he knew he wouldn’t take
her now, not like this. No, Mitch wanted to take his time, to explore every inch of her sexy body and treat her like the queen she was.
Pulling back, he felt his lips pull into a smile at her moan. She wanted him, and he fucking loved that she did. As his lips moved over the pulse in her neck, he slipped a hand into the tiny shorts she wore and felt the heat of her pussy against his fingers. The slick, wet evidence of her desire for him coating his finger as he entered her, fucking her gently with his two fingers, the sound of her rasping breaths in his ear making his cock impossibly hard.
“You want to come, honey?” Her answer was to push herself into his hand, almost riding his fingers. Mitch pulled back slowly, not allowing her to dictate what was happening. “Answer me with words or I won’t let you come. Do you want me to get you off?”
“Yes.” The sound was more a moan as he stroked a thumb over the delicate bundle of nerves at her centre, causing her to suck in a sharp breath, her head hitting the wall as she arched into his touch.
He gazed down, in awe of her beauty as he felt her legs begin to shake with her impending orgasm. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”
His words must have tipped her over the edge because her pussy squeezed his fingers, her breathing became laboured as he covered her mouth with his, drinking in her pleasure as he kissed her.
When she stopped shaking, he slowed his kiss and withdrew his fingers. Lifting his head, he held her eyes with his and licked his fingers, tasting her sweet juices on his tongue. Autumn’s eyes were wide and slumberous as she watched, and he knew she liked it by the way she wet her bottom lip with her tongue.
“You taste as sweet as you look.”
With a final kiss he pulled away, putting some space between them for a moment but grabbed Autumn’s hand, leading her towards the sofa where he sank down with her on his lap. Cradling her with his arms, he waited for her to settle as she drew her legs up and cuddled into him, her head on his shoulder.
“I missed you today.”
His admission was unplanned, but it was the truth. He’d never been with a woman he couldn’t stop thinking about, but with Autumn, he had no choice. She was on his mind every spare second he had.
“I missed you too and for the record, if that’s how you show me you miss me, then you can miss me all the time.”
He frowned not liking the idea of missing her, because that meant not being with her. “I don’t like that idea. How about I just plan on doing that to you anyway?” His lips twitched as he raised a brow in question. Her husky laughter hit him in the chest, and he wondered if he’d ever get tired of the sound of her happiness and knew he wouldn’t.
“That sounds like a plan.” Her fingers skimmed over his biceps, the gentle touch almost torture to his aching cock.
“How was your first day at work?” He needed to get his mind off the feel of her body.
“It was good, but not anything like I’ve experienced before.”
“Oh?”
“Well, firstly my office is kitted out with a full range of baby paraphernalia, and then a bunch of women arrived.”
“Ah, don’t tell me. Pax, Callie, Evelyn, and Taamira?”
“Yes. A model, a Princess, and god knows what Pax and Evelyn are, but they don’t work in a bloody Art Gallery.”
“They were nice to you?” He felt a sudden overprotectiveness creep in at the thought of her overwhelmed with them all and him not there to intervene.
“They were wonderful, helped me sort the office, built the play centre for Maggie, and caught me up on everything they deemed essential for me to know.”
“They’re good girls. Actually, I’m glad you met them because there’s a party next weekend for a friend of mine. It’s at the Cunningham Estate, and everyone is going. Will you come with me?”
He felt nervous as he asked, the beating of his heart faster than before as she laid a hand on his chest, her face falling slightly.
“I can’t. I don’t have anyone to have Maggie. Not that I’d leave her anyway.”
Mitch’s tension that had appeared when she’d said she couldn’t, eased. “Well, I think I have an idea. The Cunningham Estate is actually a large country home. My friend Zack and his wife own it, and a few families live there, including Nate’s parents Mimi and David, and Zack’s in-laws Frank and Helen. They usually do childcare after nine at night in a different part of the house from the party. I could ask if they’ll look after Maggie too.”
Autumn bit her lip and the sexy action made him shift in his seat to relieve the pressure on his dick. “I’m not sure. I haven’t left her before, and I don’t know these people.”
“But you know me, and I’d never ask you to leave Maggie with anyone I don’t completely trust.”
He saw her hesitate and moved in, lifting her chin so her eyes met his. “I’d never let anyone harm Maggie or you. I just think it would be nice for you to relax and have some fun and for us to do something normal and couple-y. How about this? We go, and if you aren’t happy, then we can come home.”
