FUTURE RISK

by MEGAN MATTHEWS

  “For you, of course I would.” He leans back on the bed propping himself up with his elbows.

  I put a hand to my chin in thought. “Can I buy you a marine uniform?”

  Bennett’s smirk falls and he shakes his head no. “Flour, you don’t want a Jar Head. Those are just men who couldn’t pass the IQ test to be a SEAL.”

  “Will you wiggle around in your uniform? Stick out your butt?”

  His eyes widen in surprise. “Maybe. Drop the towel and we’ll find out.”

  I look behind me to check to be sure the doors close. It is. “What about Liam?”

  “I sent him and Dolores to the bakery to check in on the girls for you. Make sure the place was still standing.”

  I smile, this time my cheeks turning pink. “You know me so well.”

  “Well, you did leave Tabitha in charge. And her backup is Katy, so we’re all a little worried.”

  There is definitely no way I’m going to tell him I was thinking that exact same thing just an hour ago. “You don’t give them enough credit.”

  Bennett pulls on the edge of my towel causing me to grab it at the top so it doesn’t fall off. But I take a few steps toward him.

  “Do I need to spank you again?” he comments with a smile, but there’s a small wicked glee in his eye that tells me he’s not joking.

  I take another step closer until our knees touch. My lower half heats, excited about the prospect, as little butterflies bloom in my stomach. I’m a mess of excitement and expectation.

  He pulls me into his lap until I’m straddling his legs on the edge of the bed. “Fine, I’ll do it myself.” He pulls back the edges of my towel. The tips of his fingernails work against my skin causing shivers up and down my chest and arms.

  He drops the towel to the floor, freeing my breasts to the room’s chilly air. He strokes a hard nipple with his thumb the rest of his hand cupping my breast while he takes the other in his mouth. Then he sucks and I gasp, pushing myself closer and giving him more. When he pulls back his smile has grown into a sly smirk.

  “I need to take things between us slower than most men because I have to think about Liam in every decision I make. But you and me? The two of us are a done deal. You never have to question my commitment.”

  “Even though I made you reorganize your Tupperware cupboard?” It’s not my fault. The lids were in a different area than the bowls. Nothing was stacked properly. I did him a huge favor by organizing the area and making it useable.

  He laughs, the word yes following around another pull on my nipple. I moan and arch my back using his shoulders the stabilize me.

  “You can rearrange the whole damn house.”

  Could he say anything more perfect? It’s true love.

  CHAPTER TWENTY- FIVE

  “Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Bennett asks as his truck idles in the parking lot behind the bakery.

  “Yes.”

  “It’s supposed to be a day off, Anessa.”

  “Yes, but you need time with Liam.” Bennett spent a lot of time the last few weeks saving me from bad guys and chasing down drug dealers. With Kevin on the run and none of Ridge’s team or the local police departments able to track him down, there is still a lot of work to do. He should spend a day off with his son. “Plus I want to visually confirm that Tabitha isn’t cooking.”

  “I’ll be back to pick you up in three hours,” he says leaning across the cab to give me a quick kiss. “Three hours.”

  When he deepens the kiss, it’s time for me to go. Even after what we did an hour ago, kissing Bennett is never enough. Unfortunately, I have responsibilities and he has a child, so realistically we can’t spend an entire day in bed having sex.

  I stop in my back door and turn, watching his truck in the parking lot before waving goodbye. Bennett promised Spencer was here on the afternoon shift and would stay until I closed the bakery tonight. I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have dropped me off so casually with the little fight he put up if it wasn’t the case.

  The back door opens, the alarm beeping. I hurry to punch in the code to silence the sound. Ridge and Bennett’s number one rule was any time anyone even looked at the bakery, walked by the bakery, or stopped in the bakery we had the alarm set. There’s no more opening the door for random people around here. Another rule I have no plans to argue.

  “Oh it’s you.” Tabitha drops her arm and set the frying pan she was wielding on the prep table.

