by Lea Hart
The doorbell rang, and Ronnie got up to answer it. “That’s a whole lot of satisfying. I hope you’re up for the job.”
Hearing her laughter gave him a warm full feeling that he was starting to anticipate when they were together. He heard a deep voice and wondered which man had the guts to show his face when he was in residence. He was fairly confident that Scott spread the gossip that he and Ronnie were together. At least he hoped he had. Moving toward the hall, he caught a glimpse of a big man who had his arm slung over his woman’s shoulder. That was ballsy even for a guy who appeared like a hardened warrior. Clearing his throat, he waited for Ronnie to introduce them. Standing at his full height, he crossed his arms over his chest and waited for the pissing contest to begin. Ronnie glanced over and started to giggle.
“Trevor, it seems like Chase is about to start something with you, so I’m going to head him off at the pass. Don’t kill him, because I’ve just begun to enjoy his company. He’s also promised to keep me real satisfied, and I want a chance to see what he means by that. No one’s ever said that to me, and I have a feeling that I’m going to like it.”
A booming snort came out of the man who looked like Captain America, and Chase wondered what the hell was going on. Stepping forward, he extended his hand and introduced himself. “I’m Chase Bedford, Ronnie’s boyfriend and future husband.”
Trevor grinned and extended his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Trevor Baines. I work with Joel, and I’m going to keep an eye on Ronnie until we figure out the threat and neutralize it.”
A high pitched sound came out of Ronnie, and Chase knew it was aimed at him. He claimed her in front of a stranger, and she was about to pitch a fit. Giving her one of his best smiles, he waited for the show to begin.
“I’m not yours, Chase.”
“Oh, yes, you are. You never would have slept with me if you weren’t serious.”
“I’m going to get serious about finding my gun again if you start saying things like that.” Turning to Trevor, she put her hand out. “Give me your gun, Trevor. I can’t find mine, and I don’t want to take the time to search for it now.” She tapped her foot and gave both men a look that suggested she wasn’t fooling around.
“I thought Jack and Ana were entertaining, but I can see the two of you are going to be the real show.” He took Ronnie’s hand and squeezed it. “Quit fussing and give the man a chance. He looks like he has it bad for you.”
Slipping her hand out of his, she tapped her shoe again. “You’re just saying that because you are in love, and it’s affecting your judgement.”
Chase stepped next to the woman of his dreams and slipped his arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head. She was about to detonate, and he needed to make sure that he said his piece before it happened. “Honey, I’ve been your boyfriend since I first laid eyes on you. You just didn’t know it.” Her face turned up to his in surprise. “It’s you, Ronnie.”
Trevor cleared his throat and stared down at his boots. “I’ll go get some coffee and wait for you two in the kitchen.” Walking away, he hoped like hell she gave the man a chance. It would take a strong man to handle Ronnie, and it appeared that Chase was the one for the job.
Ronnie rolled into Chase’s arms and pressed her face into his chest. “This is a lot to take in so early in the morning.” She felt his big hands rub circles on her back. He was trying to gentle her in much the same way she did with her horses. Smart man. “You need to slow yourself down and let me take my time. I don’t have great instincts when it comes to matters of the heart, and I will not be rushed.” Glancing up, she watched a smile form on his too handsome face. “I won’t kiss anyone else while I’m thinking about it. That’s the best that I can offer.”
“Thanks, honey. I appreciate you not making me kill someone because they get the idea that they can touch you.”
Patting his chest, she grinned. “We sure are a bloodthirsty pair.”
“That’s what passion does to a person…makes them lose their mind.” He held her face with both of his hands and captured her mouth. Tilting her head slightly, he made sure that their mouths were perfectly aligned as he kissed her with everything he had. Feeling her respond gave him what he craved…Ronnie wanting him, too. “Let’s go talk to Trevor and see what his plans are for your protection.”
“All right. After we’re done, I’m calling Ella and having lunch with her, because I have a lot to discuss.”
“Yes, dear.”
“That’s a good response and one you should keep handy.” Taking his hand, she walked into the kitchen. She was going to have to make time that afternoon to search for her gun, because she didn’t know how this whole thing was going to turn out.
********
Ronnie and Ella sat on the patio with a pitcher of martinis and stared at the fading sun. Glancing at one another, they both shrugged.
“What am I going to do, Ella?”
Sitting up straight, Ella glanced over and let out a sigh. “I think you should give him a chance, but make it a small one. There is no need to give it all away in the beginning.” Refilling their glasses, she sat back and stared at the sunset. “I think falling for Clark has affected my judgement, and I’m not sure that I can be trusted with matters of the heart anymore, because I’ve given mine to a man who’s better looking than me and…has better hair. Apparently, I lack the good sense that God promised a waffle.”
Swirling her olives around in her glass, Ronnie studied Ella and her wild curls and wondered how deep the changes went. She had a feeling that Ella allowing her curls to go wild was representative of more than a new hair style. “You never told me what happened when you showed up on his doorstep with Mama’s fruitcake.”
