Autumn looked at her own cards and without bothering to turn them over, began opening her bra.
“Victory,” Grady announced as she threw it on the pile with her other clothes.
“It’s down to the wire,” he said. “Last hand.”
He dealt the cards and when he looked at his, his eyes lit up. He couldn’t believe it. A royal flush. He’d never been dealt a royal flush in his life and to get it now, when the stakes were so high, was a miracle. And it couldn’t be beat.
“No cards for me,” Autumn said confidently.
He looked into her eyes and felt such love for her, such pride that she was his, that his heart almost leapt from his chest.
“Four of a kind,” Autumn said, laying down her sevens.
It was a hard hand to beat, but Grady’s royal flush was more than up to the task. He was about to turn over his cards and announce his victory. His mind was racing over the myriad sordid favors he could force Autumn to do for him. What would he ask? What would he make her do? What was there left that they had yet to try?
He glanced up at her face and saw how proud she was. She thought she’d won. She was doing exactly the same thing as him, thinking of the favors she could ask him to do, and he suddenly realized that he couldn’t beat her. He didn’t want to win. He wanted her to win. He wanted her to win at everything she ever tried for the rest of her life. He loved her and she was under his care now and forever.
Also, if he was honest, he very much wanted to know what favor she’d make him do for her.
He threw his cards on the table, face down.
“I don’t know how you did it,” he said. “I never lose at cards.”
Her eyes lit up when she realized she’d won. He gathered up the cards and started shuffling.
“Oh, believe me,” she said, “when you see what I’ve got in store for you, you won’t feel like you lost at all.”
Chapter Forty
Grady
Grady removed his final garment, his boxer shorts, and looked at Autumn. She was still thrilled at the idea of having won at cards, but he knew from the look in her eyes he was going to be the real winner.
“So, little miss, you’re the victor. You choose the favor.”
She got up from her seat and let her silk panties fall to the ground around her ankles. Stepping out of them she took him by the hand and led him into the bedroom.
“Lie down,” she ordered, and he got down on the bed and lay on his back.
“What are you going to do to me?” he said.
She put her finger in front of her lips and smiled wickedly. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
He nodded, his cock rigid with anticipation.
She climbed onto the bed and crawled along his body, brushing her pert, sexy little breasts over his cock and chest. He felt her breath on his neck as she kissed him gently behind the ear.
“There’s something I’ve always fantasized about, but never asked to do before.”
“And you figured now was your chance?”
“Well, I won, fair and square.”
“And I suppose I was the one who made the rules,” he said.
“Yes you were,” she said, getting up on her knees in front of him.
“So what is it you’ve wanted to do?” he said.
She was kneeling up, her pussy right in front of his face, and she started to come forward, sitting on his face, planting the soft, sweet lips of her pussy right over his mouth.
“This,” she said as she let her weight rest on his face.
She was riding him, cowgirl style, but not his cock, his mouth. She was a wickedly delicious little thing and he was going to make her pay for this, but not before he made sure she had the most amazing orgasm of her life.
Very slowly, she began rocking back and forth, lifting herself on her knees and grinding the lips of her pussy on his face. He licked her, sliding his tongue inside her pussy and over her clit. She moaned in pleasure and began getting slick with excitement.
As he continued licking and sucking her, growing more and more aroused. So did she, if he could judge by the amount of juices spilling from her. His face was soaked as she squirmed and writhed, fucking his face in a way that was completely new for both of them.
She lifted herself off his face, taking her weight on her legs and giving him a chance to breathe, and then lowered herself back down on his mouth, letting him lick and suck her until she could hardly bear it any more. Then she lifted herself up from him again and repeated the process. It was incredibly erotic.
As Grady sucked and licked, drinking her juices and bringing her closer and closer to orgasm, she reached behind her back and gripped his hard, rigid cock, using it as a handle to stabilize herself.
She bucked and thrust forward, fucking his face ever more vigorously, holding onto his cock the way a cowboy might hold onto the back of his saddle at a rodeo.
He could feel every tremor of pleasure as it went through her. He could feel her getting closer and closer to orgasm, feel her heat rising and her pleasure grow as it approached climax. He reached up with his hands and gripped her ass, stretching the cheeks apart to get better access to her pussy with his tongue. Then he slid a finger deep into her ass hole, his mouth sucking vigorously on her clit.
She came suddenly and powerfully, bucking and thrusting, her pussy spilling juices all over his face, squirting on his mouth, soaking him and the bed. The orgasms rushed through her, over and over, and he was beginning to wonder if he’d pushed her too far. She was crying out, moaning in pleasure, her pussy pouring all over him, and she couldn’t seem to contain the orgasm or stop the flood of sensation that was crashing through her like a tsunami.
No sooner had her orgasms subsided than she leapt off him and threw herself beneath the blankets, embarrassed at the liberty she’d just taken.
