When we left the furniture store, I thought for sure we would head home, but he drove us to a bedding and home goods store, leading me inside and right to the bedding department, telling me to pick something.
“What do you mean ‘pick something’? It’s your bed. You pick something,” I told him, crossing my arms over my chest in order to not punch him in the gut. My feelings were hurt. All I wanted to do was go home. I knew it was dumb, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t feel like crying about it.
“I need help,” he said, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
I bit my lip, looked around at every bedding set, and one caught my eye. It was white with a large design of a tree on it, and it had a green border that was made out of silk ribbon. I knew it would look amazing with his new bedroom furniture, but I also thought it was too feminine for a guy’s room. I walked over to the wall of blankets, grabbed a Bed in a Bag set that was mostly browns and blacks, and handed it to him. His eyes went from the bag to my face and then narrowed.
“What?” I asked, wondering what was wrong with the set I’d picked. I’d done what he’d asked me to, so what was his problem?
“You would have this in your room?”
“No, but this isn’t for my room,” I said, pointing at myself. “This is for your room.” I shrugged and started to walk away, but I was grabbed by the back of my jeans, and his hands slid along my stomach.
“Who do you think will be sleeping in my bed with me?” he asked against the shell of my ear. He’d found out the night before that that was a very weak spot for me.
“I don’t know,” I said, feeling stupid tears sting my nose. I didn’t want to think about anyone in his bed.
He turned me in his arms and I ducked my head, not wanting him to see the emotions I was sure were written all over my face.
“What’s going on?” His concerned voice caused my eyes to lift. I shook my head and started to look away, but his hand cupped my cheek, forcing me to look at him. “You’re the most difficult woman I have ever met.” He shook his head and started to laugh. My eyes narrowed, and he looked over my face before laughing harder.
“What the hell is funny?” I hissed.
He stopped laughing and his voice became serious. “You’re in my bed. I want that to be the place you sleep from now on. I also want it to be somewhere you’re comfortable. That’s why I wanted you with me today.”
“Oh,” I mumbled, my belly fluttering.
“Now, what are we getting?”
I bit my lip and walked over to the set that had caught my eye. I picked it up then put it down when I saw the price. “Maybe you should just get that other one,” I told him, seeing the much cheaper price boldly displayed across the front of the picture on the bag in his hand.
“Jesus.” He shook his head then walked over and picked up the one I really liked. “I hate shopping, so this will go a lot faster if you just pick the shit you like so we can get the fuck out of here.”
“Don’t be an ass,” I growled, making him smile.
“Do we need sheets?”
“Yes,” I hissed then stomped over to the sheets, picking up two sets—a black one that would match the tree printed on the comforter and one green set the same color as the ribbon on the border. The whole time I stomped around, I listened to Kenton laughing. I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the smile that formed on my lips when his arm swung over my shoulders and his lips touched my temple.
The feeling of him taking a deep breath brings me back to the present, and I tilt my head back slightly to look at him.
“Is everything okay?” I ask sleepily.
“All’s good. Justin just left. He said you went to bed late ’cause you were up eating junk food while watching him play Call of Duty all night.”
“He’s such a tattletale.” I shake my head.
Justin has become like a brother to me. We bicker and argue constantly, but he also makes me laugh so hard that I can’t breathe. I adore him for the way he looks out for Kenton and love that he is such a great friend. He stays with me every time Kenton is out of town. Between him and the rest of Kenton’s men, there isn’t a time when my whereabouts are unknown or I’m not supervised. I hate having people constantly in my space, but I know that, in order for me to be safe right now, I need them.
“I missed you,” I say softly, pressing my nose into his chest.
“Missed you too, babe.” His hand travels down my back, over my ass, and between my legs. One finger dips inside my pussy before rolling over my clit.
“Kenton,” I moan as he takes my mouth in a deep kiss, rolling me to my back and entering me.
By the time we both come, we’re exhausted and fall back asleep.
I snuggle into Kenton and wrap my arms around his waist when I hear the doorbell ring in the distance. “They’ll go away,” I tell him, not ready to get up. I feel like I just fell asleep.
“I gotta get it. It could be Mom.”
Crap, he’s right. It could be his mom, because while he’s out of town, she or Viv stop by for coffee most mornings.
“Did you tell her you are home?” I ask, knowing that, if she knows he’s home, she would normally give him at least until the afternoon before calling or showing up.
“Nah, so she’s probably here to see you.”
“I’m up. You should sleep.” I throw my legs over the side of the bed then find the T-shirt he had on yesterday. I pull it on over my head before bending and grabbing my sweats off the floor.
The loud slap on my ass has me jumping in place and glaring at Kenton, who is now up and wearing a pair of jeans with the top button undone.
“What was that for?”
“You stick it in my face, babe, and I’m going to slap it,” he says with a smirk, opening the bedroom door.
I jump on his back, wrapping my legs around his hips and my arms around his neck while biting his ear and neck, making him laugh as he tries his best to tickle me off him, making me giggle while heading down the stairs.
“What the fuck?” I hear whispered.