  “Were you going to hit me with a frying pan?”

  She shrugs, but her cheeks heat. “You could’ve been a robber.”

  I eye the pan for a second. “Where did you get a frying pan?” There’s no need to carry one the bakery and I’m pretty sure I haven’t seen one since I moved in.

  She shrugs again. “We went upstairs to get it.”

  I stare at my new best friends not even sure what to say. “Why? Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

  “We didn’t think you’d be in today. I can’t believe Bennett let you out of the house.”

  “Yeah, well I stopped by to check on sales and see if they found Kevin yet?” If Tabitha even senses even a hint of excitement from me about Bennett, she’ll begin the nonstop questions. Some I’m not quite ready to answer myself.

  She sighs. “They’re looking. They can’t believe he isn’t showing up at a hospital yet.”

  “I’m sure he will turn up eventually.” I shrug. I’d be a lot more worried about Kevin and where he is and what he is doing, but with Bennett at my back and Ridge keeping this place stocked with bodyguards, I’ve never felt safer.

  “Guys!” Katy yells, sticking her head through the double doors into the kitchen. “Whatever you’re discussing back here, stop. Do it out front so I can hear too.” Her head disappears again.

  Tabitha shakes her head picking the frying pan back up.

  “I like to keep it around,” she says when I give her a questioning look. “Katy spent all morning telling every person who came in about your story. You should go out there and make an appearance so they know you’re alive.”

  “Great.” I’m really not in the mood to answer one hundred questions about what happened. I’d rather move on with my life and not give Kevin another moment’s thought.

  When Tabitha and I make it to the front of the store, Katy stands at one end of the case, her hands on her hips and staring out the window. “Look.” She points out the window where three teenage girls stand on the sidewalk laughing to each other. “I don’t know if having one of Ridge’s guys here is good for business because all the ladies want to come in and see the hot guy or bad because no one has the courage to come in and actually order something.”

  Her point is proven when Spencer makes eye contact with one of the girls and she squeals, the three of them hurrying off and not bothering to come inside.

  “You’re never going to get rid of the cameras now either.” Tabitha points to a new one Ridge installed in the corner of the dining room.

  Spencer turns his attention to us. “Is having me here really that bad?”

  “What I can’t figure out is if this is a reward or a punishment.” Katy takes a carafe of coffee to Spencer’s table and refills his mug.

  He shrugs. “Ridge said I needed to get out of the computer room for a while. This is not exactly what I had in mind when he said field work.”

  “You need a girlfriend,” Katy says replacing the coffee pot on the warmer.

  Spenser laughs, slapping a hand on his knee like it’s the most ridiculous thing he’s ever heard. “Who has time for a girlfriend? Have you seen what you women have done to Bennett and Ridge?”

  “Who me?” Tabitha asks with a hand to her chest like she’s the most innocent person, but I remember what it was like when she was dealing with her own issues.

  “Okay, fine then. Get a dog.”

  Spencer rolls his eyes. “Yeah, sure. I’ll get a dog.”

  “A dog would help you get a girlfriend,” Tabitha says

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nbsp; “It’s true,” Katy agrees with her. “Girls love dogs.”

  “Oh my God. Everyone stop talking.” Tabitha stares off into space for a second. Her lips move but no sound comes out. She eventually practically skips to the notepad next to the phone on the wall where everyone has left the bakery name suggestions. And scribbles out some quick letters. “It’s perfect.”

  Oh how I highly doubt that. Her last suggestion was Anessa’s Muffs because we serve so many muffins.

  When I don’t immediately move to read her suggestion she waves me over. “I’m serious this time. Come look.”

  “Fine,” I rub two fingers on my forehead to brace for the headache, which whatever she’s come up with this time will cause.

  Surprisingly, when I stop in front of the phone and read her suggestion it’s not so bad. I shrug, “Okay. That’s what we’ll call the place.”

  She’s right. It’s absolutely perfect.

