took the bait. “Just say when.”
Chapter 3
L.J. couldn’t remember the last time he had been this entertained. Seated between Yvette and Autumn, he couldn’t have asked for better dinner companions. Yvette, who reminded him of his sister, Kellianne, was the exemplary round-the-way girl. She embraced everything from the raunchy lyrics of The Notorious B.I.G. to the well-regarded poetry of Langston Hughes. Autumn, who sat to his right and dazzled him in her papaya-colored dress and sparkly crystal earrings, was utterly enchanting and had the girl-next-door thing down to a science.
L.J. had spent so much time hamming it up with the two women he had scarcely tasted the three-course dinner. With dessert coming to an end, he was ready to call it a night. It had been a long day and although he was having an awesome time with Yvette and Autumn, his body was screaming out for sleep. He had arrived in Washington late last night, awakened at dawn, put in a full eight-hour day at his uncle’s farm and then come straight to the engagement party. If he didn’t get some shut-eye soon, he’d be sleeping in his bowl of piña colada pudding.
L.J. hated skipping out so early—it wasn’t even ten o’clock, but he was struggling to stay awake. He was nodding at everything coming out of Yvette’s mouth, but he had been sleeping with his eyes open for the last half hour. When Autumn turned to him and asked if he was having a good time, L.J. forced himself to focus. Maybe I’m not as sleepy as I thought, he decided as he responded to her question. He wasn’t going anywhere until he’d had the dance Autumn had promised him earlier.
L.J.’s chance to dance with Autumn came ten minutes later. When the bridal party was summoned to the dance floor to join Melissa and Peter, L.J. shot to his feet and helped Autumn out of her chair. Praying the DJ would play a slow tune so he could hold her in his arms, he led her out to the dance floor. He draped his arms around her sinewy waist as the familiar melody of “Always and Forever” filled the room. L.J. inhaled her aromatic, fruity perfume as their bodies came together. Autumn felt even better than he had imagined. Silky. Delicate. All woman. She had curves like a twisting road and each shift of her generous hips made his pulse soar. And that wasn’t the only part of his body rising. A bashful man would have pulled away to conceal his body’s reaction, but not L.J. He drew Autumn closer. The feel of her soft flesh under his hands made his entire body yearn for the taste of her lips.
L.J. prided himself on being a man of conviction. When he made a decision he stuck to it. But he was also man enough to admit when he was wrong. And he had been dead wrong about Autumn. After she had rebuffed him and sprinted over to her car, L.J. had labeled her a snob. He had grouped her with all the other stuck-up women he had ever met in Washington. But when he had returned to his uncle’s house, and caught sight of his gruesome reflection in one of the hallway mirrors, he’d staggered back in shock. He looked like he’d been sloshing around in a pigpen. Dirt and mud coated his clothes, grease stains masked his face and he smelled like spoiled meat. No wonder Autumn had recoiled when he’d asked for her name!
Autumn closed her eyes. Resting her head on his shoulder, she decided this was heaven. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this good in a man’s arms. For the past two years she had fortified her second virginity better than a Brink’s truck and had subsequently limited all physical contact with the opposite sex. No hugs. No intimate touches. And no dancing. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed the comforting touch of a man’s hands until L.J.’s fingers caressed her back.
What are you doing? Have you forgotten rules ten and eleven? Autumn lifted her head as swiftly as she’d let it fall. She didn’t know L.J. from Adam but here she was getting up close and personal with him on the dance floor. She disregarded the questioning looks from her friends, but inched back anyways. The last thing she needed was word getting back to her parents that she had been grinding on the dance floor with some stranger. Her parents were vacationing in Martinique and wouldn’t be back for several weeks, which gave Autumn ample time to prepare for the inescapable showdown with her mother. Evelyn would raise Cain when she learned her daughter wasn’t going to be the next Mrs. Wellman. Autumn could only hope that Evelyn would respect the decision she had made.
When the soothing sounds of Motown were replaced with a thunderous hip-hop beat, Autumn left the sanctuary of L.J.’s arms. He placed a hand on the small of her back, and then steered her over to the dessert table. “Do you want something to drink?” he asked, his breath brushing against her ear like a kiss.
Warmed by his heat, she said, “Something cold would be nice.”
“Soda all right?”
“Yes, thanks.”
While they drank, they watched a group of teenagers flaunt the latest dance moves. They moved with the fluency and ease of trained dancers and reminded Autumn just how out of touch she was with the younger generation. She was still in her twenties, but seeing what was “in,” made her feel like she was one birthday cake away from ninety.
“Would you like to go outside?” L.J. asked, realizing it was going to be impossible for them to talk over the ear-shattering music. “A stroll outside will do us some good.” L.J. had been sharing her all night, and was eager to have her to himself. When she hesitated, he added, “I promise not to bite. That is, unless you want me to.”
Autumn laughed off his remark. He’s joking, right? “All right, I’ll come but don’t try anything funny.”
Now, it was L.J.’s turn to laugh.
She curved her fingers around the arm he offered. The chilly evening breeze nipped at Autumn’s bare shoulders as they emerged from behind the tent walls. Her teeth chattered as she rubbed her hands over her chilled arms.
“If you need an extra set of hands, mine are free,” L.J. said, holding them up for her to see.
Autumn laughed. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered.” She untied the knitted shawl from around her waist, slung it around her shoulders and stepped back into line with him.
White, cylinder-shape lanterns hung from the tent to the patio and miniature glass bowls with floating candles surrounded the swimming pool. A handful of other couples were roaming around, taking pleasure in the spectacular sunset. The sky was blanketed in a dashing orange hue with streaks of magenta in the backdrop.
“What part of Mississippi are you from?” Autumn asked as they rounded the corner and made their way deeper into the backyard.
“Vicksburg. Also known as the Red Carpet City of the South. But aside from some restored historic museums and centennial homes, the city doesn’t have much to offer. After graduating from Mississippi State University back in ’95, I decided to try my luck in Atlanta, and I’ve been there ever since.”
“And how is the ATL treating you?”
Autumn surveyed L.J. with critical eyes, wondering if everything Melissa had told her about him was true. How could a man with his looks and remarkable personal success still be single at thirty-five? Over the course of dinner, she had discovered that Larry Jeremiah Saunders was every bit as delightful as he appeared to be. He had impressed her with his knowledge of world history, his diverse tastes in literature and music, and his witty sense of humor. When he spoke, he instantly commanded the attention and respect of people around him. He was just that fascinating. Were the women in Atlanta blind? Or is he hiding something? Maybe he has a fetish for wearing women’s underwear. Or maybe he’s bisexual. Autumn studied L.J. He didn’t look bisexual, but what exactly did a bisexual man look like? She stared at him some more. A woman could
