Page 21 of Cowboy

“Autumn.”

“I know. I should have told you, but this is what I wanted.”

“You said you dated a man for two years,” he whispered against her lips.

“Dated. I didn’t say we had sex. It was part of why we broke up. I knew he wasn’t the one.” He looked down into her face, his cock still inside her.

“Are you saying I am the one?” he grinned.

“You’re inside my body, Cowboy. I’d say that’s a sign from me that you’re the one.”

“Fucking right I am,” he growled, moving slowly inside her. “I just wish you would have told me. I would have been gentler.”

“I don’t need gentle. I just need you,” she moaned, rolling her hips upward. “God, that feels so good.”

“Yes, it does.”

After another hour of exploring one another’s bodies, they showered and crawled back into the big, plush bed. Cowboy could hear the winds picking up, which meant a late summer storm was probably brewing out in the Gulf. It was still hurricane season, but he hadn’t heard anything about that just yet.

He got up to ensure that everything was secure, turning off the lights in the kitchen. He picked up their discarded clothing, smiling as he did, and tossed it in the basket. Tomorrow would be a difficult day for Autumn. She would need to face the entire team and walk through everything that had happened.

No matter what. She wasn’t going anywhere.

CHAPTER TWELVE

“Good morning,” she blushed, walking into the kitchen.

“Good morning,” smiled Cowboy, kissing her sweetly. “Coffee?”

“Oh, man, now you’re speaking my language. I’m not a girl that needs flowers or candy, but give me coffee, and I’ll do anything you want.”

“Anything?” he smirked. She kissed him, taking the mug from his hand.

“Anything,” she said seductively, kissing him again. He adjusted his hardening dick, then touched her pierced nipple beneath the thin t-shirt fabric. The chill bumps on her arms rose as she became excited by the touch.

“Fuck, I love that piercing,” he moaned. A pounding on the door had him turning to see a couple of his teammates. “I really do hate those guys sometimes.”

“Well, I like them,” she smiled, opening the door. “Good morning.”

“Good morning, Autumn,” said Moose. “Did the ugly bastard treat you right last night? If not, I’m a single man. I’m happy to step in.”

“You wanna keep those teeth?” smirked Cowboy.

“Brother, you’re a big dude, but I’ve got forty pounds on you easy and two to three inches in height. I don’t wanna embarrass you.” Moose winked at Autumn, and she just shook her head, laughing at the banter between the men.

“You know, I didn’t grow up with a father around me. He was gone by the time I was eleven. Even when he was there, he wasn’t an alpha male figure at all. The only male influences I had were the other ranchers. I didn’t really date at all in college. I’m sure because I was so awkward. I mean, Grandma, she was…” Autumn stopped, swallowing her words as her eyes filled with tears.

“She was so amazing, you guys. She was strong and smart. She taught me to bake an apple pie and shoot a .22. That woman didn’t take shit from anyone, including her own son, when it came to me. I owe her everything, and I don’t know how I repay that now.”

“You’re doing it,” smiled Ethan. “You’re remembering her and telling her story. She sounds like an amazing woman, and I would have loved to have met her.” Autumn nodded, hugging the big man.

“Thank you for that. She would have loved all of you. She used to say all the ‘real’ men died with John Wayne. I’m not sure that was true, but she’d love to see all of you. So, what happens today?”

“Well,” said Mo, “we’re going to escort you to the auditorium where breakfast is being served this morning. Then, we’ll have you walk through the whole story once again. Our tech team is the best in the world. I can guarantee that. They’ll search on every word you say, just to see if it hits on something.”

“Okay,” she nodded. “Let me grab my shoes.” She disappeared to the bedroom, and Mo, Moose, Ethan, and Red stared at Cowboy.

“The old man was found murdered this morning,” said Ethan. “Trigger.”

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