Chapter Six
The night was young, and they both knew it.
Expectation hung in the air around them, though what exactly that meant, Autumn wasn’t sure. Kate was exciting, and new, and kind, and sexy as hell—but she hadn’t really thought past all that. In fact, that was half the fun, living by the seat of her pants, in the now.
Kate studied her as they approached the Seven Shores courtyard—empty, due to the late hour on a weekday. “We could head to my place, have a drink to close out the night.” God, that was a good suggestion.
Autumn hesitated. “I will be happy to take you up on that offer, but do you mind if we make a quick stop at the coffee shop?”
Kate studied her curiously. Yes, it was odd to interrupt their date for work, but in the midst of the hustle to make it home and back to Kate’s in time, she hadn’t put in her grocery order, which, if she did not remedy soon, would leave her with no morning delivery.
“Lead the way.”
“Perfect. I can be really fast. I never forget to do these kinds of things. It’s just been an unexpected week.”
“In more ways than one,” Kate said, in agreement.
When they arrived at Pajamas, the shop was dark and still, having closed an hour and a half earlier. The aroma of coffee still lingered, however, which for Autumn was like a welcome hug.
“It’s strange being here after hours,” Kate said quietly, following Autumn inside. “It’s like everything’s asleep for the night.”
“You’re not afraid of the dark, are you?” Autumn walked backward toward the prep room.
“I’m definitely not afraid of the dark,” she said, with very attractive confidence. The moonlight slanted across the glint in her eye.
“What are you afraid of?” Autumn asked quietly. “Anything?”
“I live in fear of losing at Jeopardy.” It was a deadpan, and a good one.
“You’re lying,” Autumn said, not buying for a minute that Kate Carpenter spent any amount of quality time with Alex Trebek.
“I never lie, and I happen to be really great at Jeopardy. Try me sometime.”
Autumn laughed at how serious Kate became at the challenge. Well, okay. Jeopardy was clearly important to her, which was endearing in its unexpectedness. “You’re on. You’re also unpredictable. I’m calling it now.”
“You’re calling it? Well, all right. Good.” In one move, she grabbed Autumn by the wrist and pulled her in, right there in the center of her darkened shop.
Autumn let out a little gasp before finding Kate’s darkened eyes. A moment later, she was kissed into next Tuesday. Scratch that. Wednesday. Sweet Lord, she’d needed this. Someone had just hit the switch that snoozed her brain and woke up her body, and they weren’t messing around. Kate’s arm slid around her waist, holding her close. The security of that touch was almost as decadent as the kiss itself. Not to undersell the hot-damn-inducing kiss. Kate’s lips pressed to hers firmly at first before relaxing and exploring. Her mouth moved slowly over Autumn’s, who pushed herself onto her tippy-toes to even out their height difference. She slid her hands up Kate’s chest, enjoying that little journey, and wrapped them around her neck, bringing them chest to chest. The vantage point also allowed her to sink further into the depth of that kiss.
Kate ran her tongue along Autumn’s lower lip, and she was a goner. She kissed Kate back with an urgency she’d not experienced in quite a while. A lie. Ever. She’d never been this turned on by or attracted to another person. She’d never kissed anyone blindly, passionately, in the middle of her darkened coffee shop. She loved who Kate turned her into, allowed her to be. Because this, right here, was like iced water to the thirsty.
She’d fantasized for a while now about sliding her hands into that thick hair, and the reality of that experience surpassed her every expectation. She eased her fingers through the soft strands, reveling in the payoff. She gripped and held on for dear life as Kate’s tongue pushed into her mouth, sending her to Desire City on the express train. It took everything she had to keep her clothes on—and Kate’s, for that matter. The only thing stopping her was the room, outfitted with so many uncovered windows and facing a popular public street. Bollocks.
She nodded against Kate’s mouth. This was exactly the kind of escapade Autumn had been looking for. She moaned quietly, and the sound trickled through the dreamy haze to her brain like a flare. This was just a hookup, right? Her body lit up hot with arousal. Every part of it. But were they both on the same page?
They were, she assured herself, as her fingers delicately stroked the bare skin between Kate’s shirt and jeans. They definitely were. She was so soft right here. This little patch of skin was everything. She wondered about the rest of Kate.
Alert!
But what if they weren’t on the same page?
Damnit.
Her inner Jiminy Cricket wouldn’t leave her the hell alone. She didn’t want to lead Kate on, but she very much wanted what was happening between them to continue—and preferably as soon as possible.
