Ignite

by Emma Renshaw

  “Your eyes,” he said, his voice going lower, causing my stomach to flip.

  “What about them?”

  “They’re the color of a four-leaf clover,” he said. “It was the first thing I thought of when you opened your eyes during the fire. I was scared out of my mind until you opened your eyes and grounded me.”

  “You were scared?”

  Ridge ordered two shots of tequila and turned toward me, his hand dropping to my waist. The light caress of his thumb was driving me insane. My lips tingled from the memory of his kiss, and I wanted that again.

  Makenna had hinted that he might be interested in a friends-with-benefits situation. Ridge would be the best kind of distraction while I was still in town and figuring out my next move, the next place to call home. I wanted at least one night with him. Just one night may be best. It was already going to be hard to leave again, but it needed to be done. I was squashing the past and my memories, but I couldn’t hold down that guilt forever. If I stayed here, it would eat me alive. It may have been an accident, but I caused that accident.

  “Terrified,” he answered. “That was my first night on the job.”

  “I didn’t know that,” I whispered.

  He nodded. “Thanks for your help with Elise.”

  I squeezed his arm, where my hand had found a place to rest. “Anytime. So, ex-fiancé? Didn’t end well?”

  He grimaced. “It never should’ve happened in the first place. It’s over and it’s been over for a long time. She recently came back to town, and I don’t know why. I want to forget she’s even here.”

  “A shot of tequila should help with that,” I said chuckling.

  “You and a shot of tequila will help.” His hand left my waist and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear; then he trailed his fingers down my neck. I shivered under his light touch. “Ready for your second shot?”

  I nodded.

  “Wait,” he said. “Did you drive? I’ll be fine, but if you don’t drink much and you’re small, you might not be okay to drive.”

  “Makenna drove me. I still haven’t gone to pick up a new rental. I need to ask Makenna for a ride there too.”

  “I’ll take you,” he said. “Let me see your phone and I’ll add my number. Call me whenever you’re ready to go.”

  “I don’t have my phone with me. I left it at my cabin.”

  “You forgot it?”

  “No,” I said, grinning. “I left it on purpose.”

  “Why?”

  “Everyone I wanted to talk to is here.”

  He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again and clenched his jaw. “Ask your question,” I said, laughing softly. Since I’d met Ridge, he’d been asking me questions, wanting to know more about me. Sometimes random questions that had nothing to do with anything had been thrown in.

  “If everyone you want to talk to is here, why do you want to leave Hawk Valley?”

  I frowned, looking down at my shot of tequila. I picked it up. My heart twinged at the thought of leaving, but it cracked in half remembering the faces of the classmates I’d lost. “This isn’t home anymore,” I said. This was the most honest thing I’d said to him. It was my turn to ask him a question, but first I needed that shot of tequila.

  “Ready?”

  “Lick. Sip. Suck,” he said with a wicked grin on his face. Those three little words sounded downright sinful coming from his full mouth.

  We licked the salt, tossed back the shots of tequila, and sucked on the limes. I put the glass back on the bar and, looking him firmly in the eye, I placed my hand on his chest. “Want to come home with me?”

  Ridge cupped the back of my neck, his fingers sliding into my hair, and raised my face to his to place his lips on mine. My fingers curled into his shirt as his tongue swept into my mouth. He broke the kiss, our breaths mingling, as he leaned his forehead against mine.

  “Yes.” Ridge grabbed my hand and led me out of the party. I caught Makenna’s eye on the way out the door. She shot me a wink and waved her fingers. I trailed behind Ridge as we worked our way through the sea of bodies.

  He led me to his truck, pushed me against the side, and gripped my hips tightly, leaning his body against mine. “Are you sure? I need to hear you say it. Once I start, I won’t want to stop. I will if you want me to stop, but fuck, Zoe. I’ve kissed you three fucking times, and I already crave your taste. I’m dying to have more and to know every inch of your body.”

  “Yes, I’m sure,” I whispered. “Just one night,” I added. I knew if I continued this it would be too hard to walk away. One kiss from Ridge, and my entire body had ignited, begging for his hands to be on my body and touch me. Lick. Sip. Suck. Just like a shot of tequila.

