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She had never been shy and wasn’t embarrassed by sex. She’d just never had great sex until Huck, and she wasn’t one to talk about anything personal. Not really. But the fact that people may or may not know that she and Huck had hooked up wasn’t a huge deal. After all, she wouldn’t be around long enough to deal with gossip.
“Oh?” Penny asked sweetly. “And where is he?”
“I left him sleeping in my bed back at Jenna’s house.”
Penny’s face fell. “You left him?”
Autumn glanced around like she’d just uttered the unholiest of words. She’d gathered from his friends the day before that Huck wasn’t the kind of man to “be left,” but she’d just stepped out for pancakes.
“Huck doesn’t get left,” Penny said, confirming Autumn’s suspicions. “Mostly because he doesn’t deal with it well. Supports his theory that people can’t be relied on.”
“He seemed to deal with it fine. Guy likes his rest, I guess.” Autumn had tried to wake him to tell him she was going to get food, but he’d been sound asleep. Almost looked peaceful. She’d figured they’d end up doing their own thing anyway. He’d made it clear last night was all he wanted from her.
“No,” Penny said, wide-eyed. “He never sleeps over.”
“Oh, because you and Huck…”
“Ew, no!” Penny shook her head. “He’s like a brother to me. No, we’ve never done anything, but Huck hasn’t stayed overnight with a girl, or even fallen asleep with her for that matter. Not since…” She glanced away and bit her lower lip, like she’d caught herself saying something she shouldn’t.
It was Autumn’s turn to press. God help her, her curiosity was piqued. She wanted to know more about Huck. “Not since what?” she asked.
“He just had an issue a few years ago. A woman broke his heart. Ever since, he’s had some trust issues.” It was clear from Penny’s tone that she wasn’t going to go more into it. Which was fine. Actually, Autumn respected her for keeping her friend’s confidence. They really must all care about each other.
One thing she had a hard time wrapping her mind around was the idea of Huck getting hurt. Broken heart? Really? He was so confident and sexy as hell, who would break his heart? Surely there was a mistake.
“Broken heart or broken ego?” Autumn asked.
Sadness crossed Penny’s face. “Heart for sure.”
Something shifted in Autumn’s chest, and she felt like a jerk. Had he really been that hurt? Huck seemed like a man that didn’t stress over anything. He was dominant, liked control, and truth be told, she liked challenging it. But the thought of him being hurt, badly, by another person, didn’t sit well with her.
They’d shared only a handful of hours over the past two nights, but she found herself kind of caring about the tattooed charmer. Again, stupid notion, but a notion all the same. Especially since her whole body hadn’t felt right since last night. He’d practically owned her from head to toe and everything in-between.
She shook her head. She had to remember why her walls were up in the first place, especially against Huck. His type never made promises beyond a single night. Hell, neither did she. Not anymore. Which was why she quickly rubbed the spot over her heart and told herself to get a grip before this aching sensation became even more annoying.
Penny must not have liked the expression on Autumn’s face, because she said, “Huck’s a great guy. He’s never rude. Never lies to women. He always makes sure his expectations are clear upfront.”
Funny. That sounded a lot like how Autumn operated. She was starting to realize that she and Huck might be too similar for their own good.
But good, bad, or otherwise, it was over now. Still, she couldn’t stop herself from asking…
“What kind of expectations does he set with these women?”
Penny shrugged. “Nothing long-term. He doesn’t take anyone to his place, and he’s never stayed the night at a woman’s house. So there must be something special about you.” Penny smiled brightly.
What would Penny think if she knew that “special” quality was likely just that she challenged Huck?
“Yeah, I guess so,” Autumn said.
“I’m glad you two are getting along.”
“Getting along” was an interesting way to put it. But yeah, she supposed they “got along” quite well. At least when he wasn’t being a jackass and representing everything she shouldn’t want.
Knowing that he’d gone through some kind of heartbreak made it more difficult to dislike him. But whatever, she’d be fine. She knew her boundaries and how to keep herself safe. Shelf life, she reminded herself. She’d always be cursed with a shelf life.
Counting on a man was bad, especially a man like Huck. But she wasn’t a bitch. Wasn’t out to make anyone miserable or anything. She likely wouldn’t even see much of Huck since she’d fulfilled his request of one more night.
Round two was done. He’d gotten all he wanted from her, and now he’d be figuring out how to explain to Jenna and Colt why he’d rather do anything else than show Autumn around town.
