Guarding Autumn (Crimson Point Security #3)

Prologue

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Twelve years ago

Maybe it was the Jack Daniels. Or maybe it was because this was his last night in his hometown. Whatever it was, as he stood beneath the thick branches of the old sycamore and looked up at the two-story white colonial bathed in moonlight, Gavin was overcome by a wave of nostalgia. Almost homesickness.

It made sense. In a lot of ways, this house had been more of a home to him than his own throughout the years.

Autumn’s window on the second floor was dark, but he knew she had to be in there. She hadn’t shown up to the party, so he’d left early because celebrating grad just wasn’t the same without her. And there was no way he would leave town without saying goodbye in person.

Her family had given him a key to the house when he was nine, but he never used it at this hour because he didn’t want her parents to hear him sneaking in and out so late. He jumped up and caught the thick, lowest limb of the sycamore and swung himself up on top of it. From there it was a short climb to the sturdy branch that ran close to her window. He’d done it so many times over the years that the bark was worn away in places.

Crouched on the thickest part of the gnarled branch, he stood, wobbling once before steadying himself, and peered through the window. A shaft of moonlight arrowing into the room revealed Autumn curled up on her bed, awake and facing the window, a pillow hugged to her chest. She looked so sad and alone, his heart squeezed.

He tapped on the window quietly. Her head came up.

She pushed up into a sitting position when she saw him, shoved her long sandy blond hair back and switched on the bedside lamp to its lowest setting. Gavin lifted the sash with a slight squeak and climbed over the windowsill into her room as she pulled the folds of her silken robe around her more securely, covering bare legs that he refused to let himself stare at.

His mischievous smile faded when she watched him with a sad expression that twisted his insides. “Hey.” He paused there just inside the window. “You didn’t come to the river, so I stopped by to check on you.” Pretty much their whole graduating class had gone down there to celebrate—and as a sendoff for him and his twin, Tristan.

“I’m not in a party mood.” Her voice was dull. Flat as her expression.

Unsure what to do or say, he came over to sit on the edge of her bed. Only a foot or so separated them, but it felt like a mile, and worry flickered in his gut. The antique grandfather clock on the upstairs landing struck one. The house was still and quiet, her parents sound asleep in their room down at the opposite end of the hall.

Gavin reached for her hand and held it gently, unsure what to say. They’d been friends for so long, he hated to see her hurting. “Bad night, huh.”

She nodded, swallowed, and blinked a couple of times.

“Wanna talk about it?” Her dad had cancer. She was upset and scared about the battle he faced, the treatment that was often worse than the disease, and what the outcome would be. But he knew it was more than that. And that it was partly his fault, because he was leaving town tomorrow.

“Not really.” She pulled her hand free, leaned past him to switch off the lamp before lying back down and curling up on her side to face him.

He studied her for a long moment, willing the lingering haze of alcohol to clear from his brain so he could figure out what to do or say to make her feel better. “Scootch over.”

She shifted to make room so he could lie down next to her. He stretched out on his back, hands resting on his stomach, their shoulders touching. The little glow-in-the-dark stars all over her ceiling spun for a second. Man, the Jack had hit him harder than he’d realized. He’d helped her stick them up there last summer in the shape of the dippers and a couple of her favorite constellations. “Did your dad hear back about his treatments yet?”

“He has his first chemo appointment Tuesday.”

“That’s good. I mean, that he gets started so soon,” he added quickly. “But I’m sorry you guys are going through this. It sucks.”

She closed her eyes, drew in a breath, and let it out in a sad sigh that made him wince inside. “I’m just...worried.”

“Yeah.” He knew what that was like. His stepdad had died of a heart attack when Gavin and Tris were seven. Then they’d watched their mom work and drink herself to death.

He reached for her hand again, needing the connection. It was hitting home real hard now that he was down to his last few hours here. Their lives were about to change forever. After tonight he wouldn’t be climbing through her window again for a long time.

Maybe ever. “That’s rough. But he’s got good doctors, and they caught it early. He’s going to fight this and win.”

“How was the party?” she asked in that same dull tone.

“It was all right.” He turned his head on the pillow to look at her. Would give anything to see her smile right now. “Not the same without you there.” Not even close. He’d ditched everyone to come here, not understanding why she hadn’t at least wanted to see him before he left.

She sniffed, frowned at him as if she had just smelled the alcohol coming from his pores. “Are you drunk?”