  “One night,” he agreed, pressing into my body harder and slamming his lips into mine. I hitched my leg on his waist, grinding against his hard cock. “Let’s go.”

  He stepped away, sweeping his eyes over me, and opened the passenger door. I hopped in and he shut the door, jogging around to the driver’s side.

  “Do you know how to get to Delilah’s family’s inn?”

  “Yes.” He started up his truck and headed in that direction. His calloused, work-roughened hand rested on my thigh, and thoughts about what his touch would feel like all over my body raced through my mind. The drive back to the cabin was mostly spent in silence, with sexual tension crackling between the two of us.

  I jumped out of the truck before he had a chance to open my door, and I guided him through the paths to my cabin. He grabbed my hand and tugged me against his body, wrapping his arms around me from behind. I tilted my neck as he brushed my hair to the side, and I fumbled with the keys to open the door. His tongue traced the side of my neck and kissed the spot behind my ear.

  I flung open the door, turned around in his arms, and wound my fingers into his hair, pulling his lips to mine. Ridge kicked the door closed, lifting me into his arms, and held me as he crashed back onto the bed. I straddled his waist, my core landing perfectly on his hardness. Ridge trailed his hands up my arms and pulled down the straps of my dress, baring my strapless bra to him.

  I sat up, unhooking the bra and letting it fall away; then I flung it aside. His breath hitched, and his hands coasted up my torso to my breasts. He took them in his hands and brushed his thumbs over my hardened nipples. I moaned as he tugged them and laid kisses across my chest. I sat up and straddled his lap.

  “You’re even more beautiful than I could’ve imagined.”

  He sucked a nipple into his mouth, wrapping his tongue around the point then grazing his teeth over it. I ground against him, wanting more. I wanted it go slowly, and I wanted it to speed up. I lifted his shirt from his body and unbuckled his belt.

  Ridge worked my dress down my hips then flipped me onto the bed. I lifted my body as he pulled off the dress. His belt and the button on his jeans were open, but his zipper was still up. I licked my lips looking at the expanse of his chest and the peaks and valleys of his abs. Inch by inch he peeled my panties down my legs. He stood up to take off his jeans.

  I was completely naked and, for the first time in my life, I wasn’t shy about that fact. I spread my legs, my fingers wandering down my stomach to my pubic bone to my clit. Ridge stopped taking off his jeans, his breath picking up in speed, as he watched my hand.

  “Fuck,” he groaned. Ridge shoved his jeans down the rest of the way, palming his long, hard cock, and he stroked himself, watching me. He placed a knee between my open thighs and brushed my hand to the side, leaning over and placing a kiss on my knee. He trailed kisses all the way down to the apex of my thighs, skipping over my center, and continued licking and kissing on the other leg. I thrusted my hips and he chuckled against my skin, kissing his way back to my center.

  One finger trailed over my slit, circled my clit, and slid down to my entrance. He pushed his finger inside me and I moaned. “Please, Ridge.”

  “Fuck, you’re fucking wet. And tight.” The last word was mumbled as he sucked my clit i
nto his mouth and placed another finger into me. His tongue was in rhythm with his fingers, pulsing in and out and tapping against my g-spot. He removed his fingers and replaced them with his tongue. My hand shot out, grabbing his hair. One large hand held me down on the bed as he licked. Sipped. And sucked. I was panting and afraid this was a dream. I thought I’d had good sex before, but it was nothing compared to the way he made me feel with his mouth.

  His head came up and he rubbed my clit with his fingers. “Once may not be enough,” he said and dropped his mouth back to my waiting pussy, thrusting his fingers into me and sucking on my clit. I tugged on one of my nipples with my free hand and moaned his name as he made me come. He lapped at my pussy until my orgasm faded and then crawled up my body, planting kisses, until he reached my mouth.

  “Once definitely won’t be enough,” I said against his lips and wrapped my hand around his shaft. “Fuck me, Ridge.”

