The longer he stands there doing nothing, the more self-conscious I become. I’ve spent the last few days fantasizing about this moment. There is nothing more I’ve wanted than what is right here. Didn’t I just get done thinking it was time to live a little? Now I’m terrified. The way he’s looking at me is worrisome and I’m not even naked yet. There’s a feeling as if this is more than the nonattached sex I’d envisioned. His gaze sweeps from my face down my body, and I tense ready to pull myself up and get the hell out of here.
“Fuck, you’re beautiful.”
Oh… well then. I relax and chuckle, my eyes closing.
“What?”
I open my eyes to Ridge’s head inches from mine. My hands push back on his chest, but he doesn’t move. “Because you can’t look at me like that. It makes me nervous.”
“How? Like I want to fuck you? Trust me, you have no reason to be nervous, babe.”
Yeah. It’s easy for him to say. He probably doesn’t take time every morning to point out each of his deficits when he looks in a mirror.
Ridge pulls on my shirt while his open palms slide up my sides taking the material with them. “Would it help if I told you I’ve pictured you laid out across my bed like this all day?”
“Possibly.”
I raise my arms as Ridge pulls my shirt off. He tosses it on the floor somewhere behind him. “This fantasy right here.” He slips a finger over my lips and trails it down between my breasts. “It had me so hard I couldn’t get up from the table at dinner.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Babe, look at me.” He steps away from the edge of the bed and puts a hand on his hip, highlighting the impressive bulge pushing out the zipper of his jeans.
This is the place where a cool person would make a sexy comment. Demand he takes off his pants and give me a better view, but I’m not a cool person. I giggle. Real smooth, Tabitha.
“Yeah, there’s no laughing when we talk about what’s in my pants. Now I have to punish you.”
I gasp and seal my lips shut. “Punish me?”
“Don’t worry you’ll like it.” Ridge pops the top button of my jeans and lowers the zipper.
I lift my butt up, my feet balanced on the edge of his bed frame as Ridge yanks my pants lower. They bunch around my ankles and I kick my feet until they fall to the floor.
“Now for the fun part.” He reaches behind my back and unclasps my bra, pulling the material off my arms and tossing it behind him.
With a naked breast in each hand he squeezes them together. I’m barely a B cup but I feel special when he lavishes attention on me the way he does. Ridge is definitely a boob man.
I no more than think it and he lowers his head taking time to lick each nipple until it’s wet and pert. I squirm underneath him. His tongue trails between my breasts up to my neck where he nibbles on my collarbone. I’ve maintained my composure until now, but when he hits the spot at the bottom of my throat, I wrap my arms around him. My breasts smash against his shirt and the friction created from his movements causes my skin to goosebump.
“Okay, the shirt needs to go.” I raise my hands to help him with the buttons — he’ll draw it out when I need him naked right now — but he stops me, trapping my hands in one of his.
Ridge bites down on my earlobe and pulls. His next words are a whisper when he releases them. “Oh no. This is part of your punishment.”
“This is my punishment?” It doesn’t seem bad.
He grins. “You’ll understand when you’re begging me to take you.”
With a jerk, his jean covered hips smash his rock hard dick between my legs and I moan. “I could beg now?”
“Feel free to start whenever you want, babe, but I get to decide when your punishment ends.”
One of his fingers caresses my inner thigh. The kisses on my neck become forceful with every few becoming a nip or a suck. It goes on for minutes until my breathing comes in gasps and I writhe below him. The kisses continue, his finger so close to where I want it, but never where I need it until I’m ready to scream.
“Please, Ridge.” The words come out a whine, but I don’t care.
He slips his finger past my underwear and with irritatingly slow circles he caresses every single area I want him to, without once connecting anywhere important. Is he trying to fucking kill me?
I move a hand up, ready to hit him, pull him closer, or kiss him. Anything to end my torment.
“Hands on the bed, Tabitha. You’re so wet. You’re enjoying yourself.”
“Please….”
He stops kissing long enough to meet my eyes as I plead with him to give me more.