“I should see about that grocery order,” Autumn said, and took an abrupt step back like a record player scratching to a clumsy halt. What in the hell? She internally berated herself for ending the best few minutes of her past year as she led the way to the prep room through the double doors behind the counter. “Want to come?” she tossed out behind her, in attempt to salvage…well, anything.
“Right behind you,” Kate said, with a soft, reassuring smile. God, the things that smile could make her do. She was a saucy minx, if she did say so herself.
When they arrived in the prep room, Autumn turned the overhead lights on at half. Kate leaned casually against the stainless steel table on the wall across from her computer workstation. “You look really good leaning against a table,” Autumn said. Hearing the words out loud had her cringing and wondering how she could suck them back in. “That was an awful line,” she said, feeling the heat blossom on her cheeks. “Should not have said that out loud. I realize that now.” Clearly, not the saucy minx she thought she was.
Kate, to her credit, was nice enough to look amused. “It wasn’t awful at all. You’re a forthright person. You say what you think.” She glanced at the ground and back up, finding the word. “It’s refreshing.”
Autumn decided it was now or never. “I should maybe explain—”
“Before we get caught up—”
They laughed at the overlap. Autumn held up her palm, giving Kate the floor. “You first.”
“I’m into you,” Kate said simply. “But I’m only here for a short time. My life is back in Slumberton.”
Autumn nodded, the words ushering in a sense of relief.
“Your turn.”
“I’m trying to have a baby.”
Kate’s eyebrows leapt to her forehead. “Did not see that coming.”
“Right? Maybe should have warmed up to that sentence, but it doesn’t make it any less the case. This is probably not the best time to get involved with someone.”
“No, I would imagine not.” Kate took a minute, her gaze never leaving Autumn’s. “So what I’m hearing is that we’re two highly unavailable people, standing in a”—she glanced around—“a kitchen?”
“A kind of kitchen.” Autumn smiled. “Close enough.”
“Standing in a kind-of-kitchen, very much enjoying—”
“The hot-damn kissing.” Autumn didn’t even care how that one sounded. It was the only way to classify what they’d done.
“Yes. That.” Kate exhaled slowly, her eyes roaming Autumn’s body like some kind of sexy-stealthy panther.
The look that came over Kate in that moment curled Autumn’s toes. Her heated stare licked its way from Autumn’s eyes to the dip of cleavage in her dress and there was no denying her intentions.
“Kate.”
“Yeah?”
“I think you should come back over here.”
“And that grocery order you need to put in?”
“Right.” Autumn all but smacked herself in her stupid head. Damn the groceries for killing the moment. “Right. No. Let me send that off real quick.”
She turned to the PC mounted on the wall. She’d had it installed at height level, so she could quickly access orders and get back up front to her customers without a lag. “Just take me a second,” she said, pulling up the site. “Oh,” she said, closing her eyes at the feel of Kate’s body, lightly pressing against hers from behind. Kate’s hands on her waist. Kate’s mouth on her neck. Suddenly, her knees didn’t feel so strong and she gripped the counter for support. What were groceries again? Surely, no one needed them. Not badly enough. Kate slid down the strap of Autumn’s sundress, revealing her bare shoulder. Her lips trailed down Autumn’s neck, kissing her way to that shoulder and back again. “What are you doing to me?” Autumn breathed, her head a hazy fog, her body a tinderbox. Her grocery order abandoned for all time.
“Is this okay?” Kate asked between kisses. “I can stop if—”
“More,” was all Autumn managed with an emphatic nod, still gripping the countertop. Was that clear enough? She could send a telegram. A skywriter, anything. She felt Kate’s hands ease down her back to the hem of her dress. She slipped both hands under and skimmed upward. Autumn swallowed against the feel of those hands against her bare stomach. Every nerve ending shifted to high alert in the most wonderful way. Kate didn’t mess around. These weren’t light touches, but firm and confident. “Yes,” she whispered, nodding against the fantastic sensations that thundered her way. “More.” Those warm hands inched upward, drawing up the fabric of her dress with them. They met the undersides of her breasts and she exhaled.
“What do you put in your hair,” Kate said, burying her face in Autumn’s curls and inhaling. “Is that hibiscus?”
Autumn nodded as Kate’s hands inched upward with agonizing slowness to her breasts. “Sure, hibiscus. Let’s go with that.” It wasn’t as if her brain worked with Kate’s fingertips now circling the outsides of her breasts, taking her time. She sucked in air as Kate cradled them fully. When she set to kneading them, Autumn whimpered as the little pinpricks of sensation darted across her skin and straight to her center. She leaned back against Kate, who easily supported her.