  He brushed my hand away and grabbed a condom he’d placed on the nightstand without me noticing. He rolled it over his big shaft and lined his cock up with my entrance. With one thrust, he was all the way in. I raked my nails down his back as he rocked into me, putting my legs around his waist. He leaned down, sucking my nipple into his mouth.

  “Ridge,” I hissed, forcing his face to mine and kissing him. His tongue slid against mine, and he groaned into my mouth. He broke the kiss.

  “Twice won’t be enough either. You’re mine until you leave,” he said, thrusting even harder and bringing his hand between us to rub my clit.

  “Yes.” I ran my hands over his hard-muscled back and arms. “Yours until I leave. Come with me,” I said. His finger circled harder against me, and his hips picked up in speed. A sheen of sweat coated our bodies as they slid against each other. I moaned as I came, and he planted himself deeply inside me as he groaned my name.

  He collapsed against me, kissing my neck, and rolled to the side, bringing me with him. My leg lay across his hips and my hand over his chest. “If I’m yours until I leave, you’re mine too.”

  “Deal,” he chuckled. “I’m warning you now. I’m going to be over here every free moment I have.”

  “As long as you’re naked, that sounds good to me.”

  14

  Zoe

  I fell on Ridge’s chest, listening to his pounding heart, and worked on getting my breathing back to a normal rhythm. Our night had consisted of small bouts of sleep and long hours of sex. Even though I’d barely slept, I hadn’t felt this alive in ages. I sat up and crashed down on the bed beside Ridge, turning my face to look at him. A slow grin spread across his face, and he leaned forward, kissing me softly, before rising from the bed and going into the bathroom. He returned with a damp washcloth to clean between my legs.

  I stood up and put on my robe while Ridge tugged on his jeans. “I’m off today. Want me to drive you to the rental place?”

  “Yeah, I need to get a car. While I’m here, I’m going to help out a new friend.”

  He nodded. “Doing what?”

  “She’s an assistant to an elderly man, and they’re having trouble keeping a nurse, so I’m going to help with what I can and hopefully find someone willing to deal with a surly patient.”

  “Did you get into that because of your aunt?”

  My brow wrinkled. “No, it was before that. It’s an underserved market, and while doing my clinicals, I fell in love with that crowd. They’ve got the best stories.”

  “I’ll bet.”

  A knock sounded at the door. Ridge answered, taking the breakfast I’d ordered before our last round of sex, and pulled his wallet from his jeans to tip the girl. He was still shirtless. Based on her blush and the way she was staring at him, I don’t think she even noticed the money he handed over. I chuckled as he gently shut the door. I couldn’t blame the poor girl; I had a hard time tearing my eyes away from him too.

  “I didn’t know they offered room service for the cabins.” He set down the plates and pulled off the lids. He unrolled silverware before handing it to me and readying the rest of the meal.

  “Delilah’s determined to make this the best stay for me.”

  Ridge nodded and sat, taking a sip from a steaming mug of coffee. “Sounds like her.”

  I cut into the fluffy pancakes, drizzled syrup over one bite, and moaned when I ate it. My eyes connected with Ridge’s as he stared at my mouth. My tongue peeked out, licking a trace of syrup from the corner of my mouth.

  Coffee splashed over the edge of Ridge’s coffee mug as it clattered to the table. He pushed the chair back, stood, and was hovering over me in one stride. One hand gripped the arm of the chair, and the other wove into my messy hair. He tilted my head back, bringing my lips a sliver away from his own.

  “I was serious last night when I said I want you—and more nights like last night—until you leave. Were you? I haven’t even scratched the surface of the things I want to do to you.”

  No one had ever spoken to me like that before. I’d never been with a man this bold. I’d thought one night would be enough, but it wasn’t. I wanted to see him again, see him until I left, but I knew it would be a challenge to make sure my heart didn’t get involved. I couldn’t allow it to. I couldn’t fall into Ridge’s arm and get lost in his smile.

  “Yes, I was serious,” I whispered. With each word my lips brushed against his. I arched my neck to get a sliver more contact between us. “It’s only a fling though. I’m leaving, Ridge. We can’t forget that.”