“Now you should beg.”
You’d never guess I’m normally a self-respecting woman with the way I listen. “Oh god, please, Ridge. Give me more.” His finger swipes against my clit and I tense, my lower body rubbing against his.
“Tell me what you want.” His finger speeds up, but he’s still too far away from where I need him.
I close my eyes. “Fuck me.”
“Oh I’m going to baby, but not right now. The fucking comes later.” He swipes his tongue across my left nipple and I arc up into him. “But you saying fuck is so hot, I’ll give you a reward.”
He slips one finger and then two inside me, his thumb tapping my clit with each movement. “Fuck. You’re dripping all over my hand.”
My body jerks on the bed with each drive and twist of his fingers. His tongue rolls across my nipples, stopping to suck at the right moments. I moan and thrash against him. The pressure builds in my core and through my body. “Don’t stop,” I call out, the words punctuated by my body.
“Come on my fingers, baby.”
In the final seconds before I spin out of control, I reach up and grab his upper arm, the thick muscles bunching under my grip. The pressure builds until I lose myself. I yell out Ridge’s name between clenched teeth and arch off the bed, my knees squeezing against his hips. His fingers slow until I release my tight body with a swoosh and fall back against the bed.
His lips meet mine, his tongue tracing the seam before pulling away. “I want to taste you.”
I haven’t recovered enough to form words, but with my eyes closed I murmur in agreement.
He doesn’t lower his head as I expect, but removes his fingers from my underwear smoothing his index finger on the areola of my nipple. Ridge smirks, and a few small wrinkles form around his eyes. His tongue darts out and swirls around the area licking and sucking like he’s at his last meal.
When he finishes, his head pops up and his lips smack together. “You taste like fucking heaven.”
Ridge leans back enough for me to slip my hands between us and I work on his buttons. Not taking the time to be sexy or entice him. They need to go… now. I get five buttons open before I hit the area where our bodies are too close to reach anymore. Ridge, apparently also done with the wait, stands back and strips the shirt from his body throwing it over his head.
His jeans come off next and I sigh at the loss of not taking them off him myself. When he’s down to a simple pair of dark green boxers, he steps back to the bed.
“Condom?” I ask, locking my feet around his hips.
He hooks a finger on each side of my underwear and pulls them down in one practiced move. “Don’t worry. I got you, baby.”
With my naked body laid under him, Ridge leans across my legs to his nightstand. The drawer slides open, and when he returns he holds up a silver wrapper like it’s an Olympic medal.
I move back on the bed, but Ridge reaches out holding my leg. “Don’t move. You’re perfect.” With the condom wrapper in his mouth, he tears the side with his teeth. The rip is punctuated by the sounds of my heavy breathing of anticipation.
Ridge uses a single hand and wraps the condom over him. With a satisfied sigh, he stands between my open legs. His hard cock rubs against my inner thigh and he lines our bodies together.
Ridge pulls my legs until I’m closer to the edge of the bed
and slips his tip inside. “This is one hell of a view.” He stares down at our joined bodies, each of us forming a section of a T as he remains standing beside the bed.
With another push, he enters me completely and I groan as my body stretches.
“Almost there, baby. You’re so fucking tight.”
Now isn’t a good time to mention it’s been a while since I’ve had sex. Although, that helps explain why I’m so horny I almost jumped this man in his kitchen. Well that and he’s sweet, and kind, and protective.
He doesn’t move, staring down where our bodies join. Seconds away from a scream letting him know he needs to get his ass in gear, Ridge finally moves. Not enough for what I need, but with each small inch he enters me, my body screams out in relief.
With his hands on my hips, pulling me to him, his moves increase. His hand falls between us, his thumb working my clit at the same pace. Each thrust grows in strength and I tighten my hold on him with my legs. I fist bunches of the comforter pulling it toward me as the tempo of my body grows higher and higher. Ridge’s thick cock stretching me with every drive, he hits my clit with his thumb in time to our movements.
