“Mom, I’m hungry,” Bryce says, coming into the kitchen, causing Clay and I to quickly pull away from one another.
Clay squats down so he’s eye level with him. “Why don’t the two of us make lunch and let Mom take a nap? She needs lots of rest now that she has a baby growing inside her.”
“Can we make pizza?” Bryce asks, eyes wide with excitement.
Clay chuckles. “Didn’t you just have pizza last night?”
He nods. “Pizza is my favorite!” He flashes me a silly grin.
Clay stands up and presses a kiss to my lips quickly. “Go upstairs and get cleaned up. Rest. I’ll watch little man here.”
I smile. “Thank you,” I tell him, ruffling Bryce’s hair as I walk past.
The first thing I do is sink into a hot bath. The warm water helps to soothe my sore, tired muscles and the ache in my side. I rest my head back against the tub and close my eyes. For the first time in a long time, Glenn isn’t there waiting for me. This time, it’s Clay. His blue eyes are shining, and he’s giving me that boyish smile of his. My heart starts to flutter in my chest, and a warmth spreads throughout my entire body.
Months ago, I never would have pictured myself here, in my own beautiful home with the best man I could dream up and a baby on the way. When I packed up and left home that day, I thought I’d be alone and afraid forever. I thought that I didn’t deserve happiness after everything I’d been through.
But then I met Clay, and he changed everything. He made me believe that I do deserve love and happiness. He took things slow and didn’t push, he let things between us bloom naturally. At first, all I wanted was his friendship, his understanding. But over time, that friendship turned into something else: trust, faith, and understanding. It’s love on a level I’ve never felt before. It’s like he’s made for me, like we’re made for each other. This is just the journey we had to take to find one another.
When my body is completely relaxed, I stand up and dry off. Instead of digging through my dresser to find pajamas, I pull on my robe that hangs on the back of the bathroom door. The soft silk feels amazing against my naked skin as I crawl into bed. The moment my head hits the pillow, I drift into a deep sleep.
I wake when Clay joins me in bed. I open my eyes and the room is dark, only a little light sneaking out of the small crack in the bathroom door.
“What time is it?” I ask, rolling from my back to my left side to face him. Pain shoots through my ribs, but I hold back the groan that wants to escape.
“It’s going on ten. You’ve been asleep all day.” He pulls the blanket up over the both of us, and warmth spreads through my body again.
I crack my neck. “It feels like it. I’m sore.”
“I made sure Bryce got dinner and a bath before I put him in bed. We’re all alone for the night. I didn’t mean to wake you.” He presses a kiss to my shoulder, his hand finding its way beneath my robe to my bare breast where he lightly squeezes.
“Mmmm, you can wake me like this anytime,” I tease.
Even in the darkness of the room, I can see his grin form. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispers, getting himself up on his elbow as he leans over and closes his lips around my nipple.
My back arches into him. The action causes a strain on my rib, but even that doesn’t compare to the pleasure he’s making me feel. As he flicks his tongue across the hardened peak, his hand massages my breast. My hormones are running rampant through my system. The only thing I can think of is feeling him inside of me.
“Clay, I need you,” I nearly whine, lacing my fingers through his hair and pulling gently.
He pulls his mouth away from me and pushes my robe to my sides, completely baring all of me to him.
“I’ll give you everything you need,” he whispers as he kisses his way down my stomach. When his tongue runs between my folds, a jolt hits me. A shiver races up my spine and my lips part, a soft moan slipping out. His hands on my hips tighten like he’s holding himself back.
“Fuck, Autumn. You taste so good,” he whispers against my skin, his mouth going back to its work.
I fist the sheet beneath me, needing something to hold onto as my release rises. The moment he slides his finger inside of me and his tongue flicks against my clit, I explode. My orgasm washes over me, drowning me in pleasure. My hips buck upward until he has to hold them down. My cries are loud, echoing around the room. In my mind, I remind myself to keep it down, but I have no control over myself. I can’t do anything but ride out every last wave. Shock waves rock through my body, causing my toes to curl and my knees to shake.
When my body finally falls flat against the bed, Clay makes his way up between my legs. He places himself at my entrance and pushes forward, letting out a sigh of relief. “You’re so wet for me,” he whispers against my lips. “You always feel so fucking good. So right.”
My nails dig into his back, egging him on. Right now, I’m greedy. I want all of him, forever. I never want to feel the coldness of his withdrawal. I want us connected as one for as long as possible.
He pushes into me slowly, deeply, rocking his hips at the exact right moment to tease that little spot inside of me. And that’s exactly what he does: tease me. Each time, he changes his rhyme, never allowing me to find my release, not until he’s ready.
“Clay, please,” I beg.
“Not until I say, Autumn.” He rocks against me again and the tingles start, but then he backs away, waits a moment, and repeats the process again.
“Clay, I’m going to explode.”
He chuckles deeply, the sound almost menacing. He’s enjoying this torture. Clay is always sweet and giving, but he has a dark side to him at times—times like this, when he wants to hold me in the palm of his hand, when he wants me begging and pleading, dying with need for him.
