Chapter 14

Chapter

Fourteen

Jarom finally forced himself to pull away from Autumn’s luscious mouth. Mostly because he felt bad for their bodyguard and he felt her shiver in his arms. They were both wet and the sun wasn’t quite warm enough to counteract the chill. Autumn’s incredible kisses and simply having her close had him hot from head to toe. Did she feel the same? Had those kisses changed her life? He was certain they had for him. He’d known Autumn was the woman he should’ve been searching for within a few hours of meeting her. The kisses were blissful, heaven on earth, and they solidified the magical golden path he walked every moment he spent with Autumn. Golden like her eyes.

How could he ensure she felt the same? She was his right fit, but he had to make sure he was the right man for her.

No matter his concerns, he walked on clouds and stared at her like a besotted fool as she picked up her gun, he slid into the boots and grabbed his plaid shirt, and they sauntered back to Chad. Was it only his imagination that the tough, untouchable Autumn Cardon had stars in her eyes as well?

They headed along the forested trail toward the main house. The cowboy boots weren’t dry for long. They both squelched and dripped back to the house. It made him laugh, and Autumn laughed with him.

At the moment, he didn’t care when Benjamin Oliver was caught. He didn’t care that he wasn’t the one running his businesses. Being in Autumn’s care wasn’t stifling like his other bodyguards. He was more free, happy, and fulfilled than he’d ever been, and he would praise Aiden Porter for bringing Autumn into his life and his heart.

Mama Millie scolded them, gently, and they had to wrap in towels and leave their shoes and socks in the laundry room. Jarom was on a high. Autumn had kissed him, said she trusted him, said he protected her, and she hadn’t even hit him. He’d take repeated punches for more kisses like that.

Back in his room, he showered, dressed in the standard cowboy gear, and used the small bottle of his cologne on his bathroom counter. The clothes still felt stiff and not like his own, but at least he smelled like himself. His Confident Man Cologne had been quietly delivered by Walker Coleville last night. He smiled to himself and tried to think how to let the man know how much he appreciated the gesture.

As he left his room, he was surprised Autumn wasn’t in the hallway yet. He heard her voice inside her room. He didn’t wait long for her door to swing open. She was talking on the phone, but she gave him a generous smile and tilted her head toward downstairs. He nodded and couldn’t resist placing his hand on the small of her back to escort her. She smiled sweetly up at him, her unique eyes warm as molten gold .

Autumn … sweet? He didn’t want her to change for him, even if he’d offered to give up his fame for her, but he loved that she seemed to be opening up to and softening for him. The sweetness seemed as inherent as her tough sass. Maybe she only showed it to him? He liked that theory.

The problem with his offer of giving up social media and fame was if he tried to go off the media grid, the entertainment reporters and social media influencers might go insane trying to find him. It might create more of a media frenzy. She hadn’t responded well to that idea anyway.

It sounded like she was talking to Aiden Porter about some information his former friend and guard Garrett had given about Benjamin Oliver. Even if Jarom relished his current situation because of Autumn, capturing Benjamin was imperative for so many people’s safety and happiness. If they took the man down, not only would Jarom have freedom, but Benjamin’s son and daughters and their spouses would be safe and free at last.

Autumn gestured to the computer, and he understood. He could check his email and deal with work stuff while she finished her phone call. He logged in and started typing quickly, responding to as many questions and concerns as he could. It was tough to not be there, but he wouldn’t give up this time with Autumn for anything. He was placing far too much responsibility and tasks on Isabella and his CEOs and managers of different companies. He’d have to do something nice for all of them.

Thinking of that gave him an idea. When this was all over, he’d have a huge gift basket sent to Mama Millie and Papa Jared, Easton, and Chad, but he had an idea for Walker and Marci, something he could accomplish right now, seeing how they’d generously helped him get his regular cologne. He Googled the zip code of Coleville, Montana and asked the manager of his cologne company to ship the largest gift box of Confident Man Cologne to Walker Coleville in Coleville, Montana. He told the man not to worry about an address; the town was small enough they’d find Walker.

Satisfied with that, he realized he couldn’t hear Autumn’s voice any longer. Whipping around, he couldn’t see her either. He’d dealt with the fires at work. He should respond to the texts and phone calls from various women he’d dated or flirted with, let them all down easily. Should he tell them he’d fallen in love? He smiled at his own exuberance. He had fallen in love, but there was no commitment yet.

