by Malone, M.
By the time he locked up his studio and waved goodbye to Mac, Jackson was in a much better frame of mind. Work was one of the only things that could take him away from his problems and he’d relied on it more and more lately to keep him from spending too much time at home and annoying his wife.
Ten minutes later, he pulled his car into the garage and grabbed the backpack on the passenger seat. He’d brought home his laptop and a few marketing materials he needed to approve for his sister-in-law’s EP. Kaylee was a talented singer and Jackson was honored to be producing her album and singing on one of the tracks with her. She’d be really excited when he showed her what the independent marketing firm he’d hired had come up with for her album cover.
As soon as he opened the door that led into the kitchen, the smell of smoke assaulted him. Panicked, Jackson dropped his bag and ran into the kitchen. Black smoke billowed from the oven.
“Oh shit!” He stumbled across the room to grab the fire extinguisher from the pantry. After turning off the oven, he opened the door and then jumped back as the flames roared out. Pointing the fire extinguisher, he squeezed the trigger and prayed he was spraying the right place since he could barely see.
By the time the flames stopped, he was sweating and shaking and completely terrified. Where were Ridley and the kids?
“Ridley? Chris? Jase?” He opened all the windows in the kitchen to let out the smoke and then poked his head into the family room. It was quiet on this level. He walked up the stairs and noticed the light in the master bedroom.
“Ridley? Baby are you okay?”
He skidded to a stop inside the doorway when he saw Ridley asleep on the bed. She was curled up on top of the comforter with her head pillowed on her arm.
She also looked like sex personified.
Jackson groaned as his entire body tightened. What the hell? Ridley’s lush body was covered with some pink and lace night gown that looked like it had been designed specifically to make any man who saw it lose IQ points. Add to that the effect of her curly hair framing her face and all the cleavage revealed by the deep cut of the gown and he was fighting a losing battle. He clenched his fists. She was perfect and looked completely… fuckable. There was no other way to describe it and it was killing him.
Ridley chose that moment to wake up. Her lashes fluttered and she let out a soft little sigh that he felt right in his dick. God, what was that slick pink stuff on her lips? It made him think about those full lips wrapped around…
Fuck. He had to control himself. He couldn’t just maul her like a wild animal.
“What the hell is going on?”
It came out a little more harshly than he intended and Ridley jumped. She glanced around frantically and only calmed when she realized it was him.
“Jackson, you’re home. When did you get here?” Then she looked down at what she was wearing and blushed a pink that turned him on fiercely.
“I just got here and the kitchen was on fire. What is going on? And what the hell are you wearing?”
Ridley grabbed the sheet and wrapped it around her, which didn’t help his unrelenting erection much. It would probably help more if she put the sheet over him. Ridley could look sexy in anything.
“Nothing. I was just… nothing.” Her face crumpled and she ran into the bathroom, the door slamming behind her.
Perplexed, Jackson followed her until he heard something that nearly took him to his knees.
Crying.
♥
An hour later, Ridley still hadn’t come out of the bathroom. Nick had shown up with the boys so he figured they’d been spending time with their aunt and uncle while Ridley had been at home wearing sexy lingerie and almost burning the house down.
What he couldn’t figure out was why? Was she trying to make it harder for him to stay away from her? Then it hit him. She was no doubt worried that if he wasn’t getting sex at home that he was getting it somewhere else. There were plenty of men who used a dry spell at home as an excuse to go out and screw anything in a skirt and even though he knew Ridley trusted him, she was still pregnant and hormonal. She was probably worrying herself sick about whether he was tempted.
He didn’t even want to tackle opening the oven yet, so he microwaved some frozen chicken fingers for the boys and listened to their stories about Uncle Nick’s new game system. Ridley walked by while he was supervising shower time but he didn’t try to talk to her then. It wasn’t until after he’d gotten both boys tucked into bed that she appeared in the doorway to their room. He watched as she gave them both hugs and kisses.
Out in the hallway, he took her hand. “Hey, can we talk?”
She didn’t look enthusiastic about it but followed him to their room. He closed the door behind them, trying to collect his thoughts. There was certainly no delicate way to tell his wife that he wasn’t cheating and never would.
“About earlier, when you were wearing the … night gown. You don’t have to do that. I mean, you’re probably worried that I’m getting … that… elsewhere. But I’m not. Getting that anywhere else. I would never do that to you so you don’t have to wear that stuff or whatever.”
She lay down on her side and closed her eyes. The dark shadows under her eyes had only gotten more pronounced over the last few weeks. His worry for her was like a constant companion. She was only getting more absentminded and tired. He was trying to do the right thing and take care of her instead of mauling her like a horny bastard.
He thought he'd been prepared for how beautiful she'd be pregnant since he saw his sister-in-law go through it but he'd been taken off guard by how much he wanted her.
“I’m sorry about the kitchen. The oven is probably ruined,” she whispered.
Relief swept through him. She was just worried about the damage to the kitchen.
“Don’t worry about that. It’s time for a new oven anyway.”
