by Minx Malone
“Go back?”
“Yeah. When I go back to Florida.”
“Right.” A flash of something crossed his face as he looked at her. “We should probably go. I have a lot of stuff I need to work on tonight.” He nodded curtly and left the booth, calling out to the kids.
Ridley folded her arms around herself again, this time to stop herself from trembling.
She’d always thought it was a nice change when she moved on. It was like wiping the slate clean of all her screw-ups and starting over. But this time, she didn’t think she’d be moving on to something better.
This time, walking away seemed more like a cop out than a fresh start.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
JACKSON STOOD OVER the chair and watched Ridley’s chest rise and fall as she slept. He had come downstairs with every intention of apologizing for his attitude since they’d left the pizza place.
His carefully thought out speech had deserted him when he had come across her sprawled in one of the armchairs in the family room, her head thrown back against the armrest, her hair wild around her shoulders. She was beautiful even when she was sleeping.
He’d been such an ass. She’d tried to make conversation on the way home but he’d barely spoken two words to her in reply. She’d finally given up and gone upstairs alone when they reached the house. He picked up the remote and turned the television off. After he’d put the boys to bed, he’d gone into his own room and shut the door. She must have come down sometime after that.
It had taken him by surprise when she’d mentioned going back to Florida so casually. As if she couldn’t wait to leave. When just the idea of her not being around anymore made him feel panicky. She owned a house here so surely she’d come back sometime, right? He’d only known her a few days but the idea of not seeing her every day just seemed crazy.
Unfathomable.
“What are you doing to me?” He trailed a finger over her cheek and she shifted in her sleep.
“Jackson?” She turned over in the chair and would have fallen out if he wasn’t there to catch her. Her arms twined around his neck as he lifted her into his.
“What are you doing?” she mumbled sleepily.
“I have no idea.” He carried her upstairs to his room and laid her gently amidst the rumpled linens.
In the dim light coming through the window, he could just make out her face. She blinked at him a few times before her eyes turned soft, slumberous.
“Come here,” she whispered.
He didn’t waste any time. He dropped down on the bed next to her and pulled her into his arms. Her head fell back as his lips found her throat. She let out a soft “ah” as he nipped his way down the soft skin of her neck. He gently pulled her cotton tee shirt over her head and groaned as he saw she hadn’t been wearing a bra.
“I thought,” she broke off with a moan when he nuzzled his face between her breasts.
The scent of her skin was driving him crazy.
“I thought you were mad at me.”
He tugged at her jeans and watched, mesmerized, as she moved next to him on the bed and arched her back so she could pull them off. The seductive thrust of her hips made his throat go dry.
“I wasn’t mad at you. I was mad at myself.”
She laughed, a low, throaty sound, as he captured her leg and pulled her closer. A few kicks later, her jeans were on the floor next to the bed. Her eyes held his as she arched her back again, this time to slide her panties off. She sat up and flung them at his head like a slingshot.
“Christ. Come over here.”
She straddled him and he anchored a hand in her hair and pulled her down for his kiss. He loved her taste, the way she melted against him, the sounds she made. Nothing had ever been this good.
“What do you say we forget the one night thing?”
Ridley whimpered and bit his bottom lip. “Forget it? You mean not do this anymore? I don’t like that plan.”
“No. I mean forget it, and just do whatever we want.”
She nipped along his jawline and then pressed her tongue against his pulse. “Whatever we want, hmm?”
He laughed and flipped them over. She squealed as her back hit the bed.
“Mmm, hmm. I know exactly what I want to do first.”
Her eyes fluttered closed as he returned to his position between her breasts, nuzzling and licking his way down to her belly button.
“You do?” she whispered.
“Mmm, can you guess?” He nipped at her hipbone.
“Oh my, I think… I can’t think.”
Her legs fell open as he lowered his head between her thighs. The scent of her was like a drug, filling his nostrils, wrapping around him and through him until he was consumed by it.
She cried out at the first lash of his tongue. The sound echoed in his ears as he lapped at her, already lost in her taste. He pulled one of the pillows from the head of the bed to him so he could prop her higher.
“What are you doing?” she asked, breathlessly.
“Just getting comfortable, baby girl. I’m not done with you, yet.”
He was nowhere near done, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy a few detours. Propping her hips up also gave him a unique view of her breasts. He leaned over and laved each of her nipples until they pebbled against his tongue. She gripped his hair and held him against her, moaning when he pulled away.
Her moans turned to soft sighs when he settled between her thighs. Another long lick of her core had her arching off the bed.
“Jackson, stop teasing me.”
He laughed softly and gripped her thighs, pulling her closer. The position pushed her against his mouth and he growled his approval. He drew the lips of her sex between his teeth lightly until she cried out.
“Oh. Oh!” She clamped her hand over her mouth to muffle her cries as she came.
He moved with her, keeping his mouth on her as she clenched against his tongue, trying to prolong her pleasure. Finally she dropped down against the bed and sighed.
He turned her gently on her stomach until her perfectly round ass was beneath him. Hell yeah. Now he could play.
