Page 49 of Silver Spoon Falls, Vol. I

THIRTY-FOUR

AUTUMN

“Please?” I whisper, stroking my hand along Zane’s erection as hot water pours down over us in the shower. “Pretty please, Zane?”

“Autumn,” he growls, writhing under my touch. “Stop fucking teasing me, little rebel.”

“I’m not teasing you,” I lie, running my thumb over the head of his erection. “I’m exploring like you did with your mouth.” That gives me an idea, and I drop to my knees before him, bringing his cock to my lips. “I can explore this way, if you prefer.”

“Goddamn,” he swears, slapping one hand against the shower wall to hold himself upright. His other goes to my head, pushing my wet hair back from my face. “Yes, suck me.”

“Like this?” I tease, wrapping my tongue around the head of his erection to pull him into my mouth. I toy with him, sucking on the head of his cock like it’s a lollipop as water sluices down his abdominals, and he groans my name.

He rocks his hips forward, his dark eyes blazing with heat. “Stop teasing and suck my cock, Autumn.”

“Do I get to decide what we do today?” I ask.

“Yes. Fuck. We’ll do whatever you want to do. Just wrap those perfect lips around my cock, little rebel,” he growls, thrusting his fingers into my hair. He tugs on the strands, making me moan.

"Good." My lips curve into a satisfied smile.

I'm playing dirty and I know it. But I also know it's the only way I stand a chance in hell of getting him to go where I want to go today.

He'll tie me up and drag me back to Silver Spoon Falls before he willingly lets me go to a protest, let alone attends one with me.

But this is who I am. These are the things that matter to me. That hasn't changed just because Jimmy Gatlin decided to sue me. If Zane is going to be part of my life—and I really want him to be part of my life?—

he needs to know what he's signing up for now.

I wrap one hand around his shaft and suck him deep into my mouth. He hits the back of my throat, and I instantly gag around him.

"Fuck," he curses, rocking his hips. "I feel your throat constricting around me, fighting me."

My eyes water as his turn black with lust. I squeeze my thighs together, trying to ease the ache between them. He's beautiful in his need.

He pulls back, allowing me to draw a breath. "Again," he orders me. "Don't fight me. Swallow when I hit the back of your throat."

I bob my head in a nod, eager to take him as far as I can. Eager to make him as crazy as he makes me.

He thrusts forward, slipping past my lips. His shaft glides along my tongue. As soon as he hits the back of my throat, I gag again. I try to swallow, but he's too darn big. He backs off to let me breathe and then tries again.

This time, I swallow before my gag reflex kicks in. His cock slips down my throat.

"Ah, fuck," he groans. "Good girl." His stomach muscles quiver as he rocks his hips, pushing himself deeper.

My eyes water, my face turning red. I don't want him to stop. I feel… powerful. Fierce. I'm the reason this man is trembling. I'm the reason he's moaning. I made him look like he's seconds from losing his mind.

I cup his balls in my hand, fondling them.

"Autumn!" he shouts, trying to pull back.

I wrap one hand around his powerful thighs, keeping him right where I want him. He growls a curse as his body gives up the fight and he comes down my throat.

“Where the fuck are we going, little rebel?” Zane growls, eyeing me suspiciously from the passenger seat of his SUV. He’s awful surly when he isn’t in charge. It’s honestly kind of hot. I make a mental note to wheedle my way into being in charge more to bring out Grumpy Zane.

“You’ll see,” I say, biting my lip to hide a smile. I’m pretty sure he’s going to lose his mind when he sees where we’re going, but he did agree, even if it was under dubious circumstances.

"I'm spanking you when we get back to the hotel."

"Fine, then I'm spanking you, too."

"The hell you are," he growls.

"Oh, so you get to spank me, but I don’t get to spank you? That doesn't seem very fair, honey bunny."

"Neither was getting me to agree to whatever you're up to while you were touching my cock," he reminds me with a smirk. "But here we are."

"What makes you think I'm up to something?" I ask, ignoring the rest of what he said. Mostly because it's true, and I can't argue with reality.

"You're always up to something," he says. "It's honestly terrifying to consider how much trouble you're going to cause me over the next seventy years."

"Uh, I hired you for one case, Zane. Not for life," I say, taking a left as we near the docks.

"I'm not talking about as your lawyer, Autumn. I mean as your man."

I swallow hard as an entire flock of butterflies takes flight in my stomach. He plans to be around for the next seventy years. Holy crap. I think… I think he's in love with me.

Nervous energy floods my system as I realize I feel the same way about him.

