Thorn

A week went by, and all Autumn and I did was work and fuck.

But not at the same time.

My mind was cluttered with endless thoughts and feelings. During the wedding, I felt my feelings only deepen for Autumn. I pictured my own wedding, something I’d never done before. I imagined where we would live together. I imagined what our children would look like. I’d always wanted my own family, and now I pictured what that would be like with Autumn.

Maybe Diesel and Tatum were both right.

A part of me argued I was just being logical about the relationship. I needed to marry someone, and Autumn fit all of my requirements. I was just excited about starting a family, and I needed a uterus to do that.

But I also knew that was bullshit.

If Autumn ended up with someone else, I wouldn’t be so logical about it.

I would be devastated.

Toward the end of the afternoon, Autumn arrived in my office. Sexy in tall heels and a tight skirt, she rocked the room like a model on the runway. She made being a geek the next biggest trend. She smiled when she walked inside, her bag over her shoulder. “Hey.”

My response was nothing but a stare.

She sauntered to the desk and stopped in front of me. “I have some stuff we need to go over. We’re behind on preorders, and if I don’t order new equipment and hire more employees, I’m not going to fulfill them. I don’t know if we need to get approval from Tatum or if we can just move forward.”

I interlocked my fingers behind my head.

She cocked her head to the side. “Are you going to say anything?”

I nodded to the double doors. “If those weren’t made of glass, you’d be bent over this desk right now.”

She kept a straight face but couldn’t hide the blush that entered her cheeks. “You just fucked me good this morning.”

“And I want to fuck you again.” I wanted to do exactly what Tatum and Diesel were doing. I wanted to fuck her a million times until she was finally pregnant and round. “It’s been almost eight hours.”

“Maybe we can revisit this conversation once we’re done with work for the day…”

“Whatever you say, baby.” I finally rose from my desk, my hard-on obvious in my slacks.

Her eyes glanced down, seeing the obvious bulge.

“Show-off…”

“You’re the only one I’m showing off for.”

---

We left the building together, hand in hand. “You want to get some dinner?”

“I think we should keep a low profile. I’ve been bombarded by reporters left and right.”

“I don’t give a damn. There’s a deli right on the corner. Want to go there?”

She moved closer into my side and walked with me. “You don’t care about all the people taking pictures of us?”

“Why would I? I’m being photographed with the sexiest woman on the planet. It’s not like it makes me look bad.”

We arrived at the deli and ordered our food at the counter. We took a seat in the booth and ate our sandwiches and shared a bag of chips. There was hardly anyone in there despite the hour. We ate in comfortable silence, and I stared at her as I considered how I would fuck her when we got back to my place.

She seemed to be thinking the same thing because a slight smile was on her lips.

A few minutes later, the bell rang overhead as someone stepped inside. The sound of a little girl laughing filled the restaurant. My back was to them, so I couldn’t see who they were.

But Autumn obviously recognized them. She stopped eating and stared at them, her face immediately turning as white as snow.

I turned around to glance at them, and all I saw was a handsome man, a pretty wife, and a cute kid. I turned back to her.

Her head was down, and all of her playfulness had evaporated.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She rolled up her sandwich even though she hadn’t eaten much. She ignored the bag of chips too. “I had a big lunch. Want to get out of here?”

She never appeared frantic. She was always confident even in the most hostile situations. “What is it?”

She glanced at the people again, who were still standing at the counter. “That’s Max.” She kept her voice low so they wouldn’t overhear us. “Pretty awkward that we’re the only two people in here…”

“Oh…” Now I’d lost my appetite too, thinking about the man who broke Autumn’s heart.

She slid out of the booth first, ready to leave before they turned around. She didn’t even take her sandwich.

I stood up to follow her. I was about to walk with her to the door, but I turned to look at him instead. A handsome guy with short brown hair, he was my height with a nice smile. His arm was around his wife while she held their daughter.

They seemed happy.

Autumn stopped at the door and looked at me, her eyes narrowed.

I didn’t know what I was doing. I wasn’t thinking at all. I walked up to Max and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Thorn,” Autumn hissed under her breath.

Max turned around, immediately defensive because he had no idea who I was.

I extended my hand. “I’m Thorn Cutler. You’re Max, right?”

He hesitated before he shook my hand. “Yeah…do we know each other?”

“No.” I nodded to Autumn by the door, who looked thoroughly embarrassed. “But you remember Autumn.”

Max glanced at her, and when he turned back to me, he was even more confused.

“I just wanted to thank you for leaving her for someone else. If you hadn’t done that…I wouldn’t have found the love of my life. She’s the most amazing woman in the world, and I can’t believe she’s mine. I love her more than you ever did…and I would never trade her in for someone else.” I gave him a cold look before I turned away, leaving my words behind so they could sink into his flesh. Autumn deserved to walk away from that relationship with dignity. I wanted him to know that he’d made a mistake, that Autumn was loved by someone else more than he could ever love his wife.

I walked out, Autumn trailing behind me. “I’m sorry… I know you must be pissed at me.” I paused before I turned around and faced her wrath.

She wasn’t mad at all. In fact, her eyes were wet with tears. “I can’t believe you said that.”

“I wasn’t thinking… It just makes me mad that guy hurt you so much.”

“So…did you mean any of that?”

“Of course, I did.” I’d walked up to him, and words just started pouring out of my mouth. I switched into instinct mode, talking without forethought. I wanted that guy to feel guilty for what he did, but I also didn’t want him to pity Autumn anymore. She was over him, and she had a much better man now.

“Then you love me?”

I didn’t even realize I’d said it until that moment. I was running my mouth and talking with my heart instead of my brain. But if I said it without thinking, then it really must be true. That wasn’t how I wanted to tell my woman I loved her—not for the first time. But the damage had been done. “Yeah…I do.”

“Thorn…” She moved into my chest and wrapped her arms around my neck. “I love you too.”

Seeing her heartfelt reaction chased away any doubt I had. I’d never wanted my life to change, but then I met a woman I wanted to change everything for. She didn’t love me for my wealth or my power, not when she had her own. She loved me for me…and you couldn’t put a price on that. “I know you do.”

“You know?” she whispered, her eyes still wet.

“I heard you tell your mother last week.”

She tensed in my arms, her eyes turning rigid. “You heard that…?”

“I was trying to find the bathroom, and I overheard.”

“Oh…”

“But it didn’t scare me. Made me really happy, actually. That’s when I started to realize how I felt about you.”

“Yeah?”

“And Diesel and Tatum said a few things to me too. I guess I was scared to tell you… And then it came tumbling out when I told Max off. Sorry…that isn’t how I wanted to tell you.”

“Don’t apologize…I loved it.” She cupped my face and rose on her tiptoes to kiss me. She moved closer into my body, her tits pressed right against my chest. Her lips trembled against mine, but her passion was unmistakable.

I squeezed the steep curve of her back, positioning her as tightly as possible against my body. My mouth moved against hers, and the sensation felt right. I never wanted to kiss anyone else. I only wanted this woman—this perfect woman. People stopped to take pictures of us, but I didn’t care what anyone thought.

Because I was happy.