by Judy Angelo
“We owe it to our children and grandchildren,” he was saying, “to do all we can to protect and preserve the environment. I feel strongly about this and that’s the reason why I support research that will help us find viable energy alternatives.”
Lani tilted her head, curious. “Seriously? But you’re in the oil business. How do you reconcile the two?”
He shook his head. “Being in the oil industry doesn’t stop me from being concerned. Right now I satisfy the community’s energy needs but I also recognize that we need to find alternatives. And trust me,” he smiled, “as we transition to those alternatives I’ll be the first to jump on board. Where the business goes, I go.”
She smiled back. “Spoken like a true capitalist.”
He chuckled. “Did you expect anything less?”
After that their conversation moved to her research and the progress she was making in sourcing plant supplies for her experiments and trials. “Thanks to you,” Lani said, “I don’t have to be distracted by mundane matters like leases and bills. It’s such a relief to be able to focus on what matters.” She gave a soft sigh of contentment. “We’ve made quite a bit of progress and right now we’re just waiting for a shipment from South America. Once that arrives we’ll be able to complete phase one of the study.”
“Sounds good,” Ridge said. “I’m glad I was able to help.”
And then Lani remembered. She was grateful for his help, of course, but it had come at a price. She’d had to leave her apartment and move into his house, sacrificing her freedom so she could get the funding she so desperately needed.
And so Lani was torn. On the one hand she recognized that if Ridge hadn’t come to the rescue the landlord would have probably locked them out of the building by now. On the other hand, she was more than a little peeved. Ridge could have given her that money, easy. Why did he have to tack a condition onto it?
And so as he smiled at her she smiled back but her mind was ticking away, busy contemplating her next step. She’d started the evening with all kinds of good thoughts about Ridge. She’d wanted to show him she could be nice. More than that, though, she’d wanted to tempt him just a little, to see if she could get him to kiss her again. She’d tasted his kiss, not once but twice, and she wanted more.
But how could she divorce her desire from her displeasure? He’d blackmailed her, after all.
“You’re still with me?”
Lani blinked and turned her gaze to Ridge who was watching her with interest.
“You looked like you had the weight of the world on your shoulders,” he said. “What’s up? Got something on your mind?”
Ignoring all the reasons why she shouldn’t, Lani decided to be bold. She would go for what she wanted and be damned with discretion. Slowly, deliberately, she laid her napkin on the table then reached out and lifted her glass to take a fortifying sip of wine. Then she turned to face her friendly foe, deciding on a full frontal attack.
“I want to kiss you,” she said, abandoning coyness and getting straight to the point. And she might be mad that he’d forced her into this situation but that didn’t mean she didn’t want him. She’d thought she could ignore him for a year but his kiss taught her otherwise. Now she would take her pleasure and deal with her vexation later.
“I’m all yours,” Ridge said and made as if to get up but she dropped her hands on his shoulders, preventing him from moving.
Cupping his face in her hands she bent her head to rest her lips against his, reveling in the warmth of his mouth against hers. Then she pressed harder, forcing him to yield to her, allowing her entry. As he groaned and opened to her she took full control of the kiss, holding his face captive as she stood over him, tasting him, devouring him to her heart's content.
When she finally pulled away Ridge gazed up at her, his eyes all but glazed over. “God, you taste so good,” he groaned and licked his lips like he meant it.
Instead of answering, Lani turned and sat on Ridge’s lap and when she felt his hardness pressing up into her she smiled. Emboldened by this obvious sign of his ardor she reached her hand up to cup the back of his head then she pulled his face down toward hers and captured his lips again, showing him with her kiss that she was in control. Maybe it was the mixture of passion and indignation that raged within her or maybe it was because she’d held it in too long but she put everything in that kiss so that when she released him he looked stunned.
Before he could recover she gave him another shock when she reached down and ripped his shirt open, popping buttons, sending them flying.
With his shirt wide open, his muscled chest exposed, she slid off his lap but only to get back on top of him, this time with her legs straddling his. Facing him, she had full access to his bare and beautiful body. Without hesitation she leaned forward to capture a turgid nipple between her teeth. She nibbled and nipped, punishing his sensitive bud till he sucked in his breath and clenched his eyes shut but when she began to lick and soothe him with her tongue he flung his head back and moaned.
He lifted his hands like he wanted to touch her, hold her, but Lani slapped them away. Ridge might be bigger than she was but as long as she kept him in his chair she could control whatever happened and she planned to keep things that way. She would keep him entertained. That way he would have no need to rise. As long as the only rising he was doing was in his pants she was a happy camper.
Moving swiftly before he had the chance to wonder what would happen next Lani loosened the bow at her right shoulder and let the top of the shift fall forward, exposing her lace-covered bosom. His eyes still closed, Ridge had no idea what was going on but it didn’t matter because in one fluid movement Lani stood, her hands pulling the clasp at the front of her bra as she moved. Now, with her breasts free, she leaned over Ridge’s upturn face and nudged her nipple between his lips, feeding him the puckered fruit, feeling a thrill run through her body as he started then tasted then sucked it in.
