Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Autumn smiled at Clay while shaking her head. Despite having told her Grandma Hattie not to bother, the woman had sent him over with the package they'd spoken about earlier. She really wished she hadn't bothered. Just as Clay was telling her the instructions her grandma had given him, Autumn heard the sounds of an All-Terrain Vehicle. Roth and the hands used them to get around on the ranch.

Seeing him approaching, she felt her cheeks lift with the smile taking over her face. With a short wave, she turned her attention back to the package Clay presented to her. Accepting it, Autumn tucked it under her arm, thanking him again. The words had no sooner left her lips than Roth was standing beside her slipping an arm around her waist.

The kiss he planted on her lips was accompanied by his normal greeting.

"Evenin', Sugar."

Flicking those honey-colored eyes toward Clay he looked back at her. "I didn't know we were having company."

To his credit, Clay took a step back when Roth approached. Autumn's internal head shake spilled over into the real world as she stared up at Roth. This man...

"Roth, this is Clay. He works as a ranch hand at Sunset. Grandma Hattie asked him to drop off a package that came in the mail for me today."

Either oblivious or genuinely a sweet guy, Clay extended a hand to Roth.

"Nice to meet you, sir. I've met a few of your guys around town. They have nothing but good things to say about you."

While Roth accepted the handshake, his only response sounded like more of a grunt. In response, Clay cleared his throat. He looked at Autumn before quickly averting his gaze to Roth, then the floorboards between his feet.

"Well, uh. Ma'am. Like I said. Your Grandma Hattie thought you should have that sooner rather than later. I need to get back and grab a little chow before the rest of the fellas eat it all."

In a very old-fashioned move, Clay placed two fingers at the brim of his hat, tipping it toward her. Flicking a quick glance at Roth, he mumbled, "Mr. Stephens."

"Thank you again, Clay."

Autumn waved to him as he turned to leave the porch. With the package still clamped under one arm, she used the fingertips of the other hand to tap Roth's forearm. The second Clay was inside his pickup, beginning to back away from the house, she looked up at Roth.

She was quite certain the frown on her face was clear, but the indulgent look on his face said he viewed her expression as more of a pout. Narrowing her eyes, she poked him in the chest.

"There was no reason for you to be so rude to him. He was only doing what my granny asked him to do. And, he was very respectful."

Roth grabbed her fingers in one hand, bringing them to his lips then kissing them.

"I wasn't rude, Sugar. I never said a word to him."

She thought her scoffing head shake adequately conveyed her disagreement with his assessment of the situation. Rotating in his half embrace, she pulled away to enter the house.

"That's the rude part, Roth. He was polite and complimentary and you never actually spoke to him. I got the feeling he would've liked to come work for you, if you were hiring."

Walking through the door while Roth held it open for her, Autumn removed the package from beneath her arm, giving a cursory glance to the return address. Fortune Innovations, in bold typeset, was written above the physical address of their corporate offices in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"Just because I didn't show him all thirty-two of my teeth doesn't make me rude. Besides, I'm not hiring at the moment. Even if I was, I wouldn't poach anyone from Sunset."

Stopping in the foyer next to the sofa table against the right wall, Autumn gave Roth a half smile.

"That's nice of you, but I don't know that it's necessary. My dad and Uncle Clint have been talking about getting rid of the rest of the livestock and leasing larger sections of the land. None of us kids want to run a ranch, and they don't either."

Placing the unopened package on the sofa table, she faced him, loosely folding her arms across her middle.

"Honestly, they've probably only let it go this long because Grandma Hattie doesn't want to leave, and it makes her feel useful to go out checking on things and cooking the occasional meal for guys."

Standing just inside the door, Roth toed off his boots before picking them up. She'd learned during her short extended overnight stays... Was that what she was calling what they were doing? Anyway. Autumn noticed during her time there, if he'd been working with the hands, he usually entered the house through a mudroom where he left his boots. He only came in through the front when there was a visitor on his porch.

His dark honey gaze was trained on her while he completed his task. Looking past her to the table, he returned his eyes to hers.

"You aren't going to open that?"

A jerky head shake was Autumn's initial response.

"Why not?"

"Because I have a good idea of what it is and I'm on sabbatical. Which means, I don't do anything related to Fortune Innovations."

They'd spoken some about her return to Lone Star Ridge, but she'd only scratched the surface of her reasons for taking time off. Beyond stating she was burned out and needed a breather, there was no mention of the particulars which had brought her to that point.

Thankfully, Roth hadn't pressed. Just like she hadn't pressed him for more details surrounding his decision to leave the military. He was forthcoming whenever she asked, but Autumn didn't push. She was aware there were things he'd never be able to tell her about that time in his life. The scars on his shoulder and leg told part of the story for him, but she was certain there was much more. However, the arrival of the mystery package from Fortune had made their tacit agreement moot.

"So, being on sabbatical means you don't even open your mail? What if it's important?"

Lifting a single eyebrow, Autumn looked from Roth's confused expression to the object of their discussion atop the mahogany table.

"If it's important, they should probably consult one of the other twenty or thirty odd attorneys employed there."

While Autumn was aware she was damn good at her job, there were other competent lawyers on Fortune's payroll. Normally, she would've ripped the envelope open the second it was handed to her. Most people who knew her were aware of her penchant for getting on top of an issue and solving the problem. Which was likely why Roth was confused.