Her eyes narrowed and he thought she was going to call him out on the obvious lie. Even though he’d reassured Ridley many times that he was a wealthy man and could afford to buy her whatever she wanted, he’d noticed she was still very frugal and rarely asked for any extravagances. As such, he’d made it a personal mission to spoil her whenever possible. He should have known she’d be worried about the cost of kitchen renovations.
But that was a concern they could take care of tomorrow. His immediate concern was taking the haunted look from her eyes.
“Now do you need anything? Food, water, maybe a foot rub?”
Ridley swallowed a few times and wouldn’t look at him. When she swiped at her cheeks, he knelt on the floor in front of her. Her eyes were red and slightly swollen and it crushed him to see her looking so sad.
“What is it, baby? Tell me what's upset you. I only want to give you what you need.”
Her eyes stayed on the wall behind him. “Can we just go to sleep? I’m so tired.”
There was something he was missing. Something big. But he honestly couldn’t imagine what it was so he did the only thing he could. Gave her what she asked for.
But it was a long time before he fell asleep and when he dreamed it was of falling off a cliff onto the jagged rocks below.
chapter three
♥
Ridley had been so preoccupied lately that she forgot it was time for Girl’s Night, her group of friend’s monthly gathering to catch up, hang out and talk about their men. It was a welcome distraction to plan the menu and she even bust out the bottle of tequila she hadn’t touched since she’d gotten pregnant to make margaritas.
Her future sister-in-law Kaylee arrived first with her best friend, Sasha, in tow. Both were singers and had been friends since childhood. Over the years, Ri had gotten to know Sasha quite well, too.
“Oh my god! Look at you!” Sasha embraced her gently. “You’re about to pop!”
Ridley rubbed her belly. “It feels like it, too.”
Kaylee led her toward the sofa. “You need to put your feet up. We can handle letting everyone in.”
Grateful, Ri allowed them to tuck her into a corner of the couch, her eyes tearing up slightly when Sasha rushed over with a throw blanket to cover her legs.
“You guys are the best,” she whispered.
Kaylee peered down at her with concern in her eyes. “Is everything okay, Ri?”
But just then the door opened again and she heard the voice of her friend Penny and then the extremely loud voice of Raina.
Ridley sighed. “I’m fine. Just tired and wishing I could have a margarita.”
Kay gave her a sympathetic look. But just then they heard Raina’s voice calling out again.
“Ri! Where’s Ri?” When the crowd parted so she could see her sister, Raina bounced up and down in excitement. “I just got a major campaign! The first since I had the baby!”
A cheer went up from the others and Ri held out her arms. Raina dropped down on the couch next to her and hugged her.
“Congratulations, sis. I’m so proud of you.”
Raina shrugged but Ri could tell she was just bursting with excitement. “Maybe I really can have it all. Nick, a family and my career. It feels too good to be true.” She stood. “I need a drink. Ooh you made margaritas!”
When Raina walked to the kitchen, Ridley’s neighbor and good friend Katie Mason sat in her place. Ridley observed her silently. One of the things Ridley loved the most was matchmaking. Despite everyone else’s claims that she was “meddling” she’d done a pretty fine job of matching couples so far. When Nick and Raina were still dancing around each other, she’d told her brother-in-law that her sister longed for a baby, knowing that he wouldn’t want anyone else fathering her children. Now they were happily married.
When Kaylee had still been too nervous to talk to her brother-in-law Elliott, Ridley had come up with a way to force the two together. She’d been asked to schedule a small gig for Kay and instead of booking an extra room for Eli, who was coming along as her security, Ridley had made sure to only book one.
Now they were engaged.
So when she’d seen the way Katie looked at the oldest Alexander brother, she’d hoped that her matchmaking luck would hold out once again. She’d gotten her friend a job assisting Bennett in his lab but if the sad look on Katie’s face was any indication, things weren’t working out so well.
Katie sighed and peered down at the drink in her hand. It was still full.
“You’re not drinking. Is it too strong?” Ridley asked. “I probably overdid it. Since I can’t have alcohol anymore, I had to guess at how much tequila to add.”
Katie smiled but Ri could tell it wasn’t genuine. “No, the drink is fine. I’m just daydreaming.”
“Are the kids okay?” Ridley pressed.
“Oh yeah. They’re fine. Mrs. Hillard is babysitting tonight and she brought her grandson Carter along again. They always have a good time when she babysits so it’s not that.”
“But it is something,” Ridley argued, her eyes narrowing.
Kaylee plopped down on the couch beside Katie. “You might as well just tell her. You know how she gets.”
The whole group laughed and Ridley flushed. What did that mean?
Raina patted her hand. “You know it’s true, Ri. You’re not happy unless you’re meddling.”
Kaylee covered her mouth with her hand she was laughing so hard. “You’d better watch out. If she thinks you’re not moving fast enough, you’ll end up booked into a hotel with Bennett.”
“That was an accident I swear,” Ridley lied. It wasn’t that bad, was it? When she’d done it for their own good?
Kay didn’t look convinced. “I think your brain does matchmaking subconsciously.”
“I’m just concerned for my friends. I want you all to be happy, that’s all.” Suddenly Ri was extremely tired. Was she really so annoying to everyone? Maybe she just thought she was helping. Obviously it wouldn’t be the first time when she’d read a situation wrong.