She shivered as he caressed the soft skin of her back, pressing his thumbs gently next to the indentation of her spine. She arched under his fingers like a cat. He followed the same path with his tongue, until she trembled.
He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed another condom. At the rate they were going he would need a new box by tomorrow. He glanced over at Ridley. She was up on her arms, watching him.
“Hurry up.” She wiggled her ass in his direction.
“Damn. I’m on my way.” He ripped the package open carefully and rolled it on.
He moved behind her, enjoying the view. She looked over her shoulder and winked. He teased her with the tip of his shaft and her mouth fell open on a soft sigh. She pushed back and took him deep. They both cried out.
He twisted the long fall of her hair around his fist and pulled gently as he rocked back and forth, taking her deeper with every thrust. Before long he was powering forward as she pushed back, their hips coming together with savage intensity. It was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. Being inside her was about more than just desire. Every inch of him felt alive when he was with her and he wanted nothing more than to please her in a way that no other man could.
“Jackson. Jackson.” Her head fell forward as she panted his name and her fingers twisted in the sheets again. He was overcome with a sense of supreme masculine satisfaction. She might have a life in Florida that he wasn’t a part of, but he was willing to bet she didn’t have this. Maybe he couldn’t keep her here but he’d be damned if he wouldn’t give her something worth remembering.
He closed his eyes as she tightened around him, crying out his name again. The way she called his name made him feel almost primal. He cupped her breasts, leaning over her back and biting her shoulder gently as he sank even deeper.
“Oh, damn. I’m coming.” Tremors raced through him a
s he clutched her against him. He closed his eyes and let out a long groan as the last spasm left his body.
He pulled out gently and they fell back against the sheets in a tangle of sweaty limbs.
“Wow.” Ridley turned her head to look at him. “I like our new plan.”
He chuckled and pulled her closer for a quick kiss. “I like it, too. Stay with me awhile?”
“Okay,” she whispered.
“Be right back.” He went to the bathroom and disposed of the condom. On the way back, he peered out into the hallway to make sure the boys’ bedroom door was still closed.
She was watching him curiously when he got back into bed.
“I just wanted to make sure we didn’t wake them.”
A shy smile spread across her face before she pressed her face into the pillow. “I was loud. I couldn’t help it.”
He smirked. “I don’t want you to help it.” He slid under the covers and moved over until he was in the center of the bed.
“By the way,” he whispered. He waited until she looked over at him sleepily. “I’m sorry.”
She grinned and snuggled up against him.
“You are so forgiven.”
* * * * *
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, RIDLEY sat on the edge of the bed staring at her cell phone. Jackson had asked Katie to meet them at the park so the boys could play while they talked things over. From the screeching and loud sounds below her room, the boys were already excited.
If she was going to make her call, this was the best time to do it. Otherwise, she’d get caught up and lose track of time and if she put it off any longer she’d end up taking the easy way out by buying something new. But in the end her pragmatic nature won out and she decided to just get it over with.
Due to the time difference it was doubtful that Raina would actually answer. She could just leave a message and then deal with the teasing later.
Hearing her sister say “I told you, so” wasn’t something she was looking forward to.
“Hey, Ri! How are things back home?” Raina answered the phone as if she were still on East Coast time instead of it being early morning the way she knew it was in Singapore.
“Oh, hey. I’m so sorry to wake you. I didn’t think you’d actually answer.”
There was a soft whooshing sound in the background and Ridley wondered if their connection was really that bad or if she was just hearing things.
“It’s not early here. I’m in the Bahamas now. We’re in the same time zone you are.”
She’d completely forgotten that her sister never stayed in the same place for long. Although she supposed she could have at least pretended to pay attention when they’d last spoken and Raina had told her where she was going next.
“Well, the thing is, I have a favor to ask. And I don’t want you to worry that I’ll be upset if you say no.” She took a deep breath. “It’s just that Jackson has asked me to go to this industry party, but I don’t have anything to wear. I was going to buy something but I thought, why do that when I know you’ve got tons of dressy stuff at your house.”
There was silence before Raina said, “Jackson asked you out?”
Ridley struggled to keep her voice neutral as she replied, “No, he didn’t ask me out. It’s for work. It’s some party his label is throwing for a new jazz singer. You know how much I love jazz.” Stop babbling Ridley.
“Oh my god, you slept with him, didn’t you? You dirty slut!” Raina crowed.
Even from another country, no one could embarrass her quite like her sister.
“Raina! It’s not like that. I mean, yes we did, but it’s not like I just jumped on the man.” Okay, I kind of did but whatever. “I really like him,” she surprised herself by saying.
“I can tell. I’m happy for you, Ri.” Raina did sound happy for her. She was quiet for a moment before she said, “The code is Mom’s name spelled backward. So just type out the letters N-A-O-J on the keypad. You still remember where the spare key is, right?”
“I still have it from the day I originally tried to get in.” She started mentally preparing a list of what she’d need. It didn’t make sense to keep going over there so she might as well just pack up a suitcase and bring it back.
“You know, I wanted you to avoid my house but if you’re going to do this, at least dress up a little.”