“You’re so soft,” Kate said in her ear, kissing the lobe. Autumn wasn’t sure what it implied about her, that she felt powerless in this moment and liked it so damn much. She liked surrendering to Kate. This was her inner bad girl making an appearance, and why the hell not? She’d been good for far too long.
Kate’s fingertips moved to Autumn’s nipples and swirled around them before taking hold of them, turning, massaging. Autumn’s hips moved of their own accord, pressing backward into Kate, needing that contact.
“Yeah?” Kate asked, pushing back. She was asking permission. Autumn could feel the warmth of her exhale across her temple. Autumn nodded, the unvoiced answer hopefully clear. If she had the words, she’d beg Kate to take her. Plead with her.
With one hand still cupping her breast, Kate’s other snaked lower, dipping into the top of Autumn’s underwear. Thank God she’d worn the sexy ones with the high-cut thigh line—just in case. She sucked in a breath and waited. Kate wasn’t in any hurry, and that made this whole encounter, in the back of her store no less, all the more thrilling. She relished the languid throbbing of anticipation. “Kate,” she said slowly, liking the way that name felt coming off her lips.
“Hold on,” Kate said, by way of instruction. And she did, looping an arm behind her, around Kate’s neck for support. Moonlight slanted in from the window above the refrigerator as Kate touched her for the first time, causing her thighs to quiver and a moan to escape her lips. Her body liquefied and rocked against Kate’s fingers that stroked her evenly. Methodic heaven. Her own heartbeat thundered in her ears and her eyes fluttered closed as she enjoyed the climb. Her grip tightened in the hair at the back of Kate’s neck, and the moan it pulled from Kate threw gasoline on her already blazing four-alarm.
That long-forgotten excitement of feeling desirable and wanted was back like a lost friend. Kate pushed inside her and Autumn lost her breath. Her hips bucked back and their erotic dance found a speed much more satisfying to her end goal. The pressure built and built in intoxicating torture until she crashed magnificently into a blinding abyss of white-hot wonder, of pleasure, of inarguable ecstasy. Thank you, universe! She was on overload. The generous payout was just that good. When the wonderful sensations ebbed, receding bit by bit, Autumn fell slack against Kate, who held her tight and close. Relearning where her knees were, Autumn pushed herself into a wobbly but upright position, straightened her dress, turned, and lifted her gaze to Kate expectantly.
Only the look on Kate’s face wasn’t smug, or arrogant, or proud—all things she had the right to be—but gentle and kind as her gaze settled on Autumn’s still-flushed face. The surprise had Autumn’s unsuspecting heart squeezing in a manner she wasn’t prepared for. That kindness.
“You’re good at that,” she heard herself say. It wasn’t the most thoughtful sentence she’d ever uttered, but with her brain only recently restarted, it was all she had.
Kate’s smile bloomed and she tucked a strand of hair behind Autumn’s ear. “Yeah, well, you make it easy.”
Autumn quirked a smile. “Did you just call me easy? I think I heard easy.”
The soft grin slid from Kate’s face. “No. I wouldn’t ever—”
Autumn placed a finger on her lips. “I was kidding. You might have to get used to that if we’re going to be friends.”
“Oh. Okay then,” Kate said, relaxing. “I can work on that.”
Autumn took a long and very necessary breath, as she attempted to remember her original trajectory. Groceries. On the computer. For this week. Before her world had been rocked by a woman she didn’t know a month ago. “I need to hit send on this grocery order, and then you’re taking me to your place, because we’re not done.”
“I am?” Kate asked, but didn’t wait for an answer. “I’m in favor.”
“Oh, there will be favors,” she said, quite seriously.
Kate shook her head. “You’re good with words. And plays on words. I’m not.”
“No. You’re more of a quiet type.” She took both of Kate’s hands in hers and squeezed them. “Trust me when I say that you shine in a multitude of other ways that don’t require words at all.”
She watched as Kate, the firefighter who ran into burning buildings, blushed. The world was perpetually interesting.
Ten minutes later, and post grocery order, Kate let them into her apartment. The space was quiet and still, and Kate set to flipping on lights. The crackle of energy between them had yet to settle, and Autumn wondered if it ever would.
“All aboard,” Autumn murmured, as she took in the overly embraced nautical theme that Larry was so insistent would appeal to vacationers.
Kate moved behind the kitchen counter and placed both hands flat on the surface. “What can I get you?”
