Free Falling for Autumn by Sherelle Green

“It’s good to see you, man.”
    â€œLikewise,” he said before turning his attention to Autumn. “And who might this be?”
    Ajay was unprepared for the look of attraction present in Brayden’s face. “Brayden, this is Autumn Dupree. She’s maid of honor for Taheim and Winter’s wedding. Autumn, this is my good friend Brayden Kenward.”
    â€œNice to meet you,” Brayden said, holding on to Autumn’s hand a little longer than Ajay would have liked. What is wrong with me? She’s not my woman. No time to get jealous.
    â€œNice to meet you, too,” Autumn replied. She didn’t seem to be as interested in him as he was her. But she wasn’t removing her hand from his, either.
    â€œOkay, Brayden, how about you show us the property?”
    â€œRight.” Brayden finally dropped Autumn’s hand. “Autumn, Ajay shared the idea you guys had for the masquerade affair and I think the theme really fits our property. First, I’ll take you both around the main house, the inn and to the apple orchards. We have twenty bedrooms in the inn, and the other party that will be there earlier that day will be staying at another nearby hotel. If you’re interested, I can block all twenty rooms for your party. We can give you a very reasonable rate.” Brayden clasped his hands together and started walking. “After that, I will take you down the path leading to the pavilion in the wooded area to my left. It’s definitely a show-stopping venue.”
    Thirty minutes into the tour, Ajay realized that the venue was even more beautiful than he’d remembered. He made a mental note to tell Jaleen what a great job he had done flipping the property.
    â€œThis is so beautiful,” Autumn whispered to him as they followed Brayden down a stone path through the woods.
    â€œBrayden, are these torchlights on the sides of the path?” He didn’t remember those.
    â€œYes, it was an idea Jaleen suggested and I’m so glad I agreed. At night, the torchlights through the woods offer a sense of mystery and excitement that our guests love. But wait until we get to the end of the path. You won’t be disappointed.”
    As the path opened and expanded into a massive patio decked out with modern outdoor furniture, three fire pits and an array of wildflowers surrounding the beige brick property, Ajay knew Brayden was right.
    â€œIt’s breathtaking,” Autumn said.
    â€œMy sentiments exactly,” Ajay added. “This is definitely the type of venue that Winter and Taheim would love for their event. There is no doubt they will be blown away.”
    â€œWait until you see inside.” Brayden opened the double wood doors into a large foyer, coat closet and a long hallway with additional torchlights at the top of the wall and wooden benches adjacent to each other. When they got to the end of the hallway, they walked into the main room.
    â€œThese windows are gorgeous,” Autumn replied as she immediately walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows. When she turned her back to him, Brayden leaned closer to Ajay so that Autumn couldn’t overhear.
    â€œY’all aren’t dating, right?”
    Instead of responding, Ajay slipped both hands into the pockets of his pants and shot him a stern look that wasn’t hard to read.
    â€œIs that scowl on your face your way of telling me to back off?”
    â€œIf you want to keep that face of yours clean of my fists, then yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”
    â€œDamn, man. I’m glad that I asked before I made a move. Now that you’ve let me know what the deal is, I’ll back off.”
    â€œGlad we have an understanding.”
    Brayden shook his head in disbelief. “Wow, I never thought I’d see the day when a woman had your nose wide-open.”
    â€œIt’s not wide-open.” As the comment left his mouth, his eyes found