by Cara Roman
Leigha didn't have to wait long for Ridge to reply to her text.
OK. Dinner at your folks house it is then.
Leigha stared at her phone shaking her head, maybe Ridge wasn't fully understanding the situation. But he surprised her with a second text.
They just want to scope me out, see what my intentions with you are. So I've got nothing to worry about.
Nothing to worry about?
Nope. ;) Meet you at your place and we can drive over there together, present a united front. Later, Sugar.
Everyone had gone completely crazy, Leigha thought to herself. Sighing, she let it go. There wasn't a damn thing she could do about it right now, in the middle of the day at work. Today was Tina's day off, so when Dani left for the day to pick up Silas from the sitters house she was glad to be all alone. The routine of cleaning helped settle some of her anxiety about dinner. It was comforting to let her mind go wandering where ever it wanted while she swept and mopped the day's layer of grime off of the floors. By the time she finished with everything and was walking out to take the deposit to the bank she felt better about the daunting prospect ahead. But only marginally.
At home she had time to make sure Finn had his dinner, and some cuddles before she heard Ridge's truck pull in. When he rapped his knuckles against the door Leigha called out for him to come on in. Ridge looked especially good tonight, he'd put on a deep mossy green button down shirt, and a dark pair of blue jeans. The boots where still the same though, and it made everything knotted up inside Leigha loosen. He watched her perusal of him with a crooked smirk, and a smile shining in his eyes.
"Ready to go Sugar?"
"Yeah, we probably should." Leigha said sounding resigned to her fate.
"Oh, come on. They liked me before. This is hardly the firing squad we are about to face." Ridge said pulling her to his body with a hand at the back of her neck, and pressing a sweet kiss to her temple.
"I know, I know. I'm just, well, shit, I don't know why I'm so nervous about it. Its not like I need permission to be with you." Leigha said as she reached up and smoothed her hand over his hair.
"But you want their approval. Its alright, baby, I understand, really." Ridge said. "But even if we don't have it, I'm all the way in this Leigha. I meant it when I said I loved you. I'm a lot of things, but a player has never been one of them."
The steely determination written all over his face told her he meant every word of what he said. Nodding her head she went up on her tippy toes, and reaching up she pressed her lips softly against his. "Then lets get this the hell over with."
Neither of them said much on the drive over to her parents house. Sitting next to Ridge in a pick up truck brought back so many memories. This one had bucket seats with a wide center console between them, instead of a bench seat so she couldn't sit pressed against his side like she used to when they were teenagers. As he pulled into the driveway of her childhood home she remembered coming home later than curfew after the homecoming dance. She was more nervous now than she was then strangely enough. Back then every extra minute spent with Ridge was worth any cost. Now, she understood that if this didn't go well it would cost her something she wasn't ready to lose. Ridge put the truck into park, and hopped quickly out. She watched him jog briskly around the hood to come over to her side and open her door. When she climbed down he closed the door, gave the ends of her hair a quick tug, for encouragement and wrapped his arm around her waist. Facing the house Leigha felt Ridge take a deep breath to steady himself. That little bit of nervousness in him helped smooth out some of the sharp edges of her own.
Her Dad was the first to step out onto the front porch as they made their way up the steps. "There's my girl." He said with a smile on his face, all but beaming at Leigha. Without any hesitation she stepped up into his arms and he gave her a squeeze. Her Mom opened the door as her Dad was releasing her. "Its been too long darling, you need to come by more often." He chided. That was nothing new, he never thought she visited enough, and Leigha knew that her Dad would always miss seeing her every day.
"It's about time you came by to see me Ridge Bradley." Her Mom said walking over and giving him a pat on the cheek.
Ridge smiled and handed her the tissue wrapped bouquet of colorful spring blooms that was already sitting on the console when Leigha got in earlier. "My apologies Sherri, I should have come out to see you sooner."
"Sure should have." She said with a nod. "Thank you, Ridge. Such pretty flowers, look Rob, aren't these lovely?" She asked turning towards her husband.