He was ready to work on securing a commitment, and he wanted to find Autumn. The texts could wait. He stood and searched for sound or movement. There were quiet voices down the hallway. He eased closer to the arched doorway and could faintly overhear Easton saying, “Autumn, come on. You’re the top female bodyguard and most alluring woman in the world. You can’t be serious about Jarom. I mean, he’s a super nice person, but he’s a cream puff. You need the manliest of men to keep you happy.”

Jarom had heard similar words about himself before. He normally laughed about such evaluations, confident in his own skin. Not right now. What if Autumn agreed that she needed a manly man like the cowboy? His stomach turned over and his muscles all tightened.

“Oh, is that so?” Autumn’s voice carried easier. She must be facing the office. It bothered him that there was laughter in her voice.

Jarom’s hopes and heart took a hit. She wasn’t defending him. She was laughing at Easton’s words and flirting with the cowboy.

“And who is the manliest of men?” Autumn asked in that same teasing tone.

Jarom could imagine Easton easing closer. Maybe he wasn’t as tough as Easton, but Autumn had kissed Jarom, he made her feel safe, he’d rescued her from the cold lake, but most importantly, he was falling in love with her. He would fight for her, in a way he’d never fought for a woman, and pray he could show how deeply invested he was in her and prove to her he wasn’t a cream puff. He moved to the entrance of the office so he could view them more clearly. Easton’s broad back was to him.

“I think you already know that answer, beautiful,” Easton said.

He bent down to kiss her.

Jarom charged across the space. For the moment, he was a lover and a fighter. He wasn’t going to diffuse the situation but start a confrontation.

Autumn flipped Easton away from her and onto his back. The man groaned and stared up at her.

Jarom slid to a stop.

Autumn glanced over at him, her cheeks red and her golden eyes flashing. She made no excuses. “Don’t try to kiss me again,” she warned Easton.

The cowboy popped to his feet and smiled broadly as if this were all a game. “That was impressive, and a bit painful.” He rubbed at his lower back. “Can you teach me?”

Jarom’s head was filling with a heat he’d never felt in his life. “I challenge you to a sparring match,” he flung at Easton. “In my defense and in Autumn’s honor.”

Autumn and Easton both looked at him like he had horns growing out of his head. He was acting completely unlike himself, but Autumn was a big deal and he wasn’t going to back down.

“Jarom.” Autumn shook her head. “That’s very sweet, but he will annihilate you.”

Easton smirked and folded his brawny arms across his chest. “Easily, bruh.”

“We’ll never know if you’re too much of a ‘cream puff’ to try,” Jarom flung at the cowboy.

Easton’s eyebrows rose, and his skin darkened as he realized Jarom had overheard his words. “I apologize, man. I was just trying to …”

“I know what you were trying to do. And I pride myself on not getting baited into fights, but I need to stand up for Autumn and for myself.” Jarom had never been so confrontational in his life. Would the defensive skills Eli taught him even help, or was he about to make a fool of himself in front of Autumn?

“I really don’t want to hurt you,” Easton said. “That’s the opposite of how we treat our protection details.”

Easton didn’t believe Jarom was any kind of threat. He’d show him. He hoped.

“Jarom, it’s fine,” Autumn hastened to add. “I already knocked him down. He didn’t mean anything by the cream puff comment.”

Jarom’s pride was injured, and he was annoyed. He was trying to gallantly stand up for his lady and she didn’t seem to care or believe in him.

“It’s not fine,” he insisted. He focused on Easton, fixing a challenging gaze on the man that he hoped would make him throw a punch right now. “Are you too afraid to fight me? ”

Easton shook his head. “Fine, bruh.” He raised his hands. “It’s your funeral. No shame in tapping out though.”

“I hope you remember that when I dismantle you,” Jarom shot back. He wasn’t certain if he liked this new fiery side of himself or if he was giving in to base anger and would regret it later. Probably the latter. He dealt with confrontational boardrooms and negotiated multi-million dollar deals without breaking a sweat. Right now, he was frustrated and indignant and refused to back down.

He didn’t look at Autumn as he turned and strode toward the front door.

Autumn and Easton followed. He could imagine they were exchanging looks and he even saw Easton lift his palms as if to say, ‘who knows what’s gotten into the cream puff?’

He would show them. He would prove to Autumn that he was a manly man.

Please let me not make a fool of myself and more important, please let me win her heart, he prayed.