  Katy’s eyes widen when I turn back in her direction. “No one can tell me?” She shuffles past Tabitha and me.

  “You don’t think it’s too long?” Tabitha asks.

  “The Bakery on the Bay?” Katy turns around, her lips pinched deep in thought. She finally nods her head. “It could work. We’ll call the place Double B’s. Trip B’s… like a bra size.”

  And there’s a headache. “I just named the place. Let’s give it a while before we come with a nickname.”

  “Can I still tell people to come to the bakery and try Anessa’s tasty treats?” Katy asks.

  “You’re telling people that?” I’m horrified. Who is she saying these comments too?

  “Yeah, it’s great advertising. I tell everyone who walks through the office.”

  “You work at a dentist office.”

  She shrugs. “Yeah, they have to eat too.”

  “But…” I form the objection in my head but let it die on my lips. It won’t do any good anyway.

  “Either way, girls.” Katy stands between Tabitha and me putting her arms around our shoulders. “Between the three of us we’ve got a lot of future to live.”

  Tabitha flashes me a look. “Is this where we fade out into the sweet sentimental moment? Ride off into the sunset?” she asks.

  Katy squeezes my shoulder harder. “Yes, and you’re ruining it. There’s no sunset, or horses, but we’ve got a big ass glass window and our aprons. I’ve got so many plans.”

  EPILOGUE

  * Bennett *

  I swipe my thumb across the print scanner and, when it beeps, open the door. The heavy steel door opens with a squeak. Behind it Ridge’s private office. The one he doesn’t show anyone else. This is where the real action happens and where he keeps all his private files on our high profile clients.

  “I thought you were gonna do something about that?” I ask taking a seat in front of the large desk in the middle the room. Papers and manila folders are stacked in tall piles on either side of Ridge.

  He looks up from whatever he’d been working on with flattened lips. “The door? I’d have time to take care of the door if I wasn’t always chasing someone’s girlfriend around.”

  “Hey, Anessa was not my girlfriend when this whole thing started. And the first time it was your girlfriend.” I laugh, stretching back in the metal chair. He can complain all he wants, but the truth the matter is Ridge lives for the kind of excitement we’ve had the last few months. We all do. “Doesn’t your dad own a hardware store? Ask him to help.”

  “Riley’s been ‘borrowing’ supplies from my dad for years. It’s a touchy subject.” More than once he’s walked to his garage to grab a tool only to find it missing.

  You don’t go in the navy and become a SEAL because you want a quiet life back home. No, that happens after years into service. After all the bloodshed, fighting, long days, and longer nights.

  “I’ll get somebody on the door.” He closes the flap of the folder without even reading it and tosses it on top of the large stack to his left. “How is Anessa doing?”

  “Surprisingly well.” For a woman who’s been kidnapped and shot at more than once over the last few days, she really hasn’t had any major breakdowns.

  It’s definitely hot.

  A woman who can stand up for herself and handle problems in a crisis — basically the woman of my dreams. Not that I’m ready to admit it any time soon. I’m a package deal. Whoever takes me has to take Liam as well, and while right now Anessa seems like she’s all on board, a child is a huge responsibility. I want to give her plenty of time to realize how crazy my life isn’t and let her back out while she can.

  “The whole thing just pisses me off.” Ridge pushes a few files to the side in anger. “How the fuck did we lose Kevin? We were right there.”

  “He’s out there somewhere. We’re going to find him.”

  He grabs a folder at the top of his pile and tosses it my way. “We better hurry up. It’s making us look bad. Ridge Jefferson can’t find one two-bit criminal in a county with a population under 10,000.”

  “Don’t worry. I have leads looking for him. The only way he could stay under our radar is if Frankie picks him up. And he be better off in our custody because you know how it will end up if Frankie finds him first.”

  Dead. He doesn’t need to say it out loud. We both know.

  “Until we find him, I want somebody based inside the bakery at all times. I’m not letting anyone have the chance to pull this kind of shit again.”

