by Nia Aria
Sitting on the island makes it so I’m quite a bit taller, still not nearly as tall as him, but we find ourselves staring at one another once again. I see his jaw tic and can tell that he’s wrestling with something before I hear him whisper, “Aw hell. I have to taste you again, angel” as he lowers his head towards mine. When our lips touch an electric current surges through my body. I had no idea a kiss could be this amazing.
I’d been chastely kissed before by Eddie Peterson behind my high school once, but it was nothing like this. Ridge’s hands frame my face as he feeds me his tongue and deepens the kiss. It’s as if we are one in this moment as our mouths explore each other. I run my hands up the front of his chest and feel the hard muscles there. His strong body is so immense I can hardly wrap my arms around him. I’m certain he’s earned his strength from all his hard days of ranch work, not in some gym.
He continues to ravage my lips and he catches my moan in his mouth. I start to feel like I’m floating, it's as if I'm searching for something more but I just don’t know what it is. My pussy is throbbing with need and I discover that I’m rubbing myself on his hard abdomen. Ridge finally breaks the kiss and places his forehead against mine as we both try to catch our breath.
“Christ, you even kiss like an angel. One more minute of that and I would’ve stripped your pants off and fucked you right here on this island. You deserve better than that, baby. We’ll save the kitchen for another time.”
I smile shyly up at him and he kisses me on the forehead. One more minute of that and I would have had my very first kiss induced orgasm.
“These are for you,” he tells me as he hands me the fragrant bunch of flowers. “I really do hope you forgive me for my bad attitude this morning. I’m hoping you’ll let me take you to dinner this evening. I would also like to give you a tour of this side of the ranch, so you get your bearings. I ordered you an SUV that'll be here later today, but I really don’t want you driving until you know your way around.”
“Wait. You ordered me a what? I can't afford that! I—” Is all I am able to get out before he interjects.
“Ashlynn, I can, and I want to. I need to know you are driving around in a safe ride or I won’t be able to get anything done on this ranch. Your car left you stranded and who knows what could have happened to you if Beau didn’t drive by. There are times when I will be gone for weeks and most of that time there is no cell service, speaking of which, I got you a new phone. It is going to kill me to leave you as it is. Please don’t argue with me on this.”
“How can you order me an SUV like it’s no big deal when I’m not even certain Norma Ray will want me to stay?”
“Because I want you to stay,” he says, the desire I see in his eyes letting me know he truly means it.
“Fine, but I'm just borrowing it until I can get my car fixed, and if Norma Ray doesn’t hire me, I will give it back to you. I will also return the phone,” I tell him.
“Whatever you want, angel.”
Something tells me he doesn’t quite mean it, but I let it go.
“Thank you for the flowers, they are beautiful. And yes, I forgive you.”
He smiles down at me, then looks up and sees all the desserts filling the kitchen table.
“Whoa, looks like you’ve been busy, baby. Holy shit, these all look amazing. When we get back from dinner, I’ll taste your desserts,” he says with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
I would’ve fallen over if I wasn’t sitting down on the island still. I manage to get my wits about me again and tell him, “Those are for Norma Ray and the ranch hands! You gave Norma Ray the weekend off and I don’t want them to be upset with me.”
“I’m not sharing any of your desserts with them, but I did convince Norma Ray to come meet with you tomorrow. She will be here at eleven so you guys can make something for dinner,” he tells me, a smile lighting up his face.
I give him the side eye. “Ridge, now you took away the weekend you told her she could have off?” I ask him. His eyes widen as if he made a mistake.
“Well, I did promise her she’d have the week of Christmas off, and that I’d fly her first class to Reno to visit her son and grandkids, so she’s pretty happy,” he tells me with a smile.
“Thank you for doing that, Ridge. It means a lot to me. I really want this to work out”
“Me too, but you are mine regardless of what happens in this kitchen. Now, let me hide all these desserts.”
I laugh, and playfully smack him on the shoulder.