“Are you playing bartender? I like it.”
Kate shrugged. “You always get my drinks for me. Probably my turn.”
“Well, yeah, but you pay me to do that.”
“Good point. What can I get you for some hard cash?”
Autumn laughed. “Do you have wine?”
Kate disappeared to a lower level cabinet and appeared with a bottle. “The red kind.”
“The red kind? You’re not a wine drinker, are you?” Autumn proclaimed and accepted the bottle handed across the counter.
“No, but I’m trying a few new things while I’m here. Thought I’d give wine a shot.”
Autumn nodded sagely. “Ah, testing the grape-infused waters.” She turned the bottle around so it faced Kate. “This is a Malbec from Argentina. A bigger red, which I happen to love.”
“Then I’ll pour us each a glass.”
“Thank you, bartender.” Autumn smiled and realized that her legs still wobbled wonderfully. A hearty endorsement.
As the deep red liquid cascaded into the glass in front of her, she saw this as an opportunity to learn more about Kate. In fact, she was overcome with the urge to know everything about this mysterious woman who had waltzed in and brought Autumn’s mundane existence to a whole new level of stimulating, and not just metaphorically.
She raised her glass. “Thank you for this. Now tell me about your family.”
Kate seemed surprised by the question. “Really? Okay, let’s see…” She came around the counter with her glass of wine and took a seat in the armchair, tossing the pillow with the embroidered seagull onto the floor. She stared up at Autumn, who leaned against the counter. “My parents married really young. Eighteen. Had my brother, Randy, a year later and me two years after that.”
“Wow, sounds like they were a couple of kids in love.”
Kate smiled. “Big-time. They worked incredibly hard for what we had, which was never that much. My mom was a fantastic chef at the retirement home in town, cooking for the seniors, who adored her. Called her ‘Sweet ’Ums’ as a nickname because she was exactly that.”
“What was your favorite dish of hers?”
Kate got a faraway look in her eye, as if she’d been transported to a happier time. “Without a doubt, her spaghetti and meatballs. She always winked and gave me an extra meatball. I didn’t tell Randy.”
Autumn smiled. “I like her already. And they still live in Slumberton?”
“She died when I was seventeen, of ovarian cancer.”
Autumn’s lips parted in surprise, but Kate didn’t slow down.
“My father owned his own locksmith company and was everyone’s best pal. It probably helped that he practically gave his services away. He was loud and fun, the life of most parties. The best storyteller you’ll ever meet, hands down. He was killed when he ran his truck into a tree coming home late one night from the bar. He was never really the same after we lost my mom. Drank a lot to mask the pain he was too tough to acknowledge.”
Autumn struggled to come up with the right words, when in fact, there were none. “I’m so sorry, Kate. You lost them both. Doesn’t seem fair.”
“It’s okay. You rebound over time. Feels strange talking about them, though. I haven’t in…years.”
“Then I consider it an honor. And Randy?”
“Still lives in Slumberton with his wife, Tessa. He’s a good guy. We look out for each other, check in every couple of days. He owns a bookstore. Was always the academic in the family.”
Autumn headed to the couch, where she’d be closer to Kate. “Is it odd that I haven’t heard of your town?”
“Nope.” Kate shook her head. “Would be odd if you had. About eleven hours north of here, just across the Oregon border. Unsuspecting, quiet little place.”
“Which explains why you don’t talk a whole lot.”
“True.” Kate smiled at the thought. “I talk to you. That’s rare for me. Not sure you realize.”
“You do. I’m lucky. And if you think about it, that’s twice for me tonight.” She pointed at Kate and grinned, proud of her own cheeky reference.
Kate studied her. “You’re a firecracker, you know that? That’s the word that comes to mind when I think about you.”
“A firecracker, huh? Explain.”
Kate shook her head as if not sure quite how, until the explanation seemed to occur to her. “Well, you’re always full of energy, fire. Plus, there’s the hair.”
“The hair?” Autumn smiled. “Aha, a redhead reference. Okay. All right. I’ll take firecracker and raise you a brooding hottie.”
Kate pulled her chin back. “I can’t believe you just called me a hottie. You can’t do that.”
“Well, I did.”
She raised a finger and sat forward in her chair. “And I do not brood.”
“But you do.”
Kate’s eyebrows scrunched. “Well, then I need to stop that immediately.”
“Oh, please, don’t,” Autumn said, dipping her head and catching Kate’s gaze. “The brooding is good. Really good.”
