Page 60 of Beau & Autumn

Beau

Autumn’s wearing sweats and it sets my blood on fire even more than it does her fancy skirt suits. Her hair is in a high ponytail and she has no makeup on. She’s never been more beautiful. I try not to stare and shove my hands into my jeans to keep them occupied so I don’t touch her. Not that I’d touch her, even if I want to. Badly.

I’ve never itched to touch any woman, until Autumn Davenport. Now the frustration works its way down to the head I’m clearly thinking with.

We may have been acting that way outside the cafe, but that was then. We’re in private now. In private I have to act like none of this affects me and that she isn’t really my wife. Not yet, anyway.

“It feels like a lifetime since I was here getting drenched in mud and leaves from your gutters,” I say, though I’ve no idea why. Fletch is right, I do suck at this. I’m not a ladies man and I never will be. Gray and Gabe are both smooth as silk when it comes to women — or they were until they found their leading ladies. Brook’s always been aloof, not quite a ladies man, but they’ve always had a sweet spot for him, until Eden.

But me? Nope, not even close.

It’s just Autumn. Be cool.

Except I can’t be cool. Not with her looking all adorable and good enough to eat. I suppress a groan. I do not need to be thinking about eating her for dessert. That won’t help my growing chub.

“How time flies, huh?”

It’s awkward, and I don’t want it to be. I want it to be like old times, but I fear it never will be again.

I run a hand through my hair for what feels like the millionth time. “So, you’ve no doubt been racking that pretty head of yours making a list of all the reasons why this is a bad idea, right?”

When I catch her eyebrows raised in surprise, I know it’s true. “Not exactly.”

I arch a brow. “Care to elaborate?”

“I think we should eat first. I can’t make rash decisions on an empty stomach.”

I grin. “Sounds good.” I reach down and scoop up Bruiser who’s wandered over to me. “Hey, little guy.”

“Every time you do that, I expect him to scratch your eyes out.”

I rub my face against his as he purrs. “Why would he do that? He loves me, plus I need to start tryin’ to get along with him since we’re gonna be living together in the next few weeks.”

I think that thought didn’t cross her mind until now because she bites down on that lip and frowns. “Right.”

I take a deep breath. “Like I said at the cafe, we can abandon the idea. You don’t have to feel forced to do anything, okay?”

She smiles, walking past me toward the kitchen. “I know. I’ve been thinking about it a lot this afternoon.”

I lean against her gleaming white quartz kitchen island with hints of sparkle, folding my arms across my chest. “And? What did you come up with?” I let the silence hang between us as she lifts the pizza boxes.

“I got satay chicken and a vegetarian, which would you like?” She totally avoids the question, and her radio silence has me a little on edge.

“I don’t care, surprise me.”

She looks up, her lips pursing ever so slightly. “Okay.”

I grin as she turns her back to put the plate in the microwave. “So which outweighs the other? Pros or cons?”

I know she’s delaying talking to me, but she can’t avoid it forever. “Beau.” I already don’t like the sounds of this. She turns. “Do we honestly want to do this? I mean, when you find the woman you really want to marry, this will be kinda… I don’t know, tainted somehow.”

I want to bark a laugh. I want to tell her that this feels far from tainted. It feels a little more right than it should, but I can’t say that.

“Well, it would be for you too, what’s good for the goose and all of that.”

“Be serious, Beau. This is a big deal.”

“So is getting all the stuff you want and defying your family. Admit it, a part of you can’t wait to tell them they can go shove it.”

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