Together our movements become jerky, and the pressure from his thumb on my clit increases. He gives me a final flick and my body tenses as I climax and yell out, squeezing Ridge with my knees again.
His grip on my hips becomes bruising as he bumps me against his body and then stills as his eyes close and his head falls back. “Fuck.”
**
“Tabitha.”
“Hmm?” I swat at the hand Ridge uses to tug on the blanket I’ve wrapped around my shoulders. There’s only so much sex a normal person needs and four orgasms is enough… for now.
He laughs and I stop trying to hit him when I realize he’s tucking me into the blankets not trying to get me out of them. His lips kiss me on the forehead and the bed rises when he stands.
The room is dark when I pry open a single eye. I don’t twist to check the window, but I suspect the darkness isn’t from effective blackout curtains but rather the ridiculously early hour. Next to the bed Ridge stands, he brushes back a few strands of hair from my face and tucks them behind my ear.
“I have to go.”
“You’re leaving?” I half open the other eye and squint at his shadow.
Dressed in a dark colored thermal shirt with the Under Armour logo on the front and a matching pair of dark jeans, Ridge sits on the bed leaning over to tie a pair of thick leather boots. “Got a call. I need to head over to Redbud and help the guys bring someone in.”
His chunky black boots lose my attention. “Is it risky?”
“Nope.” He places a kiss to my forehead. “Bennett caught up with his bail jumper. It’s a simple snatch and grab.”
I uncover a hand from the wrap job he did on me with the blankets and trace a path with two of my fingers against his cheek. The bruise is unnoticeable in the darkness of the room but I remember where it falls below his eye. “Be safe.”
He smiles back at me and places a quick kiss to my lips. “I will. Make yourself at home when you wake up. Call me on your new cell phone if you need help finding something.”
“Kay.” I snuggle back into the blankets and let myself fall asleep draped in Ridge’s cologne from his pillow.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“Hey, throw me the can of teal please. This chair needs another coat,” Katy says tossing a used bottle of spray paint on the ground beside her.
I’m covered in paint. My hands are a glossy black from painting the small tables we purchased Saturday. On top of that, splotches of royal purple make me a freckled Oompa Loompa.
“We’re out of teal. Let’s switch to the emerald for the last batch of chairs.” Anessa grins and drops a bag of cans. They click together and roll on the ground in front of Katy.
I sigh. At least the green will somewhat match the grass in my back yard. Various shapes of spray patterns from the tables and chairs make my backyard look like Picasso threw up here last night. When I volunteered to help paint Anessa’s new furniture, I didn’t plan on offering my back yard as the project area.
We couldn’t paint at Anessa’s place since she lives above the bakery and doesn’t have a backyard. The fellow business owners who share the parking lot with her wouldn’t appreciate our painting technique. Katy’s yard is bigger than mine. But with Pierce as her landlord, she didn’t want to risk his rage if he came over and didn’t appreciate our painting efforts. As much as it sucks, I am our only option. Still, I’ve made sure we keep the furniture on my side of the property. I’m not ready to find out what reaction Ridge would have to teal grass.
Katy stands beside me, her hand on my shoulder in a gesture of reassurance. “Think of it this way, Tabs. Ridge will hate looking at these colors so much he’s bound to cut your grass for you until it grows out.”
Well, there’s one positive.
“If he does it shirtless, call me to come over and watch,” Anessa yells and then returns to painting the chair in front of her.
“I like her.” Katy laughs. “She’s overly happy, but it’s nice being around someone optimistic.”
Anessa sprays too low and ends up painting the tip of her shoe. “Flippin capernicle.”
“Her swearing needs more work.” Katy laughs, shaking my shoulder. “Sorry your yard looks like a unicorn had diarrhea back here.”
“Eh, it’s fine. Like you said, maybe Ridge will mow for me.” I shrug. “But why the hell do you rent from Pierce when you hate him so much?”
Katy releases my shoulder. Her eyes silently count the empty spray paint cans on the ground. “The house is pretty and rent’s cheap. There aren’t many places in town to rent and he owns most of them. I deal.”
