Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 101398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
“Well then, congratulations. It’s a girl!”
It’s all I can do to get out a shaky, “Thank you,” and hang up the phone before stumbling through fallen leaves the rest of the way into Bennett’s studio. His coffee cup is forgotten, and if the dang thing wasn’t so expensive, I definitely would have left the laptop behind too.
As it is, I carry it just inside the door and ditch it as soon as I can. A leaf sticks to my bare foot, and I lean down to pull it off.
Like a lightning bolt, it hits me.
The leaves that’ve hit me in the face every time I’ve gone to Summer’s grave, the leaves at my feet, the leaf I just pulled away… Summer may be gone for now, but our sweet girl made sure to bring us the next season.
“Autumn,” I say, startling Bennett from his work as he notices my red-mottled skin and altogether rattled exterior for the first time.
“What? Jeez, Norah, are you okay? How long were you outside like that?” He rushes toward me, putting down his brushes and wiping his hands before pulling me into his arms and rubbing at mine vigorously to encourage more circulation.
“I’m fine. I’m good. Actually, I’m great. I…well, I stopped to take a phone call from the OB’s office.”
Bennett’s entire body freezes.
“They were calling to tell me that the genetic testing came back normal.” His eyes fall closed, and I swear I feel the sting of his tears in my own nose. “And they also told me it’s a girl.”
He pulls back slightly, his entire body rigid, but his blue eyes warm with emotion. “A girl?”
“A girl.” I smile through the tears that are now making their way down my cheeks. “And I want to name her Autumn.”
His voice is a whisper. “Norah.”
“This baby is a gift from Summer, Ben. I know it in my heart and soul. Our Summer brought us Autumn.”
Bennett nods, his throat no doubt too clogged to talk at first. When he finds the words, they’re noticeably raspy. “It’s perfect.”
His lips find mine, and I give in to the feeling I get every time they do. It’s comfort and happiness and right on the edge of passion. It’s the kind of kiss that you want to repeat over and over and over again for as long as you live.
I giggle softly when he finally pulls back, and his lips find my neck, working a line from my chin down to my collarbone. “I have to go make you a new cup of coffee. I left the first one out in the cold.”
He snorts, and the vibration of air is enough to make me tingle all the way to my toes. “Probably a good place for it.”
I guffaw. “Excuse me! I’ve gotten a lot better at coffee-making, I’ll have you know.”
He laughs. “Not better enough.”
“Fine, then. Get your own coffee, why don’t you?”
Bennett smiles. “I will. But I’m going to get something else first.” He lifts me up by the hips, and I gasp, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and my legs around his waist.
My heart races with excitement as he carries me to the drop cloth in front of his current work in progress and lays me down. Slowly and reverently, Bennett works his way from the top of my body to the bottom with his lips, worshiping every inch of exposed skin and pulling back my clothes to reveal the rest. I shiver once, but when the heater kicks on in the small space and Bennett removes my panties, I don’t feel cold anymore.
And then his lips seal over me between my legs, and the whole notion of being anything but incredibly hot ceases to exist.
“Ben,” I moan softly, letting my thighs fall open as much as I can so he has room to work. It’s not my natural inclination—normally, I’m a thigh-clencher—but I’ve been trying to work on it for the good of the reward.
I sink my fingertips into his hair as he swirls his tongue around my clit, and my back arches off the floor in silent applause. Over and over, he uses his tongue to stimulate my nerves, and I wriggle my back against the makeshift pallet restlessly. All that tension I released is back, but this time, it’s like the sting on Cupid’s bow, fighting for release.
Bennett’s groan of pleasure at my excitement vibrates against me, and in a blaze of glory, I come in a huge, overwhelming wave that arches my back off the floor.
It’s bliss.
The orgasm, the moment, but more than anything, the life this runaway bride with a dark secret managed to find.
Wednesday, June 9th
I wake up with a start and look toward the crib beside our bed. It’s empty and I sit up, utterly confused. My head whips toward Bennett’s side, but when I find that empty too, I crawl off the mattress and head out of our room.