“Ow! Alright, alright we can drop a few of them off at the bunkhouse on our way out. I’m only doing this because there is no way in hell that I’ll eat all that. You aren’t going inside there though, I’ll bring them in. Go ahead and freshen up if you want and we can get ready to go. I’ll box all this stuff up and put it in the truck,” he says and kisses my nose.
“So bossy,” I say as I hop off the counter and make my way towards the stairs.
Seventeen
Ridge
I pull up to the main house and cut the engine. I feel like a kid at Christmas and can’t wait to see Ashlynn again. I know it’s only been nine hours, but it feels like it’s been forever. Thoughts of her consume me and my heart knows she is it for me.
I can hardly believe she hasn’t even been here twenty-four hours yet and I already can’t imagine her not being here. Her shy smile and sweet voice could get me to do anything she asks. Shit, I’m in trouble.
I walk up the stairs and make my way into the house. I immediately hear Luke Comb’s “Beer Never Broke My Heart” pouring out of the kitchen at a high decibel and I follow the sound as I smile to myself.
I walk into the kitchen and take it all in. Ashlynn is at the sink swaying her cute little ass to the song blasting from the radio. I’m glad I made it home in time to be able to witness this.
She has her hair up in that sexy as fuck messy bun with little pieces that have since escaped. It makes me want to tangle my hands in it and mess it up even more.
The kitchen smells absolutely amazing, and from all the pans she’s cleaning it looks as though she's been at it for hours. Part of me wants to carry her upstairs, strip her naked and sink my cock into her tight virgin pussy, but I promised myself I’d take things slow with her.
I continue to watch her unnoticed and I see her fill a large glass baking dish with steaming water and soap. Just as she turns towards me, she appears to be struggling, so I think it best to help her. As I offer to help, the dish slips from her grasp and comes crashing down. My heart leaps into my throat, and I spring into action as I quickly scoop her up and deposit her onto the counter.
I get the mess cleaned up as best I can and proceed to check her feet to be certain none of the glass shards slipped into her shoes. My hat must have fallen off in my rush to rescue her, because I notice it’s MIA. When I am satisfied she is ok, I stand to my full height, putting us at a much more level playing field. I find myself nestled right between her warm thighs as I look down into her eyes. It is as if I was caught in a tractor beam. Wild horses running through the house at this very moment can’t stop what is about to happen.
I slowly lower my head to hers and it’s as if the ground slips out from under me as I taste her for the second time. So, this is what home feels like. Her lips are soft as I remember, and her mouth tastes like a ripe summer peach and it causes me to want more. I deepen the kiss as I hold her head still for my assault. The sweet as hell moans she’s making, coupled with the sounds of our lips attacking each other make me want to lay her back on this island and fuck her, hard.
I know she doesn’t have a lot of experience, and the thought that I am going to be the one to take her cherry makes me harder than I've ever been. My dick will be the only one she’ll ever know. My cock is trying to punch a hole in my jeans because he wants what’s his. I reel myself back in and slowly pull off of her. I lean my head against hers and try to catch my breath. This woman is going to be the death of me.
Eighteen
>
Ashlynn
I finish curling my hair after my shower and I put on a sexy little sundress that I had splurged on before I left Arizona. It’s a white country style lace dress that has a V in front that shows off a hint of my cleavage. I always thought my breasts were my best asset and this dress makes them look sexy.
The bottom is flowy and barely hits my knees, and if I twirl, it will probably show off my underwear. The back is where the real party is, with a ribbon that crisscrosses from the top all the way down to my hips. I can’t wear underwear because of it, hence the no twirling.
When I bought this dress, I didn’t have any event in mind to wear it to, I just thought it was beautiful and it made me feel sexy. I figured this was the perfect time to wear it. I put on my favorite boots, walk over to the mirror and swipe some gloss onto my lips, grab a light sweater, and head out the door.