“Well at least you don’t see him much, right?”
She laughs, but it’s humorless. “Are you kidding me? It’s Pelican Bay, and he collects the rent check each and every month, himself. In person.”
“Why?”
“To grace me with his presence, I suppose. And make sure I haven’t trashed his place. Knowing Pierce he does it to everyone. It’s his favorite day of the month. His chance to watch the coffers fill up. At the end of the day, he cashes it in for change and rolls around in his money pit ala Uncle Scrooge.”
I laugh, the image of Pierce doing the backstroke in a pile of pennies too much to resist.
“Hey! If you’re going to gossip do it over here. I want to know what’s funny.” Anessa stops painting long enough to yell at us and then lowers her head again.
“I need to go inside and get this paint off my hands before it seeps into my bloodstream.” Katy rubs her fingers together in front of me, ribbons of the paint falling into the grass.
Katy returns as Anessa and I put the final touches on the last three chairs.
“Here, some dude dropped this off for you.” She tosses me a small white envelope.
I miss and it floats to the ground before I’m able to grab it.
“Oh, a secret letter. Do you think it’s from Ridge?” Anessa asks coming to stand beside me.
“Doubtful, the guy who dropped it off was not hot. Tall, but his black hair had about a pound of grease over the legal limit.”
I tear open the envelope and slip out a folded over piece of white card. The Clara’s Bed and Breakfast logo in blue ink on the front. I’m intrigued. Why would Clara’s send me a letter?
That curious part of me dies when I flip open the card and see the inscription
Tick Tock.
The words are written in a simple male scrawl. I don’t recognize the handwriting, but I know the sender all the same.
“Is everything okay?” Katy asks. “You look sick.”
“Um… yeah.” I try to shove the note in my back pocket but it gets stuck to the paint on my fingers.
Katy rips the card from me, taking the paint from my index finger with it. “What the fuck does ‘tick tock’ mean?”
There are two ways for me to approach t
his. Tell her the truth. The burden of Mario and his accusations weigh on me. It would be nice to have someone to confide in who wouldn’t judge me for my past fucks ups.
Or I could lie. Pulling Katy into my problems now seems like a bitch thing to do. Benny threatened her. Mario threatened her. Katy anywhere near this problem seems like the worst idea ever. Plus, Pelican Bay is my new start on life. I refuse to let Mario infect my new relationships here.
A lie it is then.
“It’s just this thing. My stupid ex-boyfriend?”
“Urgh. Ex-boyfriends are the worst. I’m tired of men thinking they’re god’s gift to women and we should fall all over ourselves to make them feel important.” She hands the note back. “Imagine this…”
Here we go.
“You take his little note and walk up to him, throw it in his face and say ‘Fuck you.’ You’ll feel better. I guarantee it.”
“That’d be a little hard since he’s in Oklahoma, right?” Anessa adds.
Mario is all the way in Oklahoma, but Benny isn’t.
“I see the look in your eye, Tabitha. I can think of ninety ways this could go horribly wrong.” Nessa pauses but keeps going when I don’t respond. “Look at me. I’m thinking of them… right now.”
**
It took Katy another two hours and dinner at Bonnie’s after Anessa left to talk me into her newest plan. With the sun setting behind me, we’re here, in my car, doing our own little stakeout in the parking lot of Clara’s Bed and Breakfast.
I’m not sure when Katy decided she needed to come, but she’s here. I gave her a few extra details on Benny. Okay, she may be under the impression Mario sent Benny to talk me into going back to Oklahoma, not threaten my life like he has. I didn’t stand a chance in changing her mind. What can I say? She’s persuasive.
Finding our way to Clara’s was the easy part. I’m not Nancy Drew, but it wasn’t hard to deduce Clara’s as the base of his operation. It’s the one hotel in town. Also the tiny fact Benny wrote his note on a piece of hotel stationery.
At this point my biggest problem is what car he’s driving. More than likely Benny picked up a rental. He wouldn’t drive the two thousand miles to Maine.
Security Risk Page 11
