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  “You claimed you weren’t much of a cook, but you can really throw down in the kitchen, girl. The food was delicious!” L.J. knew he was gushing like water spewing out of a well, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

  “I aim to please.” Autumn’s tone was flat. She stood, as if to signal the end of dinner and began clearing the table.

  “Here, let me help.”

  Autumn covered his hand with her own. “I can handle this. It’s just a few dishes. Sit back and enjoy the view. I’ll be back in a few minutes with dessert.”

  Before he could protest, she was sliding open the patio door and clomping inside with a pile of dirty dishes. Awestruck by her red-hot sex appeal, he tilted his chair to get a better view. L.J. wasn’t ready to come clean with himself yet, but when it came to his feelings for Autumn he had no control. And with each inadvertent touch and flirtatious exchange during dinner, he’d become even more entrenched. She was the most appealing woman he’d ever met and he refused to let his unruly tongue ruin things between them.

  Chapter 13

  Autumn almost jumped out of her skin when L.J. touched her. “L.J.!” She put a hand to her chest to steady her raging heart. His lips grazed her collarbone, sending pleasurable ripples from her head to her toes and back up again. Glancing over her shoulder, she said, “You scared me half to death!”

  “Sorry. I just wanted to thank you again for dinner.”

  “You already did that.”

  “I know, but I wanted to tell you again.” L.J. tightened his already firm grip around her waist. “I also came in here to tell you that I think you’re beautiful. And smart. And ridiculously sexy,” he affirmed, plying her neck with baby-soft kisses.

  Autumn turned to face him. “I know, I know. No false modesty here.” She was more ticklish than a two-year-old and when his fingertips sent tingles down her spine, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Their eyes were having a conversation she didn’t think her body was ready for, but she did nothing to stop it. Her heart pounded in her ears and when L.J.’s mouth broke out into a smirk, she wondered if he could hear it, too. His eyes were shining brighter than a new coin and his hands stroked her cheek, his eyes never leaving her face. And the more L.J. stared, the jumpier Autumn got.

  Should I kiss him? No, no, that’s too forward. I don’t want him to think I want him. Even if I do. God, please don’t let me make a fool out of myself in front of this man. But when L.J. kissed her, her anxiety melted faster than an ice cube in the sun. His tongue eased inside her mouth, and Autumn tilted her head to the side to receive it. She twined her arms around his neck, pressing herself against his chest.

  When bits and pieces of their dinner conversation rattled around in her head, Autumn broke off the body-prickling kiss. She found his eyes, and wasn’t surprised to find they were alight with mischief. “I’m on to you, L.J. You’re supposed to be on the patio savoring the picturesque view, not sneaking in here trying to seduce me.”

  “I like the scenery in here better.”

  “But there’s nothing to see.”

  He crooked an eyebrow. “Says who?” L.J. held her at arm’s length, impure thoughts inscribed all over his face. Then, in a deliberate fashion, he dipped his eyes to her chest, over her well-rounded hips and down her brown legs. “You’re more woman than you’ll ever know, Autumn.”

  She swallowed. Tempering her excitement, she said, “Is that so?” before turning away. She felt that her feet weren’t attached to her body anymore. She wanted to go to the bathroom to clear her head and give them the space they obviously needed, but her feet wouldn’t move.

  L.J. didn’t want to come across as being aggressive and the last thing he wanted was for Autumn to feel pressured, but he couldn’t stop himself from pulling her to his chest. “Look at me.”

  Autumn didn’t want to. There was no telling what would happen if she did. If he so much as looked at her the right way there was no telling what would happen next.

  “Please?”

  How could she refuse when his voice was so tender? Autumn turned like a mannequin on a rotating stand.

  “I thought you said something about dessert?” His voice had a hitch to it and caressed her ear like a feather.

  He was teasing her and Autumn couldn’t resist playing along. His sexual innuendo caused the heat in her body to climb, and before Autumn could stop herself, she was wearing her most seductive smile. She raised her head and lifted her eyes to his face. “Chocolate mousse cake, L.J. And if you’re a good boy, a very good boy, I might be persuaded to put a cherry on top.”