Now, with that sensitive bud between his lips, it was Lani’s turn to moan. As he drew it in, teasing it with his tongue, nipping it with his teeth, massaging it with his lips, Lani closed her eyes then threw her head back and moaned. She arched her back, pressing into him, wanting more of the molten pleasure that flowed from his lips. And even as she moaned she felt the liquid warmth between her legs, testament to the effect Ridge was having on her.
Lani shifted, ready to feed the other bud to the ravenous rogue beneath her, when he lifted his hand to span her waist and lift her off him.
Eyes so intense they blazed, he got up and took her hand then jerked his chin toward the stairway. “Come on,” he said, his voice raspy. “Let’s do this right.” He took her hand and turned, ready to finish what she’d started.
But it was too late. He’d broken the spell, dragged her out of her dreamy fantasy, the one where she’d orchestrated the whole thing. Now it was he who was calling the shots, just like he’d done when she’d turned to him in desperation. It was a jolt of reality that knocked the ‘horny’ right out of her. It was a reminder too stark, too strong for her to ignore. No matter how much she pretended, Ridge was the one in charge.
She pulled her hand from his grasp. “No.” She shook her head. “That’s it. I don’t want to do this anymore.”
Ridge pulled up short, his eyes filled with confusion. “What the hell? You started this.”
“I know,” she said, her voice terse. “And now I’m ending it.” She stepped back, covering herself as she moved, then began to redo the bow that held the top of her dress in place.
“What? Why?” Ridge looked like he’d lost his bearings, like he didn’t know if he was coming or going.
Too bad. The way she was feeling right now she had no sympathy for him. “I changed my mind,” she told him with a shrug then moved away and began to stack the dirty dishes and bowls in the middle of the dining table.
“What the f-”
“Don’t you dare.” Lani fixed him with a glacial glare. “You don’t need to
sink so low.”
“The hell I don’t. What kind of friggin’ game are you playing? You’re trying to mess with my head?”
Lani shrugged then lifted the stack of china. “Let’s just say,” she murmured, “I can play games just as well as you.” Not waiting for an answer she walked away, leaving him to stew in the sauce she’d served.
In the refuge of the kitchen she dropped the dishes into the sink and let out the breath she’d been holding. Thank goodness he hadn’t followed her. He must be pissed as hell, with her leaving him high and dry like that.
But she couldn’t help it. It was the memory of how she’d gotten here in the first place that had been her undoing. She just couldn’t reconcile herself to the fact that he’d been all-powerful and she, so powerless.
And if the only way she could wield what little power she had was to withhold sex, then so be it.
The only sad thing about the whole affair was, in punishing him she was darned well punishing herself, too. And Lani had no idea how long she could hold out.
***
Not again. How could he have fallen for that again? Ridge slammed his palms down on the bathroom counter and glared at his reflection in the mirror.
He was a friggin' idiot, that was what he was. How could he let her play him like that? The woman was nothing but a little tease, a witch ready and willing to yank his chain. Drive him crazy. Torment him with want and then walk away. Damn!
Ridged slapped his hands down again but what he really wanted to do was drive his fists through the mirror. Pissed could not begin to describe what he was feeling.
That night, sleep was the furthest thing from his mind. He was so wound up it wasn’t until the wee hours of morning that he finally drifted into a fitful sleep. At the sound of a car engine he woke with a start and that was when he realized it was morning and Lani was driving out, heading for work.
It was a grumpy and groggy Ridge who showed up at the office that morning. When he walked in he tried to fake a smile but his assistant could read him like an open book.
“You look terrible,” Miss Poole said, giving him a stern once-over. “I would suggest you save the partying for the weekend.”
Ridge just gave her a noncommittal grunt and kept walking until he’d entered his office and closed the door behind him. In the privacy of the room he relaxed his clenched teeth and gave way to a groan. He was exhausted and he was in the same bad mood Lani had put him in the night before. It was only because he had an important board meeting that afternoon that he’d even ventured out in public. He was in no condition to mix and mingle with anyone. Not today.
When Miss Poole buzzed to tell him it was time for his meeting he put on his game face and headed off to the conference room. It wasn’t going to be easy but like any professional worth his salt he was going to have to push his personal problems to the distant corners of his mind and deal with the issues at hand.
It was a long four hours but Ridge made it to the end of the meeting. Unfortunately, it was not before he’d nearly chewed off the head of his CEO for making a costly blunder. For the most part he’d kept his anger under control but this wasn’t one of those days when he was going to play nice.
When the meeting finally ended and he got up to go he could see the flash of relief that crossed the face of his second-in-command. Suddenly feeling guilty that he’d been so harsh, Ridge gave Jeff Bentley a curt nod. “We’ll talk about this tomorrow,” he said, his voice calm, the very opposite of what he’d been just minutes before. “We’ll find a solution to this.” With those words of reassurance he left the conference room and, not stopping, he left the office building and went straight to his Jaguar in his reserved parking spot. He was going home. There was something he needed to do and the sooner, the better.
Ridge was on his way to the house when he called Lani from his cell phone. Like he could have guessed, she was still at the lab, hard at work.