I lift my head at the familiar voice, shocked to see Sid standing on the front porch. My arms and legs start to loosen from around Kenton’s waist and neck, and I drop to the floor.
“Sid?” I ask, concerned, taking in his disheveled appearance.
“I knew she was with you.” His eyes narrow on Kenton. “I fucking knew after your last visit, but this sealed the deal.”
“You were in Vegas?” I ask Kenton and glare.
He crosses his arms over his chest, looking down at me for a second before his eyes go back to Sid. “Why are you here? More importantly, how the fuck did you find me?” Kenton asks him.
“It wasn’t that hard,” Sid says, glaring.
I look between the two of them then settle my eyes on Kenton. A million questions fly through my head, but the biggest one is why the hell he was in Vegas and didn’t say anything to me. “Why were you in Vegas?” I try, hoping to get an answer.
“He had a meeting at my club yesterday,” Sid says, and my head swings in his direction.
“Meeting?” I mumble, looking between the two of them.
“Motherfucker,” Kenton growls, taking a step towards him.
“She should know what’s going on,” I hear Sid say, and I look back up at Kenton.
“What happened?” I ask.
The last time he went to Vegas, my place had been broken into. I have no idea who he would be meeting with besides Link, but I don’t think that’s what this is about.
“We’ll talk soon,” Kenton says, the vein in his neck ticking.
“Why don’t you tell her now?” Sid looks from Kenton to me, his eyes going soft. He starts to take a step towards me, but Kenton blocks his way, putting his hand on the door. “She’s my friend,” Sid complains.
“She’s my woman.”
“Okay, please put your giant penis away for a minute,” I tell Kenton, elbowing him in the side before looking over at Sid.
“Why are you here?” I ask him softly, wondering if he’s in trouble or something.
“After your last e-mail, I wrote you back. When I didn’t hear from you, I wrote you again, only for it to come back to me saying you’d deleted your account.” He runs a hand over his head, and this time, his eyes go to Kenton. “I knew you were with him after yesterday, so I got his address and came to talk to you.”
“Why?”
“You know I’ve always been in love with you, Autumn. Don’t be stupid.”
“‘Don’t be stupid’?” I whisper. “So, all the women you paraded around in front of me?” I ask.
“Meant nothing.” He shrugs. “I just wanted you to realize you wanted me. I wanted you to fight for me.”
“Wow,” I say softly, shaking my head. “You’re telling me you were in love with me and brought women around so I would be jealous and fight for you…instead of telling me how you felt and you fighting for me?”
“You’re so closed off. You were always in your head. I was trying to break through to you.”
I look at Sid then Kenton.
“Don’t look at me, babe. I don’t know what the fuck to say about this shit.”
“Sid, you’re a great guy, but you don’t love me.”
The differences between Kenton and Sid are striking, the biggest being that Kenton has fought for me since the beginning. He’s never let me get too far when I’ve tried running away. He’s also never brought women around to try to get me to accept my feelings for him.
“Like I said in my last e-mail, I care about you, but not like that. I hope you can understand,” I tell him softly, hoping that he gets that there is nothing—nor will there ever be anything—between us.
“You’re serious?” he asks.
I bite my lip and nod. I watch regret pass through his eyes before he shakes his head then turns to look off into the distance.
“I guess this is goodbye then?”
“Yeah,” I reply, not understanding the feelings I have inside, why this is so hard. Deep down, I wonder what would have happened if he would’ve actually tried to get to know me. I step up to him and wrap my hands around his waist, giving him a hug. “Thank you for everything,” I whisper. “One day, you’re going to find someone worth fighting for.”
His arms squeeze me a little tighter, his chest expanding on a breath. “Have you?”
I know exactly what he’s asking, and tears sting my nose. I nod into his chest and step back into Kenton’s embrace.
“You hurt her and I’ll kill you,” Sid says before turning and heading down the steps.
Once he’s in his car and pulling away from the house, I turn to look at Kenton. “So what happened in Vegas?” I cross my arms over my chest.
His eyes drop then meet mine again. “Let’s go sit down.”
I follow him into the living room, sitting on the opposite side of the couch from him. That way, he can’t distract me with his touch.
“I met up with the boss of Lacamo. They agreed you’re off-limits,” he says softly, and my whole body stills at the news I have been waiting to hear.
“So it’s over?” I ask on a whisper. I can’t believe that, after all this time, all it took was one meeting for this whole thing to be resolved.
“It is,” he says, looking at me from across the couch.
I can’t understand why he looks so worried when I know that this news will make things easier for him as well. He has been running himself ragged working his normal cases while trying to keep me safe. Then, my head starts to fill with thoughts about my life, why I’m really here, and what this news means for my future.
“So, I can go home then?” I ask, looking down at my hands.
“No.”
The word is rough and causes me to lift my head. “What do you mean ‘no’?” I search his face, wondering what he’s not telling me. If I’m no longer in danger, I can return to Vegas, even if the thought alone makes me feel sick.
“Exactly what it sounds like—no, you can’t go back to Vegas.” His hands ball into fist on his thighs. “This is your home.”
