CHAPTER ¹0

"Like music and art, love is a common language that can transcend political and social boundaries."

—

Unknown

✯

River held Autumn's waist. She was pressed up against the door of his bedroom. He stared at her, his emerald orbs had darkened with lust.

"Are you sure you want this?" the star asked.

This was the proposition. Not a quick fuck session, of course. It was more like an affair or perhaps, the start of one.

River Crowns had asked Autumn for a chance for the both of them to explore the thing between them. River wasn't sure what 'the thing between them' was. Was it lust, infatuation, or simple attraction? Maybe it was all three. Maybe it was just plain lust.

As far as impulsive decisions went, this was the worst decision Autumn had taken. Sure there was the ruined anniversary surprise fiasco where she and Amber had almost burnt their mom's kitchen in an attempt to surprise their parents on their anniversary but even that took a lot of thinking and look how it turned out.

Nine years old Autumn would be disappointed. It was clear that she hadn't learned anything because here she was, giving in to her lustful desires with the one person she'd least expected.

She was going to regret this. She knew this, yet, she said to the pop star, "yes, I'm sure."

River placed a kiss on the side of Autumn's neck before he moved back to pull his shirt off.

He stepped back to her and brought her to him, closer and closer until their lips touched.

For a moment, River's lips stayed still simply enjoying the feel of her lips on his. The sensation of it. Then, his lips began to move. Tasting and sucking as she gave him access to her mouth. He moved with steady demand slowly going deeper and harder till they both had to come up for air.

He took her breath away. Swallowed it even and then savored it before he returned it to her as though he'd breathed her in.

Autumn's delicate and soft hands went to his broad shoulders. She let her palms run over them, smoothening them as though to ease his tension even when he had none. Without realizing it, she wrapped her arms around his neck, stuck her fingers in his hair, and pulled him in to kiss her again.

She kissed him greedily. All traces of nervousness had been thrown to the floor along with River's grey shirt. River let her take the lead as Autumn rubbed her tongue over his lower lip, tracing the smoothness of its perfect curve.

When her tongue touched his, River let out a low moan. His hand went to cup her face and the other found her hair, raking through it as he pulled her even closer. His grip on her was firm, maybe a bit too firm but he didn't let go.

He took control of the kiss again, devouring her mouth. He kissed and tasted every part of her as he thrust into her mouth with his tongue giving a perfect example of what he was going to do with his cock.

River's imagination went wild as he thought of how it would feel to bury himself deep within her; how she would tighten around him and squeeze him. The thought of penetration alone made his cock spring to life.

River swore with a groan as his mouth went to suck on her earlobe. "Fuck, Autumn. I want you so much."

Autumn ran her fingers over his bare chest. He was hot, hard, and smooth. He was also very fit with a detailed six-pack. She loved the feel of him beneath her palm.

Longing for skin-to-skin contact, Autumn pulled back and she took her shirt off. It was a navy blue v-necked top. It came off with no problem at all. There was no going back now.

River took in the sight of Autumn's black lacy bra. He pulled her to him again as he trailed kisses on her throat going lower and lower until he nuzzled the soft valley within her breasts.

He stopped abruptly so he could he lift and carry her over to his bed. He lowered her carefully, placing a soft kiss just above the waistband of her jeans. In a minute, he retrieved a condom and he returned to her.

River stood before her as he pulled off his remaining clothes, leaving on only his boxers.

He took Autumn's shoes off. Placing kisses on her tender soles and toes before he loomed over her.

He kissed her navel as he unbuckled her jeans and slid the zipper down. He was right. She was as soft and sweet as he'd guessed. His nose rubbed against her, nuzzling her as he took in the scent of her. It was everywhere. Flowers. Wild blossoms.

Autumn lifted her hips off the bed to let River pull her jeans off to reveal matching black lacy panties. The star swallowed at the sight of her. She was perfectly proportioned. She had well-rounded hips that could drive a man mad with lust. She had a flat, slender stomach that gave a luscious curve to her waist. She had breasts full enough to fill a man's hands– his hands.

The last thing River wanted to do was think of Autumn with someone else. For some reason, the thought of it alone upset him.

"You're beautiful," he said as he placed kisses along the shallow dips of her navel.

Autumn shuddered a moan as he ran his tongue along the skin near the waistband of her panties. He licked her soft, creamy skin with his hands latched onto her hips.

His head dipped lower to let his nose take in the scent of her sex. Instinctively, Autumn's hands moved to shield herself from him but River held them away and placed his knee between her thighs to keep them parted for him.

"You don't have to hide from me," River said as he pressed his lips to her sex through the lacy fabric. "You're a goddess."

The star didn't think it was possible for him to get any harder than he already was but here he was with his cock making quite a noticeable bulge in his boxers. He felt as though it was going to rip at its seams.