I tighten my muscles around him, and he lets out a groan. His hips begin to move quicker, more forcefully. My release is rising fast. If he’s not careful, it may just wash over me without warning. I dig my nails into his lower back, and he thrusts even deeper inside of me, finally pushing me over the edge. My muscles tighten and release around him with each wave of my orgasm. He lets out a powerful roar and explodes inside me, his hips twitching and his eyes pinching closed.
I can feel him pulsing inside of me, spewing with every jerk of his hips. He calls out my name as he spills his last drop. I wrap my arms around him and pull his head to my chest. He lays it against my heart as he catches his breath. I can feel how hard his lungs are heaving for oxygen,. His heart is pounding hard enough that I can feel it against my chest like it’s my own. His hands tangle into my hair as he lifts his head and presses his mouth to mine. He kisses me slow and soft and long. It isn’t rushed. He’s savoring the moment.
When he pulls away, his eyes land on mine. They’re deep blue, filled with love and passion. They remind me of the deepest, darkest part of the ocean, a place few have seen. “I love you, Autumn,” he whispers, running his thumb over my cheek, under my eye.
I can’t help the small smile that forms from hearing his words, words I never knew I wanted to hear so badly before. “I love you too,” I reply, reaching up to cup his jaw. He turns his head just in time to press a kiss to the palm of my hand.
When he pulls out of me, the cold takes over. I instantly roll to his side where he wraps his arm around me. I rest my head on his chest, listening to the deep rhythm of his heart, the sound of the air rushing in and out of his lungs. My right hand is resting on his stomach when his left hand moves to take it in his. His soft touch is something I’ll never get over. Even when Glenn was being soft, he wasn’t this soft. This is all so new to me. Everything feels foreign.
“How is this going to work between us?” I ask quietly as my fear of his answer consumes me.
“What do you mean?” His voice is strained in the darkness, almost like he’s afraid of this conversation too.
“Well, we’re having a baby. Are you wanting to move in here? Are you wanting to keep your p
lace and just stay here from time to time?”
“I never want to leave you again,” he said, his hand rubbing up and down my back.
I look up and meet his eyes. “So, you’re moving in? We’re really doing this?”
He smiles. “Only if you’ll have me.”
I roll my eyes and playfully smack his chest. “Of course I want you.”
He laughs as he rolls to his side, putting us nose to nose. “I love you and Bryce, and I never want to be without you. Hell, I’ll even marry you if you want.”
I laugh and shake my head. “I don’t know if I’m ready for all that,” I joke, but it’s not a joke. I don’t know if I will ever be willing to get married again. If I do, it will be far in the future, after I’m actually divorced.
He laughs at my joke and pulls me closer. “All I need is you, Bryce, and this baby. My family.” He kisses the top of my head and I let his heat sink into me, warming the darkest, coldest parts of me that I thought would never feel warmth again. A lot has changed for me since meeting Clay. I thought I was broken, never to feel love again. I thought I was lost and alone, but he found me and saved me. He showed me the true meaning of love, life, and happiness. He showed me that there is never anything that you can’t come back from or overcome. He showed me the true meaning of family and trust. I know deep within my soul that I’ll never let him go. And thanks to all these lessons he’s taught me, I know he’ll never let me go. The four of us, we’re a family, an unbreakable force to be reckoned with. We’ll never give up. We’ll only ever overcome, together.
Epilogue
Clay
Days turn to weeks and weeks turn to months. Fall and winter come and go, and before I know it, spring is making its grand appearance. I’m fully moved into the farmhouse now, with Autumn and Bryce. Autumn was granted a no-contest divorce since Glenn was charged with murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. It felt like we’d been holding our breaths until we finally received the news of his sentence.
Bryce is now in kindergarten full-time and loving every minute of it. He’s learning to read, and because of that, we have to be careful. Gone are the days of spelling words to avoid saying them in front of him. He’s growing and getting smarter every day, all in preparations of becoming a big brother.
The B&B is finally completely finished, including the barn that’s now home to not one or two horses, but four. We have two for any guests we have, and we have one for Bryce—who he named Lightning, because nothing is as fast as lightning—and one for me. Autumn has plans of getting her own after the baby is born. Every day after Bryce gets home from school, we spend time in the barn, riding the horses, brushing them, feeding them, and cleaning out the stalls.
Autumn is nine months pregnant and ready to pop any day. Her stomach is large and round, and I love to touch it and feel the baby move inside of her. She has been spending her days nesting, making sure everything is perfect for the baby’s arrival. Since neither of us wanted to ruin the surprise, we’ve opted to painting the nursery a light green color, something that will work for a boy or girl.
“Hey, what about Stella?” Autumn asks, nudging me with her foot as we sit on the couch.
“Stella?” I repeat.
When I say the name, she wrinkles her nose. “You ruined it.”
I laugh. “How did I ruin it? I didn’t do anything but say it.”
She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, but the way you said it ruined it.”
I laugh and shake my head. “I’m sorry.” I stand up. “But we need to get ready to go. It’s going on three.”
“Fine,” she mumbles, holding out her hands for me to help her up.
