He moved one hand down to the waistband of her pants, then lifted the hem of her shirt and found her skin. It was like warm satin, impossibly smooth. Had she always felt this way, or had he just forgotten what it was like to touch her?
Her fingers moved down to the buttons of his shirt and she fumbled to work them loose. Goose bumps broke out across his skin when she pulled his shirt open, exposing his chest to the cool air of the cabin. Then she put her hands on him, touching him here, there, running the tip of her nail along his collarbone. She was everywhere at once, setting his nerve endings on fire.
And he was happy to burn.
A small voice in his head warned him that this wasn’t a good idea. They were moving too fast, heading down a dangerous path that would result in another broken heart. But his body didn’t care. It had been so long since he’d felt a woman’s touch. He had dated others after he and Darcy had split up, but no one had compared to her. No one made his blood race quite like she did. Part of him had wondered if things had really been that good between them or if he’d simply idealized their time together, so that every other relationship paled by comparison. But being with her now made him realize he hadn’t exaggerated how good they were together. If anything, he’d forgotten the little details that made their connection so special. His memories had been like a black-and-white film, and he was now living in full color.
Ridge shifted and captured her bottom lip between his teeth, biting gently. She moaned into his mouth and he smiled. It sounded as if he wasn’t the only one who had missed this connection. And even though he knew this physical spark wasn’t going to result in anything between them, he decided to settle in and enjoy himself. He didn’t have a lot of pleasure in his life right now. He wasn’t about to turn down a gift like this, especially from Darcy.
As if she’d read his mind, Darcy leaned back and met his gaze. “I know this is sudden,” she said, her lips swollen from his kiss. “But I’ve wanted to do that since you walked in to the ER.”
Her words made his ego stand up and cheer, and a sense of smug satisfaction swelled in his chest. It was petty of him, but knowing she had missed him and still wanted him as much as he did her made him feel vindicated.
“I don’t mind,” he said, the words coming out in a rasp.
Her answering grin made his heart thump hard against his breastbone. “Glad to hear it.”
She leaned back in but before she could make contact, a huge clap of thunder shook the house, rattling the windows and waking both Penny and the baby. The dog let out a startled “woof” and shook herself. Then, realizing she wasn’t in any danger, she settled back down to sleep. The baby was not so easily soothed. She let out a shout of protest, and both Ridge and Darcy scrambled off the couch and over to her side.
Ridge got there first and gathered her into his arms. He tucked her up against his chest and started the gentle sway that had helped calm her before. It took a few minutes, but she gradually relaxed from a regular wail to the occasional whimper.
He glanced up to find Darcy watching them, an odd expression on her face. If he didn’t know better he would have thought it was longing, but that wasn’t right. Darcy had never been the type to ooh and ahh over babies, and the one time they had talked about having kids she had been lukewarm on the subject. Her passion had always been medicine. Even when they were younger, she had known she was meant to be a doctor, and she’d worked hard to achieve that goal. She wasn’t the type of woman to have second thoughts about her choices.
He’d learned that lesson the hard way.
She noticed him looking at her and the expression vanished, morphing into one of embarrassed regret. It was clear she was rethinking her earlier enthusiasm, now that the moment had passed.
“Ridge—” she began.
“It’s late,” he said, knowing they wouldn’t be picking up where they’d left off. Now that they’d both had a moment to think, it was clear some things were better left unexplored.
“You should get some sleep,” he continued. “The guest bedroom is that way—” he indicated the direction with a nod “—and the bathroom is next to it. You should find everything you need inside—towels, soap, a spare toothbrush.”
She glanced at the hallway, clearly tempted by the thought of sleep. “What about you? You shouldn’t have to stay up all night by yourself.”
“I won’t,” he assured her. “I’m going to give her a bottle and get her settled again, and then I’ll head to bed myself.”
She nodded, apparently satisfied with his answer. “I’ll take the next feeding?”
“Sure.”
She took a few steps toward the guest bedroom, then stopped and turned. “Ridge, about what happened tonight—”
“Good night, Darcy,” he said, effectively ending the conversation. He didn’t need to hear her say it had been a mistake, that it didn’t mean anything and it shouldn’t happen again. Those were all things he already knew.
She sighed quietly, then nodded and walked away. Ridge waited until he heard the bedroom door close before letting out his own sigh. Maybe the universe was trying to tell him something. He and Darcy had already had their chance, and they weren’t going to get a do-over. The sooner he accepted that, the better.
Sara stirred against him, burrowing her nose into his chest in search of something he didn’t have. “Let’s get you fed, little one,” he said softly. “And then it’s off to bed for the both of us.”
Too bad he wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight.
CHAPTER 6
It was close to two in the morning before Darcy finally gave up trying to sleep. It had nothing to do with the unfamiliar bed, the sounds of the storm raging outside or the fact that she was still wearing her scrub top. She’d slept under worse conditions before and as a doctor; she’d learned to take her rest when and where she could find it. No, tonight’s insomnia was entirely due to the man down the hall, and her earlier reckless actions.