When I get downstairs, I see Ridge sitting on the couch talking on the phone. He has a beer in his hand, and it looks like he showered and changed. His hair is thick and a little long, like he’s due for a cut soon, but I like it. He’s also trimmed up his beard and I can smell a hint of cologne. It’s a light woodsy scent that makes me want to walk over and inhale a deep lungful I’m still floating from the kisses we shared today and am secretly hoping he’ll do it again soon. I’ve never felt anything close to what I feel with him and I’m starting to crave it. I try not to eavesdrop, but it sounds like he’s talking to one of his brothers.
“I don’t give a shit what you have to do or how long it will take for someone to respond to the ad about the position, she’s not fucking doing it alone. There is no way in hell I'm letting Ashlynn loose around those horny bastards all damn day.”
I must have come into his line of sight because he turns towards me and doesn’t even say goodbye to who I assume was Gauge, he just pushes the end button and stares at me as if I’m his last meal.
“Holy hell. Baby, you look absolutely amazing. Way too beautiful to be hanging out with an old cowboy like me. Not sure what I did to get so lucky, but fate brought me an angel last night,” he says sincerely.
I wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easy. I heard what he said, and I wanted to know what he was up to.
“What did you mean when you said you wouldn’t let me loose around the ranch hands alone, Ridge? I came here to follow my dream of becoming a chef, and I fully intend to cook in that kitchen if Norma Ray will have me,” I say, lifting my chin in defiance.
“Ashlynn, listen to me. I understand that you want to cook for all those men, but they can sometimes act like a pack of wild animals. One look at you and they’ll be like rabid dogs fighting for a bone. There aren't a lot of women around here, if you haven’t noticed. Our ranch is far from almost everything and those men are lonely. I am just worried. I have to keep you safe.”
“Did you just compare me to a bone?” I ask him, placing my hands on my hips and arching a brow at him.
“I am sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. I just want to protect you.”
“I get that, Ridge, and I appreciate it, but I’m a big girl. I wish you would have discussed this with me first. If whatever we are doing here is ever going to go anywhere, you have to include me in these talks. Especially if it is something that pertains to me,” I tell him, meaning every word.
“Ashlynn, you are barely nineteen, don’t have much experience with grown men, and are no bigger than a fairy. They are hardened, horny ranch hands and I worry one of them may try to take advantage of you,” he says, raising his voice an octave, his face etched with concern.
“What about you, Ridge? Should I be concerned about a big, strong, older man like yourself taking advantage of me? I came here to follow my dream of working as a lead chef, not to be persuaded against it.”
“Shit. You are absolutely right, Ashlynn. I should have talked to you about this instead of making the decision for you. It’s just the thought of those men even thinking anything sexual about you is enough to make me want to lose it. I actually had an idea, and I was discussing— ok, I was telling my brother we need a soup chef. That way you are not alone in there all day. You would have some help and I wouldn’t have to worry.”
I laugh out loud. “You mean a sous-chef?” I correct him.
“Yes, that. You’d be in charge, of course, but I’d feel better knowing there is someone there with you to help. What if there was an emergency? Please, Ashlynn.”
“Ok. I think that’s a fantastic idea, but next time talk with me about these things first.” I look up at him and smile.
“Absolutely,” he says, raising his hand as if he’s swearing on a Bible.
“Come down here for a sec,” I crook my finger and beckon him closer to me. He places his face near mine as I put my hands on his cheeks and kiss him softly on his lips. He looks down at me with a grin and lifts his head.
“So when does my interview start?” I ask and he laughs out loud
“I’m not sure, I’ll have to check with the boss. Now let’s get going before I haul you over my shoulder and this time, I’ll have my way with you.” He grabs my hand, and we make our way outside.
Nineteen
Ashlynn
I’m not surprised to find that Ridge’s truck is as large as he is. The sleek black pickup suits him well. He walks me over to the passenger side and opens the door for me. I am wondering how I am going to climb up on the step bar without flashing the world my goods when he lifts me by the waist and plants me firmly in the seat.