“Well…I shocked him. That’s what happened. He thought we were done for sure, and when I stood on his front porch with a bottle of wine and fruitcake, he about lost his ever-lovin’ mind. I have to tell you it was heartwarming to see how happy my arrival made him. You’d have thought that I was personally delivering another Super Bowl ring, not your mama’s fruitcake. Anyway…I met his mama, and she’s the nicest person in the world. She welcomed me with open arms, and that was the beginning.”
“The beginning of what?” Ronnie asked.
“The beginning of everything. I figured that if a good woman raised him, then he must be worthy of a real chance. I’ve always thought this thing between us was a short fling, but she told me different. And I believed her. I was the first woman that Clark has ever invited home, and she had the impression that we were moments away from being engaged. I cleared that up real fast, but I have a feeling she never really bought it. She thanked me for taking on her son and told me that she was happy that he fell in love with someone smart. His mama is the one responsible for this relationship moving to the next level. I know that it doesn’t reflect well on me that I had to hear from her before I believed it, but I’m willing to live with it, and so is he. He has a lot of crazy people in his family, so I fit right in. In fact, they make me look normal.”
“You are the most rational person I know, and you think everything through completely before making a decision. I’m not sure how that makes you crazy.”
“I’m not real normal, and neither are you or Justin or Ana or even Alex—as much as he would like to believe he is. Since we hang out with each other all the time, we think we are…but we’re not. We overthink everything and consider things from every angle. Most people don’t do that…at least not as much as we do.”
“So…Clark likes you just the way you are.”
“He said he fell for me when I banged my head on the table when we first met. I’m not taking that as a real good sign, considering what he does for a living, but he accepts me the way I am. As far as I’m concerned, that’s everything.”
Taking a sip of her drink, she considered what Ella had said. “I think that’s all we can hope for. Someone who sees us and takes us on just as we are.” She heard a bellowing voice and knew the man who wanted
to take her on was home. Somehow, the sound didn’t bother her as much as she thought it would. Standing, she walked to the door and yelled back. “We’re on the patio. Get yourself a drink and join us.” Turning back to Ella, she smiled. “So what happens when you get a job with the World Bank and start traveling the world?”
“Clark says that he only has a few more years before he retires. He’s thirty, and his body takes a beating at every game, and he wants to be able to walk at the end of his career. So I’ll stay here until he retires, and then he said he would come with me wherever I needed to go.”
“What’s he going to do when he retires?” Ronnie asked.
Chase and Clark both walked out on the patio with drinks in their hands and smiled at the women.
Clark walked over to Ella, set his drink down, and tipped her over his arm to give her a kiss that was worthy of a movie scene. That kiss wasn’t something that anyone could fake; the man clearly felt something real for her. Ronnie glanced over at Chase and saw the look he had in his eyes. It told her that he had her in his sights, and there wasn’t a thing that was going to stop him. Sure enough, he leaned over and kissed her for real. “Chase Bedford, you behave…we have company.”
“Honey, they’re smooching, and they don’t care what we’re doing.” He snuck in one more kiss before she could start to fuss. “Should I order some dinner for everyone?”
Standing, she took his hand and pulled him toward the doors. “Let’s see what Gerald has left in the freezer. I usually have enough food in there to survive a month.” Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed that Ella and Clark were canoodling and not paying them any attention. Good for her. Ella deserved a man going nuts for her, because underneath that gigantic brain of hers, she had an enormous heart, and it was important to give it to someone who would take care of it. Walking into the house, she felt Chase’s hands on her hips as he kept her close. He was like tape, stuck up against her and hard to get off.
********
Standing in front of the freezer, Ronnie started pulling out tubs of frozen food. “I’m going to reheat the etoufee, and I can make rice. There is bread in here, so the only thing missing is salad. Can you run to the market for me?”
“Of course, just make me a list and tell me where it is.”
Trevor walked in and had his phone in his hand. “You’re all set. The new system is in place, and the cameras are up and functional. Since Chase is home, I’m going to head out, because I promised Katie dinner, and she’s just about done with work.”
“Do you want to invite her over? I’m making dinner, and there will be plenty for everyone.”
“Let me call her and see if she wants to drive over,” Trevor replied. He walked out of the kitchen as he dialed her number.
Wrapping his arm around Ronnie’s waist, Chase kissed her neck. “Make me a list, and I will head out.”
Turning in his arms, she studied him. “Your hands are all over me, Chase. What is going on with you?”
“I like touching you and connecting. I’ve been gone all afternoon, and I missed you.” Running his finger down her cheek, he wondered if he was coming on too strong. “Does it bother you?”
“I don’t think so, but I’m not used to it.” Placing her hand against his chest, she decided that she actually liked it. “You just keep doing it.”
“Oh, I plan on it, and when this house empties out later on, I’m going to show you exactly how much I missed you.”
“I look forward to it.” Pulling his head down, she gave him a kiss of her own. Somehow, all the other men that she’d been kissing had slipped from her memory, because he seemed to have kissed them right out of her head.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Wednesday
“Chase, honey…what are you doing with your hands on me so early in the morning?”