“What was I thinking?” she muttered, for perhaps the millionth time. Kissing Ridge had been an epic mistake. And to make matters worse, she had done so much more than kiss him. Even now, the thought of how she’d blatantly climbed into his lap and unbuttoned his shirt made her cringe in embarrassment. Talk about throwing herself at the man! “I can’t believe I did that.”
The problem was, she hadn’t been thinking. If her brain had been in charge, she would have stayed on her side of the couch where she belonged. Instead, she’d let her emotions and her body take over.
Hearing him talk about his fears regarding his father had touched her heart, and being pressed up against his side had made her body perk up and take notice. Normally, her self-control would have kept things in check, but the earlier attack had left her feeling vulnerable and out of sorts. Was it any wonder she’d acted irrationally?
But she couldn’t deny it had been a wonderful mistake.
She’d spent ten years with the memory of Ridge’s kisses keeping her warm at night. And even though she’d dated a little here and there, none of the men she’d seen had come anywhere close to comparing to Ridge. It was unfair, really, the way he had ruined other men for her.
It’s not that there was anything wrong with the guys she had dated. They’d been nice, smart, funny—all the qualities she looked for in a partner. But they hadn’t been Ridge.
Even now, she still couldn’t articulate what it was about Ridge that made him so special. It wasn’t his body. He had a nice one to be sure, and she had definitely enjoyed getting reacquainted with parts of it, but lots of men had broad shoulders, narrow hips and dark hair that was just a little too long. As for his personality, well, he’d always been quiet and reserved. Difficult to get to know. What had made her want to push past his defenses and get to the inner circle? If she could just figure it out, maybe she could find a way to resist the pull she felt whe
never he was around.
She sighed and rolled over, punching the pillow back into a comfortable shape. It would be so nice to turn off her brain and pause the merry-go-round of her thoughts, even if only for a few minutes. But that wasn’t likely to happen as long as Ridge was so close.
The faint cry of a baby drifted into the room, and she pushed up into a sitting position. It was her turn to feed the little one. She stepped into her scrub pants and headed down the hall, drawing up short at the doorway to the den.
Ridge stood by the back windows wearing nothing but a pair of pajama pants, holding the baby close. The lamp in the corner was on low, casting the room in a warm yellow glow that illuminated his face as he stared down at the baby, totally absorbed by the sight of her eating. His skin looked golden compared to the pale roundness of the infant’s head, and the dark hair on his chest further emphasized the differences between the man and the baby he held.
Darcy knew she should offer to relieve him, but he was just so beautiful standing there that she couldn’t bear to interrupt. Was this how he would look holding his own child?
A pang hit her as she realized she was looking at the embodiment of a path not taken. If she had made different choices, that could have been her baby Ridge held. Ridge’s cabin could have been her home. They would have been celebrating their twelfth anniversary, rather than tiptoeing around each other in the middle of the night.
How different her life would have been!
As she stood there watching the two of them, the first tendrils of doubt began to creep in. Had she made the right decisions? She’d always loved medicine, and she couldn’t imagine not being a doctor. But what had she sacrificed to achieve that goal? She loved her patients, but they weren’t waiting for her when she came home at night. And while she’d never felt particularly lonely before, being around Ridge and the baby made her painfully aware that something was missing in her life.
But what could she do about it? Even though she still felt an intense connection to Ridge, she was leaving in a few weeks. Her job was waiting in New York and she couldn’t walk away from that just because she was feeling a little sad about her single state. Besides, if Ridge’s earlier words were any indication, he thought their kiss was a mistake, too. He’d practically pushed her out of the room to stop the conversation. Not that she blamed him. They hadn’t parted on good terms all those years ago and he probably still harbored some resentment about it.
She frowned, thinking back to that moment. Ridge hadn’t said a word after her father had tipped over his bag and the watch had come tumbling out. She had mistaken his silence for an admission of guilt, but what if that hadn’t been the case? What if he’d been so shocked he hadn’t known what to say? Her stomach sank as she examined the memory in a new light. Had she made a mistake all those years ago?
Her father’s face flashed in her mind, his expression triumphant as Ridge had walked out without looking back. Her parents had never made a secret of their dislike of Ridge. What if her father had planted the watch in his bag and accused Ridge of stealing it so she would have no choice but to break up with him? Her heart hurt at the thought that her parents could be so duplicitous, but she had to admit it was a possibility.
Should she try to find out the truth? Her relationship with her parents was already strained. If she accused them of framing Ridge to get her to dump him it would not improve the situation. Besides, what good could come of it after so many years?
But how could she not ask? If they had lied, she owed it to Ridge and to herself to learn what had really happened. Her stomach twisted at the thought that she had been manipulated into leaving the one she loved simply to satisfy the selfish whims of her parents. And as tempting as it was to bury her suspicions and move on, she had to know for sure.