Kate held Autumn’s gaze and nodded, her eyes darkening. “Do you know what else was good?”
“Tell me.”
“The shop earlier.”
Autumn felt her temperature climb at just the vague mention of what they’d done in her storage room. “The night is young, you know. I could leave if that’s what you prefer, or…”
Kate’s cheeks dusted with a formidable blush and it was enough of an invitation for Autumn, who was aiming to even out the score. She placed her glass on the coffee table and crossed the short distance to Kate, where she climbed easily onto her lap. “Hi,” she said quietly, looking down at her. She traced the line of Kate’s collarbone as Kate watched with rapt interest.
“Hey.”
With a hand behind Kate’s head, Autumn sank into a heady kiss that left her out of breath and making plans. Kate’s hands slid up the fabric of Autumn’s sundress to her thighs, which had her arching her back and pushing against Kate. But this was so not about her right now…
“You know,” she said in exaggerated enthusiasm as she stood, “I’ve not seen your room yet, and I’m known for being a curious person. Show me?”
Kate took a final sip of her wine, and her eyes noticeably danced. “Through here,” she said, and led the way to the bedroom down a short, darkened hallway. She flipped on the light when they entered, and Autumn took in the medium-sized bedroom. There was a queen-sized bed jutting out from the wall with a painting of an exotic-looking mermaid hanging above.
“Friend of yours?” Autumn asked, as she placed her arms around Kate’s waist from behind. Kate turned in them.
“We’ve only just recently met.”
“Good. Then you won’t mind if I…” She hit the lights, leaving them in darkness with only the sound of their quiet breathing. With a gentle hand to the front of Kate’s shoulder, she walked her backward toward the bed. “There are things. That I want to do to you.”
With the back of Kate’s knee against the bed frame, Autumn had her where she wanted her. “You think we can take this off?” she asked, giving Kate’s shirt a tug. Kate obliged, unbuttoning her shirt as Autumn watched. The bra underneath was black, illuminated faintly by the light from the hallway, and held back the breasts Autumn had only glimpsed the tops of on the beach the day she’d turned her ankle. She swallowed. Good things came to those who waited.
“What about these?” Autumn asked, unbuttoning Kate’s jeans and taking the zipper down slowly. She watched as Kate took them off the rest of the way, revealing black hip-huggers beneath. “You like black.” Autumn slipped her arms around Kate’s waist and felt her way down her bare back until she cupped her ass, which was, quite frankly, the best ass she’d ever had her hands on. Toned. Athletic. Awesome.
“I like black,” Kate repeated, seemingly in a haze. She captured Autumn’s lips in an open-mouthed kiss. While Autumn had imminent plans, she could also kiss Kate all night long. Resisting that temptation, she pulled her mouth away and pushed Kate softly on the bed. With measured speed, she pulled her dress over her head, discarding it on the floor.
Kate’s eyes were on her, and the least she could do was put on a show. She took her time unclasping her bra. When she finally let it fall, Kate’s lips parted. The cool air danced across Autumn’s skin, her stomach, her breasts, and she enjoyed it, knowing that in moments, there would be nothing cool about her temperature. She slid her thigh-high bikinis down her legs with measured ease and watched as Kate blinked and sucked in air. That stare made her wet. She climbed onto the bed and straddled Kate, sitting atop her naked and rocking ever so slowly. Kate’s hands were on her, moving up her thighs, her back, down to her breasts. She closed her eyes and murmured, “Wow.”
“No, no,” Autumn said quietly. “I need to see you if you’re going to touch me.” Kate’s hand slid between Autumn’s legs, but her eyes obeyed, opening and meeting Autumn’s gaze. She’d never seen such intensity behind Kate’s eyes, and her arousal skyrocketed all over again. Refusing to forget the mission, she dipped her head and kissed the tops of those breasts, until she couldn’t wait any longer and freed them entirely, making quick work of Kate’s bra and tossing it onto the floor.
“Fuck,” Kate breathed, as Autumn licked and sucked each nipple. Through Kate’s little gasps, Autumn found great motivation, though she remained keenly aware of Kate’s hand between her legs and what it was doing to her as she worked. Her eyes fluttered at the ever-increasing buildup and she wondered if she’d beat Kate to the finish line.
No way in hell.
