Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Roth's gaze raked over Autumn's form, partially inspecting her condition to see if he needed to follow through with his suggestion to carry her. Even knowing Nick would likely have something to say if he were to walk outside and see his sister in Roth's arms didn't stop Roth from considering it.

He saw the question building in her eyes, wondering why he hadn't simply used the valet services. His reason was a longer discussion he'd rather not have. It wasn't just about him maintaining control over his own vehicle. But, he'd prefer if he didn't have to discuss it.

"I don't understand, Roth. You didn't valet?"

"I don't know how to say it any plainer, Sugar. I didn't hand my keys over to a stranger. I parked in the lot over there and walked to the door in less time than it would've taken me to wait in the line for them to get to me."

"Strangers? Roth, those kids are local. I recognized more than a couple of them. There's no way they aren't familiar to you."

"Doesn't matter if they look familiar. I don't know them." Releasing a huffing breath, he held his arms slightly away from his body with his palms facing Autumn. "Now... Back to my original question. Do you need me to carry you, or can you manage in those things?"

Looking pointedly from her shoes to her face, Roth waited a beat for her to respond. When she simply tilted her head to one side, he made an executive decision. His desire to get away from the event overruled his good sense. Closing the distance between them, he had her swung up in his arms bridal style before she could form her response.

"Roth!" Her exclamation was a cross between a gasping protest and a scandalized squeak.

"What? You were takin' too long. Besides, those sky-high skinny heels have gotta be hell on your feet."

Long strides took them farther away from the community center and closer to his truck. He might've fudged a little when he indicated where he'd parked. Because parking was blocked off for valet use, he'd actually left his Dually in the lot behind the one used by the event. So, if he hadn't scooped her into his arms, she would've cursed him out once she realized how far away it was.

Roth allowed his gaze to travel over their surroundings protectively while patently refusing to look at her. He was certain Autumn was staring at him, because he felt the weight of it boring into him.

"My legs work perfectly fine, Rothschild Stephens. And, my shoes are actually very comfortable. A quality shoe in the correct size doesn't cause foot pain."

Biting back his automatic response about how perfectly fine her legs were, Roth focused on her statement regarding her shoes.

"You sound like Ryker when he talks about spending money on a good pair of boots."

"You should listen to us. Your brother knows boots, and I know women's shoes."

Grunting as a form of reply, Roth didn't contradict her assertion. He was too busy trying to talk his cock out of plumping in his pants once her soft fingertips brushed the back of his neck when she draped her arms around his shoulders to hold on. The action made him wish he'd gotten out of the habit of cutting his hair so short, instead of letting it grow.

Roth's predicament was the torture of his own making. He could've very well asked her to stay at the doorway while he went to get his truck. But, he didn't like the idea of her waiting outside at night. Despite the valets and others being around, he didn't think it was the safest option.

However, holding her in his arms was a slice of heaven wrapped in hell. Because, having Autumn's plush curves molding to his body was exquisite. Heavenly. Knowing he probably wouldn't and shouldn't act on anything his cock suggested was the hell. And it was excruciating.

When he finally stopped beside his dual cab pickup truck, he was reluctant to set Autumn back on her feet. A soft breeze brushed across his neck as she spoke.

"Roth?"

"Hm?"

"Why did you stop?"

"Because this is my truck."

"Oh." Silence reigned between them for a few moments before she spoke again. "Are you gonna put me down?"

No. I don't want to. The words flashed across his mind, but he didn't utter them aloud. His grip tightened reflexively before he forced himself to bend his knees and lower her heeled feet to the asphalt.

The thanks she murmured was soft, but Roth didn't miss the hitch in her voice. Finally, he was unable to stop himself from looking at her face again. Her beautiful, brown eyes were so dark they appeared bottomless. Her full lips seemed to form a slight pout, but it could've been his imagination.

It took him a solid minute to remember himself and unlock the door. When her hand landed on the handle, Roth was unable to contain the grumbling growl. Autumn snatched her fingers back as her gaze snapped to his.

"Did you just growl at me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, but why was your hand on that door? You know better."

Before she could gear up to give him shit about it, he opened the door and held out his hand.

"Come on, Sugar. I'll help you in."

Although he'd braced himself to withstand having her soft hand in his again, he still nearly closed his eyes after she accepted his assistance. Brushing past him lightly, she held onto him as she stepped onto the running board before climbing into the truck.

It wasn't strictly necessary, but he transferred his hold to her back and thigh to help her slide onto the seat. Mistake. A big one. Not monumental, but a mistake nonetheless. His only consolation was that her soft inhale told him he wasn't the only one to feel it.

"Thank you." Leaning away, Autumn's gratitude was spoken so softly he would've missed if he weren't so close.

As if it was a well-practiced routine, Roth tugged at the safety belt, stretching it across her torso, clicking it into the buckle. As he pulled away, he couldn't stop himself from inhaling her tempting scent. Capturing the aroma, he stepped back, closing the door. As he rounded the front of the truck, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

He had one hand on the driver's side door and the other held the phone when he looked at the incoming call. Shit. It was Nick. Heaving a sigh, he answered as he continued to get into the vehicle.

"Yeah."

