Page 26 of Down Memory Lane
When Felix finally finished and retook his seat, Autumn took a minute to settle herself before opening her eyes again. “Thank you,” she finally breathed out.
She would question the huskiness of her normally higher voice, but of course she already knew the reason for it. He was staring her in the face, smiling at her and looking hotter than any man had the right to. The audacity of this man to look so good while she was so mixed up was incredible, but of course she couldn’t be mad at him for it.
“Anything for you.” The sincerity in his voice rang clear as church bells. Autumn would have swooned if the brick of clay that was in front of her wasn’t giving her the nervous jitters. She imagined it was how it would feel to drink coffee, something that had been strictly forbidden by her doctors. No brain chemistry altering for her, though at this point she wasn’t sure even the most potent drug cocktail could do more damage than had already been done. “Shall we?”
Autumn nodded as she realized she hadn’t the slightest clue of how to start. “What do I...?” Practically choking on her unwilling ignorance, she barely got the words out before a tear escaped.
Before the dam broke and she started to sob, Felix wheeled behind her, bracketed her with his legs, and hugged her back to his front. “Breathe for me, Baby.”
Autumn nodded shakily as she mimicked the deep breaths he took, the rise and fall of his chest against her back and slow exhaling helping to slow the heart that threatened to beat right out of her body. When her breathing had returned to normal, she rested her head against his shoulder, willing the strength he seemed to possess to seep into her soul.
“Thank you,” she sighed.
Felix squeezed her hands. “Like I said, anything for you.” He kissed the top of her head, the sweet gesture bringing a small smile to her face. “Want me to stay here and help you get started?”
“Please,” she whispered.
Autumn couldn’t imagine doing this on her own, but she also knew she wouldn’t have been able to do this with anyone but Felix. The lengths he would go to spoke of a deep, lasting love for her, so much so that she once again wondered if what he felt went beyond friendship, but that was a conversation for another time. Right now, she had to focus on another aspect of her future, relearning her trade.
“First, we get our sponge wet and clean up the wheel. We need a little water to help make the clay stick, but not too much.” Felix proceeded to do just that, and she watched intently, taking note of what he was doing so she could copy it later. “Now we get our clay on the wheel and cover it with just enough water to make it workable.” Autumn watched him squeeze the sponge to release the water before he grabbed her hands and rubbed them over the clay. “Coat the whole thing, then put your foot on the pedal and press down gently.”
Autumn nodded as she did as he instructed. The slippery yet solid substance felt foreign at first, but the more she touched it, the more familiar it became. The wheel started spinning and the clay moved in her hands. She sat there just letting it slip over the palms of her hands when Felix placed his hands over hers and they squeezed the ball together.
Autumn chuckled softly as the clay shot up into the air the tighter they squeezed. “Hey now,” Felix said, his tone chastising. “I know this looks phallic as hell, but there’s no need for giggles.”
Autumn snorted as she looked at the clay cone they’d made that did resemble a certain male appendage. “I hadn’t even thought that, you perv.” She nudged back against him as she continued to squeeze the clay. “Though now that you mention it, the clay does seem a bit too excited. I think it likes my hands on it.”
“I know the feeling,” he muttered. Before Autumn could fully react to his admission, Felix took their hands and pushed the cone down into a ball again. “Uh oh. Looks like this guy’s got some performance issues.”
Autumn chuckled, thankful again for the lightheartedness that Felix seemed to interject into any situation. “Let’s get our minds out of the gutter and try to focus on the pottery, Fe.”
“Party pooper.” He winked at her and moved their thumbs into the center of the ball. “Now we slow the wheel, and while our hands are around the clay, we move our thumbs to the middle and start pressing down.”
Autumn did as he asked and watched as a small dip started to form, getting a giddy little thrill as it continued to deepen under the pressure they created. “What now?”
Felix lifted his hands away from hers but remained close. “Now you stop thinking, and just feel.” His breath ticked the hairs at the nape of her neck, and Autumn nearly leaned back into him again.
If she was following his instructions, it’s what she would have done because she felt like being against him more than anything, but this wasn’t about that. Trying to focus on the clay, Autumn moved her hands around the ball, watching as it changed shape. Occasionally, Felix would tell her to wet her hands or flick a couple of drops on the clay for her, but for the most part he just sat behind her, offering his silent support.
Autumn had no idea how much time passed, but eventually she took her foot off the pedal and looked down at the wheel. Sitting in front of her was a shallow dish. It was uneven, the sides wobbly as hell and the base slightly bumpy. Overall, it looked closer to a blooming flower than a round bowl and wasn’t something she would likely be able to sell in her store, but it was a start.
“I did it.” Her voice was barely above a whisper at first, her fear of destroying her creation with too much happiness taking her breath away, but soon she was saying it again with conviction. “I did it!”
Spinning in her chair, Autumn faced Felix and looked into his face that was filled with pride. “You did.” Autumn launched herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. His arms crushed her to his chest, neither of them seeming to care that they were getting clay all over their clothes. “I’m so proud of you, Baby.”
Autumn pulled back and stared up at him, the affection shining down at her too much to take in and at the same time, not nearly enough. Emboldened by her success as well as the endearment Felix had used, Autumn pressed her lips to his. It was feather light and brief, but the momentary connection was enough to tell her that she wanted more. It seemed Felix did too because before she could pull away, he moved his hands up to her face and kept her there. His lips were soft and supple, and as he flicked his tongue out against hers, she tasted tart apple from the concoctions he’d checked on and sampled that morning. There was hardly any alcohol in his drinks, but she didn’t need even the residual amount to feel drunk off of his kiss.
With a moan, Autumn opened for him and sucked his tongue inside, trying to wrangle it with her own as she drank from the well of his mouth. Her hands gripped his shoulders as they explored one another, wanting to keep him close and afraid if she didn’t, she might fall. Not just off his lap, but into a deep pool of love she wasn’t sure she had any right to swim in. Felix deserved her not in part, but completely. Could Autumn really give that to him if she didn’t know who she was anymore, or rather, who she had been? The confusing swirl of thoughts had her ending the kiss, her body protesting with each inch she placed between the two of them.
“Sorry,” Autumn said sheepishly. Her cheeks heated both with slight embarrassment and from the fervor of the kiss. “I think I got carried away.”
Autumn tried to move, to duck her head and hide from whatever it was they were doing, but Felix was having none of it. “Don’t,” he said, gripping her chin. He lifted her eyes to his where they bored into hers, an intensity about them that had her knees feeling weaker than the unfired clay on her wheel. “Don’t apologize for kissing me. If you regret it, that’s one thing, but I never will, so the apology isn’t necessary.”
Autumn nodded, too transfixed by the look in his eyes to do more than that. “Okay.”
Her heart thumped hard against her ribs, trying to escape and get back to the person it belonged to. Ignoring that feeling, Autumn leaned back just a little more, afraid that if she didn’t, she would never leave his space again.
“Besides. You should never apologize for a kiss like that.” Felix smirked as he gently lifted her from his lap. Autumn tried to ignore the tenting of the apron over his lap, but it was difficult. Fortunately, he rose from the chair and removed the temptation. “Want me to show you how to finish this up?”