He then steps up onto the bar, leans over me and proceeds to buckle my seatbelt. I think it is at that exact moment I fall in love with this strong, overprotective, bullheaded man.
Ridge walks around to the driver’s side, hops in and starts the big diesel engine. He eases the truck onto the gravel lined road, grabs my hand and proceeds to drive me around and tell me everything about the ranch. He tells me how long it’s been in his family, what they do, how they do it. He has so much pride in his voice when he talks about his family and this land. I find it all very fascinating and ask lots of questions. Ridge also asks me about my family, and I fill him in about growing up in Payson with my dad and grandma.
We pull up to what appears to be an oversized cabin. “This is the bunkhouse. I was going to drop off some of the pies and cookies that you wanted them all to have. Let me go on in and see who’s all in there. It’s Saturday and most of them are off. As long as they are decent, I’ll introduce you,” he grumbles, causing me to laugh at his over-protectiveness.
A few minutes later Ridge comes out to get me. He helps me down and gathers up the box from the back seat and I follow him into the bunkhouse. When we walk in the door I’m surprised at how nice and clean it is inside. The place is absolutely huge. There are bunks lined up against the walls but somehow each hand has their own little private space. The kitchen is in the very back of the bunkhouse and I assume the bathrooms are on both sides.
“This bunkhouse will sleep thirty ranch hands comfortably. The foreman's quarters are about one hundred yards past this lodging. Behind the kitchen is the entertainment room and it’s completely soundproof. The door to the room keeps noise out so if the hands need some shut eye, they aren’t bothered by the other guys who are playing pool and drinking beer. They can be as loud as they want in there, it's so quiet on this side you could hear a pin drop.”
It appears they thought of everything when they designed this place. There are only about eighteen hands here at the moment, and Ridge introduces me to every one of them by name. They are all very polite and grateful for the baked goods. By the time we left all the pies, and most all the cookies were finished, and they were already begging for more.
“Hey now, you greedy fucks, be happy with what you got,” he says. I laugh and say goodbye to the men as Ridge takes my hand and we head back to the truck.
We make it into town by six and have a wonderful dinner at one of the town's only small restaurants. It was rustic, but cu
te. They even placed floating tea lights on each table in an effort to make it seem a bit more romantic. Ridge jokes a little about the fact that I can’t order off of the wine list yet. I throw it right back at him and tell him at least I won’t have to order off the senior menu first, he tips his head back and laughs out loud. We enjoy our meal and when the waiter comes by to ask if we want dessert, Ridge tells the young man that he’s eating dessert at home. I almost choke on my water as Ridge’s eyes never leave mine. He takes care of the bill and we exit the restaurant into the cool night. We walk hand in hand back to his truck and Ridge opens the door for me, but before he places me inside, he turns me to him.
“I’ve needed a taste of those lips again since the last time I had them,” and then he kisses me.
The truck door is still open and shielding us from prying eyes, so he picks me up and parks my butt on the seat so that I am facing him without even breaking the kiss. This makes it so I’m almost taller than him and he lets me take the lead this time as we explore each other's mouths. When I suck his lower lip between mine, he loses it.
His hands are suddenly all over my body as he whispers what he is going to do to me as soon as he gets me home. Home, that one word that means forever. He continues to make love to my mouth, and his hand makes its way up my smooth thigh until he finds what he’s looking for. I am so wet I’m embarrassed, and I place my face on his shoulder as I struggle to breathe.
“No panties? Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Holy shit, angel, your pussy is so wet. I fucking love it.”
His words bring me back out of my shell, and I moan in his ear as he teases my clit, spreading my juices all around. He then slips one and then two fingers inside of me, stretching me, readying me for him. I know he’s not small down there and that it will take time for me to be able to accept all of him, I just hope I can. I long to feel him inside of me. Claiming me, making me a woman. His woman.