“Holy cow,” Grady said, doing his best to tease her and prolong her embarrassment. “I know I said the winner could get a favor but I didn’t know you were going to take it that far.”
“Shut up, Grady,” she said, her voice muffled beneath the blankets.
He climbed down beneath the sheets to join her.
“You were like a volcano.”
“I said, shut up. It was your idea to give the winner a favor.”
“I thought you’d make me eat you or something, but that, what even was that?”
She hit him playfully, fully aware that he was toying with her.
“You’re not the only person who can do the fucking,” she said.
“You sure proved that,” he said, wiping his face.
“If you didn’t want me to do that, you should have won the card game.”
“I did my best.”
“Well,” she said, her voice turning coy and seductive, “if you like, I’ll make it up to you.”
“Oh, you will, will you?”
“You know I will,” she said, running her finger over her lips.
“And how do you propose to do that?”
She began to lower herself, running her lips over his nipples, then his navel, then down to his cock.
“Hmm,” she said, “let me think.”
She took his cock in her mouth and began sliding her tongue around the head in delicious, seductive, excruciating circles. Her tongue flicked around, again and again, making circles around his head until he’d grown to such proportions that he barely fit in her mouth.
“Oh, Autumn,” he moaned.
“Cum for me,” she cooed, then wrapped her lips around his shaft and took him all the way to the hilt.
He shut his eyes tightly and felt the first spasm of pleasure thrust out of him. Autumn swallowed and he felt his pleasure thrust out, forcing its away from the core of his body, right through his pelvis and out through his cock. It was heaven. It was paradise. It was the most delightful orgasm he could imagine.
Again and again his cock poured it’s pleasure into her mouth, and she swallowed every time, running her tongu
e on the underside of his head and coaxing more orgasmic thrusts from him.
He gripped her, wrapping her hair around his fists, and let his passion force every drop of his cum into her mouth. When he finally stopped she came up to kiss him.
He wrapped his arms around her tightly and they fell into such a deep sleep he thought he’d never wake again.
Chapter Forty-One
Grady
With the windows shuttered, they weren’t woken by the dawn. At some point, Destiny let out a soft cry and Autumn got up silently and brought her to the bed. The three of them fell back asleep and by the time they finally woke up, it was almost eleven in the morning.
“I haven’t slept like that since I got here,” Grady said, pulling Autumn close to his chest.
“Me neither. It feels so good.”
“Did you sleep well?”
“I slept as peacefully as Destiny did,” she said.
Grady laughed. “We were all sleeping like babies.”
“After the pleasure you gave me, you earned it,” Autumn said.
Grady put his hand on her pussy and stroked her clit with his thumb.
“Oh no, mister. You’re going to wear yourself out,” she giggled, grabbing Destiny and escaping the bed.
Autumn put on water for coffee and started making their breakfast while Grady opened up the shutters and went outside to survey the damage caused by the storm. He was still naked so he pulled his robe on before stepping outside.
“Not too bad,” he said to himself, looking out at the property.
A few old trees had lost some of their branches and his enormous pile of firewood had toppled over a little, but other than that, the storm had left them unscathed.
He was glad to see the cabin had withstood the test. The roof was solid. There had been no draughts. The shutters had kept out the noise and the cold. In fact, if last night was any indication of what he could expect, he wouldn’t have minded if a whole lot more storms came their way in the years to come.
He went back inside and joined Autumn. She was sitting at their little wooden table feeding Destiny.
“Any damage?” she said.
“Only what we did to each other,” he said with a wink.
Autumn covered her mouth with her hand. He could tell she was still a little shy about what she’d chosen to do with him the night before.
He looked at her and tried to imagine her in a wedding dress. What would she look like in white lace and silk, all done up, ready to give herself to him for the rest of her life? His cock throbbed at the idea and he had to pull his robe a little more closely around himself to hide it.
He poured some coffee for both of them and took a sip.
He imagined living like this for the rest of his life. The thought made him peaceful and happy. It was a good place to raise a child, and it was a good place to be in love. He and Autumn could enjoy each other to the fullest. They wouldn’t have the distractions of modern city life. Their life would be simple.
And if Autumn got restless, he could always take her to California for part of the year. His family would be thrilled. He was the last of the Brotherhood to tie the knot and the other men and their wives would be so happy to know the family was gaining a new member. They’d practically force them to spend time there.
As he took another sip of his coffee, he heard a strange humming sound. He looked around the cabin, trying to identify what it was.
Autumn looked up too.
He looked at her and shrugged.
“It’s your cell,” she said.
Of course. He hadn’t used it in so long he’d forgotten it even worked, but it was sitting on the windowsill in the kitchen, permanently plugged in, and someone was calling.
He felt a pang of apprehension as he picked it up. He looked at the screen, expecting to see Lacey’s number or one of the brothers, but it was an unrecognized number.
“Hello?” he said.
The voice on the other end was strained and tense. “Can I speak to Autumn Lane please?”