“This is your home,” I murmur and swallow, feeling my heart pound against the inside of my ribs.
“Since you’ve been here, this has become my home, but before you, it was a place I slept at night. You have given me a reason to come home.”
“You want me to move in with you?” I whisper, hope blooming in my chest.
“Yes, I want you to move in with me.”
“You’re serious?”
“Yes, baby.” He laughs, shaking his head.
“What about my place in Vegas?”
“Sell it…keep it… I don’t give a fuck what you do with it.”
I stand up, glance around the room, and then look back over at Kenton, who looks worried. My heart does a flip from knowing that he really wants this; he really wants me.
“Are you sure about this?”
“Without a doubt. One hundred percent sure.”
“What will your family say?”
“‘When are you getting married?’” he replies. I feel my eyes get big and my mouth fill with saliva. “One thing at a time,” he says gently, and I nod.
I’m not sure if he’s in love with me, but I think this feeling I have for him is love—or some form of it. Never really having been loved before, I don’t know what it really feels like. I know that what I feel for him makes what I felt for my son’s father pale in comparison. I know that I want to spend all my time with him, and he’s always my first thought when I wake and my last thought when I go to bed at night.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” he asks, searching my face.
“Yes, okay. I’ll move in with you,” I tell him, a smile creeping onto my face.
“Yeah?” His lips twitch, and I nod before running at him and climbing onto his lap. His arms wrap around me as I press my mouth against his. “Shit,” he groans, pulling his mouth from mine.
“Why are you stopping?” I try to pull his mouth back to mine when I hear someone knocking on the door. “Oh.”
I smile as he sets me aside and adjusts himself in his jeans before standing. I sit there for a second and then get up to follow him to the door. After he looks outside, his eyes come to me before pulling the door open.
“You’re home?” Nancy says, smiling. “If I would have known that, I wouldn’t have come so early.”
“It’s fine. We were up.” He kisses her cheek, letting her into the house.
“Why were you up?” She looks between the two of us, her eyes twinkling, and I know she’s going to say something that will have me turning red. “You know, I want my grandchildren to have our family name. I think it’s about time you two stop playing house and just get married.”
All the air leaves my lungs at the word ‘children.’ I grab the table closest to me for balance. When a wave of dizziness hits me hard, I’m surprised that I don’t hit the ground.
“Jesus, Mom! Autumn just agreed to move in, and now you’re trying to scare her off.” He shakes his head then looks at me. “One thing at a time,” he says gently, reading my face.
I nod and swallow against the lump in my throat. I could see myself having his child. I can picture a little girl with his dark hair and golden eyes. She’d be a daddy’s girl and he would adore her. Her life would be so different than mine was when I grew up up.
“You okay, baby?”
I feel a hand on my cheek, and I shake the thoughts out of my head. I look into his concerned eyes and take a breath before nodding.
“You’re moving in?” Nancy asks. The surprise in her voice has me getting up on my tiptoes to look over Kenton’s shoulder. I smile when I see the look of approval and the wide smile on her face as she looks between us. “So I’m guessing everything has been sorted out?” She looks at Kenton, who nods. “I knew my boy would fix it.” She shakes her head then ducks by Kenton and grabs my hand, pulling me with her to the kitchen.
“What are you do
ing, Mom?”
“Well, now that it’s official, we need to talk about redecorating. This place was okay when it was just you, but now that Autumn’s going to be living here for good, we need to make some changes.”
“We don’t need to talk about that, Mom. Autumn can make any changes she wants to, but we don’t need to have a sit-down about it.”
“Honey, until you give me a wedding to plan and grandbabies to play with, you’re going to have to give me something.”
“Jesus. I’m going to the office.” He looks at me then his mom and shakes his head. “You gonna be okay here with her?”
“Of course she will be okay with me,” Nancy scoffs. “I’m going to get coffee started and call Susan to see if her boys have anything on their schedule.” She looks at me then my clothes. “You should get dressed so we can go downtown and head to some stores. I need to get an idea of what you like. I hope we can do the kitchen right away.”
“Mom, seriously, slow down,” Kenton warns.
“Do you know how long I’ve waited for you to find a decent woman…someone I could stand being around, someone I would be proud to call my daughter?” She puts her hands on her hips and narrows her eyes. “I want the wedding and the grandkids, but I can’t have that right now. So instead, we’re going to be redecorating this house so that, when the time comes, you’re ready.”
“You know that, when me and Autumn get married, it will be up to her to plan the kind of wedding she wants, right?”
“Of course it will be her planning it.” His mom shakes her head and starts down the hall.
I stand there in shock, my body coiled tightly. He said when, not if, we get married, like he knows for sure that it’s going to happen.
“Breathe, baby,” I hear on a laugh. I look up and my eyes automatically narrow when I see that he’s chuckling. “Told you she would be planning a wedding when she found out you were moving in.”
“You said when.” I shake my head.
“What?” His eyebrows come together in confusion and his hand goes to my waist, dragging me to him.
“Nothing.”
“When what?”