He nodded his head slightly. Rob Taylor was still a rather fit man, even well into his fifties. His once dark blonde hair was mostly gray now, but his deep set hazel eyes missed nothing. The lines etched into his face only served to make him look distinguished, showing the map of a life well lived. He was a dependable man, gentle and caring. That didn't mean there wasn't a stubborn streak in him a mile wide, that he had passed down to his only daughter. And everyone knew he would do anything in this world for 'his girls' as he called them. "A word Ridge?"
The two men looked at each other for a few beats while Leigha held her breath. Ridge looked down at Leigha, meeting her eyes and said, "I'll be along inside in a few minutes." Leigha may not have completely understood all the male dynamics at play here, since she lacked the required equipment dangling between her legs for that, but she was smart enough to know they needed to work it out themselves.
Laying a hand on his chest, over top of his heart she nodded her head. "Need any help in the kitchen Mom?" Leigha asked turning towards her Mom. Sherri nodded her head, and gave Rob's arm a squeeze before opening the door back up. Holding it open for Leigha the two women walked inside, leaving the men their privacy.
Leigha circled the dining room table setting their plates down. It was a stunning long oval of polished mahogany that seated eight around it comfortably. She knew it had been a wedding present from her late grandparents to her parents many years ago. It was still a beautiful table, and she ran her fingertips over the shiny top of it wondering, "Mom, did your parents always like Dad?"
Carrying over the meatloaf her Mom let out a startled laugh. "Good lord, no honey. My Dad thought he drove his car too fast, and that he would never be good enough for me. My Mom didn't understand why he wore his hair so long and shaggy, thought it meant he was selling drugs."
"Dad? A drug dealer?" Leigha laughed at the image of her solid, pillar of the community father hawking drugs on a street corner. "But they came around."
"Eventually, yes. They could see how much he loved me, it was pretty hard to miss, and that was all they really wanted. Was for me to be happy. Are you worried about what they're saying out there?" She asked.
"Absolutely, Mom." Leigha answered immediately.
"Honey, we want the same things for you my parents wanted for me. Happiness, and a man to treat you the way you deserve. We always liked Ridge, you know that, but the truth of it is he did break your heart once upon a time. Your Dad, especially is really struggling with that. Knowing that man out there could crush his little girl's heart again scares the living hell out of him." Her Mom answered walking back into the kitchen for the rest of the food.
Leigha followed her Mom, grabbing the gravy boat, and bowl of green beans since her Mom already had the mashed potatoes in her hands. "What about you?"
"I know Ridge didn't go into it back then to hurt you on purpose. He was a little careless maybe, but he was young and so blinded by his dreams. I guess I can understand that the path your lives took was a winding one, and hope that maybe its finally brought you to where you're supposed to be." She said wisely, putting her hands on her hips. "That doesn't mean I won't help your Dad bury his body out back if need be." She said without blinking, patted Leigha on the cheek and walked back into the kitchen.
Leigha was still staring after her Mom, feeling a little bit dumbstruck when the front door opened. Her Dad walked in and brushed a kiss to her forehead as he passed by heading into the kit
chen. Ridge stopped behind her, and wrapped his arms around her body. Leaning in he whispered "all good Sugar, you can relax now."
"My Mom just told me she would help my Dad bury your body in the backyard if he had to kill you." Leigha said in a mumble leaning back into his comforting warmth. She loved the way his larger body all but surrounded her.
Ridge let out a rich full-throated laugh that rumbled through his chest that was still pressed against her back. "Guess its a damn good thing he decided homicide wasn't on tap for tonight then."
Chapter 22
Laying in Ridge's bed hours later, tucked under the covers with his arm slung across her waist, his body curving into her back, Leigha couldn't manage to find sleep. Her body was delightfully exhausted, Ridge was full of stamina, and always completely rocked her world. But her mind was still floating, stubbornly refusing to drift off to sleep. She could tell from the deep, even puffs of breath stirring her hair that Ridge was fast asleep behind her. She could always go down and make herself some tea, but that meant leaving the warmth of the bed. Leigha found she really didn't want to leave the bed. So she stared out the window at the moon and stars wrapped in Ridge's arms instead.