“A little, yeah.”

“You didn’t drive here, right?”

“Course not,” he said, insulted. “I walked.”

“You walked all the way here from the river to see me? That’s...miles.”

A little over five and a half. “Yeah.” Why wouldn’t he? Had she really thought he’d just leave without seeing her? They’d been friends for thirteen years. Close friends. A few times he’d wondered if they could be more, but she’d never given any sign that she was interested, so he’d shoved all that down and pretended he didn’t feel anything else for her. He was going to miss her like hell.

“What time is your bus tomorrow?”

“Eight. I’m all packed, but I gotta be home by seven to spend a bit of time with Marley before we go.” He and Tristan were both close to their sister. “I can stay until then.” His house was only two blocks away down a well-worn path through the woods. He could walk it blindfolded.

The silvery moonlight washed across her face, making her pale green eyes glow as they stared at each other in silence. An overwhelming rush of sadness hit him, along with a surge of protectiveness he’d been feeling a lot lately where she was concerned.

Who was going to look out for her when he left? Who would be here for her if things didn’t go well for her dad? She and her parents were such a big part of his life, had treated him as one of their own since kindergarten, always made him feel welcome and safe, and Tris too. They were family to him as much as his brothers and Marley were.

Autumn hitched in a breath and reached for him.

Startled, he rolled to face her, drew her to him and wrapped his arms around her, not knowing how else to make it better. He wasn’t the silent type, but he didn’t say anything as he held her there in the moonlight, giving her the only comfort he could...while trying not to notice how incredibly good her soft curves felt pressed against him.

The heartbroken sound she made hurt his heart. He kissed the top of her head, already missing her. He’d wanted out of this town for years, and he and Tris had always dreamed of following Decker’s example and becoming US Marines. Now that the moment was at hand, the thought of leaving was harder than he’d imagined. Because it meant leaving her behind too. They would always stay in touch, but everything was going to change starting tomorrow.

Autumn wriggled closer, and he tried to ignore the sudden spike of arousal at the way they were pressed flush together. The way his pulse kicked when her lips brushed the base of his throat. He’d held her like this before a few times, the most recent when her dad was first diagnosed a few weeks back. But tonight...it felt completely different.

This was goodbye. They both knew it. And right now with only that thin, silky robe covering her sweet curves, he was struggling like hell to repress every non-brotherly thought and feeling he’d ever had for her.

She felt so small up against him like this, and the way she burrowed into him stirred all sorts of confusing feelings. Along with certain parts of his anatomy that he had no control over.

Thankfully she didn’t seem to notice. She pressed her face into the crook of his neck, the fresh scent of her shampoo filling his nose. He tensed when she moved closer still, because there was no way she could miss what was happening in the crotch of his jeans.

But she didn’t pull away. And just as he started to ease his hips away from her, she nuzzled a sensitive spot at the side of his neck.

He froze, all his muscles bunching, even as tingles spread out from where her lips caressed his skin and more blood rushed to his dick. Was she...?

He eased his head back to peer down into her eyes, convinced that either he or the alcohol was misreading the situation. But Autumn stared back at him with complete clarity and cupped the side of his face in her hand while his pulse tripped and went into double time.

Because the look on her face told him he definitely wasn’t imagining this, or the intent in her pale green eyes. More heat streaked through him, leaving him hard and aching.

He hadn’t planned this. Hadn’t dared even to let himself dream this would happen when he’d climbed into her room minutes ago, or that she would ever want him this way. He’d only meant to comfort her. But if she truly wanted him, there was no way he was stopping this.

They both leaned in at the same time. Their lips touched. A tender grazing that shot sparks right through him before he settled his mouth over hers and brought one hand up to hold the back of her head.

Autumn slid her hand into his hair and pulled him closer to deepen the kiss. He moved slow at first, his brain still trying to process that they were kissing. Then her hands started moving over him, and he stopped thinking entirely as they slid up under his T-shirt to glide over bare skin. Tracing every ridge and dip of muscle she found before trailing down to cup the aching bulge between his legs.

Shit. He sucked in a breath, broke the kiss to stare at her. The feel of her hand blocked from his naked skin by only a few layers of fabric was the sweetest torture. His breathing turned unsteady, the urge to rip open his jeans so she could stroke his naked flesh overwhelming.