  “I like the sound of that.” L.J. outlined her lips with the tip of his thumb.

  Autumn closed her eyes, parted her lips ever so slightly and waited.

  L.J. stepped into what little space was left between them and kissed her with all he had. The softness of his lips and the exigency of his hands only made her want him more. Autumn arched her body forward. She needed more of him. Much more. He was stroking her body’s fire and it felt good. Real good. Her nipples strained through her blouse, crying out for his soothing touch and her legs started to quiver. She moaned submissively as his tongue moved freely around the walls of her mouth. His lips were like a drug. Exhilarating. Spellbinding. With just one kiss, she was hooked.

  Caressing the back of his head, she stood on her tiptoes to bridge the gap between them. Autumn didn’t know exactly what it was about this bald-headed man that did it for her, but he made her hot and wet all over. He appealed to her inner bad girl. Thoughts of more steamy kisses and clothes flying every which way stormed her mind. Autumn took a short breath. She was getting ahead of herself. They were just kissing. And touching. And stroking. No clothes were coming off. But it didn’t take her long to realize her most hidden fantasies were about to come true. The scent of L.J.’s ultra-masculine cologne and the feel of his hands soaring over her body were too much for Autumn to handle. She sighed in sweet agony as he cupped her bottom. Without breaking the euphoric lip-lock, she touched his chest, fingering his nipples through his shirt. Unsatisfied, she undid the first two buttons. She felt one and then two, slip through her fingers. Then she popped one of the buttons from his shirt and giggled at the sound of it rolling across the hardwood floor. “Sorry about that.”

  “You can make it up to me later,” he replied in a sensuous voice.

  Autumn shrugged the damaged shirt over his muscled shoulders, marveling at his upper body. Layered with fine hair, his chest and finely sculptured abs were smooth to the touch. Autumn suddenly had the need to see all of him. This was uncharted territory for her. She had never boldly undressed a man before, but that didn’t stop her from unzipping his pants and sliding her hands into the waistband of his boxer shorts. At first, her movements were clumsy and awkward. She didn’t know what she was doing, or if she was doing it right, but when L.J. dug his fingers into her hair and murmured incoherently, Autumn knew she was on the right track.

  L.J. felt that he was going to explode right then and there, with Autumn working him into oblivion with her soft hands. He slipped off her halter top and laid soft kisses on her shoulders. He fumbled to unhook her bra and didn’t fare much better when he tried to help her out of her skirt. He yanked and twisted the hooks with no luck. He felt more like a klutzy high school virgin on prom night, than a thirty-five-year-old experienced man.

  Sensing his frustration, Autumn covered his hands. “Let me help.” She helped him to undress her, enjoying the urgent feel of his hands.

  L.J. touched her cheek. In a voice smoother than whipped butter, he praised, “I think you’re gorgeous, Autumn. Simply gorgeous.” He nestled his head in her hair, and inhaled her scent. Pulling away, he found her eyes. “You believe me, right?”

  Autumn nodded. They were caught up in the moment and the magic of it all, but she knew he was speaking from his heart. She had never felt so desirable. Or sexy. Or needed. With his delicate touches, honeyed kisses and patient hands, he was erasing the painful memo
ries of the past and showing her just how exquisite lovemaking could be.

  L.J. and Autumn were as naked as Adam and Eve and all too happy to play in the garden of lust. They had officially crossed the line. The door was shut and even if she wanted to stop, which she didn’t, there was no turning back. Autumn wanted to go on. She wanted to see what L.J. was going to do next. Actually, she wanted to do more than just continue, she wanted to finish and then start all over again. Being with L.J. felt right. More right than anything she had ever done before. She had no fears. No worries. No doubts. Her only concern was that she wouldn’t please him, and he would be disappointed by her lack of experience. It had been years since Autumn was in this predicament and back then it had been nothing like this. There had been no spark, no passion and no excitement. She didn’t want to disappoint him, but when their kiss intensified, her doubts floated through the patio door and into the night sky.

