Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Days went by, a week, two, a month, and there was something off. She was present in a way she’d never been before. Something was wrong about it, almost as if she was trying too hard, or as if she was desperate, like there was a time limit on what she could give them.
So one night, while they were walking in the twilight, he stopped and pulled her to him, against his chest, and looked down at her. “Autumn, what is it?”
“What?” she looked confused. “Did I do something wrong?”
“You’re different,” he said, trying to figure out how to explain it. “Like you’re afraid you’re running out of time.”
“I’m trying to be honest,” she said quietly. “Trying to give you what you deserve, and I don’t know how long I have before you decide you can’t love me.”
She buried her head in his tunic and sighed.
Auster shut his eyes, asking himself the question that he’d asked himself almost two months ago now. Did he love Autumn? She was almost impossible to not love. She was kind and earnest; even broken and in pain, she had been kind to him.
And in his mind, in his heart, there was a sapling. Love for Autumn, it wasn’t full grown yet; it wasn’t the forest giant that lived in her, but it was a beginning, and he would guard it. Sun and rain and care, all of it in its season.
The sapling would grow, but for now he would help her understand how he was feeling.
He reached, tipping her head up, making her look at him, and dipped his head to kiss her lightly.
He left her plenty of space to flee, to tell him she wasn’t ready.
Autumn made a tiny sound, but before he could let her go, she’d wrapped her arms around his neck and was kissing him back.
He sank into it, holding back the noise that tried to come out of him. He should be trying to figure out if she actually wanted this from him, or if this was just another thing she was trying to prove to him.
Auster pulled her closer, flush against him, forming her curves to his body, and kissed her. Tracing his fingers in tiny circles over her spine. He wasn’t going to take it further than this, not until she asked for him, but he was going to kiss her until she pulled away from him.
But she didn’t, and she was starting to tremble, her scent perfuming the air around him, and Auster knew he had to do something, or he was going to lose himself in her.
He inhaled, and that was a profound mistake. His mind was saturated with her scent; it was in every part of him, and he wanted nothing more than to have her bare and shaking with her release.
Instead, he backed away, looking down at her passion-blown eyes, and tried to talk some sense into himself.
“Auster?”
“I want—” her, he wanted her. “I want you to be sure.”
“I’m sure.” She smiled at him, open and real. “Come back.”
“Boreus—”
“I’m right here,” his voice came from behind them. “That was pretty; I want to see more.”
They both turned, Autumn blushing heavily. “Hello love.”
“Hello love,” he smiled, walking over to pull her in and kiss her soundly. “I can smell you; it’s delicious.”
She pressed closer to him, but he shook his head, turning her to face Auster. “Are you going to let him take you?”
“Yes,” she breathed the word, looking up at Auster. “Will you?”
Rather than answer, he took the two steps that existed between them and pulled her to kiss him. He wanted to devour her, but he wasn’t certain what she liked.
He broke the kiss, leading her into their house, into the bedroom where it was Boreus that shut the door behind them. Auster and Boreus had watched each other before, so this was nothing new. And Autumn didn’t seem like she minded.
“On the bed, Autumn,” he said. “I want to see you touch yourself. Teach me how to bring you pleasure.”
She did as she was told, shimmying out of her gown and climbing up on the bed, propping herself against the headboard, to look at him with passion clouded eyes.
Boreus came to stand at the side of the bed, pushing Auster towards Autumn. “Please her, Auster.”
Auster nodded, crawling up the bed to where Autumn was drawing small circles around her center, eyes closed, little panting moans falling from her lips. He was caught between wanting to watch and wanting to touch.
But Boreus had told him to please her, so he stretched out next to her and claimed her lips again, sliding a slow touch over her skin, not trying to rush, but wanting her cries in his ears like he wanted to breathe.
“You’re so pretty, Autumn.” He crooned the words into her ear, kissing the soft skin under it. “Do you want to come apart for me?”
She nodded, arching as feeling poured through her. But she wasn’t flying yet, and he reached, pulling her hand away, and licking her passion off the tips of her fingers. “Delicious, I think I want to feast.”
He kissed her one more time before he trailed his lips down her body, coming to rest between her spread legs, looking at the glistening curls. “So pretty,” he kissed her inner thigh, sliding a slow touch through the evidence of her need.
She bucked against his touch, trying to get the pressure to where she needed it. “Auster, please?—”
“Soon,” he leaned in, taking her scent in before he parted her, pressing his mouth to her core. She was delicious, the finest feast he’d ever had, and he was going to take his time.
Auster lapped at her, wrapping his lips around the little bundle of nerves and suckling gently. She cried his name, hand threading itself into his hair as she canted her hips in time with his ministrations.
Auster smiled against her, shifting until he could press two fingers inside her and that was all it took. She broke, flying as the fire poured along her nerves and she cried for him. Passion spilling into the air, and onto his chin.
He took his time, kissing, exploring, letting her fly and bringing her back down. Until he couldn’t stand it any longer. “Autumn, I need you, void, please.”
“Yes,” she looked up at him. “Come to me, Auster, I’m ready.”
He sank into her, into her soft heat with a groan. “You’re perfect, Autumn, so perfect.”
They rocked together until the world dissolved, until nothing existed but her, and him, and a perfect moment without end.
Slowly at first, barely moving, until she needed more from him. Faster, until she was crying out, clutching at him as the pleasure burned through her. It was too much for Auster, crying her name in return as he lost control.