Say something. He felt like he had whiplash. Had to be sure she truly wanted this and find out exactly what she wanted before they did anything else. “What—”

Her lips cut off whatever he was about to ask, her tongue delving in to play with his. The question he’d been about to ask withered and died under another rush of heat, the feel of her hand stroking him through his jeans taking over everything else.

Autumn sat up suddenly, got to her knees, and undid the sash of her robe. He stared up at her in shock, barely able to breathe as it fell from her shoulders to puddle around her legs. The moonlight made her pale skin glow, the shape of her round, firm breasts and tight pink nipples making it impossible to speak, let alone think.

Oh, damn, she was stunning.

Before he could move or find his voice, she was undoing his jeans. He didn’t stop her. Was praying she wouldn’t stop.

The moment he was naked, she straddled his thighs and bent over to the side to look for something. He grasped the indent of her waist in his hands, still unable to believe this was happening, and was about to cup her breasts when she sat back up and ripped open the condom he’d been carrying in his wallet since last summer. His reputation as a stud depended on it.

He swallowed. He hadn’t had sex before. Not full on. Had she? He didn’t think so. If she had, she’d never told him, and he hadn’t heard any rumors about her.

She fumbled to get it on him. By the time she got it rolled down to the base, he was struggling to breathe, every tiny touch and caress of her hands sending pleasure shooting up his spine. He shifted his hands to her hips as she straddled him, steadying her, using his last few functioning brain cells to give her a chance to change her mind before they crossed the point of no return.

“You sure?” he managed, even though he was dying for her to continue. The thought of her being his first was his deepest fantasy come to life. He was so hard for her.

“Don’t talk,” she whispered.

Yes, ma’am.

They stared at each other wordlessly for a long moment, the sound of his uneven breathing harsh in his ears, then she shimmied up to ease him into place between her legs and slowly sank down on him.

His fingers dug into her hips as warm, wet heat enveloped him, unlike anything he’d ever known. His eyes slid closed, and his head moved back on the pillow, his whole body arching. Ecstasy rocketed through him, the intense pleasure knocking the air from his lungs.

“Autumn,” he managed to choke out, holding her tight. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to give her one last chance to stop or begging her not to. Chances were high this was her first time too. Was she okay? Was he hurting her?

She placed her palms flat on his chest and began to ride him. Slow at first, a little hesitant and unsure, and his heart practically exploded with tenderness. But the friction and view were incredible.

He sucked in a sharp breath when she sank down fully on him, groaned low in his throat, and fought to hold back as she picked up her pace. Ordered his brain to hold on, not to let himself come yet, make sure she was enjoying it too.

But he couldn’t even force his eyes open. The pleasure was too much, rendering him helpless, and suddenly he couldn’t take it anymore. He thrust up into her, his breathing coming faster, face contorting and jaw locked to hold back a shout of ecstasy an instant before he started to come.

Autumn muffled his strangled groans with another kiss. It felt like his whole body was melting into hers. He sank into the kiss and moaned into her mouth, the intense pulses slowly, gradually fading into soft ripples until they left him boneless and panting against the bedding.

His head spun. The whole room did, a deep lethargy stealing through him.

Autumn eased off him and lay down on his chest, tucking her face into the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms around her, struggling to get his bearings and find his voice. He’d been so caught up in the moment he hadn’t even noticed if she’d enjoyed it. Hadn’t even made an effort to try and make it good for her.

He stroked his fingers through her hair, in awe but still unsure why she’d done it. Why him? Why now? Because he was leaving?

“Are you okay?” he whispered, worried it had hurt and that she thought he was a selfish asshole for not taking better care of her. She’d taken him so off guard.

She nodded and made a soft affirmative sound, her soft hair caressing his cheek.

He was still stunned. “Autumn, what—”

She put her fingers over his mouth to stop him. “Don’t.” Then she cuddled closer, telling him without words how much she craved the comfort of being held. “Just stay like this with me. Don’t leave yet.”

His heart turned over. He held her tighter. Closer. “I won’t.”

He drew the covers over her, savoring her warm weight, the silken softness of her skin as he held her to him. He didn’t know why this had happened, but he was grateful it had and wasn’t going to spoil this amazing moment by asking for explanations she obviously wasn’t ready to give.

They only had a few hours left together before he had to climb back out her window and follow the path through the woods down to his house. Before he left her and this town behind and began the next chapter of his life away from everything and everyone he knew and loved.

Autumn needed him right now. He would get answers from her later. Tonight, he was going to hold onto her and this moment for as long as he could.