  The kiss stirred emotions in Autumn she had never experienced.

  When L.J. ran his fingers through her hair and braids fell across her shoulders, tickling her swollen nipples, another hollow groan escaped from her lips. He massaged her breasts, kneading each one until his mouth replaced the flimsy stroking of his hands. While his lips showered her mouth, face and neck with kisses, his fingers twirled the mound of thick curls nestled above her center. Autumn rolled her head from right to left. She was coming undone. She felt every touch. Every stroke. Every sensation. She wanted him inside her, filling her with his desire, bringing her to the place she was only willing to go with him. As if reading her mind and seeking to fulfill her every wish, L.J. scooped Autumn up in his arms and headed down the hall to the master bedroom.

  The following morning, dark stationary clouds hung high in the sky, bunched together like a bride’s bouquet. There was no sun, no sunshine and none of the humidity the forecasters had predicted for the day. L.J. finished his coffee and set the mug on the windowsill. Soft murmuring dragged his eyes away from the bleak, gray sky and over to the queen-size canopy bed. His mouth broke into a grin. Sleeping Beauty was quite a sight. Curled up in the fetal position, moaning softly, nothing on but a fanciful expression and a flimsy pink negligé she must have thrown on at some point during the night, Autumn looked both peaceful and sexy.

  He was amazed that he had the energy even to think about making love on a mere five hours of sleep, but here he was ready to go again. L.J. thought of joining her in bed, but decided against it. He’d rather sleep in a Cambodian jungle than get back into bed with Autumn. The woman was a bed hog. She stole covers, flung her hands and feet at him like they were engaging in mortal combat and snored louder than a one-ton polar bear.

  L.J. stared at her, unsure of what to do. He felt horrible disrupting her sleep, but it was almost noon, and he feared if he didn’t get her up now she would end up sleeping the day away. He called her name, and when she didn’t stir, he sat on the edge of the bed. She rolled onto her back, her nightgown riding up in the process. It didn’t take much for L.J. to get into the mood. One look at Autumn was all it took. Nibbling on her neck like a rabbit with a juicy carrot, he slid his fingers across her pierced navel and down her stomach. His face had registered surprise when he had discovered the dangly silver ring last night. Autumn didn’t strike him as the type of woman to have a belly-button ring, but when pressed, she had confessed that she had always wanted one and that it was an early birthday present to herself. A wide grin had broken out over L.J.’s face. His lady love was like a big bag of surprises, and he couldn’t wait to discover all the other treats she was hiding from him.

  Autumn’s eyes opened in slits. The soft patter of raindrops reached her ears as a cool breeze gusted through the partially opened window. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and waited for the guilt. Making love to L.J. had been exquisite, but it was only a matter of time before shame and remorse crept in. She had broken her two-year-old pledge, and there was no way her conscience would let her get away with what she had done.

  “Sleep well?” L.J. asked, interrupting her thoughts and greeting her with a light kiss. He took her in his arms for a quick hug.

  Autumn managed a smile. How could L.J. be so affectionate after seeing her without makeup on? she wondered.

  “I’m trying to wake you up so we can eat, but if you’d rather stay in bed…” He broke off, leaving her to fill in the rest.

  Autumn studied him closely. If he was having any second thoughts about last night, his face didn’t show it. In fact, he was grinning like the king of all Cheshire cats and staring at her openly. Suddenly self-conscious, she fingered her wild braids.

  “It’s time to get up, gorgeous. It’s lunchtime,” L.J. said, releasing his hold on her, but not before laying the softest of kisses on her forehead.

  Struggling to conceal herself with her fuchsia silk robe, Autumn stifled a series of elongated yawns. She felt as if she had gone twelve rounds with Laila Ali. Her breasts were sore, she had a cramp in her left thigh and it took all her effort just to stand.

