Guarding Autumn

Autumn shook her head, her expression tormented. “I don’t understand any of this. You shipped out the morning after we slept together and never looked back.”

Oh, hell no. She did not get to accuse him of that shit. “I called and wrote you letters. You’re the one who never wanted to talk about it,” he said angrily.

“Keep your voice down.” She darted a worried glance behind him toward the hall.

With effort Gavin reined in his temper, but the frustration was killing him. Bubbling away under the surface like acid under his skin. “I tried bringing it up multiple times, and you shut me down on all of them. And how was I supposed to know how you really felt when I heard you moved on to someone else right after I left?”

Her flushed face went pale, her mouth pinching. “You were gone and weren’t coming back except when you got leave. So what did it matter?”

Because it crushed me. He held it back, but only because he didn’t feel like looking like a pathetic idiot. And she still hadn’t told him what the problem was at the root of all this. “And what about now?”

To his horror, she sucked in a shaky breath and started blinking fast.

Shit. He reached toward her. “Hey, don’t—”

“No. You don’t,” she accused, shooting to her feet and pulling away before he could touch her, glaring at him with tear-glazed eyes. “You don’t get to come back years later and disrupt the life I built, then move clear across the country and suddenly change our entire relationship when it suits you.”

He sat there in silence, absorbing her anger. He deserved it. And she deserved to have her say.

“I was right there, Gavin,” she said, shaking her head in frustration. “Right there the whole time for the past twelve years, raising Carly on my own, and all of a sudden out of the blue now you decide you want me?” She shook her head, threw up her hands. “No. I’ve got a long day ahead of me. I’m going to bed.” She started past him.

He was up and off the stool before she took another step, catching her by the arm and spinning her around to face him. Shock flashed in her eyes as he trapped her against the wall beside the refrigerator, his hands in her hair and the length of his body pinning her in place.

She stared up at him in stunned, breathless silence. The feel of her, all soft and curvy, had his blood pumping hot and fast, making him insane.

“You wanna know what’s changed?” he said, heart hammering, muscles locked up with the primal need she ignited in him. He was sick to death of her shutting him out and done with dancing around this. “When I came home and saw you last time, I finally realized what I’ve intuitively known all along.”

“W-what?” she whispered, searching her eyes.

“That you’re mine,” he bit out, the need ratcheting higher, pushing him to the edge of his control. “That you’ve always been mine.” She was right here with him finally, her sweet body cushioning his, pupils dilating in a way that couldn’t lie. Whether or not she was ready to admit it, she wanted him.

That was all he needed to know for now.

The final thread of restraint snapped, and he lowered his head to capture her mouth with his.