Feels Like Home: A Southerland Family Contemporary Romance Book 1 (10 page)

She finished her apple and the last of her
soda and helped Jude collect the remnants of their lunch. She
reached out to touch his back, giving herself a moment to
appreciate the strong muscles underneath his t-shirt.

“
Race you to the top,” she
said and took off up the path.

Watching Autumn’s denim-clad butt climb the
hill in front of him wasn’t helping Jude’s frame of mind at all.
He’d been careful to keep his touch deliberately casual, a
steadying hand or unsnagging a bramble. Nothing that would make her
put up walls or pull away from him, but his resolve was fraying.
They were only halfway up the mountain and it took every bit of
control he had to keep from dragging her off the trail, pinning her
against a tree and kissing her senseless.

He hadn’t meant to blunder into talking about
their families, especially not after Mrs. Morris and all her talk
of “people,” but Autumn seemed okay. She teased him about beating
him to the top, even joking about taking breaks on the way up
because of his age. When they stopped at a stone overhang to drink
some of the water he’d brought, she looked lighter and happier than
she had all day.

“
Are you holding up okay?”
Her breathing was heavy, but she didn’t look as winded as he felt.
Well, she hadn’t been staring at his butt for half the mountain.
That had to change.

“
I’m just fine, darling.
Don’t worry about me.” He grinned at her and was rewarded with a
smile that reached the whole way to her flashing blue eyes. “This
next bit’s a little tricky though. I think I should lead for a
while.”

She took a long pull on her
water and he stared at the muscles of her throat as she
swallowed.
Sweet Jesus.

“
If you’re sure you’re up
to it,” she said with a wink. “Lead on.”

They climbed on in companionable silence.
None of it was more strenuous than hiking, but it was all uphill.
When they reached the stone steps to the rocky peak, he heard her
exhale with what sounded like relief and he grinned to himself.
Good. She wasn’t as cool and unaffected as she seemed.

The first handful of steps were easy, but by
the time they reached the exposed second section, the wind had
really picked up. He stopped in a sheltered area and waited for
her.

“
Need another break so
soon?”

“
Yes.” He pulled her into
the alcove in the rock blocking most of the wind and curled his
body around her back. They fit perfectly, her head tucked under his
chin. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight against
him. She stiffened and then he felt her go soft, melting against
him. His breath caught in his throat. She felt so good in his arms.
So right.

“
Look,” he said when he
could speak. The wind blew hard at the peak and even in their
shelter he had to press his lips to her ear to be sure she heard
him. When he felt her body tremble, his resolve to go slow almost
shattered. He nipped her earlobe and allowed himself a moment to
enjoy her response to his touch. “Look out there.”

Her head turned to follow his hand. The
valley stretched below them painted a patchwork of greens, with
touches of reds and golds. It might not be peak color yet, but it
was still spectacular.

“
Wow.”

Wow was right. He wanted her so much; there
was no way to hide it. The curve of her butt fit the long hard
length of him and her breasts were a delicious heavy weight on his
arm. He nuzzled the soft skin behind her ear and breathed in her
scent. She trembled but she didn’t pull away, tipping her head to
offer him her neck instead. He kissed and nibbled his way down her
neck and her tremors grew.

“
Cold?” he asked, his mouth
against her ear.

“
Maybe a little.” Her voice
sounded husky and low.

Reluctant to let her go, he turned them
sideways, giving her the protected side and opened his jacket. She
slipped inside, her arms finding their way around his waist. He
wrapped her in the jacket and his arms and pressed his lips to the
top of her head. God, she was sweet. She fit him perfectly, like
they’d been made for each other, and he’d never wanted another
woman more.

They stood together in the shelter of the
rock, soaking in each other’s warmth, breathing together and
looking out over the valley below. Neither of them seemed in a
hurry to move. Truth be told he wasn’t sure that if he let her go
he trusted himself not to press her into the stone wall and get his
mouth on more than her hair.

