Page 49 of Knotting Autumn

Rolling his eyes, Cole keyed in a code to unlock the door, and we stepped into the air-conditioned space.

“So do I get that small little bedroom you tied me up and stuck me in?” I said, crossing my arms as I turned to Thorne. I wasn’t about to let him forget how badly he’d fucked up.

Wincing, he cupped the back of his neck. “Actually, that’s Cole’s room. There’s only two bedrooms. You can stay in the master with me. Sawyer can sleep on the couch.”

“I don’t think so,” Sawyer said, glowering. “Why don’t you be a gentleman and give her the master, and she can let whoever she wants sleep with her. Then the reject gets the couch.”

“Seriously, guys? If it’s a king-sized mattress, three of us can easily fit. I can be in the middle.”

Sawyer turned, cocking his head as he looked at me. The silent message was clear:Do you really want to sleep with this guy?

“I’m fine with whatever Autumn wants,” Thorne said, walking down the hallway. I caught a flash of a cocky smirk before he turned his way-too-muscly back.

“Damn, I left my backpack,” Sawyer muttered, spinning on his heel and heading back outside.

Hesitantly, I followed Thorne, watching as he checked each window and the back door, securing the building. When he was through, he raked his fingers through his hair and turned to face me.

When those rain cloud eyes met mine, I took a step back. I didn’t know what to say to him, and I wasn’t even sure what my feelings were anymore.

“Are you doing okay?” he said, approaching slowly as if he might spook me. His hands went to my hips, gently pulling me against him, and that buzzing bond in my chest heated into a roaring flame at the touch.

“Honestly, I have no idea,” I admitted.

At his touch, my heart rate picked up, and my skin heated. But there was nothing demanding or sexual about the way he held me against his body, and I melted into him.

It was strange how my body fully believed he was my partner, and every time we got close, happy chemicals pumped into my brain. It didn’t make sense, but I was getting tired of fighting it.

“Let’s get some food. It’ll be easier to think when we’re well fed.” Thorne’s hand rubbed down my back.

Nodding, I allowed him to lead me to the kitchen. It opened to the living room, where Cole and Sawyer seemed to be holding a staring contest.

It was unanimously decided we would make a plan to deal with Hunter after a good meal. I was grateful, feeling brittle after the emotional rollercoaster of the day.

I sat on the counter as Thorne cooked. For a short-term rental, it was well stocked with pantry goods, and I had a feeling they’d ordered groceries before their impromptu trip to visit my apartment.

Pasta boiled on the stove as he pan-seared a steak. Moving it to a cutting board to rest, he poured a cup of wine into the pan and scraped off the brown bits.

Smiling, he handed me a glass of the same wine. It wasn’t so bad sipping a drink and watching him pull together a pasta sauce.

After a while, Sawyer joined us in the kitchen. He peeled the lid off a pudding cup.

“We’re making dinner,” I chided him.

Shrugging, Sawyer scooped out vanilla pudding with his tongue. After he swallowed, he said, “It’s just a snack. They have pudding cups. We should get some.”

Rolling my eyes, I swatted his shoulder. “You’re ridiculous.”

Sawyer licked into the cup again, and I swallowed hard, seeing his tongue swipe against the transparent plastic. I knew what that tongue felt like.

“Hey, you can help or get out of the kitchen,” Thorne said, leveling a pair of tongs at Sawyer.

“Autumn isn’t cooking anything,” he argued.

“She’s my inspiration,” Thorne snapped, chasing Sawyer out of the room with a snap of the tongs.

“Asshole,” Sawyer grumbled, settling on the sofa opposite of Cole, who had a smug grin on his face.

In no time at all, Thorne nestled four portions of steak and creamy pasta into bowls. Everyone settled around the table, this one thankfully bigger than the tiny table in our apartment.