There was a time, not that long ago, that she wondered if she would ever have this. A man wrapped around her, with her body still humming happily from the things his had done to it. There is so much magic in this feeling, the totally blissed-out aftermath of good orgasms. The kind you don't have to give yourself. Every single inch of her skin was practically glowing. Sex with Ridge was so far past phenomenal Leigha wasn't sure there was even a word for it, and if so she definitely didn't know it. He was a demanding and dominant lover, but never selfish, and that suited her needs just fine. She could trust that where ever he was taking her sexually she was up for the ride. Some men played at dominance like a game, thinking they were alpha enough. But it was all just posturing, and pretend chest beating. Ridge was different. He had a very specific taste sexually, and nothing had ever made her feel more completely, beautifully feminine than when he took her like that. He worshiped her body, every single time.
Looking back on their sex before she wasn't surprised. They might have been just teenagers, riding high on hormones in the bed of his pickup truck, fumbling through. But it was never like what she heard from her friends at school. They all talked about their first time as being disappointing, just something to check off the 'to do' list of growing up. It wasn't like that between them, even that very first time. Not that every single moment felt amazing. Leigha had expected it to really hurt, considering the size of his dick. There had been a moment of so much pressure it made her gasp, and tears gather in her eyes, but that had faded quickly. Ridge had gone slow and easy with the actual sex, but he spent so much time playing with her, and pleasing her before hand that she was all but mush when he finally took her virginity. Even being a virgin himself, he managed to keep it together long enough to make it good for her. A true rarity, even among full grown adult men. Ridge was a man who liked taking control, and once he had it, thankfully, he always knew what to do with it. But it was really that control was just him taking care of her.
She could admit thinking about it now that he ruined her for other men, even way back then. The few times she had let another man touch her in the years that came between then and now, it always left her acutely disappointed. Her body always craved this man tucked around her right now, always. Even when her bruised heart wanted nothing to do with him ever again. Smiling in the dark she breathed the scent of him deep into her lungs. Well, her heart wasn't very strong in that resolve anymore, and Leigha was finding that was fine by her. Fighting something that felt this damn right all the way down into her bones was a waste of time. They deserved this happiness, damn it. She deserved it.
Ridge mumbled something softly, and pulled her body even closer to his. She thought he was just talking in his sleep at first. Until his hand came up to cup and mold her breast. "How come you're not sleeping baby?"
"My mind was happy to wander around instead." She replied as he turned her over until they were face to face.
"Guess I didn't wear you out enough. Where did your mind go?" He asked brushing the hair gently away from her face. In the moonlight his eyes were the deep green of shadows along the forest floor, and Leigha fell happily into their endless depths.
"Us. Our first time. I was looking up at the moon and remembering. I never told you how lucky I felt because all of the girls talked about just getting it over with. That the first time is never any good. It was always going to be special between us, but it was good too. You made sure of that." Leigha said running her hand over his chest. She loved feeling the tingle in her palm from sliding across the hair growing there.
His hand resting on her hip pulled her even closer to him. "Well I wanted to show you how fucking lucky I knew I was to be inside of you, and if I didn't make it worth it then you might not let me back in again. Remember that moment before I started to actually move?"
"Yeah, you leaned down and rested your forehead against mine. I thought you were giving me a minute to adjust to how full you felt all the way inside of me." Leigha said leaning in and pressing a kiss over his heart. His laugh rumbled out, surprising her, and she looked up at him.
"Not quite. I actually forgot how to breathe because every damn nerve in my body was screaming. I could've ended it right then, it felt so damn good. I wasn't prepared for it to be like that, I mean like every other guy I jacked off all the time. So I figured I knew. I had no fucking clue. It was so much better than anything I'd ever felt, or even imagined, and I imagined being inside of you a lot. But then I looked down at your beautiful brown eyes, shining with so much trust, giving me this precious gift, and knew I needed to make you feel exactly as good as I did." Ridge said tipping her face up, his fingers threading into her hair at the back of her neck.