She changed everything. Everything he knew,
everything he wanted, crystallized into this one moment on the top
of the mountain with Autumn in his arms.

She turned from the view to look at him and
he met her gaze, looking down into her impossibly blue eyes.
Without another thought or question, he bent and claimed her mouth
with his. His hand slid up to cup the back her head and her sweet
lips parted for him. He was lost, drowning in the taste of her,
orange soda, apple, and something undeniably Autumn.

He teased her tongue with his own, urging her
to let him have more of her, to taste more of her. When they
parted, she looked as breathless as he felt, her eyes soft and
dazed.

“
Wow,” she said with the
same reverence she used for the view.

“
That doesn’t even begin to
cover it.” He barely managed the words before he claimed her mouth
again.

Kissing, she was kissing Jude Southerland.
And, oh God, it was more than she’d imagined. His firm hand held
her head while his mouth plundered hers, taking everything she
offered and more. Her hands slid over the strong muscles of his
back. Pressed against her, he was hot, hard, and undeniably male.
Hungry and tender at the same time and she wanted him more than
air.

Her tongue met his, tangling and tasting.
When he pulled back it took everything she had to keep from
whimpering with disappointment. How in the world had they gotten
here so fast? Even if she wasn’t good at relationships, Autumn
enjoyed sex. But nothing she’d experienced before had prepared her
for this aching, needy hunger and that was just from one kiss.

She felt him inhale. At least she wasn’t the
only one fighting for control. He looked visibly shaken, too.
Gravel crunched and they turned to the path. An older couple smiled
at them as they made their way down the steps.

“
There’s no one on the peak
now,” the man said with a wink.

“
Thank you, sir.” Jude
pressed his lips to her forehead. “We could stay here.”

“
Tempting, very tempting,
but who climbs to the almost top of the mountain? Come on, let’s
go.” Reluctantly, she slid from the warmth of his jacket, but as
she turned to the path he caught her hand.

He trailed behind her, holding her hand as
they stepped back out into the wind and climbed the last set of
rock steps to the top of the mountain. The view was spectacular and
her already racing heart kicked up a notch. Together they walked to
the low stone wall ringing the peak. For three hundred and sixty
degrees, in every direction the foothills of the Blue Ridge spread
out below them.

Small towns mixed with patchwork fields and
the first flush of what would become gorgeous fall color. Off in
the distance, Roanoke looked like a miniature city on a train set.
At just under 4,000 feet, Sharp Top wasn’t a match for the Rockies,
but it was one of the tallest peaks in the state. For a long time
people thought it was the tallest, before Mount Rogers stole the
title.

She’d been to the top of the mountain several
times before. It didn’t take anything from the wonder she felt
standing on what felt like the top of the world with Jude. He
wrapped his arms around her and held her as the wind buffeted them
both. It was too loud to talk, but they didn’t need to. She reached
up to hold his hands clasped under her breasts and they stood,
drinking in each other and the view.

Three young boys scrambled up the steps and
ran to the wall. “Ethan, Joseph, and Michael freeze!” The boys
skidded to a stop as their slightly frazzled mother came up behind
them. A man, who looked like a bigger versions of them, followed
carrying a five or six-year-old girl on his shoulders.

“
Cool. Which way’s our
house? Where’s grandma’s? How far can you see from up here?” The
gusts caught snippets of high, excited voices as the boys peppered
their mother with questions. She gathered them to her and pointed
but the wind hid her answers.

It was too loud for the adults to talk
without yelling so Autumn and Jude smiled at the couple and their
kids and by unspoken agreement started down the steps, hand in
hand.

Descending was much easier than climbing but
by halfway down Autumn’s thighs burned with the effort of not
hurtling down the side of the mountain. When Jude pulled her down
beside him on an outcrop of rock, she sat, grateful for the break.
He handed her one of the apples he’d stuffed in his jacket pocket
and ripped open the wrapper on the gigantic chocolate bar.