Ridley stopped adding items to her mental list long enough to say, “Huh?”
“You know what I mean. Just dress up a little, wear some makeup for once.” Ridley wrinkled her nose at the phone. “And anyone watching will just assume that I’m home from my latest travels. No one thinks anything of my strange comings and goings at this point. I’m actually away from home more than I’m there.”
“You think I should dress as you? Why? I don’t have to hide anymore, remember? Whatever David was doing for the Morenos had nothing to do with me.”
“I’d still rather you stay invisible until Sam checks things out, but I want you to dress up for my sake. There’s usually paparazzi lurking around the house and of course, they’ll assume it’s me coming home from a shoot. I don’t want to be the next ‘What NOT to Wear’ headline, so please dress up a little. Oh and don’t take Jackson with you.”
“Why not? I can do it faster with help. You’re being awfully difficult about this.”
“I’m not! It’s just that he’s too well known and I’m sure he doesn’t want to be linked to me in the media. Is there anyone else you can get to take you?”
Ridley thought back to the day of the cookout. While it had been overwhelming to meet so many people at once, she was glad she’d gone now.
“Yeah, I think I know a few people who wouldn’t mind helping out.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
“SO, WHAT’S IT like to have a sister? As much as I love Matt, there are just certain things I can’t talk to him about. What’s her name?”
Ridley waited patiently for Mara to finish applying yet another layer of lip gloss before answering. Mara had been more than happy to come over and “glam-ify” her after she’d gotten off work. She’d given the excuse that she was trying out ideas for her next blog column. Mara, it turned out, was a fan of the “Legs” blog, and more than willing to help out.
They’d been immersed in the guest room for the past thirty minutes while Ridley tried on and rejected each of the outfits Mara had brought with her. After Mara had finally just pulled one of the tops over her head forcefully, they were now working on makeup. She’d never known there could be so many pots of crap used just to paint a face.
“It’s, uh, Rina.” She mentally crossed her heart. It wasn’t actually lying, right? Just omitting a letter.
“Is she a model, too?”
“No, she’s my complete opposite, actually. We’ve always been best friends despite being so different. But it’s not easy when your sister is smarter, more confident, and more popular than you are. It's living with constant comparison and feeling like you never measure up.”
“Do you feel like she treats you that way?” Mara asked, her voice raising a couple of octaves. She looked like she was insulted on Ridley’s behalf.
“No, no. She’s my biggest fan. She’s always defended me. The same way Matt has always defended you."
Mara blew out a breath. "He has always defended me. Maybe that's part of the problem. I never stood up for myself, so now he doesn't believe I can stand on my own two feet. I wonder if I've been as much of the problem as he has by leaning on him too much."
“Matt just needs time. He’s been protecting you from guys your whole life and now he’s supposed to pretend he doesn’t care one of his friends has seen you naked?”
Mara cringed. “Ugh. You’re right. I didn’t really think about how much harder it would be that I was dating someone he knows so well. I’m sure he remembers every bad thing Trent’s ever done and feels like he needs to warn me.”
“Since he can’t, he ends up putting his fist through walls,” Ridley added.
�
��I asked Jackson to talk to him,” Mara muttered. Then she turned Ridley to the mirror gently. “What do you think?”
Ridley leaned forward and inspected her newly long lashes, flawless skin and rosy slicked lips. “Wow. I look so… shiny.” She couldn’t imagine wearing makeup just to hang around the house but Raina always had. She hadn’t even worn this much makeup when she went to prom.
“Thanks so much for your help, Mara. I’ll give your stuff back as soon as I get more clothes from the house. I just didn’t want to go out looking like a bum. If I do, there’ll be a tabloid picture of me tomorrow claiming I just left rehab.”
Mara rubbed her hands together. “No problem, I had fun. I’m channeling my mom for this project. She placed as high as first runner up in the Miss Columbia pageant back in the seventies. This was before she met my dad and came with him to the U.S. She still talks about how close she was to that damn crown. She was always so disappointed that I didn't want to do the pageant thing."
Mara picked up a silk headband and then held it against the loose top Ridley was wearing. After staring at it for a minute, she apparently changed her mind and tossed it back on the dressing table.
"I don't blame you. The thought of all those people staring makes me want to throw up."
“But isn’t that what it’s like to model?”
Oops.
“Um, kind of. Luckily, I don’t do a lot of runway work.”
“I guess it’s different if it’s just you and the photographer, huh? Although, I could get over it if I had legs like yours.”
Ridley raised an eyebrow. “Considering how Trent looks at you, I'd say you're doing just fine. I only wish someone would look at me like that.”
“Well, you can stop wishing. Someone does look at you like that.” Marie stared at her until Ridley laughed.
“Stop. It’s not like that. Jackson and I are, well, we’re nothing actually. He’s amazing and I like him a lot but I don’t have any illusions about where this is going. He doesn’t want a long-term thing and I’m just passing through, anyway.”
“You don’t really think someone followed you here, do you?” Mara asked. Ridley had told her a little about the accident. There was something about Mara that made her extremely easy to talk to. Which was dangerous, in more ways than one.