"I didn't know that." Leigha said feeling moved by his words, and turned on by their proximity. Her tongue peaked out to lick across her bottom lip. She could feel his dick pressing into her stomach, the hard length of it blazing hot against her skin.
"It meant as much to me as it did to you." Ridge whispered as he scraped his lips back and forth across hers exactly where her tongue had just been.
Leigha lifted her leg and wrapped it around his hip, pulling him even closer. She tried to angle her hip so he could slide inside. It had only been a little while, but her pussy already felt like it was aching with need. Ridge stilled her hips with his hand, keeping her in place as he finally kissed her. There was need, and hunger in the kiss, but Leigha knew he was giving her more. She felt everything he was pouring into her, all the love he felt, without any words. There were so many butterflies in her stomach now it was a wonder they didn't manage to break free, and fly off into the night eager to dance in the moon beams. When her need for Ridge was so intense it neared pain he shifted his hips. Leigha gasped into his mouth as she felt the thick head of his dick slide through her drenched folds. She waited for him to slip inside, but he didn't do that. Rolling his hips against hers Ridge teased her swollen clit instead.
Fingers grasping his shoulders, needing that connection, Leigha watched his eyes. Her heart beating rapidly, she moaned his name. "Ridge."
"Right here Sugar. I ever tell you how much I love your little clit? Its always so damn receptive to everything I do." Ridge said with a sexy smirk.
Leigha couldn't say anything, her brain had stepped out for a break, and she simply had no words left. He leaned down to lick her bottom lip and draw it into his mouth, his eyes never leaving hers. She shuddered, her whole body alive with sensations singing through her. Leigha's hips were trying to buck greedily towards Ridge as she chased the orgasm building deep inside of her.
"I got you Sugar." Ridge said his grip tightening on her hip, not letting her move.
"More!" Leigha cried out. "I need more!"
Ridge didn't say anything, he just scraped his teeth along the side of her neck, as his dick
kept sliding tortuously slow against her clit. The tension building inside of her, tighter and tighter. Her breath was coming quickly now, in desperate gasps. Finally, it crested, the lines tying her together snapped, and all of the tension swirling around inside of her flew out in great pulsing quakes as she came with a scream.
Before she could come down from the dizzying heights the orgasm dragged her up to Ridge was inside of her with a quick push of his hips. Her nails digging into his skin now, she held on as he moved deep and fast. It was such a departure from the slow glide against her earlier that she couldn't keep up. Leigha was lost to the sensations pummeling her senses, closing her eyes she came a second time, this orgasm even more intense than the first one.
This time it was Ridge calling out. "More." He growled as he pulled out of her. Leigha didn't even have time to register the loss before he flipped her over onto her stomach, pulled her wrists above her head and slammed back into her. He held both of her wrists easily in one large hand, the other one pressing the small of her back down. He pumped in and out faster and faster, his breath coming in noisy pants above her. With this new position, her body flat on the bed, ass angled up to meet his thrusts, he hit her G-spot with every single demanding stroke. It was all Leigha could do to drag air in and out of her burning lungs.
"You're so fucking wet, Sugar. Tell me how much you like this." Ridge growled.
"Don't stop." Leigha managed to moan out. "So good, you feel so good Ridge." Ridge smacked her ass with the hand that was holding her down. The quick sting only added to the layers of sensations. "Shit." Leigha gasped as her whole body started shaking.
"You gonna come for me again?" Ridge asked as he pounded into her.
Leigha nodded her head, her muscles straining for release.
"Words, baby, give me the words." Ridge grunted.
"Yes!" Leigha screamed arching her back as the orgasm ripped through her. Her whole world narrowed down to the feeling of Ridge moving inside of her, and the consuming pleasure he gave her. The orgasm stretched endlessly on, until she wasn't sure if it was one, or if she was coming over and over again. Lost deep inside of her self she thought she heard Ridge shout, before he filled her with heat, his body pressing hers even further into the bed.