“
Is that what it was like
when you used to come here as a kid?” She motioned with her head
back the way they’d come toward the top of the mountain and the
family.

“
That was civilized in
comparison.” He handed her a chunk of chocolate. “We were heathens.
I can’t believe my parents survived it.”

She laughed around a bite of chocolate. “How
bad could you have been?”

“
Bad.” He ate half his
apple in one bite. “Daddy’d open the hatch on the station wagon and
we’d explode out like we were spring loaded. Didn’t slow down until
we were halfway up the mountain and then it was just so we could
hide behind the trees and try to scare Mom and the girls.” He
finished his apple and broke off another piece of chocolate. “I
remember one time. I must have been about fourteen – old enough to
think I knew everything but young enough to still like spending
time with my family. We got to the top before everyone else and the
twins dared Travis to climb over the wall. He’d just put his leg
over the wall when Daddy made it to the top. I’ve never seen him so
mad. When we got home he took a belt to all of us.” His smile took
some of the sting out of his words. “The twins got it for the dare
and Travis for taking them up on it.”

“
What about you?” She
couldn’t imagine anyone coming at her with a belt. Her mother and
boyfriends forgot her, but no one ever hit her.

“
I got it because I was the
oldest and ‘should’ve had more sense than to let my fool brothers
do something so stupid.’” The way he said the words, she could tell
it was what his father had said to him, but his mannerism made it
seem like it was a good memory. Certainly nothing that had
traumatized him. “Looking back,” he said, shaking his head. “I
can’t imagine how scared he must have been. Travis couldn’t have
been any older than those boys today.”

Autumn thought about the boys they’d seen at
the top and the stone wall and shuddered. “No wonder you got in
trouble, too.”

“
Exactly.” He offered her
the last bite of chocolate and when she shook her head he popped it
into his mouth. “Ready?” He stood and held out his hand for
her.

She took it and he tugged her to her feet and
into his arms. He bent to kiss her but before she could lose her
mind again, they heard the sounds of someone racing down the trail.
They pulled apart in time to see the three boys chasing each
other.

“
Heathens,” he said with
what sounded like real affection.

They talked and laughed the rest of the way
down the mountain and when they got to the parking lot, he wasn’t
ready for their day to be over. He didn’t want to rush things. As
responsive as Autumn had been to him up on the mountain he had a
feeling if he pushed her she’d either put up walls or just give him
part of herself.

The more time he spent with her, the clearer
it became to him that part of Autumn was not enough. He wanted all
of her – heart, mind, and glorious body – and he wasn’t giving up
until he got it.

When he saw the sign for Gross’ Apple Orchard
it was the easiest thing in the world to follow the big red apples
over the winding road and past the rows of trees to the orchard
store. She didn’t protest when he pulled into the gravel parking
lot and he smiled to himself.

Maybe she wasn’t ready for the day to be over
either.

He caught her hand as they walked to the open
air store. Big bins of apples lined the perimeter and the tart
smell of cider hung in the air. Another row of bins sat at the back
of the building, waiting to be dumped into the press. Even in the
cool, late evening air, a few sluggish bees buzzed around the
sticky machine.

“
I love cider,” she said,
her face as eager and bright as a child’s. “I haven’t been here
since we came on a field trip in fifth grade.”

She let go of his hand so she could open the
cooler and grab a gallon of the cloudy amber juice. He tried not to
feel disappointed at the loss of her touch.

“
Let me,” he said, taking
the cider from her and placing a hand firmly on the small of her
back, reestablishing the physical connection.

She smiled at him over her shoulder and he
kissed her cheek. “Fill a bag with apples, too.”

Autumn was filling a paper sack with apples
from the bins when an older woman walked out of the back room.

“
I didn’t realize you were
out here. Are you finding everything alright? We have fresh apple
dumplings in the cooler if you’re interested. A Dunkard lady makes
those and the chicken pot pies. Best you’ve ever
tasted.”