But part of what she'd been working on before she took time away from work, was setting boundaries and sticking to them. Not being in communication with anyone at Fortune regarding work was a boundary she'd clearly stated when she'd submitted her paperwork to Human Resources.

Shrugging, she looked back to see Roth had advanced farther into the house. He was much closer than he was a moment before. It was only when he was within a few inches of where she stood that he stopped. Still holding his boots in one hand, he trailed his fingertips from her shoulder down her arm before wrapping them around her wrist.

"It's not like you to avoid things, Sugar."

"I'm not avoiding anything. At worst I'm refusing to do someone else's job for them."

What she didn't say to Roth was she highly suspected the package was from Flint Childers and she didn't even know how he knew which address to use. Her personal assistant was the only one she'd shared her physical location with. And Rachel detested Flint Childers.

Squeezing her wrist, he waited until she tilted her chin upwards to drop a kiss on her lips.

"If you say so. I'm gonna go shower before dinner." Standing to his full height, one corner of his lips lifted in a sort of smile. "Wanna join me?"

Knowing what he was asking, Autumn returned his half grin with a full one.

"That's why I'm here, remember? You invited me to dinner. Well, it was more of a demand, but we can agree to disagree on that one."

It was hard to stifle her giggle when he tightened his hold tugging her until her front was flush with his.

"You know damn well I'm not talking about dinner. You're determined to get your ass spanked aren't you?"

Wide eyes met his. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Mr. Stephens. I simply answered your question."

"Is that so?" The full octave drop in his voice should've been a clue, but Autumn kept up her routine.

"Yes. You said you were going to take a shower before dinner. The dinner you invited me to. So, I don't know why you'd ask me if I'd want to join you. It's the whole reason I'm here."

The thud of Roth's boots landing on the curved edge of the bottom step was louder than Autumn felt was completely necessary. She was powerless to control her startled jump, which put her firmly against his hard body. Placing her hands on his chest, she reared back. But, it was too late.

Roth's strong arms wrapped around her holding her against his thick frame. She was never more aware of his physical size than when he held her that way. Roth didn't so much as grunt when she suddenly leaned into him. One large hand cupped her ass while the other cradled her back between her shoulder blades.

"Is this what we're doing, Sugar? Telling fibs?"

The space between his words and when Autumn's world tilted upside down was miniscule. She couldn't definitively say he didn't squeeze her ass before tossing her over his shoulder, because it happened so quickly. The trip up the stairs was quick as she balanced herself with her arms extended and her hands pressed into his lower back.

His very firm ass was less than an inch away from her fingertips. The second they came to a complete stop, she took advantage of the proximity, giving a smack to one rounded cheek.

"That's for manhandling me."

An explanation wasn't required, but the words flew from Autumn's mouth as she delivered a firm tap to the other cheek. Couldn't have it feel left out. She should've been able to predict Roth's response, but she still yelped when her treatment of his posterior was returned. When the slap to her right ass cheek was immediately followed by one to her left, she screeched.

"Ow! No fair. Your hands are bigger than mine."

Not the best argument she could've made, but it was the one Autumn had.

"You should've thought of that before you decided to get sassy."

Setting her on her feet, Roth kept one arm around her while he reached into the shower to flick on the water. His natural scent mixed with the smell of the outdoors. Amazingly, she didn't find it unpleasant. In fact, she inhaled deeply to take it in before he washed it away.

Once the sound of water bouncing off tiles filled the room, Roth gave her his full attention again. His hand at her nape encouraged her onto her tiptoes to receive his kiss. He'd get zero objection from Autumn. She always seemed to be on a low simmer when it came to him.

Buttons were abused, and clothing stretched and ripped in their haste to get undressed. It was as if turning on the water had been tantamount to opening the gate allowing the bucking bull and rider to enter the arena. Limbs flailed, grasped and groped in an effort to reveal skin to join them together.

In a matter of seconds, they were inside the shower with her back pressed against the wall as Roth held her up, impaling her on his thickness. Sparring via text had started their foreplay. They picked it up in the foyer. So, very little preparation was needed for her to be ready to receive him.

"Fuck, Sugar. You're so hot. So tight. You take my cock like you were made for it."

"Roth!"

Autumn was consumed with desire. His name was the only word she could push past her lips. He filled her so completely she was a massive bundle of nerves—simply feeling. When he angled them so that he could take her nipple into his mouth, she nearly came undone. Combining breast play with the precision strokes he delivered to her pussy was too much.

She lasted longer than the storied eight seconds of a bull rider, but it was safe to say they'd both won this round. As Autumn's body went rigid, her channel undulated around Roth's dick coating it in her essence. Her screams bounced off the tiled walls before he swallowed them with his kisses, feeding her his responding groans.

Soon after her climax, Roth joined her in bliss. With one final, firm thrust, he buried himself inside her to the hilt, releasing his seed. His grinding movement at the location where they were joined, rubbed Autumn's clit just right, triggering a second orgasm.

"Fuck, Roth!"

"That's it, Sugar. Give it all to me."

Roth's encouragements were the last words to reach Autumn through a haze. The second climax was so powerful, she nearly passed out. Holding on to consciousness by a thread, she watched him from half lowered lids. Placing her on the built-in bench on the far end of the shower, he cleaned himself before returning to perform the same for her. Eventually, they made it downstairs to eat the dinner he'd invited her to share with him.