Pieces of Us - Carrie Elks Page 0,38

sexy shoes.

It would be so easy to lay here all night, to wake her up in the morning for a little more loving, then cook her breakfast before walking to work together.

I’m not looking for anything serious.

That was what she’d said. And she was right. He couldn’t offer her anything serious, even if he wanted to. He was a fuck up at relationships, his track record spoke to that. It was better for them both to keep this as fun.

And fun meant getting his things and going home before he got too used to her warm softness against him.

Griff pressed his lips against her temple. “Autumn.”

She let out a soft sigh and turned, nestling her head against his chest. He fought against the urge to wrap his arms around her and let himself fall asleep.

“Baby?”

Her eyelids flickered, then slowly opened. Her eyes were heavy with sleep, but as soon as they caught his, her lips curled into a smile. “Hey,” she said softly.

“Hey.” He smiled back at her. “I’m going to head on home.” He gently released her, then rolled over to grab his shorts, pulling them over his thick thighs.

She blinked, the smile slipping. “Of course.” She propped herself up on her elbows, the sheet barely covering her chest. “Let me get some clothes on. I’ll see you out.”

“You stay there. You look cozy.” He winked at her. “I’ll make sure nobody’s watching when I leave.”

Her cheeks were pink from sleep. God, she was adorable. “Okay.”

“Thanks for a great evening. And for the steak.” He pulled his shirt on. “I had a good time.”

“I did, too.” She licked her bottom lip, her eyes following his every move.

He pulled his jeans on, then his socks and shoes, before he leaned over to press his lips against hers. God, she tasted good. Too good. He wanted to strip everything back off and start all over again.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at the pier,” she said, a strange expression on her face.

“That you will.” Reluctantly, he pulled away. “Sleep tight, beautiful.”

“You too. Thank you for…” She gave a little chuckle. “For everything.”

It only took a moment for him to reach the front door. Another for him to pull it open and step outside. He closed it gently, checking to make sure it was locked behind him, then he breathed in a lungful of air and headed down the beach toward his condo building.

He didn’t want anything serious. And neither did she. So why did it feel so damn hard to walk away from her?

13

Leaning back on the rickety desk chair she’d inherited along with the pier office, Autumn took off her reading glasses, and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. She’d spent most of the morning on her laptop, researching her idea of holding weddings and events on the pier. The afternoon was filled with writing up costs and investigating all the boring things like insurance and permits that made her want to pull her eyelashes out one by one.

And of course her gaze kept flicking up to the window that looked out over the end of the pier. Griff’s boat had been gone when she’d arrived at work that morning, making for an early start on a corporate team building event. Her chest felt all fluttery every time she looked to see if the boat was back, and when it wasn’t, she felt a strange sense of disappointment wash over her.

She was being stupid. She’d told him she didn’t want anything serious, and he’d made it clear he felt the same when he left her last night to sleep in his own bed. It was supposed to be fun, with a little sprinkling of friendship on the side. Yet here she was, staring at a bit of empty dock like a lovesick teenager.

At five o’clock she walked down the pier to the beach, and headed over to Déjà Brew to order a coffee, just to give herself something else to think about. Ally smiled and waved as soon as she walked through the door, pointing at the medium sized cup. “Your usual?” she asked.

“I’ll have a large one,” Autumn told her. “I think I need it.”

“Late night?” Ally asked, as she filled the filter with coffee then banged it against the machine.”

For a moment, Autumn thought about spilling her guts and telling her everything. But what was there to tell? She’d had hot sex with the guy she hadn’t been able to get out of her mind, then he