  His jaw tightened and his nostrils flared as he broke eye contact for a second. Then he nodded once. “Only a fling. I won’t forget you’re leaving,” he promised. His lips sealed over mine, and I whimpered in the back of my throat as his tongue swept into my mouth. He broke the kiss, brushing his thumb over my cheek. “While you’re here, it’s just us. I don’t share, Zoe.”

  I nodded. Ridge’s lips tipped up and he stood, releasing me. “And if you need another night of commiseration or celebration, I’ll bring you to The Watering Hole. Anything you need while you’re here, I’m your guy.”

  I laughed. “The Watering Hole is still open? Makenna, Macy, Allison, and I used to try to sneak in.”

  “I’ll take you, clover,” Ridge promised and took a bite of his omelet. I licked my lips and ignored the way my body warmed when I heard that nickname. It’d only been a few times, but each time I wanted to hear it again in his rich timbre. “The thing that was bothering you last night, is it still?”

  My gaze turned toward the window overlooking the bluffs, and my mouth tightened. Ridge had been a good distraction, but in the light of day, I was still facing a day without Georgia and the problem of how to fulfill her final wish when my parents didn’t care to come.

  “Yes,” I said. I didn’t elaborate, wasn’t sure if I wanted to. Ridge was being careful with his questions and didn’t pry. I wondered if I should set that boundary, but I didn’t want to impose rules on what we’d started. Right now it was fun. Right now it was the only thing that made me feel my heartbeat. I didn’t want to ruin it by placing it in a tiny box with a set of rules.

  He took another sip of coffee and smirked. “I’ve got an either-or question for you, clover.”

  I groaned. “Oh, god. Is it as bad as that snail question when I first arrived? That one was pretty terrible, Ridge.”

  “You know, I fucking like the sound of my name on your pretty lips. Whether you’re coming for me or just saying it.”

  A blush spread from my neck to my cheeks. I bit my lip before taking a sip of orange juice.

  “The snail question wasn’t that bad,” he said. “We gave a tour to a class at the fire station. At the end, we let the kids ask questions. One kid raised his hand so high in the air and was waving it. I thought for sure he wanted to know more about fires. I called on him, and he asked about a murdering snail or a bag full of money. It stuck with me.” He shrugged.

  I chuckled, shaking my head. “Ask your question.”

  “Shot of tequila or smashing s
hit?”

  A grin took over my face. “Please tell me when you say ‘smashing shit’ you mean demolition at your house? Aunt Georgia and I loved to watch home renovation shows and demolition day always seemed so fun to me.”

  Ridge laughed. “That’s what I mean. I don’t think we’ll have time today, but my next day off, I need to knock out a wall, and Foster will be working a job for us. Want to help?”

  “Can I have my own hard hat and sledgehammer?”

  “Sure.” He chuckled. “Whatever you want, clover. And whatever is bothering you will be totally out of your system after that. Works like a charm, every time.”

  I wasn’t so sure about that. I’d never been able to shake the feeling my parents had left in their wake. It felt even worse now. Different because I was done trying, but still worse. My chest clenched as I thought of the request in Georgia’s will. It was so simple, and she deserved everything she wanted. At this point I wanted to shred the letter she’d written to my mom. My mom didn’t deserve any last bits of wisdom, love, or kind words from Georgia.

  Ridge looked at the time on his phone. “I’m going to head home to shower and change. Then I’ll pick you up and we can get your car sorted?”

  I nodded. “Sounds good.”

  He stood and held out his hand to me. When I placed my soft hand in his rough palm, he pulled me to my feet and against his chest. He untied my robe, brushing his hand along my rib cage to my back and down to my ass, pressing me against him and erasing the last centimeter of space between us. His other hand traced the curve on the side of my body. Over my hips, my ribs, and the side of my breast, landing on my neck before he kissed me, sweeping his tongue against mine, and tightened his hold on my body. I trailed my fingers up his abs to his chest and finally wound my arms around his neck as I arched my back, sinking all of myself into this kiss.