I take her hands in mine and help her to her feet. Slowly, she starts up the stairs and I follow along behind her.
“You know I hate it when you follow me. Just go around.” She has one hand on the rail and one hand on her lower back, supporting the weight of her growing belly.
“I’m not going around. I want to be here if you fall.”
She shakes her head. “Well, this is as fast as I can go.” She sounds completely fed up with the whole pregnancy thing.
I want to laugh, but I hold it back. These last few weeks have been trying for her. She can no longer just hop up and take off. Now, her stomach is big enough to slow her down, and she’s not liking it much. No matter how much she pushes me away, I stay by her side. I’ll be her punching bag if she needs.
By the time we make it up the stairs, she’s breathless. “Why didn’t we put in an elevator?”
I laugh. “Because it would change the structure of the house. Plus, that baby will be out soon, and you’ll be right back to zipping up and down these stairs like the good old days.”
She snorts. “Not soon enough.”
We make it into the bedroom, and she has to sit and rest of the edge of the bed. She winces and grabs her stomach.
“Are you okay?” I ask, rushing to her side.
She nods. “Just more false labor pains. This baby is really practicing for the big day.”
“Want me to run you a bath?” I ask, knowing they seem to help her.
“No, we don’t have time.” She pushes herself up and goes to the walk-in closet to get dressed.
I go into the bathroom to wash up and shave, and when I step back out, she’s laying on the bed, tangled up in her dress.
I laugh. “What happened?”
Her arm is bent like she couldn’t push it through the arm hole and the skirt of the dress is hanging around her neck.
“Help me?”
I laugh and pull her up into a sitting position. “You didn’t unzip it,” I tell her, lowering the zipper on her back.
“I didn’t realize that it zipped.”
As I unzip the dress, it becomes looser, allowing her to get her arm through. The skirt falls down to her lap. “There,” I say, pulling the zipper back up and helping her to her feet.
She looks herself over in the mirror. “I look like a big, fat bag of cotton candy.”
I really have to hold back my laughter with that one. I move up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist, holding her stomach in my hands. “You’re beautiful.”
“You need your eyes checked. Maybe I should’ve picked a different dress. This pink, yellow, and blue look exactly like cotton candy.”
I spin her around in my arms. “It does not. You should enjoy this time. The baby will be here soon and then neither of us will be getting much sleep.”
“I can’t sleep now anyway. At least then I’ll be able to dress myself properly.” She heads into the bathroom to finish getting ready.
Thirty minutes later, the three of us are piling into the truck and heading toward Colton’s new place. We pull into the drive, and the wedding setup is already in view. There are chairs lined up along with the same archway that I fixed for Drake and Celeste’s wedding. There are white and pink roses everywhere, along with white tulle and ribbons. I step out and Bryce darts out of my door behind me. I go around and help Autumn down. She wraps her arm around mine, and I lead her around the newly built pole barn style house.
“The house is beautiful,” she says, looking over the porch and landscaping.
“It is,” I agree.
In the back yard, we find Colton and Drake. They’re both wearing their nice jeans, flannel shirts, boots, and hats.
They look up, finding us. “Bout time you made it,” Colton says, looking at me. “Good to see you again, Autumn. You’re absolutely glowing.” He leans in and presses a kiss to her cheek.
She snorts. “Liar. The girls inside?” She’s already turning, heading for the back door.
He laughs but nods as she goes inside, leaving us guys outside alone. Bryce has a seat and stares down at his video game. Colton opens a beer and looks over at me.
“Looks like you’ll be next in line for a wedding.” He wags his brows at me.
I laugh. “I don’t think so. We’re living together and having a baby together,
but there’s no talk of marriage.”
“Yet,” Drake adds.
“Come on, guys. Let’s get this wedding started.” Colton stands up right and smacks us both on the back.
“Where’s Dad?” I ask, straightening my belt buckle.
“He’s a little under the weather,” Drake says, moving to stand under the archway.
“So, hungover?” I joke.
Autumn comes out and sits in the front row between me and Bryce. Music softly starts up and the wedding begins. The wedding isn’t anything eventful. There’s a traditional exchange of vows and rings and then the kiss. Instead of having an outdoors cookout, Brennan and Colton decided to have the event catered. We all make our way inside and take a seat in the dining room. The table is set beautifully, like something you’d see in a magazine. There’s a big bouquet in the center, full of pearls, roses, and candles. With the bride and groom at each end of the table, the five of us take a seat, with Milly on Brennan’s lap.
A waiter comes out and pours us all a glass of wine, everyone but Bryce and Autumn. I push mine away and opt to stick with water.
Colton raises his glass of wine. “To lifelong happiness,” he says, looking at Brennan.
She smiles and tilts her glass in his direction before everyone takes a sip.
The food comes out, and it’s exactly like what you’d expect at a catered event. It’s fancy, tastes good, but is in small portions. We all sit, laugh, and talk while eating. Bryce decides that his fancy food is yucky and opts to go watch TV and eat chips out of the bag with Milly until the cake is cut.
Baby Secret (Slade Brothers Book 3) Page 18