Katie seemed to sense that she was upset because she smiled. “I know you do, Ri. I’m happy. I’m just… confused. Okay, here’s the thing.” She took a deep breath, like she was gathering her courage. “You know how Bennett and I have been dating, right?”
“Uh huh. Things seem to be going well. Julia’s thrilled about it, you know.”
Katie winced. “I’d hate for her to get her hopes up. Especially since it’s probably already over.”
Ridley paused. “Whoa. What does that mean?”
“You know how Bennett originally wanted me to help him so he could impress his friend Olivia?”
Everyone nodded agreement. Ri wasn’t sure how the others had heard the story but it was pretty much impossible to keep anything a secret in the Alexander family.
“Well, apparently even though we’re together, Bennett is still going on a date with Olivia.”
Ridley immediately started to shake her head. “Wait, what? Bennett wouldn’t do that!”
“Oh I didn’t think so either. So I asked him point blank and he said he couldn’t cancel on her so close to the event. That it was rude. The man who would barely say hello to his neighbors is worried about being rude.”
“That’s crazy. I can’t believe Bennett said that. I’m going to give him a piece of my mind the next time I see him.” Ridley was going to strangle her brother-in-law.
Here she was going through all this trouble to find him his perfect match and he was jacking it up! Who went on a date with another woman when they had a girlfriend? Bennett was brilliant but completely clueless socially, everyone knew that, but even he should know better.
“No, I don’t want that. He should be with me because he wants to be. Not because he’s afraid of his sister-in-law.”
“He’s not afraid of me,” Ridley protested.
Raina looked at her twin from the corner of her eye. “Um, you haven’t seen you when you’re on a tear. You’re pretty scary.”
Kaylee got up and came back with the pitcher of margaritas. Without asking she refilled Katie’s cup. “This sucks. I still think we should go kick his ass. Why do men have to be such idiots?”
Soon the room was a chorus of voices, all talking about the dumb things their men had done.
Ridley sank back into the cushion of the couch, wishing desperately that she could chime in and ask for advice. But she’d already done that once and look at what had happened. She hadn’t had the heart to tell Raina that her seduction plan had backfired so spectacularly. It would only make her sister feel sorry for her and Ri didn’t want that.
No, she didn’t want anyone’s pity. She just wanted her husband to want her again.
♥
Ridley closed the door behind Kaylee and Sasha gently, who’d stayed behind to clean up. It had been so much fun hanging out with her friends. She rotated her neck. Fun but exhausting. Not that she minded. At least it took her mind off her problems.
Before she even got out of the entryway, the door opened again and Jackson stepped inside. As usual, her heart rate picked up as soon as she saw him. Even after several years together, she still got breathless at the thought that this incredible man was actually hers. Then she remembered how awkward things had been since the night she’d started calling The Great Lingerie Fail. They’d been dancing around the topic for days, each pretending nothing was wrong. She wasn’t sure how long they could go on like this.
“Hey baby. Everything okay?” Jackson glanced behind her curiously.
“Oh yeah, I’m fine. I was just daydreaming. The girls just left.”
He kissed her forehead and Ridley sighed. It was such a small thing but after how tense things had been lately, it was heaven to feel like things were okay again.
“Where are the kids?” she asked. Whenever she had Girl’s Night, Jackson took the kids out for ice cream and a movie or to his parents’ house.
“At Mom and Dad’s,” he answered. “They fell asleep playing in their room so Mom told me to let them sleep over. I think she’s just happy for any excuse to use the bunk beds she bought
them.”
He hung his coat absently on the hook by the door and then walked to the kitchen.
Ridley was about to follow when his coat fell off the hook. Luckily she was standing so close to it that she caught it. It was a good thing too since she hadn’t been able to bend over in ages. Ridley rubbed her belly absently as she hung the coat back on the hook. It would be awesome when she could finally see her feet again.
As she was hanging the coat, she noticed something white sticking out of the pocket. A business card.
Don’t do it. You trust your husband. Women who trust their husbands don’t go snooping in their coats.
But despite all the warnings swirling through her brain, Ridley snatched the business card. When she saw the name on it, her throat instantly went dry. She crumpled the card in her palm and then carried it to the kitchen. What was she supposed to do? Confront Jackson? But what good would that do? People who were doing things behind their spouse’s back didn’t just admit it when confronted anyway.
The kitchen was empty by the time she got there, so Ridley was left alone to stew and stare at the card she’d now crumpled into a ball. It was probably for the best. Even though Jackson was just as sweet to her as ever, there was a huge difference in the way he interacted with her since she’d gotten pregnant. At first she hadn’t thought anything of it, he’d just been more careful with her when they made love and he didn’t initiate as often. But then slowly, all the passion had disappeared and he kissed her chastely, like a distant cousin you hadn’t seen in years.
Maybe that was just the reality of marriage, that her husband wouldn’t always think she was the hottest thing out there. He was damn near perfect in every other way. Was it really the worst thing if he wasn’t groping her all the time anymore? There were plenty of women who had way worse things to deal with.
But did those women’s husbands have their ex-girlfriend’s number in their pocket?
chapter four