Page 58 of Yours Truly, Fall

The last push sends Brandon falling after me. And when I land on the soft mattress, I open my arms to catch him right after. He collapses on top of me, his breathing heavy and uneven, his body tangling with mine as he recovers from the aftermath of his own bliss.

I rub his back and kiss the side of his head, but I don’t have much air left in my lungs, so I whisper, “You’re very attractive, but you’re also too heavy for me to hold much longer.” The scrape of the air through my throat coats the ending.

He chuckles and rolls to the side, his eyes closed and back flat on the bed next to me. Turning my way, he says, “I know I have a concussion, so I need you to confirm something for me.”

Already breathing easier, I smile as I run the tips of my fingers along the sweat at his hairline. “How can I help?”

“That was real, right?” Shifting onto his side, he kisses me and falls back again. “That just happened.” He doesn’t ask another question, but I can hear it lacing through his words. “Because if so, that beats playing cards any old time.”

He has me laughing this time. I find his hand between our legs and weave my fingers through his. “It was very real.” My chest squeezes, realizing I’m talking about more than the sex. My feelings for him are just as real. Draping my arm over my eyes, I close them and block out the light. This is a lot to take in, especially when he doesn’t even know what happened in the past.

I turn back to him in a rush to share my heart and everything he can’t remember. He needs to know the truth, and our history. It all must be laid out on the table if we plan to move forward together. “I need to tell⁠—”

The sound of a muffled ring travels from the living room. His attention turns toward the door, pushing up, and his eyes don’t return to mine. He says, “I need to answer that.” Instead of explaining, he leaves me lying in bed alone as he runs out the door.

CHAPTER 25

BRANDON

Autumn pads down the hall with her hands behind her back. My gray MLC Fire Department tee hangs just an inch too low, and I feel the desire to slide it up against her fantastic legs for another peek at what’s underneath. Even the thought of her legs wrapped around me again distracts me from the voice on the other end of the line.

She approaches slowly with an apologetic look hanging on her face as she reaches the edge of the living room. Choosing to lean against the corner, she waits as if needing permission instead of closing the gap between us.

I don’t want her to be shy or feel like she’s intruding. What we did overrides any propriety, giving her free rein of the house as far as I’m concerned. Fuck, I’m pretty damn enamored with her.

When the emergency line rings though, I have to answer it. With the phone pressed to one ear, I wave her to me. “I’ll be there, Captain.” She scurries over, holding out a pair of boxer briefs for me even when I left her at the worst possible time. She only thought of me and what I needed.

I slip them on and take her hand, appreciating the comfort that slides back onto her features, and the feel of her skin still heated from being together. Phone call be damned. Autumn’s too distracting to listen to my boss’s yammering. I’d rather invest my attention into her—counting freckles across her nose, resting my head against her chest just to hear her steady heartbeat, or even taking another shower where we take full advantage of being soapy and wet this time.

“Mm-hmm,” I hum, not hearing a word being said since she walked out here. “Thanks again.”

I hang up, setting the phone on the counter, and fully embrace this stunning woman, with a wild curl swerving over her left eye while the rest of her hair remains untamed. Her eyelids still languish after the activities that should have had us napping to recoup, instead of in here taking calls. She’s fucking gorgeous.

My heart thumps in my chest just from seeing her. My head spins in disbelief that I can kiss her now anytime I want, fastening me to this moment, to the desire to see it last forever.

Resting her chin on my chest, she looks at me, allowing me the insight to the questions she hasn’t asked. I slide my hand over her cheek, slipping my fingers into her hair, and reply, “That was the station.”

“I figured.” A light smile falls into place, but worry still pinches her brows together. “Is everything okay?” I smooth the lines they create, wanting to ease the concern.

“I got some good news.” I back onto a barstool, pulling her between my legs and filling my hands with the globes of her ass. She’s the best distraction. “How are you so pretty?” Her instinct is to roll her eyes, but I see the smile that pinkens her cheeks. I kiss her forehead, sliding my hands under the hem only to find soft skin and firm mounds that send my mind right back to the bedroom and how I want to take her next.

She doesn’t pull away or get embarrassed but laughs. She’s onto me, and I won’t be able to lie. I’m captivated by her ass cheeks. Placating me, she lets me take two handfuls and squeeze to my heart’s content. “Brandon, what’s the good news?”

“Oh right. That was my captain. Excuse me, new fire chief.”

“Tony got a promotion?” I sometimes forget how small this town really is. Everyone knows everyone. It’s also a reminder that I’m still at a disadvantage and unable to remember the one person I want to the most. “Reggie is retiring at the end of the month, so he finally passed the baton and promoted Tony.”

She rubs her hands along the tops of my legs and arches toward me to kiss my chin. “That is good news.”

“It is, but not the news I was referring to.”

Autumn drags her nails lightly over my stomach, resting the other on my chest. I love that she can’t keep her hands off me either. She asks, “What was the good news?”

I run the back of my fingers over her cheek, still amazed I get to do this with her. “Yours truly is getting a key to the city.”

“That’s exciting.” A smile blossoms, harnessing in the sunshine just for us. It’s becoming easier to forget life exists outside of this. She’s quick to steal a kiss and lean back on her heels again. “I’m so proud of you, Lieutenant.”

Taking her hand, I kiss her palm, closing my eyes for just a beat longer to relish the bond and wonder if I should lead her back down the hall. How am I supposed to function like a normal human being when I have a goddess with nothing underneath her T-shirt standing before me. She says, “Name the time and place, and I’ll be there.”