Slowly as though in reverence, River pulled her panties off. He put it aside as he kissed Autumn's sex. It had a small patch of hair over it.

Using his fingers to part her folds, River's tongue licked at her entrance. His tongue moved slowly, tasting as it went till it stopped at its destination– the bud at the apex of the lips of her sex.

Through the sunlight that crept in through River's shutters, Autumn could see him buried in-between her legs.

She shuddered violently as she let out a strained moan at the feel of his tongue in her. Her body shook as the star gripped her hips and continued to lick her. To taste her.

The movement of his tongue on her sent indescribable waves of pleasure through her. Her nipples tightened in her bra as her fingers gripped the bedsheets.

River continued to kiss and tongue her until she begged him not to stop.

She'd had sex with Michael before but it was nothing like this. It wasn't close to the sweetness of River's tongue on her.

River sucked her gently. He took expert care not to cross the fine line between pain and pleasure. Flicking his tongue over her bud repeatedly till it hardened and caused her body to shatter. It was simply too much.

"Riivveeerrr," she moaned, climaxing to the sound of his name.

River rose above her as he took off his shorts and slipped the condom on. He positioned his palms on either side of her head, pressing into the mattress.

Her hair was spread over the sheets. The light brown glowed even finer than gold spun by Rumplestiltskin. River ran his fingertips over it. He enjoyed the feel of her hair in his hands.

Autumn stared up at him. Her blue eyes had darkened and resembled sapphires. She stared up at him with trust in her eyes. It humbled him that she was giving him this precious gift.

Her eyes looked down between them, staring at River's hard and long erection hovering over her sex. It brushed against her slightly and squeezed her eyes shut in pleasure. Her eyes came up again to meet his

"Will it fit?" she asked and River couldn't resist a grin. He nodded in confirmation before he dipped his head and kissed her shoulder, moving inwards to the curve where her neck and shoulders met.

"I'll be gentle," River promised with a kiss before he positioned his cock between her legs. With his kiss, he took her breath away and when she least expected it, he slid into the most intimate part of her.

The sensation that filled her was indescribable. His hard length rubbed against the tiny bud between the lips of her sex. She lifted her hips and River's shaft slowly pushed deeper into her.

River stilled with his eyes squeezed shut as he relished the feel of her slick around him.

He leaned forward and rested on the place between his elbow and wrist as his other hand slipped her bra strap off her shoulder. She lifted her back off the bed so he could free her breasts.

He pushed deeper into her as she rested on the bed again. Then he discarded the lacy fabric and ran his fingers over the side of her breasts.

With his shaft still buried within her depths, he took a hard nipple between his thumb and twisted gently. He was waiting till she became accustomed to the size of him. He cupped her breasts, loving the feel of her in his palm.

He rose again after pressing a kiss to her forehead. He began to move against her. She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him to kiss her.

"Does it hurt?" River asked but Autumn shook her head. "I've had thoughts of this. Thoughts of being buried deep inside you. Fuck, Autumn, you feel amazing."

He took in her arms as he plunged forward into her, their hips meeting in a forceful thrust. Her eyes shut as he rocked her, moving in and out of her depths. There was no space between their bare bodies as they moved deeper and harder with her slick around him. The feel of the friction between them was sweeter than anything she'd ever felt but she needed release.

River muttered soothing words to her, encouraging her to let go as they moved faster and faster against each other. Autumn squeezed her eyes shut as the tension in her built up. Then her body spasmed and she came as pleasure-filled every last bit of her. River was with her all the way.

His hold tightened on her as he nestled himself between her depths in his release. Slowly, he pulled out of her and collapsed above her breathing heavily but making sure not to crush her with his weight.

River rolled off her, discarded the rubber, and pulled her close to him so she was snug against his body. He didn't cuddle with his past lovers after sex but he wanted her near him.

Tired and half asleep, Autumn muttered, "You're amazing."

✯

Hours later, Autumn was in the shower when River dialed Kent Maxwell.

"What do you think of her?" River asked his manager without a prelude.

"Why do you presume that I would automatically know who you're talking about?"

"I know you do," River said, "because I sent the song and contract papers to Anna and I'm certain she sent them to you and you're the one who released the song."

"Do you have a problem with that?"

"Not one but I'd like to know what you think of her."

"I don't know this Zoe Autumn girl personally," Kent admitted with the name feeling strange on his tongue. "But you believe she has star material and I found myself agreeing with you after I heard her song. I'd like to meet her, see if she has potential. She has a long journey ahead of her."

"You'll like her," River said assuredly.

"I'll be the judge of that," Kent muttered. "I have to get going. I'm making tour arrangements. See you in twenty-four hours, Riv.