Page 79 of Beau & Autumn

“Calm down, Autumn Leaf. We’re in this together.”

His words soothe me so much, they’re smooth like velvet and seem to have a knock-on effect to my core. Everything about him is sexy and smooth. Our eyes lock, and my sadness slips away for a second. In fact, it feels like the world stops as I do something crazy. Reaching up I push my hands against his broad chest and without any further hesitation, I press my lips to his before he can even say a word, or before he can stop me. I make an urgent noise in my throat, and at that point I don’t care how crazy it is. I need him. I need him so much.

Beau makes everything better. He makes the darkest storm feel like sunshine and rainbows just by his presence alone. He takes the darkness away with his soft touch and his kind words.

Maybe that’s what I love about him most. I also love the way he’s being right now, so attentive and sexy as he looks down at me with intense eyes. Like there’s nothing he won’t do for me. I’m starting to wonder if it’s positively true that we both really do have the same feelings for each other.

When did we actually stop pretending? Maybe it’s been real all along.

If he’s shocked, he doesn’t show it. In fact, his hand reaches up to rest against my cheek as his lips match mine and move with me, soft, tentative, and warm.

That’s Beau to a tee, he’s all those things. But I love how I feel safe too, like nothing can hurt me when I’m in his strong arms. He may be soft in some areas, but he can be protective and assertive in others when he wants to be. And that’s the kind of man I need.

He’s the yin to my yang.

Our lips move in a slow, warm dance for a minute or so until he seems to realize himself and pulls back a little, breaking our connection. I stare up at him breathless, my cheeks feel flushed and my center is throbbing so bad. “Beau,” I murmur.

“We should go,” he says.

I nod, reaching down to pick up Bruiser’s case. I don’t want them coming after us and having another confrontation with Mom. Once is enough for one day.

I watch him as he sucks in his bottom lip, like he’s tasting me on his lips. I swallow because lips are just a whole other world that I want to get more acquainted with.

He takes my hand and pulls me from being plastered against the wall and escorts me to the passenger side of the car where he opens my door.

Neither of us say anything about the kiss when we get in the car and I let Bruiser out to sit on my lap. I dab my eyes as he starts up the engine and I reach behind me to put Bruiser’s case onto the backseat.

I tell him about the fight on the way home as a distraction and what Mom said. He can’t believe it either. We still don’t say anything about the kiss. And I’m not sorry one bit, or regretting it.

“Your mom was probably just in shock,” he says as we pull up at the Airbnb we booked in no time. We already knew staying with my parents wasn’t going to be an option. “Granted, it doesn’t explain why she loves your ex so much.”

It’s typical of Beau to try to put a positive spin on it and make things better. I love that part about him, too. “Yes, she probably is in shock, but she clearly doesn’t approve of us, only that asshole. I’m sorry, Beau.”

He shakes his head. “You don’t have to be sorry about anything, Wifey. You haven’t done anything wrong. She’ll come around, I’m sure of it.”

I smile a little weakly as we walk up to the entryway of the lovely townhouse and Beau unlocks the door. I step inside and turn to face him as soon as he gets in the doorway. “Beau, I enjoyed kissing you just now,” I say, because I can’t hold it in any longer. I take another step closer to him, as I let Bruiser run free into the hallway, because I need to feel his arms around me.

I need him close. He doesn’t seem to realize how much I need him.

22

Beau

She wraps her arms around my neck and I swear to God my heart is beating so loud, you could hear it in the next county. Her soft lips press against mine and I hold my hands at her hips, unsure if I should be reciprocating. Okay, I did the first time outside her parents’ house, but that was because she was upset.

“Kiss me back,” she whispers. “Like you did before.”

She feels and smells like a dream. I want nothing more than to lay her down on the bed and spoil her body. Devour her. Make her mine for real this time.

“You know we can’t.” It pains me to say it.

“Why not? We’re married.”

“Yeah, but it’s a fake marriage, baby girl. I don’t want to ever?—”

She shuts me up by snugging her body into mine and pressing her lips against me once more. Holy shit. All the blood rushes south between my legs.

Her lips part and screw it, I want this just as badly as she does. If she wants to make out with me, then who am I to argue?

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