“Who’s calling?” Grady said, walking over to the table where Autumn was still sitting with Destiny on her lap.
“It’s her Aunt Shirley.”
A shudder of emotion ran through him. He knew instinctively why she was calling. He looked at Autumn and realized she was about to receive the hardest news of her young life. It wouldn’t destroy her, she’d get through it, but she’d be devastated. He knew that.
She made to get up but he shook his head.
“Stay there,” he said, taking the baby from her.
“Who’s on the phone?”
“It’s your Aunt Shirley.”
Autumn’s eyes rolled and he realized she had no idea what was coming. He smiled at her gently and put his arms around her as he handed her the phone. He crouched next to her chair and held her tight, too tight, and she was probably wondering what he was doing as she took the phone.
“Aunt Shirley?” she said, her voice light and carefree.
He held her tighter, and as the news reached her ear, he felt the sadness flood into her body.
“Oh,” she said.
He pulled her tight against his chest, Destiny in one arm and the other around her.
“When? When did it happen?”
He pressed her tighter against him. He’d never let go. She was really his now, his alone, every bit as much as Destiny was, and that was a responsibility he didn’t take lightly.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered as she began quivering in his arms.
She let the phone fall onto the table as she threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him.
“I’ve got you, Autumn. I’ve got you.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Grady
The funeral was held a few days later at the church Mrs. Lane had attended her entire life. It was a somber affair, well attended by the community, and the priest gave a stirring eulogy. After the mass, everyone filed outside to the cemetery for the burial. Grady held Autumn, his arms wrapped tightly around her as the soil fell on the coffin.
After, there was a small reception at Autumn’s childhood home.
Autumn and her aunt took care of the catering, making sure there were sandwiches, tea, coffee, potato salad, chips and dip, and even a few bottles of good Scottish whiskey for all the guests. Mrs. Lane’s friends, relatives and neighbors mulled around the living room, offering their condolences to Autumn and her aunt, making small talk, remembering details from Mrs. Lane’s life that they imagined were comforting.
Grady watched Autumn carefully, staying out of the way with the baby but ready and available if she needed him. He was proud of her. She handled herself very well, maintaining a calm composure in the face of her grief.
It wasn’t until after everyone had gone home that she allowed herself the luxury of crying.
“I know,” Grady said as Autumn’s tears fell freely. “I know.”
“I just wasn’t ready to say goodbye,” Autumn said.
“I know, sweetheart. I know.”
“She was my best friend, Grady. The best friend I ever had in my life. At least until you came along.”
He didn’t know what to say so he just held her more tightly and let her cry into his neck.
“She was so young.”
“I’m so proud of you, Autumn,” he said. “You took care of her, made sure she had the best treatment, and she died knowing she raised a good daughter.”
“I hope so,” Autumn said. “I just wish I could have had a few more years with her. She would have been so happy to see our relationship, Grady. To see our little cabin in the woods. Think what she would have said when I told her we were getting married.”
“She would have been thrilled.”
“Now she’ll never know the happiness I found.”
“Oh, she knew, Autumn. She saw all this coming.”
“What?”
Grady nodded. “Last time we were here, when I was alone with her, she made it quite cl
ear she knew where things were headed.”
“And was she happy about it?”
“She was,” Grady said, scooping her up and bringing her to the bed.
He lay her down on top of the blankets and lay down next to her.
“She really knew this was coming?”
“She was a smart woman, Autumn. She knew you better than you’ll ever know yourself.”
“I guess that’s true,” Autumn said.
“She was happy because she knew you would never be alone after she was gone.”
“Really?”
“Yes, and she was right.”
“Was she?”
Grady nodded. “That, I can promise you, Autumn Lane. You will never be alone. Not as long as my heart beats.”
Autumn began to cry again but there was less sadness in her now. Grady held her as tightly as he could. If he could have taken her pain he would have.
They lay on the bed that way for a long time, Autumn drifting in and out of sleep, exhausted after the events of the day. While she slept, Grady felt more love for her, and a stronger protective instinct, than he’d ever felt. He wanted to keep every bad thing that could ever happen from her. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and keep her there forever.
She stirred in her sleep and it felt as if her ass pressed harder against his groin. His cock throbbed, the warmth of her body arousing his desire. He brought his hands to her breasts and began to squeeze them gently. She stirred again.
“Grady,” she sighed. “Take me.”
Silently, he pulled up the hem of her black dress and pulled down her lace panties. She lifted her weight, making it easier for him.
With his hands still on her breasts, he buried his face in her hair and breathed in her sweet scent. She spread her legs slightly and he reached down and opened his pants.
“Do it,” she sighed.
He slid his hard cock into her waiting pussy, going deep inside her. He pulled back and thrust forward again, holding her in place, his strong hands on her breasts. They both came within seconds, his cum pouring into her body in a sticky, hot mess that they knew would glue them together forever.
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