  Sleepwalking into the bathroom, she closed her eyes, opened her mouth wide and let out a slow yawn. She plunked down at the vanity table and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Autumn couldn’t bring herself to look into the mirror, but when she finally faced her reflection, she was pleasantly surprised. She didn’t look half-bad. Her braids were wilder than she had expected but she was positively glowing. Her eyes couldn’t be any brighter and her skin had a warmth to it she had never seen.

  She surfaced from the steamed bathroom fifteen minutes later and found L.J. stretched out in the middle of her bed flipping channels and humming a vaguely familiar tune. She stood in the middle of the doorway, mesmerized by his solid, made-to-last physique. It was hard to believe that a man could be so perfect. But he was. Staring at his muscular back and adorable butt made her breasts harden underneath the towel. She was all for making love again, but her fear of rejection kept her feet planted in the doorway.

  “See anything you like?” L.J. got up from the bed.

  Autumn played it cool. “Not really,” she quipped.

  L.J. chuckled. He pulled her to him, relishing the heat of her body. Her skin was glistening and she smelled like tropical fruit. His stomach flipped, and he didn’t know if it was hunger or because Autumn was standing before him in nothing but a cotton towel. He kissed her with a tenderness she had never known, and before Autumn knew what she was doing, she was kissing him back.

  “I thought you were hungry?” she asked after forcing herself to pull away.

  “I am, so why don’t we go back to bed?”

  Autumn laughed. “Why don’t we go to Phil’s Pancake House for their continental breakfast instead?” she suggested, paying no attention to his lusty grin. “The food isn’t half-bad, the portions are generous and it’s cheap.” Autumn would have loved to make him a breakfast fit for a king, but there was no way she could cook in her present state. She was exhausted. She was already running on empty and she didn’t need to go into the kitchen to know that the negligible tasks of the day would leave her depleted. The shower had helped, but what she really needed was some food and a power nap.

  “How far is Phil’s?” L.J. asked. His eyes trailed her as she ambled into her walk-in closet and rummaged around for something to wear.

  “A ten-minute drive, maybe less.” Autumn picked out a T-shirt to wear and a pair of jeans. She closed the closet door and quickly dressed. Sure L.J. knew about her belly-button ring and the birthmark on the inside of her right thigh, but she wasn’t comfortable with him seeing her buck-naked.

  “Why don’t I make you breakfast?”

  Autumn laughed. “But you can’t cook! And just last week you told me you once burned a hole through one of your mother’s frying pans when you forgot about the bacon you were frying on the stove.” She returned to the bedroom in a pair of tight blue jeans and a T-shirt that read, I Am Not Opinionated, I’m Just Always Right.

  “Cute shirt.” He liked the way the way it hugged her ch
est and it clearly outlined her full bosom. “So, how about it?”

  “How about what?”

  “My offer to cook,” he repeated.

  Autumn looked skeptical. “I don’t know…”

  L.J. put his arm around her shoulder and led her down the hall. “Relax. I mean how hard could it be to scramble some eggs?”

  Thirty minutes later, L.J. was still finding out.

  The sun shower had passed, the day was as clear as an afternoon in July. The patio door was wide open, letting in the cool wind and chirping birds signaled the summer’s approach. With the long sizzling days and equally stifling nights, it was hard for Autumn to believe it was only the second week in May.

  Her eyes shot up from the city section of the Washington Post at the sound of dishes clinking. Autumn shook her head. L.J. would have a fine mess to clean up if he ever finished making brunch. Dirty bowls, utensils and serving spoons covered the counter and eggshells and bread crumbs were stuck to the tile floor. Autumn wrinkled her nose. Something smelled delicious. Banana pancakes, waffles, sausages, wheat toast and scrambled eggs were all on the menu and Autumn was starving. She was glad she had had the foresight to go grocery shopping yesterday, or they would have been eating some week-old bread and stale cheese.

  Autumn took the plate he held out to her. “Thanks.” She looked down at the food. “I can’t believe you made all of this for me.”

  “I sure did.” He was smiling at her like the chef who had just prepared a five-course meal that would be served at the White House for the president’s birthday.

  “I’ve never had anyone go to this much trouble for me before,” she confessed.