Pieces of Us - Carrie Elks Page 0,31
her. “Now I can go home without worrying about you breaking your neck on the wooden floor.”
She laughed at his expression of mock-horror. “My hero,” she murmured. “Thank you.”
The flash in his eyes had nothing to do with the lights shining overhead. The lines next to his eyes disappeared, a seriousness coming over him.
Autumn swallowed. Hard. He was standing right next to the front door. Another step and he’d be back outside. She couldn’t hear the waves anymore, her ears were too full of the blood rushing through them.
“I’m going to head out,” he said softly, reaching down to cup her face. She tipped her head up to look at him. Their gazes connected and it set her skin on fire.
His palm was warm against her skin, his fingers rough against her cheek. He ran the pad of his thumb along the line of her chin, and it sent a shiver down her spine.
“I really want to kiss you,” he murmured.
“You do?” she breathed. God, she wanted that, too.
“But I’m not going to. Not until you’re ready to be kissed.”
Disappointment shot through her.
“Good night, Autumn,” he said, pressing his lips against her fevered brow. “Sweet dreams.”
Then he was gone and all she was left with was the burning memory of his lips on her skin.
“Stop laughing,” Autumn told her sister, as Lydia’s chuckles echoed over the phone line. “It’s not funny.”
“Sure it is. Only you would end up running the joint within weeks of arriving in a new town. They must have smelled it on you.”
“Smelled what?” Autumn frowned.
“The nice-girl vibes. You should have remembered what I told you. Never make eye contact. Never say yes. That’s the way to avoid responsibility.”
Autumn chewed her lip. “I must just have that kind of face.”
“A sucker face?”
The corner of Autumn’s lip quirked up. “Stop it.”
“Anyway, your run in with the town busybody isn’t what I’m interested in. Tell me more about this Griff guy.”
“There’s nothing more to tell. He’s my tenant, he’s become a friend, and he’s apparently commitment phobic.” Autumn sighed.
“According to his ex-girlfriend, who has an agenda,” Lydia pointed out. “And he’s hot. I saw his photo on Instagram.”
“How?”
“You were tagged in a photo on there. Didn’t you see it? A group of you all grinning around a fire pit. I’m guessing Griff is the hulk whose lap you were practically sitting on.”
Autumn grinned at her sister’s description of him. “The Hulk. I think he’d like that.”
“He’s gorgeous, Autumn. He looks like he eats lions for breakfast. Hell, if you’re not going to persue that, I might just have to fly in.”
“Who said I’m not going to?”
Lydia let out a whistle. “Does that mean you are?”
“It means I’m thinking.” And she had been all night. Ever since Griff had pressed his lips to her brow. She’d wanted to run her hands over his body, to feel those muscles that swelled and dipped, to touch his skin that always felt so warm.
“Maybe you should think a little less and do a little more,” Lydia suggested.
Maybe Lydia was right. Not that Autumn would ever tell her that.
“What’s stopping you from doing what you want?” Lydia continued.
“Well, there’s the fact that we kind of work together. And we both know mixing business and pleasure is never a good thing.” Autumn picked at a piece of lint on her shorts. “Then there’s my divorce. The ink is still wet on it. And everybody says you shouldn’t date for at least a year after.”
Lydia made a funny sound.
“Not to mention his ex who seems really keen on warning me off. Either she’s right and he really is a commitment phobe, or she’s crazy and I don’t want any part of that either.”
“And none of that matters if you keep it between two consenting adults, right?” Lydia asked. “Who cares if he doesn’t want a commitment? You don’t either. You said it yourself, you shouldn’t commit to anything serious so soon after your divorce. And anyway, you’re not planning on staying in town for long. What happens between you and him is nobody’s business but yours.”
“I guess…” Autumn pressed her lips together.
“He likes you, right?”
She thought about the way he looked at her last night. “I think so.”
“Stop being so modest. You know he does. Guys don’t dance with girls they don’t wanna bone.”
“You have such a way with words.” Autumn shook her head, amused.
“Thanks.”
“But you’re right. There’s a connection there. He looks at me the same way I look at him. And when we touch…”