“I want that too. I feel like we’ve skipped the dating stage.”
Her soft laughter had guilt moving through him, making him feel like he’d cheated her. Autumn deserved the world, and he’d give it to her one way or another. “I’m sorry, honey. When this is over, I promise to give you all of that, the dates, the fun but this is a good compromise for now.”
“I don’t need all that. I actually like that we’ve skipped over the awkward, uncertain stuff and gone straight to this relaxed intimacy. I don’t have time for rubbish like that.”
“I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life than I am of you. In fact, I even told my mother about you tonight.”
Autumn straightened, her graceful neck lengthening as her eyes went wide. “You did?”
“Yeah.”
“What did she say?”
Mitch scratched his chin. “Well, I wouldn’t say she’s planning the wedding just yet but she sure as hell is planning the engagement.”
Autumn burst out laughing, throwing her head back, exposing the long column of her throat to his lips, which he took full advantage of, nipping at the soft skin before smiling against her neck. “Don’t laugh, I’m serious.”
“Oh boy, you look worried, Mitch.”
Her teasing made him want to kiss her again, this playful side making him fall for her that little bit more. “Not worried, Autumn. If I have my way, you and Maggie will be permanent fixtures in my life.”
Her eyes twinkled with warmth as she lifted a hand to cup his face, her thumb brushing over the dark stubble that was littered with more grey than he cared to admit. “How come you stopped earlier?”
He knew what she meant, what she was asking him, and he needed her to know how much he cared about her. He tangled his hands in her long braids, marvelling at the softness. “When I make love to you for the first time, Autumn, it will be in a bed and not one four feet from your daughter. It will be something both of us remember when we’re old because I’m going to take my time and discover every inch of your delicious body.”
He felt her shiver against him, goosebumps popping up on her skin.
“I want that too, but we don’t know when that will be.”
Mitch didn’t hide the smirk. “Hungry for me, honey?”
Autumn squinted at him, trying to look mad and failing. “Don’t be a jerk.”
“Sorry, babe, but we both know it’s true and I’m just as desperate to feel and taste you. Maybe next weekend we can stay over at the Estate. Some of the rooms are linked, and we could make sure Maggie was within listening distance for us.”
“What about after?”
“After, we figure it out, see how this is gonna work for us. Maggie comes first, must always be first in your life, but I want a place in it too.”
“I can’t believe we’re really doing this.”
He pushed her hair off her face. “Never met a woman like you before, Autumn. Never thought about settling down but
when I saw you it was like looking at my future. The second I met you, I knew you’d change my life.”
“Is it wrong that I feel the same? It feels almost like a betrayal. Terrell wasn’t always bad. He was a good man in the beginning, he just got lost.”
His heart sped up at her words. “He must’ve been a good man once because I refuse to believe that a woman like you could love anyone not worthy of her. Let me ask you something. If he were still alive, would you be with him now?”
Autumn looked up, giving his words thought, which he respected. “No, I wouldn’t. He made his choice, and I’d never allow him to put me and Maggie second. I don’t want my daughter to ever feel like she’s second best. It already hurts my heart to know that one day I’ll have to explain to her why people judge her for how she looks, for the colour of her skin.”
Mitch had suffered his fair share of racism, it was impossible not too and the scars it left where always with him, would still be with him when he was old and grey. This town had very few people of colour, plenty of people from Eastern Europe but to see a black man or woman was rare here. Yet he didn’t receive the same hostility from some that he’d had in London.
Furtive looks, and even some ignorance, but not once since living here had he been called nigger. The worst he’d had was Mrs Mullins asking if he knew the lovely coloured family that lived on West Street.
He’d told her no and asked if she knew the people that lived in Sommerset House. She’d blinked and said no, and then understanding had dawned in the canny older woman’s eyes and she’d apologised.
That he could live with, ignorance from people who were willing to learn and change was okay with him. He didn’t profess to know about every different culture, but he’d always try and learn, and if others did the same, understanding his struggle as a black man, then he was happy with that.
As he saw the fear in Autumn’s eyes, he remembered the times he’d seen it in his mother’s eyes. “We’ll make sure Maggie is strong enough to deal with whatever she may face, and she’ll know we’re behind her whatever that may be.”
“I haven’t been subjected to any racism here yet.”