  I flip open the case file and see a mug shot from nobody connected with the current case. “I’ve already warned Anessa that Spencer will be a permanent fixture for a while.”

  “Good.” Ridge dumps another folder in the trash by the desk. “He asked for time off in October to attend some bachelor party, but before that I’d like to get him more involved with regular cases. He’s been around long enough to know how we work.”

  I like Spencer. He’s laid back and somebody I trust with my ass in a life-or-death situation. “We’ll need to hire more guys.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “And probably a receptionist.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He throws another Manila folder in the trash. “But between taking on new cases, sorting new cases, and working on cases, when the hell do I have time?”

  “We can make the new guy do it.” What else does Spencer have going on when he’s sitting at the bakery drinking coffee and eating donuts?

  Ridge responds but I don’t catch it over the loud jingle my phone sings out in my back pocket. Even though I have full faith in Spencer to keep the girls safe, I don’t waste any time answering it. Katy was there after all.

  ANESSA: I’m ready to go. Katy is getting sappy.

  With a quick check to my watch I see that Anessa was only at the bakery for about forty-five minutes.

  “What are you smiling about?” Ridge leans across the desk examining me.

  “Nothing. I have to pick up Anessa.”

  “Yes, please leave. Leave me with all these cases to work through. I’ll make sure you get the best of the selection,” he says with complete sarcasm. “It’s mostly a day off anyway.”

  I stand and get ready to leave, even if it means I’ll be chasing our low-ranking bond jumpers for the next month. “See you Monday.”

  I don’t wait for Ridge to reply and leave his secret office without another word. If I hurry up and get Anessa back to my house, there’s a possibility we’ll a few minutes alone before Dolores and Liam return from visiting the ice cream shop and playground.

  **

  “I can’t believe you’re making her leave. We are bonding.” Katy shuts the door on the bakery case and passes over the donut in the ridiculous pink bags Anessa serves her food in. She’d probably sell more doughnuts if we men didn’t have to walk around with pink shit every time we left her store.

  Anessa smirks, the right side of her smile higher than the left. I don’t think she’s aware that she does it, but every time it happens I’m reminded me of our day at the fort. She makes the same face in sarcasm as she does when she’s gazing up at the sky in post-sex contentment. I’d much rather see her that way than responding to Katy.

  “Katy, that was not bonding. It’s you telling us all the ways you plan to get back at Pierce.”

  “He took out additional insurance on the house I live in because he’s scared something will happen to it.”

  I swallow back a laugh. It might not be such a bad idea for Pierce. Every once in a while he makes a sound business decision.

  “Where are you guys going?” Katy asks as Tabitha rings up a customer.

  Neither Anessa nor I answer.

  Tabitha turns back from the register. “Are you two going upstairs?” She winks twice.

  “No!” Anessa beats me to it, her horrified look slightly disturbing. I would take her upstairs.

  I would just prefer to do what I have planned for her in the comfort of my home.

  “No, but I do need to grab the spoon before we leave.”

  Anessa’s mouth drops open making me smile. She knows exactly what I have planned.

  “The spoon?” Katy asks.

  I lean casually against the wall. “Yeah, I have stirring planned for tonight.”

  “Okay, okay,” Anessa says pushing on my chest to get me toward the kitchen. “We are going to go. You guys have it all under control. Call me if you need anything.”

  She successfully pushes me through the swinging kitchen doors. “I’m going. I’m going,” I say laughing the entire time.

  “I can’t believe you said that. You know when I get back they’re never gonna stop questioning me.”

  “I thought girls love to get together and talk about men and your sexual conquests? If you let me I can make it so you have lots of stories to share tomorrow morning.”

  She laughs, swatting me on the shoulder. “I bet you could.”

  “We should find out.”

  Anessa — because she can’t help herself — stops and checks the thermometer on the freezer one last time. It’s higher on the wall than she is tall and I stare at her ass when she stands on her tiptoes to read the dial.

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