A soft susurrus broke the stillness of the room, and she realized with a small jolt that Ridge was talking to the baby. Darcy took a step back, suddenly feeling like an intruder. His voice was too low for her to make out what he was saying, but it still felt wrong to stand there and eavesdrop. She took one last look, memorizing the image of his tall, powerful frame cradling that tiny body with impossible gentleness. Then she turned and tiptoed back to the guest room, leaving the two of them in the warm cocoon of the moment.
* * *
There was a light on in the house.
He checked his watch. Two thirty. Probably time to feed the baby again. He’d forgotten how often infants had to eat—it had been almost eighteen years since he’d had to deal with one, and he’d hated it the whole time. They were such high-maintenance creatures. But that could work in his favor. If Ridge and his lady friend were exhausted from taking care of the little parasite, they’d be more likely to drop their guard.
And that’s when he would strike.
The woman was a complication he hadn’t anticipated. Everyone knew Ridge Colton was single. He’d seen the way the women in this town fell over themselves trying to catch the man’s eye. But he remained aloof to all their advances, as if he was too good to settle down with someone from Granite Gulch. It was ridiculous, the way a serial killer’s son put on airs about being someone special. He shook his head, his hands curling into fists as he felt a renewed urge to punch Ridge Colton in the face. Why should someone like that get all the attention, while decent men like himself were left lonely? It just wasn’t fair.
So who was this woman, and what was she doing there? His heart thumped hard as he considered another possibility. Maybe she wasn’t a love interest at all, but someone from the state, come to take custody of the baby. Fear drove a cold spike into his chest at the thought of losing the kid. He couldn’t let that happen—it would be a disaster. He’d be in big trouble if he couldn’t deliver on his promises.
Whoever she was, the woman had been easy enough to handle. And he could take Ridge—almost had, actually. But two versus one stacked the deck against him. He could still come out on top, but it would be harder. He’d have to come up with a better plan. Shouldn’t be too hard though, now that he knew what he was up against.
Plus, they were both injured. The thought brought a smile to his face. The woman wasn’t much of a threat to begin with—he outweighed her by a good fifty pounds, not to mention he was taller by at least six inches. She’d be easy to overpower, especially now that he’d hurt her leg. Unfortunately, Ridge was another story. He was a big guy, and he moved with the skill of someone who knew how to handle himself in a fight. He had been harder to overcome, but he’d still gone down with a head injury for his troubles.
“I beat him once. I can do it again.”
The only problem was that he no longer had the element of surprise in his favor. They knew he was out here, even if they didn’t know exactly where. At least he had the weather on his side—the storm had effectively trapped Ridge and his visitor in the house, and since his drive was washed out, they weren’t going anywhere soon. Even better, the police couldn’t get to them, either. The man grinned, congratulating himself once again on having thought to park about a mile away, his car hidden just inside the tree line. It would be a pain hiking back with the baby in tow, but it could be done.
He propped his elbows on the window ledge and leaned forward, trying to make out the details of the house through the rain. There was a dark shadow moving back and forth in front of the window, but he couldn’t tell if it was Ridge or the woman who held the baby. Although he was eager to grab the baby and run, he couldn’t risk a second attempt right now. Better to wait until everyone was asleep and vulnerable.
In the meantime, he would do well to get a little rest himself. Once he got the baby, he was going to have to take off. He couldn’t afford to let fatigue slow him down, not with so much at stake. He lifted his arms above his head, wincing as the gesture aggravated the sharp ache in his lower back where Ridge had pressed his knee. What he wouldn’t give for a stiff drink right now.
> He stood, eyeing the floor in search of a dry spot. The damn roof leaked, but the barn’s position on Ridge’s property made it the perfect place to bunk down and watch the house. And the best part of it was, Ridge didn’t even know he was there.
“Night night,” he said in a singsong voice. “Sleep well, little one. We’ll be together again soon.”
It was a promise he intended to keep.
CHAPTER 7
Someone was watching him.
Ridge jerked out of sleep with a start, feeling as if he’d just been pushed off a cliff. He clenched his fists and glanced around the room, half expecting to find the masked intruder crouching in a corner, ready to pounce. But no one was there. The breath left him in a rush and his muscles relaxed. False alarm.
A steady thump started up at the foot of his bed, and he looked down to find he wasn’t alone after all. Penny was stretched out alongside his legs, her eyes glued to his face. When she saw that he was awake her tail started wagging even faster, hitting the mattress with a steady rhythm that would make a drum major proud.
“Good morning,” he said, smiling at her hopeful expression. “I suppose you’re hungry?”
She let out a soft “ruff” of confirmation and he reached down to pat her head. “I think we can do something about that.”
He sat up and took a moment to rub his eyes. Between the baby, the storm and the threat of the intruder returning it had been a long night. His eyelids were heavy, and he wanted so badly to lie back down and surrender to the pull of sleep. But Penny needed her breakfast, and he needed to check on Darcy and the baby.
After a quick pit stop, he shambled down the hall with one thought on his mind: coffee. That’s what he needed to feel human again.
Harlequin Romantic Suspense March 2016 Box Set Page 29
