Page 21 of Beau & Autumn

“They are most definitely staying on for the moment.”

“I’m single for a reason,” I laugh out loud. “I’m shit at talking to pretty girls.”

She folds her arms over her chest. “First I’m gorgeous, now I’m pretty.” At least she’s back to smiling and not crying. “Are you okay, Beauster? You didn’t hit your head today, did you?”

I stare her square in the eye, an intentional cheeky smirk on my face. “Nope, but I definitely haven’t had my caffeine hit yet, clearly it’s affecting my brain.”

She punches me again in the arm and I like it. I love her touching me… Fuck.

“You’re a comedian,” she says.

I give her a chin lift. “I’ll come over to your place after work with reinforcements, and before you say no and you’ll be fine, this is what friends do.” Friends. My God am I going to Hell. “They help one another out.”

“Fine. But what can I do to pay you back?”

“You don’t have to pay me back. Just accept that sometimes it’s okay to ask for help.”

Her warm smile reaches her eyes this time. “You know I love you, Beau Clarence Bassett.”

I groan. “I really regret telling you my middle name.” Her words though…

Before I know it, she’s reaching toward me and steps in, folding into my arms, pressing her chest to mine while she hugs me. “You’re like a big, cuddly teddy bear.”

Her smell… It’s like equal parts coconut and vanilla. A scent I don’t have to try too hard to remember because it’s all her, but also never want to let go of it. Speaking of hard, my dick — who was already wide awake — practically jolts in my jeans. I can only hope she can’t feel my erection between us.

“Hugs are free,” I say, my arms folding around her, my hands resting on her back. “Just remember that.”

“Lucky you give good ones.” Her warm breath fans against my cheek. Jesus.

“Hey, I aim to please.”

She moves in my arms, pulling back slightly. “Thanks, Beau. You always seem to know how to make me feel better.”

The blood is pounding between my legs at her proximity. I don’t want her to let go of me, I like having her arms wrapped around me. While she’s slender, her body feels softer somehow. Her tits squashed against me will go directly into the spank bank later tonight, and I’m not even ashamed of it.

“We should go check out the archway, I helped Hudson cement the thing in.”

Her eyebrows knit together in confusion. “You did manual labor?”

“Ha-ha.”

She pulls her arms from around my neck and I already feel the loss of her. I am very pleased to see a rosy flush to her cheeks though. Her eyes dip down briefly, skimming over my… Oh, shit. Did she just check out my package?

Maybe the lack of blood flow to my brain is making me hallucinate.

She slaps me on the butt before she starts to run ahead of me. “Last one to the barn is a dirty rotten loser who stinks like a pig rolled in mud!”

I grin, quickly adjusting my hard on while her back is turned, and waste no time in running after her. My strides are a lot longer than hers as we make haste across the grass. “You’re gonna regret that!” I call, laughing all the way. “You better run because I know how ticklish you are.”

“You wouldn’t!”

I gain on her, not pushing too hard because I know that I really need to let her win. Seeing her laughing and out of breath with excitement makes my heart swell. I really do want what’s best for her. And what’s best for her might just be having her in my arms.

She just doesn’t know it yet.

7

Autumn

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