“Do you have a minute?” he asked. “Can you talk?”
There was a brief pause and when she spoke her voice was hesitant. After what she’d done to him she was probably expecting a shouting match. She would have a long wait for that one. “I’m sort of busy right now,” she said. “I can only give you a couple of minutes.”
“That’s all I need,” he said. “You got what you wanted. You won’t have me around to bother you anymore.”
He heard a soft gasp. “What are you talking about?” she asked.
“When you get home I won’t be there,” he said brusquely. “I’m moving out.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Where’s the flippin’ travel pouch?”
Ridge was muttering to himself as he threw shirts, socks, underwear and trousers into his suitcase. By the time Lani got home from work he would be long gone and he couldn’t have made a better decision. He would be far away from the little witch and he’d finally have peace.
After a few more frustrating minutes of searching he finally found the pouch he’d been looking for, tucked way to the back of the shelf in his closet. How that had gotten all the way back there, he couldn’t tell. He’d probably been in one of his mad moods when he’d thrown it on top of the shelf. Now, with it plopped on top of his clothes, he could close his suitcase.
But just before he did there was one quick thing he wanted to do. He’d been wound so tight he’d been sweating buckets all day. He felt too sticky to go out like this. He glanced at the clock, checking to make sure he had enough time for a quick shower. He didn’t want to be there when Lani got home but, knowing her, she wouldn’t leave the lab until the sun had gone down.
Ridge had just shrugged out of his suit jacket and was reaching for his tie when he heard tires screeching down below. Frowning, he went over to the window. Shit. It was Lani. How had she gotten home so fast?
Looking like an angry swan with her white lab coat sailing behind her, the little woman hopped out of her car and tore up the driveway toward the front porch. Ridge heard when she flung the front door open and then her footsteps sounded on the stairs.
He shook his head. Why the heck had she bothered to come home? There was nothing she could say that would stop him from leaving.
He’d turned away from the window and was heading toward the bathroom as planned when his bedroom door burst open and Lani stood there, panting from her run. Her brows fell in a frown. “Where do you think you’re going?” Then, like one of those wrestlers getting ready to rumble, she stood in the doorway, feet planted firmly apart, and folded her arms across her chest.
If Ridge weren’t so dang tired of Lani and her games he would have laughed. Did she really think she could stop him? He turned to face her. “I’m leaving,” he said, his voice stone cold. “You’re driving me crazy. I’m getting out of here before I do something I regret.”
That should have been enough to send any woman running, but not Lani. Instead of accepting his declaration and backing down in defeat, her face tightened. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Now Ridge did laugh. He couldn’t help it. At his six-foot-four height and brawny build was he really being bullied by a woman a foot shorter than he was? “You gotta be kidding me,” he said with a snort. “Who’s going to stop me? You?” It was more a sneer of disdain than a question.
She didn’t answer. At least not in words. Before he even realized what she was doing Lani was inside the room, standing right in front of him, her eyes flashing with fury. She caught him by surprise when her hand shot out and grabbed his tie. She yanked on it hard, almost breaking his neck. “I said you’re not going anywhere.”
Her hands shot up again but this time it was to grab fistfuls of his shirt then she was pushing against his chest, pushing with all her might, propelling him backwards toward the bed.
He could have stopped her. Easy. If he’d planted his feet firmly on the ground she couldn’t have moved him an inch. But he couldn’t believe it. The wee woman had him in shock. The little elf had actually gotten it into her head that she could bo
ss him around.
Ridge was so bemused by his wife’s fearless behavior that he didn’t notice they’d reached the bed until she gave him a hearty shove in the chest, sending him tumbling backwards.
Before he could recover she was on top of him, straddling him even as she pulled at his tie, quickly loosening it and throwing it onto the floor. Then she was attacking his shirt, not pausing to loosen the buttons but ripping it open, sending buttons flying.
“Hey, that’s the second shirt in two days.” He didn’t get the chance to say another word.
Lani clamped his face in her hands and lowered her lips to his then she was kissing him fiercely, so hungrily that she was like a woman gone wild. What made it worse, as she kissed him she was moaning like she really wanted this. Was she faking or was this real? God, she was driving him insane.
Panting now, wanting her like he’d never wanted her before, Ridge moved his hands up to capture her and lift her off him, breaking the kiss.
“Why did you do that?” she wailed, trying to get back on top of him.
But he wouldn’t let her. He put up a hand to block her attempt to straddle his waist again. “I can’t deal with this,” he growled. “This damn teasing. You’re driving me crazy.”
To his surprise, Lani gave him a sly smile. “Who says I’m teasing?” she asked, her voice seductive and soft.
And at the sound of those words Ridge felt his heart stop and his hardness swell in his pants.
***
Lani wanted Ridge so bad her heart felt like it was ready to burst out of her chest. She’d always known she wanted him but her anger had always been that brake that kept her from giving him her all. But now, with the threat of him leaving for good, her anger had to take a back seat. There were other, more important things on the table right now, like holding on to this man, like fucking his brains out.