She upped her game and concentrated solely on the beautiful woman beneath her. Kate’s breasts fit perfectly in her hands, and Autumn closed her eyes at the rush that came from touching her this way. She wanted to touch more of her and dropped her hand down Kate’s stomach, beneath the waistband of her hip-huggers into fantastic warmth. It wasn’t enough. She eased herself down the bed, forcing Kate to release her, and removed the last stitch of clothing from Kate’s body. She parted her legs and happily went to work with her mouth until Kate squirmed quietly beneath her detailed attention. She gave and gave, taking Kate to the brink with her tongue and then pulling back, enjoying the give and take, the sounds she elicited. It felt good to take control. In desperation, Kate clung to the headboard and circled her hips against Autumn’s mouth in search of release. Autumn was ready to give it to her. She pushed inside and pulled Kate into her mouth all at once, holding nothing back. When Kate’s body bucked and shuddered, Autumn raised her gaze to enjoy the beautiful show. Kate’s brows were creased and she turned her cheek against the pillow one way and then the other, with a few quiet cries escaping her lips. Autumn crawled up the bed beside Kate, trading her hand for her mouth and easing Kate back from the heights she’d just taken her to with soft, intimate touches.
“I’m wrecked,” Kate managed, grasping Autumn’s wrist, yet still moving beneath her touch.
“Really? Because I could keep going. I have nowhere to be.”
Kate smiled and shook her head. “Can’t take any more.”
“Well, okay,” Autumn said, withdrawing the attention. She tucked a strand of hair behind Kate’s ear, loving that she had the power to take Kate to those heights. She didn’t have long to pride herself, however, as with one unexpected stroke from Kate, her body, primed and ready, sent her over the edge into her own blissful oblivion.
Autumn wasn’t as quiet as she clutched Kate and held on for the ride.
Distantly, she heard Kate chuckle and murmur one word: firecracker. She couldn’t help but smile at its use herself. With Kate, everything felt fun, easy, and unencumbered. While there might not be nights like this for them in the future, she would hold on to the heated memory of the things they’d done to each other, and how much she’d enjoyed it.
“You don’t have to go,” Kate said, fifteen minutes later when Autumn began gathering her clothing from various spots on the floor. She was being nice again.
“I think it’s probably for the best, don’t you?” Autumn asked.
Kate paused, biting her lower lip. Not helping. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Once she’d put herself back together again, Autumn returned to Kate’s bed and sat on the edge. Kate turned on the bedside lamp and sat up with the sheet wrapped around her from the chest down. For the first time since they’d met, she looked surprisingly youthful with her features relaxed. Her eyes were bright, and her smile came with a whole new quality, one Autumn could only describe as genuine. Kate seemed happy, and it made Autumn’s heart flex.
“Thank you for tonight,” Autumn said and touched her cheek. “I had a lot of fun at the observatory…and after. After probably wins, though.”
“Me too,” Kate said. “I saw stars during both.”
She laughed. “Just so you know, any other time in my life, you would be in some trouble.”
“And so would you.”
Autumn smiled, and a sadness moved to the center of her chest. “You’re a good one, Kate Carpenter.” She gave Kate’s chin a little shake in place of anything more intimate. The window to their stolen evening was closing, and Autumn took a proverbial step back. “Come by the shop tomorrow.”
“No choice. You’ve got me hooked on that Americano thing.”
“Then victory is mine.” She pointed at Kate and stood. “Do me a favor and stay here so I can remember you just like this. I’ll let myself out.”
Kate nodded. “Good night, Autumn. You’re a good one, too.”
Autumn looked back at her, naked beneath that sheet, and memorized the image, forever and always.
When she arrived home in the wee hours of the morning, she didn’t go right to bed. She took a seat at the kitchen table and sorted her mail, too aflutter from that night to settle in. Yes, she had to be up in three and a half hours, and for convenience, maybe should have just stayed with Kate, mere feet from her store. But in doing so, she might have confused the message, the one they’d decided on together. Kate would head back to Oregon at some point soon. Plus, Autumn had a lot on her plate already, and for the first time in a long while, she was happy with her plate. Excited to embark on this journey to parenthood and the whole new life ahead of her. The most logical course of action would be to make whatever existed between her and Kate as simple as possible.
They’d had their fun, and now they’d wisely shelve it.
As a bonus, she’d still get to see Kate’s beautiful face in her shop for a little while longer. Maybe they’d even flirt here and there. She smiled. Tonight had been just what she’d needed. As she sat at her kitchen table, she felt confident and in control of her own life for the first time in far too long.
And maybe a little naughty, too. She gave her shoulders a tiny shake and touched the grin on her lips. A little late night sexcapade never hurt anyone. This night was most definitely going in the books.