I want him to be here seventy years from now, threatening to spank me for causing him trouble.

I want to drive him crazy and mess up his perfect world and let him bring a little order to mine.

I'm no longer falling for him. I've already landed. I'm in love with this man.

And that is utterly terrifying to me. How am I supposed to love him the way he deserves when I don't even know what love is supposed to look like? What if I mess it up or break him? What if he decides he doesn't want to wait for me to figure it out?

"Hell no," he growls from beside me.

I whip my head in his direction to see him glaring out of the windshield. He points at a sign, turning that dark scowl on me.

"We are not going to a fucking protest, little rebel. Absolutely not."

"Yes, we are. You promised."

"You've been arrested three times at protests!"

"Then I guess it's a good thing I brought the best lawyer in Texas with me to this one, huh?" I say, giving him a bright smile. It doesn't shake off the worry clinging to my heart, though.

He does that when he huffs out a curse, rakes a hand through his hair, and then laughs abruptly. "Jesus Christ," he mutters under his breath. "There isn't a fucking thing on this planet I wouldn't do for you."

My fears fall silent, the walls around my heart trembling as entire sections cave in. Maybe I don't know how to love him yet, but I'm going to learn. One way or another, I'll learn.

"What do we want?" Lizette, the protest organizer, yells into a megaphone, raising one fist into the air to signal the crowd to respond.

"Clean oceans!" everyone shouts back.

"And when do we want them?" she asks.

"Now!" Zane booms from beside me, his hands cupped around his mouth.

I glance over at him, laughing when he shrugs and winks at me before reaching for my hand. He brings it to his lips, brushing a kiss across my knuckles as we march in circles outside the Port Authority offices.

Two dozen of their officers stand two deep in front of the gates, keeping us from stepping foot onto Port property, not that we're trying or anything.

Because the Port of Houston houses several oil complexes and other facilities deemed critical, protesting on Port property can lead to felony charges for disrupting critical infrastructure. We aren't here to cause problems or get ourselves into trouble. We're here to make a statement.

Our oceans are flooded with our trash, with chemicals, oil, and hazardous waste.

Entire species are dying off because of companies like my family's and people like my father.

If we don't change things, soon, there won't be any time left to fix it.

Entire generations shouldn't have to suffer because of the sins of their fathers.

"What do we want?" Lizette shouts.

Zane pulls me into his arms, pressing his lips up against my ear. "You," he growls.

"And when do we want them?" Lizette asks.

"Now." Zane nips my earlobe, pressing his erection against my bottom.

I groan quietly, a frisson of desire turning into an inferno of need. My stomach muscles tremble beneath his hand, my head falling back against his shoulder.

"What do we wan?—"

Sirens rip through the air, cutting Lizette off. Everyone turns to look behind us as a dozen Houston Police Department squad cars pull up, blocking us in.

"Fuck," Zane growls, tensing. "I think it's time to go, little rebel."

"Yep," I agree, slipping my hand into his. "Have you ever ran from the cops before?"

"No. Why?"

"Run!" I yell.

Everyone scatters, taking off in every direction. Zane curses, his feet rooted in place for a moment before he finally leaps into action. He charges after me, swearing up a blue streak as we run down a side street, away from the squad cars. Shouts ring out behind us, but I don’t stop.

Not today, Satan. No way.

"I'm spanking your little ass," Zane growls.

I throw my head back, laughing up at the sky as we flee toward the car. If any of the cops chase us, they don't catch us.

We dive into the SUV five minutes later, gasping for breath.

At least I'm gasping for breath. Zane is barely winded.

He probably runs marathons for fun. He certainly has the body for it.

The only running I do is my mouth… and the occasional fleeing from the scene of a protest. Sometimes, I get lucky and I'm not the first one caught.

“Siri, remind me to fire Autumn Romano as a client,” Zane mutters, dragging me out of my seat and into his lap.

“You can’t fire me,” I remind him, looping my arms around his neck. “Jude is my attorney of record.”

“Siri, remind me to have Jude fire Autumn Romano as a client,” he mutters, his eyes locked on my face.

“Admit it, Mr. Montoya,” I say, smiling at him. “You had a blast.”

“The only thing I admit is that you’re ravishing when you’re happy, little rebel.” He brushes his thumb along my bottom lip. “And right now, you’re the most beautiful you’ve ever been.”

“Zane,” I whisper, clutching him to me. “It wasn’t the protest that made me happy. It was you.”

“Fuck.” He replaces his thumb with his lips, claiming mine in a kiss I feel deep in my soul.