“I’m saying good morning…What do you think?” Gliding his fingers inside her folds, he ran them around until her hips answered his movements. Moving his hand, he tucked two fingers inside and began to pump them in and out. Feeling her respond, he whispered in her ear, “That’s it, honey…Let go. I just want to make you feel good.” Pressing his thumb over her bud, he felt her tighten around his fingers and she peaked in orgasm. “Like I said, honey, good morning.”
Rolling her over, he used his knees to spread her legs and pressed his body on top of hers. Sliding inside of her dripping heat, he felt her tight, silky welcome. “You feel perfect. We fit. Can you feel it?” Watching her eyes close, he brushed her hair away from her face and saw a smile form as he rotated his hips. “You are so beautiful, Ronnie.” Feeling her body grip his, he started to move. Thrusting slowly in, he seated himself against her core, and they were one. This was what he craved, to be completely inside her without a thing separating them. Dipping down, he brushed his lips across hers and then cupped her butt to lift her closer as he drove in deeper. “Open your eyes and look at me, because I want to see your face when I give you every ounce of pleasure I can.” Sliding slowly out, he drove himself in and then did exactly what he said—again and again, until his name fell from her lips in a cry of pleasure.
“Chase, whatever I said about northerners, I take back,” she said breathlessly. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she leaned up to kiss him. “Show me what you got.” A wild look of satisfaction passed over his handsome features as he moved his hips and thrust again and again. Closing her eyes against the pleasure that filled her lungs and crossed every nerve in her body, she cried out as her climax started. They were moving as one, and as he rocked himself deeply into her, she was marked forever. His skin against hers lit every nerve she had on fire as he continued his sensual assault. His name fell across her lips in ecstasy. Stars hit the back of her eyes as delight rolled through her.
“Show me, Ronnie.” He drove himself in and out of her slick core, and her orgasm gripped him, sending him over the edge. Thrusting himself in one last time, his heart exploded against his chest as he called her name and poured himself inside of her. Not able to stop, he continued to move in and out as pleasure buzzed over his nerves.
Slowly lowering himself against her, he kissed her neck and shoulders as he brought them both down from one of the best rides of his life. Happiness filled his heart, because this was beyond sex, and it always would be with her.
“Good morning to you.” Running her hand up his sweat slicked back, she enjoyed the feeling of his skin and muscle. He was a man through and through, and she relished every inch of him. His obvious enthusiasm when they were together broke something loose in her and allowed her to respond in much the same way. As the sun started to rise and the room started to lighten, she finally understood what Ella and Ana were always talking about. Ana had finally admitted that she and Jack were at one another all the time. Good day, bad day, regular day, they needed to be together, and Ella had said the same thing about her and Clark. For the first time in her life, she could see why that might be a good idea. Except he was getting heavy, and he needed to move. “Sweetie, you need to shift a little because I can’t really breathe.” His head lifted, and he had a smile as big as Alaska. “Why are you so happy?”
Rolling off, he pulled her into his arms. “You just used an endearment with me.” He snaked his leg over hers and buried his face in her neck and kissed her. “You like me, Ronnie, and now you can’t deny it.”
“I’m not going to deny anything. You keep doing what you just did and like is going to move to something else entirely.” Tracing her fingers along his face, she kissed him gently. “I don’t want to kill you anymore, because I’m enjoying your company too much to get rid of you.”
“Is that all I am to you…a sexual slave?” He moved his hand along her back and rested it on her nice plump behind. “I feel cheap.”
“We’ve been together since last week, and we’ve been getting along, so quit trying to start a fight. Especially after what just happened between us. I don’t know about you, but that was amazing and possibly life altering. I�
�ll have to do it a lot more to be sure, but I’m fairly confident that I’m right.”
Tilting his hips into her, he laughed. “Oh, honey…fighting is the last thing on my mind, and you are definitely right about it being life altering. We should do it again in about five minutes. I just need to be able to take a full breath.”
Looking down, she admired his enthusiasm. “I’ll think about it after you feed me breakfast.” His hands tickled her mercilessly as her laughter filled the room. “That’s not fair.”
“Who said life was fair?” He hugged her tight against him and gave her a kiss that told her exactly how he felt. “What are your plans for the day?”
“I’m going home for a while, so I have to pack.” She felt his grip loosen as he sat up and stared at her. “I spoke with Mama yesterday, and she suggested that I come for a long visit until Joel and Trevor figure how serious the woman is about harming me.”
“Were you going to tell me before you got on a plane or was I just going to come home and find you gone?”
“I’m telling you now, and I would have left you a note.” Noticing his thunderous expression, she realized that her joke had fallen flat. “Quit it, Chase. I was just kidding.”
“Not funny, Ronnie.” He slipped out of bed and walked toward the bathroom. He didn’t like the feelings he was having, and he needed to decide what to do about them. She was treating him like a plaything and not a boyfriend, and that need to change right away.
“Does this mean that you’re not making me breakfast?” The bathroom door closed loudly, so she took it as a no. Getting up, she grabbed her robe off the chair and walked out of the room. Fine, she would make breakfast then. He was over-reacting to her bad joke, and she didn’t understand why. If it was more than that, he better explain himself when he came down to eat. She wasn’t a detective, and if he had something to say, then he better say it clearly and quickly. She walked into the hall bathroom and closed door hard. She had a few feelings of her own.