"Don't yeah me." Nick's voice was a barely audible strained whisper. Roth frowned as he tried to hear what his friend was saying.

"How the fuck did you let Autumn talk you into dropping 100K? Never mind. I don't want to know. But why did y'all skip out and leave me by myself?"

Ignoring Nick's question, Roth asked one of his own. "Why are you whispering?"

"Because...Since y'all skipped out and left me, I'm in the bathroom hiding from my own damn mama. She's being extra pushy with the introducing me to single women and hinting around that I should bid on someone. And I don't have a shield, because y'all Fucking. Left . Me ."

He really shouldn't have, but Roth couldn't hold back his laughter at Nick's distress. Pressing the button to start the engine, he waited a beat for the call to automatically connect before he spoke again. Glancing at Autumn, he caught the confusion in her expression.

"Number one, we didn't leave you. How were we supposed to know you wanted to cut out? You left us first, remember?"

"Stop bringing up old stuff and—Hold on."

Autumn clamped her hand over her mouth in an attempt to stem her giggles when they heard Nick apparently responding to his mother knocking on the bathroom door.

"Yes, ma'am. I'll be right out. I just need to wash my hands." His voice was low again when he hissed, "See! She's standing outside the door like I'm four-years-old instead of forty-one. I'm gonna get both of y'all for this."

He paused briefly when Autumn couldn't contain her laughter. The rich sound of her glee filled the cabin of Roth's truck. Instead of joining in, Roth simply stared at her. She was even more beautiful when she laughed.

"You know what?" Nick started up again. "Since y'all think this is funny, I'm gonna tell mama y'all snuck off together. She'll be blowing up your phone first thing in the morning trying to get details, Tum."

When Roth chuffed at his threat, Nick added, "Oh, don't think you're getting off the hook Mr-I-don't-leave-my-ranch. You'll be getting more frequent dinner invitations. As a matter of fact, I'm gonna tell your mama too."

Roth's gaze shot to Autumn's. Her laughter had dried up and she returned his stare. One corner of her bottom lip was caught between her teeth.

"You're too late. My mama already knows we left together. She volunteered to let your parents know I'm escorting Autumn home, to keep them from worrying. So, you'll have to come up with a better plan."

"You know what?" Nick huffed. However, he didn't add to his sentence or answer his own question. Instead, he ended the call.

Breaking away from Autumn's expressive eyes, Roth secured his own safety belt, put the truck into gear and navigated the vehicle out of the parking lot. Once Nick ended the call, the system automatically switched to the radio.

The distinct sound of Zane Rivers' voice came from the speakers as he sang about missing out on love. The song was a slight departure from Tremor's normal stuff, but something about the words caught Roth's attention. Primarily keeping his focus on the road, he shot a quick glance at Autumn when she began humming along to the melody.

"I can turn it up, if you like." The offer popped out without Roth's mouth consulting with his brain.

"Are you saying you don't want to hear my off-key humming?"

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips at the false insult he detected in her tone.

"Sugar, I don't care if your voice is so bad it would crack glass. I just thought you liked the song and might want me to turn it up for you."

"Mhm."

Roth's grin grew after he saw the cute little twist of her lips when she responded, knowing she was pretending to be offended by his cracked glass comment. One thing which appeared to still be true about Autumn was that she loved music. While she was good at many things, singing wasn't one of them. But, he didn't want her to feel like she couldn't enjoy a song or sing aloud whenever she wanted.

Taking a left turn onto the sparsely lit four lane road leading toward his ranch, Roth hazarded another glance at Autumn. Her arms were folded across her middle while she looked out the window. Reaching over, he tugged on her left arm until she unfolded both. His fingers glided from her elbow to her wrist before he folded her hand into his.

"Hey. I didn't mean to make you self-conscious. You didn't have to stop singing."

"You didn't. The song is over."

He'd been so focused on her, he hadn't really noticed the music shifting to a different band.

"Huh. I guess you're right."

They rode in silence for a little while, but Roth didn't feel any pressure to fill it. Autumn seemed to be of the same mind as she didn't initiate any conversation. It wasn't until he was nearing the turn off to the Lazy Creek did she speak up.

"Roth?"

He glanced at her in response.

"Where are you taking me?"

Until she'd asked, he'd been on auto-pilot. He'd even started to slow down in preparation for turning onto the private road leading to his ranch.

"Shit, Sugar. I forgot to ask where you were staying while you're here."

Humor coated her words. "So, I take that to mean you were taking me home with you?"

She was laughing, but her question sent a jolt straight to his cock. Gritting his teeth and redirecting his thoughts, Roth tried to shake it off.

"I was definitely heading to my place."

"Just because you dropped six figures doesn't mean you can get handsy with me, Rothschild Stephens."

Roth tilted his head slightly, wondering if he was hearing what he thought he heard. Was Autumn flirting with him ? He'd never be able to explain why he did and said what he did next.

"Are you sure about that, Sugar?"

Her hand was still engulfed by his, so he tangled their fingers together. Then, using his thumb, he traced an abstract design on her thigh. While her dress was a barrier between the blunt tip of his digit and her soft skin, it wasn't a deterrent.

Releasing a soft gasp, Autumn's fingers gripped